June 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Get a few z's for me. I need the extra rest!!

 

Injectors, about 15 years, off and on. Gem-style razors, six months, one of which I spent doing a 30DC Focus with them. I can get great shaves with no problems off my Damaskeene, my three 1912s, the Gem Jr 1912 and the Gem Featherweight; with care off the Gem MMOC; and only with shims off the 1914 and the three 1924s.

 

Awesome! We need to get more folks into the Sharp Side...aka SE.

 

I also use alum to judge my shaves.

 

It's a 1912. Billy said it was a early Brooklands and as I have no idea, I just repeated what he said.

Sent from my phone using some app

 

Made in brooklyn New York. Veddy nice. Check to make sure the closed comb is straight. I have seen some of those travel types warped. That 1912 should shave as good as any.

 

I have found all my 1912s to be very nice shaving razors - at least after I straightened the one that was a little bent. I have never needed to shim the blades on them. I don’t think a 1912 should be slicing you up if it is perfectly straight to factory specs, especially since you were getting good shaves with your other razor so we know you know how to shave with a Gem-style SE.

Definitely check to make sure the front guard area is straight and level.

 

June 15

Trac 2 (3)
Kent BK4
LaToja shave stick
Unrefined shea butter

Two easy passes @ 0600Z for a near-BBS shave. This has more or less been the routine recently. I'm ready to go back to my DE razors. I've also got a Parker SRX shavette waiting for me at home.

Sitting in LHR, hoping to sprout wings soon. Looking forward to wiggling my toes in 90F Kentucky bluegrass later today.

Have a great Thursday!

 

Thursday June 15 - Soap on, soap off...

Rockwell 6s on plate #3 / Topaz Platinum ( 2 )
30DC LE brush in maple with Cashmere knot
Jeeves of Hudson Street Private Study soap
Alum and Thayers Witch Hazel Astringent Aftershave

Today's soap comes from one of TSD's supporting vendors, Jeeves of 'udson Street. Private Study is a very nice bay rum with a touch of orange and no cloves. I can see why it is considered one of the top tier tallow soaps: easy loading, and just a little product gave lots of slick lather. Excellent protection and, unlike yesterday, absolutely no problem with a sticking razor -- great slip and glide. And typical tallow soap soft face feel at the end.

I did my usual two passes and then with the residual slickness from the previous latherings, I did some spot buffing to catch the baby.

The alum was a little warm in spots and then the aftershave stung briefly in the same areas; I guess I was a little overenthusiastic about the spot buffing. That didn't detract from the overall excellent shave.

Tomorrow I will use Jeeves' Turkish Bath. I understand Bertie Wooster considers both soaps to be the cat's meow...

 

June 15, 2017
Gem Damaskeene Open Comb
Gem PTFE
Brothers Bristles with Tuxedo
Route 66 Bay Lime Twist
Folsom & Co Capri

​

Another excellent shave this morning. I was quickly reminded how well Route 66 soaps work. The BB quickly loaded and lathered the Bay Lime Twist. I really like this scent with its combination of bay and lime. Three passes and minimal touch ups ended in the expected near BBS. I finished the shave off with a splash of Folsom & Co Capri. I hope everyone has a great Thursday.

 

First let me say "Thank You Gentlemen". Then, what am I to measure the guard off of to check for level? Or better yet, how do I check for level?

 

I would say the edge of the blade, because that's what is really critical in a razor. Is the edge of the blade at a uniform distance from the guard both vertically and horizontally along its entire length? And is the blade being held straight and level in comparison to the handle? If the guard is bent in or warped, then the blade will have uneven exposure and the areas with greater exposure will dig in. And if the head is sitting slightly cockeyed on the handle, when you try to hold the razor flat against your face, it will be very easy to apply a bit too much pressure to the one side without meaning to.

 

This morning's shave was with B&M Latha Sandalwood. I didn't get much fragrance from it at all, but I am having one of those have allergy days, so I may attribute this to my nose, not the soap. Too early to make that call. Same great lather and performance, just not much scent. I also dialed up the fatboy to 7. @Bama Samurai is right; this razor shaves much better for me in the more aggressive settings. I think I still prefer my slim, but I have only shaved with it on 4 for the most part. I think I'm going to do a mini focus going back and forth between these two razors and settings for a bit to figure out my preferred razor and setting. I have another Fatboy coming from @Screwtape as well, so this should pretty much resolve the questions about if the Fatboy is shaving as per specs or not.

In other news, I used the 30DC handle (which I continue to love) with a Razorock Silvertip Synth I just set in it. I'm realizing why I previously set this knot so ridiculously deep in the handle it was in before, as its a bit too floppy when set at normal height. I may have to swap them back. Another knot project. I used a stronger glue, as the silicone was taking too long to set up, so hopefully this will not require too much knot wrangling. I have also found that I really prefer the stirling synth to the Razorock anyway. Decisions, decisions. Not sure I want to buy another brush to break open for just knot. Anybody own a Stirling and a Tuxedo who can compare the two?

 

Have a safe flight, Charlie!

 

#30DCThug4Life

Lovely 1912!

Fabulous pic, Clint!

 

Funny you should say that. I used my Pass Around Box Sample of Turkish Bath today!!!

 

Have a safe trip home Charlie.

 

15 June 2017 Blade Focus Shave

This morning I used the second of my new soaps from Catie's Bubbles, "Sunrise".
WOW!!
When you open the tub you get an immediate blast of lemon & peppermint. I wasn't too sure about that, but I bloomed the soap, soaked the Omega 10098 and then started the lather making process. As with all the CB soaps I've used, in no time I had a slick, copious lather. And now the lemon/peppermint really came forward, but in a good way. Then came the second pass and a shot of cooling menthol!
DAMN!
2.5 passes and I had a DFS+. Splashed on some Proraso Green A/S and my day was off to an outstanding start!
Have a great day everybody!

 

Thank you Andrew.

 

While shaving this morning, I didn't apply much aftershave(TSD Splash, Sub-Zero)on my face, perhaps being scared I might let too much out, like yesterday. Just put on a second "dose" a minute ago, and things were back to normal. It taught me the Local Gent soap doesn't have much of a scent(which isn't a complaint to the fellas at LG). That little bit extra TSD made a nice difference.