July 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Please accept my deepest sympathy for the lose of your grandmother Andrew. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family at this most difficult time.

 

Thank you Clint. My phone camera is going a little nuts. Sorry for the smaller picture. I had to transfer the picture to Smug Mugs them put into then drag and drop it at TSD. Normally I could save to my SOTD file then unload it to my post. The picture was over the size limit. Back to the drawing board.

 

Thank you Doug, I appreciate it.

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Andrew,
I am so sorry for your loss. You are in my prayers!

 

My condolences on your loss, it sounds like a very trying week you endured.

Thank you for the happy baby picture.

 

I'm sure he is instant therapy

 

Saturday Shave:

Big date tonight so I was after an epic shave. I remembered my Brian Brown had an excellent edge last shave so it was selected. To round things out my top brush, Thäter two band and some R66. Did a cold water shave, well as cold as it comes out of the tap and R66 performs great even in cold water.

On the first pass it felt like the starts were coming into alignment, the edge was very smooth and very sharp. Four passes and no blood, alum check, no irritation. Faceturbating, check very smooth. The result, epic.

Irritation A+ Closeness A+ Smoothness A+ Sharpness A+

Razor: Brian Brown
Strop: Tony Miller
Brush: Thäter two band
Pre: Proraso Pre
Soap: R66
AS: Joris Osage in a repurposed DR Harris bottle.
Scent: Dior Ambre Nuit

 

Sell it or put it away for several months and give it another try. Life is to short and there are too many choices.

 

It looks like I'm almost done with the LORD razor blade in the 40's SS. Nine shaves. This one, I'm starting to feel a bit more feedback than the last eight shaves. I'll try it one more time, then either use up my last LORD blade, or switch to another one. VDH is almost completely gone. It lubricates quite well, even for buffing, but it's just not a really fun soap.

Even so, my modified WTG/ATG gave me a DFS with no nicks or cuts, even an ATG under the nose. Tiny burn below my eye, but I suspect that's the Aqua Velva Blue Ice and a very mild sunburn. It's not where I'd normally run a blade. Very very mild stinging everywhere else.

Next shower is giving myself a haircut first. It's starting to reach over half an inch long.

 

Thank you, Brian

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Thanks Keith.

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He is. When he smiles all is right in the world!

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One day those VDH bowls will be the new Old Spice mug. I've got one with the VDH soap still in it. It's not bad soap...

 

Eh. The bowl isn't very exciting either. I mean, Old Spice mugs have character. the bowls are just random ceramic dip bowls. I think that once you graduate to a better class of mug/bowl, you're supposed to fill it with bean dip and use it at your next party.

 

July 2017 - Time to straighten up!

July 14

Razor - W.B. Speed - Rabbit
Soap - Route 66 Sweeney Todd
Brush - Semogue 620
Post - Alum

Another night on the Rabbit. Went to a boar brush for a change up and it had no problems with the Route 66 at all. Uber-slick lather, and the Sweeney Todd scent is one of my favorites among my soaps.

Three passes to a near-BBS again. I felt a couple of near misses on set downs but I was hurrying a bit. Managed to avoid any blood but the alum was a bit hot tonight. Clearly technique issues. Still, I can't complain about the shave just because the alum was a bit on the hot side. Close calls aside, I feel like I'm almost good enough to go pro with straights. Who wants to be first in the chair?!

I'll stick with this razor another night then plan to go back to pain sticks. I have a new blade to try with them so we'll see how that goes. Hope you have a great weekend! I'm working an extra day on Monday so I'm still three days away from mine.

​

 

I plan on getting another VDH set just to get the bowl. I'm short of bowls/containers for all of the various samples I have.

 

$13.09 no tax, free shipping.

 

Friday evening July 14

Gillette Black Beauty on 3 / Topaz Platinum ( 2 )
Alluminati Envy White badger brush
Kent / MWF
Alum and Thayers Witch Hazel Astringent Aftershave

A pleasant uneventful shave tonight.

 

I have the little tan bowl. I like the larger stainless steel one I picked up a bit better.

 

Wandering Focus

Taconic Tequila Lime Shave Cream
30 DC LE Cypress Cashmere brush
Osaka Suribachi bowl
'55 Red Tip, Polsilver Super Iridium
Alum, Pinaud Lime Sec aftershave


Next in the stack o' samples brought me to an American made product from the Hudson Valley of New York. With no expectations, I smeared a blob of the soft soap on the bottom of my moistened textured bowl. Laid the damp brush on top of the soap and left it set for a couple minutes. Searching through my DE blade stash I found a single nondiscript unbranded loner. Unwrapped it had those waxy bits smashed between the paper and steel to hold it closed. Loaded the blade, set the razor aside, and went back to the shave bowl. The soap had softened nicely and lathered up quickly leaving half the blob still intact. Nice strong lime scent in a very creamy thick lather, applied with nice coverage, and put blade to beard. The aggressive razor teamed up well to give an effective WTG pass. On to more lather & ATG, XTG, and all those extra G-slides, chin buffing, and lower neck baby chasing. The soap never quit, even left enough smeared into the bowl for my next shave. The blade gave very nice reduction. I'm looking forward to using it again along with the soap. These both could make my shopping list. Alum swiped smooth and quiet, and the Lime Sec complimented the soap scent well for a DFS+ finish.
Good Shaves Y'all!