Early Kampfe Star and a neat Kampfe stropping tool I acquired some time ago. After first failures getting an edge am jumping back in to try again.

[HDSledge]

I bought the stropping tool because it was something I had not seen before and the Kampfe line has always fascinated me. I have always wanted to shave with one of the original blades but getting a comfortable edge eluded my best efforts. I recently had a great shave with one of my older SE using a de-splined Gem PTFE blade.

I haven't used the Kampfe stropping tool yet. It is a work of art as was common back then. It says "this side up" on one side. See the video for how I think it is operated. No need to flip the wrist on the strokes, proper angle seems to be maintained, intuitive. Should work just as well with a regular strop.

I have a stropping block with smooth leather on one side and rough on the other side. I have 1 oz. each of green and white polishing compound. Since I am new to stropping, I hope more experienced here will chime in with some tips. I've read that some prefer to use the compound on the rough side and leave the smooth side for the finishing touches. I've read the opposite too.

Here's a short video of how the stropper works. Ingenious.

 

[garyg]

That is one great looking lather catcher .. I have tried over thge years to get an edge onone of the older wedge blades (think I have besides Star & Kampfe both Henckels & GEM examples, but my skills aren't up to it ..

Signing in here to encourage & hope someone has a good way to accomplish the task

 

[kjbarth]

Very nice. Fan of the Kampfe tools too. I have a few lather catchers and a bunch of wedge blades that I haven't been able to properly hone yet either. One of these days.... So I use regular GEM SE blades and a plastic wedge spacer. Not sure if I have one of those stroppers, I'll have to look.

 

[HDSledge]

I dug into my stash of tools and found compound, stones, even polishing paper. Not giving up this time until I get a good edge.

 

[Flintstone65]

Add me to the list of folks with many lather catchers (more than 10, less than 50....haven't taken a census in a while); and I have tried my hand at sharpening a couple of the dozen or so wedge blades I have, and that has not resulted in anything with an edge that is truly shave-worthy. I will definitely be following this thread with interest.....please keep us posted.

 

[FarmerTan]

I bought the stropping tool because it was something I had not seen before and the Kampfe line has always fascinated me. I have always wanted to shave with one of the original blades but getting a comfortable edge eluded my best efforts. I recently had a great shave with one of my older SE using a de-splined Gem PTFE blade.

I haven't used the Kampfe stropping tool yet. It is a work of art as was common back then. It says "this side up" on one side. See the video for how I think it is operated. No need to flip the wrist on the strokes, proper angle seems to be maintained, intuitive. Should work just as well with a regular strop.

I have a stropping block with smooth leather on one side and rough on the other side. I have 1 oz. each of green and white polishing compound. Since I am new to stropping, I hope more experienced here will chime in with some tips. I've read that some prefer to use the compound on the rough side and leave the smooth side for the finishing touches. I've read the opposite too.
View attachment 1439953View attachment 1439954View attachment 1439955View attachment 1439956
Here's a short video of how the stropper works. Ingenious.

Simple, AND ingenious! Thanks for sharing my friend!

 

[HazMat Shaver]

That's a beauty. Thanks for posting it and good luck on getting a great edge. It can be done.

 

[HDSledge]

I decided to chronicle my efforts this time around. At least that way if I fail miserably again I have documentation of where I went wrong. The main key to success seems to be near perfect control of angle and pressure, control I don't have. With the stropping tool the blade angle feels controlled. My input is mostly light pressure to steady the blade. From the wear on the blade holder I surmise that this tool was used quite a bit.

Experimenting with the blade below which is in not good condition: I loaded the honing board with green on the rough side. The compound loaded leather makes the blade drag. It's easier to guide the blade with 2 fingers lightly resting on it during the strokes, but it's hard to maintain contact without some pressure. ~ 20 strokes each side.

I loaded a small amount of white on the smooth side. It is more abrasive than green so I took a few swipes with that then went back to the other side. Lastly I used a spare piece of smooth leather on top of the block stropper for a ~ 20 strokes.

At a few hundred x magnification the edge looks very inconsistent. This blade may be beyond repair due to pitting but it is good for experimentation. I'll use the stones today and the microscope to examine the results along the way.

I will work on my nicer spare blades (previous honed) once I get used to the process.

 

[HDSledge]

Still don't have it down. Getting closer.

 

[HDSledge]

Eureka! I finally got the hang of it.

I spent most of the afternoon on one blade shown below, a basket case I thought. Some tips I learned from watching razor sharpening videos proved valuable:

1. Get a loupe so you can examine the edge as you progress through the grits. Erase the lines from the last grit with current and move on. Any scratches left from previous grit mean you aren't ready to move on. All scratches look the same? Next grit.

2. Flatten your stones even if new. I got a new one and it was clearly not flat.

3. I was overjoyed to discover that when honing there is no need to go one way, then flip to go the other side over and over. You can do 20 half passes then do the other side 20 half passes. The trick is count down each cycle to reach the last pass. You can go very fast that way. On the blade below: 40 quick one side, then 40 on the other side, then 39, etc., all the way down to the last pass.

4. Start with some pressure at 1k or below, letting up as you get to higher grits, finally feather touch at 12k.

5. Scotch Super 33+ tape resists being abraded away and doesn't leave too much residue. I had to change it once. It only wore off after 600 grit and 1k grit passes. Apply it with an extra inch of tape on either side to act as flipping handles.

6. Steal a pan from the kitchen as shown in the pic. I used part of my desk for the work area. You can rest your hands on the edges of the pan and slide them back and forth holding the blade on the stone. It may not seem like a big advantage but it proved to reduce fatigue and keep the edge straight.

7. Don't trust the old stropper tool spines like on the Kampfe stropper I displayed above to be flat or true. I found out immediately that they will give an uneven edge if used to hone.

8. Keep your damn thumbs away from the corners. No matter how careful I was after a couple hundred laps I had a tiny cut on the corner of each thumb. I didn't even feel it until later.

I wasn't sure how the pitted and corroded blade would turn out. The blade now tops hair, passes thumbnail test, is mirror polished, has no micro-edge. It is not perfect by any means. Feels good to know that I can finally get a sweet edge without much effort on any of my old wedge (hollow ground) blades. I'll test it next shave.

Wow this one looks bad up close. It will no doubt be a bit shorter when I get done.

Halfway there. 600, 1000, 2000, 3000, 6000, 8000, 12000. I know it's more stages than I needed but it was helpful to watch the progress through each grit level.

All done except for stropping on smooth leather.

My setup. Simple and comfortable.

 

[1Pet5_8]

Cannot express just how much I enjoyed reading that, and appreciate your amazing photo journal.
As someone who has always tried to be a knife sharpening expert, and who loves the Antique equipment, I am blown away.
Well done Sir!

 

[HDSledge]

I spotted and acquired an original 1905 print ad promoting the stropping tool and Star Interchangeable Razor. I had assumed the stropper was for the Kampfe shorter blades and Star razors when in fact it was designed for a swappable straight razor.

The health related ads on the back are par for the course back then. Elixirs and potions guaranteed to cure all your ills were available in abundance. There are still products purported to draw toxins out through the soles of the feet while you sleep. A pad of some sort turns black by morning, supposedly from toxins removed from your body. The electric massage wrinkle remover is another one of the numerous health items using electricity to power their dubious benefits. Quackery but cool.

The Kampfe ad alerted me that there are 2 finger holds that slide along the edge of the stropper. They are not permanently affixed and probably slid off to be lost unfortunately.

Still working on getting the best edge. The Kampfe line is not comfortable so far.

 

[luv2shave]

Subscribed !

With an intense rise in RAD / HAD and any other relevant ADs

 

[Jim99]

Wonderful thread going on here. I’ve honed and rehoned my Kampfe blades before I had gotten a satisfactory edge. It was trial and error for me, but it did get there in the end. I like that you highlighted using the tape as handles when stropping. I did the same thing. I really need to use my Kampfe Star (1899 patent date) more often.

 

[HDSledge]

I've posted a few SOD's with Ernst Scharff and Kampfe Star razors. Yesterday I got a passably comfortable shave with the Scharff and a Kampfe blade.

I still have a lot of work to do on my technique, particularly with controlling how much pressure to apply at each stage. I experimented with very damaged blades but haven't settled on the best angle for the bevel. Tape on the spine does a good job of protecting the blade and an even edge is easier to achieve, but the result seems much wider than the factory bevel. I have no idea what angle they are designed to be honed. I plan to construct a honing tool specifically for wedge type blades once I determine the correct angle. If I am lucky someone with the info will chime in.

Here is a pre-1900 Gem Z blade after 5 hours of work. The stock stropping holders work pretty well for stropping, just not great for honing.

Here are the progress points, starting condition first then zoomed in for the following pics at 600 grit, 1k (with burr), 2k, 3k, 6k, 8k, finally 12k stropped and a topped arm hair for perspective.:

 

[dotKomo]

A wonderful chronicle of your adventures! Now I know why the disposable blade was invented.

 

[HDSledge]

A wonderful chronicle of your adventures! Now I know why the disposable blade was invented.

Ah yes. Back then disposable blades were quite an innovation. I love being able to use my numerous century old safety razors and after much practice can now easily restore and maintain the blades.

It was an eye opening moment when I first realized I had the process down pat. For now I have abandoned modern safety razors and blades in favor of my daily reconnection to history.

I encourage all aficionados of SE shaving to acquire an old Kampfe Star or similar and practice honing technique until you can literally split hairs with the original blades. It is quite rewarding.