Jason, there is a recent thread in the Safety Razors section about the Karve Razor: https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/karve-razor-by-christopher-bradley-first-impressions.59985/ Putting this together with Clint @clint64's and Jim @Norcalnewb 's experiences, it seems to me that the best bet for those Karves when we buy them would be a 3.5" handle and a D plate. What do you think?
Adjustable (Arko) Anything Goes and whatever else we decide AUGUST!!!! August 13 Razor - 1972 (S2) Gillette Super Adjustable - Long Handled Black Beauty (9) Blade - (13) Soap - VDH Scented Luxury Brush - Semogue 620 Post - Alum Looks like I'm going to beat the midnight deadline for today! Been home for about a half hour. Enough time to throw a sandwich together and get my shave on. I switched over to my newest toy, the '72 Black Beauty from @John Ruschmeyer . I chose to say simple and basic with the lather gear. VDH soap and the Semogue boar brush. The lather was quite slick and good, as VDH always is. Again - here we have a bargain drug-store type product. And it works. Well. For less. Trying out a new razor for the first time I usually toss in a Voskhod. Not this time. I have the Personna 74 on a long run and tonight is shave 13 for the blade. The head geometry on the razor seems very similar if not exactly the same as the Slim. So it shouldn't be an issue. It's the weight and balance I'll have to watch. This is a very nice razor in the hand. Great balance, good heft, no pressure needed, especially on setting Me. First pass convinced me I have a winner in this razor. I'm going to want to spend some time comparing it to the Slim. I feel like the Fatboy is a different instrument with the different head characteristics and handle girth and such. I'll compare it as well but this is clearly more similar to the Slim than the Fat one. I suppose I also need to hunt down a Soviet Ideal at this point. It's the Russian clone of the Super Adjustable so I'll want to compare there as well. The Consul is the Slim counterpart. Ideal is the Black Beauty counterpart. There isn't a Soviet Fatboy that I've found or, of course, I'd be hunting one of those as well. Two passes and I can say the razor handles extremely well. As for the Personna 74? Still smooth and still so sharp that the one minor cut I suffered went unnoticed until I saw the blood. Low on my neck and looks like a corner ding. Most likely I raised up on the end of a stroke and dug the corner in a bit. No worries. Technique error. After 13 shaves this blade turned in another BBS shave. I'm beginning to just shake my head. Will it ever die? I need to catch up on today and see how @Primotenore did on the 14th shave. Another long and busy day tomorrow. Inventory and sale change at the day job. Another night of working the mean streets hauling food to follow. I can't get into any trouble, at least. No time. Have a great day!
Six months in and lots more to come! I'm coming up on my 4th anniversary of using these things in a couple of months. I honestly am amazed at how easy it is to pick up almost anything and get a great shave. With practice and perseverance comes perfection! (No, I don't mean I'm perfect - just ask the ex wives. They'll put an end to that rumor)
The generosity of sharing that fine looking short handle is commendable. I'm sure the adjustable rookie will appreciate it!
I'm going to keep using my P74 until I at least match you. As long as you survive the shave I assume I will too.
Well, I kind of thought we were about as handsome and sexy as we could ever get at the first meet up. If we all get any better looking it will just make it harder on the younger crowd to get dates!
I like the diplomatic way you suggested the pain stick. Nicely done. Yes, the Artist Clubs do have "a way" of penalizing technique errors. But it's all good. The scars eventually heal and even if they don't - chicks dig scars. Now. Let's talk about using them for head shaves.
Just a quick note as I've been reading through today's traffic on here. It's really been fun and rewarding to read some of the personal testimonies from some of you. I know when Chris started this thread he was hoping to find a way to help newbies get started and avoid the pitfalls and disappointments that a lot of people go through in changing back to the "right way to shave". I know that this thread is the only reason I stayed with it long enough to figure it out. Until I did my first rule I just couldn't figure out why my shaves seemed so bad and caused so much irritation. Learning technique and how to develop it absolutely made it possible for me to not only do the stupid stuff I've done to prove the TTT theory, but also to arrive at a point that I can pick up any DE or pain stick and shave with barely a thought. (Still need to get the dark side fully figured out....but there's that hatred of stropping still hovering about). As long as there are new recruits to traditional shaving we will have a growing and lively group around here! All of the "old-timers" on here so willingly share knowledge and encouragement - it really is a special thing you find nowhere else on the web. Today's discussions have proven that and offer proof that we're here for the long haul. Thanks to everyone who has been here from the beginning, and to everyone who jumped in and stayed, and of course - to the new(er) members who keep working at it every day and being a part of this place. Ok. That calls for a mid-month group hug.
Hi, guys. I haven't been around much lately. Actually I spent about 4 days in the hospital, including 1 day in the ICU, with diabetic ketoacidosis. The doctors told me I was within a couple of hours of slipping into a coma and heading off to that great shave den in the sky. Long story short, diabetics shouldn't try an ultra low carb diet, especially without checking with their doctor. I'm much better now, just a little weak, but there's no way I'm ever going to catch up with the thread. Hope you all are well.
Well I, for one, am happy they caught you and kept you around in this version of the shave den! Take care of yourself - listen to your doctor - and get your strength back soon!
Thank you for all of the advice, and the testimonies are all brilliantly inspiring! Needless to say I'll be sticking it out and following the advice to great shaves! I feel exactly the same way! So welcome! Believe it or not, that's a woman!
Oy vey! We do not want our members slipping off like that! Glad the doctor intercepted you! please follow his advice and stay with us for a long time.
Very glad to have you here. It's the continual trickle of fresh recruits that keeps the 30DC a fun place to hang out.
I actually tried using a bowl to lather my Palmolive this morning. I swirled my damp brush on the (non-bloomed) soap pretty hard for around 30 seconds (as usual). I then went to the bowl and started adding water, a few drops at a time, until I got the gloopy, shiny consistency that you all talk about. I was surprised how much water I was able to add! I ended up with enough lather for 5/6 passes as opposed to my usual 2 + touch up! This is something I'm definitely going to be doing again to get the hang of! I have never had Palmolive stay slick for a whole pass - one side of my face usually gets dry and a bit sticky!
Sorry guys, no time to get caught up, less than 1 day and more than 100 posts. Also no time for a photo but I did have time for an epic shave. Irritation A+ Closeness A+ Smoothness A+ Sharpness A+ Razor: Mastro Livi Gifretto Strop: Mastro Livi Brush: Yaqui silver tip Pre: Proraso Soap: AMN AS: Fine Snake Bite AS, Stirling AS Scent: Creed Himalaya
