I bought the cheapest soap and brush. It's fine. I had a bad shave today though. There was a lot of irritation and blood spots. I didn't chase the super close shave to save my face. I had bought new stones and honed and it looked good: all scratches went out each step and it did the hanging hair test. Still my edge gets ruined extremely quickly in the shave. I already use two layers of tape to make it stronger and the steel is fresh. I thought my edge broke down because of my bad lower grit stones didn't set the bevel correctly. So I bought the shapton glass 3k but it didn't help enough. I also honed my Koraat the same way and then used my mystery natural stone but it didn't turn out well: still big scratches left, didn't do the hanging hair test at all and felt not keen to my finger skin. But when I shaved with it, while lacking sharpness it was smooth and my skin was fine and I didn't have any blood at all... So I am very confused!
While the degree of keenness of the apex initiates the cut, the volume of material behind the apex determines how well an edge cuts. Simply put; the thinner the edge, the better it cuts. When you use two layers of tape, you are creating a wider edge and degrading the cutting ability of the razor.
Shaving at a low angle (spine close to the skin), creates less skin irritation. If the edge is sliding across the skin, more of the cutting force is directed at cutting hair than at digging into and scraping the skin.
Most of us take a while to figure out how to get a BBS shave with no nicks or irritation from a straight razor. To get there takes a combination of a very slick lather, low shaving angle, and good control of the razor. It takes patience, but the payoff has been worth it for most of us. It is pretty rare (I've not seen it) that someone has a beard so tough that a straight razor edge is "broken down" by one shave. I suggest that you consider this may be more of a technique issue than a steel issue.
As for your stone progression, there's nothing wrong with what you have. I provide sharpening of knives and razors as a service. If you want, I will hone your razors using Glass Stones on a similar progression to yours, but without tape. This will give you a baseline for your own efforts.
Thanks for the big write up! The first point sounds so logical so it's surprising that I did manage a smooth shave out of the Koraat with its much thicker bevel. I'll try to go without tape in the future or at least try reducing it to a single layer and see how that goes again.
For the second point, I'll take your suggestion and pay more attention to the shaving angle!
The money is a bit tight so I'll have to figure it out on my own I'm afraid. That is also why it is good to hear that my progression is fine. I watched that JPO video where he goes over weakness in the steel from making large jumps in grit so I was afraid I needed something in between 3k and 8k. I'll just practice some more.
I interact with JPO quite a bit via YouTube and I’m also aware of the condition he describes; metal fatigue at the apex caused from the many passes that are necessary in a large jump from a very coarse stone to a very fine one. The steel, itself, and the way that steel is tempered play a big role in this. With a progression like yours, it is an unlikely issue.
If you’re in the US I will hone your razors for the cost of shipping them to me. I’ve been doing this for folks on Reddit/Lemmy/PieFed who are starting their straight razor journey.
Honing seems like half science and half "need lots of experience to be comfortable knowing what you're doing".
Are you only taking it up through 8k? People here always seem to recommend and use up through 12k. I only have a 10k which works great for me, but I haven't experienced anything different.
Sorry, I wasn't very clear. With 0.85 I mean the Shapton Glass Seven 0.85 micron stone. The 8k is about 1.8 micron and their 16k is 0.92 micron so this one would be 16k+ rated. But they don't rate their "seven" stones with a K number.
Brush: Wolf Whiskers - "Gianmaria" w/Maggard 26mm Synthetic
Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24
Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (7)
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Soap
Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Aftershave
Post Shave: Nivea - Sensitive - Balm
Fragrance: Geoffrey Beene - Grey Flannel - EdC
$discord
4 years ago, the MM24 took the world by storm. With a Micromatic handle (because they're great handles) and an Ever-Ready 1924 (Shovel Head) head, this Frankensteinian razor offers something unique and enjoyable. Mine has a two-tone handle which makes it even cooler.
In the past I've gotten questionable shaves from the Shovel Head, preferring other styles of GEM razors. Today might have changed my mind... Maybe it was the lather, or my technique was better today, or the fact that I have a PTFE blade with 7 uses which in general is a nice sweet spot for those blades... maybe a combination of all of it! Either way, excellent shave.
Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Leather - Soap
Toner: Thayers - Cucumber - Toner
Aftershave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Leather - Aftershave
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
Today I'm celebrating the fourth birthday of EldrormR Industries' MM24. I had a wonderful shave with this razor, as always. My friend u/EldrormR is very talented.
Razor: RazoRock Cyber Medium w/ 316L Bamboo handle
Blade: BIC Chrome Platinum
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Texas on Fire
Post-Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes
Passes & Info: 2 pass head shave. Trying something else pays off: the most comfortable and smooth shave I had in weeks!
Today I was in the mood for trying something different than usual. Since my nose is still a bit stuffed, I wanted to go with a really harsh scent. Since I used Stag recently, my choice was Stirling ToF: this is the smell of your clothes after a long night sitting by a huge campfire. Kinda evokes funny memories from my childhood, when we could still make fires in the autumn season and it wasn't prohibited.
The brush was stuck in my dopp bag for almost a year and since I never travel, it hasn't been used since then. I have to be honest: it vastly outperforms any RazoRock brush. Those Omega fibers are really dense and don't cling to each other, so it was super easy to get a great lather today. I should stop being cheap on shaving brushes, it really feels leagues better to use a high-quality one.
Then the one thing RR does best: razors and razor handles. I actually got this one because it looked intriguing and unique to me. It's smooth but shaped like a bamboo cane with pronounced ridges. Turns out that it is probably a match made in heaven with the aluminium Cyber head: it's nimble, has great handling with every type of grip and despite the smooth surface, never once did I lose my grip. That was seriously the best and easiest head shave I ever achieved with the Cyber Medium, which was my main goal when I bought it.
So today the planets finally aligned and I had an awesome & blissful Sunday dome shave. Hope everyone of you had a great weekend!
Yeah, their brushes aren't the best, but the razors & razor handles are really great. This is the bamboo handle and while it has no knurling, the ridges allow me to put my fingers on it to fine-tune the angle and pressure just right. 👍🏻
24 Comments
djundjila@sub.wetshaving.social · 5 pts · 304d
Sun 09 Nov 2025
I wanted to go back to posting more frequently, but yesterday I forgot, despite taking a picture and everything 🤦
Anyway, a very nice Sunday morning shave with an all metal finish.
DaveWave94@wetshav.ing · 5 pts · 304d
Don't beat yourself up over frequent posting. Do what you can do, as long as you do it with passion and don't view it as a chore it'll be alright 👍🏻
CsXGF8uzUAOh6fqV@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 304d
2025-11-09
I bought the cheapest soap and brush. It's fine. I had a bad shave today though. There was a lot of irritation and blood spots. I didn't chase the super close shave to save my face. I had bought new stones and honed and it looked good: all scratches went out each step and it did the hanging hair test. Still my edge gets ruined extremely quickly in the shave. I already use two layers of tape to make it stronger and the steel is fresh. I thought my edge broke down because of my bad lower grit stones didn't set the bevel correctly. So I bought the shapton glass 3k but it didn't help enough. I also honed my Koraat the same way and then used my mystery natural stone but it didn't turn out well: still big scratches left, didn't do the hanging hair test at all and felt not keen to my finger skin. But when I shaved with it, while lacking sharpness it was smooth and my skin was fine and I didn't have any blood at all... So I am very confused!
gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social · 4 pts · 304d
Here is some of the science that @walden@sub.wetshaving.social refers to:
Most of us take a while to figure out how to get a BBS shave with no nicks or irritation from a straight razor. To get there takes a combination of a very slick lather, low shaving angle, and good control of the razor. It takes patience, but the payoff has been worth it for most of us. It is pretty rare (I've not seen it) that someone has a beard so tough that a straight razor edge is "broken down" by one shave. I suggest that you consider this may be more of a technique issue than a steel issue.
As for your stone progression, there's nothing wrong with what you have. I provide sharpening of knives and razors as a service. If you want, I will hone your razors using Glass Stones on a similar progression to yours, but without tape. This will give you a baseline for your own efforts.
CsXGF8uzUAOh6fqV@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 303d
Thanks for the big write up! The first point sounds so logical so it's surprising that I did manage a smooth shave out of the Koraat with its much thicker bevel. I'll try to go without tape in the future or at least try reducing it to a single layer and see how that goes again.
For the second point, I'll take your suggestion and pay more attention to the shaving angle!
The money is a bit tight so I'll have to figure it out on my own I'm afraid. That is also why it is good to hear that my progression is fine. I watched that JPO video where he goes over weakness in the steel from making large jumps in grit so I was afraid I needed something in between 3k and 8k. I'll just practice some more.
gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social · 3 pts · 303d
I interact with JPO quite a bit via YouTube and I’m also aware of the condition he describes; metal fatigue at the apex caused from the many passes that are necessary in a large jump from a very coarse stone to a very fine one. The steel, itself, and the way that steel is tempered play a big role in this. With a progression like yours, it is an unlikely issue.
If you’re in the US I will hone your razors for the cost of shipping them to me. I’ve been doing this for folks on Reddit/Lemmy/PieFed who are starting their straight razor journey.
walden@wetshav.ing · 4 pts · 304d
Honing seems like half science and half "need lots of experience to be comfortable knowing what you're doing".
Are you only taking it up through 8k? People here always seem to recommend and use up through 12k. I only have a 10k which works great for me, but I haven't experienced anything different.
CsXGF8uzUAOh6fqV@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 303d
Sorry, I wasn't very clear. With 0.85 I mean the Shapton Glass Seven 0.85 micron stone. The 8k is about 1.8 micron and their 16k is 0.92 micron so this one would be 16k+ rated. But they don't rate their "seven" stones with a K number.
merikus@sub.wetshaving.social · 5 pts · 304d
Nov. 9, 2025
Happy birthday, MM24! You’re 4 years old today.
So how did I celebrate? As much sub exclusive gear as I could manage. Santa Noir (the for /r/wetshaving version), MOAR BOAR, and of course, the MM24.
Overall a great shave on a snowy Sunday.
pi_dash_rho@wetshav.ing · 5 pts · 304d
SOTD - 2025-11-09
I had a nice, slick shave with Cella this morning.
Have a good one!
walden@wetshav.ing · 3 pts · 304d
November 9th, 2025: MM24 Birthday
$discord 4 years ago, the MM24 took the world by storm. With a Micromatic handle (because they're great handles) and an Ever-Ready 1924 (Shovel Head) head, this Frankensteinian razor offers something unique and enjoyable. Mine has a two-tone handle which makes it even cooler.
In the past I've gotten questionable shaves from the Shovel Head, preferring other styles of GEM razors. Today might have changed my mind... Maybe it was the lather, or my technique was better today, or the fact that I have a PTFE blade with 7 uses which in general is a nice sweet spot for those blades... maybe a combination of all of it! Either way, excellent shave.
snooting@wetshav.ing · 3 pts · 304d
November 9th, 2025
Happy birthday MM24!
Pretty rough shave this morning actually, I think this blade might be a dud, into the bin it goes.
Have a great Sunday, all.
BossHoggins10@sub.wetshaving.social · 3 pts · 303d
November 9th, 2025
djundjila@sub.wetshaving.social · 1 pts · 303d
Crangère ++;
BossHoggins10@sub.wetshaving.social · 2 pts · 302d
This is facts
gcgallant@wetshav.ing · 2 pts · 303d
November 9, 2025
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
Second Luxury Shave. I mixed the lime with the coconut.
snooting@wetshav.ing · 2 pts · 303d
November 9th, 2025: SLS
gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social · 2 pts · 303d
MM24++;
snooting@wetshav.ing · 2 pts · 303d
It's a great razor, but man did I just get two rough shaves from it.
gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social · 1 pts · 303d
Perhaps the blade, as you mentioned before?
gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social · 2 pts · 304d
November 9, 2025
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
Today I'm celebrating the fourth birthday of EldrormR Industries' MM24. I had a wonderful shave with this razor, as always. My friend u/EldrormR is very talented.
shave video
DaveWave94@wetshav.ing · 1 pts · 304d
09.11.2025
Today I was in the mood for trying something different than usual. Since my nose is still a bit stuffed, I wanted to go with a really harsh scent. Since I used Stag recently, my choice was Stirling ToF: this is the smell of your clothes after a long night sitting by a huge campfire. Kinda evokes funny memories from my childhood, when we could still make fires in the autumn season and it wasn't prohibited.
The brush was stuck in my dopp bag for almost a year and since I never travel, it hasn't been used since then. I have to be honest: it vastly outperforms any RazoRock brush. Those Omega fibers are really dense and don't cling to each other, so it was super easy to get a great lather today. I should stop being cheap on shaving brushes, it really feels leagues better to use a high-quality one.
Then the one thing RR does best: razors and razor handles. I actually got this one because it looked intriguing and unique to me. It's smooth but shaped like a bamboo cane with pronounced ridges. Turns out that it is probably a match made in heaven with the aluminium Cyber head: it's nimble, has great handling with every type of grip and despite the smooth surface, never once did I lose my grip. That was seriously the best and easiest head shave I ever achieved with the Cyber Medium, which was my main goal when I bought it.
So today the planets finally aligned and I had an awesome & blissful Sunday dome shave. Hope everyone of you had a great weekend!
walden@wetshav.ing · 2 pts · 304d
I agree on RazoRock handles -- every one I've held has great knurling.
DaveWave94@wetshav.ing · 2 pts · 303d
Yeah, their brushes aren't the best, but the razors & razor handles are really great. This is the bamboo handle and while it has no knurling, the ridges allow me to put my fingers on it to fine-tune the angle and pressure just right. 👍🏻