April 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Jason, that is very kind of you. I can't wait to see what you come up with.

 

Parker SRX Shavette
Gillette Silver Blue
Semogue BC Mistura
TOBS Avocado SC
Alum
Superior 70

Well the shavette arrived and I had my first shave with it. It went about as well as my first shave with the OCMM. I probably should have watched some videos, but I just went right to it. The left hand will take some time to feel comfortable. This is the worst shave I have had in at least the last 6 years. I got through two passes without any major cuts, but there were lots of little blood letting sites and irritation. This might have to be a weekend only thing for now so I have time to heal before work until my technique improves to just bad... Overall a fairly successful first try.

 

Wonderful photo. Looks like all the snow is gone. Golf tomorrow?

 

Thanks Clint. Still snow in the woods. Heading out at 9am. Might have to wait a little if there is frost overnight. It will be excellent to be outside in the sun for awhile.

 

Have fun my friend.

 

Thanks Clint.

 

April 8 - another blade, another blade, another blade bites the dust!

Merkur 34C
SuperMax SS, Merkur, Wilkinson Classic, Dorco 301
AOS 23mm Pure Badger
DIY PSO
Reed Point Dragon Blood
Alum/Thayers/Nivea SPSB

I gave the SuperMax SS one more try but it was lousy. Having lots of blades left to try from my 17 blade sample pack, I reached in and just grabbed one. Mistake. It was a Merkur blade. It was scratchy and lousy too. I didn't give it even a full side of my face on a single pass and swapped it out. Next grab - Williamson Classic. This was a little better but now I have tried much better so I tossed this one too. The Wilkinson did make it a full pass WTG and the started XTG. The next blade grabbed was the Dorco 301. This was much smoother than the other three blades attempted today. I finished the XTG pass but just felt my face wasn't ready for an ATG pass so I started over!!!

I did 3 passes (WTG, Another XTG , ATG) for a BBS shave.

So are we keeping track? Let's see, WTG, XTG, WTG, XTG, ATG and another half pass of the jawline and neck basically ATG.

Before I reveal the result of this never ending shave, I will say a few words about Reef Point Dragons Blood. Creating lather was easy to make but I have a tendency of doing it poorly. I pressed some into the bowl and dropped a teaspoon of water on and proceeded to work it. I think I over frothed it. Whipping it so much had me overshoot I think or undershoot. I got to a point where I thought it was getting shiny but the more I whipped it, the airier it got but never regained the shine. I ended up adding some water on each pass and whipping it in hoping it was just not enough but it never helped. When I touched the soap, I never got that super slick feeling even in the end when I really wet it down and touched it, my hand felt dry.

During the shave I kinda liked it. Each stroke of the razor left no residue of soap. I never got nicked either. The lather was very finely bubbled to the point of invisible like good meringue. I have a little left and will need to give it another go.

Scent was barely there. I say it was incense scented my wife says she picked up a sweet clean almost floral scent. Odd how we both smelled something different from the whipped lather.

Now for the results!!! Now with several lousy blades and 5 and a half full passes with a lousy job of making lather you would expect the obvious outcome. NOT one sensation was felt from the alum!!! Completely surprising result. This application of alum should have sent me through the roof and burned like the very flames of hell! NOTHING was felt.

I must see if I can do a better job with this soap and do it justice. It seems even a lousy job of lathering yielded great results. Of course technique I would suspect is largely to blame but I am sure Reef Point should get some of the credit.

 

Nice and sunny, Doug!

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Great photo Clint!

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Same here, been though O'hare once, never again.

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Very nice, Mark!

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Thank you Charlie! It really is my pleasure.

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Have I ever turned down a strange and potentially dangerous shaving instrument?

 

Have fun Jared!

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The Dorco Prime Platinum feels a tad bit sharper to me.

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I'll send you one

 

I got home from traveling across the country and found a beautiful new brush in the mail. It had been fifteen hours since my last shave and that's all the excuse I needed for another shave.
Mike's Natural Soap
Jayaruh #155 Brush
Craftsman Razor
Lucky Tiger
Ogallala Bay Rum
I'm feeling refreshed and ready to take my wife to dinner. It's good to be home.

 

What knot is in that brush?

 

Thank you Andrew.

 

It's an Omega Boar and looks like a Rubberset 400.