WestMan is under appreciated IMO. Eufros fits that category as well.
gcgallant
joined 1 year ago
The edge has hit its stride and β at peak smoothness now β is a joy to use.
Yes, an edge can be too sharp. I actually like that feeling, but I associate it with a new edge that I know will soften with a couple of uses. I'm still thinking that stropping is a highly overrated activity.
August 20, 2024
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Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving 31mm x 57mm Moar Boar
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Razor: J.A. Henckels Friodur 14 Full Hollow Square Point
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Lather: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Soap
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Toner: Thayers - Lavender - Toner
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Aftershave: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Aftershave
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Fragrance: Guerlain - Jicky - Eau de Toilette
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave. $headless $FriodomRiders #NoStrop
The closeness of these shaves backed down from exceptional during the first 3 or 4 days, and has remained pretty steady since then. Comfort increased, though, and the combination of comfort and closeness that I'm getting from this entire setup has been stunning. After the shave, I still have BBS everywhere except around my Adam's Apple, but that area dries down to BBS after about 20 minutes. It is very difficult rate this experience anything but "Excellent".
Tomorrow I'll make my third microscope photo of the edge.
August 18, 2024
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Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving 31mm x 57mm Moar Boar
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Razor: J.A. Henckels Friodur 14 Full Hollow Square Point
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Lather: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Soap
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Toner: Thayers - Lavender - Toner
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Aftershave: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Aftershave
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Fragrance: Guerlain - Jicky - Eau de Toilette
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave. $headless $FriodomRiders #NoStrop
To all of you who honed your straight razors this weekend: Congrats! Especially those who are newer to the honing process. To those who are old hands, I say, "Why bother?!". Get rid of that vintage carbon stuff and get you some of this new fangled stainless! No honing or stropping needed and I (at least) get more (18 so far) comfortable BBS shaves from a stainless straight than I do from a DE blade (10-12 - @[email protected] not withstanding).
[ Ok, admittedly, I've never had more than ~15 shaves on a DE blade. I notice a softening of the edge around this point. The issue is that, once you get your technique down, shaves with a straight razor are much more comfortable than shaves with a manufactured blade. (IMO, YMMV, smoke 'em if you got 'em) ]
Your no strop project seems to show a bit of edge deterioration, if I read your SOTDs right.
The edge has become more comfortable over time, and closeness has just started to diminish but it's a very small change that I only notice hours after the shave. I think that Str8_Razor is having a similar experience. I'm thinking that this is wear resistance of the steel.
August 17, 2024
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Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving 31mm x 57mm Moar Boar
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Razor: J.A. Henckels Friodur 14 Full Hollow Square Point
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Lather: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Soap
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Toner: Thayers - Lavender - Toner
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Aftershave: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Aftershave
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Fragrance: Guerlain - Jicky - Eau de Toilette
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave. $headless $FriodomRiders #NoStrop
Here we are 17 days without a hone or any stropping and, if anything, the edge is more comfortable than it was a week ago. Closeness is very slowly diminishing, but I can only tell this 4 to 5 hours after the shave. I continue to be astonished. I mean, why bother honing or stropping at all?!
give the Frio a fresh new edge
Have you noticed much change in the edge over time?
August 16, 2024
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Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving 31mm x 57mm Moar Boar
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Razor: J.A. Henckels Friodur 14 Full Hollow Square Point
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Lather: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Soap
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Toner: Thayers - Lavender - Toner
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Aftershave: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Aftershave
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Fragrance: Guerlain - Jicky - Eau de Toilette
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave. $headless $FriodomRiders #NoStrop
Β
Really different projects. Nobody but @sgrdddy will suffer 5 passes for a workplace acceptable shave for 575+ shaves. Str8_Razor and I are getting the same performance from Frio 14s that havenβt been stropped in 15 shaves.
I wouldn't do this with a carbon steel razor. The stropping helps dry the blade at the apex. But, yeah, there might be some heavy lobbying by big cow-hide going on here.
August 15, 2024
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Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving 31mm x 57mm Moar Boar
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Razor: J.A. Henckels Friodur 14 Full Hollow Square Point
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Lather: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Soap
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Toner: Thayers - Lavender - Toner
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Aftershave: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Aftershave
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Fragrance: Guerlain - Jicky - Eau de Toilette
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave. $headless $FriodomRiders #NoStrop
Fifteenth excellent shave on a straight that has not been stropped. I'm in uncharted waters. With straights that I strop after every shave, I know I can get about 30 shaves before a refresh, but I generally do an edge refresh after about 10 shaves.
I have no idea what's going on with this setup.
To be simplistic about it, a degree of correlation with elements that contribute to wear resistance - carbon content, alloying elements, heat treatment - might be in order π
Technique-wise, I use a very wet lather preparation, and I keep shaving angle low to optimize cutting efficiency and to favor compressive loads at the edge over shear loads.