Thread: Sun - March 07th - Sat April 13th

Razor: Kanenaga Kamisori
Strop: Steer hide
Brush: Crowley & Tosh silver tip badger
Soap: Acqua di Parma, tuned-up with a little glycerin
Pre-shave: Hot Shower, light face lather
Scuttle: Georgetown Pottery G20
Balm: Acqua di Parma
Result: great shave

I finally found some time this weekend for a grand honing session. My last shave with the Kanenaga was effective, but left me with some discomfort. I suspected the corner of the heal was so sharp that it was digging in to my skin with every stroke. The heal corner is square, but was sharp like fish hook. I ground a small radius on a 1200 grit stone to kill the pointy corner of the heal. I then took the razor through the whole progression: 1200 Bester, Red Akapin (3000-4000 grit), Takashima (8000-10,000), Yaginoshima (very hard, fine finishing stone). The last time I did this, I then stropped on a 4X4 balsa strop CrOx, then .25 micron diamond spray. I noticed however that the bevel came off the last stone very misty and uniform, but had a noticeable lined scratch pattern after the CrOx and spray. So, this time, with the bevel still misty, I took the razor directly to the leather strop. I did 20 laps on the flesh side, then about 100 laps on the grain side. This morning's shave was very comfortable. In fact, it might be the most comfortable shave yet with this razor. I had no lingering sting, which makes me believe that addressing that sharp heel worked. I did have 4 days of beard, so some of the initial strokes around the chin seemed to tug harder than I would have liked, but it was all smooth on the second pass. I didn't even use that alum block afterwards. I think I've got a winning combination.

Cheers,

Jack

P.S.: what made this honing session grand is my tendency to take an inventory of every blade in the house that might need a little work, and get to it. I like to make it worth it to break out 4 stones, lapping plates, sink bridge, felt deburring block, various towels, oils, polishes, and to cover a large area in water, slurry, and in some cases, blood. Just as an experiment, I took a 5/8 Dovo Half-hollow throught the same paces as the Kanenaga, even though it was already shaving well. I'll report back to see if it works as well.

Good morning y'all! The pics have been outstanding this week! So, to disrupt the good pics, here's my SOTD. Lately it seems as though I'm reaching for my DE razors more, and today is no exception. The head I used is a FaTip which has a lot of blade exposure like a straight, but still no straight.

Prep - hot shower
Soap - MdC, scented
Brush - Simpsons Polo 8, Super 2 band
Razor - UFO Goliath XXL handle, FaTip polished chrome head, Gillette Silver Blue blade
Post - cold water, alum, Kiehl's lotion
EDT - Creed GIT



Have a great day!

Prep: Hot shower
Brush: Custom silvertip by Henk
Razor: Gong
Cream/edt: Penhligon's Endymion
AS: La Toja Manantiales
Result: Uberclean

WEDNESDAY
Hot shower prep
Razor: Geo Wostenholm French Point “The Celebrated”
Soap: VdH
Mug: Coffee and soup
Brush: Col Conk badger
Aftershock: none needed
Splash:Home made Bay Rum

The Day? Bright overcast, windy and two inches of snow overnight.2ºC. The Shave? simple and direct with nary a hassle at all. One of my first horn rescales and still going strong.
The fun of trying things makes the day go a bit better and quicker!
~Richard

Originally Posted by Geezer

...The Day? Bright overcast, windy and two inches of snow overnight.2ºC...

Does it EVER stop snowing at your place???

overcast day full of off and on sprinkles , as i went to get in the shower it was a down pour with lightning/thunder , i had my bedroom window open abd my bedroom is across from the bathroom so i enjoyed a cool shower followed by a shave to the sound of rain and a nice cool flow of air ..

pre= shower
cream= QCS " Briar "
brush= antler handled silvertip
razor(s)
1) Shumate " Ben-Hur "
2) Super Speed
result=== the shumate was a good shaver to start but it was plucked from the others as my hand was drawn to it for hone from bevel to finish on my coticule bout .. im kinda excited i can feel a difference from stones now as this bout seems to be a bit on the crisp or keen side id say after finishing on water , a good shave but just not as smooth feeling as the blades that have come off my other coticule ... but very effective !!
i feel im just under where i should be on getting the maximum out of my new coticule honing passion but the shaves feel good to me and i know in time it will come !!

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Does it EVER stop snowing at your place???

Not for the next week apparently! The temperature is and down at the freezing point of water and a major storm should have brought rain this time of year! NOT!
~Richard
I certainly enjoy the slices of life you post!

Le Grelot
Semogue
Proraso
Osma

Tried some new techniques out and it worked well. Proraso, it gets the job done and does it well.

Thursday evening
Hot water prep
Wm Hargreaves & Co for barbers use razor - silvertip badger brush - Mitchell's Wool Fat (all hail) - cold water splash - hot shower - Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet EdT (tester)

Had a good stropping session prior to the shave and have had the most comfortable shave to date with this large piece of Sheffield steel. I played a bit with the pressure on the blade and that has gotten me more smooth than before with this one. Simply a Damn Fine Shave with quality Albion ingredients. The Blenheim Bouquet is nice, but on my skin doesn't have a lot of staying power.
Nearly weekend and it's going to get actually warm and sunny this time! Can't wait.