September 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Focus on a least favorite size/grind of razor?

 

Thank you, Andrew. We're doing fine compared to many others.

 

Back on the road

-V1 Alumigoose
-Simpson Duke 1
-Stirling Autumn Glory Soap and AS

The difference between the two runs of Alumigoose is almost unbelievable. I had a v2, and it was quite possibly the most inefficient, and difficult to use razor I have ever owned. Cue the v1, which is one of the most efficient, with a crazy amount of blade feel. It is a fantastic shaver for a guy with a coarse beard.

 

I haven't seriously considered purchasing another soap. Until now.

"Patchouli, Lavender, Oakmoss, Lichen, Frankincense, and Vetiver."

Tallow, lanolin, shea butter with a strong scent? Might just try a sample. Any Stirling fans suggest others I should try? My list would exclude clove heavy bay rum or black licorice.

 

Smells like the Drug Store SEptember!!!! (Stirling Booster)

September 5

Before I get into the shave - Just a couple more days before the Solar Eclipse Raffle drawing. This is another TSD raffle to support this great forum! Lots of great stuff to win again including some very fine Russian blades! Support your forum and feed your AD's at the same time.

CHECK IT OUT!!!!!



Razor - Gem 1912
Blade - (1)
Soap - Stirling Scots Pine Sheep
Brush - WCS Synthetic
ASOD - Stetson

Well that was a short day off but it is what it is. Head shave up first tonight and I again went with a pain stick. This time the Kai with a Kai Captain Original blade. I had 12 days between shaves so the AC razor handled it better than the DE would and it was a very find shave with no blood or issues.

On to the regular shave. Finally ready for some SE love and I chose the Gem 1912 with a Gem PTFE blade in it. Scots Pine Sheep to try some mutton tallow and the WCS brush turned it into slick full lather in no time. It's been awhile since I used any SE razor but it was like riding a bike. Set the angle and got that great velcro sound out of the Gem. Two passes and touch ups and I'm near-BBS with a bit of heat in the alum. Probably my weakest technique is on the SE type razors. Just don't show them enough love.

The soap was really great. The after-shave feel is awesome with the sheep. I'm a fan of tallow soaps anyway, and the sheep version is really a great performer. I also have some Electric Sheep to try and I'll be looking for some other mutton choices as well.

After shave in the morning - Stetson. Gonna be a cowboy. Have a great Wednesday!

 

For me, tops is Gentleman.

 

That's a can of worms. Samples?
Port Au Prince - strong, grassy vetiver
Barbershop - slightly sweet talc/cookie biscuits
Baker St. - dunno, just nice
MITA - margherita, citrus but not overly bright - I have the Glacial version
Iced Pineapple - Straight up pineapple - SO good
Gentleman - vanilla tobacco

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I still have a couple lathers from a sample of Mountain Man. It's tallow and one of those complex scents. I'm OK with one note songs, complex is good as well if it's not too weird.
I see an option for menthol & glacial in some of the soaps and splashes. Rabbet hole ahead.

 

From everything you say about soap, I would put money on your liking this one. Plus it's Sheep.

Some other favorites:

-Gentleman is a tobacco flower, musk and vanilla.
-Port au Prince is Vetiver and Lemongrass. (Also Sheep)
-Limes is very crisp
-Margaritas in the Arctic smells exactly like you would think, with a medium menthol kick.
-Hot Apple Cider is my favorite chilly day soap.
-Sandalwood is a more straight up woody scent, that reminds me of the little toy balsa airplanes we used to get when we were kids. Pretty strong too.
-Ozark Mountain is smoky woods. Another one I use more on chilly days.
-Iced Pineapple was one I was betting I wouldn't like, then can't get enough of. Even bought a full bottle of AS. Smells like pineapple in the dehydrator.

 

He is calling to you. If you choose him, shaving will never be the same.

Kind of like The Veg, only opposite, and you never get mosquito bit again.

 

So, kind of like Williams....only with lather?

 

Too funny.

If you took a puck of Williams and tossed it into one of those big mosquito candles that had been burning for about six hours. You know, where the top three inches is pure molten liquid?

And like the Scots Pine, fantastic lather.

 

But, what if I like them all?
Actually not a bad idea. Let me think about that.

 

September 1-5

I have been using:

Gem G bar & Gem bullet tip w/ Gem carbon steel blade
Soap samples: Mickey Lee, L&L grooming, Catie's Bubbles- various scents of each- like em all.
Thayers Lemon- I really like it.
Brut Aftershave-not the splash( I really think I can tell a difference in the scent ,in addition to the menthol.)

I took a DE de tour because I got a few Perma Sharp blades- They feel like the smoothest blades I've tried. I think they may be smother than Gillette Nacets, but they are so efficient. With my detour I am trying some Afta skin conditioner.
Has anyone used the pre-electric Afta as an aftershave balm? What'd ya think?

What is everyone's opinion of the Perma sharp blades?

And lastly, I have enjoyed my Simpson Commodore best, but I'm getting a little put off because it won't release the lather(I'm probably 75 shaves in.) . Tonight I grabbed my Omega Midget and it worked great( much less densely packed). Any recommendations for an all badger that is like the Midget?

Great Shaves everybody!!!

 

The only thing you can do with a dense badger that hogs soap is use more soap. You gotta stuff it full, deep down in there.

 

Today was a new gear day and today, as new gear days are wont to do, I was drawn off focus.

I traded off a few soaps the bride didn't much care for, and some of the return goodies arrived today: a Schick E Injector, a Weck Hair Shaper - metal handle, light metallic blue, sized like a Sextoblade - Proraso Styptic Gel, and a new tub of PAA Cavendish.

My initial thought was that only my soap choice was going off focus. I wanted to try one of my new (old) razors, so I grabbed the Schick E (keeping focus, yeah!) and reached for my blade dispenser...

...only to discover that I had used my last blade on the Hussy for my wife. More blades are on the way, but I found myself stuck. New razors, SE focus. What's a guy to do? I decided the Weck was technically a single blade and went at it.

I've been wondering about PAA what with all the talk, and a trade was a good way to find out. The Cavendish smells to me like Stirling Barbershop's American cousin who likes to smoke a pipe in the barbershop. It's like someone infused Barbershop with Cavendish pipe tobacco. Or perhaps Barbershop with a bit of Cognac and Cubans. I like the scent quite a lot. Lather was virtually instantaneous and copious. It's weird; it felt more cushiony than slick, and yet the razor moved easily and I got a two pass, irritation-free shave with a Weck and a fresh Fromm blade. The lather rinses cleanly and easily. I added a bit of water while face lathering on the second pass and the lather just got better. Controversy aside, I found it to be a very good soap with better than average scent quality and strength. Face feel after the shave was not drying as some have reported, but it wasn't as hydrating as Stirling either. It's high quality scent and better than average lather. It will be in rotation. Of course, when you have a good pipe tobacco shave, you follow it with RazoRock Puros. Head shave was the usual Schick Krona with Dorco Prime Platinum blade. Back to focus tomorrow (if the blades arrive). At least, that's the plan.

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Tuesday night September 5 - at the drugstore

Supply Provision Single Edge injector on two - dot plate / Personna (5)
Neutrogena Skin Clearing Shave Cream (non-lathering)
Alum and Neutrogena Razor Defense Post Shave Lotion

I bumped the SP injector up to the second plate today. Much more blade feel than the one-dot. Basically on one-dot I can't feel the blade at all, while on two-dot it's there and ready to bite. Previously I had made two tries at two-dot and backed down each time after getting nicks and weepers with each shave. This time I managed to shave not only with no nicks or weepers but with completely silent alum at the end.

I started with a 1 1/2 day stubble; I ended at DFS+ with just one pass on my face and two on my neck.

The Neutrogena was one of my first creams after I quit using spray can foams. It is actually very good stuff. Now that I know more about shaving products, I recognize some of the ingredients for what they are, especially glycerin and aloe. It has aspirin in it for the pimple control part, and a bit of menthol gives it a mild cooling effect. Not much for scent but it has the shaving performance part covered. And as a brushless cream, it's a good travel product.

The balm is an equally good product. It left my face feeling soothed and moisturized but completely non-greasy. A lot of people like the Nivea Sensitive Balm; I would rate the Neutrogena as of the same type and equally good.

Overall, a surprisingly great shave tonight. I may just stick with the Neutrogena products for the rest of the month or until the tubes run dry.

Hope everybody has a good Wednesday and for those in the way of wild weather that Mother Nature doesn't feel the need to prove she's too much of a bitch.

 

Great lineup Jared. The V1 AlumiGoose is an aggressive razor for sure.

 

SEptember 6, 2017
Cobra Classic
Schick Proline (4)
BSB-2 with Vie Long 2 Band Fan
Reef Point Tranquility
Fine Lavender

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A great 2 and 1/4 pass shave this morning. Skin stretching and paying attention allowed me to go with XTG pass followed by an ATG pass. I did have to make one additional pass on my lower right neck. A splash of Fine Lavender and I think I am ready for the day.

 

SOTD September 6, 2017
A Stirling SEptember

Blade: GEM stainless
Razor: GEM 1912
Brush: Jayaruh #60 synthetic
Lather: Stirling Pharoah's Dreamsicle
Post: Witch hazel, Stirling Pharoah's Dreamsicle aftershave
WTG, touch-up

Fairly smooth shave but had two small weepers and some redness along the jaw. Probably a pressure problem. Slick and beautiful lather wasn't the issue since Stirling is such quality. This was a new GEM blade and probably the next shave on it will be a little smoother. Overall good results.

Have a great day!