WetShaving
This is a community of enthusiasts, hobbyists and artisans who enjoy a traditional wet shave: brush, soap, and safety or straight razor. We are a part of the WetShaving community found on Reddit, Discord, and IRC.
New subscribers welcome!
Please visit our wiki, which is always and forever a work in progress.
Check out these alternative front-ends for this server:
https://gem.wetshaving.social/ - a nice modern interface
https://old.wetshaving.social/ - designed to look like old.reddit.com
Our sister Mastodon instance is https://wetshaving.social/.
Community Rules
Rule 1 - Behaviour and Etiquette
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Be Respectful. Do not bully, flame, or harass others.
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Malicious comments are not allowed but heated discussion and salty banter is okay.
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Low effort replies and complaints about content will be removed.
Rule 2 - Content Guidelines
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Mail Calls, Simple Questions, and SOTD posts belong in the recurring weekly threads.
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Posts must have sufficient content to generate a meaningful discussion.
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Images, links, or videos must include additional text that summarizes the topic.
Rule 3 - Reviews and Disclosure
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Use [First Impressions] in the title if your experience with the product is limited.
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Use the [Review] in the title if you can provide comprehensive details with enough familiarity to answer follow-up questions.
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Disclose how the product being reviewed was acquired (e.g., PIF, loan, or purchase). If the product was provided to you directly by the maker or vendor free of charge or at a discount, you must disclose this fact even if the item will later be returned to the maker or vendor.
Rule 4 - Advertising
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Vendors are to keep marketing within the biweekly Deals/New Products threads.
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Non-vendors may post topics about products if it will foster a compelling discussion.
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Do not solicit donations or share fundraisers without mod approval.
Rule 5 - Inappropriate Content
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All NSFW/L content must request mod approval and be flaired appropriately.
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Non-shaving related NSFW/L content is not allowed.
Rule 10 - Moderator Discretion
- The rules may not apply perfectly to every situation. The mods have final discretion.
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September 12, 2023
Brush: Wald Stratos Haunter 29mm A1
Razor: Ralf Aust 5/8 Full Hollow Spanish Point (Straight Shave 324)
Lather: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Soap (47)
Post Shave: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Aftershave
Post Shave: Thayers - Rose - Toner
Fragrance: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Eau de Parfum
3 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
This was the same setup as yesterday but with a refreshed edge. I'm trying a new finishing stone the Black Shadow. This is a natural slate stone, and like all whetstones, you need to learn its personality. Yesterday, I thought my shave was comfortable but should have been closer for a 3-pass shave.
So, last night I took the razor back to the Black Shadow [I mean, you gotta love that name] to see if I could get the edge sharper while maintaining the same level of smoothness.
The stone certainly had more to give. I was able to get sharpness to the same point I can get a Jnat without any degradation to overall edge quality. Today's shave was, again, very comfortable and is fully BBS.
I've seen at least one other person using water with dish soap on a stone. What's the purpose of this? Breaking the surface tension?
Yes. Exactly right. On very hard, flat stones the edge will tend to stick when using plain water. This stickiness can stop movement of the razor across the stone and always impedes a smooth sharpening motion. Many sharpeners use this as a sign that the edge is as sharp as it can get, so they stop. I interpret it as an increase in friction as water is pushed away between the edge and the stone. This messes up my feel for the edge as I move the razor. A tiny amount of dish washing detergent [I used to use glycerin] solves this problem and lets me use sharpness testing to determine where to stop.
Thanks, I see!