What edge do you shave with now days?

[Empire straights]

I use synthetics, 1,3,5,8,12 Naniwa Super/ Specialty Stones. Cut my teeth on these, still learning. I make due with what I have, never had anything to compare to and am satisfied with results. Super curious about a natural finisher, it’s just a matter of time likely. Black Ark or a slate seem interesting, available. Time will tell.

Unless you're sharpening blade in somewhat of a professional capacity, *YOU* enjoying the shaves from your stones is all that matters. Not if someone else thinks you're stone isn't a finishing stone or is fine enough but to difficult, or leave a chewed up edge, or your technique is all wrong... doesn't matter at the end of the day. You enjoy your stones and get good shaves that's it. I'm not saying that about your kit, I've only ever used really crappy Chinese synths for the synth waterstones I've used, or old India stones...On razors at least. I have a washita that has a covered strop top on the box that was used for sharpening razors. I've shaved off it and with good stropping it gives up great shaves (to be fair I don't know if there is abrasive on the strop but it's black from oil I think, stone probably cut by a random guy). Most people will tell you that you can't get a comfortable shave off of one but I know there's at least one other person here that's done it with results similar to mine. Mine will kick up grit sometimes and I think it's because it's degreased(turkey stones do this) but when oiled well it does not. If you have the right technique for your stones and are getting good shaves then you won the honing game that many of us chase the dragon on. I think sometimes we approx it from too rigid of a view point. Like cooking a meal.. you follow the recipe to a T and it works but not what you'd hope for, but after practice you start adding thing like spices or new vegetables. The meal that you worked on until you got the foundation for down, then went to doing what works for *you* will always taste better. No drill sergeants on the shaving forum(shouldn't be). People can try different things, and I know new honers story about being exact in their methodology, which is important to some degree but the world won't stop if you decide to do circles into you were board then switch to half strokes or pull strokes. Have a good time figuring out how to make it work for you once you got the fundamentals down. Learn theory then application. Application will always be all like different.

(All of this wasn't directed to you specifically but I felt parts of it needed to be said)

 

[Toro Blanco]

1)Jnat.
2)Butterscotch Hard Ark.
3)YG/Blue Thuri.
4)PDSO/Coticule tied for fourth.
5)La Lune
This has been my line up the past couple of years now. Nothing has changed in quite a while. Still love testing new stones though, that will never change. LOL!
Best to Best and "F" the rest, has been my motto for many a moon.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

I voted for synth because it wasn't popular. In reality, I follow the KISS principle, so I stick to Jnat or Shapton GS.

 

[Christian1212]

I think now it is definitely showing closer to the results I thought I would see. However I think there are more people using paste? I also thought that included the balsa strop stuff but maybe not. Mine is Jnat, Coticule, 20k synthetic. I had an ark I really enjoyed but sold it (2" wide) with plans to get a 3" wide one later on. Would be surgical black I shoot for but not sure if the new ones coming out are always winners or not

 

[Empire straights]

I think now it is definitely showing closer to the results I thought I would see. However I think there are more people using paste? I also thought that included the balsa strop stuff but maybe not. Mine is Jnat, Coticule, 20k synthetic. I had an ark I really enjoyed but sold it (2" wide) with plans to get a 3" wide one later on. Would be surgical black I shoot for but not sure if the new ones coming out are always winners or not

I've got several from Dan's over the last couple years and they've all been pretty much identical to my old Norton hard Arks. I've gotten several hard Arks cut by others and they were not equal to my Nortons.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Needs to be multiple vote options:

Of what's listed in order of frequence;

Other (PDSO)
Thuri
Jnat
------- Use those top three interchangibly
Ark
Coti
------- Use for a change
Other (Everything but PDSO)
-------Mostly used when testing a new stone
Synths
------- Very occasionally used to remind myself how a high grit synth shaves

 

[Empire straights]

Lately I've been enjoying really well finished Schwedenstein edges smoothed(and bumped keenness) with a quick 20 feather weight laps on a really fine coticule with oil or lather.

 

[TexNat]

Experimented with quite a few, but my favorite go to stones are my Dan’s Arks.

 

[Empire straights]

Experimented with quite a few, but my favorite go to stones are my Dan’s Arks.

View attachment 1666880

Is the top one a 1" x 1" x 6" or is it a 1.5"?I want to get a 1" x 1.5" x 5" true hard cut but I've been buying too much other stuff(always of coticules it seems). Kim said they'd cut it any size i wanted. Kinda like a thicker, longer oversize pocket stone that they sell. I've got a black in the ¾" x 1.5" x 4.5" and it goes everywhere I do.

 

[Empire straights]

@TexNat what razor is that on the big black ark? They all look nice.

 

[TexNat]

@TexNat what razor is that on the big black ark? They all look nice.

Thank you ES. It is a Tuckmar, another German razor rescue project.

 

[Timeclo]

I've been shaving with either Synthetic 12k edges or Rozsutec edges. I'm always testing out my synthetic edges to work on consistent honing and making sure the results are good before moving onto a natural finish. With the Rozsutec stone, it leaves a crisp, sharp edge that I enjoy using. It's not the most comfortable edge but it's very satisfying to shave with.

 

[TexNat]

Is the top one a 1" x 1" x 6" or is it a 1.5"?I want to get a 1" x 1.5" x 5" true hard cut but I've been buying too much other stuff(always of coticules it seems). Kim said they'd cut it any size i wanted. Kinda like a thicker, longer oversize pocket stone that they sell. I've got a black in the ¾" x 1.5" x 4.5" and it goes everywhere I do.

That top stone is a mystery stone, just shy of 2” wide and 12” long.

 

[TexNat]

That top stone is a mystery stone, just shy of 2” wide and 12” long.

For size reference, the four Dan’s with razors on them are 10”x3”x1”. They were my grail. Finally bit the bullet and bought them. Those are the last stones I purchased and likely am done buying stones. It is fun buying and trying, but these really are my go to stones now. On a ebay rescue, coarser synthetics rework the edge, then finish on the Arks.

That mystery stone likely is a slate or similar. It is kind of neat to use now and then, but the Ark edge is sharper.

 

[Christian1212]

I've noticed Dan's is now selling 6" by 3" stones as well - I think that is the perfect size for razor honing!

 

[Frank Shaves]

For the last few months, mostly Coticules.

 

[R7photo]

Comming up 3 years SR shaving
Stones in Den at present , no particular order//
Surgical Black,( per Dans was a choice cut),
Black Molted Escher
WOA/Tos combo
Large Chunk, WoA
Fine white tos,
Awantani Jnat lv5
Shobu Mizu Asagi LV5
Asagi lv 5+
LPB coti
Vintage Coti
Les lat 4 inch and a 5 inch stone
( they actually perform differently)
La lune 8 2.5
Zulu Grey
12k synthetic
0.3 micron film ( rare provided to me by aframes)
//////
I try this use all of them or combo, they seem to lure me to using or wanting a certain edge or razor
Yes there are some superstars in bunch that create out of this world edges
Not bragging just lucky to own these
When i first start 3yr ago,,i said i will be sending my razors out to be sharpened
But fell deep off cliff ( u guy’s fault showing stones/ razors
Actually i think all are rare beautiful except 12 k), but a member said something to me that has stuck , while awesome looking, stones/ razors, at the end of the day, just tools,,,to be used, and these natural are used frequently and my edges are awesome to just absolutely phenomenal
Not a expert but my routine is enjoyable and is working,,,

 

[2bit_collie]

Close to 3 years of straight shaving and honing.
Until recently I finished with a True hard ark from Dans (I have a mixed color and a black) but I would then use a 0.5/0.25/0.1u diamond pasted balsa progression after that to make the edge feel smoother.
The next step was adding a coticule. As a finisher the edge didn’t feel keen enough, but if I used the coticule before the Ark, then I would get the desired keenness and also the smoothness and could skip the pasted balsa progression. Last few razors I have replaced the Ark with a recently-acquired JNat. I think the coticule-JNAT combo is very slightly better, but it is really close. I’ve now gone about 8 honing sessions without the diamond pasted balsa progression, however I still use the 0.1u diamond pasted balsa in my maintenance process.

 

[Empire straights]

Close to 3 years of straight shaving and honing.
Until recently I finished with a True hard ark from Dans (I have a mixed color and a black) but I would then use a 0.5/0.25/0.1u diamond pasted balsa progression after that to make the edge feel smoother.
The next step was adding a coticule. As a finisher the edge didn’t feel keen enough, but if I used the coticule before the Ark, then I would get the desired keenness and also the smoothness and could skip the pasted balsa progression. Last few razors I have replaced the Ark with a recently-acquired JNat. I think the coticule-JNAT combo is very slightly better, but it is really close. I’ve now gone about 8 honing sessions without the diamond pasted balsa progression, however I still use the 0.1u diamond pasted balsa in my maintenance process.

Those combos are my favorites. I like coticule>hard ark or jnat>hard ark but I'm only doing about 35 laps on the ark. Dont you have a really pretty pink(purplish) translucent and black one? I think it's yours, there's one I've seen that makes me want to buy a true hard though I have absolutly no need for it.

 

[RobertScalchi]

My edges consist of typically beveling on Norton 4k through 8k. I'll drop down to 1k only if the bevels and spine are in really rough uneven shape/geometry. Then Naniwa 12k, then Thungarian, or ILR hone, then .50 micron balsa, then .25, then Mothers mag polish and denim. Then .01 balsa. Then I strop on linen and leather, then firehose and Latigo on ILR. So yeah it's a lot of hybrid but whatever gets me there. Very curious about coticule, jade, jasper, black, and translucent Arkansas though.