Honing and Stropping SE blades

After a some false starts honing SE blades, I can say that the method has been perfected. What got me started was my very first SE shave, with a blue PAL carbon blade in the OCMM. It tugged and pulled something AWFUL, and I got to thinking, what can I do to make this blade better?

I took a PAL Blue, taped the spine, and gave it about 10 laps on a lathered barber hone. Light stropping on jeans. The result was an almost unbelievably glassy smooth and comfortable shave with the Micromatic, from a blade I had written off as total crap...

What I didn't realize at the time was that the angle on the 'honing' was all fucked up, as I discovered to my dismay after a marker test - the only thing I really did to the edge was the stropping - and let me tell you, denim jeans work GREAT on carbon SE blades. If you do nothing else, it's a no-brainer.  If you have a hone of barber grade-up, then you can get serious about your edge. Sadly, that's not all there is to it. If you have already, or can obtain a vintage ASR STROPPING HANDLE, then you are GOLDEN!

I paid $12 for mine, which was part of a boxed Damaskeene set. The razor is truly gorgeous and very little used. Problem is, it's fucked because it had an aftermarket blade, SHA-VE-ZEE in it for the better part of a century. Interestingly, those blades are about .07mm bigger than normal GEM blades, which in addition to springing the spring on an otherwise cosmetically gorgeous Damaskeene, got me to thinking that these blades were meant to be honed, as there was quite a bit of extra metal at the edge end... Guess they didn't get the memo about how blades are supposed to quickly wear out and be replaced.

Well I have conducted numerous and ongoing experiments and determined that the vintage unpunched/notched blades take an incredibly sick edge, my current favorite is Ever-Ready Radio Blades. I got three of them included with my chrome cased E-R 1924 travel set, and so far the one I've been using is showing no signs of being ready for the blade slot.

I use 1 piece of electrical tape on the spine of the stropping handle. There are 2 reasons for this: firstly, it will preserve your vintage and in all likelihood irreplaceable handle from hone wear for at least your lifetime. Secundo, it increases the angle on the hone ever so slightly so that only the very cutting edge is honed.

My E-R blades were all pitted and nasty. The good news is that all 3 are totally sound, the pitting very much just surface and the very edge. I cut new bevels on them with the Naniwa 1000, and a few laps was all it took to eliminate the old pitted edge. Then a decent straight-ish progression, King Ice Bear 4k with slurry, then without slurry, C12k with heavy slurry though to clear water. Stropping progression is sham-wow, newspaper, leather. These blades KICK ASS

I feel sorry for all the SE guys who have put up with what they thought were good shaves. They owe it to themselves to see what those razors can do with a blade that is actually SHARP! For me, while the cheapness factor is already quite appealing, the real reason to do it is to make the blades actually sharp - the difference is pretty mindblowing.


And an instructional vid :

HONING:

STROPPING:

GEM Micromatic OC

The "OCMM" is one of the bad boys. Most fear it, which made me really want to give it a try. For a mere $15 delivered with an assortment of blades, I got this fine example of made in USA quality. The GEM takes the single edged blades, like a paint scraper. You should never try blades from Home Depot though, just go to the drug store, Rite Aid and Walgreen's both have them on the shelf.

First, the razor itself is truly a thing of beauty - hold it in your hand, and you will be proud to be an American (if you are one). The heft, the precision, the Art Deco styling, wow.

The first shave was underwhelming. I used one of the PAL Blue blades - and they do indeed suck. I came very close to pitching it halfway through the first (WTG) pass, it was tugging so bad but I decided to tough it out. The verdict is the shave was decent, but in no way spectacular. This razor has a reputation for being badass that is overhyped and undeserved. I suspect that the whimps who cower in fear before this razor and play up its dangers have never even tried the damned thing. The fact is that (for now) I can get a better shave from my Yuma with half the passes. That's right, I said it - my $2.50 Yuma is more badass. But, and this is a pretty significant but, The GEM is truly a beautiful thing. The YUMA is nothing more than a holder for a blade - quite literally - the 'safety' bars are purely decorative.

Shave #2, I used a GEM Personna blade. Waaaay better. Still took 4+ passes to get there, but the GEM delivers. I could get used to this except I'm such a cheapskate and SE blades are 40-50 cents each and there are only a few available options unlike the bountiful (3rd) world of DE. Even so, SE is still waaaaay cheaper than carts. The second shave was good though, as good as 3 passes with the YUMA. Don't be a whimp, the OCMM is nothing to fear.

Pre and Post shave stropping on jeans has resulted in buttery smooth shaves with carbon blades.