Nov 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus

No ticket arrived. But, hmmmmmmm. Boris was on duty to deliver everything for a week. Haven't seen a surly bald Russian with a bad attitude hanging around there have you?

 

The past few mornings, my shaves haven't been the best. I attribute it to a combination of rushing and operator error. This morning, I decided to go back and focus on the basics, and the results were much better. I had not only a near BBS shave, but it was bloodless and fairly comfortable.

First of all, the bathroom was quiet, so that I could hear the razor working. I resisted the temptation to stream a TV show on my phone. I took extra time with hydration, making extra sure that I splashed plenty of hot water on my lower neck. The lather with the Soap Destroyer was great, but I paid extra attention as I built the lather on my face. I rode the cap and really tried to listen to the blade cutting the whiskers. I was more aware of not going over the same area repeatedly with no lather.

The Astra SP blade was very smooth, as expected. With a wrinkled nose, my Bride rated the combined scents of the MdC and Alt-Innsbruck a 6 out of 10. I guess you can't win 'em all.

My challenge these days is to remain focused on the basics. My technique seems to be pretty good as long as I don't undermine it. Do you guys experience the same thing?

 

Thank you Jim. One more day with the General then I will move on to something else.

 

Great set up, Perry. I'm interested in your praise of Soap Command shave soap. I have Soap Commander Love, but I must not have it dialed in. The lather has never been great for me. You have encouraged me to try it again this month with the Soap Destroyer. Have a good one!

 

The Koraat is simply gorgeous. Every time you post a SOTD using this razor I consider going to the dark side. Luckily I shake of the notion in a short amount of time.

 

Just a beautiful set up today, Brian!

 

Great lineup and photo Perry. I hope things have slowed down some for you since the end of football season.

 

I found it best to load the soap like you hate it and then make sure to add enough water.

 

I think that is the biggest advantage of having a solid technique. You can always go back to what has been proven to work correcting subtle errors that have crept in to the routine.

 

Thanks Clint. I will give it a try. I hope your day has started off well.

 

Try it, you’ll like it. I could send you a straight to try

 

Thank you Charlie. It was a nice shave.

 

Great picture, Brian!

 

Wonderful picture, Perry!

 

Ohh, that sounds unpleasant.

I'm pretty sure only setting "you" will satisfy you!

And that's what I've been waiting for!

very nice, Clint!

That shot makes the knurling on the Weber look extra deep.

See, this shot make me think that the bowl is quite large. Beautiful collection of gear this morning.

Charlie, Sometimes I find myself getting a little overzealous with pressure or angle and I have to remind myself to get back to the basics.

 

November 9 SOTD:

Stirling Boar Brush
@Vlasta Sample B
H Diamond 120
Stirling Unscented PSB
Mountain Mike's Bay Rum AS

A one pass CCS with this wonderful straight today. I really like how smooth this razor is, and the results speak for themselves. A little real rum Bay Rum and I am off to work. I hope everyone has a great day!

 

Great shot, Jim! I see that your Stirling Boar is already starting to open up a bit!

 

Thanks, Charlie! as @clint64 mentioned Soap Commander can take a lot of water. I load some and then trickle in water near the knot and let it run through. Then keep loading. It can produce slick and hydrated lather with careful attention to the water content. Good luck! I look forward to hearing your thoughts when you try it again.

Thanks, Clint! We had a concert on Tuesday night with my two concert bands and jazz band, so that has kept it busy. Hosted some of our middle school band kids yesterday morning for a clinic in our auditorium. Then yesterday afternoon went to a different high school to watch a big name in the profession work with a band. Today I will stay after school for a while to make copies and get things in order. In a way it has slowed down but there's always something in the works. We have tomorrow off for Veterans Day, so that will be a nice little break. Thanks for asking!

 

November 9, 2017

Razor: Post-War NDC (pre-1950?) Tech
Blade: Gillette Platinum Plus (2)
Brush: 30DC LE/Pure Badger
Soap: Der Vergulde Hand
Post: Alum, Listerine, WH

Staying with the Tech mini-focus, I decided to move on from the Contract Tech to the Post-War version. I have two NDC ones- one Nickel and one Gold(-ish). I had a few shaves with the Nickel one last month, so today I took the Gold one for a spin. As can be expected, this one is missing most of the gold wash from the cap and the top part of the baseplate. Oddly, it has less well defined ridges on the safety bar and a shorter safety bar than the Nickel one, something I chalk up to variations in the dies. It definitely has a more solid feel than the Contract Tech.

The VGH performed well despite the fact that I started with a brush which was a bit too dry. Overall, I ended up with a BBS (or near enough) with no issues.

If I shave tomorrow, it will be with this same combo. I'm hitting the road early, though, so any weekend shaves will probably use the Sterling Tech, a smaller brush, and some cream. I'll figure out the details when I pack.

 

I shared it for comic relief, so some good could come out of it. Laugh freely

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