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Valet Auto Strop Strop reconditioning
- Thread starter misterelie
- Start date
I sent you a link in your mail
- Thread starter
- #42
Got it. Thank you.
Second vintage blade shave
Stropped before ~10, after ~5
Model C / VC1
Blade 'as found', second use
Face prep with Col Conk Lime in a stick
Face lather with RazoRock Lime puck
Brushes: Durobuilt SHD badger re-knot (soap) and Simpson Best Duke 3 (adding water)
After: alum, Richard's Rub (Osage Rub + Dickinson's witch hazel), FlorilDrops (M&L Florida Water + Gabels Drops of Lime)
This time out the blade felt very smooth, to the point that I worried it was getting dull. But it cut well, though perhaps not as well as yesterday's shave 1. I call it a very comfortable CCS.
The 'aftercare' was calculated to burn strongly if the shave was rough. Very little sting or burn.
I continue surprised/impressed with these shaves. They are not just a novelty. This VC1 AutoStrop razor is also much lighter than my first VB1, which has the heavy 'hexagonal' silver-plated handle. "Light is Right"
I'm looking forward to a report from @ouchyfoot !
Stropped before ~10, after ~5
Model C / VC1
Blade 'as found', second use
Face prep with Col Conk Lime in a stick
Face lather with RazoRock Lime puck
Brushes: Durobuilt SHD badger re-knot (soap) and Simpson Best Duke 3 (adding water)
After: alum, Richard's Rub (Osage Rub + Dickinson's witch hazel), FlorilDrops (M&L Florida Water + Gabels Drops of Lime)
This time out the blade felt very smooth, to the point that I worried it was getting dull. But it cut well, though perhaps not as well as yesterday's shave 1. I call it a very comfortable CCS.
The 'aftercare' was calculated to burn strongly if the shave was rough. Very little sting or burn.
I continue surprised/impressed with these shaves. They are not just a novelty. This VC1 AutoStrop razor is also much lighter than my first VB1, which has the heavy 'hexagonal' silver-plated handle. "Light is Right"
I'm looking forward to a report from @ouchyfoot !
- Thread starter
- #44
First shave with the FAS Carbon Steel:
I bought these blades as an alternative for my OneBlade. Only used two because they were TERRIBLE to shave with. Figured I would give them a shot in the Valet.
First off, a warning: they are not as pliable as the FHS ones. I went to clip out the notch to fit it in the Valet like you have to do for the FHS, and the first blade cracked in 2. A little more care and I was able to remove the notch on the second blade without issue. No difficulty, just need a bit more care. Blade fit and aligned perfectly after notch removal.
Then, knowing in advance the poor quality shave I get from the FAS, I decided the blade was not shave-ready, so I stropped it before first shave. And on an assumption it would be particularly bad, I stopped 50 cycles.
That worked! It turned out to be a different shave. Not better, but not worse, either. The FHS first shave was smoother. This one wasn't smooth. But, there was less skin irritation the next day with the FAS. Also, it is a closer shave than the FHS. When I shave with the FHS -- even with the OneBlade, I begin to feel a bit of a stubble return in the morning. Today, after using the FAS, my face is as smooth as it was last night. There is a "bite" to the shave which the FHS doesn't give me, but I'd say it was a more efficient shave.
The post-shave strop did not get all the water out, so I removed the blade and wiped it completely dry along with the razor before putting it back together for the night.
Further testing: how long can I get the FAS to maintain an acceptable edge? How sensitive will my skin be this evening? (Although this evening's plans include using the Rolls so I can have a very close shave for holidays tomorrow, so no 2nd night testing with the Valet this evening). Also, this thread has taught me I need to find something along the lines of @razorboi universal stropping set and possibly get that FAS blade to work in the Oneblade as well.
More to come.....
I bought these blades as an alternative for my OneBlade. Only used two because they were TERRIBLE to shave with. Figured I would give them a shot in the Valet.
First off, a warning: they are not as pliable as the FHS ones. I went to clip out the notch to fit it in the Valet like you have to do for the FHS, and the first blade cracked in 2. A little more care and I was able to remove the notch on the second blade without issue. No difficulty, just need a bit more care. Blade fit and aligned perfectly after notch removal.
Then, knowing in advance the poor quality shave I get from the FAS, I decided the blade was not shave-ready, so I stropped it before first shave. And on an assumption it would be particularly bad, I stopped 50 cycles.
That worked! It turned out to be a different shave. Not better, but not worse, either. The FHS first shave was smoother. This one wasn't smooth. But, there was less skin irritation the next day with the FAS. Also, it is a closer shave than the FHS. When I shave with the FHS -- even with the OneBlade, I begin to feel a bit of a stubble return in the morning. Today, after using the FAS, my face is as smooth as it was last night. There is a "bite" to the shave which the FHS doesn't give me, but I'd say it was a more efficient shave.
The post-shave strop did not get all the water out, so I removed the blade and wiped it completely dry along with the razor before putting it back together for the night.
Further testing: how long can I get the FAS to maintain an acceptable edge? How sensitive will my skin be this evening? (Although this evening's plans include using the Rolls so I can have a very close shave for holidays tomorrow, so no 2nd night testing with the Valet this evening). Also, this thread has taught me I need to find something along the lines of @razorboi universal stropping set and possibly get that FAS blade to work in the Oneblade as well.
More to come.....
Feather Seikan FAS10
1st shave
www.badgerandblade.com
2nd shave
www.badgerandblade.com
3rd shave
www.badgerandblade.com
4th shave
www.badgerandblade.com
5th shave
www.badgerandblade.com
1st shave
What did you use today? +Rate the shave 1-10 (10 best)
If asked by most of society the consensus of if I needed to shave today, they would say no. Yesterday's shave was scored very well but after a morning shower my face while not BBS was not really needing a shave. So I whipped up a larger and did it anyways in an addicted manor. I grabbed my fav...
www.badgerandblade.com
What did you use today? +Rate the shave 1-10 (10 best)
How is that Epsilon Blue Mediterranean? I really like it. Nice fresh citrus scent. Light. Not overpowering at all. Sweet notes. Cooling on the skin. Supposedly similar to Floïd Blue. Most importantly, my Lovely Bride really likes it when I wear it. :)
www.badgerandblade.com
What did you use today? +Rate the shave 1-10 (10 best)
Today's shave: Prep: warm shower and dove face cleanser Pre shave: Proraso sensitive Soap: Mitchell's Wool Fat Brush: Omega Pro 49 Razor: Mühle R41 Grande Blade: Mühle Alum block: Osma Aftershave: Floïd Mentolago Vigoroso Rate: 10/10 Today was my first time using the Mühle R41 Grande, the...
www.badgerandblade.com
What did you use today? +Rate the shave 1-10 (10 best)
Razor - Fatip Piccolo Blade - Feather Brush - Simpson Duke 3 Best Soap - Harris Arlington Aftershave - Simple Moisturiser with Hemp Seed Oil Rating 10/10
www.badgerandblade.com
What did you use today? +Rate the shave 1-10 (10 best)
Walton Wood Farms Proud C0ck is primarily designed for manscaping and shaving your pubes. Yup. My wife got it for me so I had to try it as my undercarriage is all set currently. 👍
www.badgerandblade.com
- Thread starter
- #46
Hmm, thanks for those reports @ouchyfoot Sounds like your experiences are similar. I wonder if I'll experience what you had in future shaves with it getting better over time. Don't have a GEM razor to experiment with, though. I have to wonder about these FAS blades. What is their intended purpose? No one seems to like them out of the box, but they seem to do a good job; dare I say a NEEDED job for people who need an irritation free, close shave after the blade gets some attention.
- Thread starter
- #47
Shave #2 with FAS Blade:
Stropped for 40 cycles. Shave began even smoother than before. However, by third pass, blade had already lost a fair amount of its edge. Shave continued to be close. No irritation the next day. First experience I think I have ever had with a blade going dull like that mid-shave. Shall try again tonight to see how it works.
Stropped for 40 cycles. Shave began even smoother than before. However, by third pass, blade had already lost a fair amount of its edge. Shave continued to be close. No irritation the next day. First experience I think I have ever had with a blade going dull like that mid-shave. Shall try again tonight to see how it works.
- Thread starter
- #48
Shave #3 with FAS Blade:
Stropped for 45 cycles.
Anyone ever have a blade that actually got better on the third shave? That's what is happening here. Same as shave #2. Smooth, but this time it held its edge throughout the shave. And again, no irritation the next day. I'm curious how long this blade will eventually last now. Considering I thought this to be an "unusable" blade in the OneBlade, its behavior is quite extraordinary. This is getting interesting......
Stropped for 45 cycles.
Anyone ever have a blade that actually got better on the third shave? That's what is happening here. Same as shave #2. Smooth, but this time it held its edge throughout the shave. And again, no irritation the next day. I'm curious how long this blade will eventually last now. Considering I thought this to be an "unusable" blade in the OneBlade, its behavior is quite extraordinary. This is getting interesting......
Anybody shelling out for those carbon Kai Best? In either caliber? Lots of blades in a box. Perhaps the 0.25 thickness does not have the BEST punch?
Here is the relevant part of the Kai blade spec sheet on kai-group dot com:
Interesting that Kai apparently makes carbon DEs (31), spined (26) and unspined (25) carbon Gem style, and something in stainless (10) that looks more like a Schick B hair shaper blade than a Schick injector blade.
- Thread starter
- #50
I’m interested, but the shipping to the US gave me pause, I’m afraid. Bulk purchase, anyone?
There are 50 blades per box? And shipping doesn't seem to go up much with multiple boxes. I could see being part of (or even the instigator of) a bulk purchase.
Oddly, Kai has a facility here in Portland, OR. I don't know any way to leverage that into Kai razor blades in hand. I think the facility makes some US knife brands that Kai owns.
Oddly, Kai has a facility here in Portland, OR. I don't know any way to leverage that into Kai razor blades in hand. I think the facility makes some US knife brands that Kai owns.
I can find no information indicating they are intended for, or compatible with the Valet razor, particularly the models with proprietary pins.
Is this an assumption on your part, because of the "BEST" cut-out?
The seller specifies that they are "sheet cutter" blades, for paper, film, sheet, etc.
The reason I found out about these Kai blades is from the many older threads on this site that discuss the usage them and Valets. That’s all I really know.
Here’s one of the threads. I don’t have time to search for the others.
Kai BEST carbon steel blade results
Post ongoing results with the Kai BEST blade here.
www.badgerandblade.com
Last edited:
Thanks for posting the Kai thread! I read a bunch. It didn't scare me off from a group buy.
AutoStrop vintage blade / stropped - third shave
Just a quick report on both a fine shave and a strop comparison.
Shave:
I used the same VC1. I'm not moving this blade around. Stropped 10 before / 5 after. Blade continues to look good to the naked eye, no visible corrosion. My new-to-me vintage horsehair Ever-Ready brush produced an airy Williams Mug lather.
Smooth and comfortable CCS, hitting DFS in the easy spots. The blade/strop keep delivering.
Strops:
I pulled my VB1 (roller guide) strop out of the set case. It has an oiled shell-like surface and plenty of creases from storage. It is perceptibly thicker than the VC1 strop, which put me off pulling it through the (fixed guide) VC1. I have stropped a despined Gem PTFE with this strop, with no noticeable improvement or degradation of the edge.
Just a quick report on both a fine shave and a strop comparison.
Shave:
I used the same VC1. I'm not moving this blade around. Stropped 10 before / 5 after. Blade continues to look good to the naked eye, no visible corrosion. My new-to-me vintage horsehair Ever-Ready brush produced an airy Williams Mug lather.
Smooth and comfortable CCS, hitting DFS in the easy spots. The blade/strop keep delivering.
Strops:
I pulled my VB1 (roller guide) strop out of the set case. It has an oiled shell-like surface and plenty of creases from storage. It is perceptibly thicker than the VC1 strop, which put me off pulling it through the (fixed guide) VC1. I have stropped a despined Gem PTFE with this strop, with no noticeable improvement or degradation of the edge.
Tomorrow I plan to shave with a vintage “Valet” blade for the first time. Canadian made, sealed in a box with cellophane wrap. Each blade has an outer wrapper and an inner wrapper affixed by wax. These blade look shiny and new. I’m going to give it some strops before it’s first shave. I’ll be using a Valet VB1 that has never been used before. It’s very first shave.
Vintage “Valet” blade shave.
www.badgerandblade.com
What did you use today? +Rate the shave 1-10 (10 best)
Bright sunshine this morning - always good when the forecast was for sleet. Has to be a metaphor for something. Vintage C.V. Heljestrand "M[three crowns]K No. 24" 4/8 French point straight razor Yaqi Tuxedo black marble effect handle synthetic brush Cella Extra Extra Bio Current production...
www.badgerandblade.com
- Thread starter
- #58
Shave #4 & 5 with an FAS blade: stropped only 20 cycles. And darned if that isn't all it needs!
Can't seem to stop the blade from "biting" especially during that first pass. But my rather sensitive skin seems to be fine with it, and beard growth is actually slower, to the point I actually skipped a night in shaving. Not quite as close as my straight or Rolls can get but darn close.
Going to give a few nights off, some of the other razors are starting to whisper to me they'd like some use (plus I've got a couple of vintage Wilkinson's on their way here) so I'm going to keep the blade in it and update over the next few weeks with more shaves, but a bit infrequently. I want to report how many shaves I can get out of one blade that I used to think was terrible but now seems to be working in an unlikely razor.
More to come.
Can't seem to stop the blade from "biting" especially during that first pass. But my rather sensitive skin seems to be fine with it, and beard growth is actually slower, to the point I actually skipped a night in shaving. Not quite as close as my straight or Rolls can get but darn close.
Going to give a few nights off, some of the other razors are starting to whisper to me they'd like some use (plus I've got a couple of vintage Wilkinson's on their way here) so I'm going to keep the blade in it and update over the next few weeks with more shaves, but a bit infrequently. I want to report how many shaves I can get out of one blade that I used to think was terrible but now seems to be working in an unlikely razor.
More to come.
Vintage Autostrop “Valet” blade shave #2 - huge difference!
www.badgerandblade.com
What did you use today? +Rate the shave 1-10 (10 best)
SOTD , Fri, Jan 08th 2021 Razor: Everready British streamline 2nd generation model-Mfg 1949-53 Excellent upper mid range razor, beautiful razor & well made. Blade:Gem Personna SS PTFE(8) excellent blade, very sharp, smooths out nicely with great longevity, also predictable IMO. Soap: Razorock...
www.badgerandblade.com
@ouchyfoot !!
Thanks for the excellent/thorough shave reports. You may be making it difficult for me to leave my Valet AutoStrop tuck sealed.
Wow, that VB1 is what mine should be! Does yours have a serial number on the lever?
Thanks for the excellent/thorough shave reports. You may be making it difficult for me to leave my Valet AutoStrop tuck sealed.
Wow, that VB1 is what mine should be! Does yours have a serial number on the lever?
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