April 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix and Discussion

Great shave, Evan! Tabac is a strong scent! A big no-no in the Greene household!

 

Well, there's a lesson for your daughter, of what shaving was like in the olden days.

 

Great shaves and summary reports, Tim! I’ll stick with my AC Safety Razors!

 

The smart thing would be to wait on some reviews. Given the price for the polished Blackbird, I think his price for the Tradere is in line given he is paying a royalty for the rights to the razor. I just don't know what to do.

 

He’s great, I’m slightly the worse for the wear!

 

Excellent shave report and photo Jeff. Gromit just wanted to play.

 

Way to go James. Bravo.

 

April 25th

Continuing my Fougère week....

Wholly Kaw - Fougère Bouquet SS and AS
Simpson Trafalgar T3
J3Customs Kamisori

Prep today was only a face scrub in the shower. Bowl lathering with the T3 is lots of fun....the WK tallow based soap creates a very slick, rich and thick (albeit somewhat clearer lather than others) lather. Painted on, WK has an awesome smooth and soothing feeling, this blend is an incredible aroma. 3 full passes to enjoy the complex fragrance. I'll mention this is the only soap & aftershave that I have back ups of (and probably will add more). The individual notes of fougère elude my nose, but I'll compare this WK version to a blend reminding me of both Fabergé Brut and Saponificio Varesino's Felce Aromatica. It's that smooth, with more lasting power than either. The J3Customs kamisori...mowed down 48 hours of growth with ease, the first pass with slightly more resistance, but then easy and smooth on the 2 XTG passes and neck/jawline buffing. DFS+ results, 2 small weepers, one in the middle of the chin, the other in a usual skin blemish spot near the nostrils. Neither a distraction from a fun shave this morning. Finished with a healthy dose of the WK AS....wifey approved goodness (and even a comment on it this morning).

Hope everyone has a Sensational Saturday!

 

Spot on, Clint. We usually play after I get up, but I opted to sneak a shave in! The ‘Grom’ wasn’t having it!

 

Thanks Jeff! Sorry SWMBO doesn't like it. It wouldn't be allowed in my parent's house either.

 

Thank you, Charlie and Tim!

 

saturday shave
new french market new rfb/solid french tech thin handle
platinum
semogue 830
williams-transplanted and soaked overnight
fine santal absolut

good morning gents.after a friday of cleaning,sorting and refining some shave gear i have come to realise,(yes i have too much.thank you gents) that gillette made some fantastic razors during the 30s and 40s,but did't always pair them with their best handles.thankfully i can solve this....honestly i find the handles too light or not grippy enough-ie-new common bars especially.so i have 3 handles that fit the bill perfectly..
left to right.1949 french thin tech handle,1948 french tech fat handle,1953 canadian tech military handle.

now these are all heavy and solid,the fat handle is hollow but with heavy tubing..these handles work with all my 3 piece gillette razors-new sc,rfb,flat bottom techs and news,and the new/tech hybrid,and give them great heft,balance and dexterity (poor word).i love vintage gillettes but not a purist per say.let me go deeper..
when i used to build early 80s volvo 240s i used their best high performance parts from different models on them,and built some very quick,well handling sleepers..turbo conversions,gear swaps,handling package upgrades.cars volvo rarely built....but they were all "genuine" volvo parts..back to gillettes..
while my vintage gillettes look cool in their cases,they are lacking in certain areas.so i threw all the cases in a drawer and picked out their best bits....sorry purists..i also purchased a Razor Emporium replica solid brass/nickel old type handle to fix up those early gillettes with those crap split handles.my point you ask?..well..
gillette early 2 piece-single ring,new deluxe,rfb and like,open comb and safety bar tto razors are decently built with good balance and weight.now my 3 piece razors do....so from here on in i will enjoy these beauties with handles that i think they should have came with or as options at least.something many tinkerers did in the days these razor sets were abundant...
So if you see my beloved brits with the "wrong for the set" handles on them....know you know..
So,today i paired the solid french thin tech handle with the french market new rfb.craving an open comb...loaded the platinum.afters transplanting my modern williams from my ford coffee mug to this awesome "gifted to me" burmashave mug i soaked it overnight.yes "bloomed" if you will..got a easy load with the semogue 830 boar and face lathered a fantastically slick,dense lather.2+ smooth combination passes later i was in bbs whisker free land.zero issues..this razor is efficient and nimble to say the least.fine santal absolut sealed the deal..awesome..all i have to say?
hot rodding isn't just for cars....have a fab weekend everyone....and thanks for listening..

 

Very nice, Evan. Tabac is the best classic scent? Hmmm....lots of oft copied scents from the same time period or earlier. Shulton, Colonia, Floid Blue etc are all older and duped a hundred times...

 

Gromit is just way too cute to get mad at. Terrific shave and report, Jeff!

Thanks, Jason!
I believe the Prolines have the same geometry as the Feathers. I really don't notice much difference between the two.

 

A couple of images of the open edge razor maintenance toys. I'll follow up later with honing stones....(wifey honey do taking priority ATM!).

Tech Diamond Tools Pastes, BeaverCraft LS1P1 wood/leather strops, as well as Ezra Arthur 3" linen/leather strop. Total for everything pictured (including delivery), approximately $230, which is usually less than most new factory or custom artisan straights. Take away the Ezra, it's 1/2 that.

 

"Best classic scent I have tried"... The end of the quote is important. I initially tried Brut and Clubman, and pretty much gave up on classic scents. I'm willing to admit I have a naive nose. So I guess I need to try few of those dups.

 

Terrific second straight shave, James!

Excellent shave, Evan!
You guys are piquing my curiosity in Tabac.

 

Hi Paul! How are you?

The really funny thing is I ask my wife for a thumbs up for scents I wear on weekends and my daughter for approval for scents I wear to work. Not that I'm looking to attract women at work, but I don't want them laughing at me behind my back either.

 

Evan, are you implying that I’m a member of your parents’ generation???

 

Wonderful shaves and one heckuva report, Tim! Congrats making it to the halfway point!

The more I think about it the more likely I'll be in on the pre-order.
I think you're correct about the pricing.