Shaving with an SE Wedge Blade

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Three Pass Shaving Routine...:cool:

Hot Water prep & massage with Argan Oil
Rolls Razor
Rolls Wedge Blade NOS
Kent Pure Badger
Monsavon Bol Tallow Soap
Thayers Original Witch Hazel

As I mentioned above I just got the Rolls this Morning..I just had a 3 Pass shave with it tonight & ended up with the Dolphin Smooth BBS Shave of my Life..Here is the thing..I sharpened this NOS blade by Stropping it outwith the Rolls System just to Demonstrate how easy it should be to get one of these blades shave ready if its in good condition & not been damaged by oxidisation or been neglected..I know what some folks may be thinking..Billy just got an NOS Rolls today that's never been used..Well..That was one of the reasons why I never used my Rolls System to get this blade shave ready..:confused:

I used some tape as you can see above because there isn't a stropping handle that Fits this blade..I stropped it 30 Laps a side on the Nylon side of the strop & then a further 70 Laps a side on the Leather..Bobs Your Uncle..It was as Simple as That..The Point being its the condition of your blade that is important here when you purchase one of these..NOS or Not..You can get an NOS Blade with a Rolls & it still might need more work than I got away with here because of Oxidazation Damage or Neglect..It might need the Bevel reset outside the System as I have mentioned in this Thread above..:p

If your fortunate enough as I was today then you should have your Blade up & Running within a very short period of time indeed..I could have got this blade ready within the Rolls System after some Minor Restoration Work to the Hone & Strop Pads but this will only happen if you have a decent blade & that is my whole point here..I hear a lot of folks saying that they cant get their blades sharp enough..That's only because it needs further restoration before you even start to use the Rolls System..Your blade needs honed outwith the System if that's the case..If you cant get your blade just about shave ready as I did today then the chances are that the Rolls System wont bring it back..o_O

You don't need to do what I did today of course if you have a Functional blade..Your Rolls Shaving System will suffice but only if your blade is in excellent condition..I have mentioned this before & I am going to mention it again..;)

The Rolls System was designed to maintain a shave ready blade..Not necessarily to get it shave ready..This is a common misunderstanding.. :eek:

Moreover..You also need to purchase a Rolls with both pads in excellent condition & you need to restore them as I have mentioned earlier in this thread..In short Don't try to cut corners when purchasing one of these..At the Current prices its even Affordable to buy a couple of them to get what you need & put a good one together..I hope I have shown today how easy it should be to get one of these up & running..If you do find that you need to get a blade Honed outwith the System Don't let that put you off..Just send it to someone that can do that for you & your Rolls System should be able to maintain it Indefinitely..:D


Billy
 
Could you please answer this 'stroppy' bloke a question?
When I got this, the auction stated something but I have completely forgotten what it was.
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Do we know if the green film is something that is added to use?
Do we know if it is like a honing sheet perhaps?
Or do we think it might be there to protect the 'stuff' on the honing stone.
 
Could you please answer this 'stroppy' bloke a question?
When I got this, the auction stated something but I have completely forgotten what it was.
View attachment 17057
Do we know if the green film is something that is added to use?
Do we know if it is like a honing sheet perhaps?
Or do we think it might be there to protect the 'stuff' on the honing stone.
Someone has Modified that Hone Pad with some Lapping Film for Honing..Its possible to do that but I have some reservation's about it..Lapping Film needs to be on a Super Flat Surface or you are Up a Gum Tree..That could be done of course but not directly on top of the original Hone Pad I don't Reckon..It also requires water that is going to get into the Rolls mechanism..o_O

It also has a Shelf Life as Well..The Rolls System puts a fair bit of downward pressure on those pads..Not necessary the edge of the blade but the mechanism as a whole..In theory its sound but in practice it may be Another Matter..I would also add that the Hone in the Rolls is more than sufficient to Do the Job..;)

Billy
 
Billy, great write up, I don't own a strop, is there anything in the house I can use instead, like an old belt?
You don't require a strop with the Rolls System..I used this method today to demonstrate how easy it should be to get a Blade Shave Ready if its in Good Condition..That said this is my own way of doing things anyway..There are No Right & Wrongs here..:)

To answer your Question though..You can indeed use a Leather Belt for Stropping these blades as they are not that wide..I didn't want to complicate things here but I use a Leather Strop outwith the Rolls System to finish my blades off with about 10 gentle strokes..I am getting to personal things here now though..Here is a Lovely Wee Double Sided Strop that is more than Adequate for Stropping & using Chromium Oxide with SE Hollow Ground Blades..:D
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131733398211?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Billy
 
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Great stuff, and for honing do I need a grit stone (which I don't have)? or you mentioned a glass surface?
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There are a Number of ways this can be done ..I have Lapping Film for honing which I am learning to use..Its probably the cheapest way & some say as good as good as anyway..Like stones it comes in different grades..o_O

This Guy here..Slash McCoy is where I got a lot of Intel..He got me into SE Hollow Ground Razors & Gold Dollar Straight's..Don't let this Video Fool You..This is a Master at work..He says Nothing..Just Burbs & Farts..:)

Billy
 
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Three Pass Shaving Routine...:cool:

Hot Water prep & massage with Argan Oil
Gem G Bar Junior Lather Catcher
Star Cru Steel Blade
Leon Hardy Pure Badger
Monsavon Bol Tallow Soap
Thayers Original Witch Hazel

I just had the most Wonderful Shave of my Life with My Gem G Bar Junior with an Original Cru Steel Stropping Blade Today..These Blades are just so Darn Comfortable & Smooth as Icing on a Cake..A Current Gem Blade Just isn't Fit to Lick their Boots..The G bar Junior is a Mild razor but with these Original Stropping Blades it about as Twice as Loud as a Current Gem Blade & a Darn Site more Comfortable..:rolleyes:

The G Bar Junior with a Freshly Stropped Cru Steel Blade is more forgiving than a Modern Cardridge Razor..You can literally paint your face with this thing without any Burn or Irritation..The G Bar Junior shaves very well with a Current Gem Blade with a Full Gem Spine as Shim but it aint as Half as Smooth..This works well..But if you want the Best from your G Bar Junior then the Original Cru Blade is the Way to Go with the Traditional Stropping Methods..Around 40 Laps a Side after you shave & you are good to Go..I am using a Stropping Handle here but you can also get a hold of an Ever Ready or Gem 1912 Auto Strop that will Do the same Job..o_O

The Post Shave Feeling with these Cru Steel Blades is Like Velvet..It feels Akin to the feeling after shaving with a Hollow Ground or Wedge Blade..You just cant get this Sorta Feeling with a Current Gem Blade in these Older Stropping Blade SE Razors..If you want the Best from your Older SEs this is the Way to Go..You will Reap the Rewards..I was laughing today when I was shaving with the G Bar Junior because this thing is over a 100 years Old & its more forgiving & Smoother than a Top Dollar Modern Cartridge System..;)

Oh..Yeah..A Darn Site more comfortable & Easier to use than that New-Fangled OneBlade..:D

Billy
 
:D
This is just fun.
OK, so, I am working away at the Rolls.
I need to get a handle for the SE blades.
Now, the HELJESTRAND blades. I don't have the stropping handle.
I shall keep an eye out for one, but I suspect they are what goes missing most commonly.
Is there a standard way of stropping these with out the handle?
I can't find a picture of a blade in one.
Wondering what I need to tape to it? One piece of tape? a bit of 2x2?
 
Tonights shave
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Razor: Rolls
Brush: 24mm Pure Black WD
Soap: MWF
AS: VIBR

Tonight I had my 4th shave with the Rolls. I have been Using the Rolls to keen the edge at night.
I did a 4 pass shave with it. I normally do not go 4 passes but I was having so much fun and the blade was cutting fine. Why not.

As always the MWF makes a nice slick lather. First pass WTG went pretty good. I need to work on going around and down my jaw and chin. I am not very smooth doing this yet. No weepers or anything so that is great.

Second pass XTG and my new diagonal cuts only jaw. went pretty good. The reduction is not what I have come to expect from my SE's. It is a learning curve i believe.

Third and fourth pass went ATG. No drama there either. I finished my shave with a DFS. There are a few areas that if I were using another razor I would have done a cleanup. As this one is so new to me I did not want to press my luck.

Very fun razor to use. It makes me really concentrate. This will find its way into my rotation for sure.

Tom
 
Tonights shave
25471757360_bbaa78de53_c.jpg

Razor: Rolls
Brush: 24mm Pure Black WD
Soap: MWF
AS: VIBR

Tonight I had my 4th shave with the Rolls. I have been Using the Rolls to keen the edge at night.
I did a 4 pass shave with it. I normally do not go 4 passes but I was having so much fun and the blade was cutting fine. Why not.

As always the MWF makes a nice slick lather. First pass WTG went pretty good. I need to work on going around and down my jaw and chin. I am not very smooth doing this yet. No weepers or anything so that is great.

Second pass XTG and my new diagonal cuts only jaw. went pretty good. The reduction is not what I have come to expect from my SE's. It is a learning curve i believe.

Third and fourth pass went ATG. No drama there either. I finished my shave with a DFS. There are a few areas that if I were using another razor I would have done a cleanup. As this one is so new to me I did not want to press my luck.

Very fun razor to use. It makes me really concentrate. This will find its way into my rotation for sure.

Tom
If you want a really close shave, you should try that new Bunny V3 thing, Tom :p:p
'Notso' comb and Chinese Schick (5) for me today and I'll have to skip a shave again tomorrow :D
 
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