Thread: Unbeleivable Edge

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Phil can put an edge that good on a razor because that is what people pay him to do! He also has tons of experience doing it. I love the edges he puts on razors. Hell if I was paid to and spending 8+ hours a day honing and in the razor zone I would be very good at honing and my edges would be a lot better. Not at all to say that you have to be a pro to put an excellent edge on a razor because that's clearly not the case. There are a lot of excellent honers around the world that deserve credit. I would rather shave with a blade I honed out of the satisfaction and learning experience it brings. It is just hard to compare yourself starting out honing to someone who is very seasoned at it and that is their profession. (Helmet is on)

I agree - I've got about 6 straight razor's I've honed myself under my belt - and it is a love / hate experience for me.

I shave with one of mine, which are turning out very nice, then I shave with one from Valery at the Gentleman's Den, and I've entered into an entirely different Universe...as RezDog mentions, for me, it is absolutely essential for my honing journey to have something to compare my efforts to, and you are correct, it comes down to practice, practice, practice...

I'm not one of the experts here. But I believe first that different razors are capable of different edges. So your razor in and of itself may simply be a superior razor that just takes a great edge. I recently dialed in my newest Eiko. I've had it for a while but it's finally where I want it to be. And that leads to another point. Don't give up on an edge. Sometimes you have to step back, reevaluate, and make adjustments. The other day I had one of those shaves that leaves you fully satisfied. I had a four day beard and my tuned in Eilko swiped it away as if it never existed. A perfectly smooth shave, no irritation at all. Part of that is that I believe the Eiko is capable of establishing a superior edge and the other part was my not giving up on it to get it dialed in to where it was. Then ,of course, is your stone progression. Since I've gotten the Suehiro 20k, I've had nothing but good results. There's you, your razor, and your hones. Everything has it's influence.

Originally Posted by dcaven

I have purchased quite a few razors from Classic Edge in Canada. Phil also imparts an excellent edge. I don't understand what guys that can get those excellent edges know that I don't.

I have a few razors coming soon that he honed. Glad we have a place like his in Canada. And he does great honing! As he says.... A Zen like shave...... lol

[ I don't understand what guys that can get those excellent edges know that I don't.[/QUOTE]

Well, like the first man to teach me about honing said to me " If you want to become better at honing, hone allot more razors "

He also told me that purchasing more stones will not make me a better honer but that really learning the ones I have and honing allot of razors on them will.

Therefor I try to hone every day.

Have you asked the seller? PM him and ask what his progression was and what hones he used. It's obvious that his technique is a match for your face. Honers are always eager to share info. Good luck with your search.

"I agree - I've got about 6 straight razor's I've honed myself under my belt - and it is a love / hate experience for me."

I can understand the 'hate' part, but the 'love' part eludes me. If I had six well-honed razors under my belt, I think I might feel a tad uncomfortable.

Originally Posted by ace

"I agree - I've got about 6 straight razor's I've honed myself under my belt - and it is a love / hate experience for me."

I can understand the 'hate' part, but the 'love' part eludes me. If I had six well-honed razors under my belt, I think I might feel a tad uncomfortable.

You never know, it might create a nice draft through the ole britches. Of course it might make things a bit roomier down there too, depending on the man of course.

The last superb edge I received came from Phil at Classic Edge so I wrote him and asked what I was missing. His reply was balsa. The point however, is ask the person who honed the edge. He maybe a wizard or he may tell you some stone that He really likes and knows well

Phil, and his stones attended last years GTG in the GTA. He supplied everyone in attendance with either a balsa, or leather clad table strop to take with them. Some were coated in crox, other with .25 diamond spray.
He went through a demo with a few razors on the croX strop as the last step before final stropping with virtually no pressure beyond gravity and the results were impressive, by his hand.
As everyone in this hobby knows, it is all in the touch, stroke, steel, stone, lubricity, planetary alignment of Mars,, etc..
But,, a well used balsa, or suede finisher certainly can add an element of keenness, or smoothness to an edge, just as it can remove it with a few ill strokes.
Personally, I can hone German hollows with great success, but solid wedges, still struggling there...
Cheers.

Originally Posted by ace

"I agree - I've got about 6 straight razor's I've honed myself under my belt - and it is a love / hate experience for me."

I can understand the 'hate' part, but the 'love' part eludes me. If I had six well-honed razors under my belt, I think I might feel a tad uncomfortable.

LOL - no you read it correctly, the "love" part is only in the fact that I've actually honed a razor myself, that's about as far as the, "love" goes for me...haha...on the whole it is a long experience of frustration and patience, and as I've said in a few others posts, it cured me of any possibility of HAD for quite awhile....