- Thread starter
- #401
Thanks Thom. It’s only a scratch. I shaved for so many years never a mark. Every one now seems like a major event. Only coloured the sink water once.
GC.68OC, GOLD GRANDE, YAQI CHROME MELLON - A JOURNEY
- Thread starter JoWolf
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #402
Wednesday February 3
Ten minute hot shower
Erik Anton Berg - Shark
Fatip Gold Grande - Feather
DsCosmetics Boar Knot 26x64mm
Vitos Extra Super Coco
Osma Alum Block
T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel
Hyaluranoic Acid
Proraso After Shave Balm Sensitive
Neutrogena Hydro Boost - hydrating serum
Lucky Tiger After Shave & Face Tonic
Yesterdays Shave
Third month with this beautiful boar brush. Looks like a downy super pillowy soft brush. Actually it’s a lot softer than it looks. It is totally broken in. I do not towel it any more. It is perfect. Sublime face and head lathering this shave. So much confidence. My SR face shave was the best yet. Almost zero irritation on the neck skin. Blade sharpness is not where I want it. Not tugging but almost. I need to refine or keen up my SR edges sharper. A comfortable complete DFS. An ATG Grande clean up face pass and two ATG passes for the head. My best combo shave effort to date. The BBS was above average with great post skin comfort.
The straight is getting much more comfortable in my hand. I’m using shorter lengths of the blade with improved grips. Shave twenty one a big success and the first very enjoyable SR face shave. Even though the SR was not as sharp as it could be. Soon to be corrected.
A surprise to me this shave. I shave as slo mo as I can with the SR. I have started to slow down with the Grande. My DE shave is totally instinctive and muscle memory. So when a change happens I’m viewing it and the last to know. The SR also improved the DE shave. I puff my lower lip and cheeks and do more skin stretching. The combo shave is starting to tighten up and feels very good finally.
Ten minute hot shower
Erik Anton Berg - Shark
Fatip Gold Grande - Feather
DsCosmetics Boar Knot 26x64mm
Vitos Extra Super Coco
Osma Alum Block
T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel
Hyaluranoic Acid
Proraso After Shave Balm Sensitive
Neutrogena Hydro Boost - hydrating serum
Lucky Tiger After Shave & Face Tonic
Yesterdays Shave
Third month with this beautiful boar brush. Looks like a downy super pillowy soft brush. Actually it’s a lot softer than it looks. It is totally broken in. I do not towel it any more. It is perfect. Sublime face and head lathering this shave. So much confidence. My SR face shave was the best yet. Almost zero irritation on the neck skin. Blade sharpness is not where I want it. Not tugging but almost. I need to refine or keen up my SR edges sharper. A comfortable complete DFS. An ATG Grande clean up face pass and two ATG passes for the head. My best combo shave effort to date. The BBS was above average with great post skin comfort.
The straight is getting much more comfortable in my hand. I’m using shorter lengths of the blade with improved grips. Shave twenty one a big success and the first very enjoyable SR face shave. Even though the SR was not as sharp as it could be. Soon to be corrected.
A surprise to me this shave. I shave as slo mo as I can with the SR. I have started to slow down with the Grande. My DE shave is totally instinctive and muscle memory. So when a change happens I’m viewing it and the last to know. The SR also improved the DE shave. I puff my lower lip and cheeks and do more skin stretching. The combo shave is starting to tighten up and feels very good finally.
Last edited:
Congratulations on your further improvements, John! Waiting to read what the refreshed edge on the SR brings in added smoothness and comfort.
Only seventy nine more to go.
- Thread starter
- #405
Yes Wes and seventy nine weeks will fly by pretty fast for me. I’ve been dragging one foot to slow down time. It doesn’t work.
- Thread starter
- #406
I’ve been auditioning different finishes at different sharpness levels. I have enough blades to easily accommodate exploration. Many of the same dynamics as early going DE blade assessments. Lack of experience and technique may require revisitation. Sharpness does not. The finishes do offer a different blade feel, similar to DE blades. I’m a ways off from getting strong opinions or likes and dislikes. I was drawn to stones from the get go. With the stones I have there are enough possible variations to keep me confused and exploring for awhile.
Start at infinity and keep going to reach the start. Betting you’ll be able to get the blend of sharpness and comfort you seek with the toys you already have.
- Thread starter
- #408
Yes Thom. There are so many variations with what I have. It will keep me engaged for a long long time. That was the whole point. DE got to where I had no challenges. Not complaining about the shaves. They don’t get any better. I have to keep the grey matter busy. I was doing kitchen knives to night. The stones offer me a lot of opportunities. Tying everything together is starting to feel like a hobby. Never had one before. Thoroughly enjoying the ride. Every blade a new challenge.
- Thread starter
- #409
Tuesday February 9 & Wednesday February 17
Ten minute hot shower
5/8 Bethlehem 1/2 hollow & 5/8 Red Imp 1/2 hollow
Fatip Gold Grande - Feather
Zenith Chubby Scrubby Boar B27 - 28mm x 55mm
Vitos Extra Super Coco
Osma Alum Block
T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel
Hyaluranoic Acid
Proraso After Shave Balm Sensitive
Neutrogena Hydro Boost - hydrating serum
Lucky Tiger After Shave & Face Tonic
Last weeks shave was comfortable and uneventful so I didn’t bother to post it. It was a six day growth and a good DFS. The Bethlehem is a real nice razor and the half hollows make just enough noise so you can hear what’s going on, without vibration like a full hollow.
I’m on a streak, shave twenty-two and tonight’s twenty-third just keep getting better. I had been using the DsCosmetics Boar Knot 26x64mm since December. I have been bubbling about what a fantastic Chinese eight dollar boar knot can do. Since I set the knot myself obviously I’m a little biased. I wanted to use the Zenith Chubby because it’s been months. The Zenith is also fully broken in. The silky smooth painting strokes accompanying a tingling soft scrub. Luxury with dynamic performance. Is it better than my beautiful Chinese knot? Yes it very much is. The hair on this brush is quite fine. It took Vito’s soap into a cream zone I don’t recall having reached before. Spectacular lather made it very easy to have my best to date SR shave. I do plan my shaves and most times the effort is rewarded.
To nights shave, eight day growth not really noticeable from a seven day growth. I wasn’t nuts about the last Red Imp shave. Which was the second on the factory edge. I spent some time on cotton, polyester, linen, horse and bovine strops. I still didn’t like the looks of the edge. I went to the .5 micron diamond paste on balsa. It was topping arm hairs low. I still didn’t like it so I took it to the Cnat. I didn’t spend a lot of time on it in any area. I‘m glad I spent that extra time on the edge. Not just to improve the edge, which I did. The process really resounded with softness. Stropping, balsa, stones. All parts of a shave and edge improvement have to be be soft, light handed. Starting to realize extra soft is better.
I was ready for the shave. My first stroke and I knew. I felt the edge on the whiskers and not on my skin. I finally established a soft touch with the SR. I have a long way to go with putting the shave together. What do I mean by that. My Grande shaves are totally automatic, they just happen no thought process. I wonder if straights get into that zone? The razors all feel comfortable in my hand and switching hands is also effortless now. I still have not mapped out a particular pattern for the goatee and moustache area. I continue to experiment with different holds and angles. It is learning to shave all over again. A breakthrough like establishing the soft touch for the first time, a real thrill.
What really rocks me with SR there is more time spent on blade prep than the shave. This was a very enjoyable WTG close DFS. My first irritation free SR shave. There was not a lot of purchase for the Feather loaded Grande on the finishing ATG clean up pass. Four passes, four lathers, fantastic. The finished face and head BBS was on the top rung for irritation free comfort.
I really enjoy blade maintenance and prep. The different feel of the steels and stones are addictive, contemplative, relaxing and a load of fun. The different blades and designs make it all the more interesting. I don’t really feel that I have it all in hand. I do however have a nice soft grip on it. I wish I had started straights as a young man.
Ten minute hot shower
5/8 Bethlehem 1/2 hollow & 5/8 Red Imp 1/2 hollow
Fatip Gold Grande - Feather
Zenith Chubby Scrubby Boar B27 - 28mm x 55mm
Vitos Extra Super Coco
Osma Alum Block
T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel
Hyaluranoic Acid
Proraso After Shave Balm Sensitive
Neutrogena Hydro Boost - hydrating serum
Lucky Tiger After Shave & Face Tonic
Last weeks shave was comfortable and uneventful so I didn’t bother to post it. It was a six day growth and a good DFS. The Bethlehem is a real nice razor and the half hollows make just enough noise so you can hear what’s going on, without vibration like a full hollow.
I’m on a streak, shave twenty-two and tonight’s twenty-third just keep getting better. I had been using the DsCosmetics Boar Knot 26x64mm since December. I have been bubbling about what a fantastic Chinese eight dollar boar knot can do. Since I set the knot myself obviously I’m a little biased. I wanted to use the Zenith Chubby because it’s been months. The Zenith is also fully broken in. The silky smooth painting strokes accompanying a tingling soft scrub. Luxury with dynamic performance. Is it better than my beautiful Chinese knot? Yes it very much is. The hair on this brush is quite fine. It took Vito’s soap into a cream zone I don’t recall having reached before. Spectacular lather made it very easy to have my best to date SR shave. I do plan my shaves and most times the effort is rewarded.
To nights shave, eight day growth not really noticeable from a seven day growth. I wasn’t nuts about the last Red Imp shave. Which was the second on the factory edge. I spent some time on cotton, polyester, linen, horse and bovine strops. I still didn’t like the looks of the edge. I went to the .5 micron diamond paste on balsa. It was topping arm hairs low. I still didn’t like it so I took it to the Cnat. I didn’t spend a lot of time on it in any area. I‘m glad I spent that extra time on the edge. Not just to improve the edge, which I did. The process really resounded with softness. Stropping, balsa, stones. All parts of a shave and edge improvement have to be be soft, light handed. Starting to realize extra soft is better.
I was ready for the shave. My first stroke and I knew. I felt the edge on the whiskers and not on my skin. I finally established a soft touch with the SR. I have a long way to go with putting the shave together. What do I mean by that. My Grande shaves are totally automatic, they just happen no thought process. I wonder if straights get into that zone? The razors all feel comfortable in my hand and switching hands is also effortless now. I still have not mapped out a particular pattern for the goatee and moustache area. I continue to experiment with different holds and angles. It is learning to shave all over again. A breakthrough like establishing the soft touch for the first time, a real thrill.
What really rocks me with SR there is more time spent on blade prep than the shave. This was a very enjoyable WTG close DFS. My first irritation free SR shave. There was not a lot of purchase for the Feather loaded Grande on the finishing ATG clean up pass. Four passes, four lathers, fantastic. The finished face and head BBS was on the top rung for irritation free comfort.
I really enjoy blade maintenance and prep. The different feel of the steels and stones are addictive, contemplative, relaxing and a load of fun. The different blades and designs make it all the more interesting. I don’t really feel that I have it all in hand. I do however have a nice soft grip on it. I wish I had started straights as a young man.
Congratulations! That’s an excellent accomplishment
- Thread starter
- #411
Wednesday February 24
Ten minute tepid shower
EMDE Germany 13/16 1/2 hollow
Fatip Gold Grande - Feather
Oumo 28/75 knot Badger Finest Two Band Fan
Vitos Extra Super Coco
Osma Alum Block
T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel
Hyaluranoic Acid
Proraso After Shave Balm Sensitive
Neutrogena Hydro Boost - hydrating serum
Lucky Tiger After Shave & Face Tonic
The SR shaves are flying by. Number twenty-four. Going with my biggest brush and biggest blade. Purchased the blade on Kijiji a few weeks ago. I set the bevel yesterday and took it through 1-3-8- & 12K. It was popping arm hairs at 1/4“. Probably my best edge for sharp so far. I tried a few strops and I did not like that they blurred the mirror finish. I also lost an 1/8“ on the hair topping. I took it back to the 12K lit up the mirror and it’s chopping back at 1/4”. There are a few dudes shaving right off the 12k Naniwa, no stropping. The shave has the final word.
The Oumo badger fan knot is a hoot for neck painting. Going across the neck It covers from chin to Adams Apple one swipe. I don’t consider badger superior to boar or horse just different. You lose some scrub but badgers are softer. This one operates like a giant pillow, very soft. I love all seven brushes I use without any favourites each does something unique in performance for me. If I had to pick the best head painter though the Oumo is like a little lather machine in your hand, exquisite comfort.
Having a fixed three adds a comfort and stability to my shaves. Switching straight razors and brushes keeps the excitement up with enough variety to keep me happy. Using my stones for honing razors and sharpening kitchen knives is ten times more fun than I thought it would be. My focus is on blade edge. A familiarity like DE blade trials. Only you do the edge. Finding the stone finish to match the blade. Déjà vu all over again. Same as a DE razor and blade looking for that perfect match. Trying to get sharper and smoother a challenge and fun. I find honing very relaxing. Though I’m learning SR shaving it’s starting to feel easier than the honing. I don’t know if that’s good or bad.
The last 6/8 I used I was intimidated by the size. It’s also a full hollow. Right now I don’t care for full hollows. The combination of being lighter and noisy. I’ll give them another try as my technique improves. The EMDE is a heavy blade but feels very comfortable in my hand. The Shark which is 5/8 & 39 grams has been my favourite SR razor up until tonight. The EMDE is a whopping 13/16 at 49.6 grams. I got the same rush using this German as I did with my first DE open comb shave. A terrific shave. Spectacular. Zero neck irritation. That’s been months coming back to me. My blade and rock could not have been better. I also touched up the finish on the Shark, Naniwa 8K & 12K next weeks shave. No stropping, 12K finish and oil the blade. I put a half dozen strokes on various strops before oiling and tucking the EMDE away. I plan on working and perfecting my stopping strokes and drastically cutting back on the strokes going forward. Stones is where it’s at for me. I am one of many dudes delighted and very happy with the Naniwa 12K performance.
At this stage in my straight journey I like the ATG Grande clean up pass. It tells me exactly where the WTG one pass SR shave is at and I get the gratis BBS. Tonight’s EMDE shave was an extremely comfortable DFS. If I ever get to SR head shaving it will be a big heavy blade. Confidence level 100%. For perspective the Grande tips the scales at 68.6 grams which is a medium light DE razor compared to SS offerings. So I like a light DE razor and a heavy straight. The SR has me completely slowed down on my Grande strokes and I prefer the matching slower speed. This is still a fairly quick shave with clean up when compared to the six pass face and head DE shave at the beginning. I am surprised at my comfort and progress with SR’s. This was one of those shaves where all the moving parts were in perfect mesh and harmony. I rewarded myself with a little SV AS Splash on my chest. Magic.
Ten minute tepid shower
EMDE Germany 13/16 1/2 hollow
Fatip Gold Grande - Feather
Oumo 28/75 knot Badger Finest Two Band Fan
Vitos Extra Super Coco
Osma Alum Block
T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel
Hyaluranoic Acid
Proraso After Shave Balm Sensitive
Neutrogena Hydro Boost - hydrating serum
Lucky Tiger After Shave & Face Tonic
The SR shaves are flying by. Number twenty-four. Going with my biggest brush and biggest blade. Purchased the blade on Kijiji a few weeks ago. I set the bevel yesterday and took it through 1-3-8- & 12K. It was popping arm hairs at 1/4“. Probably my best edge for sharp so far. I tried a few strops and I did not like that they blurred the mirror finish. I also lost an 1/8“ on the hair topping. I took it back to the 12K lit up the mirror and it’s chopping back at 1/4”. There are a few dudes shaving right off the 12k Naniwa, no stropping. The shave has the final word.
The Oumo badger fan knot is a hoot for neck painting. Going across the neck It covers from chin to Adams Apple one swipe. I don’t consider badger superior to boar or horse just different. You lose some scrub but badgers are softer. This one operates like a giant pillow, very soft. I love all seven brushes I use without any favourites each does something unique in performance for me. If I had to pick the best head painter though the Oumo is like a little lather machine in your hand, exquisite comfort.
Having a fixed three adds a comfort and stability to my shaves. Switching straight razors and brushes keeps the excitement up with enough variety to keep me happy. Using my stones for honing razors and sharpening kitchen knives is ten times more fun than I thought it would be. My focus is on blade edge. A familiarity like DE blade trials. Only you do the edge. Finding the stone finish to match the blade. Déjà vu all over again. Same as a DE razor and blade looking for that perfect match. Trying to get sharper and smoother a challenge and fun. I find honing very relaxing. Though I’m learning SR shaving it’s starting to feel easier than the honing. I don’t know if that’s good or bad.
The last 6/8 I used I was intimidated by the size. It’s also a full hollow. Right now I don’t care for full hollows. The combination of being lighter and noisy. I’ll give them another try as my technique improves. The EMDE is a heavy blade but feels very comfortable in my hand. The Shark which is 5/8 & 39 grams has been my favourite SR razor up until tonight. The EMDE is a whopping 13/16 at 49.6 grams. I got the same rush using this German as I did with my first DE open comb shave. A terrific shave. Spectacular. Zero neck irritation. That’s been months coming back to me. My blade and rock could not have been better. I also touched up the finish on the Shark, Naniwa 8K & 12K next weeks shave. No stropping, 12K finish and oil the blade. I put a half dozen strokes on various strops before oiling and tucking the EMDE away. I plan on working and perfecting my stopping strokes and drastically cutting back on the strokes going forward. Stones is where it’s at for me. I am one of many dudes delighted and very happy with the Naniwa 12K performance.
At this stage in my straight journey I like the ATG Grande clean up pass. It tells me exactly where the WTG one pass SR shave is at and I get the gratis BBS. Tonight’s EMDE shave was an extremely comfortable DFS. If I ever get to SR head shaving it will be a big heavy blade. Confidence level 100%. For perspective the Grande tips the scales at 68.6 grams which is a medium light DE razor compared to SS offerings. So I like a light DE razor and a heavy straight. The SR has me completely slowed down on my Grande strokes and I prefer the matching slower speed. This is still a fairly quick shave with clean up when compared to the six pass face and head DE shave at the beginning. I am surprised at my comfort and progress with SR’s. This was one of those shaves where all the moving parts were in perfect mesh and harmony. I rewarded myself with a little SV AS Splash on my chest. Magic.
??? My stropping always improves the finish and performance of the edge
- Thread starter
- #413
Doug I read a repeated comment the other day. Carter from Carter knives doesn’t accept the finish from a hanging strop because it is not flat and true. I didn’t read his comment first hand. It makes sense to me. You use dead flat true stones to hone your edge. It is impossible for me anyway to strop flat and true on a hanging strop. A bench strop yes. I use a bench strop for my kitchen knives. I don’t like using a bench strop for my razors. (I don’t think it looks cool
) I have and use a hanging cotton strop, polypropylene, linen, one bovine and three horse strops. I have a couple others I haven’t gotten around to sorting out yet. So yes I use strops and yes they improve the edge on A Used Edge. Carter says that you round the apex of the micro bevel on the edge using a hanging strop. So first time off the stones Before Use your edge for sharpness should be real nice. I can attest to that with this SR shave. Could I have improved the edge with stropping? Maybe. The 12k Naniawa leaves a mirror finish at 10x loupe. I have stropped this finish a few times on different razors and it removes or smudges or blurs the mirror finish. After a few uses on an edge I don’t mind seeing striations or marks on the mirror edge from stropping. I do not use a blade without looking at it first with 10x loupe. On completion of this SR or any other SR shave. I immediately tend to my blade. A damp towel wipe, some palm stropping, cotton stropping, linen stropping and a few licks on the bovine. The blade gets oiled and put away. That’s what this blade got after first shave and use off the stones. It will also get a few encouraging strop licks before next use. Will it be better than first use? I have no idea. If it isn’t I know what to do with it.
Doug I only have nine straights and twenty-four SR shaves. I’m not as critical or precise as I would like to be concerning micro bevel, sharpness, and blade smoothness. Mostly lack of knowledge and experience. I do however plan on being considerably more anal about edges up against my throat. My comments at this stage could well be totally out to lunch. I finished the Shark blade I like with twelve-K love and it will be the next shave no stropping, before first shave. A three legged dog going down a crooked path is about how I feel with straights right now.
Indulge me here. I’m gonna talk about teeth and blades.
I first heard Blood on the Tracks in 1975, when the iconic line “and old men with broken teeth stranded without love” from Shelter from the Storm referred to anyone but me. Thirty-six years later, I’m not so sure. Why couple the two? Well, I had a filling yesterday, which means that some enamel was removed to make the tooth functional again, I equate this to bevel setting and edge finishing. Some material removed, and you don’t want to do it too often or you’ll be looking for a replacement soon. A clean and polish? That’s the same as an edge touch up on your natural finishing stone, or maybe a compound-laden strop: less damage, but some. Daily brush and floss? That’s your stropping on leather and linen: keeping it clean and, in the case of the razor, some small amount of plastic flow to realign the edge and remove wire edges.
At around 90 straight razor shaves, I’m still a noob. The most shaves on one edge has been 10, but that’s maybe because I have many razors, and because I get bored easily. Yes, you can shave off a 12k edge, but do you want to take a blade to the stone for every shave? Hell no. Shaving doesn’t destroy the whole edge in one session it merely deforms it, and maybe causes a micro chip here and there. Stropping restores the edge until the number of micro chips accumulate and it needs some tough love with hard stone.
I first heard Blood on the Tracks in 1975, when the iconic line “and old men with broken teeth stranded without love” from Shelter from the Storm referred to anyone but me. Thirty-six years later, I’m not so sure. Why couple the two? Well, I had a filling yesterday, which means that some enamel was removed to make the tooth functional again, I equate this to bevel setting and edge finishing. Some material removed, and you don’t want to do it too often or you’ll be looking for a replacement soon. A clean and polish? That’s the same as an edge touch up on your natural finishing stone, or maybe a compound-laden strop: less damage, but some. Daily brush and floss? That’s your stropping on leather and linen: keeping it clean and, in the case of the razor, some small amount of plastic flow to realign the edge and remove wire edges.
At around 90 straight razor shaves, I’m still a noob. The most shaves on one edge has been 10, but that’s maybe because I have many razors, and because I get bored easily. Yes, you can shave off a 12k edge, but do you want to take a blade to the stone for every shave? Hell no. Shaving doesn’t destroy the whole edge in one session it merely deforms it, and maybe causes a micro chip here and there. Stropping restores the edge until the number of micro chips accumulate and it needs some tough love with hard stone.
Honing alone will not provide this effect
I was referring to stropping on linen and leather creating plastic flow. By this I mean, for example, bending back a rolled over edge. Do you disagree?
- Thread starter
- #417
Good analogy David. I was actually sitting in the dentist chair reading it
. I do plan on stropping all my blades but not the first time off the stones. This is another way of me becoming more familiar with my stones. I aim to improve my strokes and minimize stropping if possible. You are right it would be a drag doing stone work before every shave. Even though that was the way for old timers who only had one shave hone and an old belt. Fabrics, pastes, oxides, strops any and all should be incorporated for blade edge maintenance and tune ups. We are fortunate to have options and able to pick and choose favourites. Now we are back to which fork in the road do I take. So much fun.
I agree 100%. Very few people truly understand the momentary plastic flow as metal is bending, just prior to being sheared. The plastic flow allows the very fine jagged edges on the apex to align with each other, thus strengthening the edge.
I don't think my Grandfather used a strop, just a few strokes on the Raven barber hone before each shave.
My father used a straight throughout his whole adult life (he was a WW1 vet and was born in the 19th Century). In all the time I knew him, he only ever had a strop. He may have had a connection for honing his (only) razor from time to time, but I would see him stropping daily. That razor lasted for 40 years.
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