Nov 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus

NOVember Late Night Shave Club

Molested Arko (see; Pinaud)
JR130 Maggard Synth brush
Suribachi bowl & cool water
Ming Shi and Astra SP blade
Alum, Pinaud Citrus Musk AS


Soap of the Shave inspired by Chris @Bama Samurai & Jeff @Yehuda D, and molested with a splash of Ed's finest Eau De Cologne. I had pretty well worked up my lather which doesn't take long with Arko when I decided to add a dash of extra scent. When the juice hit the bowl the lather at the contact point disappeared. Couple of swirls and it foamed right back up. Arko is amazing stuff. Kept the Clone at 4-1/2 for this 3rd shave with the Superior Platinum. Three passes, Ming Shi Slides, and a standard bit of chin buffing for a standard outcome. Alum was simply quiet, high alcohol AS gave a nice sting, and I'm DFS'ed. Not spectacular, no disappointments - I've reached my goal of knowing I can get consistently comfortable close shaves with a razor some call Aggressive. I have two blades to try next. The manufacturers Ming Shi MP-036 "Smoother Shaver - Super White Blades" with the suggestive diamond graphic and undecipherable Asian writing, and Feather Hi-Stainless Platinum that makes some shavers quake in their boots. I'm not afraid because I use Feathers in a Fat Boy on setting Neal.

I might start at a lower setting.
Good Shaves Y'all!

 

Those in the US are observing Veterans' Day, honoring all who have done military service. For us in Canada, like the rest of the Commonwealth countries, this is Remembrance Day, which like your Memorial Day honors those who died in the service of the country. It is finally a full statutory holiday here; when I was in school, it was merely observed with a minute of silence at 11:00am -- sometimes just over the PA system and not even with a school assembly.

I personally view it as a religious holiday second in importance only to Christmas and Easter (for a Christian) -- a day to spend in contemplation of the state of the country and society in general and of how I am doing with my own service to them in particular.

To the past and present members of the military, thank you for your service to whichever country you live in, and to all the Denizens, have a blessed day!

 

Chris, I think you're absolutely right. I hesitated to list these blades in rank order because they are so close in performance. I attribute the majority of the observed differences to variation in my technique. I ranked the GSB last simply because I lacked focus during the time I was using it. I am getting back to basics and focusing more on consistency during this next round, and I anticipate that it will be even harder to rank the blades.

It's a good reminder not to put too much faith in the equipment. It would be like handing me a $500 driver and watching me miss the golf ball on the first three swings and then slicing it 12' feet. A golfer with solid technique could take a cheap driver and put the ball right on the green. (That's all I know about golf, although I do think I would look good in knickers.)

 

I am good with knickers, but only with a plaid Kangol 504 to top it off, and DR Harris Marlborough...

Carry on.

 

I'm very interested in how those Ming Shi blades work. And yes, using a Feather on setting "me" will stop the fear and make you a true believer in aggressive razors and blades. I survived it with the Futur clone. And so shall you!

 

Sunday November 15 early - off Rule

I succumbed to the blandishments of various ADs recently and bought a Simpson Chubby 2 Synthetic brush and some Simpson creams to accompany it. Then I decided to "upgrade" my perfectly adequate Supply Provision Single Edge injector by purchasing the new V 2.0 -- in a spiffy matte black to match my Delta Echo refurbished Gillette adjustables. The Simpson stuff is still in the mail, but the new Supply razor arrived on Friday.

So today, I am continuing to use my Semogue Owners Club cherrywood boar brush and TOBS Rose Cream, followed by my Osma Alum and Thayers Witch Hazel Original Rose Petal. However I have abandoned my Rule razor in favour of introducing into my rotation the new Matte Black Supply Single Edge injector V 2.0. The injector is set on the "standard" 2-dot plate.

I tried to include a photo of today's lineup together with the horn quaich I use as a lather bowl, but the file was rejected as "too large", even though all the other photos I have taken with this BlackBerry PlayBook have loaded just fine. So no photo today.

How was the shave? Good. The razor knocked down a 36-hour stubble in two easy passes.

How does V2.0 compare to the original? Well, the bladestops are a bit smaller and narrower and the top cap may be a hair thinner. In addition, the tolerances to fit the plates are tighter. I think most of the tweaks improve the blade loading and changing but don't affect the shave itself. My sense is that V 2.0 might be a tiny bit nimbler and easier to handle, especially when shaving under my nose, but the differences are minute. Are they great enough to justify replacing a V 1.0 with a V 2.0? Frankly, I don’t think so. However, the black finish is neat and does match nicely with my matched set of Delta Echo Ink(TM) Gillettes.

I expect I will keep Supply V 2.0 in my rotation and retire Supply Provision Single Edge original to my cupboard. Eventually, I will probably sell it or PIF it. Maybe put it up in a future TSD raffle?

 

My hero

 

Saturday and Sunday shaves:

First I want to thank all our veterans and those who will be veterans. I just returned home to Seoul and if were not for the sacrifices made I would not be able to live here, thank you!

I touched up my Silverloaf smiling kami with Naniwa 12k followed by the GMK 20k. First time to touch up a razor with a big smile. Unfortunately I really struggled with this new B&M and never had the lather right. At first the razor felt like it was tugging a little and rough. It had passed all the tests and was tree topping arm. By the third pass I had the lather in a passable form and there was no more tugging. Proof the razor was sharp the nice cut I gave my earlobe. That was on purpose just to check the edge.

Despite the initial struggles with the edge the results was good. Just goes to show with a straight, lather is important.

Irritation A Closeness A- Smoothness A- Sharpness A-

Razor: Silverloaf
Stop: Dry Gulch black latigo
Brush: Simpson Cubby 2
Pre: Nivea
Soap: B&M
AS: Speick
Scent: Change Cuir de Russie



Only 18 hours between shaves so I opted for my ATT with a H2 base plate and loaded up a fresh Gillette Super Thin because I was too tired to melt off wax from my other blades. I forgot how much I enjoyed this razor. The mystery cream had a little menthol to it and gave me a slick, wet lather. End result, an epic shave.

Irritation A+ Closeness A+

Razor: ATT H2 w/ Gillette Super Thin
Brush: 30 Day LE
Pre: Proraso
Soap: Mystery sample A
AS: Jeris Osage, Speck ASB
Scent: Houbigant Fogére Royal

 

I like it!

 

November 12

Weber SS
Voskhod (2)
Simpson Chubby 2 Super
MdC unscented
Thayers Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Alt-Innsbruck aftershave

Have a blessed day!

 

I was more worried about pepper powder getting on other body parts than how it would taste.

Checking in. Please get away from my razors.

Shudder.

Thank you, sir.

Went better than I thought it would.

Btw, if any of you use FB, feel free to send me a friend request. Since my work blocked this site, I’m not on it as much during the week.

 

Fireball!

 

November 12, 2017

Paladin Buck Rogers
Mystic Waters Jasmine
Wolfman Titanium WR1-OC with Darwin
Personna Med Prep
Mrysol Aqua Balsamica
EDP Blu Mediterraneo Ginepro

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John, congrats on your new acquisitions. I'd enjoy seeing the photo of your lineup. Most photo editors allow you to resize your photos. If you're looking for a free one that is easy to use, try fotor.com. TSD's attachment size limit appears to be 1 MB.

 

Beautiful gear!

 

Excellent summary. Interested to see how the Qshave blade performs.

The night turned out much better for Alabama than UGA.

Looking forward to the new blade experiments.

The black Supply V 2.0 is a great looking razor. I've been tempted by it as well.

The Silverloaf Kami is a great looking razor.

Great looking photo Charlie. The background really adds to the presentation.

Great lineup Mark. The polish work on the razor is stunning.

 

November 12, 2017
OneBlade Genesis
Modified Gem PTFE (2)
30 DC LE with Omega 20107 Boar Knot
Nuàvia Blu

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A few too many adult beverages while watching the Georgia and Alabama games resulted in a rough start to the morning. Honestly one needed a drink to watch the Georgia game. A few cups of coffee and a brisk walk with the dog has everything back to normal. The big 30DC boar whipped up a mountain of rich lather with the warm scent filling the room. A three pass shave with touch ups along my jaw line and buffing on my lower right neck caught the baby with ease. I can say the Gem blade was smoother and more enjoyable to use this morning. After rubbing the excess lather on my face, I waited to rinse until I had policed my area. A splash of Thayers Witch Hazel with menthol and I am ready for the day. I am off for my weekly drive to visit Mom for a nice lunch and any shopping or errands that need to be done. I hope everyone has a great Sunday.

 

Beautiful picture, Charlie!

 

Excellent picture, Mark!

 

Wonderful picture, Clint!