This morning another 2 Pass DFS, using the straight as the first pass. No nicks cuts, but a couple areas where the blade angle strayed and caused some weepers. I’ve decided to wait until I get consistently outstanding first passes before I move onto the second pass with the straight. It may take longer, but I think it will be worth it. In other news, I used Cologne Russe again today and got a strong note of pickles. Now that I think of it, the Stirling Ben Franklin has a pickle smell to it too. When I get home this afternoon, I may lather them up side by side and compare.
I started out WTG first and waited until I could do that consistently without any issues before moving to XTG. Once I had consistent two pass DFS at that point, I started experimenting with ATG. All of these steps were each part of a thirty day focus. It takes time but is well worth it. Keep it up, the cookies are fabulous
I was holding my 20 month old girl at church, and my wife came to take her home (I worked the sound board this morning). My little girl tried everything to climb further into my arms and stay with me. She cried as she left. Man, did this ever melt my heart. Little girls have a way of wrapping their fathers around their little fingers.
Thank you so much. If you haven’t noticed I have as much fun taking the pictures as I do actually shaving.
20 OCtober Shave Number 8 Pre-Shave: Hot Shower Brush: JR #180, 22mm Badger Soap: Badger Shaving Soap Razor: Valet VC2, Autostrop Blade: Feather FAS-10 Carbon Steel(CS), Feather Seikan (8) Strop: Amish made Post-Shave: Cold Water rinse, OSMA Alum block and Lilac Vegetal AS (Veg), Pinaud Photo: This was my shave on Saturday morning but I don't get time to post my shaves like I would like on the weekend, they are just to busy. I used this Badger brand soap last time and did not get good results from it, so I wanted to give it a second chance. This time I use a drier brush and loaded the soap like I hated it and was trying to use it up. I gave a much thicker lather but after stropping the blade fifteen times the lather had dissipated yet again. I reapplied lather and got a good first pass. I went to pick up my brush for the second pass and accidentally knocked it in the sink full of water and had to reload the brush. Kept the shave just to two passes with the weak performance from the soap also was hoping to shave again on Sunday morning. After two passes I had a DFS, not quite BBS but close. Continuing to find what pairs up with the Veg well. I pulled out the Veg and applied it liberally hoping it may be the saving grace of this soap. NOPE, the soap didn't do that real well either, it was okay just not great like the Castle Forbes did. This soap has now been move over to the shower and I will use it up there as a bath soap. I finished by stropping the blade ten more times before putting it up. I started out the month of October as a test to see if stropping a modern carbon blade would lengthen the life of the blade. When I didn't strop the blade I got 8 shaves from the blade. This shave was number 8 on the stropped blade and the blade is still going strong giving consistently smooth and close shaves from shave number 1 to number 8. You can then conclude that, "Yes, Stropping a modern blade will lengthen the life of the blade.". What I did find out unexpectedly was that stropping the blade also made the shave both smoother and closer. Those of you who have tried CS blades and did not get good shaves from them I would suggest stropping the blade and trying it again, but as we all know YMMV.
Looks like you have a soap that is just not working for you. Life is too short, and there are too many good soaps. PIF it or toss it, IMHO.
I agree with you Jason. I just can't pitch it cause I'm to cheap and I can't pass it on to someone else knowing that it does not preform well. That is way I will use it up as a bath soap.
Most of my editing and some of my filters are in Snapseed. I also use Prisma for filters, which is the one I used today. I do all of this with an iPhone.
I have used Badger skin balms and mustache wax and found both very good. However, I have avoided the Badger shaving soap even though it was readily available -- because the reviews I read about it were almost universally negative. Consensus was that it could do an adequate job if relegated to the shower or the handsoap holder. Add your review to the negative column, use it up in the shower and enjoy a shave with something better. Badger soap definitely has no place in the same den as Castle Forbes...
well, I just decided to let the rest of my Williams go.....I didn't like that something brownish was forming around the edges.
Sunday October 22 - breaking stuff Delta Echo Gillette Fatboy on 4 / Topaz Platinum (1) Semogue Owners Club cherrywood boar brush My Red Green Duct Tape Special frankensoap Alum and Portland General Store's Willow Toner At lunch today I broke a tooth. The back enamel chunk flaked off a molar with a large filling in it. It's not painful (yet at least) but I foresee a painfully expensive crown in my near future. Then, while finishing my shave, I dropped and shattered my alum. It's a good thing I don’t plan to drive anywhere today.... For the rest, I only had a short time to shave today so it was a hurried job. I did a semi-competently mediocre job of lathering the Frankensoap with the SOC. One quick pass with the Fatboy gave me a decent shave. Then I smashed the alum. A finish with musty vinegar seemed entirely fitting for the day. (Did I mention that it is windy, cold, grey and rainy out?) Tomorrow may be a better shave to start a better day. I just have to get through today's shift first...
Can’t blame anyone for binning a puck of Williams. You don’t even need a good reason, pure spite will do.
-Brian Brown 6/8 1/2 Hollow -Simpson Duke 3 Pure -Stubble Trubble Pirate Cowboy -Ogallala Bay Rum Limes and Peppercorns It’s always nice on the weekends when I can have a relaxing shave, have my choice of gear, and not be too tired to care one way or the other. @Linuxguile - I lathered using Merkur Man’s Shiny Lather Method today, and got an excellent lather with the Stubble Trubble. I spent right about three and a half minutes working on the puck to completely fill the brush, and then another minute and a half on my face. I still needed to add some dribbles a few times to get it where I wanted it. So five minutes in all. I would say that’s a very typical time to get to the “Unicorn Lather” stage for all of the soaps I use the most in this fashion: Stirling, Soap Commander, B&M, Mickey Lee, Jeeves..... Today’s shave was as close to perfect as they get. This razor consistently leaves me with a BBS shave, time after time. The only downside is that it is something of a slow go razor, as the spikes at both heel and toe require a little extra care. My AD’s are really in remission of late, but I see another Brian Brown in my future.
The only pain I foresee is purely financial -- I am going to pay my dentist the price of a top-line Kent or Simpson badger brush...
