February 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

You opted out because you're SMART!

 

Good way to begin. Getting the right blade with the Tech is a great start and will give you something to work technique down to an automatic shave. As far as tuning up a Fatboy I know Razor Emporium does tune ups. I've heard both great and not so great things so I'll let you do the research and I'll stay neutral since I haven't tried them.

 

Also @Paul Turner

I also post in both. The SOTD is a visual daily journal of gear. This thread, while having a strong journal component, is intended to facilitate discussion and interaction between new and old converts, centered on maximizing the gear through technique. Please post in both, they are different audiences, and both threads are big "landing spots" on TSD.

 

And not slowing down! I've been chasing this thread for over 45 minutes trying to get to the end. Keep 'em coming guys!!!!!

 

I haven't even got fired up yet. Time for coffee in your vodka.

 

I'm considering two IV drips....Vodka on the left, Coffee on the right!

 

very shiny.

 

A couple of things: when your lather is thin and disappearing, you need more soap. Glycerine soaps like you are using can be notoriously hard to load enough product. You need to hydrate that puck. Try putting some hot water on top of it for a while before you shave. Cover the top with water. Soften it up. Heck soak it for a couple of hours, then store it as sealed as possible. Try attacking it with your brush damp, but not wet. You want those bristles to be able to scratch on it to pick up soap. Forget everything you may have read about "load for thirty seconds", or "twenty swirls" or whatever. You need to load until you are loaded, and that is what we will help you with.

Watch this video:



Also, you probably don't want to hear this but a hot scuttle can really kill a lather. So either run it cooler for now, or skip warming all together until you get it down with this soap.

You also have a soap that's a bit more on the difficult side to lather. Don't be discouraged, you will get it.

 

Day 2 with M&F Blonde Badger

I was expecting allot as I pulled out the Tabac and my PRC western grind kami. I struggled to get good lather with Tabac, yes with Tabac, it was beyond strange. To add to the oddity the edge felt a little tuggy and this is on my top straights and doesn't have many shaves since its last touch up. In the middle of the shave I thought about changing things out but then I asked myself, What would Neal do? So forged ahead and finished the shave. There was no blood and surprisingly no irritation despite the under performing lather. To adjust for the lather I was not as aggressive as usual. I would have nailed the BBS but I missed some along my jaw line.

Irritation A+ Closeness A- Smoothness A- Sharpness A-

 

The SuperSpeed is warming up the tires right before the quarter mile run!

 

Just in case anyone wants to know what I want for christmas next year.....

 

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Thanks. I did actually add some water to the top of it and let it sit while I showered. I'll also say I didn't go by 30 seconds or twenty swirls. But you've given me some ideas to try thanks. I might soak the puck when I get home from work tomorrow. I still have the package it came in, so i can seal it pretty good i think. I'll also try a less soaked brush.

On a different note, is there a good brush that would work with this kind of soap I should be using?

Thanks,

Jacob

 

Any brush other than maybe a floppy badger will work just fine. If I was choosing one, and the choices were unlimited, I would probably use a stiff boar, followed by a synthetic.

 

Using the synthetic, but might have to find a boar for the collection. We will see what tomorrow brings. Thanks!

 

Value Focused February
Day One
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This month will be all shavette again, and will feature products that are at a drug store price level. Shavette by Parker, stainless, about twenty on the website. First up, one of my fave scents by Barbasol, Pacific Rush. Decided to bless it with the Moscow steel, and a two pass DFS was had by all. If that FW looks cloudy, it's because I have indeed M Bombed it into a blissful chilly state. Alum was good. Breaking out the Derby tomorrow, kids! Look Busy! And a big shout out to @wristwatchb - it's freezing rain time, right after some rockabilly bass lines and a pipe. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a terrific Thursday!
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And never stop never stopping.

 

Fatboy February!!!!!

February 1

Razor - 1962 (H1) Gillette Slim (3)
Blade - (1)
Soap - Arko
Brush - Semogue 620
Post - Alum

And here we go! Back to the Grand Blade Trial for the month and for tonight's shave I'm back to the Gillette Slim. Tomorrow, if all goes as planned, I'll be loading up my new Fatboy for the shave. It's currently 6.5 miles away in Hazelwood at the main Postal facility. Should be in my mailbox tomorrow and on my desk when I get home, assuming SWMBO remembers to get the mail out of the box. If not, I certainly will.

Blade for the next three days is the Gillette 7 o'clock Super Platinum, black wrapper. This is the replacement for the old 7 o'clock SP that was in the blue wrapper and made in St. Pete. The black wrapper is made in India. My experience with the blue wrapped blade is nothing but positive. In fact I would put it in the top 3 blades from St. Pete. It's NOS, so can still be found in places but you pay a premium for it. In my opinion it's worth it. I won't be using it in the trials since it's not a currently available production blade.

Soap is Arko and if you want to know how to make lather so easy it's ridiculous here's how. Wet your face, rub the Arko stick all over it until it's nicely covered, then take a fairly wet Semogue 620 and face lather. Warn anyone else in the room that they're about to get lathered too. Seriously easy, thick, slick. It's Arko.

Three passes and all were very smooth. Very smooth. Surprisingly smooth as I have used this blade before and didn't have that good of a memory of it. Probably lacked a bit of technique back then. The Slim on 3 is definitely a bit easier to judge than at 2 and it was effective and, as I said.....smooth. As in......smooth. Three passes including some Gillette Slides on the neck brought the baby into the room and it was a great finish. Alum was a bit stingy on parts of my neck but I worked them a bit extra to get the baby. No worries. Looking forward to trying the Fatboy tomorrow night on 6 and seeing how the blade fares. It's a Gillette, so I expect it to be above average.

My Monday is now finished. Thank heavens. I needed that shave to let some of the yuck of the day fade away. Here's to a great day for everyone tomorrow!

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February Fat Boy Focus!

Proraso Red & B-400/WD-HMB
Gillette 195 E-4 at 9, Voskhod blade
Alum block and Avon Leather AS


Thanks to Clint @clint64 for a very nice Whipped Dog High Mountain badger knot. It set handsomely at 54mm loft in Tom's @twhite B-400 ferrule for a Quick Swap with a Tuxedo knot. Neal @NCoxSTL blessed me with a tub of Red Proraso that set us even for the shipping getting his matching Fat Boy to Saint Louie. With the silicone dried 24 hours I put brush to puck and easily loaded enough soap for a shave & a half. Into the suribachi bowl for a smooth thick lather with a lightly sweet woodsy scent. This is my 3rd Proraso product and I like it as much as White or Green (C.O.Bigelow cream). No backing down on three passes at Number Nine. The Voskhod started feeling a bit tuggy so I eased it in to Six for G-slides and touch ups and tossed the blade. Finished with very smooth hydrated DFS I'll attribute to the shea butter. Alum was a little warm on my neck. That's expected when I work my neck too much with a well used blade. Grabbed the vintage Avon Leather AS to keep the slightly sweet scent going. Only 27 more Shaving Days this month?
Good Shaves Y'all!

 

I love your drugstore price months. Good reminder of how affordable it really can be to shave this way.