Thread: Honing with a smile.

Originally Posted by Bart

DON'T SWEAR IN THE CURCH
Even as we speak, a posse, lead by Lynn, is being formed to hunt you down and wash your mouth with lather...

Gah! I meant a pretty close shave for a Mach 3. I swear the stubble must have been a inch long. Honest! Please don't burn my house down...

But this is all besides the point. The honing is working!!! It's still got a while to go, because I'm using the 4k and this technique is slower to begin with, but it's working. There is definitely a larger portion that has one bevel and that part is starting to become visibly more refined and smooth. If it keeps going like it's going, I'll be able to test it tomorrow after I try out my Henckels. Of course, no matter what razor I use...now I have to learn how to shave.

Sounds good! Keep on going...easy does it on the pressure.

Originally Posted by KingOfMalkier

The honing is working!!! ...now I have to learn how to shave.

Cheers for you. In many decades, oldtimers will still tell a story about a famous honemeister that, in his young years, learned to hone before he even learned to shave. Most of the newbies in that future era will shake their heads and think it's some urban legend that those crazy old fools are tale-telling.
You and I will be in our 90's by then, and we will know better, as we visit the grave of the late but great Randy, to whom we have to thank everything. (No offense intended Randy, may you live a long and prosperous life)

But, yeah, you need to go learning how to shave, right now. Unless you want to take a shot at cooking your own shaving soap first, after which you can go hunting the white buffalo. I hear the leather offers the very best quality strops...


But enough craziness. You did well. You picked a direction, your very own, I might add, and you sticked by it till you got results. That sounds too me like the right wood species to cut out a fine straight razor user. If I may help with some advice: keep the angle of the razor as flat as possible. Lift it up just enough so it cuts whiskers. Later you'll learn to fool around with the angle a bit more. And secondly: use only very light pressure, much less than you're probably used to with the M3.
Keep those two things in mind, use a sharp razor, and you'll be fine during your first shave.

Best of luck,
Bart.

Gotta love this thread.

Josh, best of luck to you. I doubt I could hone
a warped blade such as yours, which sounds
as if it is actually warped and not a nice smiling
blade.

I can't wait to hear how to get along with your
first shave!

- Scott

Bart, that is absolutely hilarious. I still have a bunch of work to do before the razor is sharp enough, but once it is I'm gonna skin that buffalo with it.

Originally Posted by randydance062449

On the poor side try using the magic marker trick. Then you will see where you hones are touching the edge. It will help you to modify your honing stroke.

Exactly what Randy said.

This is an excellent tip for knowing when you're down to a single uniform bevel.

I just completed my first entire straight shave! I used the Henckels (the double-bevel is a Geisen & Forsthoff btw) and I'm pretty pleased. I got one teeny-tiny nick on my left cheek - though I never felt it and it only bled one drop. Closeness definitely needs work but I only did one pass so I didn't expect much. It's good enough for me to go to work tomorrow - although I'm a software engineer so that's not saying much. :P I'm pretty impressed with the lack of irritation. I assume that means the razor maintained its shave-readiness through transit? Anyhow, I can finally begin the shaving journey as well.

The G&F made decent progress, but there's still a little bit of double bevel, mostly near the heel and toe. Plus I need to do a bunch of work smoothing the edge that I've now got mostly exposed to the hone. I'm very excited.

Outstanding. Congratulations.

Your doing well!