- Thread starter
- #21
“When I try to flatten it on to the plate it just curves up again. Yes, I used 
on it first.”
So yes. I did. Thanks for asking.
on it first.”So yes. I did. Thanks for asking.
Looking for a complete straight forward straight kit.
- Thread starter Alohawyatt
- Start date
Maybe try iron it flat between two sheets of paper.
- Thread starter
- #23
yea, that’s worth a try. I don’t have real iron for clothes. But I do have a cast iron skillet. Start warm then add heat gradually.
- Thread starter
- #24
The cast iron skillet worked! Thanks for the idea @Biltong & Boerewors.
I got one peace too hot and it formed boils on the film. That one is done now. So, I still need to order some sheets. O, Well live and learn.
I got one peace too hot and it formed boils on the film. That one is done now. So, I still need to order some sheets. O, Well live and learn.
- Thread starter
- #25
Sooo, this is a little embarrassing. I didn’t realize that there is a pill off sticker to these films. That’s what was making at curve in the first place. 
This newbie is back in business.
This newbie is back in business.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
@Alohawyatt have fun while you play with what you've got.
Everyone has their own way of starting into SR shaving. I was at first a bit like you. Fortunately, I very soon realised that I was not going to get anywhere near a basically decent shave the way I was going.
I threw all my ideas out the window and followed the instructions on the B&B Method to the letter. That introduced me what the joys of what SR shaving is truly about.
Hopefully one day you too will see the error of your current ways. Until then, good luck.
To start you off:
Everyone has their own way of starting into SR shaving. I was at first a bit like you. Fortunately, I very soon realised that I was not going to get anywhere near a basically decent shave the way I was going.
I threw all my ideas out the window and followed the instructions on the B&B Method to the letter. That introduced me what the joys of what SR shaving is truly about.
Hopefully one day you too will see the error of your current ways. Until then, good luck.
To start you off:
- Read the B&B Method instructions in their entirety, not once but two or three times. Take notes and amend those notes as you learn. This will take time but a lot less time than you will otherwise waste doing it "your way".
- Throw out your glass plate and replace it with a piece of 12" x 3" x ¾" (or greater thickness) cast acrylic. If you cannot get the cast acrylic, ask on B&B for a suitable alternative.
- Throw out you PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive) pieces of lapping film and replace them with non-PSA lapping film cut into sizes a little smaller than your new piece of cast acrylic.
- Hold your piece of cast acrylic in hand when using it. Do not use it supported on a fixed surface.
- Once you get a shavable edge on your SR, shave with it daily so that your develop your SR shaving technique subconsciously.
- Thread starter
- #27
Ok, so method instructions can be found where? Is it also known as the Burr Method? Just trying to start in the right place. Thanks
Setting the Bevel with the Burr Method
Setting the Bevel with the Burr Method
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
The B&B Method consists of three main threads covering bevel setting, lapping film and diamond pasted balsa stroping. A link to these threads can be found here:
Newbie Honing Compendium
I find myself often linking just a few threads rather than give a long winded explanation that takes me 15 minutes to type on my phone. So, here are my favorite threads to suggest that newbies read if they are interested in making their razors sharp. Lapping film, try it. Setting the Bevel...
www.badgerandblade.com
I strongly recommend that you don't even start on the B&B Method until you have read and studied all three threads. Many don't and waste a lot of time, more than they would have spent reading and studying the threads.
If you don't believe me, just do things "your way". No one will punish you. You only punish yourself.
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- Thread starter
- #29
Thats what I was afraid you would say. Thats a lot to read. I don’t know if my patients will last that long. Maybe I can set it up as text to speech while I’m driving. I spent a lot of time driving at work. O, well the crapy edge I have now is working. And it’s probably closer to the edges that they used to use 150 years ago anyway. I’m not gonna let it stop me I’m still gonna use that RSO.
Maybe I can set it up as text to speech while I’m driving. I spent a lot of time driving at work. O, well the crapy edge I have now is working. And it’s probably closer to the edges that they used to use 150 years ago anyway. I’m not gonna let it stop me I’m still gonna use that RSO.
This has been working for me unbelievably. Just 4 months in, I have two scary sharp razors, and can achieve a DFS with either of them (I stopped chasing a BBS years ago). Aside from an occasional weeper, the past few shaves have been blood and irritation free. That isn’t to say I didn’t have a learning curve, but it was worth the effort, and I am still learning and trying to perfect my technique. Just like anything else- you get just as much back, as you are willing to put in. There is a lot of knowledge and sound advice given here. What happens next is your call.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
@Alohawyatt go back and read post #7 of this thread. Heed @Slash McCoy's advice.
- Thread starter
- #32
It looks like the method can mean different things to different people. So for now anyway, when I think of “THE METHOD” it’s going to mean not using stones.
I don’t think that I need a perfect edge to enjoy a straight razor. My hats off to you guys for both trying to help me and having the time and patience to put this all together. It’s not something that I will learn overnight. But I have started down this rabbit hole and I will see where it takes me. For now I am done spending money on it. I am able to shave well enough to be presentable at work. That’s all I really need anyway.
Once I have more time and am able to put more focus on it, I may spend more. And by the way you are right I don’t know what is truly meant by straight razor geometry. I figured as long as the film is touching all of the edge and all of the spine at the same time that’s good enough. It’s not like it’s a space shuttle that can blow up on the launch pad or something.
I don’t think that I need a perfect edge to enjoy a straight razor. My hats off to you guys for both trying to help me and having the time and patience to put this all together. It’s not something that I will learn overnight. But I have started down this rabbit hole and I will see where it takes me. For now I am done spending money on it. I am able to shave well enough to be presentable at work. That’s all I really need anyway.
Once I have more time and am able to put more focus on it, I may spend more. And by the way you are right I don’t know what is truly meant by straight razor geometry. I figured as long as the film is touching all of the edge and all of the spine at the same time that’s good enough. It’s not like it’s a space shuttle that can blow up on the launch pad or something.
I may have missed something in all these posts. But I understand that you have a cheap razor that was dull and you are honing it without previous experience. I am not in agreement here. It's like trying to fix a car, although you have never done it before and you have never driven one. You don't know what to expect and you don't have a goal to shoot for. I have shaved with some horrible edges - but they DID shave, although not well. And how was I to know the difference?
Well, nothing is free. Spend some money and get the lowest price Ralf Aust or Wacker and have the vendor hone it for you. Then shave with it for a few days (you'll need only a strop). Now you will know what you are shooting for. Anything you manage to hone and shave with right now may be miles away from an excellent shaving edge. After you experience a good shave from a great razor, you can work on the cheepos, try different methods and most importantly, know when you are coming close and know when you finally hit your goal.
Well, nothing is free. Spend some money and get the lowest price Ralf Aust or Wacker and have the vendor hone it for you. Then shave with it for a few days (you'll need only a strop). Now you will know what you are shooting for. Anything you manage to hone and shave with right now may be miles away from an excellent shaving edge. After you experience a good shave from a great razor, you can work on the cheepos, try different methods and most importantly, know when you are coming close and know when you finally hit your goal.
I'm a new starter to the SR game.
I'm not yet convinced my ol' grandpa's Straight Razor methods, of old time tradition, of stones and strops were insufficient for the needs of the time. This isn't a rabbit hole IMO, you just get what you get, and it wouldn't be up-to the demands expected with modern technology widely accessible.
The new and old razors I've used, dulled and improved in the last 2 months or so have seen 3/8/12k grit stones, some strops and nothing else. I've dulled several blades and brought them back with those stones, to what I consider "shave ready" to tackle my B&B renown Tough-Stubble-Sensitive-Skin combination.
For me, No cromox yet or any diamond pastes yet, this will happen when I can be bothered. Many will say I'm doing it all wrong, or selling myself short, a dullard. This could well be true, but historically I'm within context so that is something.
i think trying to get the last 5% of sharpness with diamond pastes is not the best initial goal, well it hasn't been for me. I don't know what I dont know is my motto.
I'm not yet convinced my ol' grandpa's Straight Razor methods, of old time tradition, of stones and strops were insufficient for the needs of the time. This isn't a rabbit hole IMO, you just get what you get, and it wouldn't be up-to the demands expected with modern technology widely accessible.
The new and old razors I've used, dulled and improved in the last 2 months or so have seen 3/8/12k grit stones, some strops and nothing else. I've dulled several blades and brought them back with those stones, to what I consider "shave ready" to tackle my B&B renown Tough-Stubble-Sensitive-Skin combination.
For me, No cromox yet or any diamond pastes yet, this will happen when I can be bothered. Many will say I'm doing it all wrong, or selling myself short, a dullard. This could well be true, but historically I'm within context so that is something.
i think trying to get the last 5% of sharpness with diamond pastes is not the best initial goal, well it hasn't been for me. I don't know what I dont know is my motto.
I've tried a lot of SR stuff over the years, both new and old. I generally choose to use razors that are between 100-200 years old, and sharpen with stones, of types that have been used to sharpen steel for about as long as you could make steel that could be sharpened. They work well, and IMO provide an edge that is at least as comfortable as anything modern production techniques produce.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
One hundred and more years ago when most men shaved with SR's, they did not have the adavtages in honing and metallurgy that we have today. They happily accepted an edge off say a 12k equivalent natural stone.
Over the past 100 years there have been great strides made in steel technology, the availability of newer more consistent abrasives and the technology to better understand what is happening with SR's during use.
Some today are quite happy to accept what was considered acceptable 100 and more years ago. There is nothing wrong with that and good for them. Others want to develop better blades and edges using the developments that have since occured.
It all depends on what interests you. If you want easy, stick with a cartridge or a DE. If you want traditional, stick to natural stones, many prefer them. Most of us see shaving with a SR as more than shaving, it's a hobby, a passion or even an obsession.
My journey started with shavettes and transitioned to SR's. My aim was to achieve sharpness and comfort that came close to match a shavette, and I don't think you can achieve that with a stone. If you can, it's beyond my skill set.
CrOx pasted leather paddle strop got me to a level where I could shave reasonably comfortable. Diamond pasted balsa is a whole new level of sharpness that some say matches the edge on a shavette.
My journey started with shavettes and transitioned to SR's. My aim was to achieve sharpness and comfort that came close to match a shavette, and I don't think you can achieve that with a stone. If you can, it's beyond my skill set.
CrOx pasted leather paddle strop got me to a level where I could shave reasonably comfortable. Diamond pasted balsa is a whole new level of sharpness that some say matches the edge on a shavette.
I think it is a mistake to confuse sharpness with shaving comfort. They sometimes relate, but not always. Nobody wants to shave with a dull blade, but I personally find the edge I can achieve of certain types of stones are much nicer and less irritating on the skin than some edges that I could make using synthetic methods, even if they might be technically sharper.
I could glue a Feather blade to a chopstick (which has been done...) and that would be super sharp, but I doubt many of you would want to shave with it every morning.
I could glue a Feather blade to a chopstick (which has been done...) and that would be super sharp, but I doubt many of you would want to shave with it every morning.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
I agree that many do not find comfort in shaving with a standard diamond pasted balsa strop edge. I found that judicious use of short X-strokes when using diamond pasted balsa strops greatly increased the comfort of my SR shaving.
I have a theory as to why short X-strokes gives me a more comfortable but still as sharp shaveing edge. I think that it is due to the resultant scratch pattern given to the bevel. This pattern inter-reacts with the water-skin interface beneth the bevel when shaving.
On a chopstick - no thanks.
In a shavette - no problem, I have shaved daily for about six months like that.
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