August 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Very cool!

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So lots of shavette talk floating around the last couple of days, and @jtspartan has me missing Nacet blades, so I dug out a couple of the 1/2 DE shavettes that I most preferred to use. Most of these style razors are pretty close to the same in use, but there are definite quality differences between them. The Sanguine Cool Cuts and the Parker SRB are two that really stood out in terms of ease in loading and keeping the blade in place while clamping, tightness of the pins, and feel in the hand. The Sanguine is a little heftier than the plastic scaled Parker, and I would probably say my favorite, but if I had the heavier stainless Parker, that might not hold true.



These razors probably take the most focus to use of any razors I own, but they do provide a super close, super comfortable shave. I did weeper myself in a couple of spots on my lower neck, but it was just from being careless, and not having used one of these for a couple of months. Otherwise I finished up with a super close, DFS+.

This razor is a perfect example of getting a good shave for a cheap price, because I think I paid eight bucks for it, shipped from the U.K. For anyone looking to try one of these without spending much money, I have to say that this is a pretty good one for half the price of a Parker.

***Edited a typo.

 

Thanks guys! I agree. It came back looking brand new, and I couldn't be more pleased.

 

Adjustable (Arko) August!!!

August 5 - Grand Blade Trials ***Special Razor Trial***

Razor - QShave (Futur Clone)
Blade - (1)
Soap - Stirling Sandalwood
Brush - WCS Synthetic
Post - Alum

Thanks to some amazingly fast shipping I had a new toy waiting in the mailbox when I got home. I wasn't expecting it until Monday but there it was. COOL!! The QShave razor, which is one of the two Futur clones out there, including the stand for it. And, in the package, a small cleaning brush and 5 blades for it as well. They'll go into my Grand Blade Trials, naturally. More on those later.

For the maiden voyage I went to reliable Russian steel. The most reliable. The Voskhod. Stirling Sandlewood and a synthetic for lather and I'm ready to have some fun. Settings from 1 to Neal and I'm starting at 1 tonight. Just to get the feel. This is a big razor, heavy, and slick handle. But, it was easier to keep a grip on than I thought it would be.

The 1 setting isn't exactly the mildest I've ever seen. If you set a Gillette adjustable on 1 you've gone below the aggression level of a Super Speed. I felt like this setting on the QShave was more on the level of maybe the Aristocrat? More than a Super Speed, but not hyper-aggressive. I did two full passes, WTG and XTG with some ATG touchup. Finished with a decent DFS. Nothing special but better than some. And the irritation was low as the alum was mostly quiet. No cuts or other problems either.

Fun razor to shave with. Definitely unique in its appearance and how it feels. Very noisy too, which I like. Tomorrow I'll dial halfway up to myself and see what it does on 3.

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It's actually a solid razor especially for the price. Heads up though it's quite aggressive in the higher settings (not that it's a bad thing)

 

The Parker has a chrome finish for easy rinse and wipe. That's the only real difference. Performance should be very close.

 

I shaved Arko/FB/Derby again... Will post it tomorrow.

 

Wow, what a gabby bunch! I finally caught up to the thread again tonight, but it took a marathon two-hour reading session to do it.

Sunday August 6 - early morning or late night shave

Rockwell 6s on plate #3 / Topaz Platinum ( 1 )
30DC LE Maple Cashmere brush
Dirty Deeds Arroyo Cactus soap
Alum and Thayers Witch Hazel Original Astringent

Tonight was my last use of the Dirty Deeds soap - for shaving. I love the cactus scent but the performance is totally underwhelming and I see no reason to continue using it.

The brush loaded quickly with a heavy load of product, which whipped up into an excellent looking lather. However, despite thick coverage with a wet slick lather, and despite good slip and glide, protection just wasn't there. The shave felt rough and the alum was warm on my neck and the underside of my chin.

Rather than using up this sample, I have put the remaining puck in my handsoap dish, and I will move on to something else for the rest of this month. Shaving is supposed to be enjoyable, so there is no point spending a lot of time trying to make something I consider to be a sub-par product work for me. Instead I will either try some of my 18 remaining soap and cream samples or else spend awhile revisiting something I really enjoy using, such as my TOBS creams.

 

Great picture, Doug! I love the bowl!

 

Thank you, Clint! I definitely like the razor so far and have been looking for one for a while.

 

Nice set up, Keith! The razor is fantastic!

 

That you, Chris!

 

I would expect heftier tho? The plastic one is only a little over half the weight of all my others.

 

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Varlet Everset K-2
Saponificio Varesino Stella Alpina
OneBlade Genesis V1
GEM PTFE
Saponificio Varesino Stella Alpina
ADP Blu Mediterraneo Ginepro


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A very nice shave today
Mitchell's Wool Fat Soap
Wolf Whiskers Brush
Jacob Ray Razor
Lucky Tiger
Ogallala Bay Rum After Shave
Have a blessed Sunday!

 

Beautiful picture, Mark!

 

Aug 6 SOTD:

30DC LE Brush
Stirling Port-au-Prince SS
Gillette Sheraton
Stirling Unscented PSB
Fine Fresh Vetiver AS

Another great shave with this razor, it is definitely a pleasure to use. I also used some Port-au-Prince soap, which is a wonderful Stirling scent. This is the older formula, and I can only imagine the newer Sheep version is terrific. I find the scent hangs around for a little while after the shave, and it just happens to pair extremely well with the Fine Fresh Vetiver. Definitely a great start to my Sunday after making some pancakes for the kids. I hope everyone has a great day!

 

Beautiful photo Mark. I am testing the Gem PTFE blade in my V2 Genesis. Initial results have been good.

 

Wonderful photo and lineup Jim. The Sheraton and the 30DC brush were meant for each other.

 

August 6, 2017
Above the Tie Calypso R1
Feather (3)
WDC-6 with Tuxedo Synthetic
Route 66 Bay Lime Twist
Folsom & Co. Shambala

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The Tuxedo knot is one of the better synthetic knots I have tried. I feel it has more density and backbone than the plisson style knots. I transplanted the knot into the WDC-6 brass handle made by our own @Douglas Carey. The handle and knot combination is a lather making machine that had no trouble at all with the Bay Lime Twist. With a wonderful lather as a bass, I went with a traditional 3 pass shave. The first pass WTG had good reduction and was smooth. However things started to go astray with the XTG pass. Everything was fine on my face and jawline but the lower right neck as not smooth at all. The left side of the face and neck were good. The ATG pass was fine with the exception of a nick on my chin. I would not all it a horrible shave but the shave was far from a satisfactory. I reached for the OneBlade loaded with a de-spined Gem blade for touch ups and cleaned up my lower right neck. I will put the Calypso aside and revisit it another day. I finished off the shave routine with a splash of witch hazel with menthol followed by F&C Shambala. I hope everyone has a great Sunday.