First WTG Whisker Knock Down with an Original Cru Stropping Blade..

Original Cru Blade & Stropping Handle..

Todays Shave Set Up..

Three Pass Shaving Routine..

Hot Water prep & massage with Coconut Oil
Ever Ready 1912
Star Cru Steel Blade NOS
Mason Pearson Pure Badger
LEA Tallow soap
Thayers Original Witch Hazel

I just had the most Wonderful Shave of my Life with My Ever Ready 1912 with an Original Cru Steel Stropping Blade Today..A Dolphin Smooth All Over BBS Result was achieved as Easy as Wiping My Darn Nose with Tissue Paper..

I spent my time last evening Stropping 3 of these NOS Cru Steel blades..I Stropped them for around 80 laps a Side..Although NOS these Cru blades deteriorate with time..These blades are around 100 Yrs' Old..You can also bring them back with some Chromium Oxide & a piece of flat balsa wood which is cheap as chips..I have heard many a Folks saying that they have tried these blades & they Tug & are not usable..Well..Thats because they are not shave ready & No other Reason..These Cru Steel Blades are far more sharp than a Current Gem Blade when correctly sharpened & far smoother by a Long Shot..

These Cru Steel Stropping Blades are worth a 100 Current Gem Blades..One of these with Daily Stropping should last 3 to 6 months & after that can be brought back by a little honing with some Chromium Oxide..By the Way..A Monkey can Do this..You Don't need to be a an Expert..I sure Aint..Its So Darned Easy..All that is required is the Patience..Thats it in a Nut Shell..

As you can see in the First Pic the 1912 Cru Blade Combo Knocked Down Two Days of Whiskers in one WTG Pass..I achieved an almost all over BBS Result on my 2nd ATG Pass & my 3rd Pass was more of a Touch Up Job..These Blades are just so Darn Comfortable & Smooth as Icing on a Cake..A Current Gem Blade Just isn't Fit to Lick their Boots..I hear folks talkin about Traditional Wet Shaving this & That & Knocking Modern Cartridge Systems as if its not Real Wet Shaving..If we follow that line of thought through to its Logical Conclusion then Everybody that is Shaving with a 1912 with a Current Gem Blade is about the same thing as shaving with a Cartridge head on a DE Handle..

I don't follow that line of thought I have to say..I have went on about this many times..A Current Gem Blade is not Harsh..Its the Current Gem Blade & Older 1912 Comb geometry that is All Wrong..These Older SE s were designed to take these Older Stropping Blades with a Thicker Spine..The blade is far more Rigid as Well and of course hasn't a Mult Faceted Factory Made Cutting Edge..You can Replicate the correct angle with Shimming..See this thread of Mine..
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...x2yaguzDW1HqNZGM69lrAg&bvm=bv.114733917,d.ZWU

This works well..But if you want the Best from your 1912 then the Original Cru Blade is the Way to Go with the Traditional Stropping Methods..This is not a YMMV thing..This is the Traditional Way..The 1912 is One Almighty Shaver when its used the Traditional Way as it was Intended..You are only Sniffing the Full Potential with a 1912 using a Current Gem Blade..It only requires 30 Laps a Side on a Strop after your shave & its ready to Go..As I mentioned above a Monkey can Do this..Its So Easy to getting into shaving with a 1912 the Traditional Way..


Billy...

Great job, Billy! Your face certainly looks like a baby's bottom in a good way! Nice write up.

My 1912 will never see a Current Gem Blade as long as I have it..

Billy..

Did you buy or make the handle for the blade?

The Stropping handle is from an Ever Ready Lather Catcher..It wouldn't be hard to make one up though because they are not that easy to get your hands on..

Billy..

Does this mean your 1912 has been upgraded from, "Auld Spanner" status?

Yeah..Turbo Charged Up n Rarin Tae Go..

Billy..

Great write-up
I also much prefer using honed and stropped original blades in these beauties

Enjoyed the review.
Interesting commentary about the geometry and blades.
Learn something new everyday.
Never dealt with those types of blades - to be able to compare the results in my SEs.

Stropping might be the easy part....finding the components is a whole different story

Yeah..Hard to Beat for Sure..Very Rewarding as Well..


Billy..

That set up is too cool.

Great post, I have some Ever Ready razors and a rake of Star cru Steel blades, I have tried them in the past but I think they died in the box. I fully agree that the old steel is better, and reading this post gave me the inspiration to have another go with the Ever Ready so I made a stropping handle today based on your picture I only have to try and get a blade shave ready.



Dave

I wouldn't put a number on how many laps on the strop as it takes what it takes..I would suggest sets of 50 laps a side and take it form there..It may need a further 50 Laps a side & so forth to get it going...After its shave ready around 30 Laps a side will Maintain it depending on the length of you're Strop etc...I use a Macro Lens to look for jagged edges and any Corrosion..If that's the case Chromium Oxide can bring it back if it only Light..Don't concern yourself too much with surface rust as the good metal is below that & stropping will remove it from the edge anyway..


Billy..

Did he just say your face looks like a baby's butt?

Thanks for the advice Billy, do you go straight to leather, I tried the blades I have a little while ago and my blades are a long way off shave ready I was going to start with chromium oxide.

Dave

Hi Dave

Well..Thats depends on the Condition of the Blade..I have went straight to leather with Ones in Mint Condition with No Issues..As you say you sometimes need to start them off with Chromium Oxide..Be carful with that stuff though..You can over Do it & Take the edge clean off..Less is more...

Billy..

Well, I think he did. Actually, I'm quite sure he did.

Come on guys...don't turn this into that.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I thick the blade strop is cool.