February 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Fatboy February!!!!!

One more time!

February 23
Razor - Delta Echo Steampunk Gillette New LC
Blade - (3)
Soap - Arko
Brush - Jayaruh #46
Post - Alum

Well if I thought the Maggard synthetic knot would be a problem face lathering Arko - then I had no idea what I was thinking. I soaked the tip of the brush while I rubbed the Arko stick on my face as usual, then gave the brush one shake and went to face lathering. I wasn't sure what I would get. And I wasn't ready for what I got. I have never seen Arko spring up that fast. Just exploded into lather. And after I finished the first pass and lathered again for the second I checked the brush. It was absolutely filled with lather still. Unbelievable. I squeezed two handfuls out before rinsing the brush. Typical thick and slick Arko. And never easier to produce.

So, the JR46 handled the Fat, Tabac, Stirling, Route 66 and an Arko face lather. I'm pretty sure it can handle anything else I throw at it too. And yes, I am impressed with the synthetic knot. And it's still just an awesome wicked cool brush to use.

As for the shave, two passes plus a bit of touch up to a very near BBS with the NewLC and Wilkinson on its third day. What a fun and enjoyable three days that blade and this setup has produced.

 

I'll leave this link here for anyone who is interested to stumble over. Seems Gillette is still feeling the pressure from the competition. Dollar Shave Club gets all the credit in this article but I'd like to think we're doing our part around here too.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/comp...tte-razors/ar-AAngYkF?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=UP97DHP

 

Thanks for the heads up. I certainly like the build quality of the Scientist. It's a very solid razor with nice knurling on the heavy steel handle. And I think I would be interested in a milder version of it sometime - after having a chance to read some reviews on the new version and after NB'17 is over. In the meantime though, I am afraid I have already packed mine up and told it to PIF off...

 

Thanks Jared.

 

Thanks very much Charlie.

 

Great minds think alike, fools seldom differ.

Thanks very much Keith I like the Shavemac Zebra 2 Band better with each use . You also have a great photo today with excellent products.

 

Thanks very much amigo. It's Friday and you know what that means.

O' yeah, Clint loves Fridays also.

 

Welcome back.

 

February 24, 2017​

Mongoose B2 with Triad Ti​

Feather Pro Super (13)​

Rubberset 400 #3 with WSP HWM​

Route 66 Rum Runner​

Fine Fresh Vetiver​

​

​

A great shave this morning to end the work week. Since the Super blade is nearing the end, I went with a traditional 3 pass shave, WTG, XTG, & ATG, followed by touch ups in my trouble spots. I ended up with my normal near BBS which is more than good enough for today. A splash of Fine Fresh Vetiver provided a wonderful end to the shave. I hope everyone has a Fantastic Friday.

 

Good picture. The knot in your brush looks amazing.

 

I bought the brush with the knot installed and have really enjoyed it. It is huge and gives a unique feel during face lathering.

 

SOTD February 24, 2017

Blade: Chinese Schick
Razor: Schick J1 injector
Brush: Omega 10049 boar
Lather: Mitchell's Wool Fat
Post: Witch hazel splash, Fine American Blend
WTG, touch-up

Fat Friday! Nice shave with Mitchell's this morning. Easy lather, slick and protective. The J1 is a smooth razor. All is well with this shave and I hope the best for everyone else.

Have a great Friday!

 

Lovely B&W photo Perry.

 

Good photograph Perry. Have a great Friday.

 

Beautiful picture, Clint!

 

Perry, nice black and white photo!

 

February 24 SOTD:

Razorock Plissoft Brush
Col. Conk Amber
Gillette Fatboy
Stirling Unscented PSB
Clubman VI Bay Rum AS

I found a shave stick I had made a long time ago out of some Col. Conk Amber shave soap, and figured I would give it a try again. I honestly had thought I HD thrown it out, but there it was. It made for a decent lather. Not my favorite, but workable. The shave itself was pretty good, as I am very near a BBS. A little VI Bay Rum to top it off, and this short Friday is under way. I hope everyone has a great day!

 

Thank you Jim.

 

Feb 24 - Sunrise on St Petersburg - Gilette Silver Blue Day 1
Stirling Finds a New Home!!!

Merkur 34C HD
Gilette Silver Bluye (Day 1)
Homemade PSO
Soap Left Overs - Piacenza, SDM, EM
Alum
Nivea PSB
​

I ordered some 8 oz low profile jars from Specialty Bottle and they came in yesterday. My Stirling samples now have a new home! I went with the blue ones to block some sunlight in hopes to reduce the possibility of scent reduction if I choose to leave them out. OK, the truth is, they look cool. The jars are 3.75" width by 2.1" height, just perfect for shaving soaps. I also grabbed a small 4oz pump bottle for the homemade PSO. Shipping was rough but all you see totaled ~$25. Just under$2 ea. for all 13 containers (incl. pump)



In transferring the soap from the containers I had them in, some was left behind and I couldn't just send that glorious stuff down the drain. Today's lather for the first two shaves was a small hint of Piacenza and a bit more of SDM. Piacenza was barely a drop but SDM looked empty except for a haze on the container. a drip of water removed the last of Piacenza from its old home and I used that to work up enough lather in the SDM take out container. So little SDM turned out enough for 2 shaves. I ended up rinsing the brush and did a 5-10 sec spin in Executive Man for the final shave. Stirling, as usual lathers nicely. For my lousy nose and as strong as Piacenza was and as weak as SDM was, the combination was actually pretty nice. To me, fresh green fields (SDM) and a light infusion of orange/citrus and rosemary notes(Piacenza) worked nicely together. I would not be put off to grab a dollop of each again for a regular shave. SDM does have a citrus note but the combo is like having a grassy field adjacent to an orange orchard on a cool spring day. Was a nice way to start the day. EM was rather light to me in the sample as well. If I had to guess, the description of Pinapple, vanilla and smoky leather might be right. Again, I think it worked as a final note. To each their own. No matter what, I wasn't going to and I didn't waste any of those great soaps.

I did 3 passes with the GSB: WTG. XTG and ATG. Today's mantra was tickle yourself with a feather. I did not care if I shaved today. Don't get me wrong, I needed to. Instead, I was willing to do as many feather light passes as needed to get there. I think the irritation experienced to date is largely due to blade pressure. What I thought was light, is still too much. Today, we change that.In addition to the feather light touch, I focused on not using the mirror as my primary sensory device to shave and instead focused on touch. I focused on the sensation the razor made with my face. I constantly asked, is the blade touching. Where is the cap? Do I feel the bar? What is the pressure like. The mirror was just a guide for where to go but the experience was to be governed by the sensations of touch.

In all, I think I found the GSB to have a little more drag than the Voskhods. They were equally smooth and sharp but I found they needed a little more effort. Only this 'feeling' , for me, could distinguish in a blind side by side comparison. Again, I have a nearly perfect BBS shave. I only missed it under the chin. Even though I went against the grain, my angle must have been off slightly and I did not get as close. Had I did a bit more touch ups, it would be BBS. I felt so good with the GSB that again I did an ATG on the chin and decided to push to try the upper lip. Yeah, bad idea. I should have stopped with the chin. I had done half of the upper lip ATG and I nicked myself above the corner of my mouth. Not bad but did draw blood. Cold water turned it off.

I was able to apply lots of alum. There was some tingle and heat in spots but not nearly as bad as in recent days. In all, the feather touch and GSB produced a great shave. I may need to do a side by side to see which is better for me. Right now, both would be fine bulk buys. Let's see how this blade does over several days. 6 days of great shaving from the Voskhods will be hard to beat.

Time will tell...

 

Lovely photo and beautiful razor head cover.