What happens in the shop when you have a little time

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

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Since this is a blade and handle project, I'll put it in Shop Talk.

I had a little time to kill in the shop this weekend. Not enough for a real knife project, but enough to fire up the Carbotech lathe and finish a project I started a while back.
The blade is stainless steel :) and the handle is ancient bog oak. The brush handle is ebony (badger hair brush). I am still working on the soap cup. The base is a slab of mammoth tooth. base is about 5" long. The camera angle makes the razor look shorter and the brush look bigger than they are.
 

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tryppyr said:
Very good use of the time, I'd say.
Click to expand...

Greg - I think you might recognize that wood :) - thanks you. I said I would it it to good use.

lastbrunneng - The soap cup will be turned in spalted snakeskin sycamore. It will have a glass liner. About 3" tall by 2.75" wide, probably tapered a bit.


JZ - I consider a triple blade disposable merely three small straight razors held in a jig.

Barry - Duhh, it would have been nice if it as hanging right in the photo :( .... Good catch.
 
Very nice, although I've always understood it's best to store the brushes with the bristles down for proper care and to maximize the life of the brush. I think it has to do with the water not soaking into the knot. Could be wrong though I've always hung mine bristles down.
 
Lovely, especially the base. I just started shaving with a soap puck and badger hair brush. It's an awesome experience. I'd much prefer to use a straight razor but haven't gotten around to buying or making one.

Off topic, but for those of you that use the multi blade razors, strop them! I have a case of refills that I started tracking use time on. Off the top of my head I can't remember exactly how many I've used, but it's been over a year and the number of cartridges is around 8 or so. Just try 10 strokes up your denim pant leg, and 10 down. Start before they dull and they'll last a good long time. ;)
 
The key to making a replaceable blade last is keeping the edge clean. Wash off the razor, brush out any stuff between the blades (I use my beard brush), rinse well with hot water, shake it off, and dry on the towel. The blade will last much longer if clean and dry. If you just shave, rinse the blade off quickly, and set it in the sink edge the shave cream/water/hair dries on the edge it will make the blade shave poorly. The blade takes a long time to actually get dull.

Years back they had a set-up with a jar of baby oil that you stored the razor in. They said it made the blade last five times longer. All it did is kept air and water off the blade, and prevented anything from drying.

I have an old Rolls Razor that I should get out and hang on this stand ( I can pull my disposable out of the cabinet to shave).
 
Stacy when I started using a safety razor and badger brush no one told me to not let it dry standing up and it with in a couple months the hair started really coming out and then the knot fell out of the handle. Not a good way to learn but that lesson will never be forgotten and I mentioned it so someone who wants to start using a brush won't do as I did and only get 2 months use from a $50 brush.
 
Am I the only one that shaves by sense of touch in the shower? My disposable razor heads last 3 months, on average. I change them out that often not because they stop being effective, but because I just want to remind myself what a fresh blade feels like. Oh, and I use regular bar soap instead of fancy pants shaving cream. And I thoroughly rinse my blade after each use. And if you are curious, my hair is thick and coarse, so the blades aren't doing the light duty of fine hair.
 
Very cool Stacy! :cool:



Greg- the shave "in the shower by touch" method is how I always shaved my head, back in the days when I razor shaved it. :) Now I just clipper-buzz it... less chance of infected hairs and more of a satin finish than a mirror polish! ;) :D LMAO





Is this where they get the hair for those fancy brushes??? ;)

honey-badger-dont-care.jpg
 
Got a couple of them guys out on the ranch. I can and have ridden my horses right up to a bears, mountain lions and some really oversized bobcats on steroids. We go wide around the badger holes. They are just mean. You guys collect your own hair for the brushes. Beautiful work Stacy!
 
That whole setup is really nice looking. I went to a brush and safety razor around 7 years ago and never looked back. Best shaving ever. That mammoth tooth sets it all off nicely. Here's another vote to go to the old school razor ;).


Jeremy
 
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