Guys i've been shaving with all the good gear for a couple of months now and i'm having some doubts about using my Bengall Cut Throat razor. At first it was all about the honing being just not good enough but i think i've sorted that out. The cut throat is very forgiving i'll grant you but now even though it seems sharp enough and is not tugging; it just seems very labour intensive. By that i mean i have to do a lot of gardening to cut all the grass, meaning i need to have a three pass shave and i'm only getting mediocre results. Whereas having used firstly the Weck Sextoblade, which has to be the most deadly shave in the history of shaving. Also i've used a cheap shavette (1/2 DE Blade) with fabulous results (read baby bum smooth) and also i have a Feather SS Kamisori style which also gives fabulous results. Then just lately i've also used a Gillette Slim DE with great results for when you need to get ready in a hurry. I was wondering if any other newbies out there are having the same doubts about using their cut throat razors? I mean don't get me wrong I don't want to be like Luke Skywalker and be turned to the darkside and leave cut throat shaving to the other side of the universe....Is there a "Yoda" out there that can sympathize with my thoughts and enlighten me about perhaps what i might be doing wrong???
Doubts about my Cut Throat Vs Shavette, Sextoblade and Feather SS Kamisori
- Thread starter rusaboy
- Start date
These pros nay know
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/79-Straight-Razor-Shave-Clinic
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/79-Straight-Razor-Shave-Clinic
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
It is a different shave, even with a crazy sharp razor. A high quality, fresh disposable blade has a lot of effortless cutting power and it is extremely difficult to match it with a straight razor. To do so is a whole nother level of honing. Most shavers grow accustomed to "good enough" edges. Some of us take them a bit further. Here is my post-shave maintenance routine that keeps my edges in good shape. When I initially hone, I don't stop at the usual 12k. I strop on a progression of diamond pastes on balsa, .5u, .25u, and .1u. There are guys who can do a crazy sharp edge with a high grit Shapton progression or certain Jnats. Lapping film can make a superb edge that can match a disposable blade. And yes, even the common 12k Naniwa can perform at a higher level if it is lapped and smoothed, and used with lather and diminishing pressure.
Welcome to B&B [MENTION=107873]rusaboy[/MENTION]! I'm sure there are gentlemen here that can advise you.
Did you hone yourself?
+1
Hone is a kind of art ... You need good equipment and practice ... I use both shavette and straight ... The shavette gets used more.
- Thread starter
- #7
Slash, thanks you so much man, i read your maintenance routine and i'm on to it. Are you the Messiah because what you wrote looks like scripture to me. I shall follow it religiously when i get set up, cheers and like you say the best possible results are the only kind worth pursuing....I might have to steal that saying off you.
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- #8
Hi Parjay, yes i honed it myself. The razor arrived damaged on the end so i had to grind about 1/4" off. This actually suited me as i think a 3" blade is too long for my facial features. Anyhow i bought some stones i.e. 1000; 3000;4000 and an 8000 grit. and made up a 3" canvass strop and a 2" leather strop (as i do leather work) both glued to MDF and they seemed to work ok. As i said i got my honing to a stage where the razor dosn't tug but it just wasn't good enough. I think now after reading Slash's Maintenance routine i wasn't even in the same ball park. But that's what this Forum is all about hey.
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- #10
It was from china and is one that has a slide which you mount the 1/2 DE blade on then shove the slide complete into the body. It cost about $2 or $3 so i mean cheap. However saying that it does give a super smooth shave which surprised me.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Its like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, with cheap shavettes. You never know what you're gonna get. I will say that the ones sold at Sallys are pretty decent. That's the one I use though I have tried a bunch of different ones from fleabay sellers. Most were okay. Some were not. YMMV.
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- #13
Yeah if you type in shavette from china on ebay they are $1.84 posted. you cant lose. i only got one to try. There are others that come with 10 blades for about $10. Cant lose.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
I would recommend getting the blades seperately so you get the blades you want. Just like with DE shaving but even more so, you wont like the results from poor blades. I use Feathers but I have had excellent results from 7 Oclock Greens, Israeli Personnas, and similar quality blades. And for inexpensive shavettes, you may as well get two of them. That way when you snap a blade in half, you have a place to put the other half blade and dont have to handle it twice.
