Silver Star 10/- (German)
Cold River American Barbershop
homemade brush
Apache Strata stone
Excellent shave today. The arrival of the Apache was totally unexpected. I wasn't looking for it until midweek at best. I have a fair amount of experience honing razors but not a lot of experience with a lot of different hones. I found a method that worked for me and just stuck to it. The first honing with this Apache has me smiling to say the least. Very smooth, close and comfortable shave. I look forward to playing around with it for awhile. My first impression is that it's very straight forward and easy to use. Have a good one.

Beautiful brush and razor! I'm glad to see you had good results on your first outing with the new stone. what size is that apache?

I like the handle on the brush

5 1/4" x 2 1/2" and it delivered a very nice shave. Used it on a problem child this morning we'll see how that goes tomorrow.

Just curious I mean there has to be a reason for each blade design right?

Do you just use it as a finisher or with slurry and more like a one hone stone like the coticle?

I think the French toe, Spanish toe, round, square, barber's notch are just fashion statements. A square tip does make it easier to define a beard, but can really nip noses and ears, so round is safer, more or less.

Revisor
Honey bee flew by without me noticing until it tried to land on my hands.

Robert my experience with this stone is very limited. I used it as a finisher with water. I do believe that's the way it's intended to be used but I'm sure there will be all kinds of variations soon.

I've mostly have used just water, but out of curiosity have created a slurry with both the DMT and a Thuringian slurry stone. the keenest edges I've gotten (an actual passable HHT—for the first time ever) were with the Thuri-slurry, diluting to water. Not necessarily the most comfortable, but very sharp

Variety is the spice of life just from looking back thru this thread the square point or spike seems to be the most featured by far...

6/8 JBF Champlin "oblique" point, Cella and an old Baton butterscotch "restored" in 2-band. I've really taken a shine to both the Champlins I've picked up. I always get a great shave, they were both nearly cheap as dirt, and the steel seems to hold a edge extremely well. An excellent shave all around this morning. Enjoy your Sunday gents.

Tried an experiment today. I'd never used my Nakayama finisher with a slurry, just with water as a pure finisher after a synthetic progression. So today when it was time to take this old Iwasaki to the hones, I figured, Japanese razor = Japanese method. I have a nice Nakayama tomo as well which had historically only been used as a photo prop . Made a nice slurry with a DMT plate, and went to town. Proceeded to hone progressively diluting the slurry to the point that what I had left on the hone was clear water, 15 strokes Kanayama linen, 15 strokes Kanayama suede, and 30 on Kanayama Cordovan shell, and it delivered a very sweet shave! I see lots of fun times ahead experimenting with slurries and this Nakayama!

Mike, between the Nakayama & the Kanayama on the old Iwasaki, (say that fast 3x) I'd expect some decent results (HHT 13). Of course, it's always the operator, and not the tools…..

Congratulations. Another Iwasaki? How many do you have now.

Have you tried a coticle? I have mixed results with natural stones and slurries. One coticle is fast cutting and works great, though it is tiny. Another is slow and strains my patience. Not able to work my JNAT properly.

I beg to differ Kevin I blame my shavers all of them know I am a beginner and are making me pay my dues in blood and cuts...and they mock me afterwards

I've had this Iwasaki for some time now. Got it from Takeshi at A Frames Tokyo like nine months ago. Thought for sure I'd posted it by now!

I haven't tried a coticle, and have been tempted to do so in the past. Honestly though, with the success I've had with this one razor, I'll be experimenting more with the Nakayama and slurries, and don't feel the need to try another natural stone just yet.

I've also ordered a Suehiro Gokumyo 20K synthetic as a finisher to follow my Naniwa SS 12K. Once it arrives I'll provide a report

USMC 6/8 Clauss Solingen

I've been looking for one of those for a while. Eventually I'll make the hook up.
6/8 Gong
De Vergulde Hand
homemade boar
This razor has never shaved as well as I thought it should. A little Apache Strata got it headed in the right direction. very nice shave today. Have a good one.

Wade & Butcher Bow