August 2018 30 Day Rule/focus Pix & Discussion

Shave Report #4

Gillette (Flat Bottom) Fat Handle Tech (Made in England)
Astra SP (1st use)
Bluebeard Doubloon Boar Brush
Palmolive Shave Stick
Nivea Sensitive Post-Shave Balm

Another hotel shave this morning. This time, I ensured that I loaded lots of soap onto my brush before going to the bowl! I think that I got the lather pretty much spot on, and set about my first WTG pass with no issues. It felt good and there were no signs of irritation. On the second pass I went N-S on my neck as opposed to S-N... I think I caused some very, very minor irritation doing this - i'll avoid doing this for a while longer!

Overall a good clean SAS!

The only area that I am consistently dissatisfied with is under my chin... It grows N-S but a WTG pass seems to do nothing! I don't want to have to keep going over the same spot, but if I don't I look like I have missed that whole area! Any ideas?

 

Tuesday morning August 21 - Adjustable August contd.

There have been several fine photos posted today, gentlemen! My BlackBerry PlayBook is still cutting up so I won't be adding to them. Adam @Drygulch, that was a nice catchup post with a great photo of your daughter. Good to know the construction is proceeding okay.

PAL Adjustable injector on "2" / vintage Schick Super Chromium ( 1 )
JR #267 birdseye maple and Omega 49 boar knot
Soapy Bathman Cup of Joe soap
Alum and Soapy Bathman Cup of Joe balm

I used a boar brush today with the Soapy Bathman soap. The well-soaked knot quickly created a "super goop" lather in the tub. I then went directly to my face instead of using a lather bowl. The result was two passes of good slick lather.

I switched to the PAL adjustable injector today. In the past, I have used it quite happily on the "L" setting at the bottom of the range. Today I moved it up one notch up towards "H". The vintage Schick blade was smooth and very sharp. Two passes left me BBS but at the cost of some irritation - the alum sparked in a few places on my face and neck. Shifting the Pal up a notch increases the efficiency slightly but also increases the irritation enough so I would probably have to drop to a "one and done" shave if using it as a daily driver -- at least for awhile. Either that or start using a postshave balm regularly. The Soapy Bathman cream balm felt good today.

 

Do you get irritation under your chin? If not give it a try in another direction. If you do get irritation in that area try a different direction for that pass which might be more efficient.

 

Nope, no irritation under the chin... I get the odd weeper when I go ATG if I do it first pass!

 

Try a second pass under the chin then. Just be sure to reapply lather and watch the pressure.

 

Nice photo, Bruce!

Nice shave, John! I tried a PAL Adjustable a while back on pass-around. It just didn't work for me like the Schick injectors. Narrow margin to hit the right angle. If you miss it then the beard reduction is almost nothing.

 

Great report and beautiful photo, Bruce!

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Good to see you posting again, John!
Great report!

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I can't do just WTG passes under my chin, but its also the place that gets weepers and irritation the easiest. The big game changer for me was using Alum on my fingertips to get a good grip on soapy skin and doing skin stretching on every pass. Keep the pressure light, but holding the skin in place makes it easier to get all the whiskers.

 

August 21, 2018- August Gold

Razor: Gold Post-War Fat Handle Tech
Blade: 7 o'Clock Permasharp Stainless
Brush: Semogue 620
Soap: Williams
Post: Alum, Listerine, WH

On Saturday, I received a very nice gold-plated fat Tech handle from @jimjo1031, so the past couple of shaves have been with a gold post-War head on the gold fat handle. Both have been very nice shaves from an elegant, understated razor. I'm not sure I understand the marketing behind putting a gold wash on a simple razor like a Tech. I love it, but I just don't understand who it was supposed to appeal to.

 

Your adjustable journey has been very informative and entertaining. Picking up another focus for the rest of the month, Joseph?

 

Great shave report John.

 

Great week of shave pics, and a super shot of your daughter going off to school, Adam!

 

Thanks for the advice, Adam!

 

I just read somewhere that 100 shaves with a straight razor was some way on the road to mastery! I wonder how far along I'd be if I stuck with my Tech and Astra for 100 days! I am supposed to be going to TOBS on Thursday, but I was thinking of missing out on buying a new soap and remaining disciplined by using my Palmolive for consistency.

 

Great picture, Bruce!

 

August Focus





The only carryover from my last "focus" shave is the Hendrix Classics & Co. soap.
Fell off the wagon with the adjustables. The longer I do this shave thing, the more I know what I like
and while the Fatboy is iconic and very well-built, especially the D3, I could live without it.
Today, I went the complete different direction with the Gillette New LC.
I haven't used a Feather in a while, so that, too, was selected.
The HC&C soap sample is still going strong and I think I will be able to get another 3-4 shaves easily from it.
My best wishes to Pete Hendrix and everyone involved.
Feather/Gillette New LC.........
WINNER!
To be able to make long, sweeping swipes with slick lather and a sharp blade is wonderful.
BBS in 3
Finished with that timeless classic: Aqua Velva.
No, It's not Floïd Blue. It's AV.
​

 

Thanks Jason. At a minimum, I will titanic my way through this current soap. Everything else is up for grabs.

 

Nice artwork as usual .

 

Great pics and report, Joseph!
I have a NEW LC that's going to get extended use in OCtober.

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