Pass-Around! Two Modded GD Razors and a Pasted Balsa Strop

[Schinny]

I received the box on Xmas eve. I was having trouble locating this thread looking on the Honing forum. Because of this I was not aware of the issues with the grey razor and naturally that is what I used last night for my first shave. The shave wasn’t terrible but I did think to myself that my four razor rotation all sharpened via The Method gave me a better shave especially on my neck ATG. I was also having trouble with the heel. After reading the above thread things make a bit more sense. I will try the white razor next and see if there is a difference.

On another note, the package reached me just in time for me to be heading out of town for a week. I would like to have a bit more time to trial these razors. I don’t return until 1/5. Hopefully everybody is ok with me hiding the package a bit longer.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Sure. I figured everyone would keep it a couple of weeks, initially. Feel free to hone the white scaled razor if you want. I have no way of diagnosing the problem from here. Something happened, I don't know what, because it was shaving quite nicely for the first several recipients. But it a way it's not all bad. Really, this was a test of the balsa maintenance method and failure is just another opportunity to improve.

 

[mrlandpirate]

I received the box on Xmas eve. I was having trouble locating this thread looking on the Honing forum. Because of this I was not aware of the issues with the grey razor and naturally that is what I used last night for my first shave. The shave wasn’t terrible but I did think to myself that my four razor rotation all sharpened via The Method gave.

if you go to the top the page right side and click
watch thread it well let you know when someone posts to this thread and link right to it
no worries keep the box as long as you need

 

[mrlandpirate]

Schinny what's the good word , got an update for us

 

[kohalajohn]

Slash, do you ship to Canada?

 

[Schinny]

@mrlandpirate life has been a bit crazy for me lately. I have sampled both razors. I have learned that my own blades sharpened by the method are just as good as he pass around blades. However, I prefer the way my straights perform as the blades are a longer and have more heft to them making the shave a bit more effortless. I will try my best to get the package in the mail tomorrow or Wednesday.

 

[mrlandpirate]

WOO-HOO !! sounds good and thanks

 

[Slash McCoy]

Slash, do you ship to Canada?

I only shipped once, to the first man on the list. Subsequent shipping is up to each recipient in turn.

Honestly it never occurred to me to make provisions for shipping outside CONUS when I started this passaround. But I am sure shipping isn't a big deal to Canada. Why not put your name on the list after Bill, and if the shipping is significantly more than to a U.S. address, you guys work something out? After seeing overseas interest, I was going to see about getting the box started around UK and EU once all interested U.S. members had a crack at it. I just think that going back and forth internationally is not worth the value of the razors to the users.

Right now, the edges seem to be suffering a lot. Probably an effect of multiple hands doing things multiple ways. You can follow a set of instructions exactly, and another person can also follow those same instructions exactly, and yet the results can be slightly different. A tiny bit of difference in torque or heel angle, for instance. Think of a razor being passed around from tape honer to no tape honer to tape honer, back and forth. This is an extreme example just to illustrate my point. And .1u diamond on balsa removes an impossibly small amount of steel, so it could take a while to make an edge "yours". I don' know. But I know that one razor seems to be in need of a method honing for some reason. No idea what the cause might be. So possibly when I get home from this job I might recall the box and have a go at the edges and send them out again.

Essentially then, the experiment is proving a failure. I wanted to establish that anyone can maintain a Method edge with only the .1u balsa. I can, and many other method honers can. Most, I would say. But perhaps it is expecting too much for someone to have complete success at maintenance with the balsa, who has not immersed himself in The Method already. Nevertheless it is always fun to try new razors, right? Anyway sure, add your name to the list, contingent on working out an agreement with the guy before you, on shipping. And let's do let it curculate around the U.S. first before going international.

 

[kohalajohn]

Thanks Slash, I'll add my name.

I don't agree that the experiment is proving a failure. Yes ok, so technique is still a factor, but that doesn't surprise me. To me the Method was never about that.

To me, the Method was about standardization. The old way involved razors changing all the time. Going tuggy after two months, and then getting out stones and changing it back, usually to some place slightly different.

Not that change is bad. It's a hobby. But the Method showed me that it's possible to have a system that will keep a razor in exactly the same place. Every day.

So it's inspired me to achieve that using other ways. For example, for my Bismarck I like my Saturday morning routine of ten laps on a nani12. It's frequent enough that the razor has that 1u edge every day.

My GD W60 gets the Method. The Method achieves the same standardization, except with a .1u edge.

So on a weekly nani12, my Bismarck is always smooth and sharp.

And on a daily Method my GD W60 is always smooth and very sharp.

And my other razors go all over the place, as the weeks and months go by. This part is where the hobby is.

It's all fine.

 

[mrlandpirate]

box arrived today will shave with them this weekend . Just took a quick look at them and they are pretty nice work Slash.

 

[Twelvefret]

So glad I opted out.

 

[MilkCrate]

So glad I opted out.

It was a great shave and a chance to try a GD.

 

[Twelvefret]

It was a great shave and a chance to try a GD.

Yes, but you were among the first to participate. The significant variable was that the edge could survive. Just common sense.

 

[MilkCrate]

Yes, but you were among the first to participate. The significant variable was that the edge could survive. Just common sense.

True

 

[steveclarkus]

So glad I opted out.

You’ve shaved with a couple of mine and I found them to be the same. I assume you tried them, however, I can understand if fear may have overcome you.

 

[Twelvefret]

You’ve shaved with a couple of mine and I found them to be the same. I assume you tried them, however, I can understand if fear may have overcome you.

Lol

 

[mrlandpirate]

so I did a test shave with the white one and it was ok so I'll do the 3 paste progression to see if it will be wicked sharp.
the gray one is another story the toe looks like a piece of foil broke off the last 1/8 and needs a little touch up and the heel looks to be micro chipped not horrible but needs some TLC. I'll take back to 12k and see if it will come around then run it back up to .1u

 

[mrlandpirate]

white razor-.5,.25,.1 75 laps ea. then I saw that the .1 on the pass around strop is 50% diamond instead of my 10% so WTH I did 75 laps on it then 75 leather. the shave was great ,smooth and easy.
I think I'll do a couple hundred more just to see if I can bump it up a bit.
the gray one I fixed the toe and dropped back to 10 k its tree topping again so I'll bring it up and give it a try.
the white one has a cracked scale by the pivot pin no big deal just makes the scales a bit loose.
these are nice razors you did a great job on the mods you'd never guess they were DG

 

[Ray Settanta]

Please take my name off the list. I have too much going on right now. Thanks, Slash, for doing this. Hope to be in on the next one.

 

[mrlandpirate]

ran the gray one through the progression and it's now at least as sharp if not sharper then the white one. gave it a shave, I'm impressed how these razors shave,I can almost lay the spine on my face and just wipe the stubble away. they are smooth and don't want to bite. no cuts or weepers DFS border line BBS if I had time to learn them it would be BBS