Thread: What is your sharpest shaver?

Thanks Jimmy.

Anyone want to buy a coticule combo and a nakayama

/i keed
/seriously, stay away!!!

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I've gotten razors honed by some of the leading honemiesters and I would say from the results of my shaves I am a fair hand at honing myself but there is 'always a faster gun' and many are faster than me. I would love to say that my sharpest razors are some that I have honed but, living up to my avatar, I cannot say that.

I bought two razors on ebay from a seller known as Cedarfurnitureman. He is a young man from Mississippi named Quinton. He is a forum member as well and his screen name is Razor Talkin. His vocation is making custom furniture out of .... you guessed it..... Cedar wood and his passion is restoring straight razors.

These two razors, bought in separate auctions, are the sharpest I've encountered out of somewhere over 150 that I now have. They happen to be a Shumate Tungsteel and a pre-Dovo Bismark but I'm convinced that it wouldn't matter what brand they were if Quinton honed them.

I was so impressed with the edges that I contacted him and I've spoken to him at length on his honing. I expected to find out that Quinton has many Eschers, Coticules, Nakayamas and such exotic stones and uses some secret techniques. To my surprise he uses a Norton 1k for bevel setting and follows that with the standard Norton 4/8 pyramid he learned from Lynn's posts on the old Yahoo SRP group. He finishes on Balsa with 1.0, 0.5, and 2.5.

I am fond of the expression that it ain't the arrow, it's the Indian. Quinton is the personification of that old adage. With all of our searching for the ultimate sharpening stones and trying this or that method he is getting razors as sharp IME as they can be gotten with that boring old workhorse the Norton 4/8 pyramid .... and a hell of a lot of skill.

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Thanks Jimmy.

Anyone want to buy a coticule combo and a nakayama

/i keed
/seriously, stay away!!!

Trade you a Norton set for 'em.

Originally Posted by keenedge

Just to clarify. Should the progression read, 1.0. 0.5 and 0.25? Instead of the 2.5 above? Also is this referring to Chrome Ox, diamond paste or both?
Thanks,

It is diamond paste on balsa with the balsa attached to cedar wood of all things. Yes it is 0.25. Thanks for pointing that out. I will correct it in the OP.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I've gotten razors honed by some of the leading honemiesters and I would say from the results of my shaves I am a fair hand at honing myself but there is 'always a faster gun' and many are faster than me. I would love to say that my sharpest razors are some that I have honed but, living up to my avatar, I cannot say that.

I bought two razors on ebay from a seller known as Cedarfurnitureman. He is a young man from Mississippi named Quinton. He is a forum member as well and his screen name is Razor Talkin. His vocation is making custom furniture out of .... you guessed it..... Cedar wood and his passion is restoring straight razors.

These two razors, bought in separate auctions, are the sharpest I've encountered out of somewhere over 150 that I now have. They happen to be a Shumate Tungsteel and a pre-Dovo Bismark but I'm convinced that it wouldn't matter what brand they were if Quinton honed them.

I was so impressed with the edges that I contacted him and I've spoken to him at length on his honing. I expected to find out that Quinton has many Eschers, Coticules, Nakayamas and such exotic stones and uses some secret techniques. To my surprise he uses a Norton 1k for bevel setting and follows that with the standard Norton 4/8 pyramid he learned from Lynn's posts on the old Yahoo SRP group. He finishes with diamond paste on Balsa with 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25.

I am fond of the expression that it ain't the arrow, it's the Indian. Quinton is the personification of that old adage. With all of our searching for the ultimate sharpening stones and trying this or that method he is getting razors as sharp IME as they can be gotten with that boring old workhorse the Norton 4/8 pyramid .... and a hell of a lot of skill.

Edit; Speaking of the skill, upon Quinton explaining his method I've tried to duplicate his results on my hones and I ain't there yet. I'm going to keep at it though.... you're not a loser until you quit.

You know Jimmy, That sounds similar to Bob Keyes, aka Altima55. He's very basic, Norton's, Nothing fancy, but he does use Diamond Pastes. He has given me some of the sharpest blades I've ever come across. The thing is, some are too sharp for me shave with comfortably. That's a big factor. Sometimes, sharpest, is not the best. At least for me. I cannot use .25 diamond. I can tell you just by shaving if a razor has been honed on .25 diamond.

Originally Posted by zib

You know Jimmy, That sounds similar to Bob Keyes, aka Altima55. He's very basic, Norton's, Nothing fancy, but he does use Diamond Pastes. He has given me some of the sharpest blades I've ever come across. The thing is, some are too sharp for me shave with comfortably. That's a big factor. Sometimes, sharpest, is not the best. At least for me. I cannot use .25 diamond. I can tell you just by shaving if a razor has been honed on .25 diamond.

I have heard that the 0.25 leaves a harsh edge and that is why the finest DP I have is 0.5 but Quinton's edges are comfortable for me and still about as good after 4 shaves each razor as they were when I got them. I've heard about Altima55 but I've yet to buy a razor from him.

I might add that razors I've gotten from a guy named Lynn Abrams are also some of the sharpest I've ever cut a whisker with.

Well, I think any of these could be my sharpest but RIGHT NOW:

McPherson 'The famous Frass' 6/8, full hollow, carbon steel. First razor I ever honed, honed with the one coti method and it's mean but I don't use it often.

Wilkinson 4/8, Full hollow, carbon steel. 2nd razor I ever honed, one coti method, gets used a lot and needs touching up. Beats every razor I own when it's at it's best.

Crown Cutlery, 9/16, full hollow, carbon steel. Took a killer edge.

And the big surprise was 'le petit', quarter hollow, carbon steel. It's a 4/8 with a cutting edge of 2 1/4, get's used all the time and took a wicked edge.

Originally Posted by gregs656

And the big surprise was 'le petit', quarter hollow, carbon steel. It's a 4/8 with a cutting edge of 2 1/4, get's used all the time and took a wicked edge.

Sounds a lot like my Baurmann lol. Small wedges are money.

I would have to say my Dubl Duck Goldedge.

Honing progression:
1200 grit - bevel
Norton 4k/8k pyramid
Chinese 12k
Chromium Oxide
Strop

What is your sharpest shaver?

All my razors are equally sharp. And to choose one razor it's very difficult.

6/8 full hollow shumate 0125
carbon I think
sharpened on a couple combo hones unknown origin and grit and finished on a unmarked barber hone. stroped on a bare paddle
It is my silent hair assasin.