Failure @ Honing & Stropping Or

I have pretty much settled in on finishing my honing on a 12K Nani Super Stone, then diamond spray on a felt pad, followed by CrOx on my leather and finally about 60-80 laps on leather.

This combo gives me a great edge but I find that after about 5-7 shaves I want to do a couple more laps on the CrOx to bring the edge back to where I want it.

I am very picky about my shave and do a 4 pass shave every day.

Does this seem extreme, am I too fussy about my edge or is this approach somewhat reasonable.

Curious, thanks.

Do what makes you happy, myself I don't do the diamond and CRoX thing, to much for me, after the finish hone I,m good with leather only. I do hit the 12k after 8/10 shaves, not that it needs it, just good advise I have taken to keep the edge there always,, also have one razor I,m doing the CBN paper strop routine on to compare after a couple of months and see the difference. Tc

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Originally Posted by apipeguy

I have pretty much settled in on finishing my honing on a 12K Nani Super Stone, then diamond spray on a felt pad, followed by CrOx on my leather and finally about 60-80 laps on leather.

This combo gives me a great edge but I find that after about 5-7 shaves I want to do a couple more laps on the CrOx to bring the edge back to where I want it.

I am very picky about my shave and do a 4 pass shave every day.

Does this seem extreme, am I too fussy about my edge or is this approach somewhat reasonable.

Curious, thanks.

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If that regimen works for you, keep at it.

I must have a sensitive face, because 4 passes with a razor finished like that would leave me faceless.... Just goes to show how personal all this can be!

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Originally Posted by Druid

If that regimen works for you, keep at it.

I must have a sensitive face, because 4 passes with a razor finished like that would leave me faceless.... Just goes to show how personal all this can be!

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You & me both. I usually do 1 WTG pass and a touch up. 2 leaves mild razor burn. 3 and beyond? I'm done shaving for the week lol.

Oil and water don't mix. If I hone on stones (with very rare exceptions) I stick with hones I don't mix paste and hones. On the other hand if I decide to maintain with paste then I only use that.

Do I have a good reason for it? Nope none at all it's just the way I do it.

I usually do two passes with three in select areas. More than that and it's irritation time.

For my week in week out routine of shaving I never use a pasted strop.

When I was working and having to shave the night before going to work I did a two pass shave and those shaves would pass company dress code 24 hours after I'd shaved.

Now I only do a single pass shave in the morning with perhaps a second pass under a small area of the chin. I have a nice shave for the rest of the day!

I know that this is Heresy here but I don't believe in the BBS (Baby Butt Smooth) Shave. I believe in the CCC (Clean Close & Comfortable Shave.

Those Itty Bitty, Teeny Tiny, Little Bits that only YOU can feel or know are there aren't going to be noticed by anyone else but you.

Mellow out and enjoy the shave. It's going to be much more enjoyable and rewarding knowing that even on your Worst Shaving Day with a Straight Razor, it's going to be One Thousand Times better than your Best Disposable Shaving Day :tu

+1...I agree with Cuda. Although I do use a leaded strop prior to my leather stropping for a few licks, I also am retired and my normal routine is a clean one pass shave every other day with a tad of touch-up. Works great for me as I like to have a 2 day bit of stubble for each shave. Smooth and abrasion free every time...

I am in the whatever works for you camp too. I do a 4 pass shave daily and enjoy Clean Close and Comfortable shaves. Lets face it if I hacked my face up I would not do it or if I did not have the time, about 1/2 hour I would not do it. Everyone is different .

Bob

I actually like every minute of my 4 pass shave. The shave is done just for me (and the wife). She tells me I've spoiled her with the straight razor shaves.

I've done two pass shaves when I've been pressed for time and get a very good shave. I just like it a little better and have no issues with irritation.

Thanks for the replies so far.

I've never counted, but I would guess I go to a CrOx paddle after every 10-15 shaves. I can go a long time before hitting the stones again

To me, a 4 pass shave seems a tad excessive, but if you can do that without angering the razor burn gods, then all the better!

As for touching up your razor that often.... it's not as often as I need to do it. As yourself, my razors get touched up every few shaves... not by much, but I need a smooth and wicked sharp edge to go against the grain on my neck. I can shave with the grain for weeks with a razor and strop, but against the grain, I really need to tweak the edge. I'm hoping a Jnat might extend the life of my edges, but only time will tell.

I find just a few passes on a Crox strop or perhaps 5 or 6 licks on a 12K first is all it takes. I've tried diamond paste, but while wicked sharp, it was missing a bit in the smoothness dept. so I have not bothered with it since.

Regards

Christian

I think you know what you like and that in itself is very important. Not a problem touching up after 5 or so shaves. I also do this.. with a stone... same thing keeps the edge "fresh"

“I am very picky about my shave and do a 4 pass shave every day.”

“Does this seem extreme, am I too fussy about my edge or is this approach somewhat reasonable.”


Not at all, I too do a 4 pass shave, and strop on .125um CBN daily for a nice crisp, smooth edge. If the edge starts to fail, I grab another razor and the first razor will get a ride on a finisher or down to an 8k if needed.

There is no need to shave with a sub-par edge. If you like your edge on Chrome Oxide, you might want to try .25 or .125 CBN and skip the Diamond and Chrome. Or just continue to use your Chrome and Leather as you are.

With Nano grit pastes, not all razors can take and hold that edge. But nothing wrong with quick trip to the finishers, a GS20 or a natural and stropping to bring it back.

And really, that is the beauty of a straight razor, you can tailor a keen/smooth edge to a particular skin and beard type and to a specific razor steel and edge. Once you find a system and combination of honing, stropping and maintenance that works, stick with it… and enjoy.

A 4 pass shave would put my face on fire. I went opposite, I hone and I was taught shave ready means no stropping.
I swore off CrOx. Now Euclid440 taught me it put a dab on my Snow White hone. Then knock off the wire brush with the natural of my choice. I love my Scrupleworks strop but sadly only use it for scary sharp I want weepers sort of shave. When your shave is so close that by pass 3 I have more dead skin cells than hair composition, I went far enough. I would like to ask,"what is on the edge of your blade by pass 4?" Just curious. I went there a couple times and my face felt wind burned after the shave, I couldnt even faceturbate pleasurably.

Again, thanks for all the replies. My main concern was that I felt I needed a refresh of some type too soon. Reading the replies it would seem that it is not that soon especially considering that I do use a four pass shave daily. So I guess needing something done after 7 of my shaves would be about the same as a two pass shaver needing a little refresh after 14. I had not really considered that aspect before.

I would like to get a 20K synthetic to try at some point when funds open up. At this point the diamond spray on felt gets the edge a little better than the 12K and then the CrOx on leather softens that diamond edge.

I've never had an issue with razor burn, well not after the first couple months anyways.

It just does not feel like a complete great shave without the four pass and again, I enjoy the me time in the bathroom while shaving and not having to think of anything else. Very much enjoy a 95% BBS daily, but that's the anal perfectionist in me coming out.

What is on my edge on the fourth pass. Enough that I feel the difference if I don't. Pretty much a full face touch up against the grain.

I certainly wouldn't say my daily four pass is right for others, but it is for me.

Have a good weekend.

Hey, Pipeguy. I bought a blade from a guy that was doing 5 passes. I was doing 3+ at the time. I do one + touch-ups now. Whatever else is in play - let someone else argue with what works. If its working, you like it, no glaring down-sides? All else can STFU.

What led me to the single pass shave was initially the desire to have some stubble available in the evening with which to test new edges. An odd thing happened - my single pass got better & better & there was now no stubble available to test on. That doesn't mean your passes are inadequate, but you may want to notice what you get from each & how much you can do in each pass.

Another possible player is: the number of laps you do on the fast, aggressive pastes or sprays - can make an edge frail & prone to early failure. At 4 passes, this doesn't seem that likely, but you can do w/ your honing what I mention in the shave passes. If your 12k is really up to par, you need VERY little from any pastes & sprays.

We get spoiled & picky w/ our shaves & edges. I really think that's a wonderful thing. We get to enjoy more at a higher level of edge quality than most of our ancestors thought possible.

Hey I used to do that many passes too, but after about a year and having very good edges I noticed the whiskers just weren't there after two passes, time makes us better at this activity. One day you might find there all gone by three or even two passes, more time touching up , probably makes for a better edge too. It works for you and that's all there is to it. Tc

Glad I stumbled across this thread. I was worried I was wanting a refresh a little too often as well. I start getting the itch to run blades over a barber hone or back to a finisher for a refresh about the same time frame. Sounds like that's par for the course.