April 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

April 4 (Tuesday ) - creams focus

1920s German "Gentleman Otto" Old Type brass 4 pc travel razor / Voskhod (4)
Alluminati Envy White brush
Erasmic shaving cream
Alum and Thayers Witch Hazel Original Astringent

The Erasmic is a shaving cream that contains chamomile and glycerin according to the tube. A dollop in the shave bowl with a palmful of water and the damp brush whipped up enough lather for my passes with enough left in the brush for a couple more. Easy to work into a usable lather and stayed wet and slick on the face. Scent is vaguely herbal - probably the chamomile coming to the fore. Not unpleasant, not wonderful or memorable, just sort of workaday shave creamish. Post shave feel is okay. If Erasmic was the only cream around, I could shave with it every day without feeling any hardship. On the other hand, I am not going to make it my one and only shaving product in the future. For that matter, if and when I use up this tube, I don't know that I will go seek a replacement. It's a cream and it works.

I liked the little old travel razor. It gave me a smooth, efficient shave with no issues. I found this one easier to handle than yesterday's. My usual diagonal passes and an additional ATG on the neck gave a DFS+ without problems. A tiny bit of alum sting on one spot on my neck but otherwise nothing. It was fun seeing what this oldtimer could do.

 

April 4 - Shaving with a Feather...

Merkur 34C
Feather New Hi Stainless (Day 1)
French Vanilla brush (JR#72)
DIY PSO
Stirling Piacenza
Alum/Thayers WH/ Nivea S-PSB

Today, I felt my skill reached a point where I might appreciate and be capable of using a Feather DE blade. this was my first use of this blade and with all the stories of how sharp it is, I proceeded with caution.

To get lather more to the liking of Jared, I found success putting a dollop in the bowl and then dumping about 4-5X as much water onto it. If I had to guess, a tablespoon or more, give or take. Doing this, I always get nervous that I just wasted the soap and time and instead of making lather, I made soap soup. The first 30 seconds, all I got is light bubbly action but as I continue, it always seems to thicken to a more desirable consistency. Doing this, I rarely need to add more water and instead loft and glossiness is instead dictated by how much whipping I do, or at least that is how it seems. Today, it was thinner than my usual but glossier as well. Jared would be proud

I constantly made note of the past few days and tried to use the lightest of pressure. The Feather blade ran the circuit very quietly. I seem to find, with my beard, that the sharper the blade, the quieter it is. This blade was definitely among the quietest and also among the lowest resistance to shaving. With nice slick lather, it slid with little effort across my face for 3 passes (WTG, XTG and ATG) plus a little touch up. As I usually do when I have little resistance, I did touch up areas without lather. No blood today. Completed this shave with my usual Trio (A/TWH/NSPSB). Alum was dead quiet on the cheeks and only tingly on the neck (payback for touch ups without cream). BBS was reached.

In all, great scent, great shave and a great way to start the day....

Wish you all a great shave and an even better day!!!

 

Congrats on a great shave. Feather blades work very well in mild razors like the 34C. After using the Feather Artist Club blades in my SE razors, I now prefer the Feather DE blades in my DE razors as well.

 

Wow, this is my first opportunity to get into this thread this month. 375 posts to catch up on, you're kidding me! It looks like I know what I'll be doing when I get to my hotel tonight. I'm starting a long day of travel to the East Coast. See you tomorrow

 

OK, to ask what part of the coast? Otherwise, that might be a big trip!!

 

Sacramento-San Diego-Baltimore-Norfolk-rental car to Virginia Beach. Just got to San Diego to receive a text telling me that my flight to Norfolk has been delayed to 11:00pm. It's going to be a long day

 

Now there's a focus I can relate to. Sounds good.

 

Count me with you guys on this one. Straights are the ultimate adjustable.

 

I have a "Pat Appl'd for" that may be late '03.

 

I agree! Love that show.

 

Well the Omega Pro 49 results have been duplicated. Another great three pass shave with lots of lather left over. It's officially out of the cabinet and on the counter with my Shavemac and my synthetics. What a relief. For a while there I thought I had wasted $10.

 

I get my best lather shots with Route 66. Good stuff!

 

Thank you!

 

Razor: Gillette Fat Boy Adjustable (G3) 1961
Blade: Personna 74 Tungsten Plus (4)
Brush: Elite Razor Tres Amigos Desert Ironwood Beehive w/Envy White
Soap: Arko
Aftershave: Old Spice Fresh Lime

This is one of my favorite Gillette razors. I had an early 3 pass shave with a good clean up. Everything worked very well. I haven't used Arko soap very much, but I was surprised how well it lathered.
Have to go to a meeting tonight that is why an earlier than usual shave.

 

What he said

 

I find that if I lather the trouble spots, I still don't get them because I can't see them. Whereas if I just use water, I can get up close and actually see what I'm trying to cut off.

 

If the soap I use has enough residual slickness I just use water for touch ups as well. In fact that is one of my criteria in evaluating a soap's slickness.


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Great shot Amigo Looks like the rain helped with the snow melt.


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Thanks very much Clint. Yes rain is a good thing this time of year.

 

By the time I get to my clean up pass, I have done a couple of passes, and run my fingers over my face, trying to find the ATG spot that still needs a little touch up. I identify the areas that need it by feel, much more than sight. I agree that some soaps have enough residual slickness for a little touch up, Clint, it just sounds like this might be causing irritation. You have to have your technique (no pressure) really down before being able to avoid irritation with no lather.