Nice job.
Removing a Chip
- Thread starter FlScott
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
I didn't feel anything different in the shave post red paste. I'll use the red paste, then black with stropping. If it doesn't enhance the shave, then I'll revisit the ILR finishing stone.
Be gentle and light on the hand when stropping, i did that error in the beginning.
It did big difference.
Happy Shaving!
It did big difference.
Happy Shaving!
I didn't realize (or I forgot) that you had the ILR. A number of variables at play, but in any case, I would suggest upping the ante a bit with the red paste to see how it affects things, before moving to the black paste. If that fails for you, then I would suggest returning to the Norton 4000/8000 followed by the ILR. For me, red paste after, say, a coticule really makes a difference.
By the way, how are you gripping the shank when stropping? And what sort of gesture do make during the flip?
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- Thread starter
- #25
I hold the canvass/linen and strop firmly and it's slightly above my waist. The strop is parallel to the ground. Spine leads, edge trails. I grip the tang like a pencil and roll the razor on it's spine. I've developed a light touch over the last few weeks.
On the 3" Heirloom I use long straight back and forth gestures. On the smaller linen and Herold 155Ri, I use X-strokes and will add in a few straight back and forth laps to make sure the heal and toe are each stropped. The X-stroke on a narrower surface is a bit more challenging.
Jarrod at the Superior Shave has a good tutorial.
On the 3" Heirloom I use long straight back and forth gestures. On the smaller linen and Herold 155Ri, I use X-strokes and will add in a few straight back and forth laps to make sure the heal and toe are each stropped. The X-stroke on a narrower surface is a bit more challenging.
Jarrod at the Superior Shave has a good tutorial.
Thanks for the description. In the short run, up the ante as to the lap count on the red-pasted strop to see if that helps. Personally, I do not use linen or cotton or canvas off the pasted strop, it's straight to the plain strop afterwards (cleaning the blade with a rag or bar towel to remove any paste first).
As with many things, YMMV, all roads lead to Rome, what works for you is what works best, and all that. But around seven years ago, I found that when I switched from a pencil-roll flip (gripping the shank from top to bottom during the pass and spinning it like a pencil during the flip with no turn of the wrist) to a flip that involved a very slight turn of the wrist (gripping the shank more from side-to-side, with a slight diagonal bias towards the edge) I no longer was mysteriously nicking the strop along the edge. The more side-to-side grip means that the thumb and forefinger remain in the same general orientation throughout, and my opinion is that it also improves contact with the edge as the arm is controlling things more, rather than leaving the edge to be buffeted by vagaries in the leather when gripped the other way. Sham has a good stropping video on this, although I vary from it in that I hold both elements together when stropping and start the pass from the top rather than the bottom. If you would be inclined to give this a try, start with a practice strop until you have it down.
As with many things, YMMV, all roads lead to Rome, what works for you is what works best, and all that. But around seven years ago, I found that when I switched from a pencil-roll flip (gripping the shank from top to bottom during the pass and spinning it like a pencil during the flip with no turn of the wrist) to a flip that involved a very slight turn of the wrist (gripping the shank more from side-to-side, with a slight diagonal bias towards the edge) I no longer was mysteriously nicking the strop along the edge. The more side-to-side grip means that the thumb and forefinger remain in the same general orientation throughout, and my opinion is that it also improves contact with the edge as the arm is controlling things more, rather than leaving the edge to be buffeted by vagaries in the leather when gripped the other way. Sham has a good stropping video on this, although I vary from it in that I hold both elements together when stropping and start the pass from the top rather than the bottom. If you would be inclined to give this a try, start with a practice strop until you have it down.
- Thread starter
- #27
Thanks for all your assistance. I'll check out the video and give it try.
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- #28
I did 15 more laps on the red paste and followed it up with 12 X-laps with the black paste. I also did lots of stropping. The razor did perform better.
Since this is practice razor, I plan to bring it back to the Waterstones to see if I can put a better edge on the razor.
Since this is practice razor, I plan to bring it back to the Waterstones to see if I can put a better edge on the razor.
- Thread starter
- #29
Well I came back to this razor and did some more work on it to see if it would shave better. I tried the Burr Method after watching Slashes video 27 + times and esse.
I did (7) 100 laps on a Norton 1000 beveling stone last night. I believe I had a burr as there was a bump along the entire edge. It wasn't real rough or wiry to my touch though, so that sort of confused me. The second side was quicker at (5) 100 strokes. There was a similar bump. I figured this was the burr and kept working the second side get the laps closer to side one. After that I did a diminishing method on each side. It passed the thumb nail test, thumb pad test, hair test, and tomato test (I probably overtested). So I was hopeful.
I progressed to the Norton 4000/8000 this afternoon. I like doing circles, so I did a 30, 20, 10, 5, 2 progression, followed by 15 X-strokes and the edge popped. I finished it up on an ILR stone (I know there's controversy about the stone but its what I own) and I did 15 and 8 X-strokes (X-strokes are my weakest stroke but I did try to use a soft touch). I took that to 8 strokes of Chrom Ox and 50 strops. That razor's sharp and gave me a terrific shave.
I did (7) 100 laps on a Norton 1000 beveling stone last night. I believe I had a burr as there was a bump along the entire edge. It wasn't real rough or wiry to my touch though, so that sort of confused me. The second side was quicker at (5) 100 strokes. There was a similar bump. I figured this was the burr and kept working the second side get the laps closer to side one. After that I did a diminishing method on each side. It passed the thumb nail test, thumb pad test, hair test, and tomato test (I probably overtested). So I was hopeful.
I progressed to the Norton 4000/8000 this afternoon. I like doing circles, so I did a 30, 20, 10, 5, 2 progression, followed by 15 X-strokes and the edge popped. I finished it up on an ILR stone (I know there's controversy about the stone but its what I own) and I did 15 and 8 X-strokes (X-strokes are my weakest stroke but I did try to use a soft touch). I took that to 8 strokes of Chrom Ox and 50 strops. That razor's sharp and gave me a terrific shave.
- Thread starter
- #30
I tested the razor against another SR today to see if there was a noticeable difference. Each razor had 1/2 my face/neck. Then I gave it the ultimate test: my wife. I asked if she could tell which side was smoother, and this newly restored razor won out!
