September 2021 30 Day Rule/Focus & Discussion. All are welcome!

looks like you are playing spin the avatar..

 

Most excellent shave Gary

 

thank you Joe.

 

Man, I bet you have the best Syrup there…is it even better fresher?
I’m off to find my Mac jacket…

 

25th September 2021.



​

Shaving recipe for today.

Prep: Warm shower:/Nivea Men Power Fresh Shower Gel.

Pre:
Cold wet flannel to my face.
FatFace Ocean Escape Soap Bar.
Brush: Yaqi Sagrada Familia 24mm Synthetic.
Bowl Lather.
Bowl: Home Bargains Stainless Steel Side Bowl.
Lather: Proraso Blue Shaving Cream.
Blade: WeCut Platinum. ( D1)
Razor: SNMIRN Adjustable. (settings) 4-wtg,8-atg,-6-pick ups.

Post:
Cold water face wash with brush squeezings, Cold Water Face Rinse. /Homemade (~Autumn/Winter mix~) peppermint lavender, eucalyptus, + Tea Tree essential Oils Mixed Together With 200ml of Care+Witch Hazel./Cien Sensitive ASB./ Milton Lloyd President EdT.

Greetings,

A new shave set up to start the weekend... triple Maiden shave with the Snmirn razor & the WeCut Platinum blades & Proraso Blue with Aloe & Vitamin E shaving cream.

Everything in my shave set up today besides the shaving brush, bowl & witch hazel mixture was kindly gifted to me by my sister as a show of appreciation for helping her to accomplish various DIY jobs over the last few months.

The Verdict?...I'll start with the Proraso Blue cream which created a nice creamy slick protective lather with only a small amount in a short space of time The residual slickness is excellent leaving a superb post-shave from the addition of the aloe vera and vitamin E making my mature rhino skin feeling soft & moisturized. A very impressive shaving cream which i look forward to using again in my future shaves.

The Snmirn razor (Merkur Futur Clone ) is probably a mk2 version of the Ming Shi 2000s/Qshave. Apparent differences are it feels heavier in weight than the Ming Shi, the razor head is slightly smaller which is bonus for me, making it feel more comfortable to handle and use....I skipped settings 0.5- 3 as i knew from looking at the blade gap on these settings they would a little too mild for my first pass...Starting with setting no: 4 on the wtg pass was comfortable and mild taking it to the max setting no:8 setting still gave the razor a much more noticeable blade feel & efficiency but still feeling comfortable with no feeling of blade chatter....Finishing the pick ups on setting no:6 gave me a near BBS shave...The lower settings i shall try in future shaves.

The razor has a good balance, the adjustment mechanism works well, and stays on the setting of choice with no movement. The blade alignment is equal on both sides, the top cap is held in position by a series of magnets rather than a press on cap or thread ,which i was doubtful about at first, thinking it was just a gimmick to catch the attention of the consumer, however, the magnets work really well holding the top cap firm with no indication of it movement or coming off during the shave....How long it'll last time will tell, but for now it holds the cap in place with no feeling of trepidation that the blade will dislodge itself whilst shaving.

Like the ming shi 2000s a design feature that i like is the blade ends are covered by the top cap which is a added bonus with no fear of catching when shaving under the nose, and around the ears.

The WeCut Platinum blade paired up well with the Snmirn making an efficient duo....The smoothness of them isn't the best which is what i look for in a blade rather than aggression but, nevertheless it was enough to give me a comfortable acceptable close shave...To compare it with the ming shi 2000s on the same settings that i used with the Snmirn it feels noticeably less aggressive and smoother...All in all another great addition to my adjustable DE razor collection, which i look forward to getting accustomed to in my future shaves.

A enjoyable 2 pass + pick ups close comfortable near BBS maiden shave with no errors to report...Finishing to the shave off with a few small squirts of Milton Lloyd President EdT to the pulse points.

My face is feeling silky smooth & smelling divine.

Stay safe, and enjoy the start of the weekend ladies & gentlemen.

PS: Sorry for the babbling novella, ladies & gentlemen i get carried away with myself sometimes....

 

SOTD SATURDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

After almost a 2 year search, I finally found my Filarmonica in Japan in the condition and price I’d hoped for. It is a second generation 13P Novodur Jose Monserrat Pou. It arrived almost two weeks early, and passed the styrofoam peanut test right out of the box. Unlike even some modern artisan makers, the blade lies flat and true and possesses an almost invisible bevel along the full length of the blade. The mug shave was everything I’d hoped for. Buttery smooth and three passes, although in all honesty, the third pass consisted mostly of just neck buffing. This beautiful razor belted out a full throated “Buttering Toast” refrain throughout the shave leaving your happy narrator porcelain smooth.

After a long absence, I grabbed one of my two metal handled Shake Sharps for my dome shave. The Shake Sharp is just a remarkable shaver, particularly when loaded with two stacked Feather blades. It, like many other of my favorites safety razors, was a child of the late depression and the need to be able to resharpen the thicker carbon steel blades of that era. Unfortunately, for GE Jones, the distributor/designer WWII intervened, and the razor wasn’t released until after hostilities ceased. Resharpening of the newer SS blades was a non-starter, and the brand disappeared in the wake of the strong postwar marketing of Gillette and the American Safety Razor Company. The noggin shave was the usual excellent two pass ATG experience that left yours truly velveteen smooth from the shoulders up.

RAZOR: Filarmonica Novodur 13P (Mug), GE Jones Shake Sharp (Dome)
BLADE: 2 Stacked Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Cremo Cooling Post Shave Balm.

 

Great shave, Barry! I would not say you were babbling because you gave explicit details on your first run with the razor, soap and blade. I have seen the Snmirn used on youtube and for an inexpensive razor it did a nice job. Have a super afteenoon!

 

Congrats on the Filly, Jeff! Now you know why straight razor shavers rave about them. She is a looker for sure! As always, your shaves are excellent! Enjoy your day!

 

Great review of what sounds like a very capable adjustable, Barry. I never shaved with a Futur, but have read that the Ming Shi version was in some ways superior. So this is the second generation of Ming Shi improvements! Glad your shave turned out so well. I’m sure the shaves will improve in the future. Enjoy your weekend!

 

Thanks, Joe! I do understand! This razor seems perfect! At 6/8 it fits right in my sweet spot, which unlike you, old friend has been revised downwards to include those delightful little Swedish 4/8s. My shaves with two of the four new little 4/8 Swedish razors (the Tornblom and CV Heljestrand) have been nothing short of glorious! By the way, you’ve enabled me to purchase an Artrazor. I put my order in about a week or two ago for a 7/8 Zodiac. Yurii was actually pleased. He apparently doesn’t get many orders for normal sized blades. It’ll include a Barber’s notch and opposing thumb and index finger notches on the tang.

 

Thank you Jeff...I've never shaved with a Merkur.. Futur either....The SNMIRN razor is a very capable adjustable, ,very much like a tamed down version of the Ming Shi 2000s...Have a great weekend with your good lady. Take care. Yours- Barry.

 

Thank you Joe..For an inexpensive razor it done a marvelous job....Very impressive...Enjoy the remainder of your day.

 

Denali/BIC. First outing. This is a very mild razor,. Started at 5 setting (6.5 max), upped to 6. First lather passes results were good but second required. As I usually do with suspended designs I added a shim for additional rigidity and set at the max 6.5 (overclock possible I'm told but I didn't). Care required not to stick my noggin but this worked well. I never change settings on my adjustables so I'm ok with having to max the thing out as long as it works. Will keep the shim for tomorrow's shave.

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Interesting razor, as usual, Jeff! I understand it’s creator and Matt Pisarcik of Razor Emporium worked together initially on the design, but then went their separate ways because Matt wanted a more aggressive shaver, thus the resemblance. I love my Ambassador, and have been curious about this version. Have you shaved with an Ambassador for comparative purposes? Just curious! Enjoy your day, my friend!

 

Thanks. I haven't shaved with the Ambassador but I gather where the Denali improves is balance, less sharp knurling, less drag with the polished safety bar and cap, and better maneuverability with a more squat head. I would probably prefer the more aggressive tuning of the Rex but do appreciate the other improvements.

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Its a Canadian tradition I hear

 

That's great that you purchased an ArtRazor. What color and type are the scales?

 

Beautiful Filarmonica and stellar shave, Jeff! You have some purdy gear!

BTW, I'm now using MWF bath soap in my pre-shave routine. It is top shelf, and the skin care is unparalleled. It leaves my mug velveteen slick and ready for some good 'ole Tabac.

I hope you are doing well, my friend.

 

I find the stuff I've tried around here just as good as Quebec maple syrup. When you make taffy in the snow fresh off the tree is a whole other worldy experience. Tree tapping has become a big business these days . Do you have moc toed boots to compliment the mac jacket and toque?