What Did You Learn From Your SR Shave Today?

[camoloc]

wedge negative.....haven't tried honing one of those beasts yet. machete, asian sword, and other pointy objects are a go. could lap a broadhead blade to! Cnat or Ark on that I wonder.

all things being the same.....I'd trade for a vacation and a cold seawater rinse. long overdue for a vacay.

oh yeah, vintage crocus cloth is my new friend.

shine on crazy diamond.

camo

 

[ScottChapin]

Lighter stropping isn’t the answer.


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[Tomo]

That I really am a straight razor shaver now. I did a day on the DE that other day to keep my eye in. Back on the straights again and it was so good to be back. Closer, smooth and more comfortable. It just feels right now.

 

[camoloc]

I know we have a similar thread in the general shaving section but I felt there was a need for one particularly using SR's (that includes shavette style razors).

SR shavers normally have a longer learning curve. I know I do. Even after over 150 SR shaves, I'm still learning with every shave.

a blade can pass all my tests after a restore, honing, etc (clip hair from 1/8 to 1/4" out, pass wife's HHT, etc)......but I'm still doubtful with my abilities.......final shave test it the true benchmark. I need to stop doubting myself. sharp.

camo

 

[rbscebu]

a blade can pass all my tests after a restore, honing, etc (clip hair from 1/8 to 1/4" out, pass wife's HHT, etc)......but I'm still doubtful with my abilities.......final shave test it the true benchmark. I need to stop doubting myself. sharp.

camo

So true. In the shave test I use a fool's pass (upper lip ATG) as my ultimate edge test. To pass, the edge has to perform as comfortable and smoothly as WTG on the cheeks. I currently only have one edge that will do that but another eight that are VERY close.

 

[rbscebu]

That I really am a straight razor shaver now. I did a day on the DE that other day to keep my eye in. Back on the straights again and it was so good to be back. Closer, smooth and more comfortable. It just feels right now.

I think you'll agree, it takes time and effort to get there but it's well worth it.

 

[KrstGor]

A three-pass shave WTG + 2 x XTG produces an almost BBS result and still grows to allow me something to shave the following day.

Would you care to elaborate on 2 x XTG, pls?

Is it ear to mouth, then mouth to ear or vice-versa?

Asking, as I do this myself, but then I do tend to go for the final ATG... sometimes though I wonder why am I bothering with ATG, as hair will grow back anyway and optically there's no difference, still I do the damn ATG anyway lol

 

[KrstGor]

Lapped my blade on my 12K Naniwa for about an hour last night and it did shave much nicer. Did only 10 laps on linen and leather trying not to contact either, just enough pressure to get an audible.

I’m thinking as light as I stropped in the last, it might have been too heavy and too much. We’ll see.


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As I'm new to honing, can I ask you WHY it took you an hour on 12K Naniwa? My understanding is that a 12K Naniwa is a finishing / touch-up stone, so you only need to do about 10-12 laps. An hour seems like an awful lot of time... say you could do 500 laps in an hour...??

 

[KrstGor]

After yesterday morning's shave, I decided to tide up my shaving gear a bit. Having not need my alum stick for well over a month, I put it away in a draw in my bedroom.

I must have been getting a bit too c**k-sure of myself. This morning I gave myself a small nick on my lip, right corner of my mouth. Out came the alum stick again!

Lesson learned. Always keep the alum stick handy and respect that edge.

I always keep an alum block handy, as I tend to glide my fingers over it, when I'm stretching the skin, makes 'em stick to my face, even over a lather...

 

[ScottChapin]

As I'm new to honing, can I ask you WHY it took you an hour on 12K Naniwa? My understanding is that a 12K Naniwa is a finishing / touch-up stone, so you only need to do about 10-12 laps. An hour seems like an awful lot of time... say you could do 500 laps in an hour...??

Basically a source of frustration. Maybe I should drop to a coarser stone. I get to a point that I can get a wonderful shave, but the blade loses its edge in about five shaves.

So I’ve been going back to the stone thinking I didn’t have it sharp enough. If a fifteen minute session won’t last awhile, maybe it’s not sharp enough and a half hour session will?

I have lightened up on stropping thinking my stropping was taking the edge off. This week I stropped with very very light pressure and the edge is going. So it might not be my stropping.

Maybe I need to get brutal with my stropping.


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[KrstGor]

Basically a source of frustration. Maybe I should drop to a coarser stone. I get to a point that I can get a wonderful shave, but the blade loses its edge in about five shaves.

So I’ve been going back to the stone thinking I didn’t have it sharp enough. If a fifteen minute session won’t last awhile, maybe it’s not sharp enough and a half hour session will?

I have lightened up on stropping thinking my stropping was taking the edge off. This week I stropped with very very light pressure and the edge is going. So it might not be my stropping.

Maybe I need to get brutal with my stropping.


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Well sure, but my question was WHY you spend an hour on a 12K Naniwa? To reiterate - how many laps did you do on the Nani?

 

[ScottChapin]

Well sure, but my question was WHY you spend an hour on a 12K Naniwa? To reiterate - how many laps did you do on the Nani?

I did not count. That would drive me insane for an hour. Just curious if it would make a difference. I would pause briefly now and then. I would bet around 500 strokes.

It made no magical difference. It shave well for a couple of days.


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[camoloc]

Well sure, but my question was WHY you spend an hour on a 12K Naniwa? To reiterate - how many laps did you do on the Nani?

I would spend an hour on a 12k, Cnat, or my favored Ark . time well spent. I'm talking about zero pressure weight of blade laps.

neither time or laps will be indicators.....you know and feel when it's getting there. then after a short run on the balsa progression.........you definately know you're where you need to be.

this mornings razor i was not happy with the end result yesterday....when I got home last eve.....I ran it for I think around 200 no pressure laps. bingo. then went through the balsa again. 1:50 pm where I'm right now. not much stubble has returned around my chin....goatee area.

that and good or bad my 5x magnified mirror tells no lies.

camo

 

[ajduplessis]

Basically a source of frustration. Maybe I should drop to a coarser stone. I get to a point that I can get a wonderful shave, but the blade loses its edge in about five shaves.

So I’ve been going back to the stone thinking I didn’t have it sharp enough. If a fifteen minute session won’t last awhile, maybe it’s not sharp enough and a half hour session will?

I have lightened up on stropping thinking my stropping was taking the edge off. This week I stropped with very very light pressure and the edge is going. So it might not be my stropping.

Maybe I need to get brutal with my stropping.


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I am no expert and are making some assumption here. It sounds to me like you move on to quickly from bevel set. Only move off your bevel setter once the edge takes hairs ridiculously-effortless across the entire width. Only then move to your mid-range stones/balsa strop etc. Also be very light on slurry or have none at all, then finisher(s) all with light pressure. The foundation of edge longevity is set during beveling. I set all my bevels on 1.2k and don't move on until I have a "chef's knife competition edge" on it. Also ending with light pressure under running water.

I would also not tape the spine. Once again all assumption but IME typical causes of sub-par edge performance after single figure shaves.

 

[ScottChapin]

I am no expert and are making some assumption here. It sounds to me like you move on to quickly from bevel set. Only move off your bevel setter once the edge takes hairs ridiculously-effortless across the entire width. Only then move to your mid-range stones/balsa strop etc. Also be very light on slurry or have none at all, then finisher(s) all with light pressure. The foundation of edge longevity is set during beveling.

I would also not tape the spine. Once again all assumption but IME typical causes of sub-par edge performance after single figure shaves.

I am contemplating exactly that. I might start the progression on 1K and go for the burr. It was a shave ready razor when I bought it from a very reputable shop, but I need to convince myself.

And no, I don’t subscribe to tape. It dulls the blade in order to protect the spine. I’d rather have the right bevel and a barely noticeable scuffed spine.


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[ajduplessis]

I am not fond of the burr method, I do all edge leading strokes until done, also strop before moving onto next step.

On my mid-range work I dont move onto finisher until the edge tree-top after stropping, preferably seude/linen action before the leather.

After finisher and stropping HHT followed by shave test. I would also encourage to not use any pasted stuff for the first 10-15 shave to prove to yourself it was done good.

So my 3 honing milestones...
Bevel set - super sharp taking hairs effortless
Mid-range - Tree top after stropping
Finisher - HHT after stropping followed by shave test (ATG fools pass)

 

[ScottChapin]

I am not fond of the burr method, I do all edge leading strokes until done, also strop before moving onto next step.

On my mid-range work I dont move onto finisher until the edge tree-top after stropping, preferably seude/linen action before the leather.

After finisher and stropping HHT followed by shave test. I would also encourage to not use any pasted stuff for the first 10-15 shave to prove to yourself it was done good.

So my 3 honing milestones...
Bevel set - super sharp taking hairs effortless
Mid-range - Tree top after stropping
Finisher - HHT after stropping followed by shave test (ATG fools pass)

I was under the impression that you can raise a burr with leading edge strokes. I never use trailing edge.


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[ajduplessis]

I don't raise a burr at all, only alternating strokes, best way to describe.

 

[Steve56]

This is kind of interesting. An edge that begins OK but only lasts 2-5 shaves?

@ScottChapin , is this typical of all your razors including unrestored ones (if you have them)?

Is the razor above restored?

What kind of a strop are you using? Hanging, paddle, fabric components...

Have you tried seeing how long the edges last without stropping at all? Just carefully dry the edge after shaving.

Just curious,

Steve

 

[ScottChapin]

This is kind of interesting. An edge that begins OK but only lasts 2-5 shaves?

@ScottChapin , is this typical of all your razors including unrestored ones (if you have them)?

Is the razor above restored?

What kind of a strop are you using? Hanging, paddle, fabric components...

Have you tried seeing how long the edges last without stropping at all? Just carefully dry the edge after shaving.

Just curious,

Steve

It’s a 2 year old 6/8 Ralph Aust, an excellent blade.

The strop is a Straight Razors Design 3” wide and very long latigo with linen and is a hanging strop.

Not stropping is on the to do list. Although, as light as I’ve been stropping, I don’t expect much. Sometimes I wonder whether I strop hard enough.

My obsessive nature kicks in on the chin. Even with taught skin and good control, I have to buff on and on to get it good enough.

My first passes on the cheeks should be decent, I would think, but it takes an XTG and ATG to bring it home. I can live with that, but corresponding passes with a DE do better. Sharpness is all I can think of that would cause issues.


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