30 Day Rule/Focus; August 2023. All Are Welcome!

Beautiful shave and pic, Gary. Enjoy your weekend, too.

 

First video....

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/n9cp...2209.mp4?rlkey=zat86s2wpay9s34x1ctp06rjy&dl=0


Second video....


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/237m...36_1.mp4?rlkey=mnahd1fn71ap65dbs9jy0d0sv&dl=0

I had COVID day so I did a video of my favorite razor blade combo. I lost my voice so not much commentary.
Never done a video before this.

tp

 

DE Shave # 477 - Adjustable - Ming Shi

Rating: 5 / 5

Razor: Ming Shi Futur Clone
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
Brush: Leo Frilot ECWS 2018 Ghost Trails
Lather: Stirling Spice
Aftershave: B & M Reserve Spice
Additional Care:
Omega Alum
Dickenson’s Original Witch Hazel
Stirling Unscented Glacial Balm

Mid morning shave, late night post of this adjustable shave. I chose to do a face lather instead of my usual bowl lather shave as I was extremely busy prepping for this afternoon’s bbq.

The Stirling Spice/B & M Reserve Spice software did not disappoint. The soap provided the usual slickness that is expected from a Stirling soap. The post shave feel and scent of the B & M Reserve spice is spot on in bringing back memories of my youth.

The Ming Shi razor, set on setting # 4, easily took care of this morning’s growth. A super smooth shave without any issues.

Hope you all had an enjoyable day.

 

Two excellent videos Terry. Thank you for sharing.

 

thank you Joe.

 

thank you Joe.

 

thank you Joe.

 

awesome shaves,videos and pics gents.

 

Aug 19 SOTD

Straight Razor Shave #477
5/8 Böker King Cutter
JR #290 Cashmere Brush
Cella SS
Pinaud-Clubman Classic AS
Stirling Alum Block
Modessa Witch Hazel
Beard Growth: 23.5 hrs



I realized that I shouldn't have used this razor because it needed to be honed. The last time I used it, I got a nick because the edge has a rough spot. Well, I cut myself again on the neck. It wasn't a bad nick, but I had to use alum and moisturizing balm to make it look like a weep. Mission accomplished. Lol!
I forgot to take a picture of my bowl lather because I was on the phone for a minute and just went into the shave.

Did 3 passes for a comfortable shave while making sure not to hit my cut and not to use There wasn't any alum feedback and that included the cut. I believe that was due to the fact that it was a superficial wound.
Splashed on the witch hazel and aftershave and I am good to go. Take care.

 

It's another great shave in the books Joe!

 

Excellent headshave Terry. I lather my entire dome and then shave. It takes 3 passes and touchups to get dolphin smooth.

 

20th August 2023.



​

Shaving Recipe for today.

Prep: Warm shower:/Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Body+Face Wash.

Pre:
Cold wet flannel to my face & head.
Pears with Mint Extracts Transparent Bar Soap.
Brush: Lider Turkish Boar.
Bowl Lather.
Bowl: Home Bargains Stainless Steel Side Bowl.
Lather: Arko Hydrate Shaving cream.
Blade: Rapira Swedish Supersteel. (D2)
Razor: Jagen David B30.

Post:
Cold water face wash with brush squeezing's, Cold Water Face Rinse./Alum Rub./Cold Water Rinse. /Homemade (~Spring/Summer mix~) Lemon, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Essential Oils.3 Menthol Crystals Mixed Together With 200ml of Care+Witch Hazel./Gummy Traditional Turkish Lavender Cologne./Aloe Vera Cooling Gel.

A relaxing Sunday morning shave.

The inexpensive Arko Hydrate shave cream was the star of the shave this morning providing me with an excellent lather in a short space of time with a great post shave feel.

A enjoyable 2 pass + pick ups close comfortable shave with no errors to report.

Finishing the shave off with a few small dollops of Aloe Vera Cooling Gel.

My face is feeling super smooth & smelling divine.

Stay safe, and enjoy your Sunday ladies & gentlemen.

 

You say the hill's too steep to climb, chiding
You say you'd like to see me try climbing
You pick the place and I'll choose the time
And I'll climb the hill in my own way
Just wait awhile for the right day
And as I rise above the tree line and the clouds
I look down, hear the sound of the things you said today
Fearlessly, the idiot faced the crowd, smiling
Merciless, the magistrate turns 'round, frowning
And who's the fool who wears the crown?
Go down in your own way
And every day is the right day
And as you rise above the fear lines in his brow
You look down, hear the sound of the faces in the crowd
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
Liverpool! Liverpool! Liverpool!
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: David Jon Gilmour / George Roger Waters
Fearless lyrics © Roger Waters Music Overseas Ltd, Pink Floyd Music Publishers Ltd

​

 

20 Aug 2023

(Adjustable, Arko August, Artisan August, Anything goes, Adapting-Adjusting-on-the-fly August)

~50 hours

Same setup as the 18th ..........Star of the show ========= Stirling Bay Rum

Prep = Cold water prep and shave, Proraso white (now finished)
Soap / Cream = Stirling Barber Shop provided more great lather
Brush = Puro Tasso boar
Bowl = Timeless
Razor = Merkur Progress set at 2…|..3
Blade = Gillette Platinum (1) fresh blade
Passes = 3 with touch ups
Technique = Applying more pressure than usual, WTG, XTG during the 3 passes and some areas of ATG in touch ups, especially top lip and under jaw line
Post-shave = Cold water rinse > Alum was silent > cold water rinse > Thayers
Left side of face = Nivea balm then Stirling Bay Rum
Right side of face = Stirling Bay Rum then Nivea balm
Damage = None ! another day of No Damage, blame it on the Cold Water + Stirling soap + Razor + Blade!

Score = 9.8/ 10 super smooth 50 hours cold water shave
Comments = Amazing stinging from the Bay Rum on both sides of the face even through the Balm. Why? Because there was no air dry/evaporate time? More balm applied to both sides of face, immediately cooling the sting. No redness so not a “reaction”

Super smooth, super slick, super satisfied, Super Sunday Shave
My dear wife approves of the Stirling Bay Rum! Another bonus

Enjoy your Sunday and have a super week ahead

 

Thanks for sharing Terry, fascinating look at at a headshaver technique. Get well soon.

 

Saturday August 19 - Actually Adjustable, All Sample August

My second sample from the Tickle Trunk:



Prep: Cool water face wash with Martin de Candre handsoap
Razor: Gillette Black Beauty on "4" / IP Super Platinum ( 2)
Brush: Simpsons Chubby 2 Synthetic
Lather bowl: Jason's maple walnut with lather studs
Soap: Barrister & Mann Waves (sample)
Post: Rinse, alum, rinse, Lucky Tiger Face Tonic, Clubman VIBR

For Canadians of a certain age, the Tickle Trunk is a childhood throwback. There used to be a children's program called "Mr. Dressup". He did skits with a couple puppet friends and various adult guest stars. He had a big steamer trunk he called the "Tickle Trunk" that held a seemingly endless supply of costumes and props for whatever skits he was going to perform on that show.

My sample box reminded me of Mr. Dressup's Tickle Trunk -- a box containing what will probably seem like a neverending supply of shaving soap and cream samples. Today I used Sample #2 - the second of the two larger screwtop sample jars in the righthand compartment. B&M Waves soap.

It has been quite awhile since I bowl lathered a dollop of soap, and I realized I had forgotten a key property of soap compared to cream -- it lasts a long long time. I scooped an almond-sized portion of Waves out of the sample jar and spread it on the bottom of my lather bowl (leaving about 2/3 of the sample still in the jar). After whipping that soap portion hard, I lathered my face twice and left the bowl and brush still filled with lather to spare. I then rinsed the extra suds out of my bowl ... and found an almond-sized dollop of soap still sticking in the bottom. My shave had made no appreciable dent in it. I will shave again tomorrow using today's portion of the sample. In fact, I think I could probably shave daily for most of a week using it. The sample jar may well contain enough soap for a month of daily shaves... If my sample case contained similar soap rather than cream samples, it would be enough for a couple of years.

My sense of smell isn't the greatest, so complex scents are wasted on me. All the talk of "top notes", "middle notes", "bottom notes", "supporting fragrances" and "lingering after hints" means absolutely nothing to me. I therefore prefer simple scents rather than "symphonies". Waves is supposed to be an "aquatic" scent made up of a mix of lavender, geranium, bergamot and sea waves. It does smell pleasantly floral and maybe a bit aquatic. It's nice enough but I don't know that I would want that scent every day.

The soap lathered quickly and easily. It painted well on my face and provided excellent performance. B&M soaps are always slick and protective with good post-shave skin feel, and this soap was no exception. I believe this one uses their "Reserve" soap base.

My last shave was four days ago. Two passes left me cleanshaven. Alum was silent. I finished with Lucky Tiger and VIBR. (As promised, Waves is a light scent that doesn't clash with most other splashes or colognes.)

I will use Waves again with my injector, then move on. I expect I can put any unused soap in my lather bowl back into the sample jar and use it all up after I have done my round of samples. Maybe some week when I want to have an aquatic theme...

 

Great shave, Chris! Stirling products are top drawer in my book.

Now that you have finished it, do you plan to replace the ProRaso White pre-shave? I have never really been convinced that pre-shave oils, soaps or lotions add anything much to the process. When I have tried them, my shaves have seemed equally smooth with or without them. But obviously a lot of people must disagree or there wouldn't be any market for them. Thoughts?

 

I had COVID a few weeks ago so thanks and I'm fine now.
I did the two videos to pass some time while I healed.
If you notice the clock in the background it took a couple hours between shaves to get my strength up to do each shave.
The head shave wasn't terribly good because I was getting tired but I got through it.
Using this razor with a new feather blade makes for a DFS with one pass on the head, so that's nice.
I figured out this technique because for some reason I get bumps if I shave against the grain. Shaving with the grain is a must for me. I can do a 2 pass gourd shave but shaving daily it doesn't last any longer.
I find lathering then shaving immediately keeps my skin tight and not water logged, giving me a closer shave. Doing half the head at a time does that for me.

I figured right or wrong that some might be skeptical that I use this razor for my daily driver with a new feather blade each time.
I also wanted to show that the safety bar wasn't really needed. Matter of fact it could be a hindrance to a good shave.

As a reminder, I'm on blood thinners, so any nick, cut or weeper brings on the blood letting.
I hope this brings some added confidence to some who are still struggling with the art.
Well time to start my day, off to the 3 S's.

Enjoy!

tp

 

Thanks John. Good question regarding the pre-shave, no not immediately planning to replace this, maybe later after more experimenting. I do find that after wetting my face with water and then thoroughly rubbing in the pre-shave, by the time I have lathered up the soap, the beard does feel softer to the hand, and I get the chance to really massage it against the grain into the tricky areas. However that disagrees with my own previous efforts in May here : I was undecided then too! Just shows how subjective things are and how they change with time / experience. My plan now that it is finished, is to use some of my shaving creams in a tube in its place, as a pre-shave. Might just generate a superlather of sorts! Part of the August Anything Goes theme!

I see some guys shave by just lightly wetting the face, on goes the face lather and on with the shave. I might get there in the end, and hope to find my way there one way or the other.

Edit: PS, I see I reverted back to using the Pre-shave around the 12th of June, after trying out different razors, blades and soaps. Talk about being confused!
It is a nice part of the ritual though.

 

Cool Terry, glad you have recovered