Thread: george wolstenholm and sons

Yes. I thought I had the bevel set, but obviously I was wrong. The thumbnail test kinda creeps me out. I'll give it a try, but the thought of the razor digging a bit too far in my thumbnail gives me the heebeegeebees! haha.

Originally Posted by relli1130

Yes. I thought I had the bevel set, but obviously I was wrong. The thumbnail test kinda creeps me out. I'll give it a try, but the thought of the razor digging a bit too far in my thumbnail gives me the heebeegeebees! haha.

Trust me, the razor won't cut deep at all!!! It'll only 'scratch' the surface.

Well...success!

Started back at square one. 3 layers of tape, and 1k King.

1. What a learning experience this was for me. Clearly, the bevel was not properly set...Lesson #1! Always, always make sure the bevel is properly set. I could of saved myself a heck of a lot of time had I made sure of that...

2. It is amazing what a permanent marker and loupe can tell you. I took some pics of my progress showing how the marker was able to indicate where the blade edge was NOT hitting the hone.



By paying close attention to my technique and water displacement, AND consistently applying more perm marker and checking the loupe frequently, I was able to see exactly what was happening to the edge. In reality, I found that my razor now has a much smaller, less noticeable edge. A new edge that is uniform below the previous edge.

I proceeded to the 4K once I was confident I had a new bevel set. Making sure my hones were free and clear of any debris, and changing tape before proceeding to the next grit. After the 4K, it was sharp, and shaving hairs, though catching a bit. I could see under the loupe several prominent scratches that I needed to remove. I continued on until those scratches were gone.

At 8 K, it was really neat to see how the edge went from a satin finish to a mirror like shine. I could see again that the scratches, especially the prominent ones were far less noticeable, if not removed completely. It was now shaving hairs off my arm easily.

You can't quite see it in the next photos, but under the loupe it is very apparent. A nice, consistent, mirror like cutting edge spans the entire length of the razor now. I took it to the strop, and let it hang a bit looser than normal. Applied light pressure when stropping, and was very pleased with the end result. The razor now passes the HHT all along the blade. Hairs catch and pop clean off with little pressure.


I hit the scales with some MAAS, buffed it out, and applied a little neatsfoot oil afterwards. Hopefully the oil will soak in a bit and rejuvenate the horn...




I'm going to let my beard grow in a bit more before I try shaving with this. I'll report back tomorrow morning...

Thanks everyone for your input. It was critical to my success...

Congratulations! Looks like you're on top of it now.

If the scales are really dry, with checking or cracking inside and out, you can put the whole razor in neatsfoot oil for 10 - 15 minutes and then wipe off the excess and allow it to settle. I keep a small covered tray with 1/2" of oil in it for soaking scales and razors. If you don't have enough oil for immersion, you can use pipe cleaners, rags, q-tips, etc. to get a good coating inside and out. Let it set for a bit and then wipe off the excess as above. Too much exposure will soften the horn, but 10 - 15 minutes followed by a good wipedown won't hurt anything and the horn will be greatly improved.

This is my neatsfoot oil tank:

Sounding good. There is only One Test that really counts and that's the Shave Test! Let us know how it goes.

I hope I was of some help.

Enjoy the ride! It's a long strange trip but well worth the journey

Originally Posted by cudarunner

Sounding good. There is only One Test that really counts and that's the Shave Test! Let us know how it goes.

I hope I was of some help.

Enjoy the ride! It's a long strange trip but well worth the journey

No doubt! I did try the thumbnail test. I drug it across my left thumbnail and wet it like you said. It definitely "grabbed" my thumbnail. But there was a bit of discomfort that I felt. So I stopped.

Do you only perform the TNT on the "dead" part of the nail, or on the growing part too?

Originally Posted by relli1130

Do you only perform the TNT on the "dead" part of the nail, or on the growing part too?

I use the middle of the nail with the razor going at a 90 deg angle across the thumb.

By the way, I think that the 'discomfort' may have been a delusion!