As some of you know my wife is a Custom Cabinet Maker that teaches wood working at a local high school. Last week she asked me if i would be willing to give her grade 11 students a little demo on honing straight razors as they where in the chisel/tool sharpening segment of the corriculum and felt that a different perspective might help them understand the importance of "sharp" verses "proper sharp"....naturally i agreed not just because she asked me but also because, as an instructor myself, it was an oppurtunity to introduce young minds to a traditional way of shaving.
It was awesome to see these kids come alive and focus on something other than their cell phones. To become engaged in learning, taking the blades in hand and looking for the differences in a really messed up edge to a finely honed one (of course i had examples with me). Learning and interest in a subject like we were taught.
I then worked them through the process of honing, keeping it simple on a coticule all the time asking them questions about the chisel sharpening process so there was always a reference. I think they now understand "proper sharp".... or scared "sharp"....hahaha.
From that point we moved to stropping on linen and leather...what it does and how it affects the edge. A arm shave demo sunk it home as i was lucky enough to have a gold dollar that got "right" after stropping.
Hopefully there is a few that might want to try wet shaving or straight shaving out of the bunch....lol...but at the very least they may have learnt something they may never have seen before today....
It was awesome to see these kids come alive and focus on something other than their cell phones. To become engaged in learning, taking the blades in hand and looking for the differences in a really messed up edge to a finely honed one (of course i had examples with me). Learning and interest in a subject like we were taught.
I then worked them through the process of honing, keeping it simple on a coticule all the time asking them questions about the chisel sharpening process so there was always a reference. I think they now understand "proper sharp".... or scared "sharp"....hahaha.
From that point we moved to stropping on linen and leather...what it does and how it affects the edge. A arm shave demo sunk it home as i was lucky enough to have a gold dollar that got "right" after stropping.
Hopefully there is a few that might want to try wet shaving or straight shaving out of the bunch....lol...but at the very least they may have learnt something they may never have seen before today....
