June 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Blood makes you look Pretty!

 

June 19, 2016

SHAVE DEN SUNDAY
Happy Fathers Day to all!

Feeling like the success of all these 30-day Focii I've done this past year is giving me chance to take the opportunity on the weekend to experience a razor that I've not taken a lot of time with, but still curious about.

So today it's a 1912 Gem Damaskeene.

I've also been encouraged to try it with stropped blades. So with a well-intentioned nudge from @twhite (as well as some NOS blades and a stropper he PIF'd to me) my less-than manly mechanical skills will be challenged yet again.

Hot shower, cold-water shave.
Razor: 1912 Gem Damaskeene
Blade: NOS EverReady Corrux
Brush: Rubberset 400-4
Soap: TSD Yin Yang
TSD Witch Hazel
AS: TSD Yin Yang



Two-day growth, three-pass shave - WTG, XTG, ATG

1st pass - rough!
This was not smooth at all. Must have not stropped very well. Fortunately I did have a PTFE blade at standby from my last shave with the Damy. But - result was the same - rough, rough, rough.

2nd pass - I returned to my TTT mantra - "ride the cap" and rode so high on the cap that the blade angle to my whiskers must have been near zero. But it was better as I alternated both blades.

3rd pass - continued to alternate blades and riding high on the cap and got some satisfaction. ATG on the chin was a "no go" but was able to buff a clean finish there.

I did salvage a very close shave that has stood up for over six hours so far.

Obviously I have more work to do with my stropping technique (I did 20 laps prior to this first shave with a new blade) as well as with my shave technique and blade angle with this razor.

Cheers!
RT

 

I've reached that point with the pain sticks. Though I don't think I could ever totally let my guard down. One mental lapse when setting it down and the world can turn red in a hurry!

 

Pretty in pink!

 

You mean shaving with a painstick is supposed to take attention and wakefulness? Its my oh crap I need a quick shave razor. I can go from caveman to CCS in 2.8 minutes. Stretch that out to 7 minutes and I can make a BBS.

 

Well that is true. It definitely cuts down on the passes necessary once you get it down pat.

 

Sorry lack of post yesterday of my SOTD so here it is, following post will be todays SOTD.

SOTD
6/18/16

Pre: Shower Nivea face wash
Razor: Schick L1
Blade: Chick (2)
Brush: TGN Finest
Soap: Sassy Alberts vitiver
Post: Cold water rinse, alum, witch hazel, Nivea sensitive after shave balm.

Well I got 2 passes with it and gave up. I don't usually give up on a shave but this soap was just disappearing faster than I could keep it on. For two passes I lathered about 3 times each pass, kind of reminding me of Mayhem posts about Marvey's. Well I did a first pass WTG and got a blah beard reduction so I decided to go ahead and for the next and go ATG and got a ok shave. I did my usually post shave and was done. So much for the Sassy Alberts soap.
I should have just listen to the guy who gave it to me and waited to use it till I could get a good lather with it.

 

You might want to test lather a bit. Try getting a lather by adding or taking away water. See if it's just a matter of figuring it out. I did that with Williams and even with Marvy a time or two. Just tried to make a lather without shaving with it.

 

SOTD
6/19/16

Pre: Shower, Nivea face wash
Razor: Schick L1
Blade: Chick (3)
Brush: TGN Finest
Soap: Route 66 Sweeny Todd
Post: Cold water rinse, Maggard alum, witch hazel, Stetson after shave balm w/aloe

Tonight I got a great BBS shave and was glad for it after yesterdays shave, and tried a different After shave balm that I forgot I had. First pass was good WTG as I got great beard reduction and was almost as good as last night's two pass shave already. Second pass XTG and I was already pretty smooth and could have stopped right there, but nah I like BBS shave too much. Third pass ATG and I was there BBS smooth and was glade to see it after yesterday's shave. So I finished it off with a refreshing cold water rinse followed by a quite Alum rub. I grabbed my witch hazel and splashed it on and tried my Stetson After shave balm and was pleased with it. It was a great BBS shave so a special thanks goes out to Rufus T. for letting me try the razor, Clint64 for my now favorite brush, and mrchick for the great soap. Thank you all for helping me to have a great Shave tonight! Only sad note to tonight's shave is my Route 66 soap sample is running out too fast!

And a hope all of you fathers out there had a Great Fathers Day!!!!!

 

I should have, but got over confident in my technique but I will before using it in the future, rest assured! LOL Did you ever figure out how to get a good lather out of Marvy"s

 

There is no good lather out of Marvy's. Nor any good odor. Nor any hope of anything good out of it. I'm not even sure I could burn it as an offering to the shaving gods. I fear they'd strike me down with a dull Tiger (oh wait, they come that way) if I made them smell that.

Well, ok, so yeah I had a couple of close attempts. It just wouldn't hold long enough to get the shave done.

 

Yea I was kind of warned about the same thing out of the Sassy Alberts soap, but he did say and it did leave a good slickness behind, but no good cushion out of it.

 

That's why Marvy mugs are made of rubber. Guys kept shattering their mugs flinging them across the room in frustration.

 

I think I mentioned it last month, but supposedly the company that makes the Veg makes a shaving soap with all the lathering qualities of Marvy plus the scent of the Veg.

 

Now that would be nice to add to my shave den, Without the Marvy soap. LOL

 

If it has the lathering qualities of Marvy, I'll pass thank you. LOL I've already got some Williams and the Sassy Alberts which are tough to lather well.

 

I'm not familiar with the Sassy Albert soaps, but I can speak to the Williams. The difference between Williams and Marvy is that while Williams may be difficult to lather, it works well once you get the hang of it. Marvy, on the other hand, is technically a bad soap; you can apply all the technique you want and, ultimately, the lather will just dissipate. In that regard, it is more like the Tiger blade in that it is materially unsuited to the purpose.

 

Well at least it's half perfect!

 

I didn't think anyone would be familiar with it, I was told they don't make it very often and very limited quantities when they do!

 

Thank you! It's my only "heirloom", but I remember it fondly from early childhood watching him use it.