Thread: Hone of the Day

What do you think of the Gold Monkeys, 666 vs 777, Slash? I’m using the 666 for test razors and like them.

Originally Posted by Steve56

What do you think of the Gold Monkeys, 666 vs 777, Slash? I’m using the 666 for test razors and like them.

I have both 666 and 777. The 666 is a nice nimble little razor for a GD and hones up nice and easy. 777 seems more "golddollarish" somehow. Both are pretty decent shavers. The stabilizer intrusion is somewhat noticeable in the 777 and not really an issue in the 666 so honing is simpler on the 666. The 666 maybe has a bevel angle that is ever so slightly more acute, a good thing IMHO. It's close to call but of the two I think I like the 666 better. At first I think maybe I favored the 777 just a bit but I think 666 now. When I run out of GD66, even though demand is high for the 66 (brand/model recognition?) I think the end user is going to be more satisfied with the 666. Or with the 777, but like I said, I think the 666 is in most respects the better of the two Gold Monkeys. Someone with a very heavy beard might find the 666 a bit light in the loafers, I don't know.

I think either of the GM razors is fine for testing stuff. Cheap cannon fodder but pretty easy to hone and use. Also a very good newbie intro razor. Or expendable travel razor. (checked baggage, of course.) Ask me again after I have honed 40 or 50 of them.

So here's something I didn't expect.

I finished up that T. Scargill with an Escher/Thuringian.

I finished the Turner with an Arkansas.

Both gave nice, smooth shaves with no harshness.

For me, though my beard isn't dense it does need a fairly sharp razor. Both of these razors were sharp, but I'm not picking up that harsh edge (like I've gotten from a Ralf Aust that is perhaps too sharp).

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be testing approximately 10 razors and I'll split them between the Ark and Escher. I want to see if I can tell a difference.

Here's what could have affected things: I did some laps on a Seuhiro Gokumyo 15k before moving to the Ark and Escher.

For the next razors, I might stop at maybe a 10k or something similar before moving on to the finisher.

Originally Posted by sonnythehooligan

So here's something I didn't expect.

I finished up that T. Scargill with an Escher/Thuringian.

I finished the Turner with an Arkansas.

Both gave nice, smooth shaves with no harshness.

For me, though my beard isn't dense it does need a fairly sharp razor. Both of these razors were sharp, but I'm not picking up that harsh edge (like I've gotten from a Ralf Aust that is perhaps too sharp).

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be testing approximately 10 razors and I'll split them between the Ark and Escher. I want to see if I can tell a difference.

Here's what could have affected things: I did some laps on a Seuhiro Gokumyo 15k before moving to the Ark and Escher.

For the next razors, I might stop at maybe a 10k or something similar before moving on to the finisher.

I look forward to hearing your results on this. Though I have and love several Arks, the only Escher I own is the ubiquitous "Celebrated Water Hone" (which I would use more if it were bigger than 1x5"). If I remember right, you bought that sweet Escher from our BST some months back before I could pull the trigger on it, right? My little one leaves a wonderful smooth edge seemingly no matter how I use it, but it seems to shine most on smiling Sheffields, wonky grinds, and hard steel. I have also used it at times to smooth an overly-sharp edge that was too harsh. I have even used it to make "thuri slurry" for other natural finishers, which worked best on my Zulu Grey.

I love these kinds of experiments! If you're not always experimenting, you might as well shave with disposable cartridges IMO. Keep us posted!

4 in for honing yesterday two for new change of scales, one Camel Bone the other a set of wooden scales, all done and dusted back out tomorrow.

That Sheffield steel Le Grelot looks very nice, been keeping an eye out for a mint one for a while.

Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

That Sheffield steel Le Grelot looks very nice, been keeping an eye out for a mint one for a while.

Mark, those are the very words I used when I saw the razor.

Two more for Tuesday, a lovely NOS Vintage Japanese and a big Ralf Aust 8/8, two quality razors a pleasure to hone, with these type of razors I could almost hone them on auto-pilot they are so perfect.

Sonny, I often only go as far as the 10k before I go to a natural. I have a theory that the further you push the edge, and the more hones that you use, the shorter the life of the edge. It’s just a theory. Some day I may get an experiment going on. So I’ll be interested in what happens long term with your razors that have gone 15k and then natural, versus 10kand then natural.

Interesting Rez.

I have a progression that goes all the way up to 20k, and in small steps.

I've read on here about guys that rarely take their razors to the stones for a refresh, I'm certainly not getting that much life from my razors.