DECember 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Fantastic shot, Doug.

I have noticed that usually the first shave is as good as the last on a blade. With a couple thousand blades I don't go past four shaves unless I'm trying to push it for fun. The most I've gone is 10 shaves on a vintage "Spoiler" and eight on a current production Bic CP.

Beautiful blade, Keith!

I purchased a large lot of Schicks in hopes to keep a couple for myself and list the rest in my shop. Turns out there were quite a few interesting and unique razor in that lot. And through a little more sleuthing I found out that the lot came from a shaving museum that closed when its owner passed away. You can read more about it on this thread Odd Injectors, Prototypes?? and check out photos for some of the other unique razors in the collection.

Great setup, Neal!

Fantastic photo, Clint! I just love restored vintage brushes!

Its funny how sometimes one has to refocus on technique.

Great photo and color scheme, Perry!

Awesome photo, Jim! The blade exposure on the 1914 seems so intimidating.

Gorgeous Toggle!

Amazing photo, Mark! I love the cranberry citrus!

Awesome shot, Jason!

 

Congrats on the sale, Brian!

 

Decadence for today was having a multinational shave brought to me by my 30DC friends. Razor is a French made Thiers Issard Frameback that came my way via South Korea as a Secret Santa gift from @Keithmax. Strop was one I made in the USA from USA tanned leather. Brush was a gift from @jtspartan, the famous 30DC LE handle made in Canada, with a Pro 98 knot from a Italian Boar brush I received as a Shavey award in May from @BaylorGator for stupid human tricks during Mayhem. Soap was an unexpected Christmas gift from @clint64 from Spain. Aftershave is one several people on this thread have mentioned as a nice one for very little money from the dollar store that I had to try for the price, although I added a healthy dose of menthol crystals to it. M-bomb is a USA made TSD store exclusive that should be in everyone’s den, and it seemed fitting to use for this shave.

I have a confession to make. I have never used a shave stick before today. My few uses of Arko involved mashing it into a bowl. I rubbed the stick on my wet face and went to work with the big boar brush. The scent of the LaToja is just a clean soap scent. It was nice. The big boar brush wasn’t quite damp enough, but when I added some water, the lather exploded. I typically bowl lather, and only build a little of the lather on my face. This time I built it all, and the big boar was very comfortable. First pass I did with no additions. Second pass, I added a bit of M-bomb to the brush to chill the lather down. Soap was slick and worked well. For the third pass, I added too much water and broke the lather. It was still slick enough to do the last pass. The edge on the razor was redone yesterday, being bread knifed and remade from bevel set up. Finished on a translucent for a nice keen edge that worked very well.

Finished off with a cold water rinse, then alum bar. It was quieter than I thought it would be. Very happy. Dried that off, and applied Thayer’s Rose scented witch hazel toner, dried that off, and splashed on the Iced Barbasol Brisk. Eye wateringly cold spicy goodness. I noticed my face was a little dry so I rubbed some shea butter based lotion bar that my wife made on my face. It had a Jasmine EO in it. The Jasmine and the Spice scent in the Brisk combined into something amazing. My wife even commented on how good it smelled. I may be adding Jasmine EO to this aftershave. So no blood, good memories, amazing scent and a BBS today. Great shave.

 

Charlie @wristwatchb , Jason summed it up pretty well. These razors are on the heavier side and since they have a larger head they are balanced quite nicely. More aggressive then an Old Type or a New but don't feel harsh. As Jason said they really do "sing". They were made in the 20's and 30's with an emphasis on quality. Made of brass which is then nickel plated and then chrome plated, usually the finish holds up pretty well (sorry Jason). To me they have it all going for them, they look cool, shave well, are built well, and open comb.

 

Awesome collection of products from friends 'round the world, Adam!

 

Great restoration, Clint. That Ever Ready 100 is just a classic design.

In related news, our ski hill opens this weekend...
Cool blues in your pic, Perry! I love the '66' as well.

Cool effect again, Jim!

Nice set up, Mark. What do you think of the Italian Citrus? I just got a puck of l'orange noir. Are they similar?

If you want less taxes, moving to Idaho is a good start...

Great write up, Adam! I need to get some M bomb...

 

Zero need to apologize, Andrew. I knew the exact condition of the razor when we were talking about it. What a great shaver.
The only other thing that I would add, after reading your comments and mine again, is that the head is thinner than Gillette TTOs. While it is wide, it is flatter than a Gillette. Hence the lack of huge blade flex.

 

Thank you all.

 

Good morning everyone!

Today’s shave was brought to me by the following:
Razor: WCS
Brush: JR113
Soap: MWF
Bowl: WCS
Blade: Astra SP

Two passes, a little touch up and good to go! I really like this razor. I grabbed it on Cyber Monday from WCS for $7.00. I rally only wanted the handle. The head is basically a knockoff of a EJ89 or Muhle R89, so naturally is shaves like one - which is mild & efficient. It’s easy to see that the plating and machining quality isn’t the same as a EJ or Muhle, but for the price, who’s complaining? The weight and grip of the handle is a thumbs up. The MWF?? What’s not to like? Ditto for the JR113! All ingredients for a very enjoyable shave.



Hope everyone has a fantastic Thursday! Almost to the weekend...almost!

Edit: Forgot to add....
I'm certain that some of you have tried it, but Mitchell's Lanolin M is awesome stuff! I put some on my hands before work yesterday and the dryness didn't show up all evening. Another plus - it isn't greasy or smelly!

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Excellent photo & gear Clint!

 

Very nice Perry!! That injector is great! Hopefully the weather doesn't mess things up too badly down there. Snow in the South normally doesn't make for pleasant driving.

 

Thank you Andrew


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Great photo Adam. I’m glad the soap worked out for you.


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Awesome photo. Bruce! I absolutely love that brush handle!

 

Congrats, Brian! Lots of activity, but it sounds like something you will be really happy with in the end.

Your mug is a campaign slogan I can really get behind.

 

Excellent set up and pic, Bruce.

 

Thank you, Andrew! The 1914 is an easy going shaver. The bark is much worse than the bite.

 

Jason, thank you for the kind words. I realize I did a poor job writing. This brush was my first restoration project back in early 2015. I have lost count of the number I have done since that time. When my back started giving me problems I really stopped working on the projects.

I know you asked Mark about the Italian Citrus but I thought I would chime in. I don't find it similar to L'Orange Noir at all. The Italian Citrus is more of one note wonder and to my nose has a little similarity to lemon pledge. Of the two I find L'Orange Noir to be more versatile with a scent that pairs well with so many different soaps.

 

Beautiful razor, Adam!

 

Thank you, Jason!