So let's start with the razors.
My main tester is a Genco Fluid Steel. The edge is essentially good, but it wasn't quite keen enough for me so I took it through a 5K/8K pyramid on my Naniwa super stones and got it to a very fine shaving edge. I shaved off of it at 8K and got an excellent edge.
So this one will be me test blade. I'm going to polish it on my Nakayama using the different nagura, and see if I can notice any difference.
First up: the Nagura my barber gave me.
This is a very hard stone, and looks identical to the Nakayama itself in color and texture. Using my barber's method, I gave the Genco 20 passes on heavy slurry, then slowly diluted, a la Bart's Dilucot method, and finished on water only.
The shave was good. Smooth, but not as keen as it should have been (the edge off the 8K was quite sharp.). I'll have to work on technique, perhaps...well, not actually perhaps...for sure!
My plan is to give this one a couple more test shaves, then polish it out on the 8K and then move to the Mejiro.
***
The other test is a bit less controlled.
I have this razor.
It's nice looking, isn't it? It's Japanese made, but marked "Imported steel" on the tail...meaning it's most likely Swedish steel (that's what everyone seems to use--good steel...). I was trying to hone it but making NO progress...it was like it was immune to the stones. I mentioned this to Glen/Gssixgun on SRP, and he said that Swedish steel can be a real SOB to hone because it's so hard. He recommended I try slurry on my $K to help cut it...and a little light went on.
Nagura time!
I got out my Botan, which according to the site where I got it, "Has a strong honing effect...and is speedy on carpenter's tools" (It also smells really really good. Like...GOOD> Weird, I know, for a rock, but it's true). The folks I bought it from said they are all ok for razors, so that's no worry. Speedy and strong sounded just the ticket, so I slurried up my King 4K and went to town.
Again, I hit the Dilucot method. I gave the razor a few sets of ten, and BOOM, it was cutting arm hairs. It hadn't done that at ALL before...and now, I was getting super smooth action. Joy! I finished out the dilucot and that edge was KEEN.
Again, I hit it on the 8K as well, botan slurry with the dilucot method, and that edge....Fantastic. I shaved with it last night, at got a BBS with no irritation. Off an 8K edge with no stropping...amazing. Glen is a GENIUS, as is Bart, and this Botan is my new best friend!
No comments:
Post a Comment