January 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Fantastic looking shaves, Matthew. Glad to hear the Pearl is treating you right even if things don't line up perfectly.

 

Jan 20
Good morning, gentlemen!
Shavette Shave #126
Dovo Shavette
Rockwell DE 1/2 Blade
Omega Pro 49 Boar Brush
Stirling Glastonbury SS and AS
Nivea ASB
I was torn between using my shavette or my Wolstenholm 15/16 near wedge. Obviously, the shavette took over the shave. Lol! Attacking 49 hr whisker growth, everything worked in unison to give me a nice BBS shave. It took 2.5 passes and minor touchups. Reopened a weep on the corner of my left side of mouth. For some reason, that's my only trouble area. Finished the shave in the usual manner. Have a great day, fellas!

 

Great looking shave, Joe!

 

Thank you, Jim!

 

Tim:
I had been using the Grooming Dept’s Preshave Gel, which is decent, but have found that the Cube is amazing. It has made a qualitative and quantitative impact on my shaves. It so enhances that first pass, that I rarely need mor than a second pass. So if you’re caught up in the workaday rush - I’m retired - I would think that it could only improve the process. Enjoy your day!

 

Thanks a lot my friend.

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Yep, way more exposure on the left, ive tried multiple brands as well as manually adjustment, but the posts are probably not centered properly.

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Great picture, Joe!

 

I think the posts arent centered properly, way more blade exposure on the left.

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gotta love that nivea!

 

Thanks, Jim!

 

It is important to use some balm during the winter months up north. I like Nivea because it doesn't overshadow the aftershave scents.

 

Great shave report, Joe, as usual! That poor Shake Sharp isn’t seeing much love!

 

yea, sometimes i'll use a balm but I prefer liquid aftershaves because I like the stinging feel from them. I just don't seem to get that as much from a balm. I guess that I should still use a balm, cause like they say when you put alcohol on your face (which is in aftershave) it ages you. I'd like to look young when I get older.

 

Jan 20th

Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements PS Tube 2.0, ASB Star Jelly
A&E Vanille de Tabac SS & ASB
Heritage Collections - Ever Ready 3 Step - 2 band badger
Rex Ambassador
Bolzano (1)

Couple of firsts with this shave, although it's my 3rd use of the Rex Ambassador. First time using a Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements ceramic scuttle, complete enablement from following @Keithmax 's recent experiments. Daily routine much the same, super warm shower, scrub ~36 hours of growth with PAA's Tube 2.0. At the same time, scuttle is full inside and out with hottest tap water, ~125 degrees at our faucet. Brush warming in the bowl water. Dump bowl almost empty (maybe a teaspoon or so of water), shake brush to be just damp, swirl/load for ~30 seconds. Lathering was quite bubbly at first, then starts thickening as I'd expect, beating it like it's supposed to be, punching it down, beating some more. Face lather was awesome! Warm, slick, shiny and thick. I gotta admit/compare....the formulation of A&E and PAA are extremely similar...not only the 'in tub' look, but also the way it swirls/loads onto the brush, right down to the slight 'stringyness' as the brush gets loaded and you're ready to lather. Face feel, application and look are also much the same. I'm no chemist/soap maker...but, based on my first use, it's an extremely close process and only a slight variation of base ingredients.

First couple passes with the RA were set on 3.5, and a fresh Bolzano blade. Used the 'ride the cap' technique, barely letting the weight of the RA and Bolzano do the cutting. DFS+ from those 2 passes, just a little neck jawline touch up required for the 3rd pass. 1 neck weeper, a bump I didn't see and shaved it off. No biggie. Changed the setting for the fun of it to the lowest on the Rex, half way from 1 down to nothing, so a 0.5. Same ride the cap, extremely light weight when shaving, and a nice BBS achieved with neck buffing. I think at this setting you'd be hard pressed to cut yourself....there's no blade feel at all, and a very narrow angle. Feels like riding the cap and bar at the same time.

Many other reviews/comparisons across the 'net compare the RA's 3.5 setting to a Rockwell 6s with plate 6 (which is what I used Saturday night). I'd concur....very close, although the 6s can handle/requires a little more pressure. I'd say there's still a little more blade exposure on the Rex...should probably do some side by side comparisons. Settings higher than 3.5, definitely a lot more blade exposure/feel on the RA to me.

Finished off with PAA's Star Jelly, then A&E's matching ASB. Very nice aroma, tobacco, vanilla, ginger (almost clove like). Another great enablement from several of you 30DCr's.

Hope everyone has a Fantastic Monday!

 

very very nice shave!

 

That's awesome! I'm not sure about the learning curve part but I'm into using tools that look cool. They are good shavers.

I actually went from my Mach3 to a straight razor. I would shave with the straight and then clean up with my old Mach3. You want irritation, try plowing over your face with too much pressure on an exposed edge. It was bad enough there were rumors going around at work that I had developed some kind of self-injury disorder. That was in March of last year.

Anyway, then I purchased the Vickings Blade Cheiftain and went through the motions of learning angle and pressure and the pieces started coming together.

I do feel that mild razors are more forgiving of bad technique and help people get through those frustrating first shaves. So I would recommend getting a mild razor. Most vintage razors are not mild.

Yes, my memories of my first shave with my Merkur 37C and my RedTip are very fresh. Love those razors now but those first attempts were a bloodbath.

Anyway, good luck Joe! No matter what you use you can get good results if you stick with it.

 

Animal House came out just as I was starting my sophomore year in college, as a member of Delta Tau Delta. Yeah. I lived.....I mean loved it too.

 

Terrific picture, shave and report, Blair!
I've used the Ambassador as low as 1. No blade feel and very narrow sweet spot. Maintain the sweet spot and a great shave can be had.

 

Nice shave Jim! I was looking through my soaps. In have 18 tubs, 3 tubes, and 2 sticks. Enough for years of shaving, but in this group I'm just getting started. Since I started wetshaving in march of last year I finished 1 tub of Sir Hair and 2 tubes of Proraso (I was using way too much at first). Hard to believe I use to purchase one soap or cream and use it until it was gone. It's been LESS than a YEAR.