Thread: BBW Advise needed

The shave test is the only test that counts IMO. Once you get everything you can out of the BBW it may be time to check out her sister the lithe and sultry yellow, and make the step up.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

The shave test is the only test that counts IMO. Once you get everything you can out of the BBW it may be time to check out her sister the lithe and sultry yellow, and make the step up.

Exactly. A BBW will usually come in about the 6K - 8K range at most. To get a smoother shave then you should follow with a coticule or some other finisher. If you're getting decent shaves off a BBW then you're well on your way to having the technique to getting stellar shaves with a finisher

Originally Posted by Catrentshaving

Exactly. A BBW will usually come in about the 6K - 8K range at most. To get a smoother shave then you should follow with a coticule or some other finisher. If you're getting decent shaves off a BBW then you're well on your way to having the technique to getting stellar shaves with a finisher

Should I go to a 10k or a 12k? Or could I just finish with chromium oxide?

You can do anything you want, but know that you don't need to. This is the old 'is a coticule/bbw a finisher' discussion, so I don't want to say too much on it. Just that a razor honed very well on a BBW will most likely have an edge pretty much indistinguishable from the same razor honed very well on a coticule. I tried it and found it true, blind tests strongly indicate this as well.

But truth be told though, there is nothing you can do on a BBW that you cannot do on a coticule. However, if you have a BBW and no coticule, a bit of extra time and effort will yield very similar results.

I think finishing on water is for a very large part responsible for people disregarding the BBW as a finisher. A BBW on water is so slow it probably will do more damage than good i.e. will sharpen as much as a non-abrasive rock.

That being said, I've heard people I trust saying that chromium oxide (or any high grit pastes, really) will make up for a less than stellar honing job. I have tried a few synthetic 12k finishes but found them a bit harsh on my skin (which tends towards dry), so I wouldn't recommend those for a smoother shave than a BBW (or coticule, for that matter).

I just did the shave test there and I have to say I'm very well pleased, a very smooth shave, and I definitely noticed the difference.

Originally Posted by Decco

I just did the shave test there and I have to say I'm very well pleased, a very smooth shave, and I definitely noticed the difference.

Is this after the BBW or gig you finish with something else?