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The Shaving Cadre

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Namaste from India

luv2shave said:
Hey folks

I am Manish from India. I shuttle regularly between India and USA for my professional reasons.

Hooked to wet shavjbg way back in 2006 when cartridges started the issue of razor bumps, painful after shave skin.

Bought my first Merkur 34CHD razor and haven't looked back . India is also a wet shavers paradise for shaving creams and shavibf blades.

I am glad to join this forward and hope to contribute meaningfully to this wonderful forum !

Regards
Manish
Click to expand...
Welcome Manish!! :)
 
luv2shave said:
Hello all

After a brief stint here in 2018, I am back again this time in the new avatar of being a straight razor shaver. While I can shave comfortably I am improving my honing techniques.

Been following the LongHaulTanker shave videos where he keeps reminding viewers of TSC.

Hope to participate more often on this forum !
Click to expand...
HEY, Welcome back sir! What are you using to hone??? What is your preferred honing method?

Nice work @Longhaultanker
 
luv2shave said:
Hello all

After a brief stint here in 2018, I am back again this time in the new avatar of being a straight razor shaver. While I can shave comfortably I am improving my honing techniques.

Been following the LongHaulTanker shave videos where he keeps reminding viewers of TSC.

Hope to participate more often on this forum !
Click to expand...

Welcome back Manish. It really is a small world after all, even if you’re half way around it. Thank you for the kind shout-out. I’ve been busy doing LONGHAULTANKER stuff: dodging four-wheelers and trying to stay alive. You’ll find TSC a fine group.
 
Luecke3262 said:
HEY, Welcome back sir! What are you using to hone??? What is your preferred honing method?

Nice work @Longhaultanker
Click to expand...

I have a humble setup here. Since I do not have the luxury of sending out my straight razors to a honemeister, i figured I might as well become one

Current progression
  • Naniwa Chosera 400
  • Naniwa Chosera 1000
  • Norton 4k/8K combo
  • Naniwa 12k
  • Diamond pastes are en-route for use along with balsa wood strop
I use a DMT coarse 325 diamond plate / CKTG 400/1000 diamond plate for lapping the stones flat or for some really wonky razors if need be or for shoulder correction of razors like the gold dollars.

I also have a coticule and a Dan's hard ark, which I will use them once I am confident on my honing on the synthetic progression.

Method :

I've ordered a lot of ugly ducklings from the bay so that I can hone them, destroy a few and not feel a heart pinch.

  • Randomly pick up a razor and study its geometry for any corrections needed.
  • use sandpaper to brush off any rust of spots. I don't beautfiy any of my razors yet - so I just focus on learning to hone
  • Kill the edge
  • Make the bevel use the burr method. edge leaning torque if needed.
  • combination of half strokes, circles, x-strokes (learning ) rolling x-strokes depending on what will help me create the edge
  • Keep eyeballing the edge through a cheap Chinese 25x loupe. A belemo 10x is en route.
  • Use the wet thumb nail test to check for the edge "grabbiness" consistently along the edge.
  • Move to 4k / 8k and finally 12k looking for scratch patterns and finish through the loupe
  • HHT and tree topping for the final edge

some 20 to 40 laps of linen / cotton / leather each of a Razor emporium English bridle strop which is my primary strop along with a Whipped Dog Poor man strop (I learned stropping on this), two other strops from Tony Miller and Classic edge CA. All my strops are bargains through forums or facebook from folks who sell their extra strops or decide that SR shaving is not their cup of tea. (Sorry I come from a tea drinking / cricket playing nation - so tea it is !)

Whatever I buy from US or Europe ships to my package forwarder in NY with free or lowest bracket of shipping. Once a few packages from various vendors aggregate, it arrives at my doorstep in India costing appx 30% of purchase cost for shipping and customs. So I have to be very thoughtful in what I buy as it is a one way ticket. The package forwarder is peace of mind as everything is managed with zero anxiety for tracking or handling customs or packages going missing.
 
Last edited:
Longhaultanker said:
Welcome back Manish. It really is a small world after all, even if you’re half way around it. Thank you for the kind shout-out. I’ve been busy doing LONGHAULTANKER stuff: dodging four-wheelers and trying to stay alive. You’ll find TSC a fine group.
Click to expand...

Thank you ! I have strated watching your videos of late and really love the talks and the shave. I did a long stay stint in the USA in the 2006 to 2008 era in California, Texas and Arizona and have seen those mighty trucks "sailing" along on the freeways. Feels pretty intimidating to drive alongside them. Always fascinated to watch them move and the men who make them move. Glad to know one of them here.
 
luv2shave said:
I have a humble setup here. Since I do not have the luxury of sending out my straight razors to a honemeister, i figured I might as well become one

Current progression
  • Naniwa Chosera 400
  • Naniwa Chosera 1000
  • Norton 4k/8K combo
  • Naniwa 12k
  • Diamond pastes are en-route for use along with balsa wood strop
I use a DMT coarse 325 diamond plate / CKTG 400/1000 diamond plate for lapping the stones flat or for some really wonky razors if need be or for shoulder correction of razors like the gold dollars.

I also have a coticule and a Dan's hard ark, which I will use them once I am confident on my honing on the synthetic progression.

Method :

I've ordered a lot of ugly ducklings from the bay so that I can hone them, destroy a few and not feel a heart pinch.

  • Randomly pick up a razor and study its geometry for any corrections needed.
  • use sandpaper to brush off any rust of spots. I don't beautfiy any of my razors yet - so I just focus on learning to hone
  • Kill the edge
  • Make the bevel use the burr method. edge leaning torque if needed.
  • combination of half strokes, circles, x-strokes (learning ) rolling x-strokes depending on what will help me create the edge
  • Keep eyeballing the edge through a cheap Chinese 25x loupe. A belemo 10x is en route.
  • Use the wet thumb nail test to check for the edge "grabbiness" consistently along the edge.
  • Move to 4k / 8k and finally 12k looking for scratch patterns and finish through the loupe
  • HHT and tree topping for the final edge

some 20 to 40 laps of linen / cotton / leather each of a Razor emporium English bridle strop which is my primary strop along with a Whipped Dog Poor man strop (I learned stropping on this), two other strops from Tony Miller and Classic edge CA. All my strops are bargains through forums or facebook from folks who sell their extra strops or decide that SR shaving is not their cup of tea. (Sorry I come from a tea drinking / cricket playing nation - so tea it is !)

Whatever I buy from US or Europe ships to my package forwarder in NY with free or lowest bracket of shipping. Once a few packages from various vendors aggregate, it arrives at my doorstep in India costing appx 30% of purchase cost for shipping and customs. So I have to be very thoughtful in what I buy as it is a one way ticket. The package forwarder is peace of mind as everything is managed with zero anxiety for tracking or handling customs or packages going missing.
Click to expand...
Good summary. You didn’t mention it so the thing I’ll add is: Watch lots of honing videos, good, bad, ugly. Sort them out for yourself. Honers who significantly influenced me are Lynn Abrams, gssixgun, drmatt357, geofatboy, Keith Johnson. I still review their videos. Watch using circles. DrMatt commented on time lateral scratches parallel to the edge may tend to weaken the edge. He provided high resolution pictures to illustrate his point. Also, jointing an edge between stones helps to eliminate burrs. Just a thought. Carry on, newbie friend.
 
luv2shave said:
I have a humble setup here. Since I do not have the luxury of sending out my straight razors to a honemeister, i figured I might as well become one

Current progression
  • Naniwa Chosera 400
  • Naniwa Chosera 1000
  • Norton 4k/8K combo
  • Naniwa 12k
  • Diamond pastes are en-route for use along with balsa wood strop
I use a DMT coarse 325 diamond plate / CKTG 400/1000 diamond plate for lapping the stones flat or for some really wonky razors if need be or for shoulder correction of razors like the gold dollars.

I also have a coticule and a Dan's hard ark, which I will use them once I am confident on my honing on the synthetic progression.

Method :

I've ordered a lot of ugly ducklings from the bay so that I can hone them, destroy a few and not feel a heart pinch.

  • Randomly pick up a razor and study its geometry for any corrections needed.
  • use sandpaper to brush off any rust of spots. I don't beautfiy any of my razors yet - so I just focus on learning to hone
  • Kill the edge
  • Make the bevel use the burr method. edge leaning torque if needed.
  • combination of half strokes, circles, x-strokes (learning ) rolling x-strokes depending on what will help me create the edge
  • Keep eyeballing the edge through a cheap Chinese 25x loupe. A belemo 10x is en route.
  • Use the wet thumb nail test to check for the edge "grabbiness" consistently along the edge.
  • Move to 4k / 8k and finally 12k looking for scratch patterns and finish through the loupe
  • HHT and tree topping for the final edge

some 20 to 40 laps of linen / cotton / leather each of a Razor emporium English bridle strop which is my primary strop along with a Whipped Dog Poor man strop (I learned stropping on this), two other strops from Tony Miller and Classic edge CA. All my strops are bargains through forums or facebook from folks who sell their extra strops or decide that SR shaving is not their cup of tea. (Sorry I come from a tea drinking / cricket playing nation - so tea it is !)

Whatever I buy from US or Europe ships to my package forwarder in NY with free or lowest bracket of shipping. Once a few packages from various vendors aggregate, it arrives at my doorstep in India costing appx 30% of purchase cost for shipping and customs. So I have to be very thoughtful in what I buy as it is a one way ticket. The package forwarder is peace of mind as everything is managed with zero anxiety for tracking or handling customs or packages going missing.
Click to expand...
This is great, now all you can do is practice! I set a bevel on a Naniwa Chosera 1K and then work 5k & 8k Naniwa super stones. I usually finish on a Jasper, Coticule, Escher Thuringian, or a surgical black Arkansas, but I reach for the jasper most often because it is super fast and comfortable. My sister-in-law in Belarus sent me my Belamo triplet, it works really well, but after enough razors I trust the feedback from the razor on the stone and the thumb pad and hht more than any thing. Though it is fun to get a great look at the edge to see what you’ve done.
I’ve honed hundreds of blades and I don’t have one technique for getting there, but use a large variety of different techniques. I’m still learning with every honing session! Thankfully I don’t destroy razors when honing them anymore lol. Early on I killed several by over honing with uneven pressure. These days a balanced approach with a lighter touch usually gets you where you need to be.

Wow, I’m glad that you found a reasonable shipping solution. I know some guys from Australia and the Philippines who struggle to procure shaving items at a very high price!

Really glad to have you and look forward to getting to know you better!
 
luv2shave said:
I have a humble setup here. Since I do not have the luxury of sending out my straight razors to a honemeister, i figured I might as well become one

Current progression
  • Naniwa Chosera 400
  • Naniwa Chosera 1000
  • Norton 4k/8K combo
  • Naniwa 12k
  • Diamond pastes are en-route for use along with balsa wood strop
I use a DMT coarse 325 diamond plate / CKTG 400/1000 diamond plate for lapping the stones flat or for some really wonky razors if need be or for shoulder correction of razors like the gold dollars.

I also have a coticule and a Dan's hard ark, which I will use them once I am confident on my honing on the synthetic progression.

Method :

I've ordered a lot of ugly ducklings from the bay so that I can hone them, destroy a few and not feel a heart pinch.

  • Randomly pick up a razor and study its geometry for any corrections needed.
  • use sandpaper to brush off any rust of spots. I don't beautfiy any of my razors yet - so I just focus on learning to hone
  • Kill the edge
  • Make the bevel use the burr method. edge leaning torque if needed.
  • combination of half strokes, circles, x-strokes (learning ) rolling x-strokes depending on what will help me create the edge
  • Keep eyeballing the edge through a cheap Chinese 25x loupe. A belemo 10x is en route.
  • Use the wet thumb nail test to check for the edge "grabbiness" consistently along the edge.
  • Move to 4k / 8k and finally 12k looking for scratch patterns and finish through the loupe
  • HHT and tree topping for the final edge

some 20 to 40 laps of linen / cotton / leather each of a Razor emporium English bridle strop which is my primary strop along with a Whipped Dog Poor man strop (I learned stropping on this), two other strops from Tony Miller and Classic edge CA. All my strops are bargains through forums or facebook from folks who sell their extra strops or decide that SR shaving is not their cup of tea. (Sorry I come from a tea drinking / cricket playing nation - so tea it is !)

Whatever I buy from US or Europe ships to my package forwarder in NY with free or lowest bracket of shipping. Once a few packages from various vendors aggregate, it arrives at my doorstep in India costing appx 30% of purchase cost for shipping and customs. So I have to be very thoughtful in what I buy as it is a one way ticket. The package forwarder is peace of mind as everything is managed with zero anxiety for tracking or handling customs or packages going missing.
Click to expand...
That‘s an excellent setup for honing. 👍
 
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