April 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

The baby can be elusive at times, so it can definitely feel like you are chasing it!

 

Comes from people calling a very smooth shave BBS or "baby bottom smooth". So naturally doing multiple passes and little buffing actions to get rid of every hint of whiskers becomes "chasing the baby"...

 

Also @MR41

An unspoken benefit of cold water is this--I can never be deprived of a luxury that I do not take.

Stoicism, Y'all!

 

Awesome April
8 April 2017
Day Nine - The Arko Challenge


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Just another easy two pass. Eight edges depleted, that leaves twenty-two Voskhod edges to go in April. About to light the pipe and TSD for a bit, shall we? Waiting on the rains to come, still warm on the prairie. Probably a gray and gloomy Sunday on tap. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.​

Have a Great Weekend!
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How do you break DE blades in half?

 

Two methods:

Fold still-wrapped blade until it snaps.

Or

Cut still-wrapped blade with heavy scissors.

I also have Derby and Shark Saloon blades, precut by manufacturer and sold to hairdressers, mostly.

 

Huh. Might have to find my least like blade and give it a try just to see.

 

We told you that Schick was the gateway drug to SR, right? Shavette is a left turn from SR usually, or was in my case.

 

Yeah but in my case the plan was always to use the hard drugs (straights), I just went with the softer drugs (SEs) to get my system used to it. Shavettes in the other hand... well I don't like the using the word never, so who knows what will happen.

Though I will say sitting in a hotel room browsing TSD and places like Maggards or Supply Provision and looking at the pretty razors is making it hard to resist.

 

There is great value in mastering aggressive SE as the path to SR. The skin stretching and precise angle control, coupled with a thick blade, should teach you how to shave precisely. If you aren't cutting yourself up with a Schick E, and you're good to go on irritation, straights are really only a small leap of faith. I shavette daily because the maintenance aspect of SR is incompatible with my other hobby time and dollars, but I like the complete zen experience of open blade. It sounds like you may wander this path too. I learned on straights by doing 100 consecutive days of straights, with an exception of a CJB handle on days 76-78. Same soap the whole time. By day 100, it was all a breeze. Shavette came after that, and was simple because I had the SR concepts down pat. Shavette blades are actually sharper, and by virtue of being thin, will cut the user without warning. It's the easier order in which to learn. However, my man @PickledNorthern did it exactly the opposite of me, with ~100 Shavette before he ever touched a straight. He will tell you straights are less tedious than Shavette as well.

 

If you're looking for modern steel, try "Ralf Aust Solingen" in Google. They are still hand forging razors in Solingen, the last maker doing this, and you can get a black scale carbon steel 5/8 Full Hollow Round Point for a bit over $100, and they're fantastic. My first "nice straight" was an Aust. I can't say enough about the value here. This size and style, or per @gssixgun , a 6/8 blade width with a more medium grind is the smart/safe size choice to start. If you do full face shaves, there is no need for spike points at all, you'll thank me later. Pay attention to the veteran guys on the straight razor too, they are experts and would love to help you get into the right gear, and get the set up that makes sense for you. I would advise passing on honing and letting pros do it at first. You need to know what a good bevel feels like before you try honing your own. Shaving and stropping is hard enough and quite unnatural. Keep it simplified and maximize the experience.

 

Stroping makes my head spin just reading about it. Honing is not something I plan on touching right away. And when I do, i might find a cheapo beat up razor on ebay to practice on

 

Thank you. It's a beauty.

 

I have been known to send CJB to people suffering from the bump on the Feather SS. I am fine with a pink brush as long as I can shave with DX and not a SS Feather.

 

That is what I thought in the beginning so I delayed my joining of the dark side. Stropping is much easier than it sounds, lay the blade and don't apply pressure, sound familiar.

 

You have progressed very quickly.

 

April 9

Since I have no time pressure to today's shave I went big, very big and broke out the Kent BK12. To match this crazy brush I went with a cream that is extremely productive, Castle Forbes. After 4 passes I could have shaved my whole body twice. Since I am not going to Olympics for swimming nor I am going to make the Tour de France I decided to just wash the extra lather down the sink. I also avoided having to hear comments from my smart alec girlfriend about shaving my whole body.

Today's razor was a Dovo Master's on it first shave from being referred on a Zulu Grey. The edge was very smooth and sharp. I have two Dovo razors (the other is a Bismark 2) and both razors take a great edge are easy to maintain and easy to hone.

Irritation A+ Closeness A Smoothness A+ Sharpness A

 

Thank you. I stand vindicated. I will shave with my pink razor tomorrow, in your honor.