I’ve always said, gotta make the light saber before becoming a Jedi… and why wouldn’t you? Honing is a necessary, and essential element to straight razor shaving. The problem is some of these honing gurus have over mystified and complicated the process. It’s not that complicated, IMO.
“Making the light saber”….Love it. Maybe I will borrow that. Nothing wrong with a self proclaimed and self made guru until their arrogance gets in the way. We can agree that a straight shaver must find his own way. I like to say that I am a ‘shameless technique thief’, If I find something someone else does that works for me, I make it my own.
That ) glorious soap 🧼 Bill , your lather looked perfect ....I need to add a Ti , I've only a little ⅝ Ti faux tortoiseshell. ( unused ) Honing your own edges is such a great satisfaction, whichever method is used . 👌. ( Happy New Year Bill !)
@@Martins-Shaves123 I think you would like one of these 7/8 TI razors. They won’t have the flexibility or shave feel of a Filarmonica, but the edge lasts nice once you get it to your liking. I’ll be watching.
Happy New Year Bill, used Stirling Electric Sheep yesterday and it is very good, very slick. Smells better than Scotch Pine, but I like it as well. Great Soaps. Keep well…Cheers from Nova Scotia..MikeR.😊
Happy New Year Mike. Electric Sheep can be polarizing. The citronella type scent is not for everyone, nor is Pine. Either is better than the unscented.
Lovely shave Bill I think that the synthetic progression that I do works well with a flat hone finishers whether its natural or synthetic both have pro's and cons. Happy New year.
Thanks Gordon. To borrow the phrase from Longhaultanker, “a Jedi needs to make his own Lightsaber”. A straight shaver needs to find his own razor maintenance routine. Happy New Year
I just subscribed when I saw a video of your convex stones. I have the convex plate from Jarrod. How long did it take to put a convex shape on your black Ark? Any tips? Thanks.
Hi Peter. Welcome to the world of convex honing and to my channel. My black ark was one that Jarrod initially shaped on the granite plate he hand fashioned. I can’t account for the time he put in there, but after he did a few and sold them, he determined there would be no more. After I got the Jarrod Plate, I reshaped that stone there. I guess I probably worked on it for at least 10 hours using a 60+80 grit wet/dry augmented with 60 grit silicone carbide powder. The 2x6 trans ark was done from flat in maybe 5 hours, but I used a diamond plate for some rough freehand cutting to remove bulk. The Suehiro 20K Gokumyo is harder to shape than soft arks, but not as bad as hard arks. If my black ark were no more, I’d probably try to replace it with a 2x8x1 black, or a 2x10x1 if I could find it. I like the length over the width. Good luck.
I've shaped a Shapton 1000 and a Morihei 6000 and 9000 which were fairly easy. I've started a 2X6X1/2 black ark. I need to decide whether to abandon this stone and get a 3/4 or 1 inch thick stone or to continue. I'm a knife enthusiast who enjoys sharpening different steels. The challenge of straight razors is what made me start wet shaving. I've owned a few black and translucent arks for years. I now have a new appreciation for these stones. Thanks for your reply and I look forward to seeing more of your videos.
@@peterwiltshire6254 I have used an EdgePro Apex for knives for years. I was never successful freehanding knives. I lusted after one of the newer more feature laden rod guide systems many times, but am never able to justify the cost. I have done synthetic stones of numerous types and have a set of Norton 1” stones that I want to do this year. The ease that synthetics shape up is always balanced by the need to do the surface shape maintenance. Arks will be highly resistant to wear. I think Jarrod said recently that he has not seen the need to reshape his 3x10 black ark and I know he has probably done thousands of razors on it. Bill
If you use convex stones you will eat the steel of all the blade damaging the center of the blade beggining to be too thin! The blade will flect and lose strenght! On an extra full hollow!! In the other grinds is possible but there are no advantages! If it was so conpanies will stop produci ng straight stones🙂↕️
Please, never try to use another convexed stone again. If YOU damaged the center of the blade on YOUR razor doing this YOURSELF, YOU completely lack the understanding and the skill to use such tools. YOU should leave these things to people who ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND grinding and sharpening using wheels. I am never surprised at the level of incompetence that people who know everything have. After you have made such huge honing mistake, I suggest that you learn how to properly flatten your stones only with precision DMT lapping plates, carefully tape the spine with electrical and laptop tape, and then make sure you learn to use the correct pressure and specified number repetitions. Also, never buy a razor from one of the old line razor makers, they use wheels. You should stick with mostly wedge razors too. Only then, and after you practice this for a couple of years, I am sure you will be happy and be just fine. BUT, you will NEVER be able to get a razor that shaves as well as what I can. Sorry, but these are just the facts!
Hi Bill, Happy New Year! Thanks much for the mention and thanks so much for honing the Gold Dollar. Excited to try it out again. And you’re perfectly correct…. that will be a great razor to learn to hone with if I choose to go in that direction. Still learning and still getting that sense of accomplishment after most shaves. Funny though, some shaves go well and some don’t. I still experience skipping and pulling at times. Best regards, and again, Happy New Year!
Thanks Glenn and happy New Year to you. On my ‘to do list’, I will still be making you a couple of shaped strops. I have the materials, but my new e-biking hobby got in the way this summer. I’ll let you know.
I’ve always said, gotta make the light saber before becoming a Jedi… and why wouldn’t you? Honing is a necessary, and essential element to straight razor shaving. The problem is some of these honing gurus have over mystified and complicated the process. It’s not that complicated, IMO.
“Making the light saber”….Love it. Maybe I will borrow that.
Nothing wrong with a self proclaimed and self made guru until their arrogance gets in the way.
We can agree that a straight shaver must find his own way.
I like to say that I am a ‘shameless technique thief’, If I find something someone else does that works for me, I make it my own.
That ) glorious soap 🧼 Bill , your lather looked perfect ....I need to add a Ti , I've only a little ⅝ Ti faux tortoiseshell. ( unused ) Honing your own edges is such a great satisfaction, whichever method is used . 👌.
( Happy New Year Bill !)
@@Martins-Shaves123
I think you would like one of these 7/8 TI razors. They won’t have the flexibility or shave feel of a Filarmonica, but the edge lasts nice once you get it to your liking. I’ll be watching.
Hi Bill! Awesome shave video my friend! Happy New Year!
Thanks Joe. Happy Long Island New Year.
Hey Bill. Happy new year. Those are some really nice looking razors. Your approach to perfecting an edge is impressingly scientific.
Thanks Johan. Maybe the instruments have a scientific approach, but I think honing is a skill that greatly relies on human sensations.
@@billm.2677 ..and a structured scientific approach in your case
Happy New Year Bill, used Stirling Electric Sheep yesterday and it is very good, very slick. Smells better than Scotch Pine, but I like it as well. Great Soaps. Keep well…Cheers from Nova Scotia..MikeR.😊
Happy New Year Mike. Electric Sheep can be polarizing. The citronella type scent is not for everyone, nor is Pine. Either is better than the unscented.
Lovely shave Bill I think that the synthetic progression that I do works well with a flat hone finishers whether its natural or synthetic both have pro's and cons. Happy New year.
Thanks Gordon. To borrow the phrase from Longhaultanker, “a Jedi needs to make his own Lightsaber”. A straight shaver needs to find his own razor maintenance routine. Happy New Year
Hey there! Excellent tips and advice thank you very much 👍
Thanks for tuning in Justin
Learnt a lot watching that , thanks and Subscribed .
Thanks Peter, just a guy sharing his thoughts here.
Nice shave, and good talk, my friend!
Thanks Mike. Good to hear from you.
@@billm.2677 👍😊👌
I just subscribed when I saw a video of your convex stones. I have the convex plate from Jarrod. How long did it take to put a convex shape on your black Ark? Any tips? Thanks.
Hi Peter. Welcome to the world of convex honing and to my channel. My black ark was one that Jarrod initially shaped on the granite plate he hand fashioned. I can’t account for the time he put in there, but after he did a few and sold them, he determined there would be no more. After I got the Jarrod Plate, I reshaped that stone there. I guess I probably worked on it for at least 10 hours using a 60+80 grit wet/dry augmented with 60 grit silicone carbide powder.
The 2x6 trans ark was done from flat in maybe 5 hours, but I used a diamond plate for some rough freehand cutting to remove bulk. The Suehiro 20K Gokumyo is harder to shape than soft arks, but not as bad as hard arks.
If my black ark were no more, I’d probably try to replace it with a 2x8x1 black, or a 2x10x1 if I could find it. I like the length over the width. Good luck.
I've shaped a Shapton 1000 and a Morihei 6000 and 9000 which were fairly easy. I've started a 2X6X1/2 black ark. I need to decide whether to abandon this stone and get a 3/4 or 1 inch thick stone or to continue. I'm a knife enthusiast who enjoys sharpening different steels. The challenge of straight razors is what made me start wet shaving. I've owned a few black and translucent arks for years. I now have a new appreciation for these stones. Thanks for your reply and I look forward to seeing more of your videos.
@@peterwiltshire6254
I have used an EdgePro Apex for knives for years. I was never successful freehanding knives. I lusted after one of the newer more feature laden rod guide systems many times, but am never able to justify the cost. I have done synthetic stones of numerous types and have a set of Norton 1” stones that I want to do this year. The ease that synthetics shape up is always balanced by the need to do the surface shape maintenance. Arks will be highly resistant to wear. I think Jarrod said recently that he has not seen the need to reshape his 3x10 black ark and I know he has probably done thousands of razors on it. Bill
If you use convex stones you will eat the steel of all the blade damaging the center of the blade beggining to be too thin! The blade will flect and lose strenght! On an extra full hollow!! In the other grinds is possible but there are no advantages! If it was so conpanies will stop produci ng straight stones🙂↕️
Please, never try to use another convexed stone again. If YOU damaged the center of the blade on YOUR razor doing this YOURSELF, YOU completely lack the understanding and the skill to use such tools. YOU should leave these things to people who ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND grinding and sharpening using wheels. I am never surprised at the level of incompetence that people who know everything have.
After you have made such huge honing mistake, I suggest that you learn how to properly flatten your stones only with precision DMT lapping plates, carefully tape the spine with electrical and laptop tape, and then make sure you learn to use the correct pressure and specified number repetitions. Also, never buy a razor from one of the old line razor makers, they use wheels. You should stick with mostly wedge razors too. Only then, and after you practice this for a couple of years, I am sure you will be happy and be just fine.
BUT, you will NEVER be able to get a razor that shaves as well as what I can. Sorry, but these are just the facts!
Hi Bill, Happy New Year! Thanks much for the mention and thanks so much for honing the Gold Dollar. Excited to try it out again. And you’re perfectly correct…. that will be a great razor to learn to hone with if I choose to go in that direction. Still learning and still getting that sense of accomplishment after most shaves. Funny though, some shaves go well and some don’t. I still experience skipping and pulling at times. Best regards, and again, Happy New Year!
Thanks Glenn and happy New Year to you. On my ‘to do list’, I will still be making you a couple of shaped strops. I have the materials, but my new e-biking hobby got in the way this summer. I’ll let you know.
@@billm.2677 Fantastic! You are too nice!