If you aren’t getting a superbly comfortable edge off .1, you aren’t doing something properly. My .1 edges are noticeably more comfortable then a good jnat finish. It took time and months of doing a balsa progression to achieve that level of comfort but I promise it is doable. Like any other method, you have to learn the nuances of the medium.On my best jnat hone jobs where comfort and sharpness is balanced, especially on stones that provide a more comfortable edge, The dpb (diamond pasted balsa) seems to make edge sharper, and comfort level harsher. The dpb on less than laser sharp jnat edges absolutely raises the sharpness level. I slightly disagree on “forgiveness”.. forgiveness and comfort are part of same descriptive for me. But at this high level of honing we are discussing subtle nuances and personality quirks.
I very much enjoy reading Method success stories like yours. I was as excited as you when I first began honing this way. You won’t believe what kind of edges you will be getting in a year. I believe the Method is a truly superior honing process. I’ve been doing it for two years and still experience improvements - will it ever end? Hope not.Shaved with it this morning and wow. I was wondering if my blade was sharp enough before. It was not. After the 0.1u balsa session with super light pressure and pull strokes, the blade was truly sharp. It tree tops everything in sight, at virtually any height, with only very faint audio feedback. You actually have to tree top over a white surface because it takes off more than you can hear or feel.
Before I had issues with the blade tugging and not wanting to start. There was a notable change this morning. The blade was very smooth and glided easily with little resistance, even in the tough spots. I made an effort to do more stretching which I am starting to think is vital to get a close shave with a straight. The result was a very close shave on the face. I still need to work on my neck stretching technique but this is a promising revelation.
Remember that .1u is about 200k grit and the actual cutting effect is about 1/4 that because the abrasive is set deep into the balsa. Hope you got some .5u and some .25u on balsa, too. If you were to follow even .5u after a coticule it would be a huge jump. After Jnat or ark maybe not so big a jump at all.I ended up buying some 0.1 CBN from @Dzaw and plan on trying that first on balsa after a coti, jnat, and ark. I may try the paste progression later depending on how this works out.
My experience as well. I’ve got razors I’ve used over a year with just .1 maintenance and if anything, they have improved. There is magic in The Method. If it were more expensive, everyone would use it.I just wanted to add that lately I have settled into using only the .1u board for my normal maintenance. 50 or 60 laps and I generally don't need to ever drop back a grit. Keeps things simple and it just works.
Indeed. It doesn't cost enough so it couldn't possibly be any good.My experience as well. I’ve got razors I’ve used over a year with just .1 maintenance and if anything, they have improved. There is magic in The Method. If it were more expensive, everyone would use it.
Indeed. It doesn't cost enough so it couldn't possibly be any good.
I finally got my balsa setup. At the risk of incurring the wrath of Slash McCoy, local conditions made it difficult to procure the items in the exact sizes that he specified. I ended up with the equivalent of three balsa 2" x4"s. Since they were so thick, I decided to forgo the backing material. The result after 3 dozen laps on each was some nice pinging of arm hairs on my first attempt. I am sure that with my edges will improve even more with further practice.
This is what I have also noticed, the edge keeps on improving over time just using 0.1u pasted balsa maintenance. Surely this improvement must come to an end eventually.My experience as well. I’ve got razors I’ve used over a year with just .1 maintenance and if anything, they have improved. ....
There's a profitable business opening -.... I believe the main reason film doesn’t have a much larger following is that it isn’t expensive enough. ....
How are you guys spreading you diamond paste?
I spread my chromium oxide and iron oxide with a small brush that’s mean dipped in olive oil.
Any advice would be appreciated.