Honing didn't go too well
Hi,
I've bought a coticule hone and a Dovo Bismarck 6/8 SR. Today I tried to hone my SR, but that didn't go well. Right now it feels as if it pulls the haires from my face instead of cutting them. I can still get a ok shave (not better but also not worse than normal), but the shave is less confortable then before.
I'm a starter with SR, but I read that they didn't come Shave Ready from the factory, so I thought it would be a good idea to hone my SR. And how hard can that be ;-), apparently harder than I initially thought.
So I was hoping that someone around Amsterdam, Utrecht or Alkmaar would want to help me one time, and show / watch me hone my SR. Is there somebody willing to help me with that?
...the hard way every time...
Hi Metsie,
For others, this is familiar. I post about my failures - which in this case is very close to the path you describe. The experienced guys said - learn w/ pro-qualities edges. Learn the shave, then learn to hone. Being unburdened by knowledge, skill or humility, I learned to hone while I learned to shave. It had the predictable result - didn't go very well. I bled alot. That's why I'm called pinklather. I got 'shaveable' (not shave ready) results in a fairly short time, but edges were very harsh. Shaves were a challenge - not a pleasure.
The first razor w/ a pro edge I tried was on the upper end of sharpness. It demanded proper technique - which my poor quality edges had prevented me from learning. I still bled, but if careful, got a fine shave.
The next pro edge I tried was on the upper end of smoothness. The earth moved. It changed everything. This is where I found shaving joy. Shaves were now a pleasure I couldn't get enough of.
Meanwhile, I'm still learning to hone. 'Getting better, but not good yet. Rather than bore you further w/ autobiography, the things learned were - the guys who first said 'pro-quality' edges, and 'learn the shave first' - were *very* right. It might be that you're one of the rare people that just have natural talent at honing & shaving and will do fine on your own. Most of us had/have a moderately long learning curve to get both the shaving and the honing to a comfortable level. A sharp edge that's quite smooth - will get you comfortable with the shave. Even better - if there are members in your area - go spend a few hours getting tutored. Alot of members are quite happy to help.
You'll find the str8 delivers on the promises, but like anything that requires hand skills, it takes some time to develop the skills. The time it takes to acquire those skills is greatly reduced if you can connect w/ an experienced user.
I think you'll find it comes faster than expected, and that the shaves become closer, more comfortable and rather exhilarating. I wish you all the best in your learning.