Highly recommended starter blade.

bald as

bald as

ARKO! dealer & walking ECG
Joined
May 4, 2015
Location
Adelaide
I picked up 5 Gold Dollars for A$5 each from a Hong Kong seller to practice honing. They come in varying condition but certainly not shave ready.
 
The ZY [the ones that I have honed] have been excellent. If you get one I will hone it for you or teach you how to hone it.
 
OK this is seriously tempting me. Full hollow? Shoulderless? That would have to be the cheapest stainless steel razor money can buy! I know Gold Dollars are cheaper but they're not stainless and the photos of this one look pretty good. I like the idea of stainless (one less thing to worry about...) and I'm hearing that the only real difference is it just takes a bit longer to hone?

@bald as - thanks for posting this but can you round out the picture for us beginners? I love my Feather AC and with over 100 shaves under my belt it is now faster and better than a DE shave because of the width and the fact I don't have to rinse the lather off every couple of strokes. But it doesn't "sing" like I can hear a full hollow sing on youtube videos. It's more like a wedge I guess - no real flex in the blade which can make it a bit unforgiving but practice has certainly helped overcoming that. So I'd like to try a real straight... but it's the accompanying rabbit hole of strops and hones that for some reason really bugs me. I'm convinced now on straight shaving itself...

What about the beginners set of strops and hones? Have you been going back to setting the bevel on one of these? From other threads I understand a Shapton 1/5/8/12 set would be a complete set together with a roo strop - is that what you would recommend for a decent shave?
 
RazorPlay said:
OK this is seriously tempting me. Full hollow? Shoulderless? That would have to be the cheapest stainless steel razor money can buy! I know Gold Dollars are cheaper but they're not stainless and the photos of this one look pretty good. I like the idea of stainless (one less thing to worry about...) and I'm hearing that the only real difference is it just takes a bit longer to hone?

@bald as - thanks for posting this but can you round out the picture for us beginners? I love my Feather AC and with over 100 shaves under my belt it is now faster and better than a DE shave because of the width and the fact I don't have to rinse the lather off every couple of strokes. But it doesn't "sing" like I can hear a full hollow sing on youtube videos. It's more like a wedge I guess - no real flex in the blade which can make it a bit unforgiving but practice has certainly helped overcoming that. So I'd like to try a real straight... but it's the accompanying rabbit hole of strops and hones that for some reason really bugs me. I'm convinced now on straight shaving itself...

What about the beginners set of strops and hones? Have you been going back to setting the bevel on one of these? From other threads I understand a Shapton 1/5/8/12 set would be a complete set together with a roo strop - is that what you would recommend for a decent shave?
Click to expand...

Oh dear ...

image-300x300.jpeg
 
RazorPlay said:
@bald as - thanks for posting this but can you round out the picture for us beginners? I love my Feather AC and with over 100 shaves under my belt it is now faster and better than a DE shave because of the width and the fact I don't have to rinse the lather off every couple of strokes. But it doesn't "sing" like I can hear a full hollow sing on youtube videos.
Click to expand...

As @Mark1966 correctly pointed out there is a fairly inescapable entrance to the rabbit hole. As you already have the Feather mastered without a need for a strop or hones I would be fairly hypocritical to say the world of straights is significantly better. The feather would probably give a stellar shave. The equal of the straight.

However if you are interested in dipping your toe - more temptation :)

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/272048050932?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I found another example with a small strop. No idea if the strop is much good but it would do for a few shaves. I enjoy honing so if you do get one I will put an edge on it for you so you can at least scratch the itch. You pay shipping which in Australia will be the cost of the razor !! :)
 
bald as said:
As @Mark1966 correctly pointed out there is a fairly inescapable entrance to the rabbit hole. As you already have the Feather mastered without a need for a strop or hones I would be fairly hypocritical to say the world of straights is significantly better. The feather would probably give a stellar shave. The equal of the straight.

However if you are interested in dipping your toe - more temptation :)

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/272048050932?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I found another example with a small strop. No idea if the strop is much good but it would do for a few shaves. I enjoy honing so if you do get one I will put an edge on it for you so you can at least scratch the itch. You pay shipping which in Australia will be the cost of the razor !! :)
Click to expand...
And if you are a real penny pincher, that set is two cents cheaper in aliexpress
 
That pink one is fabulous!
 
OK this is seriously tempting me.
@RazorPlay
just say no! to the YZ's, Gold dollars & the Pakimascus etc blades

just get a decent vintage blade, since you will have to hone it anyway get it honed to shave ready & then maintain it yourself

What about a beginners strop?
you can't go wrong with a Roo strop, it will last you well if you don't cut it, as they are only very thin around the 1mm thick range.
I have made Roo strops for myself, my nephew & my son in-law & they have all been going strong for over 2 years now

Beginner hones?
if you want to maintain a shave ready razor, just stick with a finisher in the 10-16k range like a Naniwa, Sharpton or a Coticule ( the coti is a lower grit but easily used as 1 hone method etc with slurry )
and this will keep you going for many years

is that what you would recommend for a decent shave?
Yes this is what I honestly recommend for a basic self maintenance set up.

But if you want learn to fully hone, restore or repair blades then get the lower grit hones & some YZ's or Gold dollars or whatever scrap you find & grind away to your hearts content
Note: learning to fix geometry issues while learning to hone at the same time is a lot harder, please believe me been there & done that learning solo in isolation
This is JMHO & YMMV
 
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