Karve Diem
- Thread starter East coast shaver
- Start date
I really like my Open Comb Plate and feel I get a better shave with it. I have to agree about the different handle and the plastic gag. I love my brass Karve as I sealed it and discolouration is not a problem. Don’t know if I would go for a SS model. I have a Rockwell 6S and my Karve looks better. Shaves better too. (YMMV).
How did you seal your razor?
I like the brass Karve as well. It’s slowly developing a uniform patina.
But I disassemble it after every shave, take the blade out, rinse all parts with water and then wipe them dry with a towel, otherwise I suspect it would end up with lots of water stains. And even though it only takes a couple of minutes, I sometimes wish I could be lazy and not need to do this every morning.
Which is one of the reasons I’d quite like a SS Karve. Otherwise I imagine the shave would be very similar.
This . . . recently swapped my 3" handle for a 4" that was purchased almost right after the CB hit the market. Had a lovely dull patina to it. Almost felt bad polishing it up to match my plates. But now everything is "aging together nicely.
Mine was still basically new when I decided to seal it. Obviously if you are patient and gentle you can clean it as recommended with a bit of toothpaste and a soft tooth brush.
I made sure mine was dry then used an automotive sealant (Opti Seal) that I just sprayed on and dried. There are many automotive products that would work. I just gave it a chance to dry a bit and then wiped it totally dry with a microfibre towel. The water beads on it but there are no marks and I disassemble it after each shave and dry it off. It still looks like day one. Expect it will need periodic recoats but that’s not a big deal. I expect it will be months before that is needed and you can tell when it’s ready as the water will not bead as well.
I made sure mine was dry then used an automotive sealant (Opti Seal) that I just sprayed on and dried. There are many automotive products that would work. I just gave it a chance to dry a bit and then wiped it totally dry with a microfibre towel. The water beads on it but there are no marks and I disassemble it after each shave and dry it off. It still looks like day one. Expect it will need periodic recoats but that’s not a big deal. I expect it will be months before that is needed and you can tell when it’s ready as the water will not bead as well.
Question ... What grit did you use? It's really not worth it to sell off a single plate, with shipping and PayPal fees... I think I'll try to fix the feel. It's definitely 'prickly feeling' to the touch. Not sure it'll help me, but why not experiment. Lol.
Thanks.
I won't sell it as its a special plate. Its a prototype OC plate. I'll use 1000 grit to just smooth the edges tts all. I can't seem to find plastic backed or cloth backed sand paper as paper just goes to pieces too quickly.
I don't blame you... Yours was a special, pre-release, edition. Mine is just an ordinary one. Still, the cost and time makes me think I should try to fix it first. If it still is no better, I can always pif it in the end.
Thanks, I'll grab some 1000 grit today. Should be a quick smoothing, then I'll buff it in renwax and give it a run. Fingers crossed.
Thanks again. [emoji846]
Apropos of nothing . . . does anyone else look at their OC set-up and think, "I wish the outer posts were longer like the ones on vintage Gillettes"?
Good luck too. I don't think it'll ever leave my den as it has a unique history.
Don't you mean wider? I rather the teeth be a narrower and the plate flatter so there's more gaps and can shave even closer.
I also wish that there not be any exposed tabs since the machining is so precise there is no need to adjust the blade ever. Just the cutouts so that you can pop out the blade.
Lastly I hope the handle is lighter, it just seems a waste of good brass for a solid handle.
I was referring (badly, obv) to the two posts beside the central threaded on the cap, that help lock the blade in place on the base plate. Looking at the vintage razors, you see these two posts extend about 3-5mm beyond the bottom of the base plate, rather than sitting flush as they do with the Karve.
I just think it would add to the "feel" of the razor as a modern piece of equipment that harkens back to the "vintage" era.
You mean the cap posts like on the olds and fatip?
The issue with that is the Karve really looks more modern than vintage so I'm not sure how that would work out.
And that is what I'm getting at . . . lengthen the cap posts for more of a "modern" vintage ("vintage" modern?) feel. Twas just a thought . . .
Just to be awkward... My ideal OC would be a copy of the Fatip (narrow teeth [and plenty of them] that guide the whiskers [not just press half of them down], and the cap clamping directly onto the teeth on the baseplate [no gap]) but with the standard Karve short (flush with the baseplate) and accurate locating pins.
What part of the plate you sanded?
I`ve got some 1000 grit at home. Is it the slightly sharpish part of OC at the bottom of each teeth?
Meh . . . my OC shaves are plenty smooth. Either that or I am completely insensitive (nobody talk to my wife). Just for fun I went back to the SB "D" plate last night with the 4" handle. Great shave result . . . which leads me to think that I am really starting to nail down the geometry of the CB razor generally.
Where ever it catches when I run my finger nails over the edge.
For my OC I smoothed the edges in between the teeth and tips of the teeth under the comb.
I did this, and rather extensively, but I still feel the edges. Maybe it wasn't enough?
Either way, I don't want to ruin the plate, so I'm going to stop and resign that I can't do OC razors. I'll probably just PIF sometime in the future.
Hi Doug,
I'm sorry to hear that OC plates don't work for you but let me pm you to see what I can come up with to help you with the plate.
Mawashi
I`ll give that a shot. There are some sharp edges at the bottom of the teeth not sure if that will effect anything or not.
