June 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Wonderful setup and photo Amigo. What's your early impression on the Rossa?

 

Doug,
Ever get the impression that every time you use the PannaCrema, someone will ask you how it was?

Just remember, we are all jealous!

 

My early impression of the Nuavia Rossa soap is that it is excellent. I love the scent, which is in a way funny as I don't pick up very many scents these days. It whips up an outstanding thick rich lather, with lots of cushion and glide. It is also very slick. There is a lot of soap in their container also which is a handmade, hand painted ceramic bowl.

 

Cool. I have the Rossa and the Blu. I keep changing my mind on which one I like best.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

What kind of ultrasonic do you have? Is the stuff they sell at bed bath and beyond or places like that then any good or do you need to go for some sort of high-end professional model?

 

Thanks!

I really like it. I used Cryogen last summer and it was so cold it just numbed my face and I couldn't feel anything. Snake Bite is a notch below that so it's good and cold, but enjoyable. It lathers easily and it's real slick and protective. And with a shavette, I throw water at it ,for a slick lather , and it takes it just fine.

 

Neither. I had a 'bed bath and beyond' version originally, and that was passed on to my brother. It wasn't very good at cleaning anything but light soils, such as what you'd do to clean out an oily ring or necklace. I then went to the older Harbor Freight unit, which burned out a month ago, after I repaired some broken wires (mostly unrelated). So, I went to the larger HF version. So far, it's been pretty good. Here are two threads where I talk about it.

http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/cleaning-methods-and-tools-not-limited-to-razors.55717/
http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/razor-cleaning-pic-heavy.56158/ (more information on the pros and cons)

So, you need more than the cheap $30 ones, but you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars either. Most important is the heating function. Keeping that water hot to soak the razors is worth its weight in ... brass? So far, I've put about 10-15 hours of activity on the vibrating assembly, and probably 100-150 hours on the heater. It hasn't failed yet, so it'll probably match the original units 10 years.

It's really good for cleaning out pocket knives and so forth as well. I use it for my preventative maintenance cleaning as well. I don't know how many times my old black handled superspeed has been in a cleaner over the last 30 years

 

Monday June 12 - back to the soaps

Rockwell 6s on plate #3 / Topaz Platinum ( 1 )
30DC LE brush in natural maple handle with cashmere knot
Haslinger Coconut soap
Alum

Today and tomorrow I am using Haslinger products, an Austrian vegan soap with a well-established reputation. The Coconut was a nice soap. It loaded very easily with a few paintbrush strokes of the brush on the puck and then lathered quickly with the addition of a little water to my lather bowl. Protection was excellent during the shave. I used no aftershave products and my face does not feel at all dry or in need of care other than the soap. The only thing I would note is that people liking strong scents would be disappointed, because the coconut scent was light and rapidly disappeared.

My shave tonight was two passes to a near BBS without irritation.

 

I have several of the Fine soaps and enjoy them all. I'll need to add this one to my list.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Tell them I am a free agent.

 

So another couple of shaves over the weekend, and things went well. Which brings us to tonight's shave. So this morning I did some stropping on the felt with diamond spray, and having watched the video I guess I did it right.

Since people have touted the Stirling, I decided to give it a try and see if it would be slicker. I also needed a new soap for the week. So my choice was Stirling's Pharaoh's Dreamsicle. And I've been lathering in one of those nice Turkish copper mugs you can get off eBay. That works wonders.

And deciding to experiment, I didn't use any PSO to see if that would alter the quality of my shave. The jury is still out on that.

I had two days worth of stubble (last shave was Saturday morning), and though there was some tugging there was some reduction. And I'll blame it on the soap slickness. I had gone to the dentist today and had a cavity, which they numbed half my face for. And it was still numb during shaving. So whether it was the lack of PSO or the numbing, I got my first nick on my left cheek which was numb. As I type this though, my face isn't numb so maybe I should have waited.

So in addition to the WTG passes on my cheek and right below the lower lip, I decided to play around with the blade angle for a second pass, sort of a XTG. I also decided to try my neck, which wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. But I feel like I might be rushing, so I don't think I'll do it again. Not right away. I don't want to get carried away.

I almost wish I would just slice my face to make me want to throw the razor in the bottom of the box. I'm enjoying this, and don't really need another AD.

I have this tiny microfiber cloth that I am using the dry the razor instead of tissue, as it easily fits between the scales. I then finished with 20 laps on the rough leather and upped it to 40 passes on the smooth leather.

The shaves have been finished off with the Schick E3, and everything went smoothly. I almost feel like I need to shave blindfolded or something to make things seem less routine.

 

Tuesday shave

Today's razor was a Hart Steel 7/8 (round point) with AoS tallow + CF Lime to round out the shave. The edge was nice and after 4 passes no blood but a little bit of feedback from the alum and just short of a dolphin smooth face. While not bad I was a little disappointed in the edge, this was just the second shave after being touched up on a Shapton 16k. I will take it to the pasted strops before the next shave.

Irritation A Closeness B+ Smoothness A- Sharpness A-

 

I will have to check that out. Thanks. I did not even know there was a Freds out that way. Been awhile since I was out there.

 

Proraso White warning... I think this only applies to @SharptoothC, but I gave out at least one sample labeled "Proraso White" in the Shavey Awards. Come to find out that this was some sort of pre/post shave cream, not an actual shave cream. Who comes up with a stupid and needless product like this? For anyone wishing to use it as a shave cream, I can tell you from experience that it will work, but not well.

By the way I seem to remember someone (Neal maybe?) talking about MAYhem shaves with peanut butter, ketchup, guacamole, etc. I got too caught up in the whole Shavy awards thing to realize that it never happened. Totally disappointing, as that could've been a whole Shavey category. I want a redo! C'mon anyone up to do an "ecoutrement focus"?!?

 

12 June 2017
Sticking to It!
Menthol Monday Edition


​

When I was traveling last week, I picked up several new soaps, many happen to be drug store grade. Up today: Ingram! It's a menthol lathering cream, slightly colder than Proraso, and features a clean and fresh menthol scent. Placing a bean sized dollop on my hand, I evenly applied it all over the beard. I then whipped it to Arko-level lather, using a damp synthetic, and was really impressed. The lather did not collapse, was very dense, and was super slick. The Shark SS did the two pass magic, the alum was good, and the Osage was Osage...but I didn't get nuts with it. Perfect day for a menthol shave, it's Monday, and it was 96f in the Mile High City. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a terrific Tuesday!
​

 

No, maybe you can't skate in a buffalo herd. But alas, that's a herd of bison...and I got enough Romeo November flowing through my veins to handle it.

 

Cartel East gave Neal an exemption. In article 4, clause 2 of the 30DC charter and by-laws, all pancreas related events are considered instances of force majeure. He's gonna reschedule for next May, but hang in there, even when we play it straight and just dutifully share techniques with new converts...fun breaks out, scars are acquired, and new mayhem plotted, and CTs handed out. Stick around for joy!

 

There we go now.. Those are amazing shavers huh?

Yes the Romeo Novemberness rocks...

 

Hold my beer.

 

Only if you promise to not flip a blade in a DE or twist the settings on a adjustable during a shave. Other then that I will hold the beer and watch the show.