Thread: What is your sharpest shaver?

A C-Mon Wedge (more like a 1/8-hollow). DMT D6EE, barber hone, and stropped on a 1 1/4" latigo hanger.

Originally Posted by Sticky

...stropped on a 1 1/4" latigo hanger.

a belt

Vintage Iwasaki size 1...Probably Swedish carbon steel.

Scary sharp, honed by my barber.

Next up is probably my Wapi, 6/8 1/4 grind (?) honed by our very own Hoglahoo...how'd you do that, man?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

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.

Thanks for the post Jimmy, it really struck a chord with me. I think we all get in a frenzy to get the ultimate piece of rock and a razor made from ubersteel, in our quest for the ultimate edge. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the quest and journey towards shaving Nirvana, but it is nice to be reminded simple methods and a good skill set is all that is really needed.

Charlie

Visi...

My sharpest shaver is a 7/8 Henckels Friodur square point which I honed myself. I'll be dipped if I can remember the progresson of hones responsible for the edge, but I can say that because of a slight hiccup in the edge, which I wanted out, I started with some very coarse stones and worked the bevel very aggressively - for a long time. It's now all better: straight, beautiful, and sharp. And it shaves like a dream, but chicken that I am, I still prefer a round point. Among the reasons for this is that I bravely shave my whole face (no decorative hair islands, such as a moustache or goatee, to navigate around) and don't really need, or use, the sharp corner for any detailing.

I have a couple of new razors coming (major RAD) which promise to shame the Friodur(s) for sharp. This RAD thing is probably better ranked as a colonel or general RAD.

Probably my Spanish razors, all hollow ground, because I love them so much and honed them to try to reach that ultra-sharpness.
My Filarmonica's where honed using my regular progression and finished with CrO pasted paddle strop.
As for my Palmera, well, I did an experiment last week and it took a wicked edge. I have a couple of vintage JOSMON pastes (the paste manufactured by Jose Monserrat, maker of Filarmonica razors) and they are like brown crayons. I smeared one a little bit with some drops of neatsfoot oil to make it easier to apply on the strop. Now my paddle strop has CrO on one side (green) and JOSMON on the other side (brown). I don't know the grit of JOSMON paste, but in order to avoid ruining the fine edge of the blade I did 30 laps on each, first the JOSMON, then the CrO, the result was an edge almost too sharp. It is less forgiving than the Filarmonicas, but slightly sharper.

Right now, it's my SS Dovo (1/2 hollow), finished on a vintage BBW/coti combo I inherited. But that could change soon, it's almost time to touch up m astrale!

Cheers!

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

a belt

It's a strop, made of thick latigo hide. I prefer narrow strops.

I have to override my previous post in this very same thread. My LG 1/4 hollow has no longer the Crown of "Sharpest Blade" in my rotation.

Since it was honed by Martin at Rasurpur, the sharpest straight I have (and it is scarily sharp) is my Custom Joe Chandler. The blade is American-made Carbon steel, about 5/8+ and 1/4 hollow grind. Have no idea what Martin uses to hone and to finish up, sorry. But he is very good at it. Next time this very same blade needs to be honed, I will try to send it over to Lynn.

My LeGrelot 1/4 grind sharpened by Martin at Rasurpur.

I emailed him and asked how it was sharpened. He says he uses the Naniwa Superstones, TI paste on a narrow paddle strop, and then strops on the cordovan hanging strop.