SoS: July 4, 2016 - July 10, 2016

Slim Adjustable set to 9
Ladas Blade
TOBS Rose and MDC Face Lathered
3 passes and feeling good

 

Tuesday, July5, 2016

Blackland Blackbird
Feather HS #1
Sterling Synthetic Kong
Mystic Water Barbershop
Witch Hazel
Mystic Water Whipped Shea Butter
Sterling Barbershop Aftershave

​

 

Tuesday Shave

Brush- RazoRock Tri-Colored
Razor- Bomb Pop
Blade- Astra (1)
Soap- Route 66 Barbershop Hop
Post Care- Styptic Pen
Thayers Witch Hazel with grapefruit EO and M-Bomb
Nivea ASB
Osage Rub

Cinco de Julio shave! It did not go as horribly as I figured it would. I have never used a pain stick and I have 1/2 of a SR shave under my belt so I didn't expect the best. I told myself from the beginning I was limiting myself to 3 cuts. I loaded/stapled the Astra to the sticks, made my lather a little wet and started WTG. I had 2 full days of growth so it was a little rough. I think this pass took a half hour, I deployed the @Norcalnewb baseball pattern to avoid dry soap. I finished with only 1 cut and it wasn't too bad. Relathered and went XTG for the second pass, this one went much better, all was going good until I got under my nose, nicked myself but again not too badly. Third pass was also XTG just in the opposite direction, I chickened out on the ATG pass. Very first stroke I laid the blade down wrong and got another cut,a little worse than the first 2 but it closed up pretty quick. I threw my 3 cut rule out the window and finished the pass with no further bloodshed. A DFS shave today, not a chance I was chasing the baby. Followed up with witch hazel, lots of Nivea and Osage Rub. I definitely had some irritation due to a high blade angle but really nothing worse than when I used cartridges.

I learned a few things today. If I can make this work,I can conquer straights. I need to go ATG to get BBS. Technique definitely trumps tools. Blade angle means everything when it comes to irritation. I also answered my mother's age old question, "If all your friends jumped off a bridge would you?". Yes mother, yes I would. Have a great day folks!

 

Clever photo .............................

 

Great write up Ben, funny too!

 

I'm sorry to hear you came down with shingles.

 

Nice stuff Clint! Have a great Tuesday my friend.

 

Great set up Guy! Have a good day.

 

Back to work shave...............

Tabac shave stick face lathered w/Semogue 1438 Boar
Gillette Red Tip Super Speed paired w/a fresh 7 o'clock Sharp Edge blade
Witch hazel rinse followed by Nivea Cooling ASB finishing w/a splash of Aqua Velva Ice Sport for a fantastic shave!!

 

Thanks Rob!

 

July 5, 2016

Razor: Aristocrat Adjustable (5)
Blade: Israeli store-brand blade (2)
Brush: VdH Boar
Soap: Nutragena French Milled Soap

Pretty much the same setup as Sunday's shave, except for the soap.

The Nutragena French Milled Soap was a chance discovery I made during a business trip at the end of May. Using it like a shave stick, it lathers quickly into a very slick and protective lather. Actually, if the soap has one fault it may be that the lather is almost *too* slick and protective. That... and the fact that it is apparently only sold to the hospitality industry, so the only ways to get it are to stay at a hotel that has it (seems to be a staple at Hilton properties) or buy it in bulk from Amazon.

So, welcome to Cinco de Julio where we find out what happens when you combine a soap that is too slick and protective with a blade which, based on Sunday's shave, can be rough but shaves very close. And the answer is... a really nice shave. At the first stroke of the razor, I could sense a little of the roughness from the other day, but that very quickly faded into a memory. One-and-a-half passes later, I ended up with a very nice DFS with no nicks and no irritation.

The only remaining question is whether I'll have enough stubble to be worth shaving tomorrow.

 

Schick I2 razor
Schick blade
VDH Luxury SS
VDH/TGN Silver Tip frankenbrush
Osage Rub/Witch Hazel w/aloe
M&L Florida Water Cologne w/added menthol

Awhile back I stopped using my injectors cuz I was getting nicked/cut every time I used them. Decided today to try again and got the same results. So back to DE's and who knows what I'll do with my injectors. Now go enjoy your day folks.

 

I'm in!

 

SOTD July 5, 2016



Blade: Chinese Schick
Razor: Schick L injector
Brush: Satin Tip 'The Purest' synthetic
Lather: Stirling Barbershop
Post: Witch hazel enhanced with Skin Bracer, Nivea sensitive balm
WTG

Quick, one-pass shave this morning. I had light beard growth due to shaving less than 24 hours ago. There are a few spots that are a little stubbly, but that's okay. I'm doing some painting and work in my new office so I don't need to be squeaky clean.

First use with a Stirling soap - WOW! I see what all the fuss is about. Beautiful lather, great slickness and protection, and wonderful post-shave feel. I really like the Barbershop scent, too. Great stuff! The Schick L with the Chick blade performed great again.

Hope you all have a great Tuesday!

 

Blackbird / Triad / Med Prep

Wiborg

CRSW Limenthol

 

Back on the horse
This is my first shave since the big cut on Saturday, and it went very well. I used Charlie Hisman's technique of grabbing my ear to stretch my skin for the XTG pass with the opposite hand. I also made one WTG pass and finished up with the Futur. I am dialing back to just these two passes until I get muscle memory for the correct angle. I got a couple weepers on my neck from the Futur, so I may switch to my Aristocrat for a while there, too. Lavanille was amazing in every way, as usual.
Prep: warm shower, Kiehl's Calendula Face Wash, Proraso White
Soap: BM Lavanille
Razor: T.T.C. Premier, Merkur Futur
Blade: Voskhod
AS: BM Lavanille



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Tuesday

Prep: Warm Shower-WSP Bath Soap-Mahogany
Soap: Maggard Platinum-Tobacco & Leather
Razor: Gillette Fat Boy
Blade: Perma-Sharp Super (5)
Brush: Whipped Dog Silvertip -24mmx52mm
Aftershave: Country Club-Southern Oud

WTG-XTG-ATG (adjusted angles for my beard)

Maggard Tobacco & Leather today. 20 seconds to load the WD Silvertip. Easy, thick, slick, lather. Perma-Sharp Super still in the Fat Boy. Excellent smooth, close, shave. I finished with CC Southern Oud.

Bob