A True Honing Challenge

So the last time I went to the barber, he gave me a big job...he wanted me to hone his last razor, a Tamahagane Iwasaki.

He gave me a pretty good test result on the honing on my OWN Tamahagane, so he gave me his to put an edge on. Intimidating.

It a nice little shaver, considerably smaller than mine. Maybe a 9/16 to my 6/8?





I like the blade--it's a nice shape, kind of a French point, and it's a hefty grind. Maybe a 3/4 to 1/2 hollow.

The shave was OK, it pulled a little, and clearly needed honing. So tonight I took a try.

I got out the big Kiita he gave me and worked up a thick slurry.



This is about where you want it. The slurry here is a little dark because this stone is kind of soft, and it released a lot of the yellow into the white slurry.

I honed for a while, until the slurry started to go gray and get thicker.



You can say it's reduced considerably in volume. At this point I added water and brought the slurry back up to the beginning condition.



I honed again, and repeated this process two more times.

Finally, I let the slurry thicken even more.



I honed until the slurry was just a heavy paste and wiped the blade, and I DIDN'T polish on just water...I was finished.

I tested the razor on my arm hair, and very nice--the hair just lay down, defeated. I'm looking forward to the shave test!

Good stuff...

Kawaguchi-Sensei's latest...

Went to the Barber again yesterday, and came back with a couple more pearls of wisdom.

It was time for a haircut yesterday, so I took a bottle of bourbon to the shop, AND my tamahagane straight.

The bourbon was welcome, and the edge on the Tamahagane earned me a rare compliment. My honing was, apparently, 80-90/100...a solid B...and he said "You've gotten pretty good!" So, YAY!

During the haircut we bullshitted about this and that, talked about his new granddaughter, and my trip to the States.

Then we got back around to the honing, and he said my main problem now is proper use of the nagura.

According to him, you have to go through at least three good slurries in the honing of a razor. The initial slurry is there to cut quickly, then, as it breaks down it starts to hone and then, finally, polish. So, if you are honing an edge, you have to keep the slurry heavy or you start polishing before you're ready. This is done by refreshing--when the slurry starts to thicken and darken, you add some water and refresh with the nagura.

You do this until the haze from the slurry is even across the bevel of the razor, no scratch marks, no uneven patches, then you let the slurry start to break down and polish.

The key, then, is making sure that the slurry breaks down at the correct time...

And, of course, this clearly indicates that slurry is vital to the honing of razors on Japanese hones.

This isn't just my barber's style, it's related directly to the history of Japanese honing, and the techniques described by Kousuke Iwasaki.

So...it's all about the slurry!

NOTHING To Do With Shaving...

But damn, am I well loved.

Pan grilled Wagyu beef with sauteed shimeji mushrooms, Bacon and Spinach salad with parmigiano, Fried Shrimp in a mayo sauce on a bed of lettuce, and a can of beer.

All because my wife really loves me a lot...

Just thought I'd share. :D

Satisfaction...

Nothing like it, a great shave off of a great blade that you honed yourself.




It took me a long time to get the Tamahagane Iwasaki straight honed to my satisfaction. It could be the hardness of the steel, or the initial condition, or my own pickiness on this particular blade, but I just couldn't get it done.

But last night, after my umpteenth round on my Japanese naturals (the only stones that will touch this razor, silly as it sounds), I tried the shave and it. was. superlative. Smooth as silk, and soooo sharp. Just what it should have been...and the true test, it was a 24 hour shave (meaning I didn't feel like I needed a shave when it came time to shave again. A rarity for me, indeed.).

A lovely feeling...

Review! And stuff...

Well, I figure it's about time for this...

A good friend over in the far off US sent me a tub of this very nice cream from San Francisco, Nancy Boy Replenishing.

INGREDIENTS: Purified water, potassium myristate (from natural vegetable oils), sodium stearate (from natural vegetable oils), glycerin, cocos nucifera oil (from coconuts), aloe barbadensis leaf juice, avocado oil, pistacia vera seed oil, natural cucumber hydrosol, essential oils, allantoin (from comfrey plant), bitter orange flower extract, cucumber extract, propylene glycol, tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E), methyl gluceth-20 (from corn), polyquaternium-7, methylparaben (anti-microbial), hydroxyethylcellulose (natural stabilizer), propylparaben (anti-microbial).

Now, the good folks at Nancy Boy describe this stuff as all kinds of good for your skin, and I think it is. I've tried it on a few shaves and it REALLY does do wonders for your skin. Moisturizing, revitalizing, soothing...Oh yes. But.

But but but.

It smells like Tzatziki.

What's worse, rather than whipping up to a nice, lathery lather, it makes a thicker, slicker creamier texture.

Like Tzatziki.

So, ok, I understand that it's probably the cucumber oil. They put it in to help with the skin properties, and it really does seem to do some good. And the shaves I've gotten form it are great, no doubt. Smooth, clean, and oh so gentle...faultless, really. But every time I slather it on my face, I keep hearing "Zorba the Greek" and start wanting to shout "Shut that bloody bouzouki up!"

But of course, I'm one who delights in all manifestations of the terpsichorean muse.

So it's a good cream. A GREAT cream, if you can get past the condimentine nature of it. Give it a try at least.

************

And as for last weekend, of course I killed most of it on FF13, but I did manage to get in some honing...More on that later.

But one thing I MUST share...I have more Iwasaki razors!!!! Check out Eastern Smooth: The Store!

Also, regarding Zorba the greek: HERE is something to see...

OPA!

So much to do, so little Motivation...

Man, I'm over my head with shaving stuff...




Honing to do, restoration to do, reviews to write, hones to hunt down...and all I want to do is play Final Fantasy 13 (Just a note: FF13 on the PS3 on a 42in HD LCD screen is PURE FREAKING MAGIC. Eye candy like you wouldn't believe)...

What's a wetshaver to do?

Well...shave, I guess. I got a fantastic one last night from my Iwasaki folder and T&H 1805 cream. You know, it's getting almost too easy. The formula is simple: Iwasaki+Quality lather=perfect shave. It's almost boring...but hey, what am I complaining about? I could be saddled with an electric!

There is new stuff, I guess. My German colleague brought me a ton of Irisch Moos sticks, made of WIN that stuff is...and the vintage Old Spice form my good buddy Greg is AWESOME. Truly great lather...so sad it's so hard to get these days. And then there is the new Coti I got from Belgium but still haven't had time to use...




Oh, and my good buddy in Hawaii (you know who you are) sent me Kousuke Iwasaki's "How to Hone Razors and Kamisori", a book I had only hear about and have been searching for--and he didn't even know I wanted it. How cool is that? Thanks again, man...and I hope I get it translated soon. Though at 25+ pages, don't be looking for it any time soon...

Oh, and there's the local manmade hone I got. Need to try it out and see what's what with that...



Hmmm. What should I do first, guys? Hey--my first poll! Let me know in the comments: What should I do with my long weekend (choose 2)!

1. Start translating Iwasaki's honing book
2. Keep translating the "History and Culture of Shaving in Japan"
2. Test and review the home-made manmade hone
3. Get my W&B For Barber's Use restored and honed
4. Write reviews of my new soaps/creams (Nancy Boy, Old Spice,
5. Call up my carpenter friend and have him take me to the hone mine
6. Try out my new Coticule
7. Something else I haven't thought of yet...

Wow. That is a lot...Any idea where to start?

Happy 2010!

And the vacation ends...not with a bang, but a ridiculously long trip!

well, we made it back from the US with our lives, our luggage, and our sanity (mostly) intact. I got some goodies, too, and had some nice times with my brother introducing him to the madness of straight shaving...

He did take me to a nice little shop where I picked up this beauty:





That's a Wade and Butcher "The Celebrated Hollow Ground For Barber's Use"...huge, 9/8 blade, hollow ground with a barber's notch. Horn scales, bullseye pins and a lovely patina. not bad for a razor that is AT LEAST 130 years old (1880 was the last year the company produced razors).

Then there's this faux frameback from Sheffield, a nice bit of history with a groovy shape.



I also picked up a coticule from Bart at Coticule.be. It's apparently from a stone he picked up, rather than from something at the min,e but it is a nice hard, green stone and I look forward to giving it a try.





I also got some new soaps, creams and stuff, and I'm having ALL KINDS of fun trying them out.

Unfortunately, though, my mom's house has super hard water so I couldn't make a decent lather to save my life...making the shaves with all my new toys much less than pleasant. It makes me glad the water at home is so nice...I got a FANTASTIC shave today with some Vintage Old Spice soap (Thanks Greg!), and a coticule honed Eskiltuna...feels good to be home, indeed.

So how was your holiday?