Just got my first straight, what next?

[Godfather]

Here..
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiNnZqK0IrQAhWaHsAKHScuBMoQFghLMAE&url=http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/3M_Lapping_Film.html&usg=AFQjCNEPXka8TUCc5xcihnnV7uZ4TVDz8A&sig2=vAJMFuFK2tRkHWqKGPLNGw

A Good Progression is 15, 12, 9, 5, 3, 1...In Fact its the Dogs Danglies...The 0.5 is Tricky to Use..I Stopped Using it..But Hey that me Talkin...That Said I would Leave 0.5 Till Later then Try it if You Want...To Be Honest the 1 Micron on a Cushion will be Around 0.5 Micron anyway in Terms of a Polished Refined Edge as a Finishing Hone..The 15 Micron Chro/Ox is a Good Enough Bevel Setter..

Billy

As always a big thank you..

 

[Godfather]

I will send you the above third of a sheet & 99p offcut set-up @Godfather , in exchange for your Naniwa 12k

I do love a good ol deal!

 

[Lord Fatboy]

A German 5/8 Razor, made in Wald, Solingen, seemingly some time in the period 1911-1923 for a Chinese-American importer, M. Jung of New York. Decorated with beautiful Chinese characters - and once honed - shaving beautifully, I still cannot believe this razor was less than 5 quid. It came shave-ready, but (so far) I find I like a real sharp-shooter edge, so I re-honed it a week ago, and it's become my daily razor.
[Naniwa 1k, lapping film (1.8k-4k-8k-14k-50k approximately) with some stropping in-between the last 2 steps, then 100 laps on a Charnley
]

 

[Godfather]

A German 5/8 Razor, made in Wald, Solingen, seemingly some time in the period 1911-1923 for a Chinese-American importer, M. Jung of New York. Decorated with beautiful Chinese characters - and once honed - shaving beautifully, I still cannot believe this razor was less than 5 quid. It came shave-ready, but (so far) I find I like a real sharp-shooter edge, so I re-honed it a week ago, and it's become my daily razor.
[Naniwa 1k, lapping film (1.8k-4k-8k-14k-50k approximately) with some stropping in-between the last 2 steps, then 100 laps on a Charnley
]View attachment 3705 View attachment 3706 View attachment 3707

Lovely razor my friend, very nice indeed. How does the Charnley perform?

 

[Lord Fatboy]

Lovely razor my friend, very nice indeed. How does the Charnley perform?

It's quite glassy, so it *really* polishes the bevel. Next time I use it (probably tomorrow), I think I'll try to really push it, and do more like 300 laps or 10 minutes with the Charn. TBH, the 0.3 film does *a lot* of the polishing, but - in my limited, dozen razor experience - it gets to a point of diminishing returns, while the Charn just keeps polishing. (There is a 0.025 lapping film I think, but I don't know if that could have any effect). I maxed out a ZY and a Gold Dollar blade with that same 1k-Charnley progression. The GD was a bit harsh, while the ZY was really good & smooth.

 

[Godfather]

It's quite glassy, so it *really* polishes the bevel. Next time I use it (probably tomorrow), I think I'll try to really push it, and do more like 300 laps or 10 minutes with the Charn. TBH, the 0.3 film does *a lot* of the polishing, but - in my limited, dozen razor experience - it gets to a point of diminishing returns, while the Charn just keeps polishing. (There is a 0.025 lapping film I think, but I don't know if that could have any effect). I maxed out a ZY and a Gold Dollar blade with that same 1k-Charnley progression. The GD was a bit harsh, while the ZY was really good & smooth.

Thanks

 

[Lord Fatboy]

Apparently, according to a Chinese friend, it says "Gong brand shaving knife, steel mouthed edge of extreme sharpness".
(Gong (鑼, as in the musical instrument) brand shaving knife (razor blade) steel mouth ( steel edge) of extreme sharpness")

 

[Nishy]

A German 5/8 Razor, made in Wald, Solingen, seemingly some time in the period 1911-1923 for a Chinese-American importer, M. Jung of New York. Decorated with beautiful Chinese characters - and once honed - shaving beautifully, I still cannot believe this razor was less than 5 quid. It came shave-ready, but (so far) I find I like a real sharp-shooter edge, so I re-honed it a week ago, and it's become my daily razor.
[Naniwa 1k, lapping film (1.8k-4k-8k-14k-50k approximately) with some stropping in-between the last 2 steps, then 100 laps on a Charnley
]View attachment 3705 View attachment 3706 View attachment 3707

Gong razors that I've owned have always delivered an excellent shave.

 

[Lord Fatboy]

This weeny wee 9" strop came from an auction site (3quid). The draw was dry and "sticky", so I added a ton of marula oil (not a true oil, a very absorbent, light & non-greasy vegetable extract) & rolled it a few times with a glass wrapped in cloth. The draw is now excellent and it turned the beigy flesh-tone to an 'antique' brown.

 

[Lord Fatboy]

Speaking of which - both in one place (^_-). Keith goes off on the Doc

:-

It's be quicker to ask which honing & stropping vids I don't watch, but I think, after Keith Johnson my all time favourite is Dr Matt. He's the Dr Bill Nye of honing ... Very thorough, where others, no matter how skilled, often leave stuff out because they assume you know it (viz. A common comment under "beginner" shaving videos is "what is a pass?". He would tell you - at length - what a pass is)

 

[UKRob]

Speaking of which - both in one place (^_-). Keith goes off on the Doc

:-

I gave up on that after about 5 minutes - it didn't seem to be going anywhere and I also got fed up with his voice. It's just tape - there's no real disagreement as to what it does - some people prefer to use it, some don't bother. Trying to make out that there is a big issue between those that do and those that don't is just nonsense.

 

[Lord Fatboy]

I gave up on that after about 5 minutes - it didn't seem to be going anywhere and I also got fed up with his voice. It's just tape - there's no real disagreement as to what it does - some people prefer to use it, some don't bother. Trying to make out that there is a big issue between those that do and those that don't is just nonsense.

You should have stuck with it. At 6 minutes and 17 seconds he revealed the secret of eternal youth, at 8 minutes and 4 seconds how to turn base metals into gold, and at 9 minutes and 37 seconds made a sound so sublime that all who heard it were transformed into beings of pure light. You usually have to give your credit card details for that sort of thing.

 

[Lord Fatboy]

New wedge to play with (pic heavy) : -

This 11/16ths wedge (probably lost a wee bit since I first measured it) arrived today - £7.80 on the auction site - and I gave it a very quick clean up 500g sandpaper & 240g polishing stones. The scales cleaned up really nice. I got the chips out of the edge (slight smile), then looked at the edge through a x60 loupe. No pitting near the edge, so I'm gonna do a wee bit more clean-up and try setting the bevel tomorrow. I did a few stokes with it on the Naniwa 1k & it lies pretty flat as far as I can tell. There isn't as much spine hone-wear as the first pic suggests, so I'll use tape (which makes sense to me, working with a wedge to create a bevel)

I've seen these J. Allen blades in a few forums, and there doesn't seem to be any consensus as to whether they are the same as Joseph Allen & Sons (of Non XLL fame), but I don't really care. We'll see how it shaves. I may work on the water spots, and bring the shine up a bit, but maybe not, as I sortof like it like this (and have a half dozen other blades that need re-scaled after Xmas). The grind is off centre, but it's my understanding that is normal with old Sheffields (how old..?) It came with a leather pouch, which is in good nick but could do with a drink of marula oil.

I'm not sure what to do about that split around the pin. The pin is still tight tho'. Any suggestions would be welcome. I had thought of sealing it with epoxy, then putting a sortof small "cuff" detail - covered with burnished copper or bronze leaf - over it, and doing the same to all the ends of the scales. Having cleaned up the scales I'd rather not.

Before

After

 

[Lord Fatboy]

God, I could fill these pages dozens of times over since 2016.
I thought I was in too deep when I got into a group buy for greaseless compound, but this... this is officially "in too deep" -
Wade & Butcher... Ahem "Six Day" set... (^_-)

 

[Irfan]

The shaving is only part of the journey.
Looking after that edge is really important, and I found that difficult at first and, dulled a couple of decent razor blades.
I rarely use mine now, but I'm getting a hankering again.