I would not overthink this. You need to strop the razor on leather or a decent substitute. I would start with denim if you have an old pair of jeans you are willing to sacrifice to the gods of shaving.
I believe the rationale is thicker material behind the edge which is closer to the edge (achievable with this concave design) adds more meat and a longer-lived blade. A chisel with a 15 degree bevel is ideal for cutting, but too weak and not practical because of this lack of steel behind the blade. A 30° bevel is a trade off between effective cutting and longevity. At least that's my take on it.The concavity and extra length of you bevel is probably only a few microns in difference from a flat bevel, but it can make a difference. When you go from a convex surface to a hanging strop you do need to be a little more carful to avoid folding over your edge.
I have done calculations of the theoretical effects of these concave bevels. To be honest, the theory does not match with the practical results when shaving. I would really like to see an open minded discussion why there is difference here. It makes no sense just from the geometry. From that standpoint i really do understand the people who dismiss this. To be honest, i would to if i had not tested the concept.
The only explanation i see now is that the lower part of the bevel bends a little over the small contact point you are working over.
I hope it works out for you. It was not my intention to to derail your thread.
LOL. "You might have led with that." Yeah. I didn't think to because I'm not coming from a position of knowledge. I am getting leather, no doubt.Wait...you asked him *not* to strop it after he honed it? Okay....you probably should have led with that.
Get a strop. Make a strop. Strop on the inside of your forearm. Whatever. It's part of the process. Not optional, as you've discovered.
As you improve you technique you rely less on having a ultra sharp edge. A traditional coticule edge can be all you need, but you might need to adjust your technique a little.I believe the rationale is thicker material behind the edge which is closer to the edge (achievable with this concave design) adds more meat and a longer-lived blade. A chisel with a 15 degree bevel is ideal for cutting, but too weak and not practical because of this lack of steel behind the blade. A 30° bevel is a trade off between effective cutting and longevity. At least that's my take on it.
Ive been using proraso red from a tube. I make the lather first but when I’ve worked it into my beard I dip the tips of the brush in the sink and make it a little wetter on my face and work it in a little more.@Titleist after I sort out my leather; since you mention, my lather seems a bit sub-par. I only have Proraso in a tube. I can make lather from it, but it's not as wet as I think it could be. I happen to have some glycerin and some pure lanolin. Would it avail me at all to add a few drops of each or either to a mug to mix my lather? If not, or even if so, what could I be doing to improve the condition of my face? I have the hot water and towel regimen as part of the routine, but my face always feels like it's cooled off quite a bit when it comes time to shave. Maybe part of it is a simple order of events thing?
Thank you, Hazmat. That first sentence makes me feel better about things. Most importantly I’m becoming more confident.When starting out with a straight the odds of getting a real close shave is minimal.
Keep it up. By this time next year, you won't understand why you had a hard time learning to use a straight.
If you look closely you can see where I dusted. I didn't moisten it at all, but dusted it with a microfiber cloth.
Best shave yet. Very comfortable, not terribly close, but best so far. Confidence is building. I got an alum block today and rubbed it for a minute on my face afterwards and it felt like ice. Left it there for two minutes and put aftershave right over it. No cold water rinse.
Face feels REALLY good.
I'm curious. What do you mean by "freehand" honing? I am picturing you honing with the spine raised above the honing surface.Spline distance and shave angle are slightly subjective based the edge. Freehand honing can give a slight variation on the optimum cutting angle so experiment on the hold. I can tell you the blade barely touches my face at about a 20-30 angle and it’s ready to shave a month old beard off with the slightest of blade pressure. Think of a butter knife gliding through soft butter pressure.
BTW, people have brought it up but I don't think I answered: I told Jarrod NOT to strop before sending the razor out; so the stars are all aligned if I transition to leather ONLY, right now, correct?
Don’t picture me honing with the spline off the surface, but many others might. Plenty of great knife sharpeners jack their SRs edges up, so a fair number of folk who are worried about scratching their SR‘s spline.I'm curious. What do you mean by "freehand" honing? I am picturing you honing with the spine raised above the honing surface.