Honing a Thiers Issard Dominator French Straight Razor for George of Long Island City NY 08.30.2024

buy honing service; thesuperiorshave.com/product/honingforhire/

[@seanstapelfeld]

Wonderful video Jarrod, always learn something new

[@thesuperiorshave]

thank u Sean, glad u liked it!

[@dnamol]

... just waiting.. 😃 Good one Jarrod, happy weekend.

[@thesuperiorshave]

thank you I am going to go ahead and pay the Chinese people to make me a little ~perma-shaped diamond stone. Unfortunately it is reality of the situation that if you bought 500pcs from them and sold them and asked to buy more that your friendly supplier would then become your unfriendly competitor, but the 500 pcs of a very useful object would already be out there, and for what they'll cost I could just include them 'for free' (free with purchase, of course) of a new straight razor, the hope being that in a year or two they'd finally make the en masse forum folks realize how silly it is to suggest that an absolutely otherwise identical flat bevel can similarly shave to a mostly-concaved version of the same {that would, in my opinion, help sell razors, which are a LOT more important than selling whetstones for the future of this "industry" if you can call such a thing with

[@dnamol]

@thesuperiorshave sorry to say it, but looking at the forums, I don't see the masses being converted. However, I sincerely hope I am wrong.. as for me, well I, for one, get better results with convexed stones, and in the end, that is all that matters (to me).

[@thesuperiorshave]

There's got to be regular forum users that just won't say, after all I have ordered 670pcs of the lapping plate, I have 3pcs myself, gave away ~15-20x, the rest were all bought, and I assume most people only bought 1. You don't seem to see those plates for sale secondhand, so that would indicate 600+ users are happy, but mostly e-silent. As tiny as this hobby-industry is (in all of the EU grinding there *might* be 25 ppl hands-on remaining, but I'd peg that # slightly high), having 600+ end users already happily getting better shaves is not insignificant. They just have to keep their mouths shut because they can't stand the "flat Earthers" as I affectionately refer to them, and don't want their attention. If nothing else, commissioning very special but nonetheless pretty cheap whetstones can help boost sales of razors, which are moving toward the death with relentless precision. I am entirely certain that whether at Amazon or in this tiny shop, excluding Chinese/Pakistani/etc. razors, the sale of NEW razors from the Western world year-over-year is declining for each vendor and outlet. If that weren't true, the producers would be getting more grinders, but they're all only going the other way, and quickly. TI has only two people grinding!

[@billm.2677]

@@dnamol “Masses” in shave forums is easily debatable these days. The largest US concern used to see regular head counts of at least several hundred, It seems to be regularly around 150 now. Many are tiring of the commercials and device tracking activity they employ to boost profits. When I was highly active at The Shave Den, the most popular section known as “The 30 Day Crew” would log 10,000 posts per month. Aside from a handful of faithful old timers it is largely a ghost town now. The Straight Razor Place was appropriated by that guy in Idaho and his friends. Lynn Abrams ultimately won the right in court to the forum name and had a start up under that original name that failed to catch on. The “new” SRP managed to keep the historical database, but sloppy maintenance keeps that in a steady declining state. I always have trouble remembering exactly how the name changes went but I think it was something like Stolen Razor Palace, Squatters Razor Palace or something like that. It is also has become a ghost town. ALL of the aforementioned shave related forums took steep hits after their owners instructed or permitted domineering moderators to aggressively attack the use of convex hones and those who practice the technique. While some of the aggression was focused at me the big hatred and attacks were focused towards Jarrod Connerty and The Superior Shave. Far more often than not, people find they like the results hollow bevel honing gives them.

[@thesuperiorshave]

all of that is indeed true! Shame what happened to so many of those forums, not just the beatdown one. How does that make the Idaho guy feel, to rule over a fiefdom of zero participants? "Like two bald men fighting over a comb", as the saying goes. I just want a future where in 10+ yrs, there's still "factories" in Germany, France, or elsewhere in the Western world where 2+ humans grind straight razors. How can we get there? While the Gold Dollah definitely does NOT help that path, surely it can't be the only reason that future seems unlikely...unnecessarily-thickened bevels are to my belief a contributing factor.

[@billm.2677]

I really love the concept of an aggressive grit lapping film on a wood base for back beveling. I like the idea of using a somewhat resilient wood over a hard backing. Something I have to try. 👍 I was gently informed in the last day or so that science does not support the use of a crowned surface abrasive for anything other than wedge razors. Even though I think he must have some geometric confusion between a hollow grind and a hollow bevel. I politely acknowledged his superiority and the shame that I will likely always carry for never acquiring the skills and techniques that lead to the much better and much more correct shaving experiences that he talks about. 😂

[@thesuperiorshave]

I've been told that bass wood has better reflex/spring than balsa. The fellow from upstate NY likes hickory and tiger maple. He's a glutton for punishment! Quite sad how threatened so many are of reshaping whetstones, on the surface it would not seem worth all the bother, but these stories are frequent and apparently not going anywhere. I'm sure the round Earth was a threatening new concept in its time! Rather than me shaping small wood blocks by the each and selling that way, I'm willing to invest in a commercial product which would do the majority of the work we drudge on for in this realm at a low price and with a high speed and no need of geometric upkeep nor shaping...cheap as they can be from China, maybe they could be offered 'free' (free with purchase, of course) together with new razors, so that more people would use razors, and maybe those new buyers/users would eventually become brave enough to go up against the assured mass on the shaving forums, in a way that the ~630 purchasers of the special concave lapping plate have, for the most part, not, and not in small part due to watching how the rare folks like you are treated.

[@billm.2677]

@@thesuperiorshave For lapping film, I’d go with some sort of hardwood. If the ‘Jarrod Backbeveling Device’ makes it to production, I’m in for one. As far as I know, it would be the first commercially manufactured Convex Razor Hone to be marketed since the Civil War Era F.J. Ordway product I have. It is marketed to be manufactured under an 1843 US patent and uses a curvature of about a 5’ wheel on the honing side. On the continuing decline of shave forums, I wonder if Joe L Badger would care to reveal the revenue losses he has been having for recent lack of participation and drop in donations. And, I must largely credit the combined and obnoxious know it all arrogance of GSsixgun, DaltonGang, and Steve56 for helping turn The Shave Den into a ghost town.

[@thesuperiorshave]

@@billm.2677 It happens to every forum, doesn't it... the flat Earthers and their vibe turns off participation, until they're all that is left. I bet on some pencil sharpening forum, or fountain pen forum, or violin bow forum, the same basic thing happens! We'll see the convex stone prototypes in late October, for the $ I've got to know what it is like!

[@billm.2677]

@@thesuperiorshave The Domineering Flat Hone Plowboys win the forum decline trophy. If you are so inclined, I’d love to have the opportunity to test drive a prototype. 😀

[@austinflemming4552]

Hey Jarod, what's the best way to get ahold of you to discuss the convex honing? I have a bunch of different grit lapping films ranging from 30 micron down to 1 and 0.1 and I'd like to discuss how to make a concave shape to some these films to do I can try out the magic. I've been watching your stuff for a long time and wish I could have gotten my hands on one of your plates, but such is life! Thank you for all the info you share with us and I hope to talk to you soon!

[@thesuperiorshave]

email, I guess? Why can't you buy some wood blocks in easily shapeable timber, shape the first step stone to the smallest wheel put your 30 micron film on that one, shape two more steps to larger diameters and just do it w/o a plate? Shaping balsa or bass wood by hand with sandpaper, a caliper, and a flat reference is not hard work. Where the plate becomes 'essential' to me is trying to shape things like Arkansas stone or certain Japanese manmade hones. The shapes aren't set in stone, I chose 6.5'x25' as an ellipse because it was a good compromise for two shapes, not because it was an ideal shape for any one step. If I shaped each piece to each step, I'd personally recommend ~1.6mØ x8mØ step#1, 5mØ cylinder step #2, 8mØ step#3, changing the last step's secondary diameter solely based on the user's preference in feedback (I very much like the 2m secondary but others may find it challenging). I'm sure I'll make more plates at some point, maybe later this year. I wish they could be (much) cheaper but CNC-d parts + shipping heavy/fragile things is high overhead. I've already sold over 600. For this business moving forward, all of us facing the end of straight razor production if they don't sell better, I'd rather devote the $ those plates would occupy with a shaped bevel-setting diamond stone, such a thing to my mind offers more of a future for increasing razor sales than more plates where I've already sold 600+ and maybe 4 or 5 ppl online dare speak of them positively [which definitely does NOT help the future of new-make razor sales!]

[@austinflemming4552]

@@thesuperiorshave I've never understood the hate on the forums... You're trying to help people learn about a method of honing that is tried and true. It's a shame that more people who bought and used the plate haven't come to your defense. As for contacting you, I basically had the questions that you answered above, so it looks like that won't be necessary after all! I appreciate you giving out the knowledge so we can all try it ourselves and come to our own conclusions, instead of having to try to see who's opinion we value on the forums that are filled with large egos and even larger idiots... Or wankers if you will. As for shaping the wood to produce the shapes to put the films on, how would you suggest I go about marking/making the shaped piece perfectly follow the curved section of a wheel? My concern was mainly that I would end up with some uneven shape and cause more harm than good. I don't want to make a sub-par piece and have that cause lackluster results and taint my opinion on convex honing. I work in an engineering firm, in the quality department, so I have access to all sorts of measuring implements, CMM, calipers, micrometers, and my favorite for honing lately, the digital microscope. Anyway I'm just looking for your opinion on how to go about making sure I can accurately make a wooden curve that would accurately portray a cutout of a specific diameter wheel. I also wanted to know if there's anywhere I can find the math required to determine your wheel diameters. I seem to remember a video with an excel spreadsheet, is this available to the average knucklehead such as myself? I'll have to go searching to dig up that video. As for your idea, I think it's a great idea making the diamond plates. Since we are talking about lapping films, have you considered making the shaped stone to use films so one can get the different grit range by just changing out films? It would be similar to what I'm trying to do, but with better materials, and tighter tolerances. Maybe you could make it a set with a few different diameter wheels, and have a bevel setter, and then your finishing diameter. Thanks for taking the time to reach back to me in such a timely manner, your work doesn't go unnoticed or without great appreciation and admiration. You could've backed down and let the forum mouth-breathers bully you out of the straight razor community, but you stuck with it and put up with the BS they were feeding. Cheers to fighting the good fight! -Austin

[@billm.2677]

Never, never, ever attempt to use Oud flavored Ballastol as an aromatic aftershave 😂

[@thesuperiorshave]

Oud + Ballistol would confuse my mind to no end! I'm sure a zookeeper gets used to the smells we all otherwise find offensive...in time, you can get used to pretty much anything. Look at that Reed Timmer guy, how he's not deceased is beyond me.

[@dnamol]

@billm.2677 Hold your horses there, Bill. Oud flavoured ballistol just might be the new flavour for Xmas this year.. 2 in 1, use as pre and post shave 🤣

[@billm.2677]

@@dnamol 🤣🤣🤣 maybe 4 in 1. Pre-shave, Post-shave, Honing lube and rust inhibitor.

[@dnamol]

@billm.2677 What if we call the rust inhibiting effect "anti-aging" or "time-defying effect".. think it would boost sales 🤔 😄