nihil sub sole novum
Printable View
nihil sub sole novum
even after thousands of years, Ecclesiastes is still relevant!Quote:
nihil sub sole novum
Josh,Quote:
Originally Posted by JLStorm
You are just as spooky as the rest of us... I got a 15/16 Dorko and waited for two days to shave for just the same reason. :D
After too many month living in transit I am putting my life in order and getting back on the blog horse. My latest entry is about my new brush. Check it out.
X
Well-written as always, X. I also have a brush in the works with Matt. I'm in no rush b/c I'm also satisfied with my EJ, but I'm sure that when I go over to Matt's shop and pick up my little custom piece, it will receive the newborn child treatment :D
I want to publicly thank Josh for the opportunity of shaving with one of his 8/8 Friodur's (as I understand he has (had?) a few). It was quite a trip. Read about it HERE. It's quick.
X
Another good piece of writing. Too bad the blade wasn't up to snuff, but if it can happen to ME, then it certainly can happen to Lynn :w I'd also like to eventually get my hands on a 7/8 and an 8/8 just to say I have'em.
I'm certainly a fan of the larger widths. Yep, it's pretty interesting how relaxed one can get wielding one of these cleavers around the ol' visage.
well i might be all a bit new to this and i do not plan to be honing anytime soon, but what are all these hair tests and nails tests and things that everyone talks about?? thanks for your help rich
Without going into too much detail, there are three tests that most of us use when honing: the thumnail test, the thumb test, and the hanging hair test.
The thumbnail test is done off of a coarse hone. It tests for a uniform and sharp (but not keen) edge. You wet your thumbnail and drag the edge lightly across it, like you're playing a violin. The edge should bite in just a little and feel consistent for the entire edge. Then you hold the razor lightly on your nail and tip your thumb down toward the floor. The razor shouldn't slide off the nail.
The thumb, or thumb pad, test, is one test of keenness as you work on the 4K and 8K hones. You wet the pad of your thumb and drag it lightly across the razor edge at a 90-degree angle. It should catch the skin of your thumb print. You'll feel it try to dig in as it approaches keenness. If you're not careful on this one you'll cut your thumb open.
The hanging hair test, or HHT, is the one I use the most. Basically you take a hair and lightly touch it to the edge. It should break cleanly and drop away.
These are described more fully in threads elsewhere. When you're ready to start honing, read up on the tests. You'll need to learn the thumbnail test plus one of the other two.
Good luck,
Josh
That's a good brief on those tests, Josh. I also use the HHT quite a lot, but not as much as the Thumb Test. As I'm finishing off the honing pyramid I use the TT After every few laps and try to get a feel for how the edge is progressing. I'm can sometimes tell when the edge is getting over or under honed this way and either add or subtract a few 8k laps to get the desired HHT response. After that, of course, it's time for the exciting Shave Test! :D
X
Thanks, X. I'm still working on developing my feel for the thumb test. If I can get the hang of it, it'll be a lot less trouble than the HHT. I have this little pile of hairs that I keep on my desk for honing, and every week my wife dusts...
Josh
How do you subtract laps?
Do you weld the honing debris back to the edge?
:roflmao :roflmao :roflmao
Atm I use HHT (using hair of the SO) because the results are easier to judge than the thumb test.
At least, that is my newbie opinion.
Well, that and the fact that it is easier for me to get more hairs, whereas the amount of thumbs to spare is rather limited.
:)
I finally have a use for that wad of hair attached to the shower wall.
I assume you're just being funny, but in case you're not (and isn't it odd that I'm unsure whether you've misunderstood me or are having a bit of fun?), I mean that I will decide to do fewer than intended to finish the pyramid while I'm in the middle of it doing say the 5/5-3/5 part before I get to the 1/5 and/or 1/3 finishing section. I always look at the pyramid as properly ending 5/5, 3/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/3, 1/3, 1/3, therefore if I choose to edit out the 1/5's I have subtracted them.
X
This is likely to be my last post before the holidays so have a read if you have the time.
Health, love, happiness and joy to you all throughout the holidays.
X
X, as usual you've shown some masterful pen-work and backed it up with photographic evidence to match the quality. Now that I think of it, I don't think there are any pictures of me with long facial hair lying around even though I had a few of those periods. Guess what the chances of it happening now are :roflmao
Very nicely done, X. A great summary of the various tests. :tu
X very good compilation, easy to understand well done
I don't know if I'm back on the horse again or not, but I took her out for a ride today.
X
Spot on, X. Agree wholehearetedly.
Of course, the cynic might say that we warm-latherers and full-stroppers are just anally retentive.
And in my case they'd be right!
Yeah, you're on the horse X. :tu
I'm not a warm lather person (but I don't live in a cold climate) but I'm with you on the stropping. I really enjoy your blogs - you've got an uncanny knack for capturing the prevailing themes in the plethora of posts and threads, and helping put them in perspective. :bow
James.
Who can argue with this?? Points well made, X.
Oooh, Oooh, pick me, pick me (to be read with my best Arnold Horshank imitation-for those of you old enough to remember the old sit-com 'Welcome back Kotter').
First off, I want to thank X-man for getting back into the saddle, I've really missed your blog posts. As usual, this one was a treat...well written and thoughtful.
However (and this may be meer semantics), although I can appreciate your analogy to keeping your eye on the finish line, for me, straight razor shaving (and life in general) is/should be more about the present moment. I live for the journey, not necessarily the destination.
Maybe it's a matter of perspective because I agree with each of the steps you discuss X...completely; I rarely rush through any of them (and usually regret it when I do). But for me it is not the finish line, the BBS shave that makes it worthwhile. It is the process; luxuriating in the moment.
If you enjoy the journey, the destination is almost irrelevant.
Cheers,
Ed
I couldn't agree more. I did mention taking time in the shave and staying focussed. I'm not excluding that at all. I just also find it helpful to keep my eyes on the prize, know where I want to end up.
It's like acting:
I spend weeks rehearsing and exploring a character and his intentions, needs and relationships, but when the curtain comes up, my job is to be 'in the moment'.
X
Bravo!!! Well said.
You sir are obviously an artist of the highest caliber.
X,
Good post on the ol' blog. I think we still haven't nailed this linen thing down. My copy of an old barber's manual says that the linen is to be used "when the edge of the razor gets too smooth from continued use." Huh? :shrug:
Lately, with my discovery that the best shaving edge for me is around 6K, I'm thinking there might be something to this idea of "roughing up" the edge again. Like the teeth get a little too refined to cut well if you stick to the leather only, and need the linen to do... something.
That's all I got. :)
Josh
Forgive me fathers for I have sinned. It has been five weeks since my last shave. :eek:
It all started innocently enough. I had an audition where I wanted to add a little age to my face so I didn't shave for a few days and went in with some stubble. Then remembering how differently people would respond to me with a beard and the holidays coming up I thought I would just let it grow to see if it earned me some more respect at the dinner table, that sometimes being a challenge among my somewhat sexist sisters-in-law. Who knows if it worked or not. No incidents to report. Now I've just got the beard on to see how long I can last before I slaughter it. I'm moisturising this time, which I never did before and it's decidedly less itchy than in earlier years. I'm still shaving of course, but just the sides and neck and trimming 'round the moustache which i can honestly say is much easier with a straight razor than it ever was with a twin blade.
It has been a long time since I posted on this thread and I'm not really blogging any more so this seemed like the natural place for this post. Nice to keep the old thread complete with all my n00bness alive.
X
Woah... that's a lot of grey in there, X! Bet that wasn't there last time you grew it. :p
Kids'll do that to a man.
Dahaha, this turned up after hitting the [New Posts] button. I thought I'd entered the Twilight Zone! Thread started by Xman, over 6,000 posts, ... and he's talking about working on his shaving technique! :eek: Wait a minute... yep, same Xman, the very Xman with the shave videos that include the fabled fool's pass.
then I figured out the first post was dated 7-24-2005. ;)