Thread: less is more

Tell you what I will do....I just received 10 of the Chinese Double arrows and I will hone one up for you and stop at approx 6k off a Tam O'Shanter hone then send it to you for shave testing. Just send me a PM with your name and mailing address

or...

you can send me your razor and I will use that instead. No charge.

I want to know what works for really tough, thick beards.

My address is
Randy Tuttle
1027 Desoto St.
St. Paul, MN 55130

Originally Posted by edk442

Has anyone ever had better results keeping their honing to a lower level of polish?
...

Same situation here. I've tried 0.5 chrome oxide and that edge just doesn't last long enough for me.

I finish up with a barber hone (probably 9 or 10k), often followed up with 50 to 150 laps on newspaper. The newspaper seems to smooth the edge without making it any less durable, even though it is often rated at 0.1 micron or so.

Thanks for this thread!

I just got a nice W&B eblade yesterday. Last night I tested the edge with a marker, ran it over the D8EE a few times, employing the rolling X for the first time (or whatever it is properly called. This is my first blade with a smile). When the edge looked good I did six laps on the 12K and took it to the leather. All other razors I have used before have got at least 2 or 3 times that much 12K plus a nice helping of CrO before stropping. They always pass HHT but ...

I have tough whiskers and today's shave was one of the smoothest I have ever had. I'm going to give this low level polish theory a very thorough testing over the next few weeks.

Cheers

I believe I'll take Randy up on his offer and see what results I get with a Tam finsihed razor. Should be interesting

Did Randy forget to tell you he was working as an advertising agent for Coully?

Actually I've been interested in this too as the edges reportedly possible off the Tam are at odd with its grit size.

You might want to talk to MParker as well and see if he'll let you try an Arkansas edge. Those might lead to an interesting theory as well.

Originally Posted by Sticky

Same situation here. I've tried 0.5 chrome oxide and that edge just doesn't last long enough for me.

I finish up with a barber hone (probably 9 or 10k), often followed up with 50 to 150 laps on newspaper. The newspaper seems to smooth the edge without making it any less durable, even though it is often rated at 0.1 micron or so.

I think that newspaper ink is the DIY version of Teflon coating. I operate a newsprinting press every Tuesday night, so I have some idea of what newspaper ink is and how it behaves. It's a very tough semi-liquid substance, that never dries on the rubber ink rolls and the ink feeders, it doesn't even really ever dries on newspaper. But it does build up in gumlike layers rapidly on all kinds of metal parts, basically because it is designed to do that on paper.
When smoothening scratches, one can even out the peaks, but one can also fill up the gaps.
My guess is stropping on newspaper might be just doing that.

Bart.

Originally Posted by edk442

Has anyone ever had better results keeping their honing to a lower level of polish?

Not me. In fact, I have yet to be able to even get a shave from a Norton 8,000 grit hone. It yanks on my hair. Others can, and I'm happy for them Maybe someday I will be able to

I just have to be a dissident here. In my experience the finer the hone the closer and more comfortable the shave. After the Thuringen or Escher I take the razor to the Nakayama and get a very smooth shave. My beard is medium hard. I can ge ta razort to shave off the 5K Shapton but not very comfy.

Neverforget:a good prep is essential. With nice and creamy not too watery lather the shave is much better.

Originally Posted by Bart

I think that newspaper ink is the DIY version of Teflon coating. I operate a newsprinting press every Tuesday night, so I have some idea of what newspaper ink is and how it behaves.
...
When smoothening scratches, one can even out the peaks, but one can also fill up the gaps.
My guess is stropping on newspaper might be just doing that.

Bart.

Wouldn't the ink be removed by my normal alcohol routine after honing and shaving (or even normal stropping)? Acetone and alcohol are often used as diluting agents for many types of ink. If the ink never really drys on the paper then it shouldn't dry on the razor either? I'm hoping the alcohol/mineral or camellia oil/stropping combination get all the ink off before I get to the shave.

Interesting observation and I never thought much about it. Ink remaining on the razor sounds sorta' icky...

EDIT: Never mind. A little research and I came up with the following info:

• Carbon black is the standard ink used for newspapers. Carbon black is comprised of carbon black, oil, miscellaneous ingredients for anti-misting and low-rub, and paraffin distillates for quick dry.
• Ingestion of inks used on newsprint has not been an issue because the ingredients used in the inks are not considered toxic in either the liquid or dry state.
• Reference: Ohio State University Fact Sheet

Even if the ink remains on the edge, it shouldn't be a risk.

Different strokes ...

Personally I like to polish that 8k edge very gently beyond that to get the sharpest edge I can. Sure it doesn't last as long as most guys' edges, but I have a fine beard and like to get as close a finish as I can, but I want to stress that what I do after the 8k is just a little gentle coaxing.

If the 4k leaves this size tooth/scratch pattern edge: ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
and the 8k leaves this type of finish: A A A A A A A A A A
and the chrome oxide leaves this level of polish: ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
I'm shooting for this: A'A'^'A'A'^'A'A'^'A'A

It may not work that way in actual fact, but imagining it this way helps me get a great shaving edge.

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