The 5 hone set - notes from the journal

Use a straight. You know it makes sense.
brothers
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Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Post by brothers »

Yesterday's shave with the SSA 6/8 quarter hollow razor marked the completion of the first post-freshening shaves of all 7 favorite straight razors. They all seemed to have come through the process quite well. The first shaves were good, and it's been my experience that subsequent shaves tend to get a bit smoother. I find myself looking forward to every shave, and that's the point, isn't it!
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
Posts: 21507
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Post by brothers »

The first of the year seems to be my time to get out the hones and going through my regularly used SRs, so I did that yesterday. Filarmonica 14 is up for today's rotation and I'm looking forward to the experience.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
Posts: 21507
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: The 5 hone set - notes from the journal

Post by brothers »

My habit with any razor is a full 3 passes, to get the best shave every time. Even with the SR. Since I use all types of razors, sometimes I'm tempted to shortchange my straights in the maintenance department. I think I get lazy sometimes. A great SR shave is a treat that makes it worth the extra time and effort.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
Posts: 21507
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: The 5 hone set - notes from the journal

Post by brothers »

Today I put a new bevel and an edge on the old Wade & Butcher with the new scales that I received a few days ago, when it arrived with the WB wedge. I had asked Glen to go ahead and sharpen the wedge while he was restoring it, but I wanted to sharpen the other one myself. I'm going to use it tomorrow for the first time. While I was at it, I touched up the edges on 2 of my other daily use razors, (Hart and SSA) and they'll be seeing some use in the rotation in the coming weeks and months. I tend to forget the effort and time it takes to lap the stones and gather up all the paraphernalia that is involved in setting bevels and sharpening them up. I had planned to do it way back in the first part of January, but just wasn't in the mood until today. I've got about a half dozen other razors laying about that need bevels and edges sometime soon.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
Posts: 21507
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: The 5 hone set - notes from the journal

Post by brothers »

It's been almost 4 years since I settled on these 5 hones. It took me two years to get to that point, and it'll probably remain the same to the end of my interest in honing straight razors, which I hope will be a long time from now. I have an old Swaty barber hone that I use for Glen's 3-2-1 finish, after coming off the old Escher. Looks like I've got just about all of my razors, my strops and my hones and stuff that go with them, and I'm not looking for any more.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
Posts: 21507
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: The 5 hone set - notes from the journal

Post by brothers »

I've been peacefully ignoring my straight razors for a little over a year, for no other reason than I've been enjoying a run of some great modern and vintage DE razors. I really do miss using them. I'm sure sometime in the next 3 or 4 months I'll get really ambitious and sharpen them all up and start using them again. I've got a few favorites that don't deserve being left alone for so long without seeing some use. Also have some really old ones that have been refurbished and rescaled and are awaiting a new edge and some shaving action. I've also got a new Jemico Red Russian strop that hasn't even been used yet.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
Posts: 21507
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: The 5 hone set - notes from the journal

Post by brothers »

Speaking of sharpening some of my straight razors at the first of the new year. I'll pick just a few favorites, maybe just one. The plan will be to use them and keep them stropped and keen as I use them as often as I want. I have to admit it's just too labor intense to try to keep up the edges on a dozen or more straight razors. I have been known to spend an entire day or day and a half sitting and honing.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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