str8-hones same as different DE blades?

[Ru4scuba?]

All,

So far in my str8 shave journey I've tried blades honed on a Coti....Escher and Shapton.

My question is this...can one say that the edge on a str8s honed on different stones is similar to the difference in different DE blades?

I know that Feathers do not work on my face (too harsh). IRP are perfect and work every time.

So far...the coti honed blade was smooth as glass, and shaved like a champ. The Shapton was decent, but a little bit harsher (sharper??) and the Escher wasnt cutting it at all.

Now...I know I'm a Newb...so my technique is still improving. But that said, my technique with DEs is near perfect and I still can't shave with a Feather that hasn't been corked multiple times, cooled in a fridge and then had somebody do a kibuki dance around it 5 times. It just doesn't work on my face.

Can one compare different str8 edges/stones to the difference in DE blades?

As always, thanks for the help BB!

 

[richmondesi]

Yes and no (but it's complicated). The steel varies in types from razor to razor. Vintage Solingen is different from Sheffield, and carbon is different from stainless steel. So, combine those differences with the characteristics of various finishing hones. Some combinations of steel and hone work better than others, and while you might not love pastes on one type of steel, you might love it on another (the same would be true for Coticule, Escher, and Shapton). All the different types of finishers can do a good job and yield shaving excellence, but different combinations can take it to the next level.

Having enough experience to know the best combinations, and having the skill to get the most out of both the razor and the hones, is what makes a honemeister a honemeister

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Awesome...thx for the info Paul!

So, this means with str8s...not only is the shave itself an "art," but so is finding the steel type, hone, paste etc combo that works for your specific face!

With DE blades....this was just a matter of swapping out a blade if it was bad, rough, too sharp...whatever.

With str8s...there are a whole heck of a lot more variables to figure out what works for you!

 

[richmondesi]

Awesome...thx for the info Paul!

So, this means with str8s...not only is the shave itself an "art," but so is finding the steel type, hone, paste etc combo that works for your specific face!

With DE blades....this was just a matter of swapping out a blade if it was bad, rough, too sharp...whatever.

With str8s...there are a whole heck of a lot more variables to figure out what works for you!

Absolutely

Which is what makes it so fun

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Absolutely

Which is what makes it so fun

Sigh....I'm going to have to spring for that Coti methinks a few months down the road....I'd rather go with something that works 100% of the time for awhile than experiment my face into pepperoni, pockmarked, puss filled, pain packed oblivion!