This is my first post in this thread and first SOTD pic, so excuse the quality. Just got this Ralf Aust razor yesterday from Straight Razor Designs. All I can say is "Wow." It was a big difference from what I had used previously. Confirmed my desire to keep using straights. Razor: Ralf Aust 5/8 Pre Shave: Home made oil in lavender and mint Soap: RazoRock Don Donato Brush: Whipped Dog 24 mm Silver Tip Aftershave: Clubman Classic Vanilla
Steve That is a beautiful straight. I got a couple of Straight Razors from my Aunt's Estate, that were my Uncles. I need to learn how to use them and clean them up. Maybe I can pick your brain. Hope that you have a great Birthday later today. arty:
a lovely razor, I got a Heljestrand 134 from my old Mother in law as well as a Bengal both very nice.
I messed up the edges of my traditional kamisori by my stropping in the past and it took a lot of tries with Naniwa, lapping film, etc., until yesterday at our straight razor get together, I tried the JNAT...no go... and then a Belgium coticule. Quickly I brought the edge back. That led me to fix the edge of an NOS western style Japanese straight that had a rough feel. That may be my honing method from now on. Tonight I stropped on a Kanayama strop very lightly. Hopefully the edges will last. The edge is super keen. Much more so than a western style razor. I believe the coticule brought it back from painfully keen to just riight.
today I made a pass with a rescued razor. my new razor may be sorta old. it's a wade& butcher. measures 6/8 is this called a spike? the blade seemed like a wedge to me. I tried to refresh the old edge, not real successfully. it'll be on the list to send to Glen.
Filly 8/8 Doble Temple NOS Caties Bubbles Le Gardenia - This one has a scent that is devine. My wife loves it too AS - Clubman Pinuad Original
5/8 Gong TOBS Lavender Soap homemade Shavemac pure Darn nice shave. It's going to be another week from hell. I just turned 62 so I keep on telling myself I'm only there because I want to be, plus I got people I gotta mess with yet. Have a good one.
It is a wedge with a square toe and so it has a spike point, but it looks to be muted a bit. 2 or 3 layers of tape on the spine to hone and get the correct angle. When I had two big old wedges, a Frederick Reynolds and a Geo. Wostenholm, I sent them to Glen as well for a full restore with new scales. When the edge is right, the shave is quiet and efficient.
I've found some wedges to be quite challenging to hone. This big W&B was one of the rare exceptions as this 8/8 wedge took a bevel fairly easily. Silent, but very efficient! Scary sharp!
is the tape to lift the rear edge off the stone in order to set an acuter edge. or do folks tape them to protect from hone wear? maybe I'm honing with too much angle.
I'll give it a whirl. I've been using a technique similar to that of sharpening a pocket knife. perhaps it's too steep.
