July 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Nice pic, gear and good shave Jeff!
Tabac or not tabac, that is the question.
You answered very strongly that the scent was offensive. It must be very strong for you to get a whiff. I have heard that it smells like an elderly woman's purse or a barbershop scent. I have it on my list to try, but now I may pass on it.

 

Not sure I understand how you are coming to this conclusion, Paul?

 

Then you would be missing out on one of the all-time great shave soaps, Joe.

 

Sounds like you found your perfect setting on the Rex David!

 

Well done, Jeff! Nice gear selection and photo!

 

Congrats on figuring your preferred settings out, David!

 

July Focus

AoS Sandalwood~~Rooney~~Gillette Tech/Sharp Star
The final shave of July 2020 is in the books and it was pretty memorable.
Sticking with the Sharp Star and its longevity test.
New brush today and momma, is she sweet.
The NOS Rooney, even with its almost-disappeared badger funk, is one of the softest,
most delicious knots I have ever used.
Friends, what passes as Best Badger these days is scandalous, compared to the Best hair of yore.
Also, the trend to PACK the brush with an over-dense amount of hair is not my cup o' tea.
Sure, if you like lathering with a tennis ball.
This knot is delicate, bunny rabbit soft and, as evidenced by the next photograph,
more than capable of creating a scrumptious lather:

I was pretty gentle on this knot, not mashing at all and careful not to over use
circular motions. Tried my best to focus on paint brush strokes.
One, little hair was lost, but if you think about it, it's a brand-new brush,
albeit of indeterminate age.
If there is anyone out there, that can assist me dating this brush, I would be grateful.
The numbers 185 are printed on the Rooney Red Box, if that is any help.
Now to the blade.
I chose a Pre-war, US Tech to combine with the Sharp Star.
Determined not to buff, I completed three passes without incident.
The blade is still quite sharp and as of today, showing no signs of demise.
I will ring in AUgust using this blade and report my findings.
The AoS Sandalwood products are outstanding.
Excellent post-shave feel with the ASG and ASB.
The scent is memorable.​

 

Don’t let me influence your choice, Joe. I've tried to like the stuff, but I just really dislike the scent, but that’s me! YMMV. Charlie (@wristwatchb), Bruce (@FaceScraper), The Maestro (@Primotenore) and others like it! You saw the pummeling I took this morning over it. You should give it a shot. My son likes it, although his wife doesn’t. I’ve been trying to like it, but just can’t get past the scent. Again YMMV.

 

Sounds like you found your perfect setting on the Rex David!

 

Lovely shave with your superb signature lather shot!, Maestro! Enjoy your day!

 

Great looking shave and photo Jeff. Happy Friday

Awesome lineup and photo Amigo. Happy Friday.

David congrats on finding your settings for the Rex.

Fantastic shave recap and photos Joseph. Congrats on the new brush.

 

So many people rave over Clubman. The stench of that damn near killed me. Given that a lot of the folks that like Clubman like Tabac, I have no desire to try Tabac at all.

 

Good morning, fellas! Let's see how Tabac does in comparison to MWF....

Razor - Gillette Slim
Blade - Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge
Soap - Tabac
Brush - APS w/ SynBad knot'

The first thing you notice with Tabac, besides the glorious scent that fills the nostrils, is how quickly the lather builds, and how dense and creamy it is. There is plenty of slickness. MWF might have a slight edge...however, it's not a runaway. The razor can sill cruise along across the face without any issues. Even the residual slickness is excellent, easily allowing an extra pass without re-lathering. A few drops of water to the already shaved areas lets you do another pass - no probs.
Did my usual routine, and only got one small weeper in the hollow of my neck. Definitely user error. By the end of the shave, it was gone.
Like I usually do, the remains lather in the brush was put on the face while policing the area. After rinsing/wiping that lather off, I chose to forgo any sort of post-shave product to determine how the post feeling is compared to MWF. To me, MWF has a little more moisturizing feel, although, Tabac is no slouch in this department either. Even a couple of hours later, my face feels soft and moisturized. I'll still give the nod to MWF for this category.

I'm sure that I've mentioned this in previous posts regarding the Slim - TTO's just aren't my jam. They work just fine, and I can't exactly put a finger on why I prefer three-piece razors over them. This razor was given to me by my co-worker/friend. It was his dad's razor. Every so often, I feel obligated to break it out for a shave or two. I'm not about to say my technique is spot-on perfect, or that I've achieved a high level of mastery. However, I can tell that it's much improved over the last several years, since making the switch to traditional gear. I used to consider the setting of 9 to be somewhat aggressive, and it wasn't uncommon to have it bite, or to have irritation on my neck. Now it purrs like a kitten.

We'll keep the Tabac out for a few more days, just for fun. Really, the biggest winner between MWF and Tabac is you, if you own both.

My apologies for the long ramble. Have a wonderful Friday, gents!

 

Thanks, Bruce! My son did an excellent job on this DD. It was really just an excuse for him to go hog wild with his newly arrived Naniwa(?) sharpening stones. But it was definitely sharp. Still don’t get the whole “velvet” or “buttery” edge thing straight shavers talk about. Every mug straight shave for me is a fear-filled attempt to avoid personal surgery. At some point I’m hoping the whole ‘enjoyment’ piece makes an appearance in my straight shaving efforts.

 

Excellent shave report and photo Bruce.

 

Bruce, I’ll agree that the lather is excellent, I just can’t get past that odor! Again, whatever floats one’s boat!

 

Clint, I admit I don’t have the sophisticated olfactory palate you possess, but I agree that Clubman has the same effect on me as Tabac. One of the major Mentors over at B&B gets physically nauseous from Tabac. It’s not that extreme with me, but pretty dang close.

 

I would respectfully disagree!

 

awesome shave and pic Jim.cool razor..