January 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Happy Anniversary January!!

January 3

Mostly Shavettes

Razor - CJB Greager
Blade - (2)
Soap - VdH Deluxe/Mitchell's Wool Fat
Brush - VdH Boar/Wolf Whiskers Custom Silvertip
Post - Alum

Yes, you are reading that correctly. One razor, one blade, two soaps, two brushes. I decided to man up tonight and do my head shave with the Greager as well as my normal shave. The last time I used a pain stick on my head it went off without a hitch.......or any blood. Let's see if I still have the touch. Are you watching @Mr. Freeze93 ? This could be redemption for my lack of blood last time.

I made sure the VdH soap was especially slick and wet this time and went for it. I noticed just the slightest drag on the Greager as I made my way around in sections. Right side, Left side, Right back of the head, Left back, then top. Kind of annoying but the soap was very slick. Hmmmmmm. Thought I'd messed up behind my right ear when I felt a slight bite but I pulled up in time. Nothing. Whew! I was getting good results with each section. Went to the left back and felt another bite. And.....this one I have to count. I think my angle was a little steep, and that slight drag I was fighting caused it to dig just a bit. About a half inch long cut but, surprisingly, very little blood. In fact, it's hard to see it now. But.....it isn't a perfect result. Finished with the top and called it a very nice if slightly draggy shave. Gotta figure that out.

Took a quick shower to Heisenberg it down as always and went back for the regular shave. The Wolf and The Fat for a fantastic slick lather....I'm wearing a t-shirt in case it gets away again.....and the first pass on the right side was.......slightly draggy. What the....!?! Went ahead and finished and got a barely DFS which was nice. Two full passes to get there but no blood or other issues. I'm just concerned that the razor is dragging slightly. My only thought is that it's the finish of the Greager itself, though it's better than the original CJB or.....could it be the Kai Mild blades just not cutting as efficiently as I remember? Well, only one way to find out around here. Tomorrow night I'll switch to a Feather Pro blade and see if that changes anything. Gotta get this figured out!

My weekend is over......back to work in the morning in the cold and, later in the night, snow. Should make Thursday's drive even more fun than tomorrow morning's!

 

Well, he does like the Veg.

 

Don't write off the Omega yet. They take a little time to break in. I use and abuse mine, mashing is all the way into soap containers and smashing it. I even moved it to a vintage handle. One broken in, nothing like a good boar brush to load quickly and then really work the soap into your face. I prefer my $12 boar to my badger if that says anything.

If you get the chance to try a Envy White badger knot, do it. I prefer my Omega 10066 over all my other brushes, but the Envy White has enough backbone to give it a good run for its money.

 

Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought this.

 

Woooooooooooooooooo! Ye-yah!

 

Great shave this morning. Spanish razor, and some Kansas City goods. Soap of the Gods Kansas City Meetup 2016, with a citrus/ spice scent, and Lucky Tiger Aspen with a crap ton of menthol added. (Lucky tiger was originally made in KC.) Took my time with the 8/8th Filly, and focused on using a light touch and listening for the right angle. This blade talks to you, if you listen to it. Three passes, and a very solid DFS. 14 hours post shave, and I would call this a high grade CCS still. Want to shave tomorrow, but don't know if I will have enough whiskers. Very little irritation, and a nice smelling finish before the menthol hit. Very carefully washed my hands as my eyes were watering. Didn't get nuts with it.

 

No one selling brushes subscribes to the Synthetic Generation Naming Scheme.
The Big Bruce is Plissoft, I'm assuming The Hulk is too. I may treat myself to the last brush I'll ever need; 34mm X 72mm knot. If my JR #130 with a Maggard's synth is Plissoft then I do like them.
I'm also happy with my B-400 Tuxedo knot. APShave has a new 30mm knot available. Even softer than the Maggard's yet enough backbone to load a hard soap.

 

If I did, it would be the most expensive single piece of shave kit I've ever purchased. Badger hair doesn't grow on trees.

 

Yeah, my knot was $53 from his Etsy store. That's about the top end I am willing to pay for a brush, but I had the handle, and didn't like my other badgers. I have dumped a lot more into razors though.

 

Plissoft=Plisson Clone=Same fibers

Tuxedo knot is 5 generation actually. Might be worth a look!

Carry on!

 

Nice blade!

 

January Shavette Celebration

Route 66 BSH & Burma Shave boar brush
Weck Sextoblade/ Personna
Gillette NEW LC/ Derby
Alum, Osage Rub


Best new soap and a scrubby little boar brush from the makers of a brushless creme. I like a thirsty soap because it'll take extra hydration for that just a little wetter lather. I haven't changed blades in this shavette since the first shave & it's still going smooth. Finding more ease, comfort, and confidence with every use. Looking for the time I don't need a DE cleanup pass to signal basic mastery. The Derby blade did give in, but I quit counting uses. Just shave until they don't feel good. No nicks or blood, alum mumbled but didn't growl. High temp today was in the mid '70's and the Osage felt great!
Good Shaves Y'all!

 

A Journey Down Route 66
3 January 2017



Smooth! Two passes on that R66 bliss! Big snow is coming, high Thursday is nine. Busy tying everything down so the wind doesn't send it to @Drygulch in Kansas. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
​

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

The Omega will open up. It should probably have 15-20 lathers before a guy even forms an opinion. Boars are a labor of love, but they are so cool when they get broken in. The 49 is a good knot, but it will always eat a ton of soap compared to your synthetics.

Just think of it like driving an old Coupe de Ville with a .502 v-8. A freaking classic.

 

I would probably recommend this knot over anything else I own. It isn't cheap exactly, but performance is fantastic.

I do not have an Envy 3 band, but I would really like to try one.

 

A Stirling 2 band can be had for $35 ish, and they are some pretty darn good brushes.

 

I also share this sentiment. My Omega Pro 49 is one my favourite brushes, after it was broken in. Just think of it this way, once it is broken in you have soft tips and great backbone, like a Blonde Badger, High Mountain White or other big $$$ two band for a fraction of the price.

 

January brush focus. Next up in my brush trials is a brush that has been a disappointment. It is a Rudy Vey in bog oak with a Shavemac DO1 flat top brush. I ordered this very early my wet shaving journey and this brush has allot of back bone I think I had it set to deep. Rudy does nice work and the handle looks great but the knot was too much for me. See my comments in the above post.

To give the brush a good start in it's trials I used Tabac soap and loaded a Cartel Approved Rapira Swedish Steel blade in my Joris DE. I have been trying to break in this brush for 2 years now and it is loosening up some, but it still has backbone like a boar and it's small size requires reloading soap for a 4 pass shaver like myself.

The lather was is as expected, Tabac quality slick and plenty of cushion. The Joris is one of my preferred DEs and it seems to like the Rapira Swedish Super Steel blades. 4 passes without issue and I missed an epic shave by two small weepers, or were they pimples?

 

Excellent picture with a great looking brush amigo. Have A good day.