MAYhem 2018 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Outstanding! This guy gets Mayhem!

 

Update-please note I made a few changes from my original post, as I thought a clearer description was in order.

 

Thanks, Clint!

I'm going to try and back off with the Shavey nominations now that things are rolling, so that others can play along. Having said that, it is clear to the Academy that @Boojum1 is going to be a contender in the "Most Inspirational Photo" category. Nice shot Mark!

 

True. Again, though, nothing glowed following the shave so I think I'm safe. Or as safe as possible.

 

I'm honored that the academy finds the brush worthy of a nomination. The brush was actually listed as being made for the Russian Army, though many items are listed that way in a marketing attempt. I don't doubt that the gear their army has to deal with is less than perfect, but surely they could do better than this, even for shock troops who aren't expected to like anything except vodka and dead enemies.

 

Thank you Jason. Right now the OneBlade is my favorite razor and the one I want to reach for on work mornings. I will likely change things up a bit soon. The Tuxedo is a great fit after the swap.

 

Thank you Perry.

 

I use Layrite shine or original or Lucky Tiger hair tonic depending on the look I’m going for, all are great products. I already ordere a new Layrite.

 

Already ordered, it has a good hold and washed out easy. I also use the original which has more hold and also wash out very easy.

 

May 3, 2018

Razor: B4 Red Tip SS
Blade: (see below)
Brush: VdH Boar
Soap: Williams
Post: Alum, Listerine, WH

As I'm mentioned here before, I have a relatively light beard and tend toward milder razors, never getting above a '5' on the Fatboy. As a result, one of the razors that I've not shown much interest in is the Red Tip (i.e., "Heavy") SuperSpeed. Recently, however, I won an auction for a somewhat crusty one which had suffered some corrosion and dezincification in spots. I have another thread which talks about the cleanup, so I'll just leave this picture here:

(the pink is from the dezincification of the Brass).

Today was my first shave with this razor. No, I did not use the Curley blade; that just happened to be handy for the picture. (BTW, @NCoxSTL, you should be getting some in the mail today or tomorrow.) My blade choice was a Dorco ST-301 which had 3 previous shaves on it.

Okay, it's MAYhem and here I am with a razor whose reputation intimidated me for over two years and which has areas that have been compromised and eroded. What's the worst that could happen?

It turns out... it was the blade. The ST-301 was a week old and had three shaves behind it and was tugging from the get go. Part way through the shave, I swapped it for a VdH Stainless and sailed on to a smooth and issue-free BBS.

It retrospect, it is clear that I should not have feared the Red Tip. I recently reread an old advertisement and noticed that the part about the Red Tip does not mention heavy beards so much as "men who prefer a heavier razor". This really has me wondering how much relevant difference there is between the Regular SS and the Heavy one. Thoughts from the crew?

The blade failure is bothering me a bit. This is the second time I've had an ST-301 fall off the cliff after only 2 or 3 shaves. I wonder if this is normal or if it is a blade which prefers certain razors (much like the STD-301) does better for me in a three-piece razor. Definitely something to look at another time...

 

Last year, I shaved with a DE blade in a binder clip. This looks like a significant improvement. The biggest challenge with our impromptu shaving tools is if the edge will flex or not. Using an SE blade instead of a DE pretty much eliminates that risk. Have fun!

 

Any idea how it compares to Imperial Barber Pomade? That's the one I've settled on for now, but I'm curious about Layrite as well. The one I actually like best, despite the ridiculous name is "Boogies" by Dollar Shave Club. The problem is, they give you a small amount of product for $10 and you need to use a bit more of it than the imperial barber, so I run through about a tub a month, as opposed to to every few months. It's also owned by Unilever, and I'd rather give my money to a local American business, FWIW.

 

Great write up John. I have never used at Red Tip so I am curious as to what other people think.

 

I own both and personally I don't find them to be all that different, John. If you look at the attached link to BLADE GAP INFO, you can see that most Gilette Super Speeds have a blade gap of .023" to .025 inch. That's equal to a Slim or Fatboy on 2 to 2.75 (if 2.75 existed). The red tip has a blade gap of .o26 which is equivalent to a Slim or Fatboy on 3, and still .002 less blade gap than a Merkur 34C. Now I know that there are other things that play into a razor's "aggressiveness" such as head geometry, blade angle, etc., but I personally wouldn't classify the Red Tip SS as a particularly aggressive razor at all. (If it matters, for reference, I use my Slims & Fatboy on 6 for what gives me a very comfortable shave). Others may have different opinions.

 

I'll try and take a couple of pics tonight. It was way too late last night to fuss around with.

Bravo on sticking that one out! Even one pass deserves some applause with that thing. And finishing up a paint scraper shave with Osage was a bit inspired as well.

 

I see what you mean. If I take the table at face value, the difference is .003" and it's actually less aggressive than the setting I normally use an a Gillette Adjustable.

I have to be honest and almost wonder if the whole Light/Regular/Heavy thing was almost a marketing scam.

 

"Almost" a marketing scam? As far as I can tell, the only real difference between those razors is a bit of weight in the handle...

 

Good move. I use my backspace key often.

Bookmarked! Thank you Randy.

I'll have to pull my Blue Tip out of storage now. My recollection was that it shaved similar to a Krona - mild. The regular Flare Tip gives me good reduction, but I've kept a Red Tip in rotation. If it's all a Marketing Scheme it was effective in that I shopped the 2nd hand market to fulfill my collection.
I've paid less attention to "blade gap" since riding the cap became the norm. The weight of a razor may come into play, but that's what "less pressure" conquers. Technique trumping tools hasn't take the fun out of trying new razors. It has reduced the learning curve and irritation. Thanks Neal & Chris - all razors are the same!

 

Well done, sir!

 

I think this was posted on the 30-Day thread at one point. In the spirit of Mayhem - enjoy!