Thread: moving beyond leather

The next shave went better so the paste seems to have done its thing.

Of course there are a lot of variables changing, including my overall skill/knowledge in using the blade, which is improving though certainly has a long way to go. I'm now past having to use the cartridge around the mount/chin area and even venturing into against-the grain for that area. Nowhere near perfect but gaining confidence.

I can see this whole idea of reaching, maintaining and improving shiny, sharp steel is going to become a "thing" for me. This is going to adversely impact my theory of "saving money" as the Return on Investment starts to extend past any reasonable lifetime....

Good save on the printer paper and CrOx. As long as you don't let the edge go too far, or actually ding it on something, a Naniwa 12k could be a good hone for you. It's almost as fast as a barber hone, but unlike them is full size (about 8 x 3 inches). Barber's hones are usually sized to fit in a coat pocket, about 5 x 2 or sometimes even less. If you want to bring ebay blades back to life, you'll need a 1k bevel setter, a 4k/8k or similar, a means to flatten them, and a bunch of practice.

Yes, you have discovered the hidden truth about return on investment. Now, hush! Don't spoil the fantasy for the other guys! Or, more important, the excuse for their wives. Once you've got a good hone collection going, you can increase your ROI by buying more razors and honing them yourself. But that's a question for calculus, and beyond there be dragons!

Best wishes to you, and happy shaving.