SoS: May 2022

Happy Birthday Paul.

 

Thanks Jeff....it was a nice month.

 

Thanks Jim .

 

It was May 1.....and this has been a nice month. I'd say I'm a young old man.

 

Thanks but it was May 1...I'm just saying today's shave ends the month that began with #65 for me

 

SOTD TUESDAY MORNING, MAY 31

There’s something about the fine grained NYS steel in Geneva, Genco, Cattaraugus, Case, and Thistle Cut straight razors that reminds me of tamahagane, Yasuki, or Swedish silver steel. The steel in these razors is capable of taking a tremendously sharp, or what my honemeister friend, Glen Mercurio, likes to refer as a “stupid sharp” edge. He put me on to Thistle Cut straight razors. I now own two; this one and another, a little shorty called “The Persian” with an engraved scimitar on the blade.

I rarely concern myself with the HHT, but yesterday after the clan left the BBQ at yours truly’s, I grabbed this straight razor and reworked the former 9 Ball Slate edge, starting again on the 12k and then finishing this time on the Gokumyo 20k. I spent a little more time on the Gokumyo than usual. I then raided the bride’s hairbrush, selecting a nice long one. Rather than holding it, on a whim, I dropped it on the reworked edge and observed it slicing cleanly in two. We always talk about great mug straight shaves, but this morning’s three passer was amazing, leaving me glassine smooth.

I do confess that I have a real passion for for Enders Speed Razor/Shavers. It probably is mostly psychological - the result of spending almost three years completing a search for all three handle colors of the last 1950’s model - red, green, and orange (butterscotch?). I found the red and green pretty quickly, but for whatever reason, was unable to find a decent orange. The orange handle I finally located had clearly faded over the last 55 to 60 years to what I like to think of as butterscotch.

This morning’s noggin shave featured the green handled version. For many years these wonderful little shavers sat unused in people’s collections until a blade hack using a de-edged original Enders proprietary blade as a shim for the Schick Proline injector was developed by my friend, Jeff (@jmudrick). At last these great little razors, that used to be handed out to passengers on PanAm Boeing 314 transcontinental Clipper flights, could be brought back into service.

The problem with this approach was that blade placement was always finicky, and while some shaves were superlative, others due to the inconsistency of the latter process we’re not so. Then Ian Ligocki began making a dedicated adapter featuring two neodymium magnets to hold the Schick Proline B-20 injector blade firmly in place. This little adapter changed the game entirely. It guarantees perfect blade placement every time. And that’s why my two pass ATG dome shave this morning knocked it out of the park leaving your happy narrator velveteen smooth from noggin to neck.

RAZOR: Thistle Cut 5/8 (Mug), Durham Enders Speed Shaver (Dome)
BLADE: Schick Proline B-20 Injector (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a heavy scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Simpson Chubby 3 Sovereign Fibre
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys WH. Finished with Old Spice Fresh Lime AS Splash (Indian Version)

 

ASRazor shave, May 31st 2022

Razor : Gem G bar or heavy flat top, Mfg 1955-58, mild > tame mid range, If I want a Milder Gem razor this one works for myself, it has a lot of good quality chrome coating to last through the decades and a nice feeling razor in my hand(weight). Comfortable shave this morning.
Blade : Gem Personna SS PTFE (4)
Soap : Razorock XXX, nice unique clean scent with excellent lather qualities.
Brush : Yaqi barber pole 24mm 2band badger, excellent lather generator, pillow cloud like soft tips, nice scrubber + excellent lather painter.
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups.
Post shave : Razorock XXX with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results :CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + no weepers= excellent shave with my Gem G bar with a coated Gem blade.


Have some great shaves!

 

Well happy Belated Birthday Paul!!

Paul D

 

Tuesday Shave

Lather: Denton Majik unscented soap
Brush: restored Ever-Ready
Razor: Henson AL13
Blade: Personna platinum
After: witch hazel and aloe
Cold water shave


Comfortable and smooth.

 

SOTD Tuesday May 31, 2022

Brush: Simpson T3 Trafalgar
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper Bowl
Pre: None
Lather: Proraso Green
Razor: Henson AL13 Medium
Blade: Feather
Razor: Gillette Styler
Post: Omega Alum Block
Post: Thayers Unscented
Post: Proraso
Have a great day!

 

Focus Razoblique slant
Feather
TOBS lemon & lime shave cream
Semogue boar
Aloe Vera
Phoenix Shaving pineapple bay rum aftershave

 

Razorock Mamba / Gillette 7o'clock Super Stainless
Noble Otter / Bare
Cravingshaving Synthetic

8/19/1942

 

Part way into today’s shave I was thinking that this was the best shave this Wonderedge has ever given me. And it was. Further in I realized that I shaved yesterday and was only removing a day of stubble vs the usual two or three. Mystery solved

Hot water preparation
Argan Oil PSO
Savile Row 3824 Silvertip Badger
Haslinger Aloe Vera Shave Soap
Dubl Duck Wonderedge 5/8
Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel



Happy shaving - Karl

 

awesome gents,though it's June 2nd.