Thread: Is this too much swiss...

Originally Posted by Nuntits

All this talk about microscopes, the Barber did not use these 150 years ago, they just knew what the razor should feel like on their stone and their strop. Personally, my experience so far has been a good one, I get pretty damn smooth shaves for the most part, even though all I have to work with is a broken pike brand razor hone that must be just ancient, and an equally as weathered and nicked strop from an antique mall. Half the time I don't fully achieve a true HHT but at the end of my shave I am pleased and happy with my work, and so is my skin. Isn't that what it should be about?

You are making the assumption all barbers back in the day gave as close and irritation free shave as we are all seeking.

On one hand...yes, KISS. On the other, I would bet for most of us, this isn't our trade. This is just something we enjoy, so we do what anyone does when they have a hobby they enjoy...we obsess over every little detail.

Originally Posted by ryanjewell

You are making the assumption all barbers back in the day gave as close and irritation free shave as we are all seeking.

On one hand...yes, KISS. On the other, I would bet for most of us, this isn't our trade. This is just something we enjoy, so we do what anyone does when they have a hobby they enjoy...we obsess over every little detail.

Fair enough, I can understand how this could be obsessed about, how ever in my opinion, it takes away the fun of things, it sure would for me!

Originally Posted by gssixgun

As a follow up,,

When you strop the edge, the surface of the strop will tell you if the razor is even safe to try, if the razor scratches the strop then I would not even try a shave

Just a little rule I follow when testing stuff

Good point,very little is ever said about strop feedback other than draw which means nothing to me.
An actual visual would be a horror for sure,I:E chips in the blade.
I can feel when I am stropping the actual edge of a blade,V/S perhaps a bad bevel.

Originally Posted by Nuntits

Fair enough, I can understand how this could be obsessed about, how ever in my opinion, it takes away the fun of things, it sure would for me!

That is the fun

If it was just about shaving, this forum would have been DOA, it is the minutae that is what we actually love to discuss, trust me we all know how little it takes to actually get a good shave, and many of us can do it blindfolded , but where is the fun in that

There are many different types of members here, many are like you and keep it simple, most are in between, and some of us take this as a hobby and not just scraping our faces clean in the morning

I personally use 100x microscope when honing as I want to give my friends (as I mostly give straight razors to friends os my) best experience I could possibly ever create. I guess wet shaving is an art, so with art comes perfection... so who is is an artist on this forum..?
I guess which my question I have put "stick into the wasps nest"... hope not:-) I like all of you:-)

Like I said it all makes sense to me, and I do love this, not just the shave, I want to start restoring old razors and collect them, I would love to start a hone service one day as where I am there isn't one. I am new to all of this, and I have learned much in a short span of time( I started this two months ago) I love the shear amount of content there is for straight shaving. The diversity of the products and techniques, the supporting community, it's all very impressive and just, down right manly

Uhm... If you are scared by this, you should see my John Barber. It has deep pitting along the edge, quite diffused. Sooner or later this pitting will become chips on the edge. But I just used it this morning and I'm happy with the result.

Originally Posted by Nuntits

All this talk about microscopes, the Barber did not use these 150 years ago, they just knew what the razor should feel like on their stone and their strop. Personally, my experience so far has been a good one, I get pretty damn smooth shaves for the most part, even though all I have to work with is a broken pike brand razor hone that must be just ancient, and an equally as weathered and nicked strop from an antique mall. Half the time I don't fully achieve a true HHT but at the end of my shave I am pleased and happy with my work, and so is my skin. Isn't that what it should be about?

Barbers went to school to learn their trade and had lots of faces to practice on every day. We are learning by doing and usually the only face we have to practice on is our own. There are so many different opinions about how to do things you have to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Some kind of magnifying device is just one more tool to see if you are totally screwing up before you take a hunk of your face off.

Originally Posted by Nuntits

All this talk about microscopes, the Barber did not use these 150 years ago, they just knew what the razor should feel like on their stone and their strop. Personally, my experience so far has been a good one, I get pretty damn smooth shaves for the most part, even though all I have to work with is a broken pike brand razor hone that must be just ancient, and an equally as weathered and nicked strop from an antique mall. Half the time I don't fully achieve a true HHT but at the end of my shave I am pleased and happy with my work, and so is my skin. Isn't that what it should be about?

Point taken. On the other hand, they weren't working with 100-year-old razors for the most part.

[QUOTE=Some kind of magnifying device is just one more tool to see if you are totally screwing up before you take a hunk of your face off.[/QUOTE]

To follow this logic, do you think "tools" we are using will improve shaving experience or make it worst? Does 100x magnification will give use sharper blade? I don`t think so, I guess smother, maybe.
I know professional barber who always shave half of face and continue other side after stropping. I ask him why he does that? His answer was simple: "that`s they way they (other barbers) teach me". Saying that, professional barber profession is still existing in country I`m coming from and they still tech it in school. More... you need to pass not easy to score exams.