First Time on JNats! Smoth Shave, Buuuuut....

[Aldwyn]

Hey guys!

Been using Naniwa SS for about 5 years now, and get good edges with them... but the zombie apocalypse has me shut in the house for weeks, which makes me dangerous with the shopping. I ended up buying several kamisori (my first ones) and decided to get some JNat action gong to go along with them. So I also bought a Shobu, a set of 4 nagura as well as a tomo.

First out of the pen was a Wade and Butcher... my #2 blade. It hasnt had a touch up in years, but started to pull a little recently, so decided to do a touch up. I started with the koma, then went to the tomo, then the shobu with water alone with no slurry.

Under a 12x loop, the edge looked good and smooth, so I considered it done, and well done.

I shaved with it today, and was awed by how smooth it was. Silky even. I was thinking "JNats, where have you been all my life??"

Then I rinsed my face to discovered... stubble! Not bad... but in the spots were my hair is rougher, I can see some here and some there, which was unusual for this blade in the past, and rubbing ATG or XTG, I can feel more stubble then usual.

The only thing different about all of this was tape: I usually hone and touch up with 1 layer, but for the first time ever, touched up without it. Something just said "you dont need it", so I skipped tape.

Is that my sin? Should I have used tape?

 

[Steve56]

If your razor had the bevel set with tape, and you finished without it, you did not hone the edge. Try it again with tape.

 

[Dilbone]

You'll need to fully establish a new bevel without tape. Sounds like you may have gotten "almost there" throughout your nagura progression but almost there is an average shave at best IMO. Reset that bevel for sure with no tape first, then hit your jnat. I'm not a jnat expert but I know with a little kiita I had I could get there with tomo slurry and not need to go back to a courser stone. You likely will just need to spend some more time with slurry before going to plain water, but I'm sure others will chime in.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[SliceOfLife]

Oh good lord, when I was starting out did I hate tape. Nothing is more frustrating then spending all that time honing up an edge, testing it, and it's junk, repeating, same, repeating, same, then finally realizing you need to rebevel because someone honed it with tape before you bought it. My first Filarm, the thing must have been honed with a freaking roll of tape on it.


Anyway, point is... yeah you can't just stop using tape. You need to regrind the bevel of the razor.

 

[buca3152]

I really can't stand using tape. The freaking stuff should be illegal. Lol. What I do and have continued to do is when I hone I start with a 1k. Refreshing a bevel removes hardly any steel and you know what you have.

 

[Xopenex]

Used to use tape here and there....never again

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[stone and strop]

So long as you don't change mid stride in honing - it doesn't matter. Tape no tape whatever.

 

[Aldwyn]

So, that was my sin, then. My gut lied to me!

Thanks for the input, guys!

 

[Slash McCoy]

I use tape when it is needed. I try not to need it.

 

[Dilbone]

I have one razor that no matter what I did I couldn't get a decent edge on it. Out of desperation I put on 1 layer of tape and it became one of the nicest edges I have. It's the only razor I've used tape on.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Jim cunningham]

Hey guys!

Been using Naniwa SS for about 5 years now, and get good edges with them... but the zombie apocalypse has me shut in the house for weeks, which makes me dangerous with the shopping. I ended up buying several kamisori (my first ones) and decided to get some JNat action gong to go along with them. So I also bought a Shobu, a set of 4 nagura as well as a tomo.

First out of the pen was a Wade and Butcher... my #2 blade. It hasnt had a touch up in years, but started to pull a little recently, so decided to do a touch up. I started with the koma, then went to the tomo, then the shobu with water alone with no slurry.

Under a 12x loop, the edge looked good and smooth, so I considered it done, and well done.

I shaved with it today, and was awed by how smooth it was. Silky even. I was thinking "JNats, where have you been all my life??"

Then I rinsed my face to discovered... stubble! Not bad... but in the spots were my hair is rougher, I can see some here and some there, which was unusual for this blade in the past, and rubbing ATG or XTG, I can feel more stubble then usual.

The only thing different about all of this was tape: I usually hone and touch up with 1 layer, but for the first time ever, touched up without it. Something just said "you dont need it", so I skipped tape.

Is that my sin? Should I have used tape?

So long as you don't change mid stride in honing - it doesn't matter. Tape no tape whatever.

I’ve finished with tape then touch up on the same stone with no tap made no difference I concer old sport

 

[stone and strop]

I’ve finished with tape then touch up on the same stone with no tap made no difference I concer old sport

If you start with tape you have to finish with tape.
Touching up without tape after honing with it makes no sense. Think about it.

 

[Jim cunningham]

If you start with tape you have to finish with tape.
Touching up without tape after honing with it makes no sense. Think about it.

Allritey then

 

[Aldwyn]

For those of you following at home:

I ended up dulling the blade, and going through a full progression... Chosera 1K, Naniwa 3K, then to the Sobu with yae-botan, tenjou, mejiro, koma, tomo, shobu with water only, and 100/100 on the flax and leather.

Excellent shave... extremely smooth and comfortable. Nice and close. Nothing short of fantastic!

Part of me wonders why I let JNats intimidate me for so long!!

Thanks again for your input, guys!