August 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Beautiful picture and setup RT. Very good review also.

 

August Focus Day 16:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
Cella
Gem Damaskeene
Stirling Unscented PSB
Aqua Velva Ice Blue/Musk Blend

Another great shave with the Damaskeene this morning. It was the 10th shave on this blade, and it is still doing well. Perhaps the best part of this shave was the Cella. I think this was the best lather I have ever gotten with it, and it really started my shave off the right way. I capped it off with a 50/50 blend of Aqua Velva Ice Blue and Musk. I got a "You smell good" from my wife as I was walking out the door, which is always a great way to start a day. I hope everyone has a great day!

 

Another great setup today. Your razor looks amazing. Good out the door complement.

 

Thanks, Doug. It always makes my day a bit better when my wife says something about how I smell. Unless, of course, she says I stink, which has been known to happen.

 

Day 4
AoS best badger brush (broken in)
Proraso Green Shaving Soap Jar
Gillette New Long Comb
Astra Superior Platinum Blade.
Alum
Florida Water

I put a new blade in after 3 shaves with the last. Today I realized that I am becoming quite proficient at making good lather. I load up the AoS brush and by the time I'm done whipping up a lather, the brush is loaded with enough for two passes. I lathered up and focused exclusively on "riding the cap". I went back over a few spots where after the pass there was still lather on my face due to my angle being too shallow. Then I lathered up for a second pass and did the same. I rinsed off with hot then cold water and ran my alum bar over my face. There was no feedback from the alum. No nicks, weepers or rash. I splashed on some Florida Water and went on about my morning. This shave would not pass the cotton ball test anywhere on my face, but maybe now I have a new baseline to start honing my skills.

 

SOTD August 16th


J.E. Jones Shake Sharp
Personna Lab Blue
Stirling Executive Man
Stirling 24mm Synthetic
Lime AS splash

Good morning friends! Fist shave with the Shake sharp this morning. What a fantastic razor with tons of blade exposure. I have been working on loading less soap because it either ends up too thick or I have soap all over the bathroom when do I manage to thin it out enough. This morning 5 seconds of loading the Stirling was just right. I was able to thin it out enough and make it really really slick, while still having enough lather for at least 5 passes. I started with the cap of the razor on my face and started making small strokes while gradually adjusting the angle until I heard the sweet sound of the whiskers being hewn. I have to say this this razor is LOUD, with that much blade exposure I think it allows the blade to flex a little and really lets it sing. Keeping a light touch and shallow angle I was rewarded with a very close BBS shave and only one spot on my chin where the Alum told me I got a little heavy handed. Have a great day my friends!

 

No pain is a good! You might be leaving a little stubble because the angle is just tiny bit too shallow. There is a sweet spot that has the blade cutting at about 15 degress and when you find it you will notice that it will cut very close without the blade scraping. You will get the close shave and maintain the lack of feedback from the alum.

 

First Ben @ob1page and his Osage Rub & Florida Water. Now you with the mixing of the Aqua Velvas. I experimented with UberLathers, going to have me considering UberAS's.

Good for you! Making small adjustments in several phases of your shave add up to a pleasant improvement. Good lather can accidentally happen, better when you know you're doing it right and can repeat it. Getting zeroed in on the correct angle of attack with your razor makes for such a difference. Building muscle memory and forgetting habits from the cartridge days! When you get a quiet alum swipe & the high alcohol content of Florida Water doesn't burn so much, you know better shave are on the way!

 

Haven’t been so great about posting my last few shaves. Home life has been busy.

8/12/16 Henkels Friodur
8/13/16 New Jersey straight- Weiss
8/16/16 Schick Injector with a Chinese Schick blade

I got the Henkels back from my brother in law after a long term loan. I need to spend some time on the hones with it, again. The Weiss is a loan from @Norcalnewb. Very smooth and nice shave, BBS in two passes. I needed a shave like that as I haven’t had one for a while.

Today I used the Schick injector. Forgot to take a picture. I have no idea how many shaves are on this blade, but it gave me a quick and easy DFS. Mild noise from the Alum. I need to do some back to back shaves with this and my Mongoose. I think I am only going to keep one, and I think the Schick might give me a better shave.

 

August 16, 2016

Razor: M3 Schick Adjustable (5)
Blade: Chick (1)
Brush: VdH Boar
Soap: Cella

I'm taking a break from my focus on underused razors to try a new acquisition. I had my first shave with the Schick Adjustable this morning using a new Chick blade and a setting of '5'. I was a little rushed as I had an early meeting and made a couple of rookie mistakes.

At first, I didn't seem to be much reduction. At that point, I realized mistake #1- leaving the "Protector" engaged. Once that was resolved, I got a very nice, smooth shave. Maybe I just had the soap dialed in right, but the Adjustable at 5 definitely seemed milder than the J1 but just as efficient. I really wonder how much I will have to shave tomorrow.

On to rookie mistake #2... after rinsing off, etc., I noticed a bit of stray whiskers under my nose and tried to dry shave them. Of course, I ended up with a nick.

I'll probably stay with this razor for the rest of the week. Maybe break out the Arko tomorrow for an Adjustable Arko August shave.

 

Wait, what?! You mean a vintage Schick is giving you better shaves than the almighty Mongoose?!?! Huh?!?! That can't be happening!! Hey, the 'goose is a great razor, no doubt about it, but modern and steel and high tech does not a great shave equal! Of course, I'm a vintage kind of guy when it comes to razors so I know there's some bias, but.....great tools are great tools no matter when they were made, and when you have the technique it's magic. I also wonder if the vintage were better made simply because that WAS the technology of the day and they had to be good at what they did due to the competition. After a couple or four decades of carts we're building the new razors without the same basis. Possibly, anyway.

 

Speaking of rookie mistakes, my boss, who just started out with a Merkur 23c and Voskhod, did admit to me he was about to call me the first day he tried them. Couldn't get any kind of reduction at all. He figured out that the base plate was upside down. Now that's a rookie mistake. That I've also done on rare occasion.

 

Awesome Adjustable Arko August!!!!

August 16

Grand Blade Trial -Week off


Razor - 1947 Gillette Super Speed
Blade - (2)
Soap - C.O. Bigelow Cream
Brush - Wolf Whiskers Custom Silvertip
Post - Alum, Proraso

Decided to have some fun today since I'm on my week off of the Rule. I cleaned my shaving cabinet out yesterday and found an old tube of C.O. Bigelow that's been ignored for probably over a year now. Well, hey, I have the Seaforth mug and a high end badger brush......why not? I haven't whipped up a lather from a cream in so long I almost needed to read the instructions on the back of the mug.

I realized soon after starting the lather that the Seaforth mug has one major difference from Old Spice mugs. The circumference. It is a smaller mug and the upper lip curves in. This creates the constant banging of the handle against the mug and also doesn't allow for a lot of freedom to whip the lather or go vertically effectively to add air. But.....I did end up with a hyper-loaded brush with a touch of peaky lather starting. Cool. Went to the face lather and WOW there it is. Totally awesome lather and, of course, the C.O. Bigelow menthol and eucalyptus really popped as well.

Three passes and the brush delivered the same level of lather all three times. No issues, great feel from the '47 Super Speed and Voskhod and the baby showed up to celebrate with me. Awesome! The early Super Speeds are a bit more aggressive than their Flare Tip cousins from the '50's. .025 gap as opposed to a .023 for the newer ones. The head geometry is a bit different too so it delivers a more aggressive shave, but not over the top.

Rinsed the brush and I swear I could have shaved for two days on the lather that was available. Finished off with an ignored AS as well, Proraso. Cool, refreshing and the scent is awesome. Not sure why I don't remember it's there more often. Guess the call of the Veg is too strong.

Working on blog stuff and more sorting today. Hope your week is off to a great start the past two days. Mine begins again tomorrow. Glad to see a few people back around after a busy part of the year. If you have kids going back to school.....congrats!! Peace should be restored to your home soon! If you have college kids? Don't forget to change your phone number when they leave. Cuts down on money requests.

 

Proraso over the Veg? So instead of cat urine you went with koala farts? Just kidding, I like Proraso too, and often forget it's in the cabinet.

 

I think September is going to be "cheap after shave" month. Things like Aqua Velva, Old Spice....that kind of stuff that used to be top end 50 years ago but is drug store material these days. Not sure Proraso fits that category but it might be a way of getting it out more often!

 

Could be a plan. I have several. Aqua Velva, Old Spice, Clubman, Canoe, Mennen Skin Bracer. I don't use them very often, but when I splash on the Mennen, I'm instantly 8 years old, back in the Ford Galaxy 300 with my Grandfather, going through the drive thru beer store picking up a 6 pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

 

PBR - There's a beer you don't hear much about anymore. Well, drug store after shaves and a "drugstore" beer. Good memories reunited!

 

There are still lots of places here that serve PBR. The trouble is you have to drink it tongue numbingly cold or it won't go down.

 

Give it a few more repetitions and you'll get a "feel" for the blade. Don't worry about bbs yet, just focus on staying on the cap and shaving well. Bbs will just happen! Nice work so far.