April 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

This last part is genius, as it gives my wife one less reason to think I may be a blithering idiot.

 

I actually need another one because the one I have produces a very fine grate. It takes forever to grate up a puck. I need one that makes bigger or wider ribbons. It'll be another $1 investment.

 

Ohh, I must have passed out. You said a big what!!!!

 

You may want to consider standardizing the number of passes and direction on each pass, regardless of the razor or blade you use. This will eliminate variables in your routine and may allow you to more effectively zero in on your optimum shave. For example, I usually shave six times a week. I almost always go with two passes - mostly WTG on my face/ATG on my neck for the first pass and mostly ATG all over on the second pass. I rarely do a third pass, as it increases the potential for irritation and doesn't provide much additional beard reduction. I seldom do XTG passes except for my upper lip where I can't tolerate much ATG action.

Going into a shave knowing I've got to get everything in two passes causes me to be more intentional. My bathroom is quiet - no music or water running because I want to hear the blade cutting the whiskers. I know by the feel AND sound of the blade when the angle is right. I take short, quick, and slightly overlapping strokes. I'm more susceptible to weepers when I use a Feather blade, so I shave a bit more carefully with that one. The Voskhod is smoother and a bit less sharp, and I'm able to do a bit more ATG under my nose and on the bulb of my chin. In other words, my basic technique has been fixed for some time, and I make small adjustments depending on the blade I am using. I do all this whether I'm using my relatively mild Super Speed or my Fat Boy at wide open blade exposure.

Anyway, it's just food for thought. You're making good progress. The main thing is to have fun and keep learning in whatever you decide to do.

 

I bought a grater and my wife asked me why I needed one. When I explained it she actually told me there was no reason to buy another one. Just use the kitchen one. After all, she said, it's just soap. I still bought my own, though, because I just felt a trap in the making at some point.

 

I shaved with a popsicle stick and a bolt. My wife will never see me as anything less than a blithering idiot. It's all good.

 

If you use the old one she will need to buy a new one. It's all a trap.

 

Gouda plan!

 

April 28

Z3 Gillette Super Speed
Feather (1)
Kent BK 8 silvertip badger
KMF Pomegranate Grapefruit shaving cream
Unrefined shea butter
Zegna Uomo EDT

I had a good two-pass shave except I lost focus momentarily and drew some blood on my chin. This is the first pink lather I've had in a while. I quickly brandished my styptic pencil, and I was left only with a sting to remind me to pay more attention.

My Bride and I met a dear friend for lunch, did some recliner shopping, and visited an antique store. I met a person who has a "sackful" of those old razors with the "curved heads" in storage. Eagerly anticipating a climactic @mrchick antique shopping experience and while trying not to salivate excessively, I asked her to call me when she retrieves the razors. Hopefully, I will hear something next week. It will be fun to see what's in the sack. I'm hoping for a Slim or Fat Boy just to say I actually found one in the wild. I'll keep you posted.

I hope you all had a fantastic Friday!

 

Those are the 8 oz. jars correct?

 

What does a "sack of old razors" go for nowadays?

 

If she digs up two sacks of razors, I'll take the free one.

 

Sounds legit.

 

Yes. I think they are the short 8oz if I recall. I have thought some offered a tall/regular and a short. Do not recall if the blue had the option or not. These are 2" tall including lid and about 3.5" or a bit more wide.

 

April 28 (Friday ) - Italian almond croaps mini-focus

Rockwell 6s on plate #3 / Topaz Platinum ( 1 )
Alluminati Envy White brush
Valobra soft Almond soap bar
Alum and cold water

I shaved this morning rather than this evening because I had some meetings during the day. Usually I keep vampire hours, working at night and sleeping during the day (depending on who you ask, either in my customized coffin or hanging upside down from the curtains like an oversized bat).

Today I tried the Valobra version of a soft Almond soap. It comes in a plain cardboard box, in a rectangular bar wrapped in cellophane. No container provided. I dropped the bar into an old plastic travelling soap holder, and shaved using the excess bits that had remained stuck to the cellophane, scraped off and smeared into my lather bowl.

The soap is a bit softer than 3P and about the same consistency as Cella. When lathered though, the scent was more like almond oil and less like marzipan candy than either of the other two soaps. The lather whipped up quickly and easily and was a superb thick creamy consistency. Shaving performance was excellent; aftershave feel was smooth and hydrating.

So far, I would rate the soaps as Cella maybe a bit ahead of Valobra in performance (though Valobra has the better "natural" scent) in a near photo finish with 3P half a head behind. The interesting thing to me is how close the soaps are despite their different ingredients: Cella is a tallow, coconut oil and sweet almond oil soap while the other two are pure vegan, Valobra using a coconut oil base with almond oil and 3P having a coconut oil base with almond "fragrance". The straight almond oil in Valobra may be the reason it smells more like almond oil and less like almond marzipan candy. It might also give it the bit of extra slickness and softening feel over 3P. However, with quality soaps in the same category, the vegan soaps show they can match a tallow soap without giving up anything significant in performance.

The last two soaps, Vitos Supercrema and Vitos Extra Super Coco, are both tallow soaps like Cella with coconut oil in them too. It looks like the Coco version also has extra coconut fragrance and some glycerin in it. Both seem harder than Cella or Valobra and about the same consistency as 3P. It will be interesting to see where they stack up in the list.

So that was the soap, but how was the actual shave? Excellent. Two passes to a near BBS with silent alum. I used no other products to see how the postshave feel of the Valobra was - No drying or irritated sensation from my skin at all today...

 

Arko Adjustable April!!!!!

April 28

Razor - 1959 (E4) Gillette Fatboy (6)
Blade - (3)
Soap - Arko
Brush - Jayaruh #46
Post - Alum

Another night with the Fatboy and Sharp Star and another very nice near-BBS result. Smooth as melted butter, nice and cool alum, not a care or a problem in the world with this shave. The only thing I can say that is a negative about this shave is the slightly dry feeling the Arko leaves behind but I threw a touch of Nivea on after I was done and that took care of that. Nice and relaxing shave. I think for the final two shaves of April I'll go back to the Consul with a Russian blade of some sort.

"Matthew" cleaned up nicely last night for the first go around with the soap and brush. When I took the blade out yesterday I took a good picture of it along with the baseplate and cap. I'm dating the razor not only by its patent and other records but by the blade too. The New Deluxe hails from around 1934 or so and the Marlin blade can be put at the same time. Yeah, I know they had a larger range, but I also have other reasons to date it in the mid '30s. More on that later. Kind of amazing that this razor has been spirited about for 80 years without being used once. And it's getting ready for its reintroduction.

 

Focus out the window April

Williams Shave Stick, SP➳2 VS Black Pure Badger
'46-'47 Gillette Aristocrat, Personna Med Prep blade
Delon Witch Hazel, Alum block, Shulton Old Spice AS



No preshave soap debacle tonight! Good old fashion 1960's Williams Stick rubbed on moistened beard followed by a scritchy badger face lathering. It's surprising how little product it takes for a 3 pass+ dose of hard soap. The brush grabbed up enough that I went to the bowl and added more moisture for the near runny easy glide this product gives. WTG, followed by an unconventional ATG, then the expected XTG passes. Plenty of lather in the brush & bowl so G-Slides and light buffing next. After rinsing I deviated from S.O.P. and splashed on this Skin Toner with Witch Hazel. Clean up passes without lather? Maybe I need a better grade of WH because this product is; water, alcohol, witch hazel. Not much lubrication & very little Eau de Burnt Newspaper scent. I have a small bottle of the same that is enhanced with Lime & Patchouli E.O. that may have more slip-n-slide quality. Still a decent finish around a CCS edging into DFS territory.
Good Shaves Y'all!