June 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Thanks very much Clint. I hope you and your daughter had a great trip together. I'm sure it is something she will remember forever.

 

Tuesday June 27 - new trials and second thoughts

English Gillette - Flare-Tip Rocket? / Topaz Platinum ( 1 )
30DC LE Cashmere Maple brush
Omega Eucalyptus shaving cream in tub
Alum and Thayers Witch Hazel Astringent Aftershave

With all the talk lately about SuperSpeeds and FlareTips, I realized I have never used one. So I went digging in a box where I thought I had one. What I found was three Gillette TTOs: an English Rocket (a surprisingly solid, heavy little beast it is too), a minty looking Blue Tip (feels like it weighs half as much as the Rocket), and this one that I had remembered as a Flare Tip, except it's not. It's aluminum with no colour on the flared tip just like all the Flare Tips posted on the Thread lately, but when the TTO mechanism is operated, the tip travels down just like on a Rocket. And it's marked Made in England.

Did the English make flare-tipped Rockets? Or is it just considered a Flare Tip variant?

Anyway, I shaved with it. It's a nice light nimble little razor. The thin head profile makes it easy to use around the nose and chin. The overall shave performance seemed to be efficient but quite mild.

Two passes to a near BBS with nothing even close to irritation anywhere. My impression was that I would really have to work to get a razorburn going with this unit.

I think tomorrow and the day after I will try the other two TTOs - the Rocket and the Blue Tip.

For my soap today, I revisited one of the ones I wasn't sure I liked very much -- my eucalyptus offerings. Maybe I was just in a different mood today than during the week I initially tried them, but I found I didn't mind the scent of the Omega cream at all today. Both the lather and the postshave feeling were excellent, as they had been during my first try with it. I guess my eucalyptus soaps and creams will be staying in my inventory after all.

 

There are English Rockets and Super Speeds. The Rockets have the uncrimped tto knob which moves up and down. The Super Speeds are crimped like their American cousins and the tto knob just turns.

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We did have a great time together. The trip puts her in a position to make her decision next year.

 

Beautiful picture, Doug! The bowl does look like a lather machine.

 

Wednesday Shave

@RyX @SharptoothC I have confirmed Mr. Blass and Tabac go great together

Today's razor is a Revisor, one of my few successful from bevel setting to finish honing jobs. The edge was very smooth and still has a sharp edge. My standard 4 passes and zero feedback from the alum and a smooth face. Used the Tabac deodorant and several shots of Mr Blass plus walking through the Mr. Cloud. My woman is in town and gave her approval before I headed off to make the doughnuts.

Irritation A+ Closeness A Smoothness A+ Sharpness A

 

Shaved with the Arko this morning! Courtesy of @Bama Samurai. I give it Of course all of you were right that told me it's fast and easy. Not as luxurious as the couple soaps I've been using but not bad at all. The fainter scent was also a welcome change after weeks of the more pungent Octavia Noir. I think when I go total budget I'll probably stock up on Arko to store with my 100 pack of Astra SPs.

Happy shaving all!

 

From someone with a well stocked AS & Cologne den, That's high praise. Thank you for sharing!

Next I'm going to see what happens when I mix Special Reserve and English Leather aftershaves. I like them both and the lighter EL should take the edge off the SR. Any suggestions on a strong leather scented soap?

 

June 2017!!!

Trials and Tribulations - 30 DC LE Brush inaugural shave!

June 27

Razor - Delta Echo New LC
Blade - (2)
Soap - Stirling Barbershop
Brush - 30 DC LE
Post - Alum

Last night's shave was so good let's just repeat it. Not often I stick with a high end shave. I've earned the right. The only change is to sub in Stirling Barbershop scent for the T&H 1805. Faultless head shave for the preliminary round on a Tuesday night.

The Stirling was defenseless against the Tuxedo knot in the LE brush. Fast and overabundant load that turned into a sink full of lather if I had squeezed it out at first. No lack of slickness or cushion and the New LC and Voskhod made easy work of it. The baby showed up again with really no extra effort. Don't know how much simpler this process can be. Two passes, minor touch up, put the baby to bed and call it a night. Yep, that's quality any way you slice it.

We're down to the last few days of June. Summer is marching on and July is right around the corner! I will probably continue on down the blade trial path for part of the month at least. I'll return to the trials tomorrow with another Indian blade. Not sure which, but I'll pick one by then. I think once July arrives it's time to revisit another old friend too for part of the month. He's eager to go.

 

I had my slightly overdue shave today. 40's SS, Lord blade (third shave), two passes, good shave. No nicks or signs that the blade is going south. VDH is getting low, finally.

 

The best smelling leather scent soap I have tried is Knize Ten. A good but not great lather but it smells awesome.

Mr. Blass is one the best deals in cologne.

 

Today the usual suspects were joined by the gold 46-50 Gillette Tech that was so graciously PIF'd for the shaveys from @jtspartan. I had a great shave relatively quiet Alum tonight stung a little in the same spots as last night but I think that may be from some leftover irritation. The Tech is definitely heavier making it easier for me to use and it's incredibly thin cap makes it really easy to get under the nose and around the jawline. The tech is slightly more aggressive than the Flare tip but not in a major way. All in all I'm a pretty big fan of this razor.


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@jtspartan congrats on nearing the end for the brushes. It was awesomeof you to take on the project. Also thanks for sending me the best looking one of the bunch. Bully!!!!!

 

Thanks. Am done tonight actually. 2 knots in and curing. A last coat on the other 2 drying. They'll all be mailed Thursday after sitting for a few days.

 

Awesome!!!

 

Do you have #next already in your den? I can't think of anyone that might enable recommend another soap...

 

June Soap of the Week Focus

Klar Mandel Almond
SP⇨2 Cypress VS badger
Osaka Suribachi bowl
Schick J-1, Schick Twin
Alum, S.R./English Leather AS



My fourteenth shave of the month, probably get in one more before July arrives. With a couple uses on the puck, I gave the VS black pure badger a quick dip in the bowl and a swipe to further moisten the hardest of soaps. Grabbing the knot to get big bristles in a small tub loading proceeded. I wasn't sure if I got enough until the textured bowl started producing. Yup, mixed up well, applied well, and the Twin blades took it off WTG as planned. Second verse, ATG. Third lathering required a bit more water as the badger is a hog. A gentle squeeze brought soap forth for a fourth pass of S-slides and chin buffing. Alum tingled on my neck. Guess I got too exuberant with the slides. Discussion elsewhere on TSD suggested a mix of Pinaud Special Reserve and English Leather. It works & I'm looking forward to a week of (approximately 3-1/2 shaves for me) Tabac & S.E./E.L AS.
Good Shaves Y'all!

 

June 27

Face shave-BBS
Cold water
Gem OCMM w/ Gem carbon steel blade
Omega Midget
Proraso Green
Witch hazel
Skin Bracer

=Wonderful shave!

I really like how the menthol comes through stronger with more aggressive razors

 

Can't speak for Knize Ten, but I fully agree on Mr. Blass.

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Bully, indeed!