Holy friggin crap

I been shaving w/ straights for a while, but I think I just finally learned what honing and sharp really means.
I had put aside a TI due to fear of overhoning, the bevel was getting uneven after I spent some time with it. Turns out that was a good thing, the bevel that was factory-set wasn't anything close to the Spine-to-edge angle bevel I formed. Once I got that wider bevel spread across the length of the edge and felt it consistently biting into the hone, I moved to a finer barber hone then green pasted strop.

Holy crap. I thought I had a couple blades in good shape, but my TI just gave me the most amazingly smooth shave I've ever felt in my life. My chin didn't even give me that resistance it usually gives. Even a slantbar with a feather blade is a bit challenged by the chin hairs, so I just did not KNOW a straight can get THIS sharp.

Just as exciting as the best shave of my life, is the fact that I got the blade there, set the bevel and everything, on my own. And such an amazing feeling blade finishing with green paste...diamond and red, here I come. I've set an edge/bevel, honed to sharp and all before...just not this good.

I'll be up late tonight. I think I learned another lesson, I thought my Duble Duck and Wapi in their current form were about as good as it gets.
Though I won't be touching those filarmonicas. :nono:

Congratulations! Feels good, you did it yourself!:)

I would leave the red paste alone, that would be a step backward on sharpness. About the only diamond paste to use after the green chrome oxide is the 0.25. Just don't overdue it on the diamond, it cuts really fast, 10 laps between shaves should be adequate.

Well done,:)

Yes, feels great for sure! Glad for you

Cheers
Ivo

Nice work. Now work on your technique to get a BBS shave with the grain! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

... Now work on your technique to get a BBS shave with the grain! :)

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BBS shave with the grain? :thinking: :hmmm: Is it possible? :w

Cheers, :)
Viktor

Its possible, or nearly so. The keys are a very sharp edge, a blade properly stropped, good angle and technique, and exceptional skin stretching.

What holds most people back is the time it takes to learn how to hone and then practicing, not with a nearly sharp blade, but practicing with a truely sharp straight razor.

Listen to AFDavis11. When I was starting, I was making two passes: one with the grain and one across the grain. As my techniques have improved on all the dimensions he mentioned, I'm doing one with the grain pass and getting very close to BBS. Shaving every 2nd day helps me get BBS in one pass.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SteveS

Listen to AFDavis11. When I was starting, I was making two passes: one with the grain and one across the grain. As my techniques have improved on all the dimensions he mentioned, I'm doing one with the grain pass and getting very close to BBS. Shaving every 2nd day helps me get BBS in one pass.

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Hmm... Practice makes master. :hmmm:
Thanks. :)

Cheers,
Viktor

I can get just about BBS for parts of my face in one wtg pass by "buffing" lightly as I go.
I can still feel some stubble around the jaw and chin areas though.
One-pass BBS is an awesome goal for honing, stropping and technique.
Can't wait to get there.

Sounds like your real close already. Maybe you should open up a school or something! :)

How long can a razor go without having to be paste stropped after a good honing. I have a razor that was honed by lynn, and it feels like its pulling a bit after 1 month. That may be due to my stropping technique, or because i stupidly did a thumbnail test as soon as I received it not knowing that it would kill it. Just wondering how long does a Hone usually last.

In the hands of someone that knows what he is doing about 2 months, depending on the courseness of the beard and many other factors. Given the thumbnail test you performed, one month is extraordinary! Thats Lynn for ya.

yeah....that was a pretty bone head move on my part. I just wanted to feel what a properly honed razor was suppose to feel like with a thumb nail test. I didnt realize it was a way to test while honeing. IM happy though cause Lynn is honeing a Filly 7/8 for me now...so ill be able to test a real Lynn honed razor soon :P

I got 2 shaves from a Lynn-honed razor before it started pulling. :D That said, I have a very thick beard, and I was just starting out! It's still pretty good though, I use a pasted paddle strop in between shaves (just the 1.0 and .5 sides).

Im waiting for it to come in from Tony now. My beard isnt to think...i just think I ruined it with the test. 10 laps on the 1 and 10 on the .5......then move to the leather right