Myth Busters Week 11/12-11/18

Another Theme Week down, a new Theme Week upon us.

Myth Busters Week - Individuals can evaluate the methods they utilize during their shave (ie- brush soaking), and such. There are myths out there. Some folks subscribe to those myths without testing them. Let's test and be sure to post your reports!

Please, try to separate myth from opinion. For example, don't post:
Myth - Derby blades aren't worth a darn.
Busted - I love Derby blades! They're the best! I always get a great shave!

Have a great week!

 

OCD week?

 

Myth - it's best to allow your boar brush to soak a while before using it. Boar needs to soak up more water than badger in order to get soft.

I used to do this. I'd fill the sink with hot water, set my lather bowl in to get warm, and drop in my boar brush to soak during my shower.
One day I forgot to fill the sink prior to my shower. After the shower, I just grabbed my boar brush, swished it in the hot water to get it wet, gave it a few shakes and went to the soap. Lathered up great, and felt just as soft as if it had soaked.

 

No I think we still have a nagging mileage issue here. While it's true that the brush doesn't really need to linger for an hour in water, I still like to let it soak for a couple a minutes. I find there is still some differences in bristle flexibility between a little soaking and just a quick water down...

 

Fair enough.

 

Ok I'm not sure if this is a myth or not as some aftershave balms are meant to be mixed with a splash such as 444.Today I tried mixing Pinaud Lime Sec with a small amount of QCS Key Lime aftershave balm like I would with 444.To me it worked better,it seemed to work it's way into my skin way better than if I waited a few minutes to apply.
I remember someone on another forum asking if you could do this with RazoRock Aftershave Wax and it seemed like it was a sacrilege to mix it,now I'll have to try it with the RazoRock,LOL!!!

 

Lather bowls (I'm being tacky)

 

Myth - You must hang your brush bristles down so the water doesn't seep into the knot and create mold
Busted - I've yet to see any drops of water at the end of the bristles when I hang a brush to dry. If the water isn't collecting on the end of the bristles hanging down, it's not collecting in the knot standing up.

Myth - You must set your brush bristle up so the water can evaporate, and everyone knows water evaporates up
Busted - So using that theory, that means that if I set a wet glass bottom up in my dish rack, it won't dry on the inside.

Bottom line, it doesn't matter how you hang or set your brush. Shake as much water out as you can, gently give it a few swipes on a towel, and away you go. Just do not set in an enclosed cabinet or closet while still wet. It does need the air circulation to help dry and prevent mold.

 

I'm going to try to see what's up with "handstropping" my blades. I do it kinda as a ritual, never really put much thought into whether it helps or not.

So, this week I've got 2 techs loaded with new Voskhod blades. One will be handstropped before and after use, and used only on one side of my face. The other will not be stropped and used on the other side of my face.

The goal will be to see if handstropping extends the life of the blade, or improves the shave in any noticable way.

 

OK, I'll have a go!

Myth: Williams soap smells like a urinal cake.
Busted: Williams soap actually smells like a urinal cake, that has then been soaked in some kind of industrial solvent!

I know, I know! This completely goes against the rules, as laid out by Steve! It is just my opinion... I'm just trying to cause trouble!

My post should be :ahem:

 

Agree with the second, in fact olive oil has definite lather enhancement properties, but alcohol is a known astringent and a strong one at that...

 

Myth - open comb (OC) razors are more aggressive than razors with a straight bar
Busted - I own numerous razors of both types. Some of the OCs are milder than ones with a straight bar, some are not.

Bottom line - every razor is different, regardless of a straight bar or "teeth". The only way to find out if a razor feels aggressive to you is to use it.

 

Myth - never go against the grain (ATG). It will only cause bumps and irritation
Some-what busted - I always do and don't have a single problem (fyi - I shave every day, 3 passes each shave). Some folks can't and shouldn't go ATG because of having sensitive skin. For those folks, try a WTG pass, a XTG pass, then a DTTG (diagonal to the grain) pass for a closer smoother shave. Also, carts always gave me bumps and irritation if I went ATG. Not so since switching to DEs, SEs and str8s!

Bottom line - it's your shave. Enjoy it your way!

 

Myth - never go against the grain - revisited.

Busted.
The last two days I shaved one half (of my face) in 3 passes ATG and the other WTG-XTG-ATG. Yesterday right side 3xATG, today left side 3xATG. Result: after 1st pass: ATG = clearly smoother. After 2nd pass: ATG = somewhat smoother. After 3rd pass: both sides about equal. Irritation: none. Bumps: none. Weepers: none. BBS: not along the jawline.

Result:

But when in I'm a hurry I'll surely go ATG!

 

I've done 3 passes of ATG...and I've done the traditional WTG-XTG-ATG above the jaw-line with 3 ATG's below the Jaw-line...Actually dug this last one...But if I missed a day of shaving, it will be smoother to do the first pass WTG above and below the jaw-line...then back to business as usual...Make sense?

 

Although I do use Williams in my rotation...I made this up for your enjoyment. Nothing fancy.

 

Ok I got one.. myth: five blades shave closer than one..
fact: no..not necessarily..

 

Well, after 5 days of using a hand stropped Voskod in a Tech razor on one side of my face and a non-stropped on the other, I didn't notice any real difference. Both blades were rough for the first shave, but got better by the third, then the quality started degrading and both pulled and tugged for the 5th shave. No noticable differences in the quality of the shave, longivity of the blade, nor differences in irritation either.

I've got some vintage Proback blades coming, so maybe I'll repeat the experiment with a couple of those and see if it makes a difference with carbon blades. Or I could order some of the modern Treet carbon blades and try with those.

So I would say myth busted for modern stainless, but the jury's still out for carbon blades.