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First time using a ‘Method’ edge.

Ive been straight shaving daily for 2 and a bit years and had gotten respectable, I thought, at honing and maintaining my own edges.
I’d had a bit of experimentation with films, slate, shale and a Naniwa12k and was getting great results from all, with consistent improvements coming along nicely.
I’d heard of course of @Slash McCoys Method but I was happy learning to use what I had and I like things simple.
Then a few weeks ago on a whim I decided to order the stuff required and yesterday had a free afternoon way from the kids so I put it all together and built the three strops to the letter of the instructions given.

As I was doing the measuring, cutting, sanding, gluing, hoovering etc I must confess to being a little doubtful as to the need for all this hard work.
My shaves were already super comfortable and close every day, how much of a difference was all this going to make?
I Method honed my Gold Dollar A from a Naniwa edge and my Henckels Friodur from a film edge and it was the Friodur I used this morning.
During the balsa stropping it was quite challenging using the minuscule pressure advised by the Method but eventually both razors were done.
Today I lathered up with Taylor’s Jermyn st soap.
As soon as the edge touched the hair on my cheek I was instantly and genuinely shocked at its sharpness.
Unbelievable.
This was sorcery!
Light years from anything I’d ever used before.
I was almost terrified using it. I kept hearing the word ‘Wow!’ escaping from my lips throughout the shave. I’ve never felt anything like it. I had to really tone down my technique using a featherlight touch.
The razor pinged and cut everything with such gliding ease, and sounded completely different than before.
This is crazy sharp, sharper than I ever thought possible. After pass one I really considered just leaving it there until I relearned to shave with it but I did my usual 4 pass shave but being oh so careful every step of the way.
No cuts.
After a cold rinse I was very hesitant to use the alum as I felt sure it would sting to high heaven, but no. The alum block felt cool and easy with very little sting. I followed with a splash of Lucky Tiger and got a brilliant post shave. This will take some time to learn to use the correct amount of pressure needed as I’ve never shaved with anything like this.
This knowledge is not meant for man, this man @Slash McCoy has dipped his hand into the vaults of hell itself and brought forth this knowledge, this Method edge.
This is the enchanted edge that the demons of hell put on their swords, axes and instruments of torture, this is sharp enough to cut the eternal souls of men.
You could give me a million years on my own and I’d never be able to get an edge like this.
I’d just never have thought it possible. Thanks so much for this insight Slash.
If you’ve never tried it I’d highly recommend it to you it’s unbelievable and even if you find it’s too sharp for you, it’s amazing to see what’s possible. And with daily stropping it will stay the same every day.
Will I use it every day? I don’t know yet, it’s an amazing edge to use but it will take some getting used to. I find it hard to describe how next level the edge now is.
I have a question slash, if the devil himself held his pitchfork to your head and told you to make an edge like the Method using only stones could you do it?
If so how would you approach it?
If not, how close could you get?
 
Ive been straight shaving daily for 2 and a bit years and had gotten respectable, I thought, at honing and maintaining my own edges.
I’d had a bit of experimentation with films, slate, shale and a Naniwa12k and was getting great results from all, with consistent improvements coming along nicely.
I’d heard of course of @Slash McCoys Method but I was happy learning to use what I had and I like things simple.
Then a few weeks ago on a whim I decided to order the stuff required and yesterday had a free afternoon way from the kids so I put it all together and built the three strops to the letter of the instructions given.

As I was doing the measuring, cutting, sanding, gluing, hoovering etc I must confess to being a little doubtful as to the need for all this hard work.
My shaves were already super comfortable and close every day, how much of a difference was all this going to make?
I Method honed my Gold Dollar A from a Naniwa edge and my Henckels Friodur from a film edge and it was the Friodur I used this morning.
During the balsa stropping it was quite challenging using the minuscule pressure advised by the Method but eventually both razors were done.
Today I lathered up with Taylor’s Jermyn st soap.
As soon as the edge touched the hair on my cheek I was instantly and genuinely shocked at its sharpness.
Unbelievable.
This was sorcery!
Light years from anything I’d ever used before.
I was almost terrified using it. I kept hearing the word ‘Wow!’ escaping from my lips throughout the shave. I’ve never felt anything like it. I had to really tone down my technique using a featherlight touch.
The razor pinged and cut everything with such gliding ease, and sounded completely different than before.
This is crazy sharp, sharper than I ever thought possible. After pass one I really considered just leaving it there until I relearned to shave with it but I did my usual 4 pass shave but being oh so careful every step of the way.
No cuts.
After a cold rinse I was very hesitant to use the alum as I felt sure it would sting to high heaven, but no. The alum block felt cool and easy with very little sting. I followed with a splash of Lucky Tiger and got a brilliant post shave. This will take some time to learn to use the correct amount of pressure needed as I’ve never shaved with anything like this.
This knowledge is not meant for man, this man @Slash McCoy has dipped his hand into the vaults of hell itself and brought forth this knowledge, this Method edge.
This is the enchanted edge that the demons of hell put on their swords, axes and instruments of torture, this is sharp enough to cut the eternal souls of men.
You could give me a million years on my own and I’d never be able to get an edge like this.
I’d just never have thought it possible. Thanks so much for this insight Slash.
If you’ve never tried it I’d highly recommend it to you it’s unbelievable and even if you find it’s too sharp for you, it’s amazing to see what’s possible. And with daily stropping it will stay the same every day.
Will I use it every day? I don’t know yet, it’s an amazing edge to use but it will take some getting used to. I find it hard to describe how next level the edge now is.
I have a question slash, if the devil himself held his pitchfork to your head and told you to make an edge like the Method using only stones could you do it?
If so how would you approach it?
If not, how close could you get?
they are indeed vastly sharp edges. in my beginnings I immediately went to this. as a newbie this is exactly what I needed to bring edges up to better than what most honers are able to do. it also immediately impressed upon me respect and no pressure discipline which I already had a respect for from agressive SE shavers.

starting out, I know I avoided a lot of disappointment and discouragement I know I would have faced with other methods. 12k to balsa was phenomenal. scary ninja sharp period. in my mind this what I needed to learn starting out to truly know what "sharp" is.......and is not.

other methods have and can come close.

my journey as of late is to find and learn about what i call "different kinds of sharp." i believe i have found my home with Jnats. with said I would have never arrived here without first perfecting the Method edge. yes I believe both Baal and Mephisto had a hand in this sorcery.

camo
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Ive been straight shaving daily for 2 and a bit years and had gotten respectable, I thought, at honing and maintaining my own edges.
I’d had a bit of experimentation with films, slate, shale and a Naniwa12k and was getting great results from all, with consistent improvements coming along nicely.
I’d heard of course of @Slash McCoys Method but I was happy learning to use what I had and I like things simple.
Then a few weeks ago on a whim I decided to order the stuff required and yesterday had a free afternoon way from the kids so I put it all together and built the three strops to the letter of the instructions given.

As I was doing the measuring, cutting, sanding, gluing, hoovering etc I must confess to being a little doubtful as to the need for all this hard work.
My shaves were already super comfortable and close every day, how much of a difference was all this going to make?
I Method honed my Gold Dollar A from a Naniwa edge and my Henckels Friodur from a film edge and it was the Friodur I used this morning.
During the balsa stropping it was quite challenging using the minuscule pressure advised by the Method but eventually both razors were done.
Today I lathered up with Taylor’s Jermyn st soap.
As soon as the edge touched the hair on my cheek I was instantly and genuinely shocked at its sharpness.
Unbelievable.
This was sorcery!
Light years from anything I’d ever used before.
I was almost terrified using it. I kept hearing the word ‘Wow!’ escaping from my lips throughout the shave. I’ve never felt anything like it. I had to really tone down my technique using a featherlight touch.
The razor pinged and cut everything with such gliding ease, and sounded completely different than before.
This is crazy sharp, sharper than I ever thought possible. After pass one I really considered just leaving it there until I relearned to shave with it but I did my usual 4 pass shave but being oh so careful every step of the way.
No cuts.
After a cold rinse I was very hesitant to use the alum as I felt sure it would sting to high heaven, but no. The alum block felt cool and easy with very little sting. I followed with a splash of Lucky Tiger and got a brilliant post shave. This will take some time to learn to use the correct amount of pressure needed as I’ve never shaved with anything like this.
This knowledge is not meant for man, this man @Slash McCoy has dipped his hand into the vaults of hell itself and brought forth this knowledge, this Method edge.
This is the enchanted edge that the demons of hell put on their swords, axes and instruments of torture, this is sharp enough to cut the eternal souls of men.
You could give me a million years on my own and I’d never be able to get an edge like this.
I’d just never have thought it possible. Thanks so much for this insight Slash.
If you’ve never tried it I’d highly recommend it to you it’s unbelievable and even if you find it’s too sharp for you, it’s amazing to see what’s possible. And with daily stropping it will stay the same every day.
Will I use it every day? I don’t know yet, it’s an amazing edge to use but it will take some getting used to. I find it hard to describe how next level the edge now is.
I have a question slash, if the devil himself held his pitchfork to your head and told you to make an edge like the Method using only stones could you do it?
If so how would you approach it?
If not, how close could you get?

First, before I forget, your question. No, I definitely could not make the same edge with stones. I could make, and have made, some pretty good edges with just stones, better than you would ever expect from a 12k stone, but nothing quite like the balsa edge. First of all, the finisher must be completely clean with no slurry on it. Second, the honing fluid must have some viscosity to it. Water won't work any better than water. Dish soap works. Oil works, Lather works. The honing fluid should be expected to form a buffer layer between steel and stone, elevating the blade probably a micron or so, I don't know... which of course reduces scratch depth. It also reduces cutting speed. And so, a lot of laps are needed and ordinary feedback is unreliable. Pressure is normal, initially, about the weight of the razor plus the weight of a finger or so. Honing MUST be in hand, not on a bench, for this. Anyway, pressure is gradually reduced over typically 200 to 500 laps. It will soon begin to feel like the razor is not even contacting the stone, but instead is floating in the lather column, which of course is renewed as needed. Also, about every 10th lap is a pull stroke lap, for the first half of this process, approximately. This keeps the edge stripped of any artifacts. However it can also slightly convex the bevel right at the apex so it is not carried over into the second half. But the stroke length is shortened. Short x strokes, about 3" in length. Be careful not to slap the bevel down onto the stone. The rate at which you reduce pressure and the point where you stop is very subjective and TBH partly guesswork, partly result of frequent HHT or TTT testing breaks. (TTT = TreeTop Test) This is a time consuming process, not suitable for honing for others or honing multiple razors for sale, and in fact maybe not even worth it for your own favorite razor. Mostly it's just all about seeing what can be done. Or finishing on say an 8k Lemon Yellow but trying to make it give you a 12k edge, while you are saving your money for a 12k. Or for avoiding excessive pitchfork stabbery.

And now, your razors. Henckels usually have a very tight bevel angle, and so are easy to put a very sharp edge on, as long as you control your pressure. The sharpest razor honed by another person that I have ever shaved with, was a Henckels 401 honed on probably a Jnat of mythical hardness with a slurry stone handed down from the portals of heaven. Seriously, Henckels is an easy razor to take to science fiction sharpness. You should have shaved with the Gold Dollar first. Then you could have had two "WOW" shaves, one right after the other, because now the GD, even though very sharp, will be a bit milder than the Henckels. If you had shaved first with the GD, you would have been impressed and delighted, probably. Then just when you think it can't get any better, the Henckels would have shown you otherwise. Anyway a Method edge on a Henckels half to full hollow is one crazy shaver and THAT is probably as good as it gets. Compare the cutting power against a DE blade and it will beat them all except maybe it will only match and not actually beat a Feather. When I match a Feather for sharpness, I celebrate. I have to remember not to spike the razor down in the end zone LOL!

The most important shave technique change you can make with a hyper edge is to reduce your shave angle. The spine should nearly drag on the face. Almost touching. ESPECIALLY if you go ATG, which honestly I believe you will find is no longer needed anyway. I do a single pass, more or less WTG except where XTG or ATG is just more convenient. And my shave angle is very low. Look for my youtube video I did a while back, where I shaved off probably two months or almost two months worth of beard in a single pass with a GD66.

Keep in mind that The Method is not my own thing. I took an idea, the pasted balsa strop, which was already a thing, and ran with it, optimizing it, in company with other likeminded shavers and honers. I didn't invent this. I simply jumped up on the soap box and preached it, after doing as much as I could to add to the knowledge already developed or being developed.

When you get good pinging and tinking, yeah, it's sharp. But when it turns silent again, then it is SUPER sharp. Aim for the silent cut. that's when you have really arrived. If you can shave or treetop dead silent with a full hollowground, then you are flirting with the impossible.

It is a good idea to do frequent sharpness tests. Test after honing or stropping. Test before and after shaving. It gives you a reference. At first, the machine gun pings and tinks of hairs being treetopped will be music to your ears. Eventually you will take delight in how silently the razor treetops, and how little the base of the hair is disturbed by having its tip lopped off.
 
I started with half-DE blade shavettes, and after about a year bought my first straight razor set of two vintage "Famous Essex" razors.

I have been honing knives for many years, so I thought honing razors would be easy. I had one combo 3k/8k stone and a leather paddle strop with Crox, with which I was able to get great edges on kitchen knives.

I eventually got edges that I was able to shave with, but it was far from the shavette sharpness I was used to. I didn't think it possible to match, until I started using pasted balsa, and upgraded to a Naniwa 12k. Slowly but surely they got better, much better, and after three years the final piece of the puzzle was when I started focussing on my stropping on clean leather.

I have been getting very sharp edges for a long time, but they were a bit harsh, a common complaint with balsa edges. That is until I upped my stropping laps, and now I enjoy consistent sharp and smooth edges.

I used to often shave with my Feather SS AC, in-between SR shaves, because it was simply the best shave ever. The other day I realised I have not used it in months. I don't need it anymore, it will just be used for travelling.
 
Not only is the Method Edge insanely sharp, it is also easy to produce and cost effective.

I started out with Method edges before exploring the rabbit hole that is natural stones. I’m starting to come back to the super sharp Method edge as I work on my ATG technique. It’s a great item to have in your honing arsenal. I reach for it whenever I want a sure fire progression or a scary sharp edge.

For a quick no fuss touch up a few laps on balsa will boost any, previously well finished, edge significantly.
 
I like to hone with different methods; seeking that edge that works best for me. I'm new and that will take me a while. I have a few razors done with balsa and paste, per McC's guidelines. The good thing about the method is that it is foolproof, unless you mess up and somehow ding the edge. And the results are always uber sharp.

But the balsa will load up with use. I refresh periodically by sanding down the balsa on a surface plate with high grit wet/dry paper and then I reload with fresh paste. The only real hassle for me is that you have to clean the blade VERY well between pastes because you don't want to contaminate the higher grit balsa with a lower grit paste.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
....
But the balsa will load up with use. I refresh periodically by sanding down the balsa on a surface plate with high grit wet/dry paper and then I reload with fresh paste. The only real hassle for me is that you have to clean the blade VERY well between pastes because you don't want to contaminate the higher grit balsa with a lower grit paste.
I find that I need to lap and re-paste my 0.5u, 0.25u and 0.1u balsa strops after honing up about 10 SR's. I have a separate 0.1u balsa strop for post-shave maintenance. That separate balsa strop gets lapped and re-pasted about every 3 months of daily shaving.

As for contamination, that is only something that has to be watched during a progression through the balsa strops. That is normally only done once per blade - if you are using a 0.1u diamond pasted hanging balsa strop for post-shave maintenance. I just wipe my SR's with a piece damp natural chamois after the 0.1u post-shave maintenance. This is to help prevent any 0.1u partials from being transferred to my clean leather strop.
 
Reading all this I badly want to try Stash's method to experibce the 'Wow' and the 'magic's described here!

I've been straight shaving for about 5 weeks.and while I am getting close irritation free shaves, it is not BBS. I've been using , for many years, variety of SE razors with Feather Pro and Super Pro, starting with Cobra and ending with Asylum RX, Vector and Enoch.so I am used to sharp edges.

I do have feeling that my straight razor are not as sharp as Feather AC. What's intimidatikng me is the fact I never did honing myself, all I have is couple of strops.

What is the learning curve of the 'method'? Can it be learned without any previous experience with honing? Is equipment of the method is all I need or I still need stones?
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Reading all this I badly want to try Stash's method to experibce the 'Wow' and the 'magic's described here!

I've been straight shaving for about 5 weeks.and while I am getting close irritation free shaves, it is not BBS. I've been using , for many years, variety of SE razors with Feather Pro and Super Pro, starting with Cobra and ending with Asylum RX, Vector and Enoch.so I am used to sharp edges.

I do have feeling that my straight razor are not as sharp as Feather AC. What's intimidatikng me is the fact I never did honing myself, all I have is couple of strops.

What is the learning curve of the 'method'? Can it be learned without any previous experience with honing? Is equipment of the method is all I need or I still need stones?
I started the "Method" without any SR honing experience and no whetstones so yes, it can be learned without any previous experience. If fact, it is probably better not having any previous experience as you then are not tempted to go off on a side track.

What you will need is a set of lapping films, an acrylic block 300mm x 75mm x 20mm (12" x 3" 3/4") for the lapping film, three balsa stops (consisting of 3 x 300mm x 75mm x 20mm acrylic blocks and 3 x 300mm x 75mm x 6mm pieces of balsa) and 3 x 5g of diamond paste (0.5um, 0.25um and 0.1um). All of that should cost you well under USD 100.

The part that takes the most time is reading about the "Method". It is a long read and you should take notes from what you read. After you have read it all once (with your notes), read it it all again so that you can amend your notes and fully understand it.

Now, with your equipment and new found knowledge, you should be producing perfect SR edges with your first or second try. The most important thing is DO NOT deviate from the instructions. The reading/learning takes time (a lot of it). Do not be put off. The results are well worth the reading time.


After you are repeatedly producing perfect edges from the "Method", then is the time that, if you want to, you can start exploring the world of natural whetstones.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Reading all this I badly want to try Stash's method to experibce the 'Wow' and the 'magic's described here!

I've been straight shaving for about 5 weeks.and while I am getting close irritation free shaves, it is not BBS. I've been using , for many years, variety of SE razors with Feather Pro and Super Pro, starting with Cobra and ending with Asylum RX, Vector and Enoch.so I am used to sharp edges.

I do have feeling that my straight razor are not as sharp as Feather AC. What's intimidatikng me is the fact I never did honing myself, all I have is couple of strops.

What is the learning curve of the 'method'? Can it be learned without any previous experience with honing? Is equipment of the method is all I need or I still need stones?
Newbie Honing Compendium | Badger & Blade

Plenty of guys have got good results on their first attempt, and great results their second try. The catch is you have to follow directions perfectly. Everything you need to know is in the thread I just linked, and the threads linked inside. Most guys use stones to set the bevel and then film for the progression to 1u and then backed, lapped, and pasted balsa for the post finish. You can also use film to set the bevel, or sandpaper glued to your regular film plate. You can also use Naniwa Superstones instead of film. You won't know the difference between the film and the stones, after you have ran the balsa progression.

The only experience you need is shaving with a true shave ready razor. The Method is not a way of learning to hone. It is a way of following precise instructions that guide you through the process. You don't learn. You DO. That's why results come so quickly. You don't substitute or experiment. You just DO it. You don't wonder or even ask if you can add this or leave that out... you just DO it. It is a method, not a course of study. It is creating a paint by numbers portrait of Elvis on black velvet, to hang in the livingroom of your double wide, instead of going to art school for 13 years so you can hang your paintings in a gallery. If you paint "Dogs Playing Poker" by the numbers, you don't ask if you can substitute burnt sepia for color number 18. You use color number 18. See how that works? So it gives quick results, near instant gratification, and those results are better than professional quality, and your toolkit costs are very low for what you get out of it. You do need to read the threads from beginning to end, though. Read in full before you buy stuff that has been made obsolete.
 
Stash and Rbsceby, thanks a lot for your detailed answers with explanations, it is very helpful.
I saw the entire list of exact items needed and will attempt to sharpen my razor using the 'Method'. Just to feel how my stubble falling by silly sensing the edge getting close! It worth risking 100$ and few hours, I already spent much more on razors and strops.v didn't thought I would achievevBBS with straight sine I thought SR edge can't be equally sharp to AC feather, unless using some lengthy exotic preparations which require semi or fully commercial equipment.

I have a good razor which was recently honed and I am treating it very carefully. Since I am still learning, the edge might be somewhat dull now, because I don't keep the razor properly angled all the time. I do strop( 20 linen and 60-80 Latige )before every shave and dry the razor thorougfully after., but I am not sure stropping elone is enough, at least in my case, to keep the edge properly sharp
 
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If forum rules permit, any recommendations of reliable vendors so I can buy all the needed supplies in one place?
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
If forum rules permit, any recommendations of reliable vendors so I can buy all the needed supplies in one place?
There really isn't one. TAP Plastics for the acrylic. nanolaptech.com for film. Your local hobby shop for balsa. Home Depot for spray adhesive.
 
I tried my Gold dollar A today which was one of two razors I honed on the balsa.
The Gold dollar was actually the first razor I did and I made a couple of mistakes such as absent minded my forgetting that I was stropping and not honing and so going the wrong way for a few laps before I realised. Thankfully I didn’t carve up the strop. I used the Gold Dollar to learn to control the floating no pressure x strokes on a near vertical surface. It took a while So I probably used heavier pressure than recommended as I figured it all out.
By the time I’d finished this razor I felt I’d learned enough to have a proper go. So I honed the Friodur and did an all round nicer job.
The Gold dollar shave?
Not a patch on the Henckels.
It’s still very very sharp though.
Slash, you were right when you said that the Friodur would respond better to the Method.
The Gold Dollar A is now way sharper now than all my other razors, but it only feels about 1/20 th as sharp as the Friodur.
It’ll be fun to push on with the gold Dollar a little and see what improvements I can make but that Friodur is just something else.
I saw some posters asking if this Method is good for beginners.
On one hand you’ve got a foolproof, ready made method to bring your edge to daily gleaming insanity what’s not to love?
But that edge is a real mad dog, you seriously can’t take your eyes off for an instant.
I originally learned to hone on films and stones, then gradually learned to use x strokes , then lightening pressure then getting used to smaller and larger stones. It gave me a working skill set to apply once I built my balsa strops
My edges were all sharp and comfortable but not so sharp that I was fearful. I could use a little pressure when needed and if I made a little mistake like a beginner will, I usually got away with it.
Using a Method edge whilst learning to shave at the same time would terrify me, I strongly doubt I’d look like I do now and salute to all of you who did it.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I tried my Gold dollar A today which was one of two razors I honed on the balsa.
The Gold dollar was actually the first razor I did and I made a couple of mistakes such as absent minded my forgetting that I was stropping and not honing and so going the wrong way for a few laps before I realised. Thankfully I didn’t carve up the strop. I used the Gold Dollar to learn to control the floating no pressure x strokes on a near vertical surface. It took a while So I probably used heavier pressure than recommended as I figured it all out.
By the time I’d finished this razor I felt I’d learned enough to have a proper go. So I honed the Friodur and did an all round nicer job.
The Gold dollar shave?
Not a patch on the Henckels.
It’s still very very sharp though.
Slash, you were right when you said that the Friodur would respond better to the Method.
The Gold Dollar A is now way sharper now than all my other razors, but it only feels about 1/20 th as sharp as the Friodur.
It’ll be fun to push on with the gold Dollar a little and see what improvements I can make but that Friodur is just something else.
I saw some posters asking if this Method is good for beginners.
On one hand you’ve got a foolproof, ready made method to bring your edge to daily gleaming insanity what’s not to love?
But that edge is a real mad dog, you seriously can’t take your eyes off for an instant.
I originally learned to hone on films and stones, then gradually learned to use x strokes , then lightening pressure then getting used to smaller and larger stones. It gave me a working skill set to apply once I built my balsa strops
My edges were all sharp and comfortable but not so sharp that I was fearful. I could use a little pressure when needed and if I made a little mistake like a beginner will, I usually got away with it.
Using a Method edge whilst learning to shave at the same time would terrify me, I strongly doubt I’d look like I do now and salute to all of you who did it.
Hey Jake, could you post a pic of that Gold Dollar A? Not familiar with that model designation. No biggie, just if you get the chance.

Definitely run the GD again. Hit your 12k stone or 1u film, whatever you got, and then go through the balsa progression again. What you learned from the Henckels will help you re-do the GD. Like most new Methodeers, you got it on the first go, in principle, but not 100% in execution. Now you will nail it.

A few last minute tips:

1. Pull strokes. During the greater part of any stage, you should be throwing one or two pull stroke laps every 10 regular laps. A pull stroke is where you pull the razor directly across the honing surface, as if dragging it off the edge by the monkeytail. Travel distance only 1/2" to 3/4" or so. This clears the edge of any bits of fin, or "edge boogers" as I call them. Skip the pull strokes as you near the end of a stage, because they can round the apex slightly, and even leave deep scratches parallel to and right behind the edge, where they can actually weaken the edge. The remainder of the grit stage will peak the apex back up.

2. Short X strokes at the end of each stage and especially the end of the final balsa stage. Long strokes are efficient at cutting steel and forming an edge or raising a burr. Short X strokes keep the action alternating rapidly between the two faces of the bevel, achieving the good effect but not accumulating issues from the bad effect of honing. These short strokes, 3" to 4" long, will optimally peak up the apex without adding artifacts to the edge. Shorten even down to 2" strokes if you like. Of course this means you need a lot more laps, but that's okay. If you are doing this right, with appropriately light and diminishing pressure, you really can't "overhone".

3. Don't let the bevel slap down onto the hone, at the turn. Keep the flip and turn under control.

4. Swap ends once in a while, so you are distributing the wear equally. On stones, or on the balsa.

5. Hone and strop in hand, and with the balsa, hold the balsa vertically, with one end up, and keep your pressure very light. You can always add a few dozen laps if you feel like you aren't getting anything done.

6. Test your edge frequently. Examine it under a bright light, with a loupe or a USB microscope. Look for spots where the bevel face looks different, with a different sort of reflection or texture. Look at your edge, for edge boogers or micro-chips. Look for deep scratches that don't belong there. Don't be reluctant to back it up a stage or two, so you can get those deep scratches out of there. The goal is perfection. The reward is excellence.

I don't believe a newbie should fear the Method edge. Many complete beginners have shaved with my edges. However, it must be stressed that a low shave angle and good stretching are very important, if one wishes to keep all of the blood inside the skin. And yeah, one or two cuts are almost inevitable, but that's part of the experience. KInd of like skinning knees and elbows learning to ride a bike.
 
Hey Jake, could you post a pic of that Gold Dollar A? Not familiar with that model designation. No biggie, just if you get the chance.
Ah, my bad, I call it my Gold Dollar A because I have two of them it’s brother is called B. They’re both just Gold Dollar 66’s but I use them to experiment on as they’re my only 2 identical razors so I just got in the habit of naming them A and B in my logs. I should’ve been more original and named them Starsky and Hutch or Butch and Sundance.
 
I have found that after a bit of VERY LIGHT PRESSURE stropping, the face of the balsa seems to form a polishing plane. I can then do short, AND VERY LIGHT, half strokes - meaning that I can go spine leading up and edge leading down - then same on the other side. Of course you will ruin your edge and the balsa if you let the edge dig into the wood. I'm not recommending that anyone do this, as you would be honing on the strop. But if you manage to pull it off, you get what McC calls "science fiction sharp". (I hope he does not yell at me!)
 
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