August 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

What's your take on the Lavanille scent?

 

August 6, 2017

Razor: Schick J1 Injector
Blade: Schick Proline B
Brush: 30DC/Pure Badger
Cream: KMF fragrance-free
Post: Alum, Listerine, WH

Nice smooth shave from the J1 and Proline... BBS (or close enough) with no issues. Still coming to terms with the knot I put in this brush. The trick seems to be lots of water and extra cream. I need to remember to try squeezing it out while lathering and see if it's just hogging the lather.

 

The razor is a beauty. I'm sure you'll get it right.


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Sorry, that was probably poorly written. That pic was of a stainless steel model. I was commenting about my Parker SRB with the black plastic, and wondering in the SRX like you have was a heftier/nicer model.

 

Love it. It is darker, heavier, more what I normally think of as a winter time scent. Cologne, and a vanilla scent that is almost burnt or something, so it hints of chocolate?

The vanille in it gives it the dark brown color, and will temporarily stain badgers with treated tips. One can expect your cheaper finest badger to look like it came from a summertime weasel for a few shaves. It has no effect on synthetics, boars or real tipped badgers for some reason. Will explained it in an AMA once.

That is the best, godawful description I can come up with.

 

Razor: Scimitar Bluebeards Revenge
Blade: Feather (1)
Brush: Tres Amigos Desert Ironwood Beehive w/Envy White
Soap: Nuavia Blue
A/S: Floid Blue

Top 5 blade, top 5 soap, top 5 brush, top 5 aftershave. Great shave this day.

 

Wonderful photo Doug. A real first class lineup .


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Wow, what a set up and photo, Doug! 'Top Shelf' gear for sure!

 

Thank you for your kind words amigo.

 

Thanks very much.

 

That's a cool pic of a nice day. I like seeing the backyard when it's green.

 

-Supply SE w/Personna (2)
-Rudy Vey Chubby
-Route 66 Lumberjack
-Stirling Piacenza

Just wanted a quick evening shave with my shower, and this is probably the best setup I have for it. The Supply is idiot proof, and always gives a great shave. Route 66 is one of the fastest loading, fastest lathering soaps I have ever used, and with that fat two band, it is the perfect quick face lather. A much better shave than my first one today.

 

Adjustable Arko August 2017
Days 5 and 6

Day 74 - Arko Challenge







Sheep Sunday!




Have a great evening!
​

 

Sunday shave and Monday shave

Lately, I am pushing a couple of razors to see how far I can go without touching it up on a finishing stone. I have a tough beard and it is two and out for me with a DE blade. I find I get my best shaves when my straights are both smooth and very sharp.

The first pass went fine, smooth and it seemed sharp enough, then with the second pass it started to get rough and started pulling. I ended up with a couple of nicks and couple of weepers but some ended up with a very smooth but irritated face. I now know I will not push my straight razors beyond 7 shaves without at least a few laps on a finishing stone.

Irritation B Closeness A Smoothness A- Sharpness B+

Razor: Mastro Livi
Strop: Harold Russian leather
Brush: Silver tip
Pre: Nivea
Soap: Tabac
AS: Fine Snake Bite
Scent: Tabac EDC



For Monday's shave I wanted to use my new arrival from @Jayaruh, a handle for my Lather Catcher. The handle makes a huge difference, I did not like the old toothpick like handle but the new handle is wonderful. Four passes and just a tickle from the alum but just short of BBS.

Irritation B Closeness A Smoothness A- Sharpness B+

Razor: Lather Catcher
Brush: 30 DC LE
Pre: Proraso
Soap: P.160
AS: Lucky Tigeer
Scent: Mona D' Oro Vetiver

 

Great photos of some great gear, @Keithmax! I am afraid that, unlike Shave Fu, I can't offer any "helpful" "professional" criticism for improvement.

One thing - I think that new LatherCatcher handle @Jayaruh made for you looks wonderful. Modern woodworking that fits in perfectly with a century-old razor. Would it be possible to get a more detailed photo of just that razor and handle? Maybe with the original handle for comparison?

 

New showdown starts tomorrow morning Stirling Sharp Dressed Man versus Razorock xXx. The Razorock Bruce Synthetic and Gillette Slim Adjustable will be this weeks referees.


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Nightly shave Sunday August 6 - soap comparison

Rockwell 6s on plate #3 / Topaz Platinum ( 2 )
30DC LE Maple Cashmere brush
Kent / MWF In wooden tub
Alum and Thayers Witch Hazel Original Astringent

Inspired by @LevelupShaves and his weekly showdowns, I did my first ever direct comparison of two soaps tonight. I replicated yesterday's shave exactly, except using The Fat instead of Dirty Deeds Arroyo Cactus soap. All I can say is that it's amazing the difference in shaving enjoyment a top-tier soap can make!

Yesterday, shaving with the Dirty Deeds soap felt like the equivalent of driving down an untended gravel road in a vehicle with a clapped-out suspension. Today, the Fat felt like I was gliding on silk. In fact, I even doublechecked my razor twice to make sure there really was a blade in it; that's how smooth the shave felt. Same prep, same water, same brush and lather bowl, same razor and the exact same blade with an extra shave on it, just different soap.

Great shave tonight.

Hope everybody had a blessed Sunday to top off a good weekend. Here's to a great week of opportunities for all!

 

That may be the post of the month for August. Awesome!

 

Adjustable (Arko) August!!!

August 6 - Grand Blade Trials ***Special Razor Trial***

Razor - QShave (Futur Clone) (3)
Blade - (2)
Soap - Stirling Bay Rum
Brush - Jayaruh #46
Post - Alum

Day two of the QShave trial and I dialed up to 3. Now, in the Gillette Adjustable world, that's very mild. Not so much in the Futur world. When you look at the specs of this razor, the mildest setting is actually only .001 less than the wide open Gillette at 9. And, at setting 3, the gap is at .053. Nothing else I've found has that gap. We're talking very wide. And, when I go all the way to 6.5 tomorrow night, the setting lovingly named after me, the gap will open to .069. Stunning, really.

But, that's tomorrow's challenge. As for tonight's shave I can say it was very smooth and very effective. Getting the angle isn't a real problem even with the somewhat unique design. I did enjoy actually leaning into the mirror and being able to see into the gap on the end of the razor head to see the blade doing its thing. That is a unique view and I'm sure it will be even more visible tomorrow. I did two and a half passes and the baby is in the house. Very nice. And, the alum was quiet. As in, nothing. That is impressive. Clearly the Voskhod likes this razor so far and that's a good thing.

As I said, tomorrow I dial to 6.5 and go a third round. This is where some have said the blade could debark a log with the gap. I'm thinking they may not have been exaggerating. Well, ok, yeah they are but it is a pretty wild sight in person. Hope your week starts off with an easy Monday! I'm working tomorrow for my 6th in a row and then off Tuesday finally.

 

Thank you! It's my favorite