SoS: February 27th, 2012 - March 4th, 2012

Hello Ladies and Gents! Today was a DFS.....a minor problem with the Vintage Marvy Puck.....lather kinda dissipated rather quickly on the face....however it still left a layer of slickness on the skin....the end results were a pretty awesome shave....soft smooth skin...I smell good...and to top it off...not a single nick!

Pre-Shave: Lather w/Marvy prior to hot towel
Razor: Merkur 34c
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (2) Mighty good blade if I may say so
Brush: Col. Conk 904
Soap: Vintage Marvy Soap Puck
Mug: Gentlemen's Regiment Mug from Avon
Post: Clubman Pinaud Original AS/Clubman Talc

 

Hey, my first SoS post!

Tuesday, Feb 28th - late night shave
Prep: Hot water rinse, Nivea Double Action Face Scrub, homemade shave oil (grapeseed with clove & tea tree oils)
Razor: Merkur 38M
Brush: Vulfix 660S Super
Blade: Personna "Super" Lab (2)
Soap: Mystic Water - Lily of the Valley
Post: Scented witch hazel
AS: Nivea Q10 Revitalizing Double Action ASB
Frag: Eau de L'Occitan

Having just finished up my testing of Derby blades, I was eager to get back to the Lab blades. While the Derby blades gave me a great BBS shave, my face paid the price with the tugging, the razor burn, and razor bumps on my neck and beside my mouth. I quit using Derbys after just 5 shaves. Curiously, on my face, with my rating system, Derby scored a virtual tie with Astra SP (I'm one of the few who isn't crazy about Astra SP). The Astra scored higher in sharpness and comfort, but the Derby scored higher in closeness and ended up the test outscoring Astra slightly, 8.5 to 8.4 on a 15 point system. Labs have averaged 10.6. But enough of that...

After soaking the brush I shook out most of the water and attacked my MW soap for about 30 swirls and proceeded to face lather. I've been experimenting with using increasing amounts of water with MW and it seems regardless of how much or how little I use, it always works and feels great. I figure it's ready when I get a knockdown texture on my face when using brush strokes. This time I kept adding water by dribbling it onto the brush every so often, until I was getting so much lather it was falling off the brush.

With the first stroke of the blade, it was like coming home after a vacation and sleeping in your own bed again. It skated across my face with no tugging or scraping, almost as if the blade wasn't there. 3 quick, smooth passes and very little touch-up. A cold water rinse, followed by some scented witch hazel, and topped with the Nivea Q10 ASB. Finally, one shot of Eau de L'occitan and we're done. I bought several frags from Garry's Sample Shop and Stink & Stain and I usually will try one at night so my wife can give me feedback on what she likes, and if she thinks it's a day or night scent, and appropriate for work.

End result was a near BBS! One more shave on this blade then I try Ladas

 

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 - LEAP DAY!

Prep: Hot shower; Yardley bath bar
Lather: Provence Sante Green Tea - face lather
Brush: Vie-Long 13061 Zurito horsehair
Razor: Merkur 39C SlantHammer
Blade: Personna Lab (2); 3 passes
Post: Cold water rinse; Krampert's Finest Bay Rum

This may be the last shave on this blade for me. It was quite a bit rougher today than yesterday even though I felt like the Vie-Long and PS made a great lather together. I ended up with another BBS shave but had a little blood doing so. I may try my Med Prep tomorrow to see how it compares. I was going to shoot for 3 shaves on each blade but I guess I pare that down to 2 shaves per blade for this very limited comparison. I'm getting to know the VL brush better now and I think it's starting to break in. I've only used it sparingly so I've decided to use it for a few shaves in a row to see how it changes.

 

Wednesday

Prep: Hot shower, soak brush
CD: Howlin' Wolf ~ The Definitive Collection
Coffee: Home roasted, fresh ground Kenya Safari Ridge, BLACK
Soap: TSD SOTQ C1
Brush: Semogue 2000
Razor: Gillette Aristocrat
Blade: Astra SP, day 3, 3+ passes
Post: Cold water rinse, Osage Rub, Sean John Unforgivable, hand strop blade

Shave Rating: 4 Blades

Not bad. I'll take it.

 

Yesterday I used an Arko stick ,today was the Palmolive stick's turn.I think the Arko wins the contest but not by much.

 

Weds Feb 29
Brush: Omega Boar
Soap/Creme: Valobra Menthol
Razor: Merkur Futur
Blade: Yellow Gillette
Pre: Poraso pre/post
Post: Stephan Lilac
Hair Groom: Gables Pomade
Result: Near BBS

 

Wednesday AM:


Good Humor razor with Gillette Spoiler blade:
Omega Boar
Arko Shave stick
Alcolada Glacial

 

I fully intend to find out. I got some in the post today. I can feel an urge for a mixture of Osage rub and 444 coming on!

 

Brrr!!

 

Yeah, Palmolive is great! Haven't tried an Arko yet, but I sure will!

 

Wednesday!

• Prep: hot water rinse, hot washing cloth
• Music: Philip Glass, Kundun soundtrack
• Brush: vintage DVH boar (I'm starting to like it more each day, and it *loves* face lathering!)
• Cream: TSD Wheat Cream Oak Leaves & Acorns
• Razor: Gillette Old Style OC
• Blade: vintage Punktal, rehoned and restropped on an Allegro mod L (1st shave)
• Shave: 3-pass + touch up
• Post: hot water splash, cold water splash, TSD Witch Hazel Cedarwood

DFS+. You don't hear me complain!

Have a nice one!

 

Wednesday 29th February

Hot shower and facial scrub
Proraso Preshave cream
Feather Artist Club SS
Semogue 2000 Brush
Col Conk Bay Rum Soap
Alum Block followed by Wilco ASB
Pashana Bay Rum

2 pass DFS for work. Dont have time for anything else if I shave in the morning. Don't use the 2000 often...but it is well broken in and delivers every time I use it

 

Wednesday's Shower and Shave.

A long hot shower using a bar of Razorrock. LuJin Badger was on deck waiting to face the lather for the day. Today's soap choice Vitos shave cream. A little dab in my shave bowl, giving the LuJin a few shakes it was ready to lather. Swirling the LuJin into the Vitos, the lather quickly rose quickly up the sides of the bowl. Lather that was thick and rich loading into the brush. Painting my face with the luxury of a rich lather.
Choose a classic Gillette Super Speed loaded with a classic Wilkinson Sword blade. Three comfortable passes with no issues. Rinsing my face with copious amounts of polar water, followed up with Thayer's Witchhazel. Clubman Lilac Vegtal added as the finishing touch to a great shave.

The :wave:were excited to award this DFS a 9.

 

Yeah, my twitter got a hacked and I haven't really been back on it haha.

 

Arko will be your best friend IMO.....its my favorite shave soap to date.....smells great...lathers great...and delivers an intoxicating feeling of nostalgia while using it...I think its safe to say that the Arko Stick is my favorite for many years to come. Highly suggest you try one....some might not like it but I for one think its wonderful.

 

Sweet "bowl" you have there!

 

Wednesday 2/29 - Leap Year Shave

Prep: Hot shower, RazoRock Shaving Gel
Brush: Omega Boar #31025
Scuttle: Large Schwarzweisskeramik
ÜberLather: Arko, PREP cream, glycerin (this combo produces stiff peak lather that has to be felt to be believed)
Razor: EJ DE89
Blade: Polsilver
Post: Cold rinse, alum, Pre de Provence Shea Butter ASB, Eroica Valiant splash

4 pass BBS

 

observant...you are! My eyes never got past the razor!

 

If I'm not mistaken, Jamie has a badger brush made from the same wood made from a c. 1940s lawn bowl. It's beautiful.