JUNE 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

Oh I love it. Later own the New Deluxe is going to Nick as well. Still need to decide between gold and rhodium for that one.

 

Last day with a Cadet OC!


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About to go catch another nice shave from the Cadet! Gonna give this soap a bit more water today. Back later to wrap up June. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a great Tuesday night!
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Perhaps I've missed the memo, but I've seen many of you give a wrap-up to your experiences in this month-long thread, multiple months for some of you. So here's my contribution.

Briefly stated, this 30 days has done many things for me, but a couple in particular - its begun to solidify my technique and it has certainly solidified my commitment to wetshaving and to TSD.

This was due to key direction from @GDCarrington and great mentoring by @Bama Samurai

By all the affirmation, encouragement and thoughtful critique done in a witty and humorous way by so many of you, including the simple "likes" that reinforce a newbie and a thoughtful PIF here and there.

The nicks and weepers, as well as a little monotony of a 30-day Rule, all became simple bumps in the road by all of your attention to get me through it.

I've learned an incredible amount, that has also resulted in me wanting more. You've given me a great foundation to build on.

Cheers!
- RT

 

I went with a Rhodium head and a Rose Gold Handle. Stunning IMHO.

 

It is stunning.

 

Congrats on getting thru the 30 day Rule. I know it get boring at times but it did help you develope a solid foundation. You've come a long way and it only gets better from here on out. I'm looking forward to your blade trials next month.

 

6-30-15
Shave #7 30 day focus

Razor = Dovo Astrale 5/8
SC = C.O. Bigalow/green tube
Brush = VDH Boar
Witch Hazel
AS. = Himalayan Bay Rum
AFG = AOS sandalwood

Wrap up June 30-day focus
The dovo has has impressed me once a "keen Edge" was given to the Blade. The razor shaves real easy,nice feel and balance.

The razor was given to me by my soon to be son-in-law last christmas. In the beginning I wasn't in love with this razor and since this focus I have come to realize it is a good shaver.

this month I shaved 9 times altogether including my birthday shave and one pic with my DSLR that was to big to transfer.

DE. Razor I used is also a gift from my SIL for my birthday a few years back. For a long time my 46-47 aristocrat was my go razor and this razor was just sitting in then cabinet and used occasionally. Merker Progress long handle... and yes the numbers don't line up correctly using a "sharp" blade from Switzerland I believe that is the country of origin. The razor is nice and "head" heavy which I really like.

I do believe both razors will be kept in the rotation I am very happy with both if them after using them this
month

Keen Blades & Smooth shaves Gents!

 

Absolutely
Beautiful !

 

Thank you for your kind words. It was a joy and a pleasure to watch you progress. June went so fast!

 

June Roundup
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Williams Mug Shaving Soap
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It's a wrap. I spent this month doing 25+ shaves with Williams. This soap was selected for its price point and its oft-maligned reputation. Many complain about smell of Williams, but it didn't really bother me. I did find it to be a particularly difficult soap to work. The shaves only really got good on the 16th when the shave stick method debuted. Applying the soap directly to my face was the only way I could get predictable lather. It is neither cushiony or very slick, and the lather dissipates quickly. All that said, it does work, but is just more trouble than it's really worth. My verdict on Williams is that it will not be featured in my rotation going forth. I earned my Williams stripes...let's simply move on.

Cadet OC Three Piece
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I am really happy with this razor. The moderately aggressive geometry provide a nice shave on two passes in my case. The head is maneuverable and not too large, and the chrome plating makes for good glide. This is a razor that really must be used in a "ride the cap" fashion to get the full potential. I would recommend this model to anyone looking for an entry point into OC. The verdict here is keeper, at least until I finish the Maggard OC trial. Only one OC stays, other is PIF later this year.

Derby Green
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The real surprise this month was the blade. I hated it as a newbie, have read all the negative reviews. This blade was nothing but solid for me in the Cadet. It probably benefitted from the aggressive head geometry. I experienced normal shaving performance, no issues with blade sharpness or smoothness. I was really pleasantly surprised. The verdict on Derby is thumbs up! For some razors and faces it is absolutely a good option.

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Open Comb Focus
Day 18

Prep: Shower
Razor: Gillette New SC
Blade: Voskhod
Brush: Omega 10083 Boar Brush
Lather: Proraso White
Post: Cold rinse, Alum, Witch hazel, Aqua Velva Ice Sport

Final Thoughts: I learned a great deal during this month from technique to lathering. Although I couldn't shave everyday (my skin wouldn't allow it and have been extremely busy), I found that the Gillette New to be extremely efficient for my coarse beard compared to the Merkur 34C. I hope to try different blades now that I am more comfortable using it.

 

It really works =) and its awesome

 

Only the brave stick it out for a month with Williams. Yes, move on....throw it out, burn it, flush it....oh wait that would cause pollution that we could never solve!!! Burning is best, just keep the fumes from moving toward St. Louis.

 

World Tournament of Blades - Russia vs. the World!! THE FINALS
July 1, 2015
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - Omega Pro 48
Soap - Mitchell's Wool Fat
Razor - '59 Gillette Ball End Tech
Blade - (1)
Post - Alum, Nivea Balm

In the tradition of other great sporting events like the NCAA tournament, who advertises March Madness and finishes in April, so goes the June World Tournament of Blades.....finishing in July but finishing nevertheless!

The final shave features the Voskhod. Yes, many of you predicted this based on my personal preference but I will say that I wasn't convinced it would be here, or that it would beat the final competitor. I have a number of favorite blades that I felt would be able to win this thing. More on that in a moment. On to the shave. :wave:

Pro 48 and MWF for the lather. A bit thinner today than I've been getting but still nice and effective. The new Voskhod was loaded and waiting and so the first pass began. Nice sharp feel as always, and smooth. I will say that a new Voskhod has a bit more feedback than some but it glided nicely through the lather and got a good first pass result. Lathered for the XTG and again no issues. Face finished DFS and the neck was left, which is pretty normal for me. Lathered and checked. No blood from the XTG pass like I got yesterday. Did another XTG on the neck then added G-slides as usual for the toughest areas. I'm feeling a slight tenderness which tells me the irritation may be up. Wrapped it up, rinsed, hit the alum and......let's score it.

The Bic scored a 7 due to the nick on my neck. I'm seeing no blood or other issues from the Voskhod. Sharpness - 1. No surprise there. Smoothness - 1. It felt good all around. Result - DFS - 2. Irritation - The alum was not quiet today. Clearly my neck is tired of the constant work with G-slides and some buffing. The burn equaled yesterday's level from the Bic so let's wait out the duration. I always count to 30 after putting the alum on. Yesterday the burn was gone at 25. Today.......counting.......counting.........and at 20 it fades, 21.......22.......23........24.........annnnnndddddd.....it's done at 25. Long enough to cost it a point, not long enough to add 2. So, the Irritation score is a 2.

Total - 6

And your champion blade of the World in 2015..............................

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Am I surprised? Not totally but.....here is how I thought the brackets would break out. I thought Voskhod would win the first and second rounds then face the Sharp Star, which I thought would make it to the final four. Nope, Ladas beat Sharp Star so it set up the Voskhod/Ladas matchup. I honestly thought Sharp Star had a chance to win over the Voskhod, but it didn't make it there. On the world side I thought the Kai would make it to the final four and likely meet up with the Feather for an all Japan bracket. Nope, the Kai bombed in the first round as did the Feather....setting up the stage for the Bic, which is excellent, to take that bracket. Without the slight nick yesterday this would have been a tie between Voskhod and Bic.

Did I learn anything? Yep. I learned that razor/blade selection is important to a great shave and I discovered the Derby is a really nice blade, if not quite on the highest level. I also had a lot of fun!! Alright, enough of this foolishness....on to July and a 30 day Rule with the CJB (and the Gillette LC as the DE "relief" razor).

 

7-1-15
July 30-Day Focus
First shave.

Razor = Celtic Wosty 5/8 The Celebrated Med Hollow Ground butchers notch.
Wostenholm & Son
Washington Works 1849-1890
Sheffield

D.E. Razor

Gillette 1960 Ajustable Aristocrat
Revamped by Razor Emporium
24K Gold Plating
Phoenix Az

The Razor is an eBay find.
Blade restore and custom blond horn scales W/ Celtic cross inlay
I really feel like I haven't used this much. The razor was done by "Holly Rollah".
Kevin did an an outstanding work on this shaver...the scales give the razor a formal black tie vibe to the razor.
Kevin did an excellant job doing the inlay of the cross in the blonde streak thru the scale.

Ice water shave.
Soap = TOBS sandalwood.
Brush = VDH Boar
witch hazel
AS = Himalayan bay rum.
ASG = AOS sandalwood.

The shave I got today was smooth and close shave, however a little irritated from the 2 razors I am using
in this months 30 day focus.

As far as the Wosty I am going to the chrome ox for a polish and a real good stropping...as far as the DE shaver the blade is a new Astra green box. I am also thinking some of the irritation is also from human error.

Keen blade & Sm soothe shaves Gents

 

July 3

MdC facial soap
Muhle R41 (2013)
Feather blade (day 3)
RV Shavemac two-band silvertip brush
D.R. Harris Almond shave cream - all gone - and a few drops of glycerin
Two passes
Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Pinaud Clubman aftershave

This was my last shave as part of my June focus, which began on June 7th. I used a scalloped comb razor, the R41, for the first time this month, and my goal was to achieve consistently close, comfortable, and nick-free shaves. The bottom line is that my shaves were great from the start. No doubt, the R41 loaded with a Feather blade is the best performing DE in my rotation.

What I learned:

I love, love, love the R41 loaded with a Feather blade! It's not for a new wet shaver, but it would be a great addition to the arsenal of someone with more experience. Two-pass daily shaves work best for me. Three pass-shaves are a tiny bit closer, but they often result in minor irritation. The extra pass is simply not worth it.

I used the Omega Pro 98 and the Shavemac two-band brushes. These brushes perform quite differently, yet I enjoy using both of them. The Omega wins for value, and the Shavemac wins for luxury. Both of these brushes are keepers and will remain in the rotation.

I can get three shaves out of a Feather blade with no noticeable degradation in performance. I used to toss them after two shaves, but my technique has improved over time, allowing for a third shave on each blade. Since I have more Feathers than Foghorn Leghorn, I see no reason to keep pushing the number of shaves per blade.

D.R. Harris Almond cream performs well and has a nice cherry scent. It had dried up in the container since I purchased it, and I learned that I can "reactivate" it simply by adding water (not rocket science). This is good to know, as I have a few different creams that will likely sit awhile before I get to them. I finished up my one and only container of the Almond cream, and it's on to something different in July. In case you're wondering how it compares to a less expensive cream like TOBS....it performs about the same for me. I'd go for the TOBS Sandalwood over the D.R. Harris cream in a New York minute.

And, most importantly, @NCoxSTL Neal didn't yell at me, even though I picked on Voskhod blades. He's obviously more of a gentleman than me!

I have thoroughly enjoyed following everyone's progress this month. Your posts, photography, and most importantly, your willingness to help and encourage each other is truly outstanding. I count all of you as friends. A big thanks to @Bama Samurai Chris. He's our monthly focus Master of Ceremonies, cheerleader, party host, mentor, and an all around good guy.

Have a great 4th of July weekend, and I'll see you all over in the July focus thread.

 

Great post.

 

Thank you, Doug. I appreciate the kind words. You are a frequent encourager of everyone here. That's one of the really nice things about this place. I hope you and your Bride have a great and safe 4th of July weekend.

 

Thank you. My wife and I will have a great July 4th. I hope you do also! God Bless, and be safe! A Marine Officer I had the privilege of serving with also lives in Kentucky. I call him every July 4th.

 

I agree with @Douglas Carey - a great post!

any post that includes my favorite Looney Tunes character and shaving in the same sentence is tops in my book!



I say, boy? Boy! Look at me when I'm talking to you son!