Shave #4 Starting to see some some slight deformation along the apex. As of this shave, the edge is performing well, though it has lost that 'super keen' face feel, and is starting to feel more like a butter knife, aka the typical 'coticule edge.' No tugging at all. Now off for shave #5.
Shave #5 (Edit: Trying for a clearer image of the bevel) When you have to double check to see if it's cutting hair, because you don't feel anything. #firstworldproblems Looking over the pictures, I think stropping is slowly starting to flatten the bevel, and perhaps even convexing the apex just a tad. It's still obviously quite concave towards the rear of the bevel.
Shave number 6 was a reminder that a straight razor shave in the evening really ought not be followed up by another the following morning. Skin irritation will happen. Decided to do something a bit different than take a pic from somewhere towards the middle of the blade (see above), and actively look for damage to the apex. The pic below is the worst section of the blade as of this shave. The rest of the blade looks like the pic above. For anyone not familiar with straight razors, the edge above is perfectly fine and shaveable. At the size such things are measured, that edge is smooth and straight. Edit: flip side, same spot. The edge is actually holding up better than I expected.
That's impossible, according to conventional wisdom. As it is, it will go back to a hone when I'm done with the 10th shave, even if the hone is just a brief visit to a surgical black Arkansas. I'm nowhere as skilled as producing an edge as you. Right now my edge is feeling more like a traditionally honed razor than the unique feel that I've come to associate both with convex honing and very thinly hollow ground razors. This is a thicker hollow grind than my other razors. I suspect a pasted strop would maintain (and possibly improve) this edge for quite some time, but I'm not interested in adding additional variables at this time. I honestly doubt I've got more than 100 straight razor shaves left in my life, if you don't count the Rolls Razor as a straight razor. I just don't find straight razors all that appealing to shave with. I suspect that had I not fallen in love with the Rolls system, or been bitten by the straight razor bug earlier, I'd have a less jaundiced view towards straight razors in general. The Rolls gives me everything the straight razor offers, with the additional benefit of being highly maneuverable.
Not really. Some of my best shaves ever have been with straight razors. I just find them kind of over-sized, compared to a Rolls blade. It's not the shave, it's the length of the blade. Maybe I'll pick up a shorty one of these days. Edit: I've spent the last 15-20 years exploring the wide variety of shaves available from all of the different blade and razor types. For me, the Rolls ticks all the boxes of the things I like. 1. Gimmicky 2. Adjustable (I can dial in the edge) 3. Requires a maintenance routine 4. It's in a form factor I'm comfortable with 5. It can carry extra blades 6. It's built like a tank. 7. It doesn't have a large modern fan base. 8. It's cheap now, though it was horrendously expensive when introduced. 9. Far easier to hone, even outside of it's system. For the sake of discussion, maybe you can explain why a Rolls Razor should not be considered a straight razor, or in what way a straight razor is superior to a Rolls.
bottom line..do you like the edge you've created on your razor?if it works and your happy that's all that counts..i've made a great living doing different than the norm..
Onlyfans? Oh wait, you said "different than the norm." I'm more than happy with the edge. View of the apex, edge on. Shave #8. Where the light grey bar intersects with the charcoal grey bar is the edge. The lack of light reflection indicates that it's a near perfect apex with no flat spots from edge degradation. Edit: I ran the scope the length of the blade. The image above is representative of the whole blade. I was watching some of Bill's early experiments with "super curve honing," which initially referred to using a smaller radii hone than is being currently sold, and now seems to be an attempt to re-brand convex honing, while slipping beneath the radar of the flat rock inquisition. He was careful to not let the initial small/deep radius intersect with the edge. In hindsight, I probably should have done the same. I honed by feel, and switched to the next hone in the progression when I felt a high degree of resistance across the edge. I assumed this was when the apex made contact with the stone. Now I wonder if it was something different. I'll have to get the scope out again the next time I convex hone a blade, and see exactly what that 'feel' represents at the edge.
I just honed a test razor today to test a jnat. A back bevel was created with a convex coticule. I stopped before reaching the end of the bevel. It was then finhished with a flat jnat. The jnat is primarily working on the apex and the lower part of the edge. The slurry creates an effect over the entire bevel. This makes the jnat more effective. This is a really hard stone that is mostly used for tools and small knifes. It seems to be working quite well with straight razors also. A small hard Nakayama Mizu Asagi. The magnification is around 6 to 700x.
very cool..in my own defence i was strictly schooled by old school auto mechanics who viewed their ideals as gospel.it felt grand to break free of the norm and built/do as i wanted.
I could say the same about razor honing, except for the "felt grand" part. I was an idiot for not taking convex honing seriously, and now that I do, I'm regarded as an idiot for doing so by people who thought pyramid honing was awesome 15 years ago. *Sigh.*
Hmm. I don't have scope images for this razor, but I do for the Böker, which I honed exactly the same way on the same stones, and each image shows the convexity reaches the bevel, so I'm shaving with a razor that has had the edge thinned as much as my honing skills allow, and more than I would have done, had I not been relying on the habits learned on flat stones. Such carelessness with future honings of the same razor would probably result in a foil edge eventually, unless the razor was touched up often on a flat stone between honings. On the other hand, it seems as though it's necessary to do it the first time, to properly set the bevel, unless the bevel was already set on flat stones... ...quite the conundrum.
