March '16 - 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix and Discussion Thread

SOTD
March 12, 2016
Prep: Hot Shower. Noxzema
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89lbl
Blade: Personna Lab Blue
Lather: Clubman Shaving Soap
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft Disruptor
Post: Thayers Rose Petal WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: Clubman
I used the EJDE89 yesterday and today, I believe this razor shaves as good as any I have or have owned. Could you imagine if EJ made this in Stainless Steel? The razor crazies would go nuts!! Clubman shaving soap is nice, Slick, moisturizing and easy to lather when using a smaller knotted brush slapped on some Clubman and I coughed. Boy was it nice.
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try

 

Injector Focus
The Schick Type D was all I hoped it would be in my very early morning shave. Two pass BBS with very little touch up.
"What do you mean 'Airplane mode', how will I communicate with my friends?" Gotta go, see you guys in about six hours

 

3/12/16

Gillette Birth Quarter Super Speed (Y3)
Feather Hi-Stainless (1)
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Mitchell's Wool Fat
Georgetown G12 Scuttle
Pinaud Clubman Original



First shave with a Feather in my Birth Quarter Super Speed. Not as efficient as I had hoped. My 2 passes were comfortable and provided great reduction. I could have stopped there with a near DFS. But I wanted to see if the Feather was capable of giving me a BBS in the Super Speed. I ended up working hard during my touch up and came very close. The Clubman stung a lot on my neck. The results? Back of the hand BBS? Yes. Dig in the finger tips and search BBS? No. So, I'm calling this a near BBS.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Lords' Day.

 

Had some friends over so we could have adult time after the kids went to bed. Ended up being around 4am when we all went to our respective beds.

 

Route 66 Black Pearl
Semogue 1438
CJB Painstick
Kai Captain Titan ProTouch MG (1)
Pinaud Lime Sec

I did a 2 pass N/S, S/N shave with the painstick and ended up with 1 weeper, no cuts or slices, a DFS on the neck and a BBS everywhere else. The Route 66 was amazing. Rich lather with hardly any work making it. I hardly loaded my brush either. I loved the smell of Black Pearl. I'll use it up then try the next scent probably Ghost Town. I still don't understand the fear and bloodletting but I'm sure I'll learn when I start working up though sharper blades. I like the feel of the handle and I'll loving that I can get a better angle on my neck due to the shorter blade. I was surprised at how easy it shaved. I almost feel bad not having anything exciting to say about the shave.

 

Pinaud Soap? Say it ain't so...

You're right about the 89! Somebody should make one in Stainless.

 

Razor: Gillette President Y 1, 1953
Blade: Wilkinson (7)
Brush: Simpsons CH1 Chubby Best Badger.
Soap: TSD 2x Iced Barber Shoppe (@Boojum1)
A/S: TSD Iced Barber Shoppe

 

After last night's painstick shave I think I will be setting the Evahs razor down and devoting an entire week worth of shaves to each blade in the tryablade artist club sampler. I started with the Kai guard blade and I will work up though the kai blades before I start on the feathers starting at the guard and working up to the super pro. I then have a blade marked Kamisori from Canada that I will try last. I'll be using the Route 66 samples until they are gone then I'll start working through my soap and cream samples. I plan on using the ones closest to running out first I'm hoping I can clean out my cabinet some since I want to try Martin De Candre and I need to at least look low on soap to justify its price to the missus.

In other news I think I have used enough samples to know what I like and start buying full size soaps and aftershaves. Soaps will include some Sterling, MWF and Route 66 to start with. I have a Tabac stick on the way that I will have to try at least once during my extended ''use stuff up'' focus. After the first impression it will get hidden away with the other full size soaps until all my samples are used up. I currently have 19 soap and cream samples, 2 and 2/2 pucks of Williams, 2 half full Proraso, 1 3/4 Arko stick, the incoming Tabac stick and a puck of VDH. I'll also be using sample sized aftershaves until they are gone. I currently have 11 small samples, 1.5oz Citrus musk, about 3oz of Clubman, a mostly full Axe Shield, a full Gillette Fusion Hydro Soothe, 1oz Humphrey's lilac WH, and a new Nivia Sensitve cooling ASB.

I'm very fond of the Pinaud line. I don't like Special Reserve but all the other scents work for me including the mighty Veg. The Axe is too thick feeling for normal use so I won't replace it. Floid amber is pretty good. If blue is better than I understand why @Darkbulb bought all of it. I'll also be making an effort to shave daily. I need to get out of my depressive funk from all my ex-wife/child custody problems/ unemployment. I think maintaining a clean cut image will help some. At least with the last 2.

I'll be going for nightly shaves with a full report the following morning. That will allow for a more accurate judge of shave quality. I'll have lists for both soaps and Aftershaves to be used shortly.

I guess its 2 focuses at once. A pain stick focus while my "use up the little stuff" focus is in progress.

 

Straights Focus March 13:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
TSD Lanolin Iced Sub-zero
Ralf Aust 5/8
Stirling Unscented PSB -- Mentholated
The Veg

A very nice shave this morning. A little baseball pattern lathering, two passes, and I ended with a BBS. I am still feeling nice and smooth 6 or so hours later. Hope everyone has a good Sunday.

 

03/13/2016
Gillette New LC
Feather (3)
BSB-2
TSD Yin Yang
Witch Hazel
Folsom & Co Shambala
Whipped Shea Butter

​

This mornings shave was better than the shave yesterday but far below the normal for the rest of this month. Finished up with a splash of F&C Shambala. Hope everyone has a great Sunday.

 

Sunday Shave

Cold water
Pso-Homemade mint oil
Razor-Gillette Flair Tip SS
Blade- Rapira Platinum Lux (2)
Brush- RazoRock Plissoft
Soap- Kiss my Face mint
Thayers Witch Hazel
ASB-Nivea Sensitive

Another day of enjoyable shaving. I love this Flair Tip and brush. The Rapira worked pretty good but it's not the "one". Three passes today, WTG, left to right then right to left like yesterday. Still need to find which directions work best at what time. The Kiss my Face protected better than the Arko yesterday, I love this stuff.
I think that I need to go ATG to really get a close shave. I'm switching to hot water shaves next week for the focus to see if it makes a difference. I like the feel of the cold water but my hair is coarse so maybe the hot water will help. I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

 

March 13 - Straight Shave 14
Wade & Butcher French Point
PSO, hot shower
Jayaruh #40 Synthetic
Route 66 Sweent Todd soap
Alum, Nivea balm, Clubman

I was bust the last couple days, didn't get to post the last two shaves. But they were both good, used my Henckels Twin works.

Yesterday I got my Wade & Butcher honed up, so I tried it today. It really shaves great, DFS, almost BBS. Still can't quite get a little patch over my Adam's apple perfect. Really comfortable on my cheeks now, and getting the goatee line. Neck isn't bad, just hard to get angles other than north-south and south-north. Have to go look for some advanced techniques on straights...

Happy Sunday all!

 

The clubman is pretty good. I'm telling you if EJ made a Stainless Steel 89 this community would go nuts over it! The 89 already is a great shaver, add in the SS cool factor. Wow!

 

Clint, is the BSB the same bush Mark has? The Vie-Long?

 

Nice! I remember those days. Many many moons ago.

 

Kerry, yes Mark got the same brush. I'm not sure if he has used his yet since the knot smelled pretty funky and took a lot of cleaning. Mine is at last not smelling like a barn yard.

Juan made a limited run of 2 different brushes. One with a Vie-Long silvertip bulb and one with a Vie-Ling 2 band fan bulb. This was the first fan shaped knot ever made by Vie-Long. The knot on this one is very dense and soft. I think I will really enjoy this one once I have it dialed in. You can see in the picture it is a really big knot in such a small handle.

 

Congrats! It's a fantastic looking brush. I like the larger knot, more soap and coverage. Wow! Beautiful.

 

Not only did I fall off the NB 2016 wagon. I was run over by the wagon as well.

 

March into Artist Club Blades

March 13

Razor - Feather SS
Blade - (6)
Brush - Vie-Long 12601
Soap - Tabac
Post - Cold Rinse, Alum, Nivea Original Balm, The Veg

My Friday has finally arrived. And, the next to the last day on the Captain Original blade. The one thing I hadn't commented on yet is the feel after almost a week. Honestly I can't tell that there's really been a change in the quality of the blade. It is still as smooth as it was on day one from what I can tell. The only blood has been from the first day changeover to the blade from the mild blade and my technique error two days ago. No drag, no additional irritation, no sign of the blade wearing out at all yet. I know some have used the AC blades for 10 or more days so this blade seems to be handling the wear quite well.

No issues today as I did a full three pass for a DFS. I thought I had nicked myself near the goatee line but nothing bled so a close call but all was good. One more day with it before moving to the Feather Pro. Have to be up and off to sign a lease on a new place tomorrow then start packing in earnest. I hate moving. Hopefully the final shave on this blade won't add any extra pain to the process.

 

So instead of going a week I should go until the blade dulls and report back with how long it takes. This Focus of mine might take much longer than I expected if my results are anything like everyone elses.