November 2021 30 Day Rule/Focus and Discussion All Are Welcome!

Wonderful Arko head shave Joe

 

Very nice shave. I will look forward to your shave tomorrow.

 

Thank you Joe. I figured I might as well find another hobby to fill up my time in the MOLC. I can not just cook and bake although that is great therapy. I am sure SWMBO is going to think I am out of my mind.

*I will bring the razor to our next 30DC LI Chapter meeting. I am sure it will be a while before I begin to work on this. In the research phase. If I start before, I will bring pictures

 

Stellar shave Barry.

 

One fine shave Myles

 

Thanks Joe! Hope you are well


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Another fine Barbarsol shave Jeff

 

I am doing well. Recovering nicely from the shoulder surgery. Glad to see you are having a good experience in the Marines.

 

Nov 4 SOTE

Good evening guys!

Didn't want to wait for tomorrow to shave so I decided to shave tonight. This is my 3rd shave with the VDH razor.

VDH TTO razor
ASTRA Blue DE Blade (3)
Stirling Boar Brush
Shannon's The Warrior Shave Soap
Proraso Green AS
Maggard's Alum Block
Dickinson's WH
Whiskers: 31 hrs


MyI haven't used Shannon's The Warrior and so I decided to bring it out. Off the puck, it smells like baby powder and the soap is dark brown. It likes water so I bloomed it and used the water as a preshave. The Stirling Boar isn't my favorite because it has a history of shedding bristles. It didn't shed this time. The brush whipped up a nice lather. By the way, I neglected to mention that the soap was a special edition for a charity and therefore is unavailable.
The shave went well. I kept the angle steep and maintained a soft touch. I was rewarded with a 2 pass BBS shave with a touchup on my right neck. I didn't shed blood and my skin didn't get irritated. I am doing less buffing that I normally do while shaving with this razor. So, I see that I have already improved using this razor during this mini focus.
However, the alum let me know that there were spots on my neck that I have overshaved or was just a tad heavy with the razor. This razor is light so there is a tendency to be heavy-handed.
Hit my face and neck with the witch hazel that followed with the Proraso Green aftershave. Unfortunately, Shannon Soap Co didn't make a matching aftershave. I chose the Proraso Green because it can go with any soap.
Have a good night guys!

 

Thank you Joe. I like Cremo brushless cream, but Arko flat out beats it for headshaves.

 

I've heard great things about Shannon's soap. It is on my radar when/if I ever finish a soap. Great that you are getting along with the VDH. That is the one I bought for my son when we got started on this adventure. He has not touched it since I started introducing better razors to our home.

 

Shifting Focus -- Day 4
Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley brass, D SB plate
Blade: Nacet
Brush: Omega 10077 boar
Soap: Frankensoap (end of Arko stick mixed with remnants of a lightly scented homemade sandalwood soap sample by an aspiring soapmaker)

As noted last night, I find the Karve CB to be the most beautiful razor on the modern market. I was gifted one last year with plates AA-B. My sons took an instant liking to it, so I did not get to use it much. Not wanting to be left out, I purchased my own with C SB and OC plates. The C SB was oh so comfortable, but left me unsatisfied, similar to the 34C. The C OC tended to leave my neck feeling quite raw and irritated. I wanted to purchase a D plate, but they were unavailable at the time. I got an E plate, which was too much. I sold it with the plates my sons were not using to introduce a friend to traditional shaving. About two weeks ago I learned that someone had a D plate he was not using. I asked if I could purchase, and he threw in his extra top-plate that was also gathering dust. I ordered a new 3" handle that arrived yesterday, and here we are.

The D SB is indeed the Goldilocks I was looking for. It is truly "just right" for me. Such a smooth buttery feeling during the shave. After two passes I was mostly satisfied. I should have stopped there, but could not resist a third pass. I had a bit of stinging post-shave, but all my trouble areas are smooth. The C absolutely would not shave the curved area of the chin nor the left jaw. The D required only a little touch up after two passes.

My new focus is to achieve maximum efficiency with minimal irritation. I am feeling quite happy to have finally reached Eureka! stage with the Karve.

 

Thanks Ewk. It really is a decent razor, but I prefer more intermediate to aggressive razors. I think you will find better quality soaps like Stirling and Shannon's that will give you better shaves. Of course, that's my opinion based on my experience.
During the last half of the month, I will solely be using straights. I haven't touched them in about a month.

 

Congratulations on finding the right plate for your Karve Ewk!

 

Wonderful shave Joe.

 

Wonderful shave and write up Ewk!

 

Thanks Giuseppe!

 

Joe.

 

SRS # 589

Rating: 5 / 5

Razor: Wade & Butcher 13/16 “Bow”
Brush: CRD Patriotic Swirl 26 mm Synthetic
Lather: Razorock XXX
Aftershave: Stirling Piacenza
Additional Care:
Stirling Alum Block
Nivea Cool Balm
Thayer’s Witch Hazel - Original

Happy Friday gentlemen. Today is the final day of this week's mini focus. I will continue with this focus using the same soap as it is targeted to meet the Edmund Fitzgerald next Friday. At it’s demise I will have met my goal of sinking 5 soap tubs this year. I might even get a sixth, it will be close.

I did my usual three pass shave. The results are just fantastic in regards to smoothness. I did have one minor oops, a knick of the chin, which the alum easily took care of. I must have been minor as the alum did not even report it.

I am off to PT to continue to rehab the right shoulder. Hope you all have a great day gentlemen.

 

Well, I really liked my shave for the most part. I began by soaking my face and neck for one more second than usual. That may have been a factor. Did a good job "loading my hand" with the Gillette Foamy. Fine job covering my face and neck with said foam. The razor glided (glid?)across my face and neck, without a cut or Knick. Now I was ready for the Stoylin Gentleman A.S., and the beginning of my "experimenting" . Afterwards I did feel better than the last time I used it. No itchy feeling anywhere. Since it was OK, I'll try it next time with an unscented soap(Stoylin Sheep or Mitchell's Wool Fat). I haven't used MWF in a real long time, and have to move it from the back of my den to somewhere in the front, or just put it along with my "bedroom den". Pierre Cardin cologne to finish. Outta This World Excellent.