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  1. #11
    Coticule researcher
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    Quote Originally Posted by heavydutysg135 View Post
    LOL, Josh and I are typing the same responses at the same time. When I finish my message I see another from Josh just like it
    I think you add up to each other very well. I felt desperate when I typed the first message of this thread. With two formidable tutors like you guys I feel humble and hopeful. Both are much better feelings than my initiial despair.

    They way you both just keep helping out the ones that set first steps on their straight razor journey, is just admirable.
    I, for one, won't forget this. It's not sure if I 'll ever be able to return the favor. (but I will if I ever get the chance. Maybe, in time, I 'll be able to pass it on to someone else myself. Maybe that's the whole idea of this SRP-place)

    A million thanks for the advice. Knowing that you guys are out there, willing to help, IS a big help. I'm sure that counts for many people on SRP - in all possible directions.

    It's time I went to bed... I'm getting all lyrical here...

    Bart.

  2. #12
    Frameback Aficionado heavydutysg135's Avatar
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    Thanks for the kind words Bart. Helping each other out is what this community is all about. I certainly did not get where I am today without the help of the masters. If straight razor shaving was easy then everyone would still be using them.
    Last edited by heavydutysg135; 02-12-2008 at 02:06 AM.

  3. #13
    Coticule researcher
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    Last night I got together with 2 other guys that have recently picked up the straight razor. The plan was to send the wifes off to the pub and have a cozy little "men only" shaving night. Eventually the wifes promised to be quiet and after they signed a non-interfering-treaty, they were allowed to stay home.
    We took a shot at honing 3 razors: my Dovo from the previous posts, an old heirloom razor that belonged 40 years ago to my friends great grandfather, and they third guys new Dovo, that was not exactly "shave-ready".
    The heirloom piece was a no brainer: it had to start off at the DMT-E, or even coarser, but such stone was not available.
    The two Dovo's were inspected carefully, searching with the naked eye for odd reflections coming from the edge under a good light source and searching for imperfections under the stereo microscope. We also performed a magic marker test on the Belgian Blue with those two Dovo's. It became clear that they also had to start off at the DMT-E.
    We all did our own honing. I have been practicing hours and hours on a good stroke for several weeks now (as you know, with variable succes), Chris had done some careful strokes on a coticule before, and Marco had never even been near a hone before. We stayed on the DMT-E till all three razors passed the magic marker test and felt really sticky on the TPT along the entire edge. We shaved several square inches of arms hair too. The wifes had a rough time witnessing us, but they honored the treaty, so we were cool.
    After the DMT-E we did approximately 75 light strokes on a Belgian Blue with slurry and about that same amount on a coticule with only water. I finished mine with 30 very light strokes on a dry coticule. After performing some last TPT and HHT (all razors passed with the amount of effort to pass the test depending on the type of hair -my wife's hair actually was easiest-)

    'Round midnight it was finally time to move to the bathroom for a group shaving session. I am very pleased to inform you guys that all three razors performed just great. No one experienced any pulling and I mine sure was sharper than any razor I ever used before. It was very interesting to watch each other shaving. We all have very different shaving style and technique.

    I have learned a lot in the past week. I'm gonna post that in a new thread, titled "Pitfalls in honing - experiences from a newbie". One of the more important lessons is that honing is like a chain. It are all just links, that aren't that difficult to do each on his own, but if one of them has a flaw, the whole chain suffers from it.

    I thank everyone who's been out there and pointing out the right direction, especially David and Josh, who stood by me during my darkest hours (, but no joke actually). I owe you one, guys.

    Of course I still have to repeat my success with a few other razors that are anxiously waiting in a drawer, but for the first time I feel like really knowing what I am doing, so I have confidence in the outcome.

    Happiness is a sharp razor (free after The Beatles and the American Rifle Association),
    Bart.

  4. #14
    Frameback Aficionado heavydutysg135's Avatar
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    Bart, I am really happy that you figured it out! As you learned you cannot count passes on the early bevel creation stages, you simply have to hone the razor until it gets sharp before moving on. Many of the razors that we hone today would have gone back to the grinder in the past, but we are doing it all by hand. Different razors definately will require a different amount of work. Once the razor is very sharp off the low grits then it is fairly easy to polish it to a great shaving edge, and the details don't matter an awful lot as long as you remove the scratch pattern of the previous stone. FWIW I never use the coticule dry (just with water) but as you found out it probably wont make a whole lot of difference, the edge will still be good. You might want to experiment a little with finishing with the coticule dry, with slurry, and with just water a little in the future to see what you like best. Josh and I like to finish with a wet coticule.

  5. #15
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
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    I applaud your success.

    You've received some great advice. If things don't work out from here its probably because your thinking too much. Get your buds back together and only hone in groups!

    For me, its just "make bevel, then buff". Any more complicated than that and I get lost.

    I do like your chain analogy though. I agree with that one.

    Congrats!

  6. #16
    Razorsmith JoshEarl's Avatar
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    Bart,

    That's fantastic. I really like your chain analogy, too. I think of it as a series of stages, each depending on the last. But the first step is the most important.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Josh

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