SMF

I got a Nook a few months ago. I like it pretty well. This was before Kindle dropped their price to less than the Nook, but I'd still get a Nook over the 140$ kindle. Amazon could have made an affordable reader years ago, but only did so to compete with the nook, so screw em. I considered a Sony 170...

I found when I was beginning to learn to hone (I'm still learning), I often wasn't spending enough time at the 4k level. If you get it sharp there you are in business, and what you do after just refines it. My bet is if you are overhoning (if you are atuallly overhoning) it's with the Nortons. I do...

I have two UF's. The two-inch wide model lapped and a three-inch unlapped. I haven't been able to get good results from them yet. :oops: If you haven't, you might try some circles before your regular stroke. The UF seems kind of slow to me, and that seems to speed things up a bit. The UF is great i...

These are still available. I might consider offers, especially on straight related stuff... or anything else interesting not necessarily shave related.

First is a pair of Gilette superspeeds, dated C1 and L3. The L3 has the plainer TTO knob and is on the left hand side of the slim in the pics. The C1 is on the right hand side. They both have some brassing on the handle. The L3 some brassing on the TTO knob as well. The C1 has spotting inside the &q...

Like Dave said, hard to tell w/o a pic, but it doesn't sound like it. You want something fancy looking or a name brand if going for collectible.

I don't tape, usually. You've got to use the stuff anytime you want to touch up the blade. Too much bother.

No problem.

You might try using marker on the blade where it contacts the edge, that'll let you know where its hitting well and where its not.

Getting the first one sharp is a pain. I think it took me a good eight hours or more honing to get it right. It gets easier.

I prolly shouldn't have said dry, I cant remember if anyone uses those dry. Coticle without slurry would have been better. Anyway, its less than 12k, something closer to 8k, if memory serves. The loose garnets in the slurry contact the edge and stop it from increasing in sharpness. Thats the theory,...

Well, you can paste a hanging strop, but you definitely don't want to paste the strop that you use for your regular linen and leather stropping. Some say that the pasted hanging strops round the edges, but I think plenty of people use them. As far as the paddle goes, they pretty much all have at lea...

You might strongly consider getting some pastes. 1 micron diamond followed by CrO would get you in shape, I'd bet. You might not even need the diamond now, since you have the coticle and seem to be getting results from it. Pastes are really handy when you're "in the neighborhood".

Yeah, its alot of maintenance. You have to strop every day, occasionally strop on paste, and sometimes hone the blade. Its not easy or convenient. Alot of the appeal is maintaining the edge. If you like things like honing up your kitchen knives then you may like it. If not, it may not be for you.

If you're using the belt and such b/c you don't have much extra money right now you should prolly just pick up a 4 sided pasted strop. You could paste one side with 1 micron diamond, one with Chrome Oxide and leave one with just plain leather. I don't have any suggestions for the 3rd side. That way ...

Like others said, get a prehoned straight. Even if you're planning to hone you need to get an idea where you need to be as far as sharpness goes. Brand doesn't matter that much unless you want a collectors item--its unlikely that someone who can hone up a straight properly is gonna bother doing so w...

You'll want to lap it. Get some good wet/dry sandpaper, you'll want stuff in the higher grit range, 320-400. If it needs alot of lapping its fine to drop to a coarser grit to remove the material faster, just make sure you finish on the finer grits to give it a really smooth surface. Heres a tutorial...

I forgot to mention, I'm going to add a small amount (1-2 strops worth) of the Hand American liquid CroOX with the straight.

Slim is pending

Feel free to make an offer if interested in an item or a couple items.

hone is sold

All prices include shipping L-3 (1966) superspeed some plating loss on one side of the handle,brassing on about 1/3 of the tto knob. Otherwise looks nice. 16$ http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/7939/picture265h.jpg http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/772/picture264v.jpg C-1 (1957) superspeed- Some spotting...

Congrats on getting your razor honed. I just started this whole straight business as well, and also found out that dogged persistence is what it takes to get your first straight shave ready. I figured I'd be gray with a piece of foil on a handle by the time I was through with those hones... These fi...