February 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

brit · Feb 7, 2020

jtspartan said: ↑

Thank you, Gary. No, just got home from a very long day.
Click to expand...

have a fine evening..

jgreenepa · Feb 7, 2020

NCoxSTL said: ↑

February Favorites

February 7

Razor - El-Cheapo Chinese Pain Stick Thingy
Blade - (3)
Soap - Stirling Satsuma
Brush - Stirling Finest Badger
Post - Alum

I believe it was @Trigger who suggested, or requested, or just asked about a "trifecta" with this setup. Guess he knows me well enough by now to know I usually do shaves in threes. So, it should be no great surprise that I gave this cheapo pain stick another run tonight with the same Dorco blade in it. I got out the Stirling Satsuma for that great tangerine scent and the Stirling badger brush to make the lather rich and thick. I'm happy to report that, once again, I had a very nice and comfy shave. No blood or other problems. Alum was warm but not a problem.

Honestly, I think the pain stick configuration actually makes this thing safer than most shavettes I've tried. It may be because of my familiarity with pain sticks and the proper technique to use with them, but the shaves were all three close and effective and didn't feel like that much of a threat. As with any shavette, if you haven't used one before I definitely recommend learning to use a traditional straight first, or start with pain sticks. The CJB is still the best value in true Artist Club style razors and if the Feather Pro blades (or Super Pro) scare you there are milder options.

Anyway, it was a fun three days. I have another toy I bought alongside this one that may get to come out this month as well. That's all I'm saying about that. Have a great weekend!

View attachment 217285
Click to expand...

Lovely shave with a great-looking brush!

jgreenepa · Feb 7, 2020

timabababaluka said: ↑

Oh my gosh--that sounds awful. Here's to a quick heal, Jeff.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Tim, but doesn’t seem like it will be quick.

jgreenepa · Feb 7, 2020

Keithmax said: ↑

Saturday morning shave: Decided to go for hot lather with Castle Forbes and my Wootz steel Snail Forge Razor. Hot lather, sharp but smooth edge and epic results. The weekend is off to a good start.

View attachment 217282
Click to expand...

Lovely shave, image and report, as usual! That brush is gorgeous! Enjoy your Saturday!

jtspartan · 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...

You don’t have to be gentle with that brush, Jim. It can handle it and It will bloom.

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...

Awesome, Tim! What a write up!
Forget the long passes if they aren’t what you feel is right. Many shorter pass ‘buffers’ on here, I’m sure.

jgreenepa said: ↑

View attachment 217230
SOTD 02/07/20

One of the problems with having too many safety razors is that we forget certain things about our favorites. The LaResche 51 has a well deserved reputation. It is simply a magnificent shaving tool. The LaResche family were originally Swiss, and apparently spent four decades on incremental improvements to the Model 51. It is both smooth and incredibly efficient. I would hazard to say that this NOS example represents the endpoint of their razor business and is every bit as good as any of the modern artisan razors I've shaved with.

Today’s shave again featured MWF, the best shaving soap on the planet for those without lanolin allergies. I love the stuff! I have been using it every day since February 1st, and must say that my dome and face feel very hydrated. So much so, that I decided to forgo the PAA Cube Preshave Soap today. I just lathered up with my Jayaruh Custom Silvertip Badger and had at it. My first WTG pass seemed pretty close to yesterday’s perfect shave, but did leave some tangible rough spots in my usual places on my face, whereas yesterday’s first pass left me pretty much at the BBS level on my face. The same was true for the dome as well. This shave, not so much! I guess there is something to be said for the efficacy of PAA Cube Preshave Soap. In any case, after relathering, the ATG second pass cleared every thing up! If the goal is to achieve a full bloodless BBS on a regular basis this razor joins a select club for me. The club members are: Colonial Silversmith, Blackland Vector, Seki AS-D2, RR SS Lupo, and GE Jones Shake Sharp. I'm now on my second two pass, bloodless BBS. I’ll keep shaving with this razor until blood appears. I've never had more than three in a row. I still don’t understand how this razor can be so smooth and at the same time so efficient. There was no heat from the alum block for the second day in a row. I’m really liking this French shaving tool! I feel clean smooth, cool and refreshed!

RAZOR: LaResche 51 Luxe
BLADE: Wizamet Super Iridium
PREP: Cold Water rinse
BRUSH: Jayaruh Custom Rosewood Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Thayers Lavender WH and finished with Fine Accoutrements Snake Bite AS Splash
Click to expand...

Off to search for a LaResche... great enabling, Jeff!

clint64 said: ↑

Jeff's descriptions are a dangerous form of enabling.
Click to expand...

(Nods head slowly in agreement)

Keithmax said: ↑

Saturday morning shave: Decided to go for hot lather with Castle Forbes and my Wootz steel Snail Forge Razor. Hot lather, sharp but smooth edge and epic results. The weekend is off to a good start.

View attachment 217282
Click to expand...

Castle Forbes is simply an outstanding product. I do treat mine like a soap, though.

Trigger said: ↑

Feb 7
Good evening guys!
Shavette Shave #135
Dovo Shavette
Personna Hairshaper Blade (1)
Stirling Bay Rum SS and AS
C-Mon Heritage Collection Super HD Badger Brush
Nivea ASB.
I was going to wait until tomorrow morning, but I wanted to shave this evening.
I know that I have sung the praises of this brush, but it produces a fantastic lather without putting too much effort. She is soft with some backbone, but it splays very easily. It is just the right size at 26 mm for my face and I do not believe I need to go larger. The Personna hairshaper blade is almost as long as a traditional straight and is very, very sharp. It is the reason why I prefer this blade over the standard 1/2 DE blade. With that said, I usually get a weeper or two on a fresh Personna blade. Unfortunately, I got a few weeps, but nothing serious. I wouldn't recommend using these blades to an inexperienced shavette shaver because you can easily need bandaids or worse. Despite the weeps, I did get an IBSS++ without irritation. I didn't want to go with the 1/2 pass to get a full BBS because it is not worth chasing with this new blade. The shave was so close to BBS and I didn't want to add to the minute blood loss. Applied the Stirling aftershave and boy does it smell good. The burn was awesome. Finished with the soothing Nivea Balm. I just love shaving. Sadly, my shaves are so close that I don't need to shave every 24 hrs. Before wetshaving, I had to shave every day. I am stumped as to why it is. Anyway, I think that I should stop my chit-chat. Have a great evening, fellas! View attachment 217287 View attachment 217287

Shavettes are designed to be very good travel razors!
Click to expand...

No need to stop the chit-chat, Joe. Good stuff!

jgreenepa · Feb 7, 2020

BlueShaver said: ↑

Ta!

My birthday treat:

Click to expand...

Lovely shave with a beautiful razor! Happy birthday!

brit · Feb 7, 2020

jgreenepa said: ↑

Great shave, Joe! It’s good to hear that you get as much pleasure from the process as I do. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you but I lopped off the tip of my left pinky finger with a Cutco knife on Thursday.
View attachment 217288
Click to expand...

ouch..

Trigger · Feb 7, 2020

jtspartan said: ↑

No need to stop the chit-chat, Joe. Good stuff!
Click to expand...

Thank you, Jason!

brit · Feb 7, 2020

Trigger said: ↑

Feb 7
Good evening guys!
Shavette Shave #135
Dovo Shavette
Personna Hairshaper Blade (1)
Stirling Bay Rum SS and AS
C-Mon Heritage Collection Super HD Badger Brush
Nivea ASB.
I was going to wait until tomorrow morning, but I wanted to shave this evening.
I know that I have sung the praises of this brush, but it produces a fantastic lather without putting too much effort. She is soft with some backbone, but it splays very easily. It is just the right size at 26 mm for my face and I do not believe I need to go larger. The Personna hairshaper blade is almost as long as a traditional straight and is very, very sharp. It is the reason why I prefer this blade over the standard 1/2 DE blade. With that said, I usually get a weeper or two on a fresh Personna blade. Unfortunately, I got a few weeps, but nothing serious. I wouldn't recommend using these blades to an inexperienced shavette shaver because you can easily need bandaids or worse. Despite the weeps, I did get an IBSS++ without irritation. I didn't want to go with the 1/2 pass to get a full BBS because it is not worth chasing with this new blade. The shave was so close to BBS and I didn't want to add to the minute blood loss. Applied the Stirling aftershave and boy does it smell good. The burn was awesome. Finished with the soothing Nivea Balm. I just love shaving. Sadly, my shaves are so close that I don't need to shave every 24 hrs. Before wetshaving, I had to shave every day. I am stumped as to why it is. Anyway, I think that I should stop my chit-chat. Have a great evening, fellas! View attachment 217287 View attachment 217287

Shavettes are designed to be very good travel razors!
Click to expand...

fine shave and pic Joe..have a great weekend..

jgreenepa · 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...

Great shave, Gary! Just trying to play catch-up!

jgreenepa · 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...

Lovely shave, Perry! Great image!

Trigger · Feb 7, 2020

brit said: ↑

fine shave and pic Joe..have a great weekend..
Click to expand...

Thank you, Gary! You have a great weekend, too!

jgreenepa · Feb 7, 2020

Trigger said: ↑

Ouch! I hope it wasn't too bad, Jeff!
Click to expand...

Bad enough! Four hours in the local ER. Need to see a hand surgeon on Tuesday. Lucky, clumsy me!

jgreenepa · Feb 7, 2020

brit said: ↑

ouch..
Click to expand...

Yes sir! Much more than ouch!

9nein9 · Feb 7, 2020

Trigger said: ↑

Feb 7
Good evening guys!
Shavette Shave #135
Dovo Shavette
Personna Hairshaper Blade (1)
Stirling Bay Rum SS and AS
C-Mon Heritage Collection Super HD Badger Brush
Nivea ASB.
I was going to wait until tomorrow morning, but I wanted to shave this evening.
I know that I have sung the praises of this brush, but it produces a fantastic lather without putting too much effort. She is soft with some backbone, but it splays very easily. It is just the right size at 26 mm for my face and I do not believe I need to go larger. The Personna hairshaper blade is almost as long as a traditional straight and is very, very sharp. It is the reason why I prefer this blade over the standard 1/2 DE blade. With that said, I usually get a weeper or two on a fresh Personna blade. Unfortunately, I got a few weeps, but nothing serious. I wouldn't recommend using these blades to an inexperienced shavette shaver because you can easily need bandaids or worse. Despite the weeps, I did get an IBSS++ without irritation. I didn't want to go with the 1/2 pass to get a full BBS because it is not worth chasing with this new blade. The shave was so close to BBS and I didn't want to add to the minute blood loss. Applied the Stirling aftershave and boy does it smell good. The burn was awesome. Finished with the soothing Nivea Balm. I just love shaving. Sadly, my shaves are so close that I don't need to shave every 24 hrs. Before wetshaving, I had to shave every day. I am stumped as to why it is. Anyway, I think that I should stop my chit-chat. Have a great evening, fellas! View attachment 217287 View attachment 217287

Shavettes are designed to be very good travel razors!
Click to expand...

Was good chit chat Joe. Someday I'm going to rack up 100 shavette shaves . Probably done about 35 now I'd say , never really counted but the 30 day rule was great consistency and made using it more enjoyable and less of a challenge. Been pretty sporadic since but that was due to contracting RAD and flying all over the place with different types of razors.

9nein9 · Feb 7, 2020

jgreenepa said: ↑

Bad enough! Four hours in the local ER. Need to see a hand surgeon on Tuesday. Lucky, clumsy me!
Click to expand...

Yikes Jeff! Hope you didnt damage any nerves .

timabababaluka · Feb 7, 2020

NCoxSTL said: ↑

February Favorites

February 7

Razor - El-Cheapo Chinese Pain Stick Thingy
Blade - (3)
Soap - Stirling Satsuma
Brush - Stirling Finest Badger
Post - Alum

I believe it was @Trigger who suggested, or requested, or just asked about a "trifecta" with this setup. Guess he knows me well enough by now to know I usually do shaves in threes. So, it should be no great surprise that I gave this cheapo pain stick another run tonight with the same Dorco blade in it. I got out the Stirling Satsuma for that great tangerine scent and the Stirling badger brush to make the lather rich and thick. I'm happy to report that, once again, I had a very nice and comfy shave. No blood or other problems. Alum was warm but not a problem.

Honestly, I think the pain stick configuration actually makes this thing safer than most shavettes I've tried. It may be because of my familiarity with pain sticks and the proper technique to use with them, but the shaves were all three close and effective and didn't feel like that much of a threat. As with any shavette, if you haven't used one before I definitely recommend learning to use a traditional straight first, or start with pain sticks. The CJB is still the best value in true Artist Club style razors and if the Feather Pro blades (or Super Pro) scare you there are milder options.

Anyway, it was a fun three days. I have another toy I bought alongside this one that may get to come out this month as well. That's all I'm saying about that. Have a great weekend!

View attachment 217285
Click to expand...

Beautiful Stirling shave, Neal. It's nice to see you can get a decent shave out of a cheapo pain stick--timely too, seeing as I'm about to log 100 consecutive shavette shaves in the near future.

Trigger · Feb 7, 2020

jgreenepa said: ↑

Bad enough! Four hours in the local ER. Need to see a hand surgeon on Tuesday. Lucky, clumsy me!
Click to expand...

timabababaluka · Feb 7, 2020

wristwatchb said: ↑

I have never used a shavette on a trip, but I'll only be a few blocks from the Mayo Clinic in the event of a boo boo.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it won't come down to that... for you

timabababaluka · Feb 7, 2020

Trigger said: ↑

Feb 7
Good evening guys!
Shavette Shave #135
Dovo Shavette
Personna Hairshaper Blade (1)
Stirling Bay Rum SS and AS
C-Mon Heritage Collection Super HD Badger Brush
Nivea ASB.
I was going to wait until tomorrow morning, but I wanted to shave this evening.
I know that I have sung the praises of this brush, but it produces a fantastic lather without putting too much effort. She is soft with some backbone, but it splays very easily. It is just the right size at 26 mm for my face and I do not believe I need to go larger. The Personna hairshaper blade is almost as long as a traditional straight and is very, very sharp. It is the reason why I prefer this blade over the standard 1/2 DE blade. With that said, I usually get a weeper or two on a fresh Personna blade. Unfortunately, I got a few weeps, but nothing serious. I wouldn't recommend using these blades to an inexperienced shavette shaver because you can easily need bandaids or worse. Despite the weeps, I did get an IBSS++ without irritation. I didn't want to go with the 1/2 pass to get a full BBS because it is not worth chasing with this new blade. The shave was so close to BBS and I didn't want to add to the minute blood loss. Applied the Stirling aftershave and boy does it smell good. The burn was awesome. Finished with the soothing Nivea Balm. I just love shaving. Sadly, my shaves are so close that I don't need to shave every 24 hrs. Before wetshaving, I had to shave every day. I am stumped as to why it is. Anyway, I think that I should stop my chit-chat. Have a great evening, fellas! View attachment 217287 View attachment 217287

Shavettes are designed to be very good travel razors!
Click to expand...

Awesome and inspiring shave, Joe. I'll be joining the shavette ranks eventually (sooner than later, most likely).

Log in or Sign up

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!!

brit in a box

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

jtspartan appropriately stimulated, via Netflix

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

brit in a box

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

brit in a box

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

9nein9 Guest

9nein9 Guest

timabababaluka No exceptions. Except.....

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

timabababaluka No exceptions. Except.....

timabababaluka No exceptions. Except.....

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

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!!

brit in a box

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

jtspartan appropriately stimulated, via Netflix

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

brit in a box

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

brit in a box

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

9nein9 Guest

9nein9 Guest

timabababaluka No exceptions. Except.....

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

timabababaluka No exceptions. Except.....

timabababaluka No exceptions. Except.....

Share This Page

Useful Searches