February 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Great photo Mark. I love the way the background reflects in the razor head.

 

Thanks Clint!

 

That Paladin stock is just awesome. I don't know that I have ever seen one that didn't look just first class.

 

Me, too! When I got interested in owning a DE Gillette adjustables caught my eye. Prices on the bay slowed my roll. First one I saw in a shop, put hands on, locked in my desire to have, but I passed it up at $45. On that same antique store shopping trip I found my present one (unless I mixed up mine with Neal's). Turns out the guy that owns the little booth is the mayor of Vinton, Louisiana. It's a small town with a part time political job. He and I discussed fun topics like where to find vintage razors, & dumpster diving. I now have left my name and number at a dozen shops. It's fortune and chance, right place & time. These razors must like me, I keep tripping over them. The best part is the next two are already traded as soon as I find them.

Tapatalk Via Kyocera

 

Thanks Neal. This calls for a special musical tribute.

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I was reading about some different AC razors today, looking at the Feather DX, and wondering about the rounded off head of the SS which gave me trouble.

So I was looking at the Feather website, and found this about the SS:

"The purpose of the rounded tip of the SS razor is to gently push down the skin and disperse pressure at the blade tip, making the shave less damaging."



So I have a question for Charlie and Neal, and whoever else has managed to become proficient with these things: Does this seem "for reals", and if it's such a good idea, why don't they do it on the DX models that are $100 more expensive? Do you guys shave like the picture demonstrates?

Like riding the cap with a devette and a sideways handle?

 

Jared, I remember seeing this photo before I purchased my Feather AC. I actually do try to hold a very shallow angle, maybe 15 degrees, but I sure don't apply any pressure like the photo seems to indicate.

 

Maybe you're doing it all wrong.

 

Technique trumps tools, little shaver! I've not tried the DX, but I think I'd like it better without the bump.



As a bonus, here's a musical/dance tribute to the Feather SS. Did anyone else catch a glimpse of @Paul Turner in the video?

 

Razor: PAL Adjustable
Blade: Chick
Soap: B&M Leviathan
Post Care: Thayers Witch Hazel
Alum
Aftershave: B&M Leviathan

Two words come to mind that perfectly describe this shave: Oh My! This was my first ever use of any B&M product and it's outstanding. Very slick, lots of cushion and a great post shave feel. To be honest the scent on the puck is so-so. Once it's lathered however it transforms: pleasant leather, subtle coffee that you almost get a full whiff of and it's gone only to immediately return, sandalwood and a nice light musk finish. The AS was very coffee forward the first 30 seconds but it has melded with the rest is the scents to create a perfectly masculine scent. Kinda like sitting in a thick leather chair in a house in the woods with the doors open and coffee brewing in the next room, I love it. I'm hopeful the scent has staying power because I'm lost what I'd pair with it if it fades quickly. I skipped the Osage tonight so I could get a "true" scent of this combo. Have a great day folks!

 

Nice picture. The towel is a nice added touch.

 

Beautiful picture. The reflection in the razor is perfect!

 

That's about the angle I was using with mine. But no pressure.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

Great picture!

 

Sponsored by the Orthopedic Surgical Team of the Greenview Nursing Home.

 

Take one my frat parties from days gone by......add the brothers at our age now....and I'm pretty sure it would look exactly like that.

 

That was so awesomely bad I watched the whole thing. Yeah, I saw Paul bumping in there.

 

I know that is the idea behind the rounded edge. The DX was the earlier model and one of the criticisms, I believe, was that it was just so easy to cut and scrape, especially if you put any pressure on it. This was supposed to help with that. I've never used a DX, but the CJB, both models, are copies of the DX so yes, I have used that style head. My take on it would be that the SS does provide a "safer" shave, but only to the point you still don't put pressure on it. I found it a bit more difficult to get that incredible efficiency you expect from the straight type razor at first as well. I actually use a slightly larger angle on the SS than the CJB to get the same result, which means I'm trying to nullify some of the effect of the round edge.

I probably need to do a shave with the SS and pay attention to the exact angle I use to see if it models what they suggest or if it's something I've adapted. I suspect the latter, though it should work fine at the angle they show. I could point out that, if the idea behind the round edge is to disperse pressure, it would be a technique issue of avoiding pressure to begin with that would make the DX/CJB effective and no more dangerous or damaging than the SS.

 

Today:
The razor - Schick G1
The blade - Chick
The Brush - Maggard 24 synthetic
The Soap - Route 66 Bourbon Jungle
The Aftercare - Dickinson's Witch Hazel, Osage Rub, Palmer's Cocoa Butter
The Frag - Burberry London

Today was much better. Route 66 keeps on getting better and better. I did a pass I didn't really need just so I could smell it more. Such great stuff. I took my time this time, and all was well. The one thing I am struggling with is my neck. I've never been able to get a BBS shave on my neck without it getting very irritated. I can get there on my face, but the growth patterns down to my jaw line are pretty straightforward. That said, I can get into DFS territory consistently so I guess I should be happy, but every so often it starts to bug me and it feels like settling. But no angle or directional adjustment has improved it, and I am quite sure I have tried them all.

The witch hazel, Osage and Palmer's were a nice follow-up. And the Burberry London is a kissing cousin to the Bourbon Jungle. It's a great pairing.

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It seems that it is more natural when new and nervous to use no pressure. In fact, I think I was almost too light and hesitant when I started, which led to trouble with tugging and skipping when I was going X or ATG. When I finally got to where I was using just enough pressure to keep the blade on plane, and using a deliberate stroke, I solved most of my problems.

I know that with both of my other razors, which have head angles like the DX, I didn't have the problems I did with the SS. That's not a knock on the razor, rather I didn't stick with it long enough to work it through. For me anyway, the SS was much harder to use.

I had a similar experience in my first go around with shavettes a year or so ago, and the Feather giving me a couple of really nasty bites, while with the other two it was just what I think of as normal learning curve nicks.

I know a LOT of people use and love them, so it is definitely not the fault of the razor as opposed to me, I just know that my shaving style is much more suited to not bleeding all over the place, all the time.

You guys get extra worship points from me for sticking with it and figuring it out.