SoS: November 19th, 2012 - November 25th, 2012

SOTD Saturday 11-24-2012

Razor: Lord Premium+handle with extra weight
Blade: Astor (3)
Brush: Omega 10029
Cream: Gada Original
AS: Old Spice Original

Close and smooth shave with 3 passes WTG/XTG/ATG for BBS

 

Saturday - it's the weekend! Time for the SEs!!

Prep: 30 minute marinade with TSD ISZ PSB, hone and strop str8, hot shower
Tunes: 98.1 WOGL replay of A T 40 from Nov. 22, 1986*
Coffee: Home roasted, fresh ground Kenyan AA, BLACK
Hone: Duro Electric
Strop: Vintage Blade 2" Black latigo/linen
Cream: C&E Sandalwood
Brush: The Dridecker
Str8: Dovo Astrale A&F, 3 passes
SE: Schick E model, touch up
Post: Cold water rinse, RazoRock rubdown, ice water splash, B&BW Noir
'Stache Wax: haven't decided yet

Usually I don't use this cream alone; I add a small dollop to my lather bowl and create a super lather with the matching shave soap. Not a bad stand-alone cream. Pretty strong in the scent department. For me, that's a plus.

It's been a while since I took the time to marinate with the TSD ISZ PSB before my shower. I'm glad I did. I do believe it made for a smoother, more comfortable shave.

*And, for those wondering, the number 1 song was Human by Human League.

 

Pre-shave: Marinated in Proraso Pre-Shaving Cream, Warm shower​

Razor: Parker Shavette and EJ DE89L​

Blade: Derby in Shavette ... Astra SP in EJ​

Brush: Muhle Black Fiber​

Uberlather: TSD Copal Lanolin Soap, Soapy SC, glycerin ​

A/S: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Bar, Witch Hazel, Proraso Splash ​

 

Saturday morning, November 24, 2012

Schick E2 Injector razor w/ Schick blade (4)
Semogue 1305 boar bristle brush,
Proraso shaving cream w/ hot water lather,
finish with cold water rinse for a DFS!

 

SOTD Saturday 11-24-2012

5/8 Imperial, Full Hollow, Spike Point
Proraso PSC
Musgo Real SC
Vintage Austrian Barbershop Boar
Dickinson's Witch Hazel
Nivea Replenishing ASB
English Leather Cologne

Haven't used the Musgo SC for awhile...man, I love that scent! The little Imperial spiked me again. It seems everytime I use that little sucker I forget where the end of the blade is and spike myself. Oh well, it wakes me up in the morning! LOL

 

Shave of the Day (SOTD) Saturday November 24, 2012​

​

• Prep: Brush soaking in hot water, face washed with Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cleanser, luke warm shower
• Razor: Matador Capa Dorada
• Blade: Shark Super Stainless
• Brush: Semogue 620 Boar
• Soap: Proraso Menthol and Eucalyptus with added Menthol
• AS: Aqua Velva Musk with added Menthol
• Post: Cold Water Rinse, Double Splash of Aftershave

I first off want to thank my menthol buddy Jeff (crackstar) for really getting me into menthol. I have always loved the cool feeling of menthol on my face, even when using canned goo. Jeff had enlightened and inspired me to try many creams and soaps that I never would have....so thank you sir.

There are other creams and soaps I find that are colder than Proraso, but I prefer the scent of Proraso over the others. So what is a menthol addict to do, but add more menthol. For this tub after a couple weeks of use I did the following:

1. Poke about 30 holes in the soap with a wooden skewer.
2. Combined 5 cc's of menthol crystals to 20 cc's of boiling water.
3. Pour the mentholated water over the hole punched puck, put lid on an let sit for about 5 minutes.
4. Used a small plastic spoon and mashed it all up.

The new soap is softer because of the additional water content, but also has much more of a menthol freeze.

After a few weeks of using milder open combs, TTO's, Tech's and the Progress may face was a little shocked by the amount of blade exposure I felt from the Matador. I forgot how much of the blade that you feel on your face, much more than the FaTip and I would dare to say that it is pushing towards R41 aggressiveness One full pass and touch ups and I am done.

This is one efficient razor, I need to move it into my rotation more.

 

Catching up a bit...

Nov 21
Face Wash: Yardley Lavender Soap
Pre-Shave Lather: Nuka SC
Shave Lather: Cella
Razor: Merkur 38M
Blade: Racer Super Stainless (1)
Brush: Vulfix 660S Medium
Post: Witch Hazel/Vodka/Aloe/Glycerin mixture followed by White Musk ASB by The Body Shop

Nov 23
Prep: Hot Shower
Pre-Shave Lather: None
Shave Lather: Cella
Razor: Merkur 38M
Blade: Racer Super Stainless (2)
Brush: Semogue 1305
Post: Witch Hazel/Vodka/Aloe/Glycerin mixture followed by Masters Bay Rum AS

Nov 24
Prep: Hot Shower
Pre-Shave Lather: None
Shave Lather: Cella
Razor: Merkur 38M
Blade: Racer Super Stainless (3)
Brush: Semogue 1305
Post: Witch Hazel/Vodka/Aloe/Glycerin mixture followed by Nivea Energy AS

This was my first time using Cella, and my first time using the Racer blade.

I'm wondering if my Cella is turning rancid. This was a 60gr chunk that was PIF'd to me about 6 months ago. It has just a slight scent that could possibly be from a rancid soap. I thought the scent was supposed to be almond. I do catch just a hint of that. As I use it more, the almond has come out more, but I still get an odd scent as well. The performance was fine. I prefer the boar brush for this, and rather than using the "Marco Method" I used a well shaken brush and that worked just fine and I end up with more lather than I can use.

My first try with the Racer blade was not good. With the weepers and irritation, combined with only a SAS, I was ready to move on, but the next two shaves were quite different and I had no weepers, a very smooth shave, and near BBS shaves. They rivaled just about any other blade in my arsenal. I'll continue to use a couple more of these before coming to any conclusion. The only way I'd buy more, though, is if Bestshave.net had them back in stock. When they had them, they were only $5.80/100.

 

Aspis Ice Rain cream for me for my Sunday Straight Razor Shave - yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That is very possible. I bought a tub of Cella and had the same experience. (It was a brand new tub.) I thought it smelled like rancid grease instead of the Almond scent it was suppose to be. Not knowing if it was just me "not liking it" or not, I PIF's it to a Brother who said he would give it a try. He later reported that yeah, it's rancid. So, I'm thinking it has a very short shelf life.

 

I had my wife smell it and she thought it smelled like a hospital. I'm not sure what she picked up that smelled that way, but that was her response. I may have to rethink using any more of this. I have P160, and there's a definite fresh almond scent to that. I don't pick up any of that with this chunk of cella.

 

My thanksgiving day shave with the Gen I iKon OC, proved to be far more enjoyable than I expected.. those early iKon's have a bit of a nasty temper. With the T-Day shave in good order, I decided to give another early iKon a try. This one is a very limited production spindle design.. SN #3. According to Greg, the production costs for the spindle version would have made it a loss-leader so it never went public. Too bad, it's a wicked cool razor.

Anyway, I remember it having a mean bite and bite it did.. on the first pass. I finished up the WTG pass, made my peace with #3 and put it back in the cabinet. Finished the shave with the OSS mounted on an iKon Classic long handle.

Razor: iKon OSS
Blade: Isreali Personna
Brush: Penworks Silvertip, care-of Sodapopjones
Cream: CO Bigelow/Proraso, Dirty Bird Bill Bowl
Alum & Ice water rinse
Post: EJ Sea Buckthorne cream

 

SOTD Saturday 11-24-2012

Razor: 1930's Gillette Gold New type OC
Blade: Lord
Brush: Semogue 620
Soap: MWF
AS: Thayers Alcohol Free, alum, Pinaud Clubman.

Great 3 pass WTG/XTG/ATG resulting in a BBS face. I just brought the 620 back from my Moms to get it broken in. I am going to use it for the next month in rotation with my TGN. I'm thinking on days I don't shave with it I will whip up a hand lather with it. I keep reading about how great the Boar brushes are when broken in. I find it hard to force myself to use anything other than the TGN though

 

Saturday - 24.11.2012

I managed to squeeze in yet another Saturday shave, and since time was off the essence I only managed two passes.
I had also planned on using the OC razor I received from Master Lyndon. But decided against it since I did not want to rush things with (for me) a new piece of shaving technology
Despite only going two passes, the result was still a DFS.

Merkur Progress
Gillette Indian Black
FS Chubby Badger Brush
Proraso Green Shaving Cream
Proraso Green Aftershave Lotion
TSD Aftershave Milk

 

Arley, it was my great pleasure to make you a menthol lover. Now, the necessary thing for me to do is to find some new freezing cream or soap which I know you never tried, and to send it to you. Hmmmmmmmmmmm, let's see now what I can find around the house.......leave it to me!

 

Late Saturday shave:

Hot Shower / Proraso Pre / Proraso Red (new formula) SC / EJ DE89L w/ Feather blade / Semogue 830 / WH / Ogallala Bay Rum & Sandalwood

 

Your such a generous cat Jeff, I think there should be something cold headed your way first of this week...lets see now what I can find around my house.....ha,ha,ha...

 

Saturday
Dubl Duck 6/8"
Illinois #127
Franks Shaving Chubby
Arko Ice Mint
Floid Blue

Fantastic shave except for the slice on my cheek. Didn't expect a dinosaur to get hucked at me through the bathroom door. Ah the joys of trying to use straight razors with kids around....

 

Saturday Evening

Final outdoor chores before winter, if it comes!

Followed by ...

Eucerin moisturizing cream
Shower
Omega 10083 Pro boar
Gold Dachs Spezial
Merkur 23c w/ Astra SP
Cetaphil gentle cleanser
Master Bay Rum (body)

Ever so pleasant two pass DFS++! Second day for Gold Dachs. Great stuff!

 

SOTD Sunday 11-25-2012 (Tomorrow's Shave Today!)

Edwin Jagger DE86811 w/Astra Superior Platinum
Proraso PSC
Speick SC
Semogue 820 Boar
Dickinson's Witch Hazel
Nivea Replenishing ASB
English Leather Cologne

Posting tomorrow's shave tonight as I will be up and on the road very early tomorrow on my trip to Sacramento California. I won't have time to post so, I'll do it now. I have a seminar at UC Davis on Monday and so I'll get another chance to use my Merkur Travel Razor (Thanks again Obie!). It also has a DE89 head on it so the shaves are always great. (I do miss my nice warm scuttle lather though!) Thanks for all the eye candy this week Gents; have a good one!

 

• Proraso PSC
• Proraso SC
• Frank Silvertip Brush - Fan
• Gillette 1947 Super Speed (no notch, rhodium plating)
• TSD Witch Hazel - Iced Winter Fresh (x1 menthol)
• Lord Super Stainless Blade (2)
• Proraso ASB
• Proraso ASL

What a great setup! I really love the Proraso products and I would have to say they make up my favorite product line. I am really please with the Super Speed. It is fast becoming one of my most favorite razors. I find this razor to me a little more aggressive than the Flare Tip Super Speeds. That said, it is still very easy to use and for me it strikes a perfect balance between closeness and comfort. I can easily get baby butt smooth with zero irritation. Really great! I was a bit skeptical about the Lord blade but it is proving to be quite a good blade. I guess I shouldn't be surprised as those Egyptian guys have some pretty serious beards!

I will heading off to the Philippines for a few days for some scuba diving. I will still try to make some posts if I can. I won't be able to participate in "Pick a Country Week" but if I could... my choice would be Germany. I don't know if I could pull off a totally German shave but I do have a reasonable variety of German software and hardware. Alvederzane!

Cheers, everyone!

Movember 2012 Participant - My Donation Page