April 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Can I put in an order for the T-shirt now?

 

WHAT IF all of that really happened and we are experiencing this version of him NOW.

Sequel by Douglas Adamstoyevski.

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This could work.

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The real question is "what is his screen name?". Any guesses?

 

Plenty of time to heal as well. Win/win

 

@NCoxSTL

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Now that I think about it, one could overhear a lot of high level Russian blade information in the gulag. In fact, after a few decades of using this knowledge and honing one's skill, one might even be considered a Russian blade Czar. Hmm. Maybe I've thought out loud a bit too much. They don't get internet service in the Russian gulags do they?

 

April 20 (Thursday) - perfectly sane non- carts and goo shave

Rockwell 6s on plate #3 / Topaz Platinum ( 1 )
Alluminati Envy White brush
Supply Provision tallow soap Juniper
Alum and Supply Provision Juniper Post Shave Balm

I skipped the next cream tonight to pull out the older formula Supply Provision soap in the 4" wide x 2" deep plastic tub to compare using it with the newer SP cream/croap in the 2" wide x 3" deep packed-full glass jar.

I had no trouble brush loading from the tub and then working up a good lather in my bowl. I rather prefer this to the newer approach of scooping cream out of the jar and either rubbing it into my face or onto the surface of the lather bowl and then using the brush. Now that I have tried both approaches, however, I can certainly make both work.

The shave tonight was an easy 2 pass near BBS with no irritation. Quiet alum and the matching Juniper balm makes for a refreshing finish. (The scent is now called Sierra Ridge).

I actually messaged Patrick on the Supply Provision website to ask for the reason for the change, because the scents are the same and the consistency of the soft soap is only a very little bit softer in the new version. He said there were two reasons to go to the narrower jar that requires the cream to be scooped out rather than brush loaded:

1. A primary target market for them is convincing guys to switch over from carts and goo. They found that a usage model where the product was worked onto the face with the fingers and then worked with a brush seemed to be more familiar and easier to switch to for guys who had always spread on canned goo with the fingers and never used the traditional brush and soap in a shaving mug method before.

2. The glass jar is a better size and shape for travel and fits more easily in a dopp kit. (And SP is shortly bringing out a nice leather dopp kit sized to hold their stuff.)

He did point out that people who strongly preferred the older tub approach could always also repack the cream into an old tub. The cream is easily scooped and shaped. I also got the impression that Patrick is probably flexible on the issue - if enough people expressed a preference, he might either move back to tubs or offer both options (the amount of cream or soap and the price was the same either way.)

 

Bleeding a little never really hurt anyone....much.

 

I'm not sure this is very accurate, but I will blindly accept your hollow encouragement and charge towards the edge of the cliff with reckless abandon along with the rest of the well shaven lemmings! We can't all be wrong... right???

 

Head up...quick march!!! Stay with the group.

 

Remember when your mother said "well, if the other kids jumped off a bridge...."?

We're THOSE kids.

 

Thanks for the manufacturer information, it's cool to see how they work it.

 

My mom quickly realized that if I thought jumping off the bridge sounded fun, it didn't really matter what the other kids were doing. In high school, I used to ski jump and take pictures of my friends flying 20 feet above the water upside down and sprawled all over the place on their first couple of jumps. We could always find another sucker… Errr... I mean... student no matter what version of carnage ensued. Now that I'm old and fat, sharp blades are currently the best substitute I've found for jump skis without the likelihood of follow up surgery. Still looking with an open mind though.

 

Just be sure to put on clean underwear before starting your shave. My mothers greatest fear was not that I was in the ER spurting blood to the ceiling, but that during the examination I would be found wearing dirty underwear.

 

Arko Adjustable April!!!!!

April 20

Razor - 1962 (H1) Gillette Slim (3)
Blade - (1)
Soap - Arko
Brush - WSC Synthetic
Post - Alum

Awhile back Jason from tryablade.com sent me a couple of freebie Derby Premium blades. These are a new version of the old Derby Extra that we're all familiar with. Of course, Derby always draws a lot of heat for being a "bad" blade even though it actually performs very well in an aggressive razor and not exactly badly in a mild one. It's not the sharpest by far but it is typically smooth. So, what's the difference between the old Extra and the new Premium? Apparently just the steel. The ads for them mention "premium Swedish steel". No idea if it's even a difference from their usual steel or not to be sure. And the coatings, chromium, ceramic, platinum, tungsten and polymer, are the same as on the Extra. It is entirely possible that this is the same blade with a new wrapper and name. The only way to find out how they really compare is to shave with them. So, the Premium for three shaves followed by the Extra for three shaves in the Slim.

If there is any one characteristic of synthetic brushes that could convert me away from the natural brushes it is definitely the convenience. My plan tonight was to use the Wolf Whiskers custom silvertip but I forgot to start the brush soaking. I picked up the WSC synth instead and instead of waiting for a brush to soak I just dunked it for about 10 seconds, shook it, then face lathered the stick into the usual ridiculous amount of Arko lather. I did two full passes, WTG then XTG and did almost a full pass of touch ups. I'll say I got it to DFS but, yeah, it was smooth but not really the best finish you could ask for. The alum was silent. In the mild setting on Slim this blade is as tame as a de-clawed kitten. On 6 tomorrow we'll get a feel for it in a better setting for the blade, but I wanted to set the comparison mark at the mild 3.

Another busy week with all kinds of in-store moves, new beds showing up, paperwork to be done, so I may be a bit behind for a day or two around here. Nothing some extra breaks since I'm the boss won't fix.

​

 

When Jason gets the Derby Amateur back in, I want a truckload. I am the typical story, used Derby early on, then revisited and realized how wrong I was about the magnitude of variance between blade brands.

 

Every one should have a Burma Shave mug.