January 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Thank you Evan.

 

I can average around 8-10 head and face shaves from a Gem blade. Way more if just face shaves alone obviously. Some are better than others Tim. I have had luck stropping the carbon blades but never tried to strop the SS Gems .

Very nice setup Neal!

 

Good stuff Keith!Now I need to pull out a straight for my next shave as things are slowly getting back to normal.

 

Keep the green coming Clint! All I can see outside is white again till probably April.

 

Stock your fridge with lots of food and you should be fine . I emphasize the word 'should '

Never hurts to occasionally pat ones self on the back Evan.

 

Very nice Blair!

Tsk. Tsk.

 

Great reports guys!

 

Thanks for the info, Patrick. I've only ever tried stropping the carbon blades as well--figured if I couldn't do it right with a carbon steel blade there was no way in the world I was going to make it happen with SS.

One way or the other, I'm getting way less mileage than you are

 

Still...

 

Thanks Tim AV was a favorite of my Dad also.

Good stuff Terry!

Yikes . Be careful Jim!

Actually was sent to me by the one and only Fuzzy @wchnu . I never asked where he procured it Jim.

Thank you Clint.

Thanks Blair.

Great shave Perry!

Thanks Perry.

Thanks Jim.

 

I've had the odd blade that I tossed after a couple shaves but I expected to get a bad one every so often out of a 100 pack. My results are from daily shaving btw. If I have 3 days growth or more, I just start with a new blade to save the agony of ingrowns and chance of ripping hairs out .

 

Natalia isn't that bad, I mean she'll break you in half with a hard stare but who doesn't like that in a woman/enforcer?

 

Saturday shave and back to the hot scuttle test. Today's test soap is MdC which has performed great for me in cold and warm water. Fired up the tea kettle and then filled up the scuttle with very hot water. Loaded my brush and then put a few drops of liquid lanolin like I always do with MdC. The lather was as expected very bubbly and runny, as soon as I applied it my face it thickened up, too much. It would have been fine for a DE but not a straight.

I was finally able to get it an acceptable consistency when it is applied to my face but the slickness was far below what I usually get with MdC. If I was using a safety razor I could accept this lather but not with a straight. I am going to rule MdC out for the hot lathers.

Today's razor is a big Osiris and the edge was nice. Tomorrow I will put Tabac to the test.

 

Very nice setup Keith! I like that big blade .

 

I guess I need to get up early when I am going to cruise the Piggly Wiggly.

Jason, that razor is the thinest ground straight I have ever seen. While just a hair thicker than a DE is not in a holder to give it support and it is loner than a DE blade. It is amazing that a razor can be ground so thin.

Double TGIF!

I strop my razors the night before to save time in the morning. I also have the soap and brush selected and on the counter the night berfore too.

 

Awesome shave, Keith. And that big Osiris... daaaang!

 

Thank you gentlemen, she is a big girl. The maker said she is 8/8 but more like 9/8 with a 3/4 grind. Despite the size she's a pleasure to shave with.

 

Soap reduction plan back on track today. Was my girlfriends birthday today and we went out for Chinese with her parents and my youngest daughter.
Now for the shave part ... Being a newbie with straights I opted for a thinner lather and chose the Nivea . That was the 1st smart thing I've done in awhile. If anyone remembers my last straight report, I was having difficulty with the chin area and asked for advice. By chance or a stroke of luck I had a brainfart and decided maybe to strop with linen 10 strokes before attacking my chin this time. I then took the given advice and proceeded to use it to achieve success with my nemesis. (Thats why it pays a thousand fold to ask for help on here if you are not obtaining the results you desire ).
1st pass gave me great stubble reduction wtg , then 10 strops on linen and I did the unthinkable in my mind and went south to north up the throat area and up over the chin. ( I am pausing as I write this to rub my now smooth chin as that canary tasted great).
I've learned some excellent tips from the class of straight shavers on here who chimed in and answered my pleas for advice. Many thanks to each one of yous!
Thats why I believe this group stays so tight.... aside from our shenanigans, we all share the same passion for success in wetshaving. Lastly....and sorry for the long post ( In my defense I have been absent for a bit longer than expected due to circumstances) , I just wanted to again thank Bill @Edison Carter for giving me the opportunity to take this step into straights . What was once a dream is now a reality!

 

Its definitely a handfull Keith. I would probably remove my upper lip with that thing getting under the nose area. Its definitely a force to be reckoned with by its looks .