May 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix and Discussion

Unfortunately, this is a point at which my knowledge of soap chemistry fails me.

I've seen reference to the use of Castor Oil in soap making in order to make a more lasting lather. I've also seen references to its use in home-made pre-shave oils. What I don't know is whether there would be any benefit of adding a small amount during the lather building process the same way that glycerin is used in making an Uberlather. Or would I just end up with a potentially sticky mess?

Of course, I have to find some first. :-/

 

I can't help with the first part, but I'm interested. As far as finding Castor oil, check your local pharmacy or even Wal-Mart.

 

That is a good question. CVS has Castor Oil. I remember making a joke about it to SWMBO when we saw it there recently.

 

Well, I have to adjust my soap rotation for this month. The Freedom Shaving Bar that my wife gave me last month as a birthday gift is not good shaving soap. It lathered like a shower bar - thin lather, lots of tiny bubbles, quick dissipation on my face. So that won't work. I was going to use it most of this month except on theme days.

Therefore a small change of plan. I'm going to use the @Rusty blade idea of using up a soap and try to finish off my remaining VDH Luxury. My rotation will be:

Mondays - Menthol Monday with Proraso Green or M-bombed soap
Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday - VDH Luxury
Fridays - Fat Fridays with Mitchell's Wool Fat
Sunday - The Shave Den Sunday with TSD products

No biggie but you'll see a lot of VDH from me this month. Hopefully I can go ahead and finish it off. The other soap was a complete let-down. I'll move it to the shower.

 

I've only tried the VDH Deluxe and use it every week for my head shave. I find it to be a really nice and reliable soap. Just no bells and whistles. I've always gotten a good lather from it. Once every six months or so I get crazy and use it to shave with normally. It's in the MAYhem rotation so we'll see if/when it comes up this month.

 

MAYhem 4 Feather DX

It has been a long time since I had a blood letting so today I am going with a Feather DX loaded with a Feather Pro. It is smooth and sharp and let several weepers and 1 nick with me even feeling it. Four passes and the alum gave some feedback due to the weepers, I think they were small pimples. On the other hang a long lasting BBS.

Irritation B+ Closeness A+ Smoothness A Sharpness A+

 

@NCoxSTL with the Marvy I would soak for a long time then paint it on like its a horse brush. The lather breaks faster in my tests when I tried lathering it with a splayed brush.

I shook out a very well soaked brush loaded a good long time then lathered it dryer than I like then dipped the brush tips in water and painted it on until it looked right. It may be a soap to use the @Norcalnewb baseball pattern lather with since it still wasn't a very long lasting lather. It had about the same proformance most people get out of Williams.

I might be a Grandmaster Soap Sith Wizard so, if it doesn't work for you then I'll blame magic. I get about the same lather out of Arko and Williams and the same looking lather without the longevity from the Marvy.

 

Don't see too many DX's around anymore. Very nice.

 

MayHem March 3:

I am staying at a place that has internet powered by Fred Flinstone in his boulder wheel car. Pictures are not uploading, I will do as best as I can. Aplogies...

My travel kit limits me to two razors, two brushes and three soaps, so just considering the odds of randomization, these SOTD's could become a bit redundant. Today's dice shook out to:

-Shavecraft 102 w/Nacet (2)
-Duke 1 in Best
-LaToja Cream
-TN Dickenson Pure Witch Hazel
-Florida Water, Mentholated

The only relatively new product for me in this shave is the La Toja. It makes great lather, full and slick, but combining that with Florida Water, which has just alcohol and scent, leaves me feeling a bit dried out. If I was at home, I would have added a balm in the first four seconds my jaw felt tight. I have no balm packed, but I will next week. If this combo were to come up again this week, I would cheat and roll the dice again.






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Tuesday Shower/Shave


Shower- Noxzema facial cleaner, Dr. Bronner's All-One Hemp Peppermint bar soap
Pso- Homemade grapefruit PSO
Brush- RazoRock Plissoft
Razor- Muhle R41 on a Maggard MR5 handle
Blade- Rapira Stainless (1)
Soap- Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Gondolier with M-Bomb
Thayers Witch Hazel with grapefruit EO
AS- Florida Water with M-Bomb

Pretty good shave tonight, I like this blade but it didn't compare to the Ladas. I managed to avoid blood tonight so that was good. A little tip, if you have a fresh cut you don't want to open, put some liquid bandage over it, it stings like crazy but you won't open it back up. I went back to PAA Gondolier tonight, excellent soap and it's even better with M-Bomb.

While the Rapira is pretty good, certainly good enough to use again tomorrow, I think I like the Ladas better. Riding the cap went much better tonight, no blood is always good. Have a great day folks!

 

I nominate 12 for blade, 13 for razor, 2 for soap and 5 for brush. Have fun

 

+1

 

Nah, too many words, far too classy for me.
Aaack!

 

I am going to do a focus this month. Same razor, brush and soap. Different blades.

The razor is a Muhle, brush is a Vonel professional boar brush. Soap is the ever faithful Arko and the blade thus far this month is the Astra superior platinum.

3 passes, WTG, XTG, XTG the other way and DFS bordering on BBS. Finished up with the alum and all good.
The rule last month definitely helped the technique.
Happy Wednesday all.

 

Welcome back!

 

Mystery Blade May
Final Benchmark Day - 3 May 2016



Mystery blade trial commences tomorrow!


Have a great Wednesday!
​

 

It already hurts while I'm reading this

 

SOTD
May 4, 2016
Prep: Hot Shower. Noxzema
Razor: '62 Gillette Slim
Blade: Personna Lab Blue
Lather: RazoRock Son of Zeus
Brush: RazoRock Three Color Plissoft 24mm x 57mm
Post: Thayers Rose Petal WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: RazoRock Son of Zeus
Great shave. First time using my new '62 Slim, had a good shave. RR SOZ is fabulous!
Look at the bright side..

 

05/04/2016
Mongoose B2 with Triad Ti
Feather Super Pro (3)
WDC-8 with Druida Manchurian
Mystic Water Lavender
Witch Hazel
Fine Platinum
Whipped Shea Butter

​

Happy Wednesday. The WDC-8 brush whipped up the Mystic Water Lavender easily. What started out as a testing a prototype brush for a friend has quickly turned into adding a brush to my list of favorites. I still managed to get a couple of weepers on the way to my normal near BBS. The Feather Super Pro is not a very forgiving blade and it seems I am being reminded of that each day. Finished off with a splash of Platinum. I hope everyone has a great day.

 

Beautiful photo Clint!