May 2022 30 Day Rule/Focus and Discussion. All Are Welcome!

I am getting better at being able to tell when a blade is in need of a change. Some can go farther than others. I can get a week from a Feather blade but only 2 shaves from others.

 

Hi all.
Today's shave.




A small nick on the gourd but good otherwise.

Enjoy

tp

 

Different razors have different useful shave expectancies per individual shaver. It's not always technique that determines it.

 

Awesome shave and of course, Stirling Bay Rum helps! Have a great day Terry!

 

I couldn't wait to shave so, I went ahead and did the morning shave. Nice a smooth, no cuts, nicks, or burn!

Proraso Blue pre-shave remains the constant. MWF the soap. The razor my Parker 94R with a Bic blade (2nd shave). Nice 3-pass shave with minor cleanup along my right jawline (my tough spot). I got my tough spot smooth as well as the rest of my face. Edwin Jaggar "Sandalwood" after-shave lotion and a splash of "Clubman". VERY pleasnat shave! Alum gave minor feedback due to my opening that cut on my lip! I love how my face feels after the alum bar. My skin is SO much better due to the lotions and soaps. Premium stuff! The Parker 94R is a favorite. After using the Feather DX, I could barely feel the blade! I may use the Feather DX again in a week or so.

I can't say it enuff! I am SO glad I re-discovered wet shaving with a DE razor! I suffered with carts for FAR too long!

 

Excellent shave Hogie! Wetshaving definitely does improve the skin. At our age, we need all the help that we can get with regards to our skin. Lol!

 

There is definetly differences on how long the blades last.

That is certainly true, but I will have to try the Sharks in another razor to see if my technique with the R41 has anything to do with it.

 

I have had numerous people tell me that my face looks a lot better. My Rosacea has gone away! My face used to flare up with the redness but not since I started wet shaving. The prep makes my face so much better! I was not prepping like I do now when I did the carts. I just wanted to get the shave done then. I was using the gel that Dollar Shave Club sells. The prep make all the difference. I was irritating the rosacea with the multi-blade carts. My face was almost always red after shaving. Not anymore!

 

Fine shave, Terry!

Excellent shave, Hogie! The Bic blades seem to be working well for you.

 

Yes, I like these blades. I am going to try for 4 shaves with a blade. I think they will easily do 4 shaves per blade.

 

Welll...a much better shave this morning. Did the Albion 1925 brush have a say in this? That was the only change from yesterday's horror show. I didn't bother timing the brush/soap interaction, as it was loading quickly and nicely. Perhaps due to the soap being close to the bottom(?). Anyway, once the soap was fully applied, all went very well. When I got to North Porcupine, I had a bad feeling at the beginning-as if it was saying "Yer gunna get a CUT..be careful!" That I was, and nothing happened (bad, that is).Cheeks&sideburns are great. Ditto jawline(bordering Porcupine&Cactus). Yesterday's "Triangle of Doom" down at Cactus is easing off. No cuts, New Yorkers, or Polka-dots. Clubman A.S. was a nice choice for today, as it is cooler. Outta This World Excellent.

 

SRS # 691 - Lakewood Soap Week

Rating: 5 / 5

Razor: Drew Dick 7/8” Half Hollow Damascus
Brush: Sawdust Creation Studio Malle Burl
Lather: Lakewood Soap Company Smokeberry
Aftershave: Derby City Chop Shop Small Batch Tonic- Winter Reserve
Additional Care:
Stirling Alum Block
Stirling Unscented Glacial Balm
Thayer’s Witch Hazel - Original

Wonderful pairing of the Smokeberry soap and the Small Batch aftershave. The boar brush whipped up a nice lather. The Drew Dock Damascus razor, my first custom, mow down this morning’s growth easily. My face feels divine.

We have a dreary day on LI so there will not be any outdoor activities such as putting down the mulch. Hope you all have a great day gentlemen.

 

Bravo Paul.

 

Thank you Jeff. I believe it is the angle of the picture that gives that illusion.

 

SOTD THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 19, 2022

Had a visit from Jeff (@jmudrick) , a very knowledgeable shave brother currently residing about 5 hours away from me. Folks at TSD, B&B, DFS, and many other online Shave Forums know his handle and respect his seemingly exhaustive safety razor shave knowledge, particularly about French safety razors. He introduced me to my beloved, noggin-shaving Shake Sharps, Speed Razor/Shavers, French Cagehead razors of every stripe, and this remarkable little French razor, the Vib’Raz.

Jeff’s a fascinating guy who spent much of his life in Cambodia where he owned/ran a number of entertainment venues (i.e. bars). He was visiting friends in nearby Hatfield, and since I happened to be on his way home asked to stop by. Retired now, like me, and a great raconteur, we discovered in our conversation a shared love for both razors and Vietnamese food. I brought him to my favorite local Vietnamese restaurant and we enjoyed Bunh with pork and summer rolls. He left with my Ronson razor in hand.

Unlike the King Oscillator, traceable to Minneapolis in the 1920’s, which had a single rotor in the cap and actually moved the blade from side to side as one shaved, the twin rotors in the cap of the French Vib’Raz really don’t appear to contribute much. This razor appears designed to encourage “riding the cap”. My safety razor technique evolved to riding the bar or OC years ago. Despite that I tried riding the cap and promptly nicked myself on the back of my noggin. Returning to riding the bar resolved that issue, and two ATG dome passes later I was as smooth as I could expect to be with this razor.

My son in addition to ‘borrowing’ my 9 Ball slate, retrieved his Shapton glass stones prior to him and my grandson taking off to fly fish the Ausable River last Sunday. As a result, and with guidance from a friend, I acquired three Shapton Kuromaku stones, the 1.5k, 5k, and the 8k to sit between my Chosera 1k and 12k. My Puma 88 suffers from microchips in the edge. So last night, I rebuilt the bevel after killing the existing edge on this new progression. I was so happy with the results that I did the a final polish on the Gokumyo 20k.

The bevel was smooth as a mirror under magnification, and the resulting three pass mug shave was amazing. My mug is velveteen smooth, but the dome not quite in the same category. I’d always enjoyed my shaves with the Puma 88, but never really understood the enthusiasm so many owners had for this brand. I now realize that I’d been shaving with an unoptimized edge. I'm very happy with my current waterstone progression. I no longer strop after finishing with the Gokumyo. There’s no need since spine leading strokes are incorporated into the Gokumyo finish.

RAZOR: Puma 88 5/8 (Mug), Vib’Raz Safety Razor (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a heavy scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: BG Custom Two Band Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys WH. Finished with PAA Rabid Banana Star Jelly AS Balm.

 

Thank you Daniel

 

))

 

Wonderful day with a fellow shave brother. Glad you enjoyed your time with him. Fantastic shave as well.

 

Fabulous shave Danny.