Thread: The great experiment

Wow!
Very nice to get some different straight razors to get a "new" and "different" experience from. Very cool and nice of Tom to loan some pretty nice straight razors . I can't wait to see more of Harold's story as it unfolds. I'll be comparing my experiences as you share them. I'm sure as with many, we all will share some of your experiences with these types of razors.

Kudos to yall for making this happen. Again, I can't wait to read more of this adventure.

Originally Posted by Willisf

Wow!
Very nice to get some different straight razors to get a "new" and "different" experience from. Very cool and nice of Tom to loan some pretty nice straight razors . I can't wait to see more of Harold's story as it unfolds. I'll be comparing my experiences as you share them. I'm sure as with many, we all will share some of your experiences with these types of razors.

Kudos to yall for making this happen. Again, I can't wait to read more of this adventure.

Yes, as going through Harold's experiment, More experiments should follow.
This thread has great potential, I think!

I agree. Yall might be onto something here.

Thanks for sharing your story Harold and I look forward to the future instalments.

Big ups to Tom for the very generous loan of some of his wonderful collection of W&B's

Great group of guys here. To help out people they don't even know, that's something special. Hope your trial goes well.

Originally Posted by Firefighter2

Great group of guys here. To help out people they don't even know, that's something special. Hope your trial goes well.

TBH, I know Harold quite well! Would never send that pile out to a stranger!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

TBH, I know Harold quite well! Would never send that pile out to a stranger!

Yeah, Tom knows me well, but I'm not sure he knows how tough my shaving challenge is! I'll put those edges to the test!

So on a more serious note, I'm on full week two with this great seven day rotation, and I'm going to take them in order. #1 in the rotation is a 6/8 Manhattan Sheffield blade, I'd guess 1/4 hollow, in beautiful scales. Tom can tell you more about it since he's spent more time with it.

I did my second shave with it last night and as with most razors, shave 2 was better than shave 1. I'm used to mostly hollow and extra hollow ground razors, although I have a couple of heavier grinds. The more experience I've gotten with straights the more I find myself leaning toward the heavier grinds.

In my first shave with this razor I gave it an 8 out of 10, because it was a little hard for me to handle. I think I was babying the scales too much and not paying attention to my grip. So I got a better than average shave but had trouble in the harder to get to areas of chin and neck. In shave #2 last night, I used Castle Forbes in a bowl lather (I usually face lather) and I got a great shave (gave it a 9). I had no problems at all, anywhere and really like the little smile it has.

To be fair, I have a variety of weights, sizes, grinds and scale materials in this great collection that I'm trying and this being my 2d time through, I'm adapting to the angles, grips and approaches that suit my face with each razor.

Here is the razor, and tomorrow being my lazy day, I'll post a list of the seven that I have of Tom's that I'm trying out.

Yes, Harold, I figure since you have big hands and that razor is the shortest of the bunch, it has it's own characteristics.
The blade was reground long ago and may have lost some length. The scales hail from a different blade and I shortened them at the pivot. I was afraid to thin them out much at the new pivot as to the fragile nature of stag horn, so I left them a bit thick and 'chunky' up there. Maintaining and keeping a comfy grip while stropping and shaving might take some getting used to?

So as promised, to answer any curiosity you might have about what gems Tom has lent me to try, they are:

* A Manhattan in stag scales
* A Wade and Butcher heavy full hollow with 3 silver "dots" inlaid in the scale (shown below)
* A W&B FBU heavy blade (1/2 hollow?)
* A Mother of Pearl scaled Henckel smiler
* A frameback Sterling silver Tally Ho
* An Ivory scaled Ellliott
* And a huge (long) Filarmonica full hollow

Yesterday was shave 3 with the W&B which looks to be full hollow but is HEAVY -- 7/8 with a spine that is a tad more than 1/4" across. Again I got a great shave...actually better than my first shave with this one, which I think proves the "learning curve" theory -- suggesting that beginners, or anyone who is struggling would do best to stick with one blade shave after shave. I was surprised that this one, although pretty hollow a big blade, need more angle from my face than usual. I definitely got better as I went along.