February 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

9nein9 · Feb 7, 2020

Keithmax said: ↑

I bought it last summer. Thanks

congratulations on your promotion.

Cool razor stand!

@Queen of Blades and @Sparky thank you and Happy Anniversary

It is true they give scars even if the don’t admit it.
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Love the look of the bezel with the blue face Keith! And thanks, I binned this piece when attempting a handle then reclaimed it for a stand . Waste not want not.

b1hart said: ↑

Great pain stick shave again Neal. Love that handle design!

Wow, too much snow. Great report and shave Patrick!
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Thanks Blair!. We are used to the snow here . Thats why I get so excited when summer arrives for 2 months.

brit said: ↑

View attachment 217227
good morning gents,friday shave..1967 m-4 black handle flare tip/platinum.eveready h40 badger,lovely slick jeeves barbershop lather,near bbs in 2+passes.barbershop aftershave to finish.will pick an etd before work..have a fine day everyone..
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Good morning Gary! Beautiful pic!

PLAla said: ↑

SOTD February 7, 2020
Fat Friday!

Prep: Cold water and PAA Cube pre-shave soap
Blade: Feather
Razor: Gillette Fatboy
Brush: Omega 10049 boar
Soap: Mitchell's Wool Fat
Post: Witch hazel, Fine American Blend aftershave

Fantastic Fat Friday edition. Luscious lather, easy whisker reduction, and a Fine finish. Doesn’t get much better than this for me.

Enjoy your day!

View attachment 217199
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Awesome shave Perry!

clint64 said: ↑

Great looking shave Patrick. Good luck with the weather.
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Thanks Clint!

PLAla said: ↑

Excellent shave, Patrick!
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Thanks Perry!

clint64 said: ↑

February 7, 2020
Rex Ambassador
Gillette 7 O’clock Black
Mondial Boar
A&E Bad Habits
Shave Soap & Aftershave

Happy Friday Everyone. Since I finished off the A&E Frozen Mojitos, I decided to break out the A&E Bad Habits which has been patiently waiting in the wings. The base of the soap is typical A&E which is to say, top tier with the performance to match. The scent is inspired by Guerlain Habit Rouge and is a very good take on the original. The scent has a barbershop quality but with a touch of bad boy mixed in. Bad Habits opens with a citrus over leather note over a woody base with some floral notes anchoring everything. There is a faint powdery note. The scent strength is pretty high easily filling the room and lasting throughout the shave. I really like this scent but I also really like the inspiration, Habit Rouge. Now onto the shave. Three passes with touch ups and buffing caught the baby. I did end up with a couple of weepers on the first pass. Otherwise a very nice shave. A splash of Bad Habits aftershave followed by a spritz of Habit Rouge and I ready for the day. I hope everyone has a great Friday.
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Love barbershop scents ! Very nice Clint!

Norcalnewb said: ↑

View attachment 217232

February 7 SOTD:

Razor: Gillette Aristocrat Jr
Blade: Polsilver
Brush: PAA The Solar Flare
Lather: PAA Kiritimati
Aftershave: PAA Kiritimati

Kiritimati is the soap of choice this morning, and it is definitely a favorite. It opens with a nice earthiness from the Frankincense and Myrrh. These two scents just do work well together, and it shows here. The Bay Rum starts to build nicely to balance everything out as it adds a bit of brightness to the scent. Overall this is a top 5 PAA scent for me. It is nicely done with a scent profile I really enjoy.

The Aristocrat Jr. gave a two pass DFS this morning, so he shave itself was wonderful. I hope everyone has a great Friday!
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Great shave Jim! Enjoy your day!

Boojum1 said: ↑

Friday
February 7, 2020

Wolfman WR1-OC Darwin Ti
Polsilver SI
Wolf Whiskers Envy White Two Band
MDC Fougere
Fine Lavender Pour Homme
Tom Ford for Men

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Nice gear Mark!

jtspartan said: ↑

February 7th
Occam’s Razor DE
‘17 30DC LE
Castle Forbes Lime
Thayers
M&L Florida Water
View attachment 217235
#6 and last Feb Fave combo. Which soap to grab? Looked in the den at a few great brands I hadn’t pulled yet, and then got inspired. These are faves because of where they came from. This fave combo is all about the 30DC. The soap @Keithmax, razor @jluc, splash @BaylorGator and blades @NCoxSTL all came via gift or trade from the fine gentlemen who populate our little corner of civility. The brush is solely a 30DC endeavour as well, obviously. Not my fave knot, but still a good brush. Could’ve picked razors from @Linuxguile or @Screwtape, or wood from @RyX or lots of other examples on here as well.
The shave itself? To quote a friend- Epic. Everything worked as it should, which is a high standard indeed. 3 passes with a little jawline buffing. Chased and Caught.
Have a great day all!
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Great choice Jason! Excellent shave!

Paul Turner said: ↑

A very well-done shave this morning, featuring the P.A.A. Boomtown soap and Clubman Special Reserve A.S. I decided to follow one of the pointers listed the other day in a post by @wristwatchb , that said to go different ways with each pass(presuming you're doing two). I wen t South-North on pass 1, then reversed directions going North-Souith on the second pass. Appeared to work well. I did get a weeper on the right side, close to my lower lip. It didn't cause a serious issue, it was just THERE. This was only my second go with the PAA soap, but I'll be doing two more in this "set". Happy to have this soap-after all, as my intro to TSD says, I'm "an East Coast Man With A West Coast Frame Of Mind". Grade:Excellent Enough.
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Great shave Paul!

b1hart said: ↑

View attachment 217231
Feb 7th

Proraso PS - Red
Wet Shaving Products SS & AS - Black Beard
30DC LE w/Omega boar
Rex Ambassador
Gillette Silver Blue (3)
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements ASB - Star Jelly

Meant to be shaving with an open edge today, thought it wouldn't be the best idea, turns out my self preservation instinct was right....

Started off with usual routine, hot shower, face scrub. Proraso PS Red applied all over while making a lather (no hot scuttle). Up was a new acquisition, Wet Shaving Products Formula T shave soap. I've had this formula before, but it was the Sandalwood fragrance...unfortunately had skin reaction to the AS. Formula T is an awesome shave soap, lather immediately bursts from the container after a couple of swirls with @jtspartan 30DC 2019 handle and damp boar knot. Great slick and thick lather, wonderful face feel, color is a little off white due to ingredients. Very nice. As Clint has mentioned previously, not a big fan of the soap container, it's half lathering in the container, half on your hand, had to scrape off in the bowl to complete a real lather. Wish it'd be like some of the other artisans where the container is a couple ounces larger than the included soap volume, with room to load a brush.

Broke a rule with this shave using a blade for a third time. Terry most times goes for one use with most blades, I usually go two. Wanted to see if I could stretch to three and failed. First two passes with the RA set at 6, two weepers. One on the first pass, corner of my mouth, felt a small tug, slightly seeped through the shave, no biggie other than irritation. Still feel it, like a hair pulled instead of cut. Second pass had another small red spot on the chin, no weep, just a spot. Third pass was the upper lip, chin and lower neck clean up with RA set to 1. Finished off with PAA Star Jelly, then WSP's Black Beard AS. No styptic needed for the two skin issues, they really weren't bad, just shows my mind was elsewhere.

Wet Shaving Products Black Beard.....slightly 'piratey' to me (which is how it's marketed), but not a bay rum pirate, more clove, dark tobacco and a little vanilla. Scent description includes cherry in the vanilla, but my nose doesn't get that. If I'm smelling the cherry....it's a dark cherry. While this blend gets lots of great reviews, not quite so in this household. Wifey said it's a good day fragrance, but not one for a date.....hmm. Probably not a repurchase, we'll see if it stays around.

What was on my mind? One of our high school teenagers, 99.9% a great kid, great grades, good decisions, slightly off track with focus the past week or so, 'nuff said.

Today starts a working out of town weekend for me, I'll be reading along as I can.

Hope everyone has a Fantastic Friday and weekend!
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Blackbeard is strong and does smell like cloves more than cherry , I agree. I prefer this soap in summer for some reason Blair.

Primotenore said: ↑

February Focus

C.O. Bigelow~~Simpson CH2 Synthetic Badger~~2011 Mühle R41/Polsilver~~Proraso Lozione Dopobarba
Last "hotel" shave for the time being, as well as most-probably, my last visit to the BSU campus.
Moral is low amongst the music faculty. Budget cuts, lower standards, lack of freedom to "be in charge"
of the classroom; everyone walks around on eggshells, in fear that a disgruntled student will make some
baseless accusation. This campus defines the phrase: "Tail wagging the dog".
90% of my former colleagues have lost their "passion". Makes me glad I left when I did.
Academia is not what it used to be friends. Welcome to the "Woke" society.
Anyway, it was still rewarding to teach a few of the singers, who were motivated and
truly excited to make vocal breakthroughs.
Now to the shave.
I have tried applying tube cream in two different manners.
1) Taking a finger full and smearing it all over my beard area, then going at it with a damp brush.
2) Squeezing a thumb-size dollop directly into the breach of the knot, then face lathering.
I have the most success with number 2. Number one lays a sticky layer of soap directly on the skin
and I find that the first pass lacks slickness and the lather gums up the razor.
The rather-stiff CH2 needs a goodly amount of coaxing to splay and "fill up" with lather.
Once that has been achieved, I can employ paintbrush strokes to refine and hydrate the product.
The R41, with all of its gnashing of teeth and ferocious growling, was easily tamed by yours truly.
Three passes and very gingerly on the neck, produced mostly a BBS.
My neck would sadly fail the cotton ball test. I won't lose any sleep over that fact.
Double-splash of the Proraso aftershave. The Eucalyptus is both tingly and refreshing.
Needless to say, I am really smelling....
good.
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Sad to hear about the low moral. Times have really changed. I agree with lather #2 method Joseph. Should try it with the boiling water method, whole different experience again.

Hembree said: ↑

Awesome Fat Friday shave. The ATT Atlas with the aluminum R2 plate was a joy to use this morning. The MWF was just great thick slick goo. Y'all have a great Friday! View attachment 217245
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Great shave Danny! Enjoy your day!

Tommynick said: ↑

Friday 2/7

Qshave Adjustable
Remei stainless 4
Amici ShaveSoap
C&E Badger Brush
Amici AS

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Seen this soap/ AS online last night . Whats your opinion of it?

jluc · Feb 7, 2020

timabababaluka said: ↑

Feb. 7 Hell Week--Episode 6: "Winning Record?"

Happy Friday, everybody!

I went in to today's shave at 3:3, and really wanted to finish the week at 4:3. Still a loss by my standards, but at least a winning season, right? The good news is the last acquisition for me was the Gillette Flare Tip kindly PIF'd from Evan @MrEE . The Flare Tip is my smoothest, mildest shaver, so I was coming into this game with the home field advantage.

View attachment 217249

I was surprised how much I love this razor. I thought I disliked mild shavers, and because buying vintage always seemed like a bit of a crap shoot, I discounted the idea for years--sooo many lost years. Full disclosure: even if the Gillette somehow manages to score lowest at the end of the month, I'm still keeping it. I can't say this about any of my other razors... even the 1912.

Week 1 Gear

Blade: Personna Blue (1st shave)

Brush: Kong

Soap: Soap Commander "Drive"

AS: Clubman Original

Balm: Nivea Sensitive Cooling

View attachment 217250

The Shave
In spite of the pressure being on to log a winning week, I came into it fairly confident, and my 1st pass (WTG) went without a hitch. Light, light pressure... "Reveeeeerse Pressurrrrrrrrre. Ohmmmmmmmmm." No problems. Quite a bit of stubble left, but no blood. 2nd pass (XTG) went equally well. Still pretty rough, but I'm not paying attention to that kind of stuff ever again--it's all about the comfort, baby!

Going into the 3rd (ATG) pass, I should have been supremely confident, but the opposite occurred. I was sooooo close to chalking a win here that I was terrified I'd drop the ball on the 1 yard line. As the fight or flight response started to build, my large-muscle groups took over, and fine motor skills were becoming... difficult.

Mind Games
(relevant, but unnecessary story--skip if you're pressed for time)
When I was a kid getting ready for bed, I'd turn the lights off, and dread those 10 steps to the bed. Clowns, vampires, the Creature of the Black Lagoon, and even Jaws at various periods in my life were denizens under the bed waiting to snatch my ankles and drag me under--I foiled all their attempts by jumping the last 5-8 feet into bed (take that Gill-man). At around the age of 18 I started to feel a bit foolish doing this. So, I started to purposefully, slowly, walk to the bed, peel back the covers, straighten my pillow and climb calmly into bed. The problem was I was not calm, and the harder I tried to impose my will to slowly raise my feet into bed, the harder it was to control my feet. They'd spasmodically jerk up and down, and it got worse the closer I got to actually getting in bed.

Now imagine that is happening with a razor. The closer I got to finishing those looooooong YouTuber passes the less control of my fine motor skills I seemed to have. The more I tried to impose my will, the jerkier I got. I don't know how I didn't wind up cutting my head off completely.

The Score
In spite of the touch-and-go nature of that 3rd passz I pulled it off blood free. Do I feel foolish for making such a big deal about this stupid shave? No comment. But here are the scores:

Comfort: Upon application of AS, I got the sting and some burn (which usually means a bit or irritation); however, 1 hour later there is hardly anything--maybe a small tingle at the corners of my mouth and by my lips. Score: 4. I'm very happy with how this shave turned out.

Closeness: Like most of the shaves this week, overall I feel DFS, but a lack of touch-ups has some rough-ish spots--I'd call it DFS/CCS. Score: 2.

Week 1 Wrap-up
(thoughts on monogamy and YouTube)
Honestly, I'm not happy with how the shaves went this week. I've been wet-shaving for 7 years, and thought I was pretty much done with all the blood. I think part of the problem is I tend to have a fairly monogamous relationship with my razors--I find one that works for me, and stick with it for long stretches at a time. I didn't start switching between razors until a few months ago when I bought my 1912 on the bay and had a free MMOC tossed in by the seller. I felt and acted like I was shaving with familiar razors all this week--but they were not familiar.

Another thing I noticed. I really dislike those loooooong YouTuber passes. I suppose with a 30DC focus I could master them, but I don't fully see the point. Who knows? If I get stuck for ideas, I might take it on, but right now the most annoying part of my shaves have been those passes. Starting next week, I think I'll loosen things up a bit and do some soul shaving--do what feels good. Parameters: touch-ups permitted along the way, but stop at three passes. Buffing permitted. Still... chase comfort, not closeness.

I've had what seems like a year's worth of blood in a single week of shaving. That nonsense has to stop. Tomorrow I draw names from the Super Dad mug to determine shaving order. Really looking forward to shaving next week. Hope you all have a fantastic Friday!
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Terrific post, Tim!

blondblue · Feb 7, 2020

Phoenix A.A. just came out with their "Valentine Day Special"-Love Bombs. I'd say it's Smitty's version of Doc Ezlovan's Haverford.

blondblue · Feb 7, 2020

9nein9 said: ↑

Love the look of the bezel with the blue face Keith! And thanks, I binned this piece when attempting a handle then reclaimed it for a stand . Waste not want not.

Thanks Blair!. We are used to the snow here . Thats why I get so excited when summer arrives for 2 months.

Good morning Gary! Beautiful pic!

Awesome shave Perry!

Thanks Clint!

Thanks Perry!

Love barbershop scents ! Very nice Clint!

Great shave Jim! Enjoy your day!

Nice gear Mark!

Great choice Jason! Excellent shave!

Great shave Paul!
it
Blackbeard is strong and does smell like cloves more than cherry , I agree. I prefer this soap in summer for some reason Blair.

Sad to hear about the low moral. Times have really changed. I agree with lather #2 method Joseph. Should try it with the boiling water method, whole different experience again.

Great shave Danny! Enjoy your day!

Seen this soap/ AS online last night . Whats your opinion of it?
Click to expand...

Thanks....it certainly is that Ol'West feeling. .

clint64 · Feb 7, 2020

b1hart said: ↑

View attachment 217231
Feb 7th

Proraso PS - Red
Wet Shaving Products SS & AS - Black Beard
30DC LE w/Omega boar
Rex Ambassador
Gillette Silver Blue (3)
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements ASB - Star Jelly

Meant to be shaving with an open edge today, thought it wouldn't be the best idea, turns out my self preservation instinct was right....

Started off with usual routine, hot shower, face scrub. Proraso PS Red applied all over while making a lather (no hot scuttle). Up was a new acquisition, Wet Shaving Products Formula T shave soap. I've had this formula before, but it was the Sandalwood fragrance...unfortunately had skin reaction to the AS. Formula T is an awesome shave soap, lather immediately bursts from the container after a couple of swirls with @jtspartan 30DC 2019 handle and damp boar knot. Great slick and thick lather, wonderful face feel, color is a little off white due to ingredients. Very nice. As Clint has mentioned previously, not a big fan of the soap container, it's half lathering in the container, half on your hand, had to scrape off in the bowl to complete a real lather. Wish it'd be like some of the other artisans where the container is a couple ounces larger than the included soap volume, with room to load a brush.

Broke a rule with this shave using a blade for a third time. Terry most times goes for one use with most blades, I usually go two. Wanted to see if I could stretch to three and failed. First two passes with the RA set at 6, two weepers. One on the first pass, corner of my mouth, felt a small tug, slightly seeped through the shave, no biggie other than irritation. Still feel it, like a hair pulled instead of cut. Second pass had another small red spot on the chin, no weep, just a spot. Third pass was the upper lip, chin and lower neck clean up with RA set to 1. Finished off with PAA Star Jelly, then WSP's Black Beard AS. No styptic needed for the two skin issues, they really weren't bad, just shows my mind was elsewhere.

Wet Shaving Products Black Beard.....slightly 'piratey' to me (which is how it's marketed), but not a bay rum pirate, more clove, dark tobacco and a little vanilla. Scent description includes cherry in the vanilla, but my nose doesn't get that. If I'm smelling the cherry....it's a dark cherry. While this blend gets lots of great reviews, not quite so in this household. Wifey said it's a good day fragrance, but not one for a date.....hmm. Probably not a repurchase, we'll see if it stays around.

What was on my mind? One of our high school teenagers, 99.9% a great kid, great grades, good decisions, slightly off track with focus the past week or so, 'nuff said.

Today starts a working out of town weekend for me, I'll be reading along as I can.

Hope everyone has a Fantastic Friday and weekend!
Click to expand...

Wonderful photo and recap Blair. Thanks for saving me the money on Black Beard.

I know how the 99.9% kids can be sometimes. Remind me to tell you about leaving the scene of an accident while driving a University Van. Just be thankful we got the high percentage ones. God I can't imagine how trying the opposite would be.

PLAla · Feb 7, 2020

jluc said: ↑

February 7th
Razor: Timeless Aluminum
Blade: Sharp Star (2)
Brush: Simpson CH2 Synthetic
Pre-shave: PAA The Cube
Soap: A&E Vanille de Tabac
PAA Galactic witch hazel
PAA unscented Star Jelly
AS: A&E Vanille de Tabac

Good morning

Late shave today. I've been waiting for the snow to let up to go out and shovel the walks. Hasn't let up yet. Maybe get it done later.

I did finally shave. Terrific shave! Three passes for near BBS. Nearly silent alum.

I'm really liking my aluminum razors. I guess it's because they feel more nimble and it seems more mindless to me about using too much pressure. I won't stop using the heavyweights but I do enjoy having options.

A&E in the hot scuttle this morning. Best performer yet in the high heat. Wonderful rich slick almost milk chocolate colored lather.

Simpson Synthetic brush. Wow, stiff brush! Tough to splay. I'll use it for the next few days before drawing any conclusions.

Have a great day!
Click to expand...

Incredible setup, Jim! That brush is outstanding.

clint64 · Feb 7, 2020

Primotenore said: ↑

February Focus

C.O. Bigelow~~Simpson CH2 Synthetic Badger~~2011 Mühle R41/Polsilver~~Proraso Lozione Dopobarba
Last "hotel" shave for the time being, as well as most-probably, my last visit to the BSU campus.
Moral is low amongst the music faculty. Budget cuts, lower standards, lack of freedom to "be in charge"
of the classroom; everyone walks around on eggshells, in fear that a disgruntled student will make some
baseless accusation. This campus defines the phrase: "Tail wagging the dog".
90% of my former colleagues have lost their "passion". Makes me glad I left when I did.
Academia is not what it used to be friends. Welcome to the "Woke" society.
Anyway, it was still rewarding to teach a few of the singers, who were motivated and
truly excited to make vocal breakthroughs.
Now to the shave.
I have tried applying tube cream in two different manners.
1) Taking a finger full and smearing it all over my beard area, then going at it with a damp brush.
2) Squeezing a thumb-size dollop directly into the breach of the knot, then face lathering.
I have the most success with number 2. Number one lays a sticky layer of soap directly on the skin
and I find that the first pass lacks slickness and the lather gums up the razor.
The rather-stiff CH2 needs a goodly amount of coaxing to splay and "fill up" with lather.
Once that has been achieved, I can employ paintbrush strokes to refine and hydrate the product.
The R41, with all of its gnashing of teeth and ferocious growling, was easily tamed by yours truly.
Three passes and very gingerly on the neck, produced mostly a BBS.
My neck would sadly fail the cotton ball test. I won't lose any sleep over that fact.
Double-splash of the Proraso aftershave. The Eucalyptus is both tingly and refreshing.
Needless to say, I am really smelling....
good.
Click to expand...

Excellent report and photo Joseph. I can only imagine how the "Woke" society is changing the Army

PLAla · Feb 7, 2020

timabababaluka said: ↑

Feb. 7 Hell Week--Episode 6: "Winning Record?"

Happy Friday, everybody!

I went in to today's shave at 3:3, and really wanted to finish the week at 4:3. Still a loss by my standards, but at least a winning season, right? The good news is the last acquisition for me was the Gillette Flare Tip kindly PIF'd from Evan @MrEE . The Flare Tip is my smoothest, mildest shaver, so I was coming into this game with the home field advantage.

View attachment 217249

I was surprised how much I love this razor. I thought I disliked mild shavers, and because buying vintage always seemed like a bit of a crap shoot, I discounted the idea for years--sooo many lost years. Full disclosure: even if the Gillette somehow manages to score lowest at the end of the month, I'm still keeping it. I can't say this about any of my other razors... even the 1912.

Week 1 Gear

Blade: Personna Blue (1st shave)

Brush: Kong

Soap: Soap Commander "Drive"

AS: Clubman Original

Balm: Nivea Sensitive Cooling

View attachment 217250

The Shave
In spite of the pressure being on to log a winning week, I came into it fairly confident, and my 1st pass (WTG) went without a hitch. Light, light pressure... "Reveeeeerse Pressurrrrrrrrre. Ohmmmmmmmmm." No problems. Quite a bit of stubble left, but no blood. 2nd pass (XTG) went equally well. Still pretty rough, but I'm not paying attention to that kind of stuff ever again--it's all about the comfort, baby!

Going into the 3rd (ATG) pass, I should have been supremely confident, but the opposite occurred. I was sooooo close to chalking a win here that I was terrified I'd drop the ball on the 1 yard line. As the fight or flight response started to build, my large-muscle groups took over, and fine motor skills were becoming... difficult.

Mind Games
(relevant, but unnecessary story--skip if you're pressed for time)
When I was a kid getting ready for bed, I'd turn the lights off, and dread those 10 steps to the bed. Clowns, vampires, the Creature of the Black Lagoon, and even Jaws at various periods in my life were denizens under the bed waiting to snatch my ankles and drag me under--I foiled all their attempts by jumping the last 5-8 feet into bed (take that Gill-man). At around the age of 18 I started to feel a bit foolish doing this. So, I started to purposefully, slowly, walk to the bed, peel back the covers, straighten my pillow and climb calmly into bed. The problem was I was not calm, and the harder I tried to impose my will to slowly raise my feet into bed, the harder it was to control my feet. They'd spasmodically jerk up and down, and it got worse the closer I got to actually getting in bed.

Now imagine that is happening with a razor. The closer I got to finishing those looooooong YouTuber passes the less control of my fine motor skills I seemed to have. The more I tried to impose my will, the jerkier I got. I don't know how I didn't wind up cutting my head off completely.

The Score
In spite of the touch-and-go nature of that 3rd passz I pulled it off blood free. Do I feel foolish for making such a big deal about this stupid shave? No comment. But here are the scores:

Comfort: Upon application of AS, I got the sting and some burn (which usually means a bit or irritation); however, 1 hour later there is hardly anything--maybe a small tingle at the corners of my mouth and by my lips. Score: 4. I'm very happy with how this shave turned out.

Closeness: Like most of the shaves this week, overall I feel DFS, but a lack of touch-ups has some rough-ish spots--I'd call it DFS/CCS. Score: 2.

Week 1 Wrap-up
(thoughts on monogamy and YouTube)
Honestly, I'm not happy with how the shaves went this week. I've been wet-shaving for 7 years, and thought I was pretty much done with all the blood. I think part of the problem is I tend to have a fairly monogamous relationship with my razors--I find one that works for me, and stick with it for long stretches at a time. I didn't start switching between razors until a few months ago when I bought my 1912 on the bay and had a free MMOC tossed in by the seller. I felt and acted like I was shaving with familiar razors all this week--but they were not familiar.

Another thing I noticed. I really dislike those loooooong YouTuber passes. I suppose with a 30DC focus I could master them, but I don't fully see the point. Who knows? If I get stuck for ideas, I might take it on, but right now the most annoying part of my shaves have been those passes. Starting next week, I think I'll loosen things up a bit and do some soul shaving--do what feels good. Parameters: touch-ups permitted along the way, but stop at three passes. Buffing permitted. Still... chase comfort, not closeness.

I've had what seems like a year's worth of blood in a single week of shaving. That nonsense has to stop. Tomorrow I draw names from the Super Dad mug to determine shaving order. Really looking forward to shaving next week. Hope you all have a fantastic Friday!
Click to expand...

Terrific report, Tim! I agree - chase comfort, not closeness. That's a great phrase.

PLAla · Feb 7, 2020

9nein9 said: ↑

Love the look of the bezel with the blue face Keith! And thanks, I binned this piece when attempting a handle then reclaimed it for a stand . Waste not want not.

Thanks Blair!. We are used to the snow here . Thats why I get so excited when summer arrives for 2 months.

Good morning Gary! Beautiful pic!

Awesome shave Perry!

Thanks Clint!

Thanks Perry!

Love barbershop scents ! Very nice Clint!

Great shave Jim! Enjoy your day!

Nice gear Mark!

Great choice Jason! Excellent shave!

Great shave Paul!

Blackbeard is strong and does smell like cloves more than cherry , I agree. I prefer this soap in summer for some reason Blair.

Sad to hear about the low moral. Times have really changed. I agree with lather #2 method Joseph. Should try it with the boiling water method, whole different experience again.

Great shave Danny! Enjoy your day!

Seen this soap/ AS online last night . Whats your opinion of it?
Click to expand...

Thanks, Patrick!

clint64 · Feb 7, 2020

jtspartan said: ↑

Sounds like a great soap, Clint! Is the brush breaking in well? Similar to your Zeniths?
I wonder what ‘a touch of bad boy mixed in’ to the soap adds to the scent, though...
Click to expand...

The brush is breaking in well. It is very similar to the Zenith. I think the same folks make the brush.

The leather notes over wood, gives me the thought of having a drink that just might push me over the edge.

clint64 · Feb 7, 2020

Hembree said: ↑

Awesome Fat Friday shave. The ATT Atlas with the aluminum R2 plate was a joy to use this morning. The MWF was just great thick slick goo. Y'all have a great Friday! View attachment 217245
Click to expand...

Wonderful Fat Friday shave Danny

clint64 · Feb 7, 2020

jluc said: ↑

February 7th
Razor: Timeless Aluminum
Blade: Sharp Star (2)
Brush: Simpson CH2 Synthetic
Pre-shave: PAA The Cube
Soap: A&E Vanille de Tabac
PAA Galactic witch hazel
PAA unscented Star Jelly
AS: A&E Vanille de Tabac

Good morning

Late shave today. I've been waiting for the snow to let up to go out and shovel the walks. Hasn't let up yet. Maybe get it done later.

I did finally shave. Terrific shave! Three passes for near BBS. Nearly silent alum.

I'm really liking my aluminum razors. I guess it's because they feel more nimble and it seems more mindless to me about using too much pressure. I won't stop using the heavyweights but I do enjoy having options.

A&E in the hot scuttle this morning. Best performer yet in the high heat. Wonderful rich slick almost milk chocolate colored lather.

Simpson Synthetic brush. Wow, stiff brush! Tough to splay. I'll use it for the next few days before drawing any conclusions.

Have a great day!
Click to expand...

Wonderful picture and shave report Jim. On the CH2 Synthetic don't be afraid to abuse it. When loading mash down on the brush and swirl it around. That will make it easier to splay. If you baby it like a nice badger, the CH2 synthetic will own you.

clint64 · Feb 7, 2020

timabababaluka said: ↑

Feb. 7 Hell Week--Episode 6: "Winning Record?"

Happy Friday, everybody!

I went in to today's shave at 3:3, and really wanted to finish the week at 4:3. Still a loss by my standards, but at least a winning season, right? The good news is the last acquisition for me was the Gillette Flare Tip kindly PIF'd from Evan @MrEE . The Flare Tip is my smoothest, mildest shaver, so I was coming into this game with the home field advantage.

View attachment 217249

I was surprised how much I love this razor. I thought I disliked mild shavers, and because buying vintage always seemed like a bit of a crap shoot, I discounted the idea for years--sooo many lost years. Full disclosure: even if the Gillette somehow manages to score lowest at the end of the month, I'm still keeping it. I can't say this about any of my other razors... even the 1912.

Week 1 Gear

Blade: Personna Blue (1st shave)

Brush: Kong

Soap: Soap Commander "Drive"

AS: Clubman Original

Balm: Nivea Sensitive Cooling

View attachment 217250

The Shave
In spite of the pressure being on to log a winning week, I came into it fairly confident, and my 1st pass (WTG) went without a hitch. Light, light pressure... "Reveeeeerse Pressurrrrrrrrre. Ohmmmmmmmmm." No problems. Quite a bit of stubble left, but no blood. 2nd pass (XTG) went equally well. Still pretty rough, but I'm not paying attention to that kind of stuff ever again--it's all about the comfort, baby!

Going into the 3rd (ATG) pass, I should have been supremely confident, but the opposite occurred. I was sooooo close to chalking a win here that I was terrified I'd drop the ball on the 1 yard line. As the fight or flight response started to build, my large-muscle groups took over, and fine motor skills were becoming... difficult.

Mind Games
(relevant, but unnecessary story--skip if you're pressed for time)
When I was a kid getting ready for bed, I'd turn the lights off, and dread those 10 steps to the bed. Clowns, vampires, the Creature of the Black Lagoon, and even Jaws at various periods in my life were denizens under the bed waiting to snatch my ankles and drag me under--I foiled all their attempts by jumping the last 5-8 feet into bed (take that Gill-man). At around the age of 18 I started to feel a bit foolish doing this. So, I started to purposefully, slowly, walk to the bed, peel back the covers, straighten my pillow and climb calmly into bed. The problem was I was not calm, and the harder I tried to impose my will to slowly raise my feet into bed, the harder it was to control my feet. They'd spasmodically jerk up and down, and it got worse the closer I got to actually getting in bed.

Now imagine that is happening with a razor. The closer I got to finishing those looooooong YouTuber passes the less control of my fine motor skills I seemed to have. The more I tried to impose my will, the jerkier I got. I don't know how I didn't wind up cutting my head off completely.

The Score
In spite of the touch-and-go nature of that 3rd passz I pulled it off blood free. Do I feel foolish for making such a big deal about this stupid shave? No comment. But here are the scores:

Comfort: Upon application of AS, I got the sting and some burn (which usually means a bit or irritation); however, 1 hour later there is hardly anything--maybe a small tingle at the corners of my mouth and by my lips. Score: 4. I'm very happy with how this shave turned out.

Closeness: Like most of the shaves this week, overall I feel DFS, but a lack of touch-ups has some rough-ish spots--I'd call it DFS/CCS. Score: 2.

Week 1 Wrap-up
(thoughts on monogamy and YouTube)
Honestly, I'm not happy with how the shaves went this week. I've been wet-shaving for 7 years, and thought I was pretty much done with all the blood. I think part of the problem is I tend to have a fairly monogamous relationship with my razors--I find one that works for me, and stick with it for long stretches at a time. I didn't start switching between razors until a few months ago when I bought my 1912 on the bay and had a free MMOC tossed in by the seller. I felt and acted like I was shaving with familiar razors all this week--but they were not familiar.

Another thing I noticed. I really dislike those loooooong YouTuber passes. I suppose with a 30DC focus I could master them, but I don't fully see the point. Who knows? If I get stuck for ideas, I might take it on, but right now the most annoying part of my shaves have been those passes. Starting next week, I think I'll loosen things up a bit and do some soul shaving--do what feels good. Parameters: touch-ups permitted along the way, but stop at three passes. Buffing permitted. Still... chase comfort, not closeness.

I've had what seems like a year's worth of blood in a single week of shaving. That nonsense has to stop. Tomorrow I draw names from the Super Dad mug to determine shaving order. Really looking forward to shaving next week. Hope you all have a fantastic Friday!
Click to expand...

Very entertaining shave report Tim. Happy Friday

clint64 · Feb 7, 2020

9nein9 said: ↑

Love the look of the bezel with the blue face Keith! And thanks, I binned this piece when attempting a handle then reclaimed it for a stand . Waste not want not.

Thanks Blair!. We are used to the snow here . Thats why I get so excited when summer arrives for 2 months.

Good morning Gary! Beautiful pic!

Awesome shave Perry!

Thanks Clint!

Thanks Perry!

Love barbershop scents ! Very nice Clint!

Great shave Jim! Enjoy your day!

Nice gear Mark!

Great choice Jason! Excellent shave!

Great shave Paul!

Blackbeard is strong and does smell like cloves more than cherry , I agree. I prefer this soap in summer for some reason Blair.

Sad to hear about the low moral. Times have really changed. I agree with lather #2 method Joseph. Should try it with the boiling water method, whole different experience again.

Great shave Danny! Enjoy your day!

Seen this soap/ AS online last night . Whats your opinion of it?
Click to expand...

Thank you Patrick

timabababaluka · Feb 7, 2020

brit said: ↑

View attachment 217227
good morning gents,friday shave..1967 m-4 black handle flare tip/platinum.eveready h40 badger,lovely slick jeeves barbershop lather,near bbs in 2+passes.barbershop aftershave to finish.will pick an etd before work..have a fine day everyone..
Click to expand...

Awesome shave, Gary--love that black handled Gillette. Super classy

jluc · Feb 7, 2020

PLAla said: ↑

Incredible setup, Jim! That brush is outstanding.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Perry!

clint64 said: ↑

Wonderful picture and shave report Jim. On the CH2 Synthetic don't be afraid to abuse it. When loading mash down on the brush and swirl it around. That will make it easier to splay. If you baby it like a nice badger, the CH2 synthetic will own you.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Clint! And thanks for the tip!

timabababaluka · Feb 7, 2020

PLAla said: ↑

SOTD February 7, 2020
Fat Friday!

Prep: Cold water and PAA Cube pre-shave soap
Blade: Feather
Razor: Gillette Fatboy
Brush: Omega 10049 boar
Soap: Mitchell's Wool Fat
Post: Witch hazel, Fine American Blend aftershave

Fantastic Fat Friday edition. Luscious lather, easy whisker reduction, and a Fine finish. Doesn’t get much better than this for me.

Enjoy your day!

View attachment 217199
Click to expand...

Incredible shave, Perry. Fantastic photo as well!

PLAla · Feb 7, 2020

timabababaluka said: ↑

Incredible shave, Perry. Fantastic photo as well!
Click to expand...

Thank you, Tim!

Norcalnewb · Feb 7, 2020

jluc said: ↑

February 7th
Razor: Timeless Aluminum
Blade: Sharp Star (2)
Brush: Simpson CH2 Synthetic
Pre-shave: PAA The Cube
Soap: A&E Vanille de Tabac
PAA Galactic witch hazel
PAA unscented Star Jelly
AS: A&E Vanille de Tabac

Good morning

Late shave today. I've been waiting for the snow to let up to go out and shovel the walks. Hasn't let up yet. Maybe get it done later.

I did finally shave. Terrific shave! Three passes for near BBS. Nearly silent alum.

I'm really liking my aluminum razors. I guess it's because they feel more nimble and it seems more mindless to me about using too much pressure. I won't stop using the heavyweights but I do enjoy having options.

A&E in the hot scuttle this morning. Best performer yet in the high heat. Wonderful rich slick almost milk chocolate colored lather.

Simpson Synthetic brush. Wow, stiff brush! Tough to splay. I'll use it for the next few days before drawing any conclusions.

Have a great day!
Click to expand...

Beautiful picture, Jim!

Norcalnewb · Feb 7, 2020

timabababaluka said: ↑

Feb. 7 Hell Week--Episode 6: "Winning Record?"

Happy Friday, everybody!

I went in to today's shave at 3:3, and really wanted to finish the week at 4:3. Still a loss by my standards, but at least a winning season, right? The good news is the last acquisition for me was the Gillette Flare Tip kindly PIF'd from Evan @MrEE . The Flare Tip is my smoothest, mildest shaver, so I was coming into this game with the home field advantage.

View attachment 217249

I was surprised how much I love this razor. I thought I disliked mild shavers, and because buying vintage always seemed like a bit of a crap shoot, I discounted the idea for years--sooo many lost years. Full disclosure: even if the Gillette somehow manages to score lowest at the end of the month, I'm still keeping it. I can't say this about any of my other razors... even the 1912.

Week 1 Gear

Blade: Personna Blue (1st shave)

Brush: Kong

Soap: Soap Commander "Drive"

AS: Clubman Original

Balm: Nivea Sensitive Cooling

View attachment 217250

The Shave
In spite of the pressure being on to log a winning week, I came into it fairly confident, and my 1st pass (WTG) went without a hitch. Light, light pressure... "Reveeeeerse Pressurrrrrrrrre. Ohmmmmmmmmm." No problems. Quite a bit of stubble left, but no blood. 2nd pass (XTG) went equally well. Still pretty rough, but I'm not paying attention to that kind of stuff ever again--it's all about the comfort, baby!

Going into the 3rd (ATG) pass, I should have been supremely confident, but the opposite occurred. I was sooooo close to chalking a win here that I was terrified I'd drop the ball on the 1 yard line. As the fight or flight response started to build, my large-muscle groups took over, and fine motor skills were becoming... difficult.

Mind Games
(relevant, but unnecessary story--skip if you're pressed for time)
When I was a kid getting ready for bed, I'd turn the lights off, and dread those 10 steps to the bed. Clowns, vampires, the Creature of the Black Lagoon, and even Jaws at various periods in my life were denizens under the bed waiting to snatch my ankles and drag me under--I foiled all their attempts by jumping the last 5-8 feet into bed (take that Gill-man). At around the age of 18 I started to feel a bit foolish doing this. So, I started to purposefully, slowly, walk to the bed, peel back the covers, straighten my pillow and climb calmly into bed. The problem was I was not calm, and the harder I tried to impose my will to slowly raise my feet into bed, the harder it was to control my feet. They'd spasmodically jerk up and down, and it got worse the closer I got to actually getting in bed.

Now imagine that is happening with a razor. The closer I got to finishing those looooooong YouTuber passes the less control of my fine motor skills I seemed to have. The more I tried to impose my will, the jerkier I got. I don't know how I didn't wind up cutting my head off completely.

The Score
In spite of the touch-and-go nature of that 3rd passz I pulled it off blood free. Do I feel foolish for making such a big deal about this stupid shave? No comment. But here are the scores:

Comfort: Upon application of AS, I got the sting and some burn (which usually means a bit or irritation); however, 1 hour later there is hardly anything--maybe a small tingle at the corners of my mouth and by my lips. Score: 4. I'm very happy with how this shave turned out.

Closeness: Like most of the shaves this week, overall I feel DFS, but a lack of touch-ups has some rough-ish spots--I'd call it DFS/CCS. Score: 2.

Week 1 Wrap-up
(thoughts on monogamy and YouTube)
Honestly, I'm not happy with how the shaves went this week. I've been wet-shaving for 7 years, and thought I was pretty much done with all the blood. I think part of the problem is I tend to have a fairly monogamous relationship with my razors--I find one that works for me, and stick with it for long stretches at a time. I didn't start switching between razors until a few months ago when I bought my 1912 on the bay and had a free MMOC tossed in by the seller. I felt and acted like I was shaving with familiar razors all this week--but they were not familiar.

Another thing I noticed. I really dislike those loooooong YouTuber passes. I suppose with a 30DC focus I could master them, but I don't fully see the point. Who knows? If I get stuck for ideas, I might take it on, but right now the most annoying part of my shaves have been those passes. Starting next week, I think I'll loosen things up a bit and do some soul shaving--do what feels good. Parameters: touch-ups permitted along the way, but stop at three passes. Buffing permitted. Still... chase comfort, not closeness.

I've had what seems like a year's worth of blood in a single week of shaving. That nonsense has to stop. Tomorrow I draw names from the Super Dad mug to determine shaving order. Really looking forward to shaving next week. Hope you all have a fantastic Friday!
Click to expand...

Wonderful write up and picture, Tim!

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February 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Name your favorite!

Straight razors.

Vintage DE razors.

Modern DE razors.

SE razors.

Pain sticks.

Badger brushes.

Boars

Synthetics

Cookies

Polls that don't take 10 minutes to fill out!!

9nein9 Guest

jluc smelling pretty

blondblue Well-Known Member

blondblue Well-Known Member

clint64 Blind Squirrel

PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

clint64 Blind Squirrel

PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

clint64 Blind Squirrel

clint64 Blind Squirrel

clint64 Blind Squirrel

clint64 Blind Squirrel

clint64 Blind Squirrel

timabababaluka No exceptions. Except.....

jluc smelling pretty

timabababaluka No exceptions. Except.....

PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

Norcalnewb Magnanimous Moos

Norcalnewb Magnanimous Moos

Share This Page

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February 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Name your favorite!

Straight razors.

Vintage DE razors.

Modern DE razors.

SE razors.

Pain sticks.

Badger brushes.

Boars

Synthetics

Cookies

Polls that don't take 10 minutes to fill out!!

9nein9 Guest

jluc smelling pretty

blondblue Well-Known Member

blondblue Well-Known Member

clint64 Blind Squirrel

PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

clint64 Blind Squirrel

PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

clint64 Blind Squirrel

clint64 Blind Squirrel

clint64 Blind Squirrel

clint64 Blind Squirrel

clint64 Blind Squirrel

timabababaluka No exceptions. Except.....

jluc smelling pretty

timabababaluka No exceptions. Except.....

PLAla Bit Shy of a Full Puck

Norcalnewb Magnanimous Moos

Norcalnewb Magnanimous Moos

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