So without going into long drawn out detail, I've been shaving with my Genco for over two weeks and it was fading. As I tried to figure out stropping in practice as opposed to theory, I shifted over to my C&S which had never been shaved with before. It was my worst shave. Switched to my Leader...a little better, but both were worse than the Genco I'd set aside for pulling too much.
After some more stropping work, my Genco's popping arm hair (no really, I actually know what that's like now, and the shave tonight was bliss!).
I spent a lot of time on both the C&S and the Leader going through the same stropping that brought the Genco back to heaven. The Leader pops arm hair about 1/4 inch off the surface, but only at heel and toe. In the middle it won't pop hairs but it does cut arm hairs easily at the base. BTW, this is a smiling blade.
The C&S smiles as well, but won't pop arm hair at all. It cuts at the base, but not quite as easily as the Leader.
Do the wizards of honing think that my swaty can bring salvation and resurrect these blades, or am I SOL (Shoot, Outta Luck) until I can get a norton?
Thanks for your input!
Peace,