Thread: Getting the most out of a spike point

The only time I use a sharp point is to take out stray moustache hairs where my moustache meets my nose. Being able to take out individual hairs without taking off my nose is rather satisfying. An edge finished on 0.25 diamond paste is ideal for this, unfortunately I don't find it ideal for shaving the rest of my face. One day I will find the perfect balance.......

I like spikes because I like to hear the wind whistle through my earlobes as i contiually shred them into confetti.

Originally Posted by pinklather

FWIW, It might bear repeating a comment from Lynn, years back about getting more nicks from the blades w/ the longer cutting edges - don't remember his precise length. That's been true for me also. So when I ordered a blade, I specified 2.75" cutting edge length & don't seem to have that much trouble.

For guys acquiring some of the skills, I talk about having to make a change in what we pay attention to in a shave. We're really visual - and that's fine. If your shave allows you to always see the point of the edge, you're in better shape than most. I advocate switching your attention from the visual to the tactile - the feel of the edge - and particularly the point on the face. When we pay attention to 'feel' w/ a tool, we reflexively think of the feel in our hands or fingertips. Take tool. Place on material. Supply force. Here, the 'feel' is the facial skin. Its the earliest and most direct feedback you can get when a stroke starts to go south. In a normal shave, the tip rumbles over the skin as it shaves. You can feel the end of the point. If the tip suddenly goes dead, stops rumbling and you lose the feel - it's probably already started slicing but just hasn't hit a nerve or blood supply yet. Or the contours of the face have lifted the point from skin level. This can be done w/ any point, but *needs* to be done w/ the less forgiving points.

For myself, most nicks come from shaves I'm enjoying alot & get a bit of irrational exuberance forgetting to keep my strokes slow & smooth. I'm particularly careful w/ all points as the facial skin transitions to the contours of the ear and at the crook of the jawbone to the neck below the earlobe. These just seem to be my favorite places for carnage.

Amen. The only thing I would add is that with hollower grinds you can also add the sense of hearing. With my Bartmann, Colombi, Blue Steel, Heljestrand and Henckels Friodur, I can always hear them before they are about to catch or pull and cut me.