April 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Thank you. It's a favorite of mine.

 

Arko Adjustable April!!!!!

April 9

Razor - 1962 (H1) Gillette Slim (6)
Blade - (2)
Soap - Arko
Brush - WCS Synthetic
Post - Alum

Well this is confusing. I got home last night after a long day of moving beds and selling not nearly enough and had dinner. Pizza night. Sat down at my desk, leaned back in the chair for a minute and woke up two hours later. Got up, went to bed and woke up about 3 a.m. and realized I didn't shave. Back to sleep. Got up this morning and had coffee, got my eyes open, headed to get ready for the day and did a morning shave for the first time in quite awhile.

Grabbed the West Coast brush and the Arko puck and whipped up a great Arko lather and did two passes plus touch up with the Classic Lord on 6 in the Slim. Thought at the time it was a bit less than normal on the quality but, after being at work a couple of hours, I have decided it was indeed a nice DFS. The blade was very smooth and no issues. So, I may be off schedule but I still look as good as I always do. Which is pretty darn good if you ask me!!

The sun is shining in STL and it feels like Spring if not early Summer. I'll get caught up with you guys this evening and probably not shave again until tomorrow night to put myself back on my normal schedule. Hope your weekend has been a good one!

​

 

9 April 2017 Blade/Soap Focus
Shave

Today's shave is the start of my shave week. Also for the week I'll be using Catie's Bubbles "Tonsorial Parlour" Soap. My soap lathering skills need some work, so for the rest of the month and probably beyond I'll be using soaps until I'm dialed in.
The scent on this soap is really very citrusy. I think I got the water ratio correct today because the lather was not runny and it stayed thick in the bowl. The 10098 did a great job and the GSB/ Tech combo delivered a very nice traditional 3 pass shave. There was just a little touch up needed low on the right side of my neck. This is a normal problem area for me. Hot/cold rinse, cold towelx2, alum block and Dominello Vitali Post Shave Moisturizer took care of the post shave duties.
Splashed on some Fine "American Blend" and it was off to the fleamarket.
Have a great day all!
Edit: Fine "American Blend" was a last minute substitution for Clubman.

 

April 9th

Progress
Polsilver
Trumpers Rose
Midget
Thayers unscented
AoS lavender

I tried some different pass directions on my neck and I tried to ride the cap more on the areas with spiral growth. I used cooler water. Irritation wise it is better than the previous few shaves, but it's also not as close. The only constant I can pin point on bbs irritation free shaves is length of growth.

 

Scratch that. I just looked again and I'm very irritated.

 

Can you pinpoint or recognize a difference with how new your blade is? I just know that the sharper my blade it, the less I have to worry about irritation or weepers. Doesn't matter what kind of razor, DE to straight, it's the same. I need SHARP. (Talking about against the grain)

 

For sure the flex.

 

@PickledNorthern It's always first use. Blades dull so quickly I use a new blade each time.

I'm just trying to think this out:

For a while I didn't go ATG often because I was trying to get in and out of the bathroom. Maybe once a week when I had time I'd go for bbs and I had more success not being irritated. I wonder if the time between Bbs shaves helped reduce irritation when I did go for it.

I've gotten the satisfaction of bbs and no irritation enough that it's hard not to go for it.

 

Welcome to the 30 Day Crew. I'm glad you decided to join!

 

It is good to have you around. Hopefully you can spend some time figuring out what you like, and what works best for you.

I think you will find that most of the credit for not being able to cut yourself goes to the Weishi rather than the blades. It is a very "mild" razor. Derby's also have earned a reputation as being something of a mild blade, but they are still razor sharp.......

You sound like you have a pretty lined out plan, all I would add is a reminder to try to always only change one component of a shave at a time, so you can pinpoint your changes. When your other stuff comes, I would recommend using Derby's in the Edwin Jagger, and Astra's in the Weishi.

Have fun, someone around here has cookies or something.......

 

I've got ice cream, but it melts in the mail...

 

You could pack it in dry ice.... Come on be a pal, you know, since we go so far back?

 

I hear you on that. Just stay patient and keep working on different angles.

Do you have to go ATG on that swirl to get BBS? Can you divide it into four quadrants and take four small WTG strokes to hit it? Might be stupid time consuming, I don't know, but it beats razor bumps.

 

-Fessum 6/8"
-Epsilon "Poor Man's Chubby" 27mm White Horse
-Stirling Sandalwood Soap and Splash

I tell you what, for how great this razor shaves, you can spank my unicorn and call me Strawberry Shortcake for all I care, I'm keeping it. Very much a Krylon day today.

 

Welcome to the thread!

 

Keeping the angle very shallow will often help to keep the blade cutting better and let it stay sharper longer. There is definitely something to letting your skin rest a bit. To be completely honest, I get my best shaves when I take a day off.

 

That is a drop the mic moment. I don't even know how to respond.

 

+1 on Strawberry Shortcake doing in the Ninja Turtle! Too funny!

 

Nice picture, Ben. I really enjoy Sherlock soap; I wish I had gotten the AS. The the AS match the scent of the soap?

 

That's why I like my Sunday shave so much. Two day growth and a 3 pass shave. It don't get much better than that!