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"I am a Milk Crate with Dreams"
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The Shaving Cadre
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Michael Phillip’s Wet Shaving Journey
- Thread starter Michael Phillip
- Start date
Awesome razor - a beaut!
Welcome, Mike. I don't use straights, but that is a gorgeous razor. 
Michael Phillip
Shave Member
It’s time for another strop. I prefer a horse hide strop. These are Russet horse hide strips from Horween.
I cut out a few 3” wide strips and very lightly applied some Neatsfoot oil.
I cut out a few 3” wide strips and very lightly applied some Neatsfoot oil.
Michael Phillip
Shave Member
Strop ends. For these I am using a top grain leather.
Michael Phillip
Shave Member
I find a loop to be the easiest to hold while stropping.
Michael Phillip
Shave Member
And this is the finished strop. Thanks for checking out this weekend’s leather project.
Handsome strop, Michael.
MilkCrate
"I am a Milk Crate with Dreams"
Awesome work!
Michael Phillip
Shave Member
Getting back on the straight and narrow:
To me, shaving with a straight razor was what attracted me to traditional shaving in the first place. After using DE razors for most of the year that was 2020 it was time to revisit my straight razors. In spite of the fact I had been using mostly DE razors a few straight razors had found their way into my den. I had been attempting to hone them using a few whetstones that I have for my leather working knives, but I was not having much success. I would not recommend trying to learn how to use a straight razor, and hone it at the same time.
It was time to get a razor honed by someone that knew what they were doing. I looked around for someone that honed razors but I could not find anyone local to me. In November, after a long discussion with Frank, I ended up purchasing a Gold Dollar from Strike Gold Shaving. As I remember the edge was pretty good, it was definitely much better than anything I had tried so far. I finally had a straight razor that was sharp enough to cut without tugging or skipping, and I felt like I had a chance of becoming a regular straight razor shaver.
To me, shaving with a straight razor was what attracted me to traditional shaving in the first place. After using DE razors for most of the year that was 2020 it was time to revisit my straight razors. In spite of the fact I had been using mostly DE razors a few straight razors had found their way into my den. I had been attempting to hone them using a few whetstones that I have for my leather working knives, but I was not having much success. I would not recommend trying to learn how to use a straight razor, and hone it at the same time.
It was time to get a razor honed by someone that knew what they were doing. I looked around for someone that honed razors but I could not find anyone local to me. In November, after a long discussion with Frank, I ended up purchasing a Gold Dollar from Strike Gold Shaving. As I remember the edge was pretty good, it was definitely much better than anything I had tried so far. I finally had a straight razor that was sharp enough to cut without tugging or skipping, and I felt like I had a chance of becoming a regular straight razor shaver.
Okay, first that strop is gorgeous and I can tell you have a lot of pride in your craft. Leather working is a hobby/craft which I’d love to some day get into(much like soap making, bee keeping, forging, and wood turning) I’m very envious of your skills! I for one would love to see any of your other leather projects, which you are proud enough to share with us!
I’m so glad that you joined us on the dark side and would gladly extend my hand of friendship and hone a razor for you anytime.
Very nice scales on your Goldie, did strike gold do them custom or is that how they are coming out of the factory these days?
Im assuming that is your Black Arkansas under your blade? Have you touched up any razors on it?
Best wishes Mike!
Matt
I’m so glad that you joined us on the dark side and would gladly extend my hand of friendship and hone a razor for you anytime.
Very nice scales on your Goldie, did strike gold do them custom or is that how they are coming out of the factory these days?
Im assuming that is your Black Arkansas under your blade? Have you touched up any razors on it?
Best wishes Mike!
Matt
Michael Phillip
Shave Member
Thanks for the kind words about the leather work. I get into too many hobbies, but my wife and daughters have benefited from the leather working. They have several purses that I have made. Attached is the first one I made her.
I am definitely enjoying the group, and the zoom call was a lot of fun the other night. I think that’s a Black Arkansas, but it’s unbranded. I have had it for maybe 30 years, it came from a hardware store. I have played with it a bit, but mostly I hone with the jnats.
My one and only Gold Dollar is a 300, and it came that way from Frank.
Attachments
Just showed your wife’s purse to Iryna and she said, “Wow that’s so cool, lucky girl!”
Glad you had a good time and really happy to have you hanging out with us!
Where’d you get your Jnats?
Michael Phillip
Shave Member
I have gotten them from three different places, Keith/tomonagura, jns Japanese natural stones and some naguras from John at Johns shave shop Etsy. Check your messages, if you can find time I will bring my jnats and you can check them out.
Mad skills. Purse is ball and chain approved.
Michael Phillip
Shave Member
Hello Cadre:
As 2021 started I was alternating between my straight and DE razors while trying to figure out how to hone a straight razor. There are an overwhelming number of options for honing a straight razors, synthetics, Arkansas stones, Coticules, Jnats and many more that I had never heard of before. I decided to pick one method and stick with until I figured it out, I went with Japanese naturals. I looked around and found a reasonably priced koppa. It was not long before I was getting edges sharp enough to shave with, but nothing very impressive. I had heard many wet shavers claim that a straight razor shave was superior to a DE, clearly they were not using any of my edges.
There were 2 major milestones for me in learning how to hone. The first was something called the “1K Challenge”, and the second was the Hanging Hair Test.
Somewhere I read about the 1K Challenge, basically the challenge is to set the bevel well enough to be able to shave with a 1K edge. It took me several attempts, but I finally was able to shave (1 full pass) with a 1K edge. It was not a comfortable shave by any stretch of the imagination, but I was cutting whiskers. After completing the 1K edge shave, I proceeded to shave after each step in my progression (1k, 3k, 6k, 8k, and jnat). This showed me firsthand that most (if not all) of the sharpness comes from the proper setting of the bevel and also what each step in the progression is adding to the refinement of the edge.
There are many different opinions about the hanging hair test, some swear by it, some sweat at it, and some call it a parlor trick. I was never able to get an edge that passed the HHT. I had been using various tests like grapes, tomatoes, and the old thumb nail test to check my edges. Then I saw Bill M’s video about using a packing peanut. I now keep a small box of packing peanuts with my honing gear, I use these when setting the bevel. Thanks again Bill, using these to check the edge is genius. I picked up a few naguras from “Johns Shave Shop” on Etsy and I started talking with John about honing. John was very generous with his time and knowledge. I had talked to several people about honing and John was the first one that did not give me “wishy washy”, ymmv, ambiguous information.
He listened patiently when I told him how I was honing and when I was done he simply said this: He said “Mike, if your edges are not passing the HHT, then you need to go back to your stones until they are passing the HHT”
I started to ask about different hair, and he told me that the hair does not matter as long as it is consistent. He recommended using hair from my wife’s hair brush as a consistent and plentiful source.
By using a consistent source of hair, the HHT is consistent for me. I can easily tell from the HHT how the edge is going to shave. The coticule.be web site defines six different levels of results from the HHT from HHT-0 to HHT-5. For me the actual level is not important, what is important is that I can tell the difference between the levels. Based on my experience I can tell by the HHT (using my wife’s hair) how that edge is going to shave my beard.
It has been about a year since John gave me this advice, and I have honed a limited number of razors of different grinds and steels types, but I find the HHT an invaluable tool for evaluating the edge and honing it to my preferences. This was a game changer for me and I will be forever grateful to John.
Here are the different HHT result level as defined on the Coitule.be web site for reference.
HHT-0 : Shave: The Hair can be shaved immediately at the holding point.
HHT-1: Violin: The hair doesn't cut, but it "plays violin" with the edge. This is due to the shingles catching the edge, but it's not sharp enough to penetrate. On a full hollow razor, a faint ringing sound can be heard.
HHT-2: Split: When the hair is dragged across the edge, the edge catches the hair and splits it lengthwise
HHT-3: Catch & Pop: When it is dragged across the edge a bit, the edge catches the hair and pops it, the severed part will jump away
HHT-4: Pop: The hair is popped immediately when it touches the edge. It still jumps away
HHT-5: Silent Slicer: The hair falls silently as soon as it touches the edge
This brings me up to date in my short wet shaving journey. I have learned just enough to know that there is a huge world of traditional shaving to explore and learn about. Thanks to all of you that have taken the time to read and comment on my posts. I am looking forward to learning and sharing with all of you.
Thanks again for the warm welcome to the Cadre.
As 2021 started I was alternating between my straight and DE razors while trying to figure out how to hone a straight razor. There are an overwhelming number of options for honing a straight razors, synthetics, Arkansas stones, Coticules, Jnats and many more that I had never heard of before. I decided to pick one method and stick with until I figured it out, I went with Japanese naturals. I looked around and found a reasonably priced koppa. It was not long before I was getting edges sharp enough to shave with, but nothing very impressive. I had heard many wet shavers claim that a straight razor shave was superior to a DE, clearly they were not using any of my edges.
There were 2 major milestones for me in learning how to hone. The first was something called the “1K Challenge”, and the second was the Hanging Hair Test.
Somewhere I read about the 1K Challenge, basically the challenge is to set the bevel well enough to be able to shave with a 1K edge. It took me several attempts, but I finally was able to shave (1 full pass) with a 1K edge. It was not a comfortable shave by any stretch of the imagination, but I was cutting whiskers. After completing the 1K edge shave, I proceeded to shave after each step in my progression (1k, 3k, 6k, 8k, and jnat). This showed me firsthand that most (if not all) of the sharpness comes from the proper setting of the bevel and also what each step in the progression is adding to the refinement of the edge.
There are many different opinions about the hanging hair test, some swear by it, some sweat at it, and some call it a parlor trick. I was never able to get an edge that passed the HHT. I had been using various tests like grapes, tomatoes, and the old thumb nail test to check my edges. Then I saw Bill M’s video about using a packing peanut. I now keep a small box of packing peanuts with my honing gear, I use these when setting the bevel. Thanks again Bill, using these to check the edge is genius. I picked up a few naguras from “Johns Shave Shop” on Etsy and I started talking with John about honing. John was very generous with his time and knowledge. I had talked to several people about honing and John was the first one that did not give me “wishy washy”, ymmv, ambiguous information.
He listened patiently when I told him how I was honing and when I was done he simply said this: He said “Mike, if your edges are not passing the HHT, then you need to go back to your stones until they are passing the HHT”
I started to ask about different hair, and he told me that the hair does not matter as long as it is consistent. He recommended using hair from my wife’s hair brush as a consistent and plentiful source.
By using a consistent source of hair, the HHT is consistent for me. I can easily tell from the HHT how the edge is going to shave. The coticule.be web site defines six different levels of results from the HHT from HHT-0 to HHT-5. For me the actual level is not important, what is important is that I can tell the difference between the levels. Based on my experience I can tell by the HHT (using my wife’s hair) how that edge is going to shave my beard.
It has been about a year since John gave me this advice, and I have honed a limited number of razors of different grinds and steels types, but I find the HHT an invaluable tool for evaluating the edge and honing it to my preferences. This was a game changer for me and I will be forever grateful to John.
Here are the different HHT result level as defined on the Coitule.be web site for reference.
HHT-0 : Shave: The Hair can be shaved immediately at the holding point.
HHT-1: Violin: The hair doesn't cut, but it "plays violin" with the edge. This is due to the shingles catching the edge, but it's not sharp enough to penetrate. On a full hollow razor, a faint ringing sound can be heard.
HHT-2: Split: When the hair is dragged across the edge, the edge catches the hair and splits it lengthwise
HHT-3: Catch & Pop: When it is dragged across the edge a bit, the edge catches the hair and pops it, the severed part will jump away
HHT-4: Pop: The hair is popped immediately when it touches the edge. It still jumps away
HHT-5: Silent Slicer: The hair falls silently as soon as it touches the edge
This brings me up to date in my short wet shaving journey. I have learned just enough to know that there is a huge world of traditional shaving to explore and learn about. Thanks to all of you that have taken the time to read and comment on my posts. I am looking forward to learning and sharing with all of you.
Thanks again for the warm welcome to the Cadre.
Fantastic background and very informative! Thank you for sharing this!
Michael Phillip
Shave Member
My pleasure. Buy the way, I am also a fan of French Point razors. Since you have been talking about them lately, last evening I honed up the closest thing I have to a French Point. I post a SOTD with it. Take care.