January 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Day 2 of Stirling Baker Street was a little better. I bloomed the soap whilst showering and that opened up the scent some. It still isn't my favorite, but I like it better than my initial impression now that I am past first exposure. I think part of it is preconceived notions being further from actuality than anticipated. That said, it is still a fine soap, and built up a ridiculous amount of lather. I think I let the blade ride in my Magic one shave too long. Got a little tugging and nicked myself. Just a tiny one, but I had a good record going with the Magic so it was a bit of a letdown. Swapped blades mid-shave and the remainder was uneventful. Finished with alum, witch hazel, and Clubman Special Reserve. I then hit myself with a few blasts of Mr. Blass for good measure since I was off today and wanted to establish my manliness whilst out and about.

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Oh, and I have two nice looking GEM 1912's headed my way from the 'Bay. They looked to be in very good condition. One is for me, the other for a friend interested in wet shaving. He will be receiving it along with a stick of Arko and a badger brush. February may be a SE focus for me.

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Happy Anniversary January!!

January 27

Mostly Shavettes

Razor - 1947 Gillette Super Speed
Blade - (2)
Soap - Tabac
Brush - BoS Omega 10066
Post - Alum

Well, after reading an impression of me earlier that was far too accurate and bit scary, I think I'll sum this one up thusly. Yes, it was a Voskhod in the'47 Super Speed. Yes, it is the Cartel's finest. Soap was Tabac which was.....well NOT the Fat. No blood so no need for any towels to clean it up and the finish was a DFS after two very fine passes and a touch up run. Well, near BBS. Saying anymore than that might throw me into a parody of myself of the parody that @wristwatchb so accurately parodied. And, while I love a good parade as much as the next guy, a parody is an entirely different animal. Besides. It's nighttime in the Lou and I have to dodge the bullets so I can sell tomorrow.

Thus ends the shave report for this date, the twenty-seventh of January, in this grand year of 2017.

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Adjustment in this weeks focus due to travel:

Delta Echo Flaretip
Treet Classic blade
Blue Steel SR
WW LE Silvertip
Queen Charlotte Rose Otto - travel size

I'm pushing myself to focus on the SR on this trip. This mornings shave with Blue Steel wen't very well and ended with no perceptible burn and no nicks. Long decisive strokes and only one or two strokes on the first pass and then a quick second pass to check for missed spots seems to be what worked so well.

 

It sounds like you are getting it figured it. It took me a long time to take my straight on business trips. Have fun!

 

Yeah, I don't think a business trip would be my first trip with the SR. This is a trip to visit family.

 

Catch up post. I have been busy enough at work and home this week that I haven't been on the forum much. Summary of what I missed below.

• Happy anniversary @Douglas Carey!
• @Screwtape, I look forward to trying the carbon blades. Good work on the brush focus and culling.
• @clint64, @PLAla, @Boojum1, @Norcalnewb, @mrchick, @PickledNorthern, @Douglas Carey ,@Keithmax max, @Linuxguile, @leitmotiv, fantastic pictures.
• @wristwatchb likes Jabonman soap, and appreciates us all. @mrchick broke out the group hug photo. I like that we didn't have sharp things in our hands for that one.
• @PickledNorthern and @Douglas Carey hadn't read about @Troy M's skunk shave. Good times.
• @SharptoothC is working on overtaking @Bama Samurai as the shavette master, I suggest a cage match to settle it.
• @NCoxSTL has progressed to the point where his shaves aren't as entertaining, unless he has bad gear. Technique trumps tools, I guess.
• @Troy M has a really nice looking Delta Echo New.
• @John Ruschmeyer, has the KMF been working out with your bride as far as not setting off the issues?
• @RetLEO-07, serious offer when you are ready. Happy to loan you a couple of straight razors and a strop, so you can realize the Dark Side is the best side. Everyone else is just jealous of the cookies.
• @wristwatchb taunting rose of us who can't retire for quite a while with stories of how nice it is. Charlie, please just say it's horrible and make us believe it.
• @COMPNOR, welcome aboard! Don't worry about shenanigans. They are mostly harmless.
• Happy Birthday @Norcalnewb. Hope it was a good one.
• Charlie came up with a pretty accurate picture of what a Neal and Chris thread would look like.
• @NCoxSTL is going to try vodka mixed with sake, and report back to us. (Please consider that a dare from me, @SharptoothC, and @cmorris357.)
• @RaZorBurn123 ruins vodka with cookies. Someone should tell the boys.
• @Paul Turner is going to jump back into the 30 Day thread. Welcome back!
• @Drygulch posted an actual picture he took of his wife when he told her about the two custom razors he ordered while at dinner tonight. In retrospect, he should have waited about half a drink further into the meal.
• Happy Lunar New Year, @Keithmax! Any way we should be celebrating that here?

What did I miss?

 

Yeah, not nearly deep enough into that Margarita to bring that up.

 

I noticed that too. 151 floater might have helped.

 

Attention all newbies:

@Drygulch was kidding. He posts a summary of the thread every 48 hours. It's a great service to our group.

Nice work Adam!

 

I'll take that vodka/sake dare under advisement. Not saying the dare didn't work....just need time to find the sake. Less entertaining shaves requires one of two things to remedy, I think. Either buy more bad gear or perhaps drink vodka/sake then shave. That should be good for a bloody laugh. That look on your wife's face is familiar to me. Seems I've seen it on a face near me, though it usually involves how much time I've spent on this thread more than how many razors I have. Though the latter is still a sore point at times. And my wife likes me doing this.

 

@Drygulch is hoping to be appointed as recording secretary to our group. Definitely has skillzzzzzz.

 

Apparently diplomacy with the wife isn't one of them.

 

I second the motion! All in favor?

 

I'm looking forward to the cage match

 

Just putting it out there, my vote can be bought with straight razors.

 

Just remember, Chris, an honest politician or official is one who stays bought.

 

Question for discussion:. I have been doing a brush focus and am not thrilled with the performance of a badger brush (allegedly "silvertip" though I'm not sure what the eBay seller's definition of that was). I quite like its handle though, so I am mulling over the possibility of re-knotting it. If I do, I think I would go with badger hair again as I have enough synthetics and boar just doesn't feel "right" with an ivory handle.

I took a set of calipers to it, and the current knot is 22mm x 50mm loft.

What would the cognoscenti on this thread recommend for a replacement badger knot of around 22mm?

And case anyone is wondering if they are part of the cognoscenti, I believe that is a term of art covering anyone who isn't totally bombed out of their gourd on vodka, sake, soju or similar wisdom enhancers.

 

January 28 (Saturday) - on focus

Gillette Black Beauty on 3
PAL Gold Thin Hollow Ground carbon (24)
EBay artisan badger aka "Rene le Car"
The Eternal Tub of TOBS Avocado Cream ( croap )
Alum and Clubman VIBR

A friend in high school had a Renault LeCar of which he was immensely proud, called "Rene le Car". Goodlooking little car, especially after he had it done up with racing stripes and everything. And the slowest sprinter on the high school track team could just about beat it over the 1/4 mile. Good looks; no guts.

I've decided to name my eBay artisan brush after my friend's car. It looks good, gathers soap not badly, bowl lathers okay, but when trying to face lather or even paint, it has all the backbone of a powderpuff. I have to use the "barber grip" to get any performance at all out of it and even then, it's sort of floppy.

I forgot that I was planning to touch up the carbon steel blade before using it today. Sure enough, on the 6th shave between honings, it was starting to get a bit rough and tuggy. This time, I took care of running it through the 1930s Stanford 5 - Second Sharpener right after my shave so I wouldn't forget again.

Despite everything, the shave itself was good - near BBS with no irritation and no complaints from Mr. Alum. I finished off with a splash of bay rum because I thought I deserved the treat after the brush and blade.

 

Looks more like Rooskiebilly to me!