I can only afford to get one with the buy now pay later. I wont have extra for a setup for the film but can get that later if need be. I already have 2 sets of cheap stones. Should i stick to stones or use a combo of both? Im brand new to honing also
Shapton 12k ceramic or lapping film?
- Thread starter FairlySlow
- Start date
Where are you from? I’m in the Chicagoland area. If your local I have some 3 and 1um film I’d give ya.
I would maybe recommend DE shaving if on a tight budget and looking for better Shaves.
If you want to get into straight razor shaving Can be a big upfront cost but worth it in the long run. I would probably recommend having your razor honed by others at the start - then chasing the edge you like.
While both options above are good - the Shapton will require a diamond plate but can keep your shave ready razor running for a long time. The shapton 12k and lapping plate would be good long term investments if you stay in the hobby. (The lapping plate would also help with the stones you already have).
The film can get you from a to b for a cheaper price to start. Probably what I would recommend if on the fence about straight razor shaving. You will probably end up going with a different finishing method though.
Do you already have an okay razor and strop?
If you want to get into straight razor shaving Can be a big upfront cost but worth it in the long run. I would probably recommend having your razor honed by others at the start - then chasing the edge you like.
While both options above are good - the Shapton will require a diamond plate but can keep your shave ready razor running for a long time. The shapton 12k and lapping plate would be good long term investments if you stay in the hobby. (The lapping plate would also help with the stones you already have).
The film can get you from a to b for a cheaper price to start. Probably what I would recommend if on the fence about straight razor shaving. You will probably end up going with a different finishing method though.
Do you already have an okay razor and strop?
I think you should work with the ones you got. You'll be able to pull a shave from it eventually if you keep them clean and flat. I might have one to loan if you can't get the hang of it. Dm me if you want to.
- Thread starter
- #5
Thats super generous thank you a lot! Im actually fairly close. Chicagoland area is a decent size but im about an hour and half south of chicago itself. Not shipping if i paid the cost I take it? We could possibly work something out anyhow if not I really appreciate the offer regardless
- Thread starter
- #6
Ill see how they work your right. And maybe i will depending how it goes. Thank you thats super nice of you
Lot of people in this community try to pay it forward. It makes things nice. I've had people here do extremely generous things for me unsolicited, so I try to do the same where I feel it fits.
- Thread starter
- #8
Ill try to do the same whenever i can. Its such a welcoming community and i feel at home already
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
And SR shavers are the most welcoming of the lot. I think it's because we know we don't have as long to live as other wet shavers
.- Thread starter
- #10
I hope to continue it on to my son when i have oneAnd SR shavers are the most welcoming of the lot. I think it's because we know we don't have as long to live as other wet shavers
so theres still hope
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
It takes practice. I'm still practising.I hope to continue it on to my son when i have one
- Thread starter
- #12
Ill get there. What should i expect my first shave?
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
Many comment that their first SR shave is their worst shave in memory. From then on it only gets better.
Take a trip up. Bring the razor(s) and we can spend a bit of time honing. You’re in the Bloomington area? I’m in Wilmington so really not all that far.
Probably should take him up on that.
I'd stick with lapping film for now. There's no cheaper way to start out honing because you can order individual sheets in whatever grit you want from digikey.com for a couple bucks apiece. You can get 4 honing size pieces of film from each 8.5x11 sheet by cutting them into 8.5x2.75 pieces which is about the same size as most stones. If you decide to stick with SR shaving and honing you can slowly build up stones as your budget allows while using film for the other grits.
Ha! This is very true. The first few shaves are garbage and then they just keep getting better and better.
- Thread starter
- #17
You have to use a diamond plate.? A normal flattening stone wont work?
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
"Flattening" stones (as they are called in the knife trade) don't flatten a whetstone to anywhere near the flatness desired by SR honers.
An alternative to a diamond plate (not cheap) for lapping a whetstone flat is a sheet of W&D sandpaper and a known flat surface to mount it on. That known flat surface could be a piece of granite countertop or thick plate glass. I use a non-embossed glazed ceramic tile to mount my W&D that is quite effective.
An alternative to a diamond plate (not cheap) for lapping a whetstone flat is a sheet of W&D sandpaper and a known flat surface to mount it on. That known flat surface could be a piece of granite countertop or thick plate glass. I use a non-embossed glazed ceramic tile to mount my W&D that is quite effective.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
For a budget friendly start, lapping film, definitely. Wid's offer is good. The 1µ is a bit finer than a 12k stone and can replace that stage. The 3µ is roughly equivelant to most 8k stones. Your basic film progression is 9, 3, and 1µ grits. You will want a stone between 600 and 2k grit for setting the bevel, and maybe a 320 gritter for edge repair or big steel removal. A 3k to 4k stone will do the job of the 9µ film if you got one.
Don't try to go cheap on your plate. It is penny wise and pound foolish. Go to www.tapplastics.com and get yourself a piece of clear cast acrylic, 12" long, 3" wide, and 1-1/2" thick. Yes, that's right, an inch and a half thick. The reason is that gets the honing plane well above your fingertips when honing in hand, which you definitely should be doing, not resting your hone on a fixed and unyielding object. Trust me on that. The plate lasts essentially forever because it is unbreakable for all practical purposes, and does not wear because the razor never touches it. It is nice and flat, too. One time purchase. I started out using polished marble edge tile then graduated to 3/4" acrylic, then tried thicker and it was a game changer.
You might also list the stones that you already have, by brand and grit rating.
If you are not yet skilled at straight shaving though, you really need to start with a shave ready razor. It is EXTREMELY difficult to try to learn to shave with a razor that you are trying to learn to hone at the same time. You won't know what to blame, your shaving technique or your honing. It has been done, but a lot of guys try, fail, and give up, too.
You need a strop, too. Not a belt. Not a $3 aliexpress special. An Illinois 127 is fine. A beginner strop from Tony Miller even better, though possibly out of your budget right now but still a very good purchase. Bare bones minimum, a "Poor Man" strop from Larry at www.whippeddog.com. You can also make one, even not knowing anything about strops. You need some veg tanned cowhide or steerhide of decent quality. Not Tandy or other hobby shops. Their leather is mostly pretty sucky for strop purposes. I like McMaster-Carr. Get a 36" long, 3" wide strip of 8 to 10 oz veg tanned leather and you are good to go. You will need a couple of D rings and some chicago screws. There are threads on this forum on how to DIY a strop and you can make a pretty good strop for about half what it costs for ready made.
Some will tell you that in an emergency you can use newspaper or a phone book or a piece of denim or a belt, which is actually your WORST option for an improvised strop because of the edge curling from use. While you are learning, is not an emergency. Poor stropping on a poor improvised strop will hold you back. How important is a proper strop? VERY. EXTREMELY. Except...
We call this a shavette, though properly speaking "shavette" is a trademark owned by Dovo but it is used like "crescent wrench" or "kleenex" or "vise grips". This one is a particularly good type, not as good as the best but way cheaper than the best. This particular one uses half of a DE blade snapped in half. The 100 free blades are garbage. Use a proper good quality blade. I highly recommend Feather Hi-Stainless. They are excellent, IMHO the best, and not expensive online in lots of 100. A shavette will get you started with the actual shaving part. If you can use a shavette without bleeding out, you can use a straight, when you get hold of a sharp one. Later, the shavette can be your travel razor.
Good Luck, and Happy Shaves!
Don't try to go cheap on your plate. It is penny wise and pound foolish. Go to www.tapplastics.com and get yourself a piece of clear cast acrylic, 12" long, 3" wide, and 1-1/2" thick. Yes, that's right, an inch and a half thick. The reason is that gets the honing plane well above your fingertips when honing in hand, which you definitely should be doing, not resting your hone on a fixed and unyielding object. Trust me on that. The plate lasts essentially forever because it is unbreakable for all practical purposes, and does not wear because the razor never touches it. It is nice and flat, too. One time purchase. I started out using polished marble edge tile then graduated to 3/4" acrylic, then tried thicker and it was a game changer.
You might also list the stones that you already have, by brand and grit rating.
If you are not yet skilled at straight shaving though, you really need to start with a shave ready razor. It is EXTREMELY difficult to try to learn to shave with a razor that you are trying to learn to hone at the same time. You won't know what to blame, your shaving technique or your honing. It has been done, but a lot of guys try, fail, and give up, too.
You need a strop, too. Not a belt. Not a $3 aliexpress special. An Illinois 127 is fine. A beginner strop from Tony Miller even better, though possibly out of your budget right now but still a very good purchase. Bare bones minimum, a "Poor Man" strop from Larry at www.whippeddog.com. You can also make one, even not knowing anything about strops. You need some veg tanned cowhide or steerhide of decent quality. Not Tandy or other hobby shops. Their leather is mostly pretty sucky for strop purposes. I like McMaster-Carr. Get a 36" long, 3" wide strip of 8 to 10 oz veg tanned leather and you are good to go. You will need a couple of D rings and some chicago screws. There are threads on this forum on how to DIY a strop and you can make a pretty good strop for about half what it costs for ready made.
Some will tell you that in an emergency you can use newspaper or a phone book or a piece of denim or a belt, which is actually your WORST option for an improvised strop because of the edge curling from use. While you are learning, is not an emergency. Poor stropping on a poor improvised strop will hold you back. How important is a proper strop? VERY. EXTREMELY. Except...
We call this a shavette, though properly speaking "shavette" is a trademark owned by Dovo but it is used like "crescent wrench" or "kleenex" or "vise grips". This one is a particularly good type, not as good as the best but way cheaper than the best. This particular one uses half of a DE blade snapped in half. The 100 free blades are garbage. Use a proper good quality blade. I highly recommend Feather Hi-Stainless. They are excellent, IMHO the best, and not expensive online in lots of 100. A shavette will get you started with the actual shaving part. If you can use a shavette without bleeding out, you can use a straight, when you get hold of a sharp one. Later, the shavette can be your travel razor.
Good Luck, and Happy Shaves!
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