Best shave BY FAR after about 5 months straight shaving

**jackknifeh** · 02-20-2014, 02:55 AM

I shaved earlier this evening and it was without a doubt the best shave I've had. I've had pretty good shaves and a little bit better shaves. One day something was wrong and I just couldn't get into it. Everything felt wrong. The razor felt like it was the first time holding it, etc. Starting to ramble already. I think the success of this shave is due to some advice I got in another thread the other day. I was talking about my honing and/or stropping needing help. Someone suggested I start over honing the razor with a 1k stone. So I did. I used the 1k stone for quite a while. Lynn's DVD shows him using 5 strokes, 3, 2, sometimes only one stroke up and back when honing. I don't know how many strokes I did on the 1k but I bet it was around 50 passes. Then I moved to a 4k stone then 8k and then 16k. All were Shapton glass stones. Then I did a whole bunch of strokes on a bench strop with .5 micron CBN spray on it. Then I did a whole bunch of strokes on a bare kangaroo strop. Bench strops, no hanging strop. As soon as the razor touched my face I knew I had broken new ground. It was a real joy. I never thought I'd feel "joy" when shaving. Shaving was always a necessary evil. In fact, since I retired I grew a beard that I only groomed enough to not look really bad.

I want to thank all the people here who have given me all the good advice. I'm not going anywhere, I've still got a whol lot to learn but today was a milestone for me. Not only was the shave a pleasure, it was much closer after one pass than ever bevore. Normally I have places that I didn't get as smooth. The key was (I think) getting the razor honed better. Now I'll see how I do at maintaining the edge with stropping. I plan on using the same two strops. I haven't heard many people talk about using kangaroo hide for their strops but I got used to them for putting a really smooth refined edge on knives. This is a wonderful last step. Bare kangaroo strop. They are also good when using sprays under 1 micron. I've read where people get up to 50 shaves between honings. I thik that is probably after they have more experience than I do. We'll see how I do.

Jack
PS
Does anyone shave twice as a normal routine? I think I read this or saw it in a video that someone always shaves then shaves again. Maybe he has a really tough beard.

**SirStropalot** · 02-20-2014, 03:45 AM

Hey Jack,

Congrats!! It feels good when it comes together. The Shaptons are excellent stones. As you use them more you'll find that they kind of tell you when "I'm done, move on". They'll give a feel of suctioning down to the stone. You'll eventually recognize it when it happens, and it's a kind of ah-ha moment.

Roo is my favorite strop and most used. I like the flexibility of the thin leather and I agree, it gives a nice edge.

My daughter and family lived in Crestview for several years on John King Road. She was stationed at Hurlbert Field. She's now retired out of McConnell in Wichita and still lives there. Nice for us being so close!!

Keep having fun!!

Best Regards,

Howard

**Tack** · 02-20-2014, 04:25 AM

Congrats!

Now I'll see how I do at maintaining the edge with stropping. I plan on using the same two strops.

The CBN should be used for touch ups only.. perhaps every five or six shaves and nowhere near "a whole bunch of strokes" - maybe ten or so would be adequate. You can experiment to find the sweet spot. Leather should be used before each shave, of course.

Good luck!

rs,
Tack

**SirStropalot** · 02-20-2014, 04:53 AM

+1, Thanks Tack!

I read right over the CBN part.

Howard

**jackknifeh** · 02-20-2014, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by SirStropalot

Hey Jack,

Congrats!! It feels good when it comes together. The Shaptons are excellent stones. As you use them more you'll find that they kind of tell you when "I'm done, move on". They'll give a feel of suctioning down to the stone. You'll eventually recognize it when it happens, and it's a kind of ah-ha moment.

Roo is my favorite strop and most used. I like the flexibility of the thin leather and I agree, it gives a nice edge.

My daughter and family lived in Crestview for several years on John King Road. She was stationed at Hurlbert Field. She's now retired out of McConnell in Wichita and still lives there. Nice for us being so close!!

Keep having fun!!

Best Regards,

Howard

It is coming together and I'm betting things are not even close to "together" as they will be in the future. This was the first big, noticable leap in a shave but not the last I'm sure.

I have noticed the suction feeling when sharpening or honing. I may not have understood what the feeling was trying to tell me. I don't remember what I was sharpening. Knives or razors. I have gotten very attentive to how things "feel" when sharpening since working on my knife sharpening. I'll be looking for that feeling again. Thanks for the tip.

I have a company I've been talking to about buying an entire kangaroo hide and making my own strops. The problem is I have no need for so much roo. On another forum there are a couple of guys who may go in with me to buy one and I'd send them pieces or one guy wants me to mount some on glass for him. I'm also interested in some Mexican shoulder (cow) leather they sent me a sample of. One hide of roo (approx. 7 sq. ft.) is about $103 after shipping. But when buying a hide you don't know exactly how much of it will be perfect enough to use for stropping razors, or knives for that matter. A kangaroo may have gotten into fights or whatever and got his hide damaged. Not very considerate of him if you ask me.

They don't sell them if they are in bad shape though. They know it is used for all kinds of things that need to look good. If you want some of the roo when I get some that would be good. I'm not in this for money. I just don't want to spend $100 and have roo sitting around. If anyone wants some I'd sell it for what it cost me plus shipping. I have thought about using it to make strops and selling them on ebay but haven't decided yet. If you want some let me know (or anyone else). If not, cool. The shoulder leather is really nice to and much cheaper. They sent a piece big enough for me to make a 2"x6" strop. I've used it bare so far on my knives. It's thick and hard. It is smoother than most thicker leathers I've used making it good for refining the edge. I like softer leather for polishing a bevel (knives) because it wraps around the bevel. Then touch up the edge with stones and hard leather. Razors are not this complicated. Just require a special touch it seems. The basics of sharpening an edge are the same but the technique on knives doesn't transfer to razors I've found.

I've had the house in Crestview for about 30 years now. Wife has been here but I've been away a lot of the time for work. Bought it when I was stationed at Eglin. Back then Crestview had property for better prices than anywhere else close to the base. Now though the population has gotten huge compared to 30 years ago. Traffic can be horrible because the roads aren't made for this many cars. I always think "where do all these people have to go that is so important they are in my way".

My son is grown now with a 4 year old son himself and I believe he is closing on a house today. I've wondered if he would ever want to move away, expecially after my grandson was born. If that happened I'd have to figure out a way for my son to leave and I could hide grandson so he could stay here.

Originally Posted by Tack

Congrats!

The CBN should be used for touch ups only.. perhaps every five or six shaves and nowhere near "a whole bunch of strokes" - maybe ten or so would be adequate. You can experiment to find the sweet spot. Leather should be used before each shave, of course.

Good luck!

rs,
Tack

Here we go again. I'm getting advice to use less strokes and it would be adequate. I'm sure that is true and will be giving the same advice to new people like me after a few years. BUT, my first big success (this shave) resulted in me spending lots of time to create a whole new edge on the razor including lots of strokes on each stone and two strops. Till then I had been trying to maintain the edge with "just a few strokes" on a strop. Also, I've used the 4k and 8k a few times but never the 1k to COMPLETELY re-do the edge. I believe that my trouble has been from being so inexperienced in honing as well as maintaining a shave ready razor with strops. One razor a friend gave me. It was one of his old Bokers with no handle. I put a handle on it but it was so dull with a couple of chips in the edge. I got those out and got it as sharp as I could. But the other razor I have I bought shave ready. When I got it I saw a BIG difference. Trying to maintain that edge with strops proved to be a failure compared to what you experienced guys talk about. 50 shaves between honing??? Not in my house. Not yet anyway.

I'll keep practicing though. Neither of the razors I have cost me very much so I "practice" with them. To get better you need to practice. I got some cheap knives to practice on so I wouldn't turn nicer knives in to toothpicks. I may want to buy cheap, old razors on ebay to practice on. Refurbishing them would also be fun I think. I'm retired now so have time on my hands.

Thanks guys.

Jack

**MisterMoo** · 02-20-2014, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by jackknifeh

...PS
Does anyone shave twice as a normal routine? I think I read this or saw it in a video that someone always shaves then shaves again. Maybe he has a really tough beard.

They tricked me in here last July.

Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in. - YouTube

**Tack** · 02-20-2014, 04:54 PM

[QUOTE=jackknifeh;1295083
Here we go again. I'm getting advice to use less strokes and it would be adequate.
..
[/QUOTE]

Heh, the confusion is due to my lack of precision. The suggestion SHOULD have read "It is not recommended to use pastes or sprays for everyday stropping. Overuse of pasted strops can lead to the need to touch up or hone more frequently. Leather, with or without a prep strop, is adequate."

Also, I've used the 4k and 8k a few times but never the 1k to COMPLETELY re-do the edge.

Sounds like you simply didn't have a proper bevel set before. Now that you have established a good bevel on the 1K, you should never have to do it again barring some sort of terrible accident. Most people eventually drop a razor or ding it on the water faucet or the like but otherwise you are good forever. What does happen, however, is that the edge is degraded with each shave. Stropping repairs most of the damage but not all and eventually the edge needs more forceful repair. If you do not let the damage go too far, all that is needed to restore the edge is a touch up.

Many people will put it off until the edge is seriouily degrated and then will use pastes/sprays to restore the edge but eventually it will have to revisit a stone. I prefer, and recommend instead, the use of the finishing stone - your 8K in this case - for the maintenance touch up. A regular touch up, say every five or six shaves, of perhaps five or six strokes can restore the original edge and you'll never have to do any more honing than that. If you want to use the CBN for that maintenance, again I would suggest using only a few strokes.

50 shaves between honing??? Not in my house.

A fellow on "the other forum" did an experiment starting in 2012 to see how far he could take an edge with stropping only. He was still getting great shaves after 130 shaves, gave up after 132. (That was Doc226 in case you want to look up the thread. He, ah, no longer posts here.) That is an extreme case but it can be done. I enjoy honing too much to even try that so I do the maintenance touch up ever six shaves and will often take a perfectly good edge back to the bevel or intermediate hone just to try another technique or hone. That's part of the fun of it all.

rs,
Tack

ps- If you really had to do all that work on the pasted strop to get a good edge, I would respectfully suggest that you hadn't finished the job on the 8K.

**jackknifeh** · 02-20-2014, 05:15 PM

Thanks Tack. I kinda sorta think I have a better idea. Sounds like I should only use the roo between shaves now. After mayb e 5-10 shaves go to the 8k for a few (under 10) strokes. Repeat this with the strop and 8k for a long time. What about the 16k? Do you think the 16k and pasted strop were performing the same task grit wise? 16k is .94 micron and the strop had .5 on it. That's really close. More difference if any may be due to the different "type" of tool (leather vs stone). This is area I'm not too sure about with razors. The "type" of tool makes a difference with knives but knives get sharpened to all different type edges. Razors ALL want a smooth bevel as edge. I may be thinking too much.

I'll strop with the roo only until I can feel any degredation in the edge. If I do get over 5 or 6 shaves I may hit it with the 8k. Why not the 16k and the stropping? My 16k Shapton glass stone is 1"x6". I prefer the larger stones but it works ok. I rounded the edges a tiny bit to be sure there wasn't any sharp edges on the corners of the stone in case I drag the edge across a corner by mistake.

I appreciate the advice and suggestions.

Jack

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