Thread: Do I have everything I need to shave for life?

Originally Posted by Phrank

I'd agree with JimmyHAD, get yourself a Nani 12k, nothing better for putting a really nice finishing edge on a razor, and IMO is the absolute best way to refresh your razors when Crox alone won't do it.

Some lap time on the Nani 12k, some laps on the Crox strop, and IMO again, a superb edge is ensured every time.....

Plus it ain't 300$. Tc

No quarrel with the Naniwa 12k. I own one and it shines on blades with a heavier grind; Jerry Stark and Hart Steel readily come to mind. But for $75 and up?? Wht not try a coticule? Great edges can be had with one. Just takes some practice and the end results are wonderful

Originally Posted by jschwegel

Hi all. I'm hoping to get some advice from folks who are more seasoned than I am on what I need to be self-sufficient in my shaving gear for life.

Since I started straight razor shaving a little over 2 years ago I have tried to buy everything I need to be self-sufficient. In terms of razors I have the following:

Boker Linden Elm
Boker King Cutter
J.A. Henckels Twin Works 18
Gold Dollar 66 (I bought it to practice honing but takes a decent edge)
Puma Special 89 (by far my favorite)

For stones I have a Norton 4000x8000 and a Fernsler's Ruby Hone. I also have an Illinois 827 linen/leather strop.

I have followed the paste debate and the consensus seems to be that .05 chromium oxide would be the way to go. I've seen Lynn use the CrOx .5 micron on the back side of a linen strop to freshen up blades and I know some swear by using it to finish an blade after honing. I feel like 8-12 laps on the Fernsler gets me a really nice edge, and I also use it to touch up blades between honing.

Do I need something finer than the Fernsler or anything else to maintain my blades? It's hard to justify spending $300+ for a Shapton 30,000, Jnat or Belgian coticule given that I'm middle income, only use my equipment for personal use, and I seem to be getting pretty good edges as it is. Will getting a .5 micron CrOx paste give me a finer edge than the Fernsler or do people just prefer doing a couple laps on a pasted strop to refresh rather than taking out a small finishing stone? Do I really need to buy anything I don't already have to keep my blades shaving for life?

I appreciate any advice.

I would say you've got everything you really need. Out of the 20 some odd rocks and hones I have, more than half are finishers. Each of my razors is finished on a different rock, and a funny thing happens after about 3 to 5 shaves, it becomes fairly indistinguishable which blade was touched up with which hone. They're all a little different, but not by a lot. And they all shave well enough.

I'd say just be happy with what ya got. Unless you enjoy honing and playing with different stones to see the effects it's not particularly beneficial to have a large collection of rocks. If you're getting close clean and comfortable shaves that you're happy with chasing that last %1 is just gonna be an expensive rabbit hole. First it'll be a Naniwa 12k. Then a Gokumyo 20K. Then you'll get curious about Natural stones and want a Jnat, or Coticule, or Arkansas stone, or...you can see where I'm going with this.

I don’t know what the grit is in the Ruby hone or what size the grit is. And that is the problem with Barber Hones.

I doubt they are much finer than 8k, most are not. But as said, if it is working for you…

.50 um paste is about 20-30k grit equivalent, so if you go from 8k, and can strop well enough to enhance the edge, Chrome Oxide is really all you need, (About a 10 dollar investment. Millions of folks have shaved on much less for hundreds of years.

After 2 years of stropping, you should be getting to the point where your stropping will make a difference, and stropping, alone, will make a big difference.

So, do you need anything more? NO.

Is there a lot more out there? Yes.

The difference is, a 2 percent improvement. But most probably, if you just continued with what you are doing with the equipment you have, your edges and shaves will continue to improve, dramatically.

Remember that many of us here, are searching for that 2 percent improvement, you can choose to join in the search or not.

No you don't have enough, you need,
1. 35 more hones
2. 48 more razors
3. 20 more brushes
4. 115 more soaps
5. 6 scuttles
6. 15 more aftershaves
7. 10 more strops
11. Lots more money.

Tc

Stick with what you've got. I still shave off of a set of razors that I've maintained with a couple of barber hones that are not as fine as your Fernsler's hone. The difference in the quality of the shaves between those and my other razors done on "better" hones is trivial. There is a recent thread in the honing section about shaving off of a 1k, and you can in fact get comfortable shaves even off of a 1k hone. As long as you are capable of maxing out the hones that you have, then you can have excellent comfortable shaves with what you already have.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

No you don't have enough, you need,
1. 35 more hones
2. 48 more razors
3. 20 more brushes
4. 115 more soaps
5. 6 scuttles
6. 15 more aftershaves
7. 10 more strops
11. Lots more money.

Tc

When were you in my bathroom/shave den?

Originally Posted by Dieseld

When were you in my bathroom/shave den?

Originally Posted by Dieseld

When were you in my bathroom/shave den?

Well, TC does like to travel.

If I were you I would send your blades (other than the GD blade) to someone and have one finished on a 12k, jnat, thuri, and maybe a coti. I think you can get a good jnat/thuri for under 200, the 12k SS from naniwa is like 80$, and there are some cotis (if you don't mind size, although picking a good coti can be difficult) that cost just 60-80$. See which finish you enjoy the most. Sure you might be middle class but life can be short, why not treat yourself to a 100-200$ gift that will make everyday shaving that much better. Although that is only if you like the finishes you are getting. You might also want to send in one of your blades to be professionally finished on the finishing stone you already have, who knows it might be just what you are looking for when you are a master at honing.