March 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Thanks for all the amazing advice and your time guys.
My next shave (tomorrow, Monday), DE shave #5 will be done exclusively with my right hand and all my concentration will be focused on the technique.
Really looking forward to it. Will let you know how I get on.
(P.S. I can't believe I just said I am really looking forward to it. I would never have said that a month ago )
Take care all,
Wayne

 

Razor: Clauss/Supply Provision Custom 3 dot head
Blade: Chick
Brush: That Darn Rob silvertip
Soap: L&L Grooming Marshland
Post Care: Thayers Witch Hazel
Alum
Osage Rub
Aftershave: Fine Green Vetiver

Another day of straights and another blood free shave. I'm only using the straight for the sides of my face and neck, still don't feel comfortable enough to use it around my mouth. First pass was with the Supply to cut down several days of growth. Then I used the baseball pattern for lathering and took my time with the Clauss. The L&L was great for this, very slick and didn't break down even with the extra time taken. Still only going with the grain but I got nice results. Three passes with the straight and a follow up cleanup pass with the Supply and I'm BBS. I thought for sure the alum would burn like crazy but it only tickled in a few spots. Followed up with the Fine Green Vetiver for a great start to my Sunday. Have a great day folks!

 

I'm glad to see you progressing. Just wait until you look forward to every shave

 

That's a good thing. While some razor & blade combinations are louder than others, the audible feedback is the sign that everything is working as it should.

 

Frank, the answers have been pretty much covered by Clint and Jared.

First, the Gem-style SE razors have got to be just about the noisiest manual razors around. Every whisker sort of echoes off the steel as it's being cut so the sound as you mow through stubble is much like velcro ripping. The first time I heard it, I checked my razor to see if it was falling apart; then I learned it was normal.

Second, the Gem blades are thicker and stiffer steel than DE blades so in theory they last longer before wearing out (so do the thick injector blades). I have gone up to 10 shaves on a Gem blade this month and it was still cutting well, although when I put a brand-new blade in a different razor and compared, I could definitely tell the difference. Unless I was deliberately trying to see how long I could run a blade, I would say for me it should be 5 to 7 shaves and done with a Gem PTFE.

Third, DE blades are different than Gem blades. I think Jared is right there. And @Bama Samurai and @NCoxSTL both say the same thing: Blades are cheap enough to simply go "3 and done" or even a fresh blade every shave, at least until you have mastered a solid consistent technique. It eliminates one possible cause of a poor shave at a cost of a couple extra cents per shave. Later, if that's your thing, you can try to use blades longer and learn to feel when they are worn -- or even become one of the guys who try to push blades far past ordinary limits to get 100+ shaves out of them.

I've done the pushing thing. I tested a vintage carbon steel PAL blade together with an old bladesaver honing device to see how long the gadget could keep the blade in shape. I got up to 41 shaves on the blade -- but the last few weren't particularly pleasant. I can see doing it if you're experimenting but not as an everyday thing. In my regular shaves, it's a few and done on all my DE blades. (For me, 2 on Topaz Platinum and 4 or 5 on everything else.)

 

I did the same thing the first time I used a Gem razor. I am still surprised by how loud they are.

 

Thanks guys for the feedback. It helps.

Another question though:


Does a blade get louder as it wears out?

Do you find some blades just noisier than others?

Do you find quieter blades to work better ( in the same razor)?

These questions are for SE or DE razors.

 

I think that certain razors are just noisier than others. For example, my Timeless OC is a louder razor than most of my DE razors. The noise with any given razor does change as the angle changes. For many new shavers it works best to shave without the water or a fan running. This way the noise made with a good angle can be heard more easily and speed up the learning process. I have never noticed the sound of the blade changing with use.

 

There are a ton of factors in the noise: How much flex is in your blade? How much blade exposure is there? What is the razor made out of? What is the razor geometry.

When you get familiar with a specific razor, you can listen for feedback, but it isn't anything that you can really generalize on.

**Except maybe that steeper angles make more noise.

 

March 26 - Does blade volume correlate to wear?

Fendrihan Scientist
GSB (pass 1,2), Astra SP (passes 3,4)
20mm AOD Pure Badger
DIY PSO
Stirling Pharoah's Dreamsicle
Alum/Thayers WH
Nivea S-PSB

Today is Scientist Sunday. The GSB has only been used for a total of 5 passes and 3 of those passes was only on 1/2 the face. It should have lots of life in it.

Being Frugal Frank, I again decided to use a different brush to see if I can create lather with minimal soap. 20 seconds with a 20mm brush and I went to make perfect orangy, musky goodness. Dreamsicle is a great scent. Lather made was enough for 4 passes plus cleanup. I did tune it on each pass just to see if I needed more water. Was super protective and slick.

GSB was noisy. I finished the first pass and began the second and I have 5 weepers. The blade just felt scratchy in this razor. No change of angle improved that. Out the GSB went and the Astra SP went in. The sound level dropped and the friction was reduced. No further weepers were seen. This blade just worked smoother for me with my beard. I ended up finishing the XTG with the Astra and then added another WTG before doing the ATG finish. There was no need for cleanup. BBS was already achieved.

Alum shown what was already expected, I was irritated. It stung a little but I already learned that if I feel I might be irritated to flood my face with water before applying alum. It reduces the burn.

Not sure if this will prove out but this shave suggested that the blades that work well for me shave quieter . Not sure if as they wear they will get louder. This will be watched going forward. Maybe sound can be added for me to use as a tool for identifying good blades and determining when they are worn out.

 

Wonderful picture, Clint!

 

Thank you Jim.

 

March 26 SOTD:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
Chiseled Face Sherlock
Gem 1912
Stirling Unscented PSB
Barbasol Pacific Rush AS

Quick shave this morning before church, now off to catch a plane. I hope everyone is having a great Sunday!

 

I am much like Clint. I have noticed sound varies between razors and on adjustables between levels. I have never noticed that it varies on the same razor between blades or that it changes as a blade wears. On the other hand, to be honest, that isn't something I have ever particularly looked at (or listened for). In fact, it isn't something I could particularly pick up on right now - because I use too many different razors. If you only used one razor regularly, however, so that you were extremely familiar with its quirks, and if that razor gave a decent amount of audible feedback (some razors simply don't), I would imagine it would become quite possible to tell the sharpness or smoothness of the blade in that razor simply from the sound.

Most of us I think simply rely on whether the blade is feeling "tuggy" and also on changing out blades regularly before they reach that point.

 

Beautiful photo with a lovely 1912. Have a safe trip.

 

Day 1 of 30 days of Henckel straights

I finished 30 days of straights yesterday, relying for the last 15 days or so on my new 6/8 Round Toe Henckel 17 1/2. Since I also bought a 7/8 Henckel Square Toe 17 and a 4/8 Henckel Round Toe 89 1/2 at the same time, I decided that I should rotate between the three in an effort to become familiar with all of them. So, for 30 days I will stay with one of these and try to keep all other variables consistent. After a few days with the 4/8 I will go back to the 6/8 for a couple of days before going to the 7/8.

This morning I did switch to a different brush, moving from a 30mm to a 24mm. The 30mm just seems to hold too much lather inside the brush instead of on my face.

Today's shave was safe, without any cuts and only one small weeper, but not a really close shave. While I am willing to bet that the actual blade angle needed stays the same between a 6/8 and a 4/8, looking at it in the mirror it is visually different. I had a very hard time finding the right angle and the first pass was mostly wasted. The third pass was actually fairly good. It is significantly easier to get under my nose with the smaller razor.



DIY Pre-shave Oil
ABC Face Lathered
24mm High silvertip set an extra 10mm deep
3 passes, WTG, WTG, XTG
Sampsons All Natural Aftershave Balm
4/8 Square Toe Henckel 17

 

Thank you, Clint!

 

March 24,25,26 Travel Shaves

Ball End Tech w Voskhod (1,2,3)
TOBS Mr Taylor's cream
Omega Travel Boar
Thayer's Unscented
Stirling Spice Balm



Am away from the March Black Beauty focus this week as I am vacationing with my wife and kids. First night was in Seattle and then at Disneyland for the past few days. Still finding time for a relaxing shave to start the day, but no real time to post regularly, obviously.
3 nice travel shaves so far. The TOBS is an reliable performer, and the Tech/Voskhod combo is an easy pairing. I realize that I have spoiled myself, though, as I miss the daily changing of soaps and aftershaves. Will change the blade tomorrow and switch to the Polsilver I brought as well.
I am off to get soaked at Splash Mountain again.
Have a great day all!

 

That picture truly is a "GEM."

 

March Soap Focus

TSS Acqua di Florida, B-400 WD/HMB
The Bunny V3.1 and a sharp Chick blade
Alum, Osage Rub, M&L Florida Water AS


One of the first artisan soaps I purchased, produced by Irena of Ginger's Garden @soapbuddy. Spot on scent match for the cologne/AS. An easy 23-30 second load from the flip top tub using Tom's B-400 handle fitted with a Whipped Dog High Mountain badger knot ( Thanks @twhite & @clint64!). I haven't changed from the NOTSO comb in several shaves because if it's working - don't fix it. Easy finding the angle of attack with great function. Three passes for a long lasting reduction with no shaving errors. Alum was near silent, no burn from the cool Osage, pleasant scent from the cologne.
So as I'm setting up the gear for a photo I decided to remove the comb for a through cleaning. Made the mistake of pressing my shave towel into the recess where the comb rest. Ouch, glad it was a fresh blade recently awash in soap. Blood on steel aluminum. Just another scar. Still looking for the bandaids...
Good Shaves Y'all!