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

March into Artist Club Blades

March 17

Razor - Feather SS
Blade - (3)
Brush - Vie-Long 12601
Soap - Tabac
Post - Cole water, Alum, Nivea, The Veg

Happy everybody is Irish day! If only to drink heavily and have some early Springtime fun! My day was like most, shave then work then home. And I have a lot of Irish blood. What's wrong with this picture?!

Third day on the Feather SS with Feather Pro and we have issues. Nothing as bad as a slice and dice, but a definite scrape along the right jawline near the goatee. Not exactly sure what happened but I suspect too steep of an angle working down the jawline toward the chin. Left three or four bloody marks and definitely irritated the entire area. In fact, my neck as a whole was rather hot with alum today. Given the fact I finished DFS in two passes plus touch up I'm pretty sure the fault was the angle. Too sharp of a blade to expect smooth comfort with the angle I held. Not sure what got me off on the wrong foot other than just not paying attention. At least I was consistent and didn't adjust back and forth to create even more problems.

Tomorrow will be a focus on setting the proper angle and holding it. Time to slow down a bit and not push into danger-land with this blade!

 

I understand your love for Tabac soap now. I also understand what you were going to with a drying lather when you shave outside the shower. I never thought there would be enough humidity to effect the lather quality but it did.

So now you have you preferring a Russian DE blade, Tabac and, the Painstick. What next, the Veg?

 

Oh I was chosen by the Mighty Veg many months ago. It has been my everyday aftershave for the past month or so due to its magical ability to keep drawing paying customers in! Manly and enticing....just the way I like it.

I have found that on the rare occasions that I shave outside the shower, especially when using Tabac, that using an old brush to wet my face just before lathering (ala Geofatboy in his videos) helps keep things slicker and produces a wetter lather. Seems to make up for the lack of humidity in that case.

 

Oh, I am chosen by the Veg. I just don't wear it. I only have a sample .5 oz bottle so I have to ration it for important days until I get a full size one.

I tend to lather wet and use a lot of water bbuilding my lather. I shower shaved yesterday and today I did not and The one day of extra humidity spoiled me and today's lather was a bit dry. The Tabac was great anyway so I'm excited about using it with enough water.

 

March 17, 2016

The month of March with my two Schick E razors.

Road trips are causing havoc with my reports this month. So to recap:
Schick Canadian E
- 3 shaves w/Chinese Schick blade (sharpest so far)
- 3 shaves w/ Platinum Plus. (not as sharp, equally or more smooth)

Schick E2
- 3 shaves w/Chick blade (marginally my overall fave combo so far)
- onto the Platinum Plus blade for three shaves with the E2.

Hot Shower
Razor: Schick E2
Blade: Schick Platinum Plus
Soap: Flannel in the Rain (PAA)
Brush: Ever-Ready 300PBT Badger
TSD Witch Hazel
Myrsol Plastic Shave



Two-pass shave - XTG, ATG

Great shave all around. 14 hours later, minor stubble in usual trouble spots.

Cheers!
RT

 

Thursday's Shave

Hot water
Pso-Homemade mint oil
Razor-Gillette Flair Tip SS
Blade- Feather (1)
Brush- RazoRock Plissoft
Soap- Kiss my Face mint
Thayers Witch Hazel
ASB- Pinaud "Veg"

I decided it was time to use another Feather blade tonight, see if it shaved as well this time...It did. BBS everywhere except a small spot on my neck so we'll call it a DFS. This blade cuts close but isn't the most comfortable blade, the Rapira Platinum Lux left my face feeling better but is not quite as sharp. Still looking for the "one". I was going to do another Eli's Extracts tonight but choose the Kiss my Face mint in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Love this stuff, it lathers great. Since I found out yesterday that I am Chosen I went with the Veg again. Slightly more burn tonight but not too bad.

For the monthly focus I'm still trying to perfect skin stretching. I need to be ready when the darkside calls. They have cookies you know! Have a great evening folks!

 

SOTD 3/17/16
Razor: Case Brothers Tested XX
Brush: 24MM TGN Badger in Tulip Wood Handle
Soap: Barrister & Mann Seville
Post: Cold Water Rinse, Alum, Thayers’ Rose Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Lustray Blue Spice

Maiden voyage on this razor. Just got it back from @gssixgun, with a full restore, new wedge wood scales, and turquoise wedge. Glen honed it up to 30k on the Sharpton system, as the steel used on this 100 year old razor is one of the few that will hold an edge that fine. Just finished my first shave with the razor, and I think I need a cigarette. The shave was that good.
One of the things about wood scales on a straight is they make it weigh less. This razor looks huge, but is only a little more than 5/8ths. With the wood scales, it is one of my lightest straights, and I was wondering how much pressure I was going to need to use to make up for the weight. Answer: none. This thing gave me almost a DFS on the first N/S pass. Second pass was L/R on the jaw, neck, and chin. Re-lathered and went for my S/N pass, which is mostly ATG. Kept reminding myself to use No Pressure. No tugging or pulling of any kind. The only place I felt any resistance was on my chin. Two and half passes, BBS. Some irritation, two weepers, and quiet alum. Go for the aftershave, and it lit me up. 30 minutes post shave, and the irritation is gone. Awesome shave!

 

That razor is beautiful!

 

March Madness - Day Three
17 March 2016



Drug Store CJB shave...
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Day Three went really well. Did a full face lather technique with the goo. One wtg followed by a hybrid and it was near bbs. The alum stung on the chin, but it was near bbs again. With CJB the key seems to be very light touch. Hit it with the Arctic Blue and life was cool again. Headed on a little side trip with Mrs. Samurai tomorrow. I will attempt to post, but may be too busy. The plan is to continue with straight razors until April 1. Four inches of snow in the last three hours, other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a Fabulous Friday!
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As someone who is interested in hoping into shavettes/straights would you suggest the CJB as a good stepping stone or would you advise on just going straight to the straights (See what I did there? )?

 

Schick G is the stepping stone for learning skin stretching and angle control. The next step is straight razors. Had I not learned straights first, this CJB would have cut me up badly. Straights are much more forgiving than a disposable blade.

 

Stunner. I can't even imagine a 30k from Glen. Very nice!

 

I'll look into getting a Schick G then. Thanks!

 

It doesn't even need to be a G specifically. Anything G or earlier is what you need.

 

Great review!

 

I have an E laying around that I am pretty proficient with.

 

Perfect. Watch any straight razor video, and learn the skin stretching techniques until it's automatic. Skin stretching is at the core of the straight razor shave. You can't use a straight safely without the skin being taut.

 

Any recommendations on a good first straight?

 

So I'm not spamming this thread with newb questions I will just shoot you a PM.

 

This thread is for newbie questions about technique and whatever else they need to know! No worries.