Shaving with an SE Wedge Blade

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Tonights shave with the Rolls.
Razor: Rolls
Soap: Tabac
Bruch: Pure Boar
AS: Aqua Velva

This was my 4th shave with the Rolls. I have been working the blade intermittently over time. Each shave has gotten better.

The first shave I was only able to get 1 pass. It was tugging some. I gave it several cycles on the stone and strop.

Second shave I could tell the blade was getting better. I still only did 1 pass before finishing with another razor.

Third shave last week went much better. I was able to get 2 full passes before finishing my third with my Bunny.

Tonights shave I planned on getting 2 full passes then finish with my Shoveled. Thanks Karl great shaver.
Any how first pass went very well. I had decent reduction and no nicks. Although my lather was a bit dry. I face lathered tonight.

I added a bit of water and lathered for the second pass XTG. This pass was smooth. I like how this feels I am thinking to myself.
Off on a little side note. I took Billy's advice on how to go. Don't set blade on face the start. Start the motion just prior to contact. It was a bit weird at first but by the end of the first pass it felt fairly natural.

Any how I finished my second pass and checked my face. Pretty darned good reduction. So As there was no hint of tugging I felt I had the blade pretty close. I went for the third pass. ATG. I made sure I had a nice slick lather and went for it. I was not disappointed. The third pass resulted in a DFS. This is a shave that will last a good 6-8 hours before noticeable growth.

A few things I learned tonight. The wedge blade is not nearly as scary as I thought. When sharpened correctly it provides a very good shave. With time on this I feel I can get a Fantastic shave with it.

I need to since the blade a lot more. I need to se that sucker getting close to contact. The lather blocks my view.

This is a razor I plan to get a lot of use out of.

Tom
 
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They are so addictive that I pressed the button on another one the other day..This is the Viscount Model & Listed as NOS..It looks as if its never been used so lets wait & see..I got this for just over 7 Quid with local postage..Hells Sake..That's Crazy Low Prices for a Brand New Razor with a Complete System for shaving without the need to buy razor blades..If this was getting made today I wouldn't like to guess how much it would cost..The Rolls Razor will out shave just about any safety razor out there & as Fine as any Traditional Hollow Ground Straight..:)

Billy
 
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Help! I have a couple (mk2 and mk3) and I am struggling to get a decent shave from either, I suspect it's my honing/ stopping technical ability.

I followed instructions on how to do this on YouTube and other sites but no cigar.
I am extremely fond of the idea behind the Rolls, it's democratic and egalitarian to a degree. A never ending product if you like, lifting the shackles of blades but maintaining the natural position of safety razors.
 
Shemen Zait said:
Help! I have a couple (mk2 and mk3) and I am struggling to get a decent shave from either, I suspect it's my honing/ stopping technical ability.

I followed instructions on how to do this on YouTube and other sites but no cigar.
I am extremely fond of the idea behind the Rolls, it's democratic and egalitarian to a degree. A never ending product if you like, lifting the shackles of blades but maintaining the natural position of safety razors.
Click to expand...
There are a Few things that have to be Done to get these full functional that eludes a lot of Folks..The First thing is the Blade..Depending on the condition of the blade you may have to get it Honed Outwith the Rolls System to get it going just like a Traditional Straight..This is where most folks give up on them..:eek:

The Second thing that needs to be done is ensure that both pads are absolutely immaculate & flat..The Stropping Pad need to be made supple with leather oil or equivalent because it will be hard & sorta brittle..Some Red Stropping Paste is desirable as well although not needed..That's it in a Nut Shell..;)

Awe..Another Thing..Some of the stuff I have seen on YouTube is Bad News..In particular how Violently or Aggressively they Hone & Strop..You will Knacker your blade doing that in Jig Time..And lastly..A lot of Folks buy a Rolls Set that is Junk to Start with that you wont get anywhere with anyway..:D

Billy
 
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Rolls Wedge Hollow Ground Blade..;)
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Yeah an NOS Blade can make a Big Difference..I have 2 of them and brough them back no problem...The first thing that I do with an NOS Blade even before it goes onto the Hone is to Strop it outwith the Rolls System like this..You can either do it with a Hanging Strop or just lay it flat on a long piece of glass or equivalent..This should polish the blade & remove any surface rust & if the Blade is anything near Factory Sharp it should be about about shave ready after this process alone..o_O

Its hard to put a number on this as it takes what it takes..Around a 100 laps a side ..Inspect the blade first though as they can be damaged by Oxidisation & it may still need honed outwith the system..It should be pretty obvious..I will then use the Rolls Hone about 30 laps a side..Then finish it off on the Rolls Strop Pad with Red Stropping Paste for about 20 Laps a Side..Once you have it shave ready you only have to use the Hone maybe once in a weeks worth of shaves or less..That one just depends how sore you are on a blade whilst shaving or stropping..:oops:

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

You may have to use some Chromium Oxide on a Flat Piece of Balsa wood...As a Rule of thumb if its not about shave ready with the Stropping outwith the Rolls System then you will might need to use Chromium Oxide with the same method as above..I just use Tape as you can see because they don't fit a Stropping Handle..I prefer a wide Cello tape for a decent grip but you can use electrical tape..:rolleyes:

It all depends on the condition of your blade & how sensitive you are..Only use minimum pressure to keep the blade flat while stropping..:cool:

Another important thing..When you use the Rolls system for honing + Stropping don't hammer it up and down..When you get to the end of each stroke the blade should flip over just as you are starting to reverse the stroke..NOTE
The Secret is to let the blade flip over and hit the pad in-between strokes...Now this is Key and you wont find this on You Tube..This has all got to be done without a pause though..Its a timing thing and only comes with practice..If you pull the handle too quickly the blade with slap down and this is wrong...The blade should never slap down ...It should just fall under it own weight..Now that's the Secret & it takes a Big Bit of Sensitivity & a Bit of Skill ..:p

Hope that Helps..:D

Billy
 
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Shemen Zait said:
Billy , your a *, when you say honing outwith do you mean NOT on the Rolls Hone?
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Sometimes a blade will need honing outwith the Rolls System..This is required when the blade has lost its edge and the Rolls System cant bring it back mostly through Oxidization with laying over time or neglect or just lost their edge..This is done the same as straight razor either on Stones or Lapping Film..:)

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

When you pull the handle in the Rolls system the blade gets taught and flattens against the strop..There is slight gap however between the Spine and the strop in the Rolls System because the handle mechanism holds it up..You need to tape up the spine to hone it anyway because you haven't a stropping handle..That one single layer of black tape sets the bevel exactly to the requirements for the Rolls system..:D

This Guy here explains it well..o_O
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...cpyPooV4WHkdikvuk60r4A&bvm=bv.115339255,d.bGs

After you have done that the Rolls System should be able to maintain your blade almost indefinitely..There are Few Folks around that can Do this for you.. Its not expensive to get your blade up & Running..I am on a learning curve myself when it comes down to Honing..It all depends on the Condition of your blade..NOS or Not..As a Rule of thumb if its not about shave ready after Stropping it the way I described above it will probably need Honing outwith the System as I have described here..:rolleyes:

I took this from another one of my threads for someone that has the Honing skills to do this as there is a lot of misinformation out there about the Rolls that the blade need Shimmed and stuff that I wont bore with which is a Load of Baloney..I have found the same as this Guy above..It wont cost much to get it done if it needs it..:D

Billy
 
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I just finished my second shave in a row with The Rolls.

I did a 3 pass routine of WTG,XTG and XTG. As I normally go ATG for my third pass. Today I was not able to. The blade started to tug just a bit. I did not want to chance cutting myself. I finished with a nice comfortable shave with no irritation.

I still need to get the blade sharper. This is a great learning experience. I really like these wedges.

Tom
 
*gets handy snacks and fluids next to the pc*
*starts to warm up the shoulder*
The tricky bit is deciding which to go for first.
I just got excited by twin blades on the injector, although I think I need a more aggressive injector as the second time I used the blade, it didn't feel quite as good *ahem* 11th on the bunny pass around *ahem*
*wanders off singing Diana Ross 'Strop! In the name of love.....'*
 
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I got this NOS Rolls Viscount Model Today..I haven't even cleaned this yet..I just wiped the thing with my elbow..This is how it came straight from the box..Is a thing of Beauty..The Viscount Model has an Aluminium Case unlike the Earlier Models & is a bit Lighter..Looks as if it just came off the Production Line Yesterday..I cant believe I got this for 7 Quid & Local Postage..Its Found a Man that Appreciates it..:D


Billy
 
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