Valet Autostrop Blades?

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by Uncle Trojan, May 1, 2021.

  1. Tedolph

    Tedolph Well-Known Member

    I also like that they work in the OneBlade Core. I use that as my travel razor.
     
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  2. Uncle Trojan

    Uncle Trojan Well-Known Member

    I take it the OneBlade is a good razor?

    Everybody's Favourite Uncle
     
  3. Tedolph

    Tedolph Well-Known Member

    It is a very strange razor, like a combination of features from a straight and a cartridge. It is like a cartridge razor in that it has a "safety bar" and a spring loaded pivot so you always get the exact same angle and similar pressure (if you learn to not over ride the spring) no matter where you are on your face. It is like a straight razor in that the blade is very thick and rigid (three times thicker than a DE blade) and the blade is free to float in the razor head-so it resonates like a straight razor. So, in sum there is nowhere near as much control or ease of access as with a straight, but there is little to no learning curve as with a cartridge, but still it is a SE, free floating blade so it cuts like a straight. Good razor for someone who wants something like SR results without the learning curve.
     
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  4. Uncle Trojan

    Uncle Trojan Well-Known Member

    Hmm I don't think I would be quite fond of that razor. The last time I touched a pivoted head razor was 5 years ago . It does sound like it would be interesting to try out for sure.

    Everybody's Favourite Uncle
     
  5. Tedolph

    Tedolph Well-Known Member

    It is a good razor if you are in a hurry but still want a close shave. I think they only cost 20 bucks and make a good back up/travel razor.
     
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  6. Uncle Trojan

    Uncle Trojan Well-Known Member

    Only 20 huh? Well I might try it sometime. Worst case scenario I'd have a christmas present for dad.

    Everybody's Favourite Uncle
     
  7. wchnu

    wchnu Duck Season!

    Hey. Sorry so long to answer. The youtube is Shaving with Fuzzy.
     
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  8. Uncle Trojan

    Uncle Trojan Well-Known Member

    No problem. I'll leave a comment my name is Ryan.

    Everybody's Favourite Uncle
     
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  9. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Though you will find out for yourself, my experience is the Feather carbon steel blades are okay at best and it is going to take more than a simple stropping to improve the blade edge. You'll need to take a honing stone to the blade and reset the bevel at somewhere between 15 - 17 degrees like shown in that video. Unlike a straight razor you should be able to get away with only using a 1k stone and stropping it clean to remove burrs afterwards. If you want to take it a step further you can follow up with 4k or 8k stone to polish the edge. I'd also suggest using a 30x jeweler's loop or higher magnifier to see what the edges look like as you are doing it.
     
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  10. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    I will also say you most certainly can do this with a Feather or any other single edge blade carbon steel or stainless. The issue though with stainless steel blades is most of them are coated and honing them will remove the coating. Uncoated stainless steel tends to tug hair, that is why they coat them for shaving. It is also why coated blades are sometimes rough the first shave before they mellow out. Lots of times the manufacturer will coat the blade and not polish the coating, a palm stropping or initial rough shave fixes that. If you can get the edge super sharp like a straight that sings (means the tip is super thin like a DE blade) it should cut better than any coated blade but the edge may only last you a shave or 2 before needing to do a maintenance hone. If that is the case you can try the wedge blade solution which is used in 7 or 28 day set rotations before redoing the edges.

    Practice will help you decide the best course of action.
     
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  11. Uncle Trojan

    Uncle Trojan Well-Known Member

    I really appreciate your advice. I'm even more excited now to receive my autostrop! :) I totally get what you mean with a sharpened ss. I threw a dead vintage gillette platinum in the twinplex and it came out looking worse than I put it in..... Wouldn't even cut paper!

    Everybody's Favourite Uncle
     
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  12. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Too much pressure, improper angle or combo of both. Once you know what a good edge looks like under magnification you can figure out what it is doing wrong.
     
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  13. Tedolph

    Tedolph Well-Known Member

    Following up on this thread, I have been using the Model"C" exclusively while my SR is out being honed. Used the carbon steel blade and the auto-strop feature. Yes, it does work! The carbon steel blade is neither quite as sharp as the SS blade (similar to the SS blade after the second shave) but the shave does not degrade thereafter if you strop it. Only doing about five or six laps on the included strop. I am probably at five or six shaves on this blade right now. Will go to twelve just to see how things work out.
     
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  14. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Without stropping a Feather Carbon Steel blade I've managed about 3 - 4 shaves in the past. With stropping 6 shaves. Keep in mind those were all 5 passes shaves. If I did less passes the blade may have lasted longer.
     
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  15. IAmTheJody

    IAmTheJody Gillette-i Master Staff Member

    That blade shaves so bad, you had to do five passes? :rolleyes::)
     
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  16. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    That is what I know works for me to get a true BBS no stubble feel in any direction when you run the hand around the face shave. Doesn't matter the razor or blade format. If I can't get there in 5 passes it is the tool(s) not me at that point.
     
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  17. Tedolph

    Tedolph Well-Known Member

    I am doing double pass shaves with the VAS so we are looking at maybe 18-20 shaves? I saw some VAS instructions that said 40-50 shaves with stropping. I will report back further. OTOH, my freshly honed SR just arrived and I am eager to try it out.

    Oh, the sacrifices I make for Science and The Shave Den!
     
  18. Tedolph

    Tedolph Well-Known Member

    Test results are in! Well I am on shave no. 8-a triple pass VAS Model "C" with a Feather carbon steel blade stropped with the auto strop feature on the original (but reconditioned) included strop. Used my Fine Accouterments Italian Citrus soap (old formula) and trusty Smogue 1305 boar bristle brush and antique scuttle. Face lathered. Beard had two days growth.

    WIN_20210429_19_27_54_Pro resized.jpg

    Guess what? The shave was better than when the blade was fresh! Smoother, no irritation, no weepers and the A/S (also FA Italian Citrus) didn't sting.

    Anybody got an explanation?
     
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  19. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Few days I'll pull out the VC4 and a Feather carbon blade and revisit stropping a blade once I am done with the other razor I have slated for use.
     
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  20. Tedolph

    Tedolph Well-Known Member

    I would not strop for the first shave so you have a baseline. The maybe ten laps on the strop. I was doing five or less as I am afraid of breaking the strop! It is really old.
     
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