August 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Beautiful razor!

 

SOTD - boredom edition



Two passes to bliss... Lots of menthol here, but I didn't get nuts with it.

Have a great evening!

 

August Focus Day 29:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
Bain Armour Southern Gentleman SS
Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed
Stirling Unscented PSB
Stetson AS

After a day of feeling a bit under the weather, I figured a nice evening shave would be in order. I am always surprised at how well the Super Speed does, it is just a pleasant shaver. Not to flashy, but it gets the job done and gets it done well. I hope everyone had a great day!

 

I hope you feel better soon!

 

Hope you get a good nights sleep and are better in the morning.

 

Awesome Adjustable August; Menthol Monday Edition

C.O.Bigelow & T.B.S. synthetic
1959 Fat Boy @7 & a Voskhod
Alum, Osage Rub, Black Magic AS



Hoping for two more good shaves on this blade. Then I'll polish up the #195 and set it aside for SEptember. I keep seeing Margaritas in the Attic - it's menthol & lime? On my list. Got my menthol on for Monday. COB is a surprise every time I use it. I do need to expand my cooling horizon. Three passes, smooth quiet alum, cool Osage, and finished with Black Magic AS. It's sweet but other than that hard to describe except that in a sniff test, my Lady friend liked it. Not like my opinion matters, I am Chosen. (Recognize that green cap?)

 

August Straight Razor Focus
I'm sorry to disappoint you that were hoping for blood today. I had a very nice two pass shave today with my travel kit.
Ogallala Bay Rum Shaving Stick
Feather Artists Club SS
Feather Pro (1)
Proraso AS Balm
Captain's Choice Bay Rum AS
Have fun!

 

SOTD August 30th


Gillette New Standard
Pol Silver SI (2)
Tabac
Stirling 24mm Synthetic
Tangerine AS & Nivea Sensitive ASB

Good morning friends! It seems like its been a really long time since I've used my Tabac and what a shame because it always delivers top notch lather. The New Standard has a good bit of aggression to it and paired with a sharp blade like the Pol Silver will definitely bite if your technique wavers. Waver and bite it did and I gave myself a weeper on the neck. Cold water and alum close it up nicely though and other then that the shave could not have been better. This was a very nice shave and will be one to remember and I put down the DE's and focus on SE's during the month of SEptember. Have a great day and great shaves my friends!

 

Shave 15
Omega 10098
Proraso Green Shaving Soap Jar
Gillette New Long Comb
Astra Superior Platinum Blade.
TSD Lavender Aftershave Splash

I got a new Ceramic Suribachi bowl as a shave bowl so I decided to use a new brush with it. I have made a few lathers with the Omega to start it breaking in, but today is the first time I have used it to shave. Overall I am impressed. It's a big brush and it makes quite a bit of lather. It felt good going on. As for the shave, same old two pass WTG and ATG riding the cap. No nicks, weepers or cuts. I would consider it a DFS. I'm half way through my 30 shave challenge and my never used Rockwell 6s is just sitting there staring at me....

 

Suribachi bowl and an Omega 98? I like that set up, too! Photos dude! To properly entice and enable others you got to give em the eye candy!

 

I have not had enough sleep as I first read that as "Sriracha bowl".

 

I love all of the pictures on this site, but my wife thinks it's really weird for me to photograph shaving gear. BTW, has anyone ever had a suribachi bowl stain their hands after the 1st use?

 

Awesome Adjustable Arko August!!!!

August 30

Grand Blade Trial

Razor - 1962 (H1) Gillette Slim (6)
Blade - (1)
Soap - Arko
Brush - BoS Omega 10066
Post - Alum, Old Spice

Hard to believe August is almost done. Wow! Seems like Summer just started and we're a few weeks away from Autumn now. Which, in the STL area, means nothing really. It can stay hot and muggy for weeks still.

The Grand Blade Trial marches on as well into the second day of the Royal Stainless Super. First day was a very nice shave with signs of a sharp blade at work. Today we switch over to the Omega 10066 and I'm now willing to say - it is my second favorite boar. That's not a bad thing, but it is still surprising how much faster and efficiently the 620 seemed to get lather yesterday. And lots of it.

First pass today was as smooth as a blade can feel, I think. Didn't really notice the blade at all and the result was a great reduction. Second XTG was equally smooth. Even on the neck there were no problems. Third ATG and Gillette Slide pass equally smooth. I noticed one little ding in the feeling on my neck but no blood appeared and alum didn't produce a sting there. The finish? A solid BBS! Very, very nice. Sometimes the sharpest blades go from a great shave at 2 and then get a bit harsh at 6. The final test will be the wide open 9 tomorrow. Will it be equally smooth and mild feeling or will it switch to a beast?

Alum was quiet, the Old Spice gave a minor burn but that's ok. Broke it out early to get it ready for SEptember.

​

 

She will eventually get used to the picture taking. It becomes just another one of the little things she loves about you. Honestly. I promise. I didn't realize for awhile after taking pictures that mine thought I was trying to take pictures of her. We face each other on our "desks" in the office (6 foot tables) and I take a lot of my pictures using my laptop to hold the cloth and items. So, the camera aims her direction when I'm clicking away. She asked me one time what I was doing with all of the pictures of her. Awkward for a bit on that one. "Ummmm....I haven't taken any of you because ummmm.....well my shave gear is.....ummmmmm....more impor........more valua.....can I get you a bowl of ice cream oh wondrous love of my life?"

 

We encourage keeping the door to the den closed during shaving. It prevents both painful interruptions while using a sharp object, and merciless mocking for taking pictures of shave gear.

 

@bscarpenter My bowl has a copper colored glaze on the outside, and inside the top rim down in half an inch. Don't recall any color changes or staining of my hand.

Fumble fingers Via Kyocera / Tapatalk

 

No blood with a pain stick just makes you more of a steely eyed razor man.

 

August 2016 Adjustable August

August 29

Razor: 58 Executive set on 6
Blade: Vincent
Brush: Stirling Kong
Soap: Stirling Glacial Obsidian
Post: Cold water rinse, Alum block, M-bombed witch hazel with Peppermint EO



Last night was my second shave with the Vincent blade, the first being over the weekend. The first shave was with about 24 hours growth and the shave was fine. The blade is relatively smooth and decently sharp, but nothing special in either category. I would put it right there with Derby probably if I had to rank it. Last night I shaved again with the blade and it was definitely a rougher shave. I had some decent growth on my face and this blade was certainly not up to the task. First pass ended with some tugging and irritation. Second pass added some more irritation and a weeper on my upper lip and one on my chin. I decided to forgo the touch-up and stick to just the two passes and a passable shave. The alum definitely reminded me that it was a rougher shave. This is another blade that can only be used when I am shaving every day and not skipping any days.

Last night was my first time using the Stirling Glacial Obsidian soap. I turned the sample into a shave stick as I have found that face lathering after using a stick has become my favorite way to go. This soap is amazing! But it is definitely COLD! I love menthol. The Lemon and Orange Chill soaps are great. Iced Subzero aftershave is wonderful. All the various products I have M-bombed I have thoroughly enjoyed. But, I was not prepared for this soap. It is in a league all its own . . . and I LOVED it! I am also a huge fan of black licorice and so the scent was intoxicating the entire time I was using it. If you are into menthol then Stirling's glacial products are definitely for you!

I am done with the Vincent and will probably do one final shave tonight or tomorrow with the Executive before moving into the September focus. I plan to join the SEptember focus and use a GEM junior I have never used and maybe even a shavette. We shall see.

 

Well you discovered what I did about the Vincent. Decent enough shave. Once. After that it's done. It is used primarily barbershops/salons in shavettes so they only care about one use anyway. You could snap it in half and get two customers for one blade. At least it's a Chinese blade that actually can provide a decent shave, even if only once. Still beats the Flying Eagle and the rest of the bunch by a wide margin.

 

I still hear it from my wife about taking pictures and being on the "shave site." I get asked what we talk about. I tell her shaving of course. She asks what else. "Darlin, it is just shaving, nothing else going on here, nothing to see, no shenanigans or nothing I promise."

This works well as long as your wife doesn't have a sick sense of humor and enjoy knocking on the door . . . loudly . . . right in the middle of your shave.