January 2015 30 Day Rule/30 Day Focus Pic and Discussion Thread- All are Welcome

Day 26 Lab Report - 30 DAY RULE with a Slim

Twelve hours post shave all is well. Another routine DFS on 2.

Happy Thursday!

 

Day 27 of 30
30 DAY RULE with a Slim

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J2 Gillette Slim Adjustable
Kroger Israeli Personna
VDH Kit Badger
TSD Lanolin Shave Stick - Barber Shoppe Scent
Today's Great Cheap AS™ is Stetson Cool Moisture!

...nearing the end of a rewarding month! Another great shave scheduled this evening! Back later with a report!

 

For General Consumption:

The February Razor Dojo is now open! I am looking at a "Focused February". Maybe some guys will wanna join me! I am looking at focusing on my Plisson Brush, Schick Injector, Chinese Schicks, and sharing my journey...

FEB 2015 30 Day Rule/30 Day Focus Pic and Discussion Thread

 

Day 23
Prep: Hot shower, Exfoliating wash
Brush: Van Der Hagen (the one from the premium kit)
Soap: Van Der Hagen Luxury
Blade: Hill Country (rebranded Personna)
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89
Post: Nivea, Old Spice

The only bad thing that keeps happening is knicking some moles. Doesn't hurt but you can't stop the bleeding at all lol. Oh well I'll get the hang of it one day. I might be jumping ship after today since I'm going out of town for the weekend. I don't know I may pack up my stuff and bring it along but I can't make any promises. I think I've got proficient with this razor but I could work on my lathering skills so I may jump in the February focus for that.

 

01/29 – Final Shave of the 30 Day Rule - Shave #25 with the Weishi

Objective: Survive a month using low end entry level products.

• Growth: 1 day
• Prep: Shower; Corn Huskers Lotion
• Lather: Arko – Face lathered
• Brush: Escali Badger
• Razor: Weishi 9306/Microtouch One
• Blade: Derby Extra (6)
• Post: Alum; Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Today’s Results: 2 pass XTG/ATG, no touchups, and a nice no irritation DFS to wrap this up for the month.

Conclusion: It would be very easy to “survive” using these products on a daily basis.

What I learned: This exercise really helped to improve my technique and taught me lifelong shaving skills I wish I had learned 20 years ago. I look forward to applying my new skills to other products. Thank you to Bama Samurai for running the event and to GDCarrington for his 30 Day Rules. It was a pleasure participating. And, thanks to everyone else that participated who helped make the month a lot of fun with their (skunk) stories, photos, insights, and anecdotes.

Corn Huskers Lotion: I have a naturally oily face that doesn’t agree that well with PSOs. Corn Huskers is a must have daily going forward. ~20% used – 6¢ a shave
Arko Stick: It’s Arko and it’s great. It’s provides a thick, creamy, and slick lather every single time, even when I messed it up a little. I even like the scent now. Well, I don’t hate the scent. It will always be in my den. ~33% used – 3¢ a shave
Escali Badger: It sheds a ton. But it's soft and it worked well face lathering with the forgiving Arko. I might get a Whipped Dog to replace it some day.
Weishi: I’ll definitely keep this razor. For reasons other than to shave with, but that’s a secret. I’ll even use it from time to time.
Derby Blades: They got the job done but not without effort. Every shave was a challenge on my chin area and I needed at least two 2 touchups to get it acceptable to me. Was this due to the blade or the very mild Weishi? I’ll be running some tests on that in the next few weeks. 8 used – 3¢ a shave
Alum: I like the Crystal container. I never had to worry about dropping the alum and having it shatter. 5% used – 2¢ a shave
AS: – I used a few different AS during the event. Most of the time it was either Dove Post Shave Balm or Aqua Velva Ice Blue. The plan was to use AV but the aforementioned oily face doesn’t always agree with an AS that contains alcohol. I probably would have used 25% if I didn’t stray – 5¢ a shave

Cost per shave for the month: 19¢

 

January 29 (Day 28)

Pre: Musgo Real Glycerin Lime Oil Soap
Razor: Mongoose
Blade: Feather Professional (day 4)
Brush: Kent BK4 silvertip
Lather: Stirling Naked and Smooth soap plus a few bits of leftover soap & glycerin
Shave: Two-pass plus touch-ups
Post: Alum, Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, and unrefined shea butter
Result: Smooooooth

It seems like I've learned about all that I can using the Mongoose for now. I've never had so many consecutive great shaves with a razor. I would have never thought I'd get a week's worth of shaves out of a blade! It has been very helpful for me to stick with the same set up for 30 days.

I look forward to using my new set up beginning next Monday. I'm returning to my Feather Artist Club razor loaded with a Feather Pro blade. When I used this set up before, I was rewarded with a nice shave (but never great like I get with the Mongoose) anytime I used no pressure and paid attention to skin stretching. I changed my blade every three or four days, and I think that was way too often. When I switched back to a DE, those shaves became easy by comparison. I hope I have a better experience with Feather AC this time around.

I hope y'all enjoyed your day!

 

Awesome final post. I was watching your results all month due to the uniqueness of what you were trying. Nice to know it can be done. Also nice to know the Escali made it through albeit a bit thinner by now I'm sure. 19 cents per shave is awesome. That's $69.35 a year. I think we can all see the savings this brings us.....if we would just stop all that AD nonsense.

 

I already have.

 

SOTD 29 - 30 Day Rule:

Prep: Shower, Proraso PreShave
Soap: Arko
Blade: 7'oclock SharpEdge (yellow)
Razor: Ball End Tech
Brush: 24mm WD Black Badger
Post: (DIY Splash - 3 parts WH, 3 parts Aloe Vera Juice, 1 part VIBR, 2 drops Glycerin). based on the one @maltedmilk posted

1 WTG - 1 XTG, great shave again.

 

Shave 20 of 30 day BSG
Shower - Hot Shower
Prep - Warm Water Splash/Cornhuskers Lotion
Razor - Parker 99R
Blade - Wilkinson Swords Classic
Brush - Parker Rosewood Boar Brush
Soap - Proraso Eucalyptus and Menthol Soap
Post - Cold Water Rinse/Clubman/Real Shaving Co Soothing Balm
2 full passes this evening XTG, ATG with touch ups on neck spots and jawline. Not only does my brush smell of menthol but I think I permanently smell of menthol. I may shave tomorrow if not then tonight ends my 30 day rule. I learned a lot over the past several weeks. From full blown newb to now having a really good feel for the 99R and Wilkinson blades. Many days I got 4 shaves out of the blades. I think they are probably a really good all around blade. Can't wait to test that judgment with my blade sampler that's been calling too me.

 

When I started this 30 day program, I was a bit leary, as I had only 2 weeks of DE experience, and a month of Schick Injector under my belt. Now I was going to the Dreaded Micromatic (although the calmer younger brother of the OC) I quickly found the blade sounds very useful, providing feeback while I was learning the best blade angle on this new to me razor. Through the month, I got great lather with the Maca Root Shave Cream. I found that I really like menthol, and highly reccomend TSD mbomb! The first few shaves with the GEM Stainless blade, coated with teflon (PTFE) were not smooth, but hand stropping, and just using the blade anyways lead to very smooth shaves, for the month. The question I had was just how long would the blade last for me. Well, the results are in: I used the same blade for the full 30 days. Mind you, the last few shaves were not quite as smooth as the 3rd through 27th shaves. Even with all that, I still got the best BBS shaves these last two shaves. Go figure! I also discovered that the MMCP needs a little more angle than the utube videos show with the OC, or other GEMS. I found a post elsewhere on TSD that suggested that the handle be parallel with the face, tip pointing towards the floor, when the blade is on the cheek. This gave me a more aggressive shave, taking more whiskers off in the first pass, than when one has a shallower angle. The result was a much smoother shave, with very little increase in irritation. I had no burning with the witch hazel, or aftershave. As I was quite careful about razor pressure, and my whisker grain, I believe that this contributed to less irritation. OH YAH, YMMV.

All in all, this was an absolutely great program, and I feel, helped to increase my shaving technique hugely. Thanks, Bama, for the suggestion.

For February, I think I will copy you, and use my Schick Injector( I1) for the month. I have liked the G better, so I know I just need to develop better technique with the I. I will probably go to my Proraso green cream, and cheap Wilkinson Sword boar brush. After shave is open.... I may buy some Proraso Green AS to add to the menthol and Eucalyptus effect.
I hope this helps some who are wondering about using the GEM Micromatic Clog Pruf. DO IT!!!:hooray:

 

Bring that sampler over to http://theshaveden.com/forums/threa...30-day-focus-pic-and-discussion-thread.42922/ and join us in February. I'll be doing the same with ten different blades for the month.

 

SOTD
January 30, 2015
This is it! This was my 35th consecutive shave with the RRSS.
Prep: Hot shower. Axe Shield Face Wash
Razor: RazoRock Stealth Slant
Blade: Astra SP
Brush: L'Occitane Plisson
Lather: Reef Point Sublime
Post: Alum.Thayers Lavender WH.
Aftershave: TSD Iced Ying Yang
New soap! Reef Point Sublime. Lemon and lime with menthonl. Great scent. Super lather. TSD Iced Ying Yang is fantastic!
Go out and get it!

 

A BIG THANK YOU TO Chris @Bama Samurai for putting this thread and 30 day challenge together! You never wavered from your goal, you made EVERYONE feel welcomed. Thank you.
Kerry

Happy Shaving in February!

 

1/30/15 - BSG Day 30
Prep - Hot Shower, towel soak
Brush - Omega 48
Soap - C.O. Bigelow
Razor - Edwin Jagger 89l
Blade - (4)
Post - RazoRock Alum Stick & A/V Musk

Crossing the finish line on January. Fourth day on the Voskhod and it's still going strong. Three pass DFS and a great shave to end with. Much better than when I began 30 days ago. Thanks again to Chris for setting this up and also for getting us going in February! See all of you who are joining up there. My "what I learned" to follow.

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30 Day Rule in January – What I learned

First of all, thanks to Bama for organizing this back in December. As a new member to the board at the time I jumped on the opportunity to join in and really work on technique. Like most relative newbies I had been jumping from razor to razor, blade to blade etc. and not really making progress on the quality of the shave. The Rule is the ultimate boot camp and I love it.
What did I learn? Well, for starters, that the 1904 Old Style Gillette’s are aggressive beasts. I lasted 5 days and did improve each day with my 1918 but the level of irritation was climbing to astronomical. It is a razor I plan to revisit, but switching to the ’46 Aristocrat was the right move.

Second, I learned that angle is all in the wrist, meaning stop bending it. I had to break the habit of using my wrist to shave like I did with carts and lock the wrist and use my arm to control motion. Every time I would flip my wrist I would end up with a nick or miss a spot that required a cleanup.

Third, I learned that Proraso really is a great soap and cream (C.O. Bigelow version) but I want to try a couple more to see what else is out there. Proraso, though, provided consistent lathers and it only got better as my lathering technique improved too.

Fourth, I learned that I love, love, love the Omega Pro 48 or any boar brush for that matter. I cheated a couple of days and used the VDH brush from the premium kit and it was an awesome performer, especially for its price. I may never go back to badger, although I still plan to try horse.

Fifth, I learned to love alum for its ability to grade my shave. I also like how it leaves my skin feeling, but that instant feedback gave me valuable info to use the next day. It’s only gotten better since I added the alum to the mix.

Sixth, I learned that there are some really great and fun people on this board, especially when compared to a couple of others I’m a member of. Thanks to all for the discussions, the jokes and the support. I look forward to many more great discussions and times spent with a hobby we all love. And, if you’re in on the February rule/focus group, I’ll see you tomorrow!

Oh, Seventh – and most important – keep a gun handy for pre-shave. Otherwise your entire effort to shave may just stink up the place!

Well that finishes January, time to Start February!

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1/30/2015 30 Day - Shave # 29

Prep - Hot Shower
Razor - Mongoose Satin B2
Blade - Kai Mild (4)
Brush - Rubberset 400 with WSP HMW
Lather - Soap Commander Confidence
Post - Witch Hazel and CC Bay Rum AS



Not feeling well yesterday so I just skipped the day shaving. This is the 29th shave of the 30 day January Focus. Had a very nice, nearly BBS, 3 pass shave today with very few touch ups. I plan on finishing up with this setup tomorrow before moving to the February Focus. Hope you have a great weekend.

 

LOVE my FaTip! However, I was ready to toss it after the first two shaves nearly scraped my face off! With help from fellow TSDers, I tamed The Beast. My journey >here<.

NOTE: Will have a Muhle R41 ( 2013 head) very soon. The USPS ate my 2011 version that I bought (long story - too painful to recount). I had hoped for a battle of the beasts. Alas...

 

January 30th SOTD (Shave 20 of the challenge)
Prep: Hot shower
Razor & Blade: '63 Gillette Slim and Gillette Platinum
Two Day's growth
Second shave on this blade, Stroped 30 times per edge
Setting 5 on two passes plus buffing
Brush & Bowl: Semogue 1460 brush and soup bowl
Soap: Maggard Orange Menthol
Post Shave: Cold water rinse, alum block, Maggard Orange Menthol aftershave
Last shave of this challenge. Decided to change things a little and do a cold water shave. It made my neck hairs act wierd, and I feel like I shaved my neck with a cheese grater. Going to do another post on cold water shaving, but it didn't go too great for me today. Overall, DFS, with just a few rough spots. The neck calmed down after a few hours.
What I learned in this challenge:

1. If a blade seems rough, stropping it can help smooth it out. I have been using a short strop I made to do 30 laps per edge on my blade before shaving.
2. How to buff on my neck. I hadn't tried buffing before this challenge, it has made a night and day difference on my neck. It is much smoother, and I am getting less ingrown hairs. It also have less of a shadow the next day.
3. My definition of BBS and DFS have been changing. Every time I have gotten a better shave, it changes what I consider the top level. What I was calling BBS at the beginning of this challenge I would now call almost a DFS. I hope that keeps up.
4. I like menthol.
5. How adding a little more water to my lather can make it work 10 times better. Soak the brush, shake it twice, and start working on lather. Once it is good, add a little more water, whip some more, and repeat as needed.
6. That I hate taking pictures of shave gear, especially when it is the same gear every day.
7. That a skunk could probably convince me to shave my mustache off.

On to the Feb Focus. I will be using one of the razors I had to have last year that I have never even shaved with. 1952 Superspeed black tip steel razor. Everything else will be back to my normal rotations.

 

I share your pain on the pictures though I tried to stay creative. When you run out of ideas though you end up with Russian women and finish lines. Not sure a skunk would be enough for me to shave the goatee. Might have to try a couple of days of tomato juice soak to avoid that painful moment. However, that is the one thing that might have a chance of convincing me.