April 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix&Discussion Thread

April 1 - Straight Shave 31
Friedr Schlemper Focus Spez
PSO, hot shower, Nivia face wash
Jayaruh #40 Synthetic
Route 66 Sea & Citrus soap
Alum, Nivia Balm,Pinuad Clubmas AS and talc

What a way to start the month, BBS! It's as much luck as skill, but I will take it. Alum only had some minor complaints.

April I will continue a straight focus, still need to develop my technique. I have four usable razors and one that I need to develop some advanced honing skills to work with the slight warp in the blade. Stick with my Jayarah and Omega brushes, Rt66, Chiseled Face and Reef Point soaps.

 

An Alum rock salt dry rub. Sounds like an average day at work. I'd hate to bust of my alum block but I do have a canister of powdered alum in the kitchen.

 

I'll just be continuing my blade trials in the painstick. I've made it though the Kai series of blades and I know I don't like the guard blade. The mild was very nice and the original required a bit more care and was bitey. Next up is the Feather series starting with the Micro Guard. I already know I dislike this blade from the 1 pass I made with it a few days ago. I'll stick with it a day or few and move on after I have decided that it is dull or simply can not work for my face.

I'll also be continuing my soap usage plan to use up one soap sample at a time without switching around. I would like some more full sized containers of some of them but I feel like I need to use up the samples I have that are taking up all my cabinet space. Aftershaves will be about the same as soaps and I will continue using samples until they are gone. The only exception to this will be a soothing balm if the shave is rough.

At some time I should have a different painstick and the Dorco Barber blades. I'll save the razor for after the CJB trials and use the dorco blade after the Canadian one.

I'll also be watching carefully to see the blood efforts of our newest dark side recruits.

 

Congrats!! I'll be following your journey.

 

For my April 30-Day Focus I will use one shaving cream until the container is empty! The product is TOBS Natural…a fine cream. The rest of my shaving gear is quite straightforward: I only use one razor (Gillette Heavy Tech paired with either an Astra SP or Gillette Silver Blue blade), and my brushes seem to be either a Semogue or Omega Boar, or a Simpson Special.

This move away from a regular rotation of soaps and creams is a new phase in my wet-shaving journey. I have thoroughly enjoyed the acquisition phase of building my shaving soap/cream collection. I have a sock drawer full of various pucks and creams (37 to be precise) and now it is time to cull the herd and work towards a more limited collection. I am curious to see what the bottom of a soap container look like! I may post the occasional photo this month, but variation may be limited. I will certainly post a photo when the container is empty!

 

Thank you Chris @Bama Samurai for everything! Arko smashed in a bowl.
My April focus is using gear I haven't used yet that I have.

 

SOTD
April 1, 2016
Prep: Hot Shower. Noxzema
Razor: Blackland Blackbird
Blade: Personna Lab Blue
Lather: Route 66- Retro Spice
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft
Post: Thayers Rose Petal WH.
Aftershave: Route 66- Retro Spice
4 days of growth. Starting to look like Father Time, I figured I better clean up. Fantastic shave! The BB and Retro Spice were the perfect combo!
Be a blessing to someone else

 

Clint, would the Cobra Classic be one of your top 3 razors?

 

If not it is right there on the bubble. On the positive side the Cobra gives the closest and most long lasting shave of anything I own. Plus it just looks very cool. On the negative side, the Cobra bites hard if I screw up. I still have a scar on my cheek from a nick in January. Also, it just doesn't seem to be built as robustly as the Mongoose or Wolfman.

In no particular order these are my top 4 razors:
Mongoose
AlumiGoose
Cobra Classic
Wolfman OC

Honestly, if One Blade runs a sale this Christmas like last year, I will buy one of those for myself.

 

Thanks, Clint! The Cobra Classic sure is a beautiful and sought after razor, I've learned a lot about it since you've had the razor. Thank you!!
The AlumiGoose is on my must buy list, yeah not many razors built like the Mongoose. Great list!!!!

 

I have been doing a monthly focus since last July which has limited my ability to use some of my acquisitions. For example, I have had this Toggle for over a month and hadn't used it. My April focus will be soaps as I have several soaps I haven't used. This will allow me to use all of the untried razors this month. Let's call it my unfocused focus
SOTD
Route 66 Lumberjack soap
Rubberset 400
Gillette Toggle
Feather blade (1)
Alum
Thayers Witch Hazel
Déjà Fougère AS
Happy Friday!

 

I'm back in focus for April. Now that my life has settled down a bit, I'm ready for some fun and shananagans again with the 30 day crew. I will use SE razors during the week and DEs on the weekends. I will also be using some new gear. Let the fun begin.

 

Glad to see you back.

 

April 1st

…and now for something totally different.

On this most curiously wacky of days I’m summoning all the intestinal fortitude I can muster. Counter to my normal testosterone pumping, machismo strutting persona, I will be shaving with a razor commercially marketed as “The Deb Fashion Razor!”

Developed by (Schick) Eversharp in 1947 - 53, it was the second in line (model H2) to their first model (H1) known as the Ladies Fashion Razor.



Amazing shave!

It is an incredible combination of efficiency and handling. Not knowing too much of the history, I suppose the red cover could double as a handle extension but using the white base alone shortens up the grip and minimizes the leverage required on a long handle to adjust the blade angle. (I’m guessing that perhaps the short version was designed for the underarm and the extension to be used for legs?)


Two-pass shave (XTG, ATG) and my face is as smooth as it’s been in nearly a year of this new wetshave routine of mine.

I originally purchased this on a dare, thinking I’ll give it to my wife…but this will seriously compete for my primary ‘travel’ razor!

Cheers!
RT

 

@Douglas Carey

Paging Douglas Carey!

 

Razor: Gillette 1930's Goodwill
Blade: Astra Platinum (5)
Brush: WDC-8 TGN Finest
Soap: Proraso Cream
A/S: Proraso
Bowl: Michael Stanley P.E.I.

I received this bowl, razor and A/S from @Spud just the other day. I want to thank him for this amazing PIF. The bowl worked excellent and the Goodwill gave me a BBS right out of the box. I have often thought of ordering Proraso A/S, but never got around to it. Thank you very much @Spud.

As a result of this outstanding gift I'm going to use my Gillette Tech's along with my newly acquired Goodwill this month. I have not used these razor much, and some I have never shave with.
I will also use blades that I either haven't used before, or have only used very little.
BTW I played 18 holes today.

 

I'll second that.

 

Great write up, how do you like the Florida Water? From what I've read it has medicinal properties similar to witch hazel

 

Okay for my April focus I will try to focus again on SE razors. I attempted previously but only had aggressive SE razors. I have acquired a GEM pushbutton recently and will use it for the money. Primarily on weekdays and if I feel adventurous during the weekend I'll possibly use something else. My blade of choice will be a GEM stainless. Have a great day and a great month on your focuses.