December 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Congrats on an epic shave! It's cool when you get the hang of it! I agree that you never stop learning with shaving.

 

Happy anniversary, Neal! I have definitely enjoyed following all of your shaving adventures! You have also provided tons of advice for me and helped me improve my technique.

 

Beautiful razor, Keith!

 

Decadent December!!

December 20 - TSD Anniversary Shave


Razor - Edwin Jagger DE89L
Blade - (1)
Soap - Proraso Green Tub
Brush - Tweezerman "The Shedderator"
Post - Alum, Aqua Velva Musk

Second anniversary of joining this place and I went retro to the basic setup I was using, or about to use, then. The DE89 was not my first razor purchase, but was my first "modern razor" purchase if you don't count the Weishi I started with. I had ordered a tub of Proraso Green based on reviews and went with the Tweezerman brush off of Amazon mainly because it was a good description and a low price. It has faithfully shed every use for me since.

I did start with a head shave, something I wasn't doing two years ago. Well, I was, but with carts. Used my usual Merkur 23c, VdH Boar and VdH Deluxe soap and it was a perfect shave. I think the VdH soap is on my drop list, however, as I have plenty of Arko so don't need an additional cheaply priced soap for my head shaves. I'll use up the puck I have and be done with Mr. Van Der Hagen. It's a good soap, just an extra for me at this point.

The actual shave was as fantastic as I thought it would be. Well, the brush wasn't great but it's a soft floppy cheap badger that just can't do more than it can. With the Proraso and two years of practice I can get a decent lather out of it and the Astra and DE89 were perfect for a two pass near-BBS. Nice trip down memory lane. It's definitely been both a fun and interesting two years. It also coincides very closely with the Winter Solstice, which occurs at 10:40 am GMT tomorrow. So tonight we celebrated Yule since I was off. Had a fantastic dinner. Turkey, dressing, cranberries, pumpkin pie, yams, green bean casserole, and a little more pie. Great night and a great shave.

Thanks for putting up with me for the past two years. Here's to a few more! And, in one final walk down memory lane, here is my first 30 day setup for January 2015. I used it for 5 days or so until the razor had me so red and weepy I couldn't take it anymore and changed to the Aristocrat. I think I got that brush about two days before the month started and the Voskhods were from @Bama Samurai since I was waiting on my first bunch to arrive from Russia. Good times.

 

Decadent December 2016 - Day 20



First encounter of Magic versus Shark, and a good Shave was had by all! This shavette thing is definitely for me. Treated myself to a little Vintage Williams (h/t @RyX ), great lather for two passes of that automatic DFS. Alum was gold, and AV Musk was a nice change. @wristwatchb - thanks for asking! I was helping a neighbor clear some snowdrifts, and I tripped on an unknown object in the snow and rolled my foot under. It's doing ok, will just need a week or two to heal up. It's not actually very painful, I feel lucky. Officially on vacation for just abou the rest of the year, save a day or two. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

 

Cheers, Salute, and Congrats on all you've done here!

Have a blessed Yule, and may the next 365 shaves all be great. Long live the Czar!

 

He's gonna be just fine!

 

DECember Decadence

B&M Ferox, Omega Pro#20248
Gillette 195 at 9, Fresh Ladas SS
Alum and Avon WildCountry AS


Simple decadence. Nearly the last lather I'll get from a sample of B&M soap. Whipped it up with a well broken in boar. First swipe with the ole Fatty tugged, so out with the used blade & in with the new. Three easy passes, no slides, a small order of touch up - avoid the scab. Alum quiet as it gets, and a complimentary AS from 1967 to go with the savory sage and rosemary soap. Nothing fancy, but overall pleasing, close, & comfortable.
Good Shaves Y'all!

(Nice brush Neal! Is it still in your den? I remember when mine still had a sticker on it, too.)

 

Thank you for writing of these products, they don't get much honest evaluation.

 

Nice work!

Angle really is everything, and I think you've seen the wonderful results that a low angle shave from a G produces. Get that skin stretching fully integrated, learn your true beard map, and then develop a consistent stroke pattern. This will optimize the Schick G, imho the finest safety razor ever made.

Schick G is the gateway drug to straight razors. You've been warned.

 

Thank you! And may my Yakuza friend enjoy long life and wonderful shaves as well! Speaking of this blade Czar thing, I spent a couple of hours reorganizing my blade inventory. I knew I had outgrown the plastic boxes I was using awhile back but had no idea how much. I bought a two sided thread container to sort everything out. The slots are 3 inches long so the tucks fit very well. Last time I had done a complete inventory I had 1047 blades. Today - 1588. I'm working on updating my inventory on here. Fun fact - out of 1588 blades, 1213 are Russian and 977 of those are from Mostochlegmash. Now, I suddenly have the desire to de-geek and find a life for a minute.

 

Cheers!

My blade inventory, off the top of my head:

135 GSB
85 Voskhod
40-50 odds and ends
90 Derby Saloon and 99 Shark SS Saloon
2 1/2 Magazines of Schick Injector
4 traditional SR

 

Someone needs to print this on a T-shirt and make it the official 30 day focus group uniform.

 

Just add..........."all in all a near-BBS".

 

Thanks, Doug The brush not only looks good, it also works really well. Softest one in my den.

 

Nice picture I have the original version and I wonder ... are there any differences between the two generations of the Single Edge? I haven't seen any comparison so far.

 

Yay - Happy Anniversary, Neal Two years now ... and we still haven't figured out from which secret, dark places on the interweb you unearth all those crazy pictures of strange folks in Russia and elsewhere.

 

Indeed it does. I have a dozen straight razors and three of them get my highest rating: The Koraat, the Mastro Livi and my Japanese "Shūsui". Funny though - one is a wedge, the second one a half hollow, the third a full hollow razor

 

Decadent December 21 - sort of brushless

Rockwell 6s on plate #3 / Israeli IP (1)
Kiss My Face Lavender Shea in pump bottle
Alum and Thayers Witch Hazel Lavender
Muhle blacktip synthetic (test lather)

Today's shave was absolutely superb. The closest I have come yet to a BBS and the alum was dead quiet. I am particularly happy because this was the first time I have used an Israeli IP blade ... and I have over 400 of them in my supply cupboard...

Yesterday's shave using the Dr Bronner's was miles better than the one the day before with Burt's Bees, but the Kiss My Face Lavender Shea made it seem mediocre by comparison. The only fly in the ointment was that the pump on my bottle didn't work, so I had to use the pump tube as a dipstick. A quarter-sized smear of the white cream was enough to cover my face evenly with a thin, slippery coating. However, I then did a test lather with the same amount on a damp brush and in about 30 seconds had a bowlful of such lovely, thick, yogurty lather that I ended up using it too. I therefore shaved with a face of rubbed on cream topped by brushed on lather. Clearly this "brushless" product also works very well as a traditional shaving cream. Incidentally, by comparison, the lather from the Dr Bronner's yesterday, although adequately protective, was thin.

One weakpoint of the KMF is the lavender scent which is quite faint and not at all noticeable as you shave. Face feel after rinsing off and before applying alum was pleasantly soft and smooth -- probably the shea at work.

Overall I think the KMF Lavender Shea is an excellent shave cream, not just as a brushless choice for travel or hurried days but anytime. I expect I will keep it in my permanent rotation.

After trying 7 brushless products over a week and comparing them with each other, my view of them is as follows, in order of preference:

1. Kiss My Face Lavender Shea -- See above. Is now in my permanent rotation.

2. Portland General Store's Alpine Jelly -- good "northern forest" scent, works well, feels good, available in travel size. Will use as my travel product and will keep on hand for occasional other use too.

3. Neutrogena Skin Clearing Shave Cream & Post Shave Lotion -- surprisingly good drugstore product: no real scent but nice menthol tingle from cream, works well and with the lotion gives excellent skin care. Cheap too. Might replace when current tubes used up.

4. Dr Bronner's Magic Organic Shave Gel - Lavender -- okay. Stronger lavender scent than the KMF, can lather as well as rub on, adequate protection, 1/3 the price of Brickell. But on the whole, just "meh" and I won't replace it when this tube is done - which may happen as liquid handsoap.

5. Brickell Brushless Shave Cream & Instant Relief Shave Balm -- okay. Shave cream is scentless, balm is slightly minty. More expensive than the products listed above, especially for what it does. I had samples; have no intention of buying the Brickell line myself.

6. Billy Jealousy Hydroplane Superslick Shave Cream -- if you must slather your face with silicone regularly and don't mind your shave cream smelling like ointment, it's a good one.

7. Burt's Bees Natural Shave Cream -- someone pointed out that Burt wears a mountain man full beard. Must be why his shave cream is crap. My tube hit the garbage.

 

December 21, 2016
Cobra Classic
Feather Pro (1)
Doug Korn DK7 with Druida Manchurian
Nuavia Rossa
Witch Hazel


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Since it is getting close to Christmas, I decided to go with a red theme over the next few days. The Doug Korn DK7 handle feels so nice in my hand. The Druida Manchurian knot has a great deal of backbone and scrub. I find the Cobra Classic more efficient than the Mongoose and a touch more aggressive. If I fail to pay attention, the snake will bite. Sticking with a 2 pass shave, XTG & ATG, followed by touch ups ended in a wonderful near BBS shave. Overall everything just clicked for a truly enjoyable shave this morning. I hope everyone has a great Wednesday.