September 2019 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

So I am not more than 800 posts behind, this thread is moving fast.

I am sure he is using both, who knew Canadians have Voodo too.

But is this a finishing stone or can I use it to set a bevel.

I have been following this soap saga on and off, also I have missed a lot of posts so not sure what I missed. Here is my 2 cents:

Shaving is supposed to be fun, or at least I think so.

Water has a huge impact on how a soap performs. I have always marveled how others rave about soaps that I find almost unusable while others bash my top performers. I bought a tub of B&M soap in NY, used it in NY and it was wonderful, back to Seoul and it is almost useless. When I soap gives my trouble I take it on the road and see if performs better, some do and some do not.

To add to all the suggestions I would just turn it into a bath soap and try something else. A soap should lather easily regardless of brush and regardless of blooming. I am bloomer just because I like to smell the soap.

 

Today I continued my sharpness test with a Takehana Feon, this razor is consistently one of the sharpest razors I have. The steel is fantastic, gets extra sharp and holds the edge. The grinding is also impeccable and is a very hollow grind. For all the razors I used Tabac and stropped on a Kanayama strop.

The Feon felt sharp from the beginning, she is a 6/8 and the grinding is so thin that is felt on the verge of flexing but does not. ATG on the upper lip was.... very sharp.

So round one:

First two passes: The very hollow grind was the sharpest, tied for second was the hollow grind and 1/4 grind in third was the 3/4 grind.
ATG on chin and lip: The very hollow grind was the winner but the other three were tied.

Razor: Takehana Feon 172 6/8
Strop: Kanayama
Brush: Yaqi
Pre: Proraso
Soap: Tabac
AS: Proraso AS, Stirling ASB
Scent: Hammam Boquet
Watch: Ball Engineer III

 

Thank you, Andrew and Gary! It should be an exciting day.

 

Excellent shave, Keith!

 

cool shave and pic sir..

 

That's a tough subject to find a suitable photo. It's either sepia tone and previously considered very risque or violates TSD EULA. Gary did I good job with that one.

 

That's so much more proactive than I feel lately. I'm more in a Meat Inspector mental mode. The conveyor belt of posts is whizzing by and I'm Lucile Ball trying to spot the ❏❏❏❏ before it gets loaded on the truck.

 

September 6, 2019

Blackland Dart TRIAD Ti
Gillette Platinum
Grizzly Bay Omega 10098 Boar
Krampert's Finest Frostbite Soap and Aftershave
Pino Silvestri

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It’s purdy. I’d buy it.

Coincidentally I used a horsehair brush today. Typically my 2-band badgers are my “go to” brushes, and admittedly horsehair can be a bit floppy, but today my Vie Long (acquired from Fuzzy) produced super rich lather today which applied with pillow soft perfection. Variety is the spice of life, gentlemen!

 

You’ve probably heard me say this before, Clint, but ‘one in, one out’ for product is really working for me. It has kept me from going ‘beyond’ saturation.

 

Fantastic shave and post, Keith!

 

I have added something to my bucket list. To be able one day to stand in Keith's den and hold the razors I see in his post. They blow me away. Awesomeness Keith!

 

awesome shave and pic sir..love that razor..

 

I want to be right after you, Danny! I would pay Keith to shave with one of his razors. I would disinfect and oil it after I finished.

 

Beautiful shave Mark!

 

Keith is running the Lamborghinis and Ferraris while I am running Pacers and Pintos. I am still having fun though.

 

I was wondering how that would play out Jason. Charlie hardly ever equivocates though I might have spotted a moment of prevarication.

 

Stirling SEptember!!!

September 5

Razor - Gem 1912
Blade - Gem Stainless PTFE Coated
Soap - Stirling Sheep
Brush - Jayaruh #230
Post - Alum

Tonight was a good night. The annual meeting of the Yakuza and Russian Cartel kingpins was held, as usual, over a slab of barely cooked dead cow. The only difference was that the dinner took place in the palace of the Czar. And when I say barely cooked what I mean is - the T-bones were mostly brown on the outside. Almost overcooked, really, for us. I'm happy to report that, even with the Yakuza HQ moving South, the Cartel is still a united front and the future of wet shaving and teaching traditional shaving is secure. Not sure when the new Southern palace will be occupied, but the boys and Natalia are proving plenty of security while the move goes through the Lou.

With the bloody meat devoured it was time to shave. One more night with the 1912 and tonight's Stirling involved another type of animal fat - mutton tallow. Yes, it's the Stirling Sheep. The progenitor of the rest of the mutton tallow line. Unscented, except for that musky tallow smell, this soap produces the richest and most luxurious lather of anything in my den. I take my time loading up the brush and make huge lathers out of this. Then, at the end of three perfect and flawless passes, I squeeze the brush out and just allow that soft and slick cushion to amaze me as I hold it in my hand. Yeah, I know, it's starting to sound weird. If you haven't tried a mutton tallow soap - you need to.

More shaving news today as I received a package from @Primotenore containing a blade holder to help strop my Star blade. Can't wait to work on that to see if it will perform like new even though it's original gear. Hope you have a great Friday!!

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Excellent shave and one that Putin would be proud of!

 

Thank you Andrew, Danny, & Gary!

It was interesting Joe! I was as cautious with the brush as I'd be with the whole animal. It's only a test ride unless I "choose" it out of The Traveling Box that needs to launch yesterday.

I'm test riding it Jason. It's an attractive mixed media handle and if I choose to keep it I'll be more adventurous. Then I'll be detangling too.

Thanks Clint! Took me a few years to get this close to a horse knot. It's not the same texture as boar or badger. Those are both the full hair shaft. This is kinder to the animal since it's just trimmed rather than harvested. You aren't getting the tips of the bristle - it's the snipped off blunt end of a coarse hair.

For those that have had a horse hair long enough - do they split or soften like other natural bristle?