The custom box for your stones is amazing. Is it routed from a single piece of wood?
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Yes it is but I made it with japanese chisels, a dremel, and some fine sandpaper to finish it. I am really happy that you guys like it. I was a labor of love because of the time it took. In the end it was well worth the time. I am making another one for my Nakayama and tomo. I will post pics when I am done. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement! The only bad part is I am running out of that wood, and I dont know what kind it is. I salvaged it from a nice house I was working at. I believe it was from Sweden or Norway. The owners were from there and wanted the look of their homeland. I asked for a couple pieces and was gifted a few.
It is an impressive piece of craftsmanship.
The wood looks to me like some kind of cedar. Did it have that cedar scent when you were working it?
Mixing it up today.
Had to address some blunt kitchen knives so pulled out the Gatco jig set.
Attachment 284997
Reset the bevels to 22’, then ran through the progression.
Always need to warn the clan when I reset the cutlery.. :o
Shaved ham anyone??
Cheers men.
Honed up my Spartacus and a W&B this evening.
The T.I on synthetics and the W&B on my Shoubudani . The natural edge is killer, with a lovely micro pic.
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After a DMT slurry.
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I create slurry using a DMT as well, but have read to avoid diamond to make slurry in case a flake might break off and imbed in the stone and then score the edge. Has anyone actually encountered that?
Taday's hone was a trifecta of fun! First came my vintage SSA 5/8 near wedge. I would highly recommend one of these. They take a very nice edge and shave like a champ. Finished it up on my Vosgienne or La Lune. Next came my Higo, it only needed a touch up so only on the Nakayama suita. Last came a pair of scissors from Sword and Cross soligen for my mom. Had to pull out my lily white washita and finished on my Nakayama suita. As they say today was a good day!Attachment 285160Attachment 285161
Today was a little fellow that left a big impression. A 4/8 C.V. Heljestrand 950R with a barbers notch and a stub tail. It is in good condition and was at a good price so I picked it up and glad I did. I like the shape of the spine as it is a little different than the norm. It honed up easily as it did not need much. It has a factory mirror polish that I will need to touch up in a couple of spots. Keeper for sure!Attachment 285246Attachment 285247Attachment 285248Attachment 285249Attachment 285250
toro - what are each of those jnats in your photos please?
Thanks mlvallance, I like to use the 4/8 razors for my mustache area. I think they excel in that area. I normaly use a 5/8 or 6/8 and special days 7/8(only have two) for most of my face but leave my mustache for the small ones. They are also good for sideburns and hard to see areas. 90% of my shaves I use a big razor and a small one. If you have a thick mustage I highly recommend one.
sloanwinters, the short-wider barbers size is a Hatanaka Nakayama Kiita and the thinner, longer one is a Hatanaka Nakayama Suita Kiita. I like to try different combinations to see what I can achieve.Attachment 285318Attachment 285319
Todays hone was Browning Bros. 5/8 square point "Good As Gold" I recently found at a antique fair for cheap so I had to save it.Lol! It was easy to hone so that was a plus.Attachment 285320Attachment 285321 The bevel was not bad and was set with my Nakayama Suita with a Frankonian slurry stone and finished on my combo YG/B Thuri with a soft yellow/green slurry stone. All that gave a nice smooth shave, I love playing in the mud!
DZEC, somehow I missed your post. I have never worked or own something made of cedar. I am familiar with many types of wood just not this one or cedar for that matter. It is very finely grained(120 years for a 3 1/2 inch piece)and light weight for how fine it is. Here is a better picture. Thanks for your help.Attachment 285323
You may already be aware of it, but there is a comprehensive database for varieties of wood at The Wood Database. It provides a lot of pictures and information about the characteristics of woods used by woodcraft people. Maybe you can find your wood in there.
5 in today including one for a change of scales, no issues all went well done and dusted.
https://i.imgur.com/hlFxeoZ.jpg
What is the wood on the scales of the Spartacus?
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First go-around with my newly acquired Barbers Delight. I took a shave ready Ambossmann 60 that had the bevel set on a Chosera 1K then finished with a coticule using dilucot and finishing on running water. It had a great edge but the Barbers Delight really improved it. It bumped up both the keenness and smoothness. The improvement in keenness was really noticeable. The smoothness was only a bit, but still an improvement.
I’m really excited to learn the new stone.
Iwasaki kamisori, some rust cleaned gently with sandpaper.
Bevel set on Botan toishi (bottom stone). Next step was the kan stone in the middle for mid range work.
Finished on a small awasedo, top stone, that I was gifted by Alex Gilmore, Thank You Sir, using a very hard koma and then tomo nagura.
Shave was close and comfortable. Only thing I have to fix is wrap the handle of the kami. I wasn't happy with the feel and had to use a small towel to hold it for better stability.
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Translucent Arkansas to finish my newly restored I. Barber stub tail.
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My first and only Wade and Butcher with bovine bone scales. Started with my Dalmore Blue then to my RDS Coti and finished with buterscotch/old bone colored translucent Arkansas. First time I used this combination of stone and it gave a very nice shave.Attachment 285445Attachment 285446Attachment 285446
Just these two in for Friday, including the scales change on the Crown & Sword, two very nice vintage razor both were given a complete bevel set and progression, finished on the SG 20K.
https://i.imgur.com/AqE2qW5.jpg
Honed up 5 today. After the test shave, I had 100% outcome on these. All 5 turned out well. It's nice to get lucky now and then.
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Rotating the old rotation. Some 'different' things from the displays to hone.
Going with the tried and true. Naniwa 12k finish.
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Unique shape to the scales on the middle razor. I haven’t seen one like that before.
It's an Ern 2000. 'Futuristic' I suppose.
I was just trying to figure out how to tape the spine...I need to start over! :rofl2:
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No, it is really like a much larger razor with the top of the blade gone! :D
It hones just like anything else. I expect it will shave same.
A note; In the 1st time in a long time I began these with every hone freshly-lapped.
The Tripoli and the Ern were backing-up on the 8K Norton.
Some backstrokes and lightly and practically underwater proceeded. A tad of CroOx to tone them down. Bad-sharp.
The Winchester went like the Genco (or whatever) it is.
The whole thing freshly-lapped went faster than I had anticipated!
Song of the day..."Hone on the Range"
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Hone of the day, pre-finisher ~8K+ unknown:
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The joys of downsizing!
Thanks!
~Richard
https://i.imgur.com/ZVjrUqo.jpg
First test for a new hard Cretan stone that just arrived.
I set the bevel with a Chosera 1K then honed directly on the Cretan with glycerin, followed by linen and leather. Good close shave but too much burn for my liking. Prior to a second shave I stropped with Crox, before unpasted linen and leather. Again very close but burn and irritation gone completely. I'd say my stone is a capable (fast cutting) mid to upper mid range stone which for me at least definitely needs some finishing. At some point I may try honing with Ballistol (aren't these also known as Turkish oil stones?). The surface looks horribly scratched/cracked even though I lapped it with wet 'n dry to 1200 - but running a finger nail over the top, it's smooth as glass. Keep honing!
10 razors in over the weekend including two for new scales, I've finished half of them I'll get the rest finished tomorrow I'm done for the day.
https://i.imgur.com/J38YWXz.jpg
My three smallest razors today so I pulled my three smallest natural stones. I used the coti for prefinish/midrange then all went to the Yg/B thuri but I took the cv heljesttrand for a few more on the la lune/vosgienne. Just because it is definately a good razor!
My smallest is a 3/8 Salamander Wedge then a 4/8 Zartina which consistently takes a very nice edge. Finaly my little 4/8 CV Heljestrand 950R. I love these little one for the mustache area and sideburns. I hate stroping the 3/8 one, the 4/8's ones not that bad.Attachment 286067