I had the same issue with my Heljestrand too. It's a tough blade to keep sharp for long. Part of that might be that it's a 3/8 and I'm still too ham fisted on the strop.
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This is a larger blade and it's double-tempered so I probably messed up somewhere along the line.
Today I shaved with the Bismarck. Got a nice clean shave but I probably should have waited to take a shower first, since I took one anyways. I guess I love shaving way too much lol.
Tuesday:
PRIMA Solingen 5/8" straight
SMF II brush
Crema da Barba Figaro shaving soap
Pinaud Clubman A/S
OLIVIA's A/S balm
7/8 Fridour roundpoint
Vulfix 2197 pure badger
JM Fraser shaving cream
Alum block
Pitralon Classic
Neutrogena moisturizer
A great shave today - the Fridour is simply amazing - my first pass on two days of growth barely required a second pass for a very close shave.
I'm also finding that the 7/8 is not nearly as cumbersome as I thought it would be - however, I still find that 6/8 is the best size for me and I can't wait to get the 6/8 Dovo SS I bought from Joe!
Vulfix Lavender cream
5/8 Hellberg Frameback, notch point
Alum block
Cool Water A/S
I bought this razor from Joe a few weeks ago and it looked so small and dainty when it arrived that I wasn't much motivated to use it. It's about an inch shorter overall than my other razors, in near-mint condition with a cool "Skydd's Marke" etching on the blade. A very thin & delicate looking blade, I figured oh well - it's a nice collectible.
So today I decided to try a shave with it. It's so light it feels like almost nothing in the hand but it gave me a phenomenal shave. I don't know if it's the razor or Joe's honing job, probably a combination of both. This little guy now sits in the wooden jar with the favorite blades, a midget among them but every bit their equal in shaving performance.
Wed:
Rooney small style 1 brush
Williams Mug Soap
Hand American strop
5/8 TI Egyptian Palmwood
Harris face milk
First straight shave in a few days. The Egyptian was a christmas present from the wife. The factory edge was very very close, so I gave it 10 laps on the 1 micron diamond and 20 laps on the chrome oxide and got a great shave from it.
Wednesday:
Wade&Butcher 3/8" straight
SCS badger brush
Kaloderma Classic shaving cream
Booster Aquarius A/S
Herban Cowboy A/S balm
Hot Shower
6/8 Dorko
proraso pre shave
Mama bear sample rose cream
silvertip badger brush
Old Spice
Very nice shave.
Managed 1st shave in uh, 2 weeks... nice one (but not stellar)
Honeybee Chamomile soap
Little Cutie
8/8 W&B Barber's use
TM strop
GFT Coral Skin Food
I don't shave every day but this time growth was crazy! :eek: Figured 8/8 W&B is better suited than others, esp with my inability to move left arm much, I decided to bank on size and momentum.
Last time the razor was not too smooth. This time I had several laps on the yellow Belgian and, with the ridiculous growth, the razor felt much smoother. Did not manage to nick / cut myself - big surprise, with the dislocated elbow and all. Couldn't stretch the skin so I hope I don't get burn later
Cheers
Ivo