September 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Ow! Ow! Ow! Sorry for your pain, Neal! And hope the dentist has you all better very soon!

On the plus side, try to remember that you may spend most of a week wishing you were dead, but in 21st century First World conditions that's all you will do - wish. And then the antibiotics and the dentist will have you fixed up between them and back to normal. Through most of human history, that tooth abcess was something that could actually have killed you even at a high status in society (some Egyptian mummies have been found with them, for example). We are very fortunate to live when we do. (I spent a week or two last month reminding myself of that while nursing an abcessed boil on my shoulder and taking antibiotics until it could be operated on. It didn't help the pain but did help me stay calm about it. Of course, abcesses in teeth also hurt much worse...)

 

Thanks for all the kind words. I didn't make it to work today but the good news is the antibiotics seem to be kicking this thing in the butt in short order. Pain levels are down to manageable levels and the abscess just started draining about 15 minutes ago. Always a good, if rather gross, thing. Tomorrow is my normal day off so I have one more to recover and try to get a shave in before heading back Wednesday. The irony for me in this situation is how much I turn into a baby with the pain. With my pancreatitis I live with pain pretty much every day. My wife says I have the highest pain tolerance of anyone she's met. Where someone might rate their pain at a 9 on the 1-10 scale doctors have you use I would probably say 4. An abscessed tooth - baby it's off the charts and turns me into a raving idiot. I should turn in my man card.

 

The razor looks gorgeous! If it works as well as it looks now, you will be a happy shaver for many years.

The brush looks good too. I have been intrigued by those hybrid knots and look forward to reading your thoughts on the boar/badger mix as you use it longer. I also have noticed a number of members really like the fan shape too.

One other hybrid mix I noticed recently was badger and synthetic. Col. Conk has a brush that mixes pure badger with a synthetic. I think some other makers may be experimenting with it too. Have you (or anybody else reading this) had any experience with that mix?

 

Monday September 18 evening - drugstore menthol Monday

Supply Provision Single Edge injector on two-dot plate. / Personna ( 11)
Neutrogena Skin Clearing Shave Cream
Neutrogena Razor Defense Post Shave Lotion

Another good shave tonight with the drugstore products. One pass got me to a publicly cleanshaven DFS, which is good enough for me right now. The shave cream has a pleasant menthol tingle and the lotion leaves me feeling well-tended and not at all greasy. The Personna blade in the injector still seems to be going strong after several shaves; I think I will see how long it will run.

In the meantime, I have been doing test lathers with my Semogue SOC brush on a number of soaps and then letting the lather dry. The brush is blooming out nicely with this procedure. It continues to surprise me with how much water I can squeeze out of the bristles after shaking the brush dry; the thing is like a sponge that way. I will focus on using it when I quit using the brushless gel.

 

Schick J1
Maggard Plissoft
CRSW Barbeire Sapone
Osage Rub

The Schick J and the Schick L may not be the sexiest razors around, but they are the razors that have made me believe in injectors. I have had incredibly smooth, comfortable shaves with both and they are now entrenched in my rotation.

I am nearing the end of my tub of Barbeire Sapone. This is sad, because the scent is no longer listed on their site. I was not sure of this scent when I first got it. Time won out, and it now it stands among my favorites and I sometimes open the tin just to get a whiff.

One result of this month's (sometimes) focus is that I have pretty much decided that from here on out, it's drugstore aftershaves for me. I have enjoyed them every bit as much as my pricier options, and just don't see paying the difference in price for equal enjoyment. I just bought a backup of Barbasol Brisk for $1.70. It has become my current favorite regardless of cost. Now I have more money for soaps and razors, which is where my real AD resides.


Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

Glad to hear you are on the mend. High pain tolerance is good attribute for a cartel member and stunt shaver.

 

Tuesday shave

Up today is customized Gold Dollar, a Vorpal. This razor does take and hold a fine edge while looking cool. I thought I would nail an epic shave but a weeper, so light feedback from the alum and the shortness of the smooth face left with just an excellent shave.

Irritation A Closeness A Smoothness A+ Sharpness A+

Razor: Vorpal (customized Gold Dollar)
Strop: Dry Gulch black latigo
Brush: Omega Pro
Pre: Proraso
Soap: MdC
AS: Speick
Scent: Chanel Platinum Egoïst

 

SEptember Menthol Monday

Proraso Green/ Tutte Le Barbe
B-400 brush / Tuxedo knot
Suribachi bowl / Cool water
Schick J-2 / Personna II blade
Alum/ OsageRub/ Proraso Green AS


Late September is still warm enough for a Cool shave. Swiped a little water on the soap and let it soften. Makes for easy loading. Received a nice bowlful of lather for that little bit of prep. While that was happening, I popped in a fresh set of twin blades courtesy of John @Screwtape. Going against convention I did ATG, WTG, then XTG & followed up with some baby chasing all around. Still had lather left over, but I couldn't find any more stubble to run over. Rinsed and swiped alum expecting fireworks - Nope! Not totally quiet, but barely a sparkle. I do rinse off alum, dried, and splashed a good handful of Osage Rub followed by a second dose of the same. Started with and finished off the shave with the Proraso Green, but lotion this time. Gotta credit Jared @PickledNorthern for Enabling that purchase, and it's good stink.
Good Shaves Y'all!

 

September 2017
Drugstore Menthol

 

I'm glad to see that both have gone where they will be appreciated.

 

I am glad to hear you are feeling better.

 

SEptember 19, 2017
OneBlade Genesis V2
Feather FHS
Shavemac Silvertip D01 3 Band
Reef Point Test Depth
Witch Hazel with Menthol
Cool Water EDT

​

Another excellent shave this morning. Two and 1/2 passes ended in an automatic near perfect shave. A splash of witch hazel with menthol followed by Cool Water EDT and I am ready for the day. I hope everyone has a great Tuesday.

 

Beautiful picture, Clint!

 

SEptember 19 SOTD:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
MWF
Ever-Ready 1914
Stirling Unscented PSB
Clubman Special Reserve

I pulled out my favorite SE, the 1914. To me, this is such a smooth shaver. It is easy to maneuver and just mows through the stubble. I did two passes and was near a BBS. The Fat was also spot on today, and I actually see the bottom of the dish poking through the soap. I still have plenty left, but I thought I would never see the bottom of the ceramic. I wanted to feel like Indiana Jones today, so some Special Reserve did the the trick. I hope everyone has a great day!

 

19 SEptember
Brought to you in part by
@Linuxguile aka Andrew


Pre-Shave: Hot Shower
Brush: 22mm JR #180
Soap: The Lounge, Stirling Soap
Razor: Superior 1900 Lather Catcher
Blade: Treet (13)
Post-Shave: Cold Water rinse and Stetson AS
Photo:


This morning was the first time using "The Lounge" soap. I got it as a PIF from @Linuxguile thanks Andrew. I found on YouTube were someone described the scent as that of Irish Spring Soap. Now I am not one to ask about what a soap smells like especially those soaps that have multiple levels of scent. I can tell though that this soap does NOT smell like Irish Spring. It lathered very nicely. It gave a nice cushion and slickness. For the third pass I had to dip back into the soap just a little bit.

Three pass shave today. The blade is starting to show signs of giving up the goat/wearing out. The first pass the blade was very tuggie. The second was smoother but not real real close. The third and last pass was the best of the three which if you think about it, it isn't saying a lot as by the third pass there is less whiskers there to cut. I will put this blade back in my early Brooklyn 1912 before I toss it out. The Brooklyn gave me the best shaves yet this month and I what to try it there again before calling it quits on this blade. Tomorrow I will put a fresh blade in the 1900 LC and try it again. Finished with a little Stetson AS.

In conclusion today's shave good, not great but good. It would pass muster. There is always tomorrow.

 

SOTD SEptember 19, 2017
A Stirling SEptember

Blade: Kai Captain Mild
Razor: RazoRock Black Hawk
Brush: Artisan badger
Lather: Stirling The Lounge
Post: Witch hazel, Stirling Baker Street aftershave
WTG, touch-up

Great lather from The Lounge and nice results with the Black Hawk razor. Smooth and comfortable are the key words. I enjoy using the Black Hawk as it is different than both injectors and GEM-style SE razors. It provides a change of pace. Overall top notch.

Have a great day!

 

Thank you Jim.

 

Great picture Jim. The 1914 is very cool looking razor.

Great photo. The Lather Catcher is gorgeous.

Great picture Perry

 

Thanks, Clint! Terrible ordeal at Georgia Tech right now. Is that anywhere near where you work? I've been through the campus a lot and have eaten at The Varsity right on the interstate a million times. Can't imagine the chaos there at the moment.

 

Thank you Clint