Please help ! I have a honing question

I'm trying to hone my Mach III razor-blade, but I want to create the best possible system. I'd love your advice and help guys.

This is what I have right now --> Reddit Question - Imgur

Its a strip of leather on recycled redwood with chromium oxide powder & wood glue.

Here are my thoughts -->

Is there a particular type of leather that'd be best?

Do you think that chromium oxide is the best powder I can use? The goal here is that I want to get myself the best life on my Mach III, so I'm willing to spend the money to have an awesome shave.

What are your thoughts with balsa instead of leather?

Also, here's the process I'm using now. I'd love any and all advice !
1) Casing
2) Wetting
3) Drying
4) Rolling
5) Drying again

Then, I glue it to the redwood and its good to go.

Do you have any tips on the best process to go through? Any tricks with any of the steps?

I would really love any and all information you could share with me. Thanks so much !!!

I'm sorry I can't help. I've never heard of such a procedure. The reason I came here is that I wanted a better shave, a gentleman's experience. Once that straight touched my skin, I never turned back. No more cartridges or disposables for me. Way too expensive for limited returns.

Sorry I couldn't help. :shrug:

I feel like this topic may start an SRP riot.

I don't know why you would search out advice on honing a disposable razor on a straight razor website;

other than your intent is less than sincere.

Please see my post in the other thread you started that is the same as this one.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your end goal?

My end goal is to be able to make my personal razor last longer. I'm all about neat life-hacks and I think this could be cool for me

Since I didn't receive a response to my PM to you, but instead you started a thread, I will post it here again, and add emphasis:


Your razor is not designed for honing, but rather for replacement of the cartridge when it stops being sharp enough.
I have no idea what that implement on your pictures or the adhesive are.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KnivesFanatic

Hello,


I'm trying to figure out this material for honing my razor. I have a mach III and I want to know the best material for it. Can you let me know what material it is in these photos? I'd love to know both what the black material is and what the adhesive is. Do you think there might some sort of spray on it too? If you have any idea where I can buy it, that'd be great too !


Reddit Question - Imgur


I'd really love your advice. Thanks !


Have a good one.


Sincerely,
Jacob

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by KnivesFanatic

My end goal is to be able to make my personal razor last longer. I'm all about neat life-hacks and I think this could be cool for me

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We've found the solution to that shaving dilemma ........ the straight razor. See the SRP classifieds.

While I am not quite sure what happened to my post is in the other thread I will go for it again here.

I am only surmising on this since I do not have any evidence to back it up. I would say that honing a cartridge on a stone or as you are describing stropping it on a pasted strop will not extend the life of the razor and give you the best shave possible. My reasoning for this is based on I believe that most if not all cartridge razors use a blade that is coated and then sharpened. This coating will be removed by any abrasive that it is ran across exposing the base metal which more than likely is not suitable for a nice shave. This is based on a comparison to DE razor blades that do display this characteristic. I may be off my rocker with this but it would not be the first time.

Perhaps try a DE, double edge, razor that the blades cost much, much less than a Mach anything. I do applaud you wanting to adventure into a new endeavor.

Good Luck!
Marc

Thanks for the message ! I've heard of something like this working before so I'm not 100% sure

It's actually the other way around, they are sharpened and then coated with a thin polymer film to reduce he shaving friction. The steel underneath is good though, that's what gives it the structural stability and it's well sharpened.

The problem is that the cartridge doesn't expose the two sides of the bevels and there are 3 blades too. Even if you can reach with something to remove steel from one side on one blade, you cannot
(1) do it at the correct angle on all three blades
(2) do it on both sides

therefore you can not get a good edge. They are designed the way they are designed for a good reason.

DE blades have both sides accessible and could be honed a little bit, but that doesn't produce edge anywhere close to what we want - just good enough for a poor shave, and given their low cost almost nobody hones them anymore. But you can still find the various hones for them on ebay.

For my Mach 111 I just Palm Strop it before and after each use. Adds 2-3 doz more shaves to each blade.
I check it after each use with my computer microscope for excessive wear. With the Palm Stropping none has shown up. (The PalmStropping before shaving levels off the 'fin'.)

By the way, I also keep it on a magnet when not in use.
Good luck, let us know how it's going.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. There are a lot of people saying it doesn't work at all, but I just did some googling and found these two sites that seem to have their own solutions. What're your thoughts? Do you think they're just scams?

Frustrated with expensive razor blades? Meet Blade Buddy.
http://www.razorpit.com/

I think you should give them a try and find out for yourself.

I strop my razors on canvas and leather between shaves and after few months I have to remove some metal with a hone to make it sharp again.

Love the palm! Be the palm! Hey, I palm strop a bit with straights(that is true).

Seriously, though. You may as well shave will one of your sharpened knives, KnifeFanatic.

Please consider at least a Single Edge razor or, a Double Edge razor. Pretty easy shavin' and much better shaves than the Fusion or Mach junk.

Here's a video I came across while doing a quick search for something else. I found it rather easy. Its about the Single Edge, Double Edge, and Cartridge razor stropping.

Talk to the hand, baby!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogq4...e=channel_page

I found a GREAT method of prolonging the edge on my Mach III. My last cartridge has lasted 7 months and counting. Of course, I haven't picked it up since switching to a Straight! No regrets and no more money down that rat hole.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Splashone

I found a GREAT method of prolonging the edge on my Mach III. My last cartridge has lasted 7 months and counting. Of course, I haven't picked it up since switching to a Straight! No regrets and no more money down that rat hole.

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Yes, Yes, YES!!! :roflmao:roflmao:roflmao:roflmao

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Splashone

I found a GREAT method of prolonging the edge on my Mach III. My last cartridge has lasted 7 months and counting. Of course, I haven't picked it up since switching to a Straight! No regrets and no more money down that rat hole.

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My friend, you are KILLING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!:roflmao :rofl2: :roflmao :rofl2::roflmao:rofl2::tu

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Splashone

I found a GREAT method of prolonging the edge on my Mach III. My last cartridge has lasted 7 months and counting. Of course, I haven't picked it up since switching to a Straight! No regrets and no more money down that rat hole.

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Word. I have heard about palm stropping but, c'mon. You might as well ask Rembrandt's ghost for tips on how to get better results from your Etch-A-sketch. Save money? Grow a beard. What the? In less than 10-months I have become a straight razor codger.

Still, if you insist - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-4bhVpfxJM#t=128

before i switched over to straight razors, I used the skin stropping method on cartridge razors, and was able to get something like 6 to 8 months out of a cartridge. the shaves weren't smoothest, but it was enough to get by. what inspired me to do that was a thread started somewhere on reddit describing what mistermoo posted on stropping on jeans, then someone posted this video on stropping with their forearms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhvDB-8v8k8. reason why I switched to straight razors is I found it silly to try to extend the life of something that wasnt meant to be extended, whereas straight razors are meant to be reused many times.

I'll admit it. i'm a handstropper. Not exclusively, though. Mostly, between passes when shaving, if I remember.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ecks

before i switched over to straight razors, I used the skin stropping method on cartridge razors, and was able to get something like 6 to 8 months out of a cartridge. the shaves weren't smoothest, but it was enough to get by. what inspired me to do that was a thread started somewhere on reddit describing what mistermoo posted on stropping on jeans, then someone posted this video on stropping with their forearms:

reason why I switched to straight razors is I found it silly to try to extend the life of something that wasnt meant to be extended, whereas straight razors are meant to be reused many times.

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I did the same before switching to a dubble edge and half a year later to an actual straight razor, stropping your cardridge razor makes sense, I don't know about sharpening, I would think this would be futile but who knows...

my tip to the OP skip the dubble edge and go to straight razor right away

I strop single edge razor blades, exacto blades and utility/razor knife blades all the time, usually because they get dirty and the bevel rusty. I buy them in bulk but, often it is much easier and quicker to strop an edge than replace.

You can dramatically improve an edge with Chrome Ox and or Diamond paste and leather or craft foam and a fine diamond hone if rusted or chipped. I use Diamond Sticks like these that I get from a tool guy at a local swap meet for a couple of buck each. They are great for chip removal and heel correction also. Then strop on a small leather strop with chrome ox and .50 and .25 diamond paste.

For what you want to do, I would use 2mm craft foam glued to a wooden paint stir stick, chrome ox and diamond paste or spray. The paint stick would be about the right width, you could take a 5 gallon sick and cut it to the width you need. This is similar to Diamond Nail foam buffing blocks women use for polishing nails, craft foam glued to a block of ridged foam, you might try one of those they sell for a dollar to two.

I make polishing sticks with Coffee, Popsicle and tongue depressor sick (craft store) with craft foam and various diamond pastes for polishing. A coffee stir stick clipped straight, craft foam and diamond paste works great for cleaning a tang without unpinning a razor.

The only problem I see with a cartridge is you can only polish one side of the edge, I do not have a cartridge to look at but, perhaps you can thread a strip of foam or Tyveks with some diamond paste through the blades.

You should be able to extend the blade life, how long I don’t know, but if you were to strop a blade and just remove soap and skin to prevent oxidation, post shaving would go a long way to preserving an edge. That, I suspect would deteriorate an edge more than dulling by use.

Interesting project.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Siguy

I'll admit it. i'm a handstropper. Not exclusively, though.

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I beg your pardon?! This is a family forum.













:rofl2:

The "what is" and " how to" thread for the Rolls Razor | TheShaveDen

Let me introduce you to the rolls razor and most everything you need to know about it.. It shaves somewhere between a single edge razor and a straight razor on a stick... Hones and strops it self with the use of a built in mechanism.. Read the link.. Learn what to look for in buying one and you will never need to buy another razor or learn the delightful art of straight razor shaving.. It's not quite a mach 3 but it is a complete system..