Thread: Newb Intro

Hey guys,

Just wanted to take a moment and introduce myself. You guys are an endless well of knowledge. I started straight shaving about a month ago and learned all I know from stickies, posts, and the wiki. I have purchased a 250/1000, a 4000/8000, a spyderco UF stone, a bismark strop, a col conk straight, and restored a very pitted and damaged 7/8 1/2 hallow sharp point Fromm something or other from some other place in Germany (not Solingen). I was able to do all of this with all of your help and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all. I have really enjoyed my short trip so far into this nitch. Now I need to call upon your expertise...The col conk is a piece of crap or I don't know how to shave with it. I always get scratches all over my face from it and it is a round point fully hallow. Now the sharp point gives no irritation what so ever and is a great shaver. It is very heavy razor and I really like shaving with it. Why the irritation from the light round point and not from the heavy sharp point? Later I will post the actual name of the sharp point as it escapes me at this time but just in case anyone out there know what brand or anything else I am talking about?

Hope my first post wasn't to confusing and Thanks Again.

HairlessOtter (DFW)

Hi, welcome to the forum.
It could be that you've over honed it & that has caused the edge to break down with use. That would cause scratches. I've got no experience with Col. Conk stuff, but i'd bet the restored steel is better quality.

I haven't honed the col conk only stropped with linen and leather as it came shave ready. Maybe I should hone it and see what happens but I have only had it a month and not used it every shave.

Welcome to SRP,

I have a Col Conk Str8. I had it made shave ready by one of the honemeisters here. It is a beautiful razor, but it is not on par with my others (2 Dovos, a Shumate, and a Henckels). Usually I strop 30/60x linen / leather, but I strop at least 50/100x on my Col Conk. That helps but it is not as nice a razor as my others. To be honest, I'd sell my Col Conk but I don't want to be known as "that buzard that sold me the Col Conk".

The Col Conk is not a complete piece of crap, like a Zeepk. It can be honed to shave ready and it will shave, albeit not as well as my others. Strop it at least 50/100x and lower your expectations. I've read other Col Conk shavers that really like their Col Conk str8s, so maybe it's a QC issue.