SMF

Olle, were you able to open the bottle without breaking it?

Bill

Gents, I was wondering if you occasionally take a break from really sharp blades and revert (temporarily) to a less sharp but smoother blade. The reason I ask is that I'm using up my second- and third-string blades because I can't stand the thought of ignoring or throwing them out. Earlier this week...

John, have a look at mantic59's video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGLi_m9n_s The tip that helped me out the most was lathering upside-down. I have very hard (12.6 gpg) water, but I'm still able to get a really good lather with MWF. I did find, though, that if I use my Texan Moss scuttle w...

What a coincidence: I used Tabac this very morning; using a new Rapira blade I wound up with a surprisingly smooth and comfortable shave. Rapira was one that I'd previously written off as "meh", but I'm slowly coming to the realization that shave performance has more to do with technique t...

Super - thank you for the advice! I'll be ordering the paste right away (it's lunch time as I type this). I'll pick up the balsa wood at a local hobby shop later this week. I think I'll also hit the specialty lumber store so that I can make a decent-looking base for it. Since space is at a premium i...

X2 on Murray's comment. Just curious: have you tried making a handle from antler? I have a Red Deer antler - one half from an animal that my late grandfather and his buddy harvested in the Old Country so many years ago - and I'm thinking it deserves better treatment than being used as a coat/hat rac...

Now that I think of it, are the following instructions valid for a balsa strop? (from https://www.fendrihan.ca/collections/strops-and-hones/products/chromox-green-chromium-oxide-finishing-paste-by-thiers-issard) I think they're assuming the user will be using a leather strop, not balsa. Important: t...

Thanks to you all for your feedback - it's greatly appreciated. This is my only strop so I think I'll go the balsa wood route until I become fully addicted and spring for a new straight and an accompanying strop. <Ah, balsa wood... I just had a flashback of my model rocket days when I was a young te...

Wise words - thanks!

Thanks! I've started a new thread, in order to avoid hijacking this one: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=56901

Bill

Hello Gentlemen (and Ladies, if there are any here); I've just begun to shave with a straight razor, but only on weekends and holidays as I still have to get to work on time. (My daily razor is a Merkur 38C.) I'm using a professionally-honed Genco razor and a new Thiers Issard extra-wide double-side...

That's good to know, thank you! I have some more questions about paddle stropping, but I'll save that for another thread if I don't find what I need by searching the SMF archives.

Bill

Yes, thanks for the review! My lovely bride and I are travelling to RSA this May and I'll keep an eye out for this and Palmshave while I'm there.

Bill

Thanks for the review, Yehuda. Where did you get the cream?

Bill

This morning I loaded my brush with Mitchell's Wool Fat for 15 seconds and then loaded the brush with Glacial Obsidian for another 15 seconds. This cut down the menthol substantially, to the point where my eyes didn't water up, but still provided the powerful and delightful scent of anise. I would u...

Nice work, Gary!

I think you'll like the SynBad knot; I bought one from APShaveCo in the "Blue Lagoon" handle about a month ago and I'm really quite surprised that I like it so much. It's extremely soft; so much so that it feels like running a light bulb across my face.

Bill

I got the Genco back from honing last week and I'm happy to report that I've used it without slicing off chunks of my face or ears. As recommended by Lynn Abrams in his video[1], I shaved just my cheeks for 4-5 days before I dared shave my neck. I did have a couple of minor mishaps: I nicked the fro...

... I am surprised we don't recommend paddles more often to beginners, who find controlling the tautness of a hanging strop another complication to deal with, and we all know how easy it is to ruin a strop and spoil an edge with clumsy stropping on a hanging strop. I'm happy to hear you say that; I...

Gary, you can figure it out again. Just start experimenting with some ingredients. My guess is you used something along the lines of 50 percent stearic acid through a combination of stearic and tallow, and that you used coconut oil in a good amount. Fill in the rest with some other fat or use more ...

EL Alamein wrote: ↑Sat Sep 15, 2018 6:52 pm I've honed many a Genco for customers and I've never come across a bad one.

Chris

Thanks Chris. I'm sending it out for honing in the next week or so.