global_dev straight journal

[global_dev]

Been a while since i recorded a straight shave. used the dorko above a couple times, but really have been out and about and got used to a bic twin select that has just been super smooth for me across many many shaves. finally had some time to grab a new to me CVH 24 that i believe to be NOS with an intact factory edge so i stropped it up and gave it a go.

Definitely had a bevel, but not at a edge level i can really appreciate, so not the greatest shave but passable for an edge thats probably 70yrs young.

The Nō 24 5/8 is quarter hollow profile and I have a few so I am going to play around with a few different finishes in a similar way i did with GDs earlier, but this should be a nicer set of steel.

 

[global_dev]

edit:didn't realize i just talked about this with the set of CVHs last year. lol

Been shaving with 2 CVH no24s for a while.. without acquiring more razors it's hard find things to hone for the sake of honing and I also don't know exactly where I've put a lot of things over the years(probably could have done better of note taking back then). I figured i could find some blades to refinish on 2 cotis in my cabinet that i've been eyeing.

I was looking for some NIB GDs from back when and I eventually stumbled on a numbered GD set and i couldn't remember or find any local info except for this quote from early Feb 2014. Holy smokes that feels like a lifetime ago. Gonna have to go back soon and do some cataloging.

#1 is off LNV TBDº
#2 is CNAT Zulu Grey TBDº > updated 2/17 : hideriyama suita with 2 tomo slurries, first a nice asagi, then a larger nakayama kiita bout. updated 3/25 back to the spyderco unpolished UF until all looked uniform and then I hit it with the slightest of slurries from a dmt green on my charnley and then water only.
#3 new coticule 17.9º (5.7/18.3) ? dressante ?
#4 La Grise 16.8º (5.7/19.5) added glycerin to the stone and that seemed to refine the edge
#5 1K> Aotoshi > new coticule 17.2º (5.5/18.4) ? dressante ?
#6 Dressante au Bleu bout 17.5º (5.6/18.4)
#7 Dressante bout 17.8º (5.5/17.8)

 

[global_dev]

Wednesday - had a wonderful 2 passer off the #1 La Nouvelle Veinette (LNV) IIRC. Finally dumped a soap I was not impressed with at all before the shave, going to try to use it a shower soap.

Ended up using a thater boar, B&M Beaudelaire soap & AS..

#1 La Nouvelle Veinette (LNV) TBDº
#2 is CNAT Zulu Grey TBDº > updated 2/17 : hideriyama suita with 2 tomo slurries, first a nice asagi, then a larger nakayama kiita bout. updated 3/25 back to the spyderco unpolished UF until all looked uniform and then I hit it with the slightest of slurries from a dmt green on my charnley and then water only.
#3 new coticule 17.9º (5.7/18.3) ? dressante ?
#4 La Grise 16.8º (5.7/19.5) added glycerin to the stone and that seemed to refine the edge
#5 1K> Aotoshi > new coticule 17.2º (5.5/18.4) ? dressante ?
#6 Dressante au Bleu bout 17.5º (5.6/18.4)
#7 Dressante bout 17.8º (5.5/17.8)

 

[global_dev]

Last nights shave with #3 pretty nice

tonights shave with #4 not nearly as nice. Will need to see whats up with 4 and readjust.

 

[global_dev]

Had some time to rehone #4 after looking at it through the scope.

decided against naturals and went full chosera progression

“Feeling like a nice relaxing progression, probably delete later” and replace edge with another coticule edge.

#1 La Nouvelle Veinette (LNV) TBDº
#2 is CNAT Zulu Grey TBDº > updated 2/17 : hideriyama suita with 2 tomo slurries, first a nice asagi, then a larger nakayama kiita bout. updated 3/25 back to the spyderco unpolished UF until all looked uniform and then I hit it with the slightest of slurries from a dmt green on my charnley and then water only.
#3 new coticule 17.9º (5.7/18.3) ? dressante ?
#4 La Grise 16.8º (5.7/19.5) added glycerin to the stone and that seemed to refine the edge Chosera 10K
#5 1K> Aotoshi > new coticule 17.2º (5.5/18.4) ? dressante ?
#6 Dressante au Bleu bout 17.5º (5.6/18.4)
#7 Dressante bout 17.8º (5.5/17.8)

 

[global_dev]

So i was watching some LaLiga classics today and looking at my handiwork of an edge, thinking how loose I thought the pivot was during the honing sess, and suddenly one of the collars pops off into my hand, time to find some supplies in my mess to repin it SMDH/

 

[global_dev]

Repinned #4 GD scales, so back ready to go. This particular set of scales seems to like to loosen up easily and poorly center. didn't expect much, got what I expected.

 

[global_dev]

#4 off choseras was nice shave, nothing more to write about it.
RR snowman synthetic
RR soap aventus homage
AdP ASL/ASB

I decided to break out the balsas with Hand American Diamond spray (0.5 & 0.25) and lap the edge. Because i couldnt remember where the sprays fit in to a progression more or less, i created a synthetic micron cheat sheet (of most of my synthetics, probaly left out a DMT and added in film i may not have.). It's not 100% authoritative (binders, degradation, info available, etc) but i think it's a good enough representation.

 

[thombrogan]

I think most junkies place 0.5 microns as 50K, 0.25 microns as 100K, and 0.1 microns as 200K while cheerfully forgetting 0.5 micron wet/dry paper is listed as 2,500 grit.

 

[global_dev]

I think most junkies place 0.5 microns as 50K, 0.25 microns as 100K, and 0.1 microns as 200K while cheerfully forgetting 0.5 micron wet/dry paper is listed as 2,500 grit.

Thanks for the comment! Did I mess up my chart with the diamond spray? or film? The last comment has me believing that I might be missing or overlooking the reality of comparison you made. whoosh.. is the W/D difference from the spray because of substrate?

 

[global_dev]

I think perhaps you are referring to absolute performance vs the microns.

I really like the readme over at Abrasives in Micron Scale – Wicked Edge Precision Knife Sharpener - https://knife.wickededgeusa.com/forums/topic/abrasives-in-micron-scale/

http://myplace.frontier.com/~mr.wizard/GLGC/README.txt

i think it explains well that even my unified grit chart isn't going to be an absolute predictor of performance only particle size, kind of what i was alluding to with my binder comment.

Are people using the 2500 W/D as a finisher?

 

[thombrogan]

Did I mess up my chart with the diamond spray?

Not at all. There are a bunch of formalized and informal ranking systems and they all contain useful info. My favorite thing about diamond finishing is how it’s both an infinite rabbit hole and yet it has the illusion of being more sane than natural finishing stone stuff. Also a fan on Hand American abrasives and systems.

Not sure of anyone finishing razors with 2500 wet/dry, but I’ve used it for many useless pocket and outdoors entertainment knives.

 

[global_dev]

My favorite thing about diamond finishing is how it’s both an infinite rabbit hole and yet it has the illusion of being more sane than natural finishing stone stuff.

gotcha, i haven't much experience with diamond spray before. I remember someone who came out with a cloth to apply sprays to, but its been a while. And there are some other whetstones i just have never player around with (at all or much) hoping to gain some better insight. Arkansas for example, i was lent one once, but felt bad i wasn't using it often and at that time wasn't looking to do 100 laps and accidentally messing up and edge, so sent it back. there are sooo many things to try.

 

[thombrogan]

I think that was Ken Schwartz. He developed ‘Nano-Cloth’ and popularized kangaroo leather strops. He also found companies that make diamond and CBN powder in angstrom-sizes (so just when I thought the 0.5 micron diamond I stop at or 0.25 micron diamond you use were crazy fine/ultra-high grit — and they truly are — Ken gets all stratospheric and shares the fun for modest funds). He’s also mentioned Rhodia notebook paper for similar capers.

At the nearer, dearer, more humbling path, there are dozens of people able to get sharper edges with an Arkansas stone than I’ll ever get with my nerdling supplies.

 

[global_dev]

Used #4 last night after some diamond spray. Think i overdid the laps on the spray as first movements were great, very smooth, sharp, effortless, but the edge felt degraded for rest of shave. Could have been my technique with my off hand, or lather drying out, but i dont think so. Edge looked a bit off under the scope. Wonder if its a bevel angle thing to going on. I’ll Have to try a measurement.

so #4 just got a spyderco F > UF “manipulated” refresh.

 

[global_dev]

#4 edge off spyderco wasnt bad. Definitely held the edge throughout the shave. It’s definitely not where id like to see it though. Wondering if i am wasting a bunch of my time on something that may not be able to hold the edge well. Its like a double edged sword, i’d like to get it where i want but there are so many better razors to use.

GD66 #4
VIeLong brown horse
RR il titanic “aventus” clone

 

[global_dev]

measured GD66 #4 at 17.4º, updated the measurements (i think i was taking into account extra spine bulk IIRC)
a=2arctan(0.5x/y) where x is spine width and y = length of top point of spine hone wear)

GD66 angle progression
#1 TBDº..................... La Nouvelle Veinette (LNV)
#2 TBDº..................... 3/25/19 Spyderco unpolished UF > DMT Green slurry/Charnley and then water only.
#3 TBDº ..................... new coticule ? dressante ?
#4 17.4º (5.65/18.5).... 5/31/20 Spyderco > Charnley water only
#5 TBDº..................... 1K> Aotoshi > new coticule ? dressante ?
#6 TBDº ..................... Dressante au Bleu bout
#7 TBDº ..................... Dressante bout 17.8º

* more refernce Charnley stone - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/charnley-forest-stone.68459

 

[global_dev]

So last couple days been shaving with a French razor. I think the other day i read that many french razors just have the retail name and nothing else. So my S. Marcel Paris is just an incredible shaver. The edge is just deliciously soft. I spent a couple hours last week reshaping the linen micarta scales and am 99% happy with the way it turned out. I’ll post a before after pic soon.

Word of advice, i shaped them by hand with the blade and pins intact, must have sanded through a pin head and the wedge escaped and I decided to keep on and be careful and of course the edge kissed my thumb pad and not a delicate kiss, more like a dirty french kiss, no major damage but lots of blood from a clean cut. Its fie now but man it stung for a bit.

Used a VL/shavemac 2band silbertip collab fan with some cella and gft coral skin food

 

[global_dev]

this is going to sound odd, but it's kind of a pain not to have a more or less dedicated area for honing . It would be great to have a setup with appropriate space, some kind sloped racks for whatever, and what not. right now, it's a search for where might have put something last downstairs, bring it upstairs to where i like to sit with a soccer game on in the background, setup a space, use for a razor or two, breakdown, clean up. not terrible for sure, but it would be cool.

moving along, the GD66#4 has kind of been a pain, i rehoned it to 8000 and it was fine, not great, not bad. had me kind of concerned about my skills and rocks! however, using the S. Marcel which I honed before, and honing up a Dorko today, i am relieved to know that it is not 100% my skills/HW, something about the razor that i haven't addressed. Given that it starts shaving very nicely then degrades IMHO, means either it's the apex too thin or taken too far for the steel (which is just a different facet of apex too thin). Now that's where the problem starts in my head.

So the Dorko edge was magnificent, it feels great to shave with and there seems to be no reason to experiment on the GDs anymore with all the nice steel i have; however, i don't like the idea of mucking around with edges that are really nice. rather muck up a GD66, i think i need to designate some vintages in good enough condition and move on from the GDs. probably won't but that is what I should do.

I wsa looking for a raozr to hone up this AM and chose the dorko, it's a 7 day set that while may or may not be NOS, it's in a vintage condition based on where it was probably stored not one of these pristine ,climate controlled, storage sets. I decided to hone up "Wednesday" for some reason. The bevel was in a condition that i decided to cut it on a Choseras (skipped the 1000) so 3K > 5K > 8K > 10K, strop - scrupleworks. Edge looked and felt tight & smooth.

Shave at noon, an interesting time to shave, and I've been cleaning up some kit ( i feel like I am always losing some stuff in the house - probably domovoi). I have a hard time discerning a need to relegate a scent to winter and summer, i just don't seem to feel it's an issue, so i thought i would just skip the scented soap. Grabbed a Paladin Snowman 2band, Groom Dept Tacit (janus), Dorko razor, 2 passes - performed really smooth and sharp, finished off with a splash of La Toja Manantiales ASL, I love the mineralic breezy salty scent of it, but there is a drop of something else I can't put my finger on that I don't 100% love (wish it wasn't there). The Tacit definitely has a scent, not a fragrance, but "unscented" soaps definitely has scents (including AOS unscented tallow).

Since i know i definitiely don't have a dedicated space right now, it's time to figure out a better storage solution for straights that's not 100% presentation, but also not 100% deep storage. I feel like a 15-20 razor case would be a perfect size solution.

 

[global_dev]

Decided on Sunday to rehone 2 of the CVH 24s to a base standard on the choseras to 10K. I actually used a slurry stone (ZG) on each stone of the progression and the end result so far has been a smooth, sharp edge for a great shave. I’ll need to number these blades and record the finisher once they get a subsequent finish.

Last nights shave was great, around 11pm

CVH 24 5/8
RR snowman synth
GD Tacit janus
AOS unscented balm

2 passes, super smooth.