GIVEAWAY! PIF for Those Who Are Serious About Getting Into Straight Razor Shaving - Not CONUS

[rbscebu]

PIF
NOT AVAILABLE TO CONUS RESIDENTS

If you are serious about getting in to traditional straight razor shaving, this could be the PIF for you. To show that you are really serious, you will need to first put together at least a 0.1µm diamond pasted balsa strop before entering. The PIF is a Titan ACRM-2 T.H.60 with the following particulars:

​

Blade material = high carbon steel​

Blade hardness = approximately 60 RHC​

Edge length = 65mm​

Edge condition = shave-ready (to my standard finishing on 0.1µm, approx. 200k grit, diamond pasted balsa)​

Blade width = 21mm (13/16)​

Blade thickness = 0.13mm at top of bevel​

Grind = half hollow​

Point = Dutch (round)​

Stabiliser = single​

Mass = 67g​

Smile = 1.5mm​

Jimps = underside of shank only​

Tail length = 23mm when opened 270°​

Balance (opened 180°) = 10mm from pivot towards blade​

Spine thickness = 5.77mm​

Spine decoration = none​

Bevel angle = 18.0°​

Scales material = Madagascan mahogany timber with brass inlay​

Scales width at pivot = 14.5mm​

Spacer = parallel - aluminium alloy​

Pins = brass (2)​

Scales thickness (max.) = 13.9mm at about ⅓ length from pivot​

Length overall (closed) = 1609mm​

Length overall (open 180°) =243mm​

Height overall (closed) = 22.8mm​

Packaging = none​

Face markings = TITAN ACRM-2 STEEL​

HAND MADE​

T.H.60​

Back markings = none​

Shank stamping = none​

Rules to be awarded this PIF:

1. PIF closes 2359hrs UTC 20 April 2022.
2. PIF includes international shipping via standard postal parcel service (2 to 4 weeks delivery time) with tracking.
3. Not open to residents of the continental USA.
4. You must have been a member of B&B on 19 March 2022.
5. You must not previously have owned a traditional straight razor. If you get your own straight razor before this PIF closes, you are asked to withdraw from this PIF to allow another to win. I'll take your word on this.
6. You must post in this thread "I'm in" together with a photo (including your screen name and date in your own handwriting) of your 300mm x 75mm (12" x 3") balsa strop on proper substrate and tube of 0.1µm diamond or CBN paste.
7. It is your responsibility to ensure that your country's customs service allow a straight razor into your country via post. Some countries do not allow.
8. Winner will be decided by random number generator on 21 April 2022 and notified via PM on B&B.

Instruction on how to make your balsa strop can be found here:

How To Use a Pasted Balsa Strop

lol camo

www.badgerandblade.com

Even if you don't win this PIF, you will have a good start in getting your own SR setup together. Best of luck to those who participate.

​

 

[rbscebu]

Correction:

Length overall (closed) = 1609mm

should read

Length overall (closed) = 160mm

 

[Kaldane]

Ain't typos fun? Almost worth it just for a razor as tall as some people I know...

I'm Not In (you'd have guessed) because of about forty counts of point 5, but I applaud your generosity and hope this adds another straight razor shaver to the fold.

Got one of the ACRM 2 T.H. 60 13/16 (darker mahogany handle, same gold badge) about a year ago based mainly on what I was reading from yourself. It's still in the circulation and going strong, so my thanks for that.

 

[hugosf]

@rbscebu Interesting the concept of the balsa strop. I watched the video made by @Slash McCoy. It’s easy to understand how to make watching a video.

It’s very clever lapping the balsa. Diamond paste clogged easily, so sand the balsa off i very clever. Maybe I will try make a balsa strop to my knives in the future. For now I’m happy with my stones and I cant find diamond paste in my country.

Last year I got into hand sharpening my kitchen knives. That’s a photo of the strops I use in my good kitchen knives.

 

[BigJ]

Excellent PIF!!

Respectfully not in.

 

[dmshaver]

I admire your generosity & rules for entry. Respectfully, not in.

 

[rbscebu]

I admire your generosity & rules for entry. Respectfully, not in.

I thought long and hard about the rules. I want the SR to go to someone who is at least partly commited to getting into SR shaving. I thought that putting together at least one pasted balsa strop for daily maintenance was a reasonable initial commitment.

I excluded CONUS as most PIF's from their are restricted to their own kind. I don't mind going through the hassle of international postal shipping to benefit another member of B&B.

 

[JeffJ]

Wonderful PIF. Respectfully not in

 

[cryhavoc]

What a great PIF but respectfully not in.

 

[hugosf]

@rbscebu I give a quick look in your PDF. Is there a alternative to balsa wood? Here in my country I never see balsa wood. The only wood cheap and easy to find is made of eucalyptus. And acrylic substrate I only can find in larger sheets. Glass will be too heavy I think.

What’s the advantage of balsa strops over a hanging strop? It’s the cost?

 

[Seelector]

I'm very tempted to join this PIF... Since my 20's (I'm now 42) I've wanted to go to a barber for a straight razor shave. I've settled for reading posts about straight razors up until now, but maybe it's time to jump in to the real thing. I guess I've got a couple weeks to think about it and make a strop. I would need a leather strop too would I not?

 

[MilkCrate]

Outstanding PIF! Respectfully not in.

 

[Leverspro]

Hmm. Definitely interested, will look into the diamond paste info to see if it's possible for me.

 

[rbscebu]

.... I would need a leather strop too would I not?

A leather strop is not a necessity but may be desirable. Maintaining an edge on a 0.1μm diamond or CBN hanging balsa strop after each shave (about 3 minutes) is all that is required.

Personally, I include stropping before and after a shave because I enjoy the stropping. You can also include stropping on a folded-up sheet of newspaper as an alternative to leather if you desire.

 

[rbscebu]

Bump.

 

[rbscebu]

@rbscebu I give a quick look in your PDF. Is there a alternative to balsa wood? Here in my country I never see balsa wood. The only wood cheap and easy to find is made of eucalyptus. And acrylic substrate I only can find in larger sheets. Glass will be too heavy I think.

What’s the advantage of balsa strops over a hanging strop? It’s the cost?

Balsa wood is available at most hobby shops. If not, it can be found on eBay. Balsa wood is not cheap per super foot (board foot for North Americans) compared to some other timbers but you only need about 0.063 super foot of balsa wood.

A piece of suitable balsa wood should cost you about USD 5.

You are right in that glass would be too heavy (and easily breakable). Look at making a composite balsa wood strop. That's what I use because thick acrylic is impossible to get locally.

I made my three (you only need one) balsa strops from:

​

4 pieces of 36" x 3" x ¼" balsa wood​

1 piece of 12" x 12" Ceramic tile​

Contact adhesive​

Acrylic paint​

​

Total cost for three was well under USD 40 plus the diamond pastes.

 

[hugosf]

I made my three (you only need one) balsa strops from:
4 pieces of 36" x 3" x ¼" balsa wood1 piece of 12" x 12" Ceramic tileContact adhesiveAcrylic paint

Thank you for the input.

I only find a 1.5mm balsa wood on the Brazilian version of eBay. And my brother is renew the kitchen, so I can get a nice piece of ceramic tile for free.

But I only can get a generic diamond paste from the Brazilian eBay. It’s poorly described, not is microns. Only said it’s for final polishing. If I order from AliExpress took me at least 2 months to arrived in my country. I’m thinking if I put this project in motion or not. Probably I will cut the ceramic tile, if I don’t use for a SR I can use for kitchen knives.

Final question. Is there some kind of removable double tape to use in the strop?

Import to Brazil is so annoying Take a eternity to arrive and there are so many taxes and fees

 

[rbscebu]

Thank you for the input.

I only find a 1.5mm balsa wood on the Brazilian version of eBay. And my brother is renew the kitchen, so I can get a nice piece of ceramic tile for free.

But I only can get a generic diamond paste from the Brazilian eBay. It’s poorly described, not is microns. Only said it’s for final polishing. If I order from AliExpress took me at least 2 months to arrived in my country. I’m thinking if I put this project in motion or not. Probably I will cut the ceramic tile, if I don’t use for a SR I can use for kitchen knives.

Final question. Is there some kind of removable double tape to use in the strop?

Import to Brazil is so annoying Take a eternity to arrive and there are so many taxes and fees

I can appreciate your problems with importing into Brazil. I had similar problems when trying to import into the Philippines.

Not sure what you mean by removable double-sided tape to use in the strop. If it is to mount the balsa onto the substrate, contact adhesive should be used. Contact adhesive is easily removed from the substrate when the time comes to renew the balsa.

 

[hugosf]

Not sure what you mean by removable double-sided tape to use in the strop. If it is to mount the balsa onto the substrate, contact adhesive should be used. Contact adhesive is easily removed from the substrate when the time comes to renew the balsa.

In my strop for kitchen knives I glue the leather strip with double-side tape.

If I use contact adhesive when I sand the balsa, the substrate can be damaged, isn’t? Or it’s possible to glue another piece of balsa over the old balsa?

 

[rbscebu]

In my strop for kitchen knives I glue the leather strip with double-side tape.

If I use contact adhesive when I sand the balsa, the substrate can be damaged, isn’t? Or it’s possible to glue another piece of balsa over the old balsa?

If the upper surface of your substrate is ceramic, sanding the balsa off will not damage the substrate. If the upper surface of the substrate is acrylic, sanding the balsa off may mark the surface but not damage it sufficiently to affect its usefulness.

The substrate for balsa does not need to be perfectly flat like is required for lapping film. Substrate for balsa just needs to be reasonably flat and very stuff to support the balsa, preventing the balsa from warping.

A 6mm thick balsa strop with normal use (relapping flat 2 to 4 times a year) should last 10 to 20 years before the balsa needs replacing. After 2 years of fairly heavy use, my balsa strops have lost about 0.5mm in thickness.

Do not glue a new piece of balsa over an old piece.