OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

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Gunstock Jack
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by Gunstock Jack »

Well I been usin' straights for about a week now and I haven't cut myself yet! (Well not so's you'd notice much!) Easy does it! ::hmm::
Barry

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Owd Wullie
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by Owd Wullie »

Well Charlie?

I touched up the edges on three razors tonight and honed two. Gonna whack a few whiskers and decide which ones I'm gonna send your way.

Ain't stropped any of 'em yet but all of em will pop hair above the skin line. ::sneaky::

Gimme a few more days to get this lined out and you'll have two REALLY sharp ones to play with. ::super_happy::

I will tell ya this, shaving with a REALLY sharp razor is easier and safer than trying it with one that ain't quite right.

Edit: tonight's contest was between a 6/8 full hollow ground JOHN CLARK, SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND vs a 6/8 full hollow ground by TAYLOR'S "EYE WITNESS" SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

BOTH razors passed the so called HHT, ( hanging hair test ). However, the TAYLOR'S was by far the smoothest shaver.

End of round one. ::sotb::

Tomorrow's match up will be a 5/8 "PRESIDENT" Solingen, Germany full hollow vs a 4/8 J DOBIE, Glasgow half hollow
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Gunstock Jack
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by Gunstock Jack »

Here's my first "shave ready" project; a Bowdin's Wedge circa 1950? or therabouts. Here's what it looked like when I first bought it:
$(KGrHqN,!jEE+EFQPrlLBPz-YcfSrg~~60_1.jpg
After I first buffed off some of the discoloration using a Dremel tool with a felt wheel charged with compound, I polished it with some Mothers Mag & Alum. polish, then took it to the hones.
IMG_7356.JPG
There were a couple small pits that wouldn't buff out, but they don't affect the function at all. They could be hand sanded out with Wet or Dry paper, but it is a lot of effort. ::shrug:: Shaved with it and it was fair, but it still needed some more work on the edge. That done, I'll test it out again tomorrow. I don't think it had ever seen a hone before. ::mdm::
Barry

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Owd Wullie
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by Owd Wullie »

Looks great! ::tu::
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Gunstock Jack
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by Gunstock Jack »

Tried out the Bowdin wedge tonite, and it shaved very well. It may still need a hundred licks on the strop, but quite acceptable. ::super_happy:: One more for the rotation! That makes two! ::groove:: Now where'd I put that old Puma.... ::paranoid::
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Owd Wullie
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by Owd Wullie »

Kind of neat when you take an old beat up razor and make it run again. ::tu::
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orvet
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by orvet »

I have had a Dovo with replaceable blades for 25+ years. I use it every month or two to trim around my beard.
I have several old razors, one that belonged to my grandfather and one that belonged to his father. I also have my grandfather's hone.

Reading all this stuff about shaving with straight razors is kind of getting me interested in using a straight edge again. I expect I will need to hone a razor before using it. I have a nice hunk of horsehide for a strop, but not sure what to treat it with. Anybody know what I should used to treat the strop?

Also, if you have any pointers on honing razors I would love to hear them all so.
I have a good mug and brush; a boar and badger mix because I like it a little stiffer than the badger alone, I think it lifts the whiskers better.

Any advice you can give me on getting started with honing and stropping?
Dale
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Owd Wullie
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by Owd Wullie »

Dale,

There are tons of youtube vids on honing.

OR, send it to me and I'll hone it for you. Take a good pic of grand dad's hone and post it so I can see what you've got to work with. :)

Biggest problem I've found honing is when you are trying to hone an old razor that has been honed on a skinny stone and then you try to hone it on what is now a normal width stone. The spine gets worn funny and then you have to try work around that and still get a good bevel set. It can get maddening at times. LOL I've got several that I've started and gotten PO'd at. They're waiting patiently for me to make razors out of them again. ;)

A little bit of olive oil will probably do the trick on the horse hide.
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orvet
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by orvet »

Thanks Willie, I will get some pics as soon as the USB cord for my camera gets here.
It should be here in the next day or two.

I have a several old razors, I have even uses a couple to shave with, but the edges are lacking.
I will have to find them them and take some pics.

Thanks for the olive oil tip. I will give it a try.
Dale
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Owd Wullie
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by Owd Wullie »

orvet wrote:Thanks Willie, I will get some pics as soon as the USB cord for my camera gets here.
It should be here in the next day or two.

I have a several old razors, I have even uses a couple to shave with, but the edges are lacking.
I will have to find them them and take some pics.

Thanks for the olive oil tip. I will give it a try.
Box 'em up and I'll see if I can convert them from razor shaped objects to razors. :mrgreen:
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carvin don
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by carvin don »

Owd Wullie wrote:That "barber/actor" didn't know jack schitt about stropping a razor either. ::disgust:: :lol:


Willie,

To execute the "Barber Roll" on a strop, do you make certain the razor never leaves the strop?

I strop my carving knives on a piece of pigskin, with compound, and will often strop without the blade leaving the strop ... (go one side up, then roll the blade over w/o picking the blade off the strop, then back down, all the while maintaing the correct bevel angle of the knife) to ensure there is no "rounding" of the edge. I have heard this technique referred to as the "Barber Roll?" Don't know if that's true or not?

That feller/barber/actor, strops like they all do in the movies, quick and haphazardly, surely rounding those fragile edges? I know nothing about honing/maintaing a straight razor, but have rounded a few edges in the past through poor/over stropping techniques.

I'm enjoyin' the razor conversations here ... just may have to break a few of mine out...
Don
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Owd Wullie
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by Owd Wullie »

Mastro Livi is an Italian razor maker. His blades are in high demand by those that like the high dollar custom razors.

He strops like a wild man!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBXOP9tGqZs[/youtube]

On the other hand the lady at Dovo is more old fashioned. Skip to the around the 4:00 mark
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ACJrAI3SxM[/youtube]

I never lift the spine off the strop myself. I can't roll the razor between my thumb and forefinger due to my arthritis but I can roll the razor with my wrist. I can make the blade pop the strop when I flip it if I want to. Took me a while to get any speed up but I haven't sliced my strop. YET that is. LOL

I guess whatever works the best for you so you don't slice up your strop and screw up your edge.
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carvin don
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by carvin don »

Thanks for the videos, Willie ... I guess you can strop like a wild man with those razors, as long as you know what you're doin'!

I'm definitely a slow stropper, and also use my wrist to roll the blade. Like you said, whatever method works best for you, is the one to use. Thanks again, Willie.
Don
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Gunstock Jack
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by Gunstock Jack »

I think the most important thing to remember is to roll the blade over on its spine, and not its edge. I'm just learning, but I do know how easily you can wreck the edge by being careless. ::facepalm::
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carvin don
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Re: OK. So how Does One Get A Razor "Shave Ready"?

Post by carvin don »

Gunstock Jack wrote:I think the most important thing to remember is to roll the blade over on its spine, and not its edge.


:lol: Yessir, Barry ... I never roll on the edge ... Always on the spine! I should have been more specific :lol: That'd be a quick way to a dull blade and gouged strop fer sure!
Don
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