April 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix and Discussion

Red Robin was here on Long Island, but it never caught on. Oh, well, when the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbing along!

 

Fantastic report and photos Joseph. Vault boy must get annoying during the shelter in place.

 

Beautiful photo and set up, and awesome shave and report, Joseph! When it comes to lather hydration, full-almost-to-bursting is what I shoot for

 

Fine Lavender is a very good sub for C&S Cambridge. I have used both.

 

Wow! SSOA! Awesome shave Joseph!

 

Or in your case, when the red, red robin goes bob, bob, bobbing along!

 

I get jealous every time you show off that 400, Joseph. What a stunner.

 

Thank you Joe..I was pleased overall.

 

Leviathan would be my Barrister&Mann choice. Mr V. did indeed cut off a corner of your soap&bowl. but he could have done worse.

 

Thanks Mr. Cawtuh. Interesting note about the Bentonite. The soap I have from The Soap Exchange has clay, but of the White Kaeolin persuasion.

 

nice breakfast Patrick.i see bacon and egg sandwich..mmmm.touch of hp sauce....stay in today ..

 

Thanks Tim...I'm glad I discovered this company(Central Texas Soaps). Not in the same way Chris Columbus did America back in 1492, but he and I both saw something we didn't know existed. But that's the beauty of TSD, we "discover" new soaps, seemingly often.

 

Well, that's it then.....I'll happily had 1/2 pass when that happens. Tell Doc Headroom I say thanks .

 

..

 

April 10th
Razor: Rex Ambassador
Blade: Astra SP (1)
Brush: Grizzly Bay Constitution
Pre-shave: PAA The Cube
Soap: Arko
PAA Galactic witch hazel
PAA unscented Star Jelly
AS: Fine American Blend

Arko/Adjustable April

Good morning

Fantastic shave to start the day! Three passes for near BBS. I got the silent treatment from the alum.

When I first received the Ambassador I did a thirty day focus with it. I adjusted the dial up and down and just really got comfortable with it. For today's shave I twisted it all the way open. Rode the cap for an easy three passes.

Have a great day!

 

SOTD 04/10/2020

Finally decided to take the eponymous “Hulk”, my aluminum RazoRock Hawk V2 for a spin with the Feather Super. I thought to make it an icy lavender shave featuring RR Oil of Lavender Cream soap salted with 6 drops of M-Bomb, my usual Thayer’s Lavender WH, and a finish with Chatillon Lux Pure Lavender Post-Shave Toner. Lavender always conjures up feelings of serenity. The ancient Romans believed it had a soothing effect on the lions and tigers being prepared for their Coliseum Christian lunch buffet. Being a bit of an olfactory idiot, this is one of the few scents that I’m able to recognize, and I do find it relaxing.

My Hawk was purchased about 8 months ago, and there’s been a continuing issue with its weight. I like the feel of a hefty blade holder in hand. In fact all of my favorite shavers are a bit weighty. I have a neurological condition that leaves me a bit shaky. Trying to manage my tremors while exerting “negative pressure” and maintaining blade angle benefits from a heavier razor. The weight of a heavy razor drives the shave. The problem with aluminum razors is that the weight of the razor, at least with a Proline blade loaded led to “positive pressure” to counteract the lighter weight and nicks. Thus although I liked the feel of the razor, it never matched up to the quality shaves delivered by my Blackland Vector, and now my new Colonial General. Knowing this, I just ordered the new 316L SS Hawk To replace this aluminum razor, which I anticipate performing like the latter two razors mentioned. The only unknown variable in the equation is the role the Feather Super will play here.

My shave prep began following my shower with a cold water rinse of face and dome. My Viking Silvertip Badger whipped up a great lather for my first pass. I always begin my shave with my face, and I’m glad I did. The Hawk, as expected, cut close, but nowhere near the closeness achieved with the General or the Vector. In addition, I discovered many superficial weepers on both cheeks as well as my neck requiring the use of my styptic after that first WTG pass. I must have unconsciously exerted some slight positive pressure due to the lightness of the razor. That was it! I completed the first pass on the noggin using the General, and that was that. Despite the treated weepers, my second ATG pass was more buffing than full pass. The dome and face remained bloodless after the second buffing pass. The result was a BBS on the noggin and a DFS++ on the face, a more than acceptable result. I feel cool, clean and refreshed. Enjoy your day out there, and stay safe and healthy.

RAZOR: RazoRock Hulk Hawk V2 (face). Colonial General V2 (dome)
BLADE: Feather Super
PREP: Cold Water rinse
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
SOAP/CREAM: RazoRock Essential Oil of Lavender
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Thayers Lavender WH finished with Chatillon Lux Pure Lavender Post-Shave Toner

 

friday shave
1939 #47 brit popular
gsb
wcs synthetic
stonefield bowl
barrister's reserve waves
nautica voyage

good morning gents.fabulously smooth 2+ pass bbs was the reward with this fine shaver,basically a british senator with the flat base plate.wcs and stonefield produced a fantastic waves lather.
touch of waves aftershave,not shown ,and a shot off voyage edt to finish..awesome..same routine today as the last few days..eat, relax,putter around the house,rinse, repeat..etc..Have a happy easter to those who celebrate,,have a fine friday and great long weekend everyone..

 

Thanks Jason
trying to reply to this while the net holds...

It's a little more complicated than that.
The ingredients are witch hazel, polysorbate 20, sandalwood essential oil (EO) that is used for soap or hand cream.
The oil will not mix with the water based witch hazel so you need a emulsifier, I used polysorbate 20 because it is
used in the perfume and makeup industry.
Normally you use 1 to 5 percent of EO for soap and hand cream.
I decided on about 1% for the test on my mixture.
4 fluid ounces of liquid equals 118 ml, 1% is just over 1 ml.
To make things simple I used a 5 ml syringe and measured 1 ml.
I used a small 15 ml medicine cup ( the kind off of liquid Tylenol) to do the mixing, putting the EO in that.
Reading up on the polysorbate 20 it takes 2 to 3 times the amount of it to make the oil water soluble.
I measured out 2 ml of polysorbate and added it to my EO in my small cup.
According to what I read, you need to mix the two before you add the solution to your base, here it is witch hazel.
After stirring the polysorbate and EO well with a small wooden stick I added it to the witch hazel.
I gave it a quick shake and ....
It worked!!


I added a little aloe, maybe 10 or 15 ml to it and shook it.

Smells good and feels good, could use a little more EO, but that is for later.

I know...

Really??? and WHY??

Stirling doesn't have that scent in the witch hazel line.
I could just take some of their non scented witch hazel and do the same.
I had some straight witch hazel around here to try first.
That's why I added some aloe to the mix, that it made it cloudy.

Hope this helps your curiosity.

Gotta love science to do crazy things like this kinda stuff........

well......




tp

 

Awesome shave, Jim!

 

fine shave and pic Terry..have a fine day sir..