July 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

No waiting here. It's tomorrow somewhere!

Ginger's Garden Acqua di Florida
Omega #248 boar & suribachi bowl
Gillette #195 @7 & fresh Voskhod
Alum and M&L Florida Water


After a month of synthetic brush lathering the big old boar feels very soft. I was expecting more scrub. I may need to get a new brush just to feel the breaking in scritch. I missed this tallow soap, the scent is a dead on match to the AS/Cologne. Feeling adventurous I cranked the FatBoy up to seven and installed my last fresh Voskhod. Should have done this sooner. I settled in at setting five for too long. This rivaled a Schick Injector shave for closeness. Nicked my chin, but the alum sealed it up. Great flash off of the alcohol from the aftershave, so I followed up with a shot of Smirnoff in my minty sweet tea.
Good shaves to y'all!

 

Now THAT is a fine shave!

 

Thank you Keith, it was all due to your generosity.

 

Thank you!

 

July Focus Day 1:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
Stirling Bay Rum SS
Barbasol Floating Head
Stirling Unscented PSB
Clubman VI Bay Rum AS

This was my second shave with the Floating Head, and it was nice and smooth. I started with some great Stirling Bay Rum lather and then got the razor going. This razor feels so substantial in my hand due to the weight. Even though it feels a bit large, I find it to be fairly nimble. It really maneuvers well on my face, and I can get under the nose without too much trouble.

I don't want to rush to judgement, as I have just two shaves with it, but I will say it has potential to leap up my list of favorite DE razors. I have read about it being aggressive, and I guess that I could see that, but I would say it is extremely efficient. Some of the other razors I have tried in the past that were described as aggressive felt almost harsh. That probably isn't the best description, but I often get a little irritation afterwards, and I can definitely feel them cutting. This razor does not seem that way. I haven't had any irritation to speak of, and I don't really feel it cutting too much. I am interested to see if this opinion continues as I go through the month.

This was a great start to my Friday and the new month. I hope everyone has a great day!

 

SOTD July 1st


Merkur 34C
Wilkinson Sword Classic (Germany )
IB Amici
Satin Tip The Purest

Good morning friends. The blade trials continue into July and up today is the Wilkinson Sword Classic from Germany. Wow! What a great blade. Very sharp, cut the whiskers smoothly and felt like there wasn't a blade in the razor. It just glided around my face with ease. This may be one of my top 5 blades. Only time will tell. Have a great day friends!

Sent from my Galaxy S6 using Tapatalk

 

And so it begins.....for most of you an extended holiday weekend. For me, a chance to take money out of people's pockets of the extended holiday weekend. Win, win!! Shave is done and it was a beauty. Report tonight. Have a great day everyone and WELCOME TO JULY!!!

 

I actually thought it was cool learning to use my left hand with straights. Because there is no muscle memory, there is nothing to get in the way. Because there is no muscle memory, it is also way too easy to set the blade down too hard and cause damage. This caused me to focus extremely hard to develop the right muscle memory for shaving with a straight.

 

That sounds like a very successful first straight razor shave! Way to go.

 

19th Consecutive Focus. For my focus this month, I will be trying some razors generously loaned to me by @Norcalnewb. I doubt I will get pictures as good as his, but am looking forward to trying the razors. This is an effort to curb some of my RAD, by experiencing razors I don't own. We will see how it works. I was absolutely floored to see all four of the razors Jim sent, including his custom restored Fredrick Reynolds that his family got for him.

I do have two planned departures from this focus. One involves a poor joke that I never thought anyone would actually agree to. Note to self: Yes, they are that crazy. So Tuesday I will be using two popsicle sticks and a good Russian blade. The funny thing is, they only question in my mind is how much will the blade flex. If it doesn't flex much, it should be a great shave. If it flexes a bunch, its going to a @Mr. Freeze93 style blood bath. I reserve the right to tap out of the shave after three cuts. Second departure will be when ever my Mastro Livi straight makes it over from Italy. Can't wait to experience that one.

SOTD 7/1/16
Razor: Fredrick Reynolds Hollow with Horn scales and Turquoise Wedge
Strop: Drygulch Chromexcel Horse/ Hemp Linen
Soap: Jeeves of Hudson Street Cranberry Pomegranate
Brush: 28mm Ubersoft II in Custom Aluminum handle
Post: Cold Water, Alum, Thayers'
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman

Good shave. This razor is smooth and great to use. Did two passes and some touchup on the neck and chin. Just a few whiskers shy of a BBS, and almost no alum burn. The soap is a discontinued scent from one of my favorite makers. I chatted with him, and it is the same base as what he uses now. I can tell it is one of his early creations, because it is a one note scent. Apparently, I am starting to get a nose where I can smell soaps better. I seem to like more complex scents that unfold as you use them. Performance was outstanding however. The scent lingered a little after the rinse, and actually complements clubman well.

 

Visions of this if you don't figure out the left-handed shave. Welcome to the Dark Side.

 

We are all born right-handed. Only the best of us can overcome that defect.

 

I've yet to figure out a focus for July. I've done twelve consecutive focus months and might just focus on having fun with the gear I have been ignoring.
My July focus just might be shenanigans
Route 66 Bourbon Vanilla
Oscar11 Brush
Gillette Toggle on 8
Voskhod (2)
Alum
Thayers WH
Fine American Blend AS
Happy Friday!

 

I've wondered the same thing on the posicle stick shave. No flex should just make it a pain stick shave. Flex, well, my insurance is paid up.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

A shenanigan focus. I like it!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

I am glad the razor worked out for you! Glen did a great job on the restoration.

 

July promises to have little travel, so I am going to focus on using my RR Plissoft and a variety of soaps (1 week at a time). I am getting reacquainted with my Slim Adjustable birth year as well as with my Blackbird and head shaves with a Trac II. So far, I have not found a soap that the Plissoft can't get a good lather with. Who knows, I may even buy a puck of Williams at the grocery store down the road.

Now, to choose the soaps...first up - a sample of an unknown maker's lime croap that has sat around long enough to be sort of dry and hard. A few minutes soaking and then the Plissoft whipped up a creamy and slick lather with minimal effort. I was rewarded with a smooth head shave with 2 passes using my Trac II.

Oh yeah, I'm also doing a no buy July.

 

No Buy July!! I tried that last year. Got my Omega 10066 that month. Clearly didn't succeed at no buy.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

CJB/Feather Pro (2)
Whipped Dog 30mm High Mountain
Martin De Candre Original
Thayers Lavender
Fine Platinum

Not sure if it is dumb luck or I am finally getting it down but I had another great shave today with the CJB. I think I am just that good...yeah... that's what I am going with. While the Feathers are not my favorite (Kai's are my favorite hands down) there is no denying it's efficiency to knock down whiskers first and ask questions later. 2 and a 1/2 passes again today (XTG,ATG, Minor Touchup) and I am BBS. No nicks or irritation. MdC and the tank of a brush yielded enough later for a flock of Wookies (this is my 18th shave with this jar of MdC and it still looks brand new). Cold water rinse and I tossed on some Thayers Lavender. After I got done cleaning up I did another cold water rinse and finished off with Fine Platinum. Out the door to enjoy my 3 days off and I am heading out fishing.

Really happy todays shave went great... See what happens when you Don't Stop Believing?

Hit it Journey!!!