SoS: December 2, 2013 - December 8, 2013

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Menthol Monday​

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Razor: Bakelite Slant​

Blade: Super Iridium (D7)​

Brush: Amber 28mm TGN finest 2 band​

Pre Shave Soap: Musgo Real Lime Basil Oil Soap​

Pre Shave Oil: Homemade Lime & Spearmint​

Shave Soap: TSD X2 Iced Mojito​

Post: Monster Alum Block​

Aftershave: TSD X2 Iced Mojito AS Milk​

Received TSD X2 Iced Mojito Shave Soap and TSD X2 Iced Mojito AS Milk as another Secret Santa and another great shave with this combination and the Bakelite Slant. The TSD Milk was a first time experience and really like this product and a little goes a long way. Nice addition to already blotted collection of wet shave products. Have a great day everyone.

 

I have just been away for the weekend in London and had popped into Taylors of Old Bond Street and made a few purchases. I got bought for me by my dear wife a Dovo Shavette and a selection of Blades. Tonight I decided to give myself a shave (kept my Dovo for Christmas from the Boss) and this is how it went.
I used Prosaro Pre shave cream and left it on for about 4 minutes while my brush soaked in the hot water.
I then prepared my brush and shook off the excess water and dipped it into the TOBS Jermyn Street Cream. Applied this thick cream to my beard of 4 days and rubbed it right in to the bristles. I then picked up my Merkur of Solingen Progress Razor set to level 3 with a Feather Blade inside and I began with nice smooth downward pass. Rinsed and felt as if the one pass would have done if I had been in a hurry, but i wasn't so I wet the face lightly and applied more of that lovely rich cream on my face. I then took the Merkur once again and made the second pass upward, against the grain.
I rinsed and considered a third pass but didn't need to. Good smooth shave, rinsed again cleaned and dried the tools, drenched in cold water, dried and then pampered with some Geo Trumper Extract of Lime Skinfood...................I then poured myself a small Malt (Glenlivet to be precise) Ahhh Bliss......

 

2.12.2013

• Prep: shower
• Razor: Gillette NEW
• Blade: Feather (1)
• Brush: The BiG Shave 2013 #90/100
• Soap: Arko
• Post: Thayers Medicated Superhazel
• After shave: Proraso lozione dopobarba, Bulldog balm

I messed up by using the Cobra yesterday, but I intend to only use my DE razors in December. I call it DEcember.

 

(Cyber) Monday

Face washed and scrubbed with L'Oreal Men Expert Hydra Energy.
Merkur 15C coupled with Q-Ball (2).
Arko soap whipped with Semogue 1520 boar in Steve Woodhead mug.
3 passes (WTG/XTG/XTG) followed by luke rinse.
Ajanta alum applied for a minute, then rinsed of with cold water. Finished off with Nivea for Men Sensitive after shave balm.

Ahh... a nice shave just before bedtime! Haven't really used my 15C that much since I got my R89. They're two very very different shavers and I can feel I need to get the technique down again with this razor. The angle is very sensitive. However, todays shave was very pleasant, nonetheless. That razor is very mild. I thought multiple times that the alum was gonna punish me, but none was felt after my 3 passes. Me gusta!

 

I have been trying to convince myself to try a straight razor, I haven't had any nicks or cut in a really long time with safety razors. I figured I was getting vigilant enough not to kill myself with a SR. I have acquired my holy grail SR ( it is just a plain jane CRAFTSMAN ) and was thinking of giving it a go in the next day or so.

Then.......This mornings shave happened, I somehow while shaving the right cheek cut myself on the left side of my lower neck. It felt like a paper cut because it was some how a slicing motion while headed toward the sink. ( I'm a lefty ) I just think I might be a bit too clumsy or don't have the required attention to detail.

I would hate for my Obituary to read:

He was a avid classic shaving enthusiast, who sadly decapitated himself while trying to shave with a straight razor.

 

I'm liking the pictures! Sweet Brush! Is it an oscar11? I'm loving material combo on that one!

 

Cool pic!

 

Hang in there Jacob. Stuff happens even with a DE razor so, maybe it's time to move into the straight razor world. Your DE razor is trying to tell you it doesn't like you anymore so, it's time to find a new mistress named Jane Craftsman. You have nothing to worry about (except decaptation ) Just kidding!

 

About a year ago I found an Aramis Lab Series shave cream sample that I'm guessing was from around 1990-92. Well a few weeks ago, I decided to re-hydrate it and see how it would do with a brush. Total crap! With a brush at least. I grabbed a croap and continued to have a tremendous shave with the Gillette New. I will try the remaining 1/2 as a brushless. With that said, I'll probably use a mild razor that day as well in case the coverage isn't great.
Music while shaving; Maria Callas "O Mio Babbino Caro" Giacomo Puccini.

 

Wow Chris, you KC boys do some classy shaves!

 

If I can offer any encouragement to you, Jacob, let me just say this: After about 7-8 straight razor shaves under my belt so far, I have to admit the difference between using an aggressive DE razor (like the R41) and a straight razor is not as great as I anticipated. Sure, the SR requires your undivided attention (like the R41), but the feel on the face is very similar. The biggest challenge for me are two things with SR shaving: learning the proper angles to guide the blade around my face contours, and navigating a 3-4" long blade. Shaving with two hands (Left for left side of face, rt hand for rt side of face) is a skill that isn't as complicated as I thought it might be.

I had my first SR cut yesterday—after 8 shaves. No blood, just a small, shallow horiz. slice. I've gotten more blood & wounds from some of my Gillette safer razors.

 

Bei Dir war fast alles aus Deutschland, oder? (With you almost everything was from Germany, right?) Du hast sicher die richtige Idee! (You certainly have the right idea!)

 

Monday late afternoon:
hot shower with T&H Trafalgar bar soap (UK)
Homemade PSO
Gillette FatBoy 3 passes (8)
Feather Hi Stainless Platinum (1) (Japan)
VDH boar
Golddachs Macho soap in a warm mug (Germany)
Thayer's unscented with aloe (USA)
T&H Trafalgar AS (UK)

3rd shave with the FatBoy that I picked up on Friday. I was all set yesterday to go all the way to "9" but I had to wear a white dress shirt (with tie) this evening so I only went to "8" and popped in a fresh blade and came away with a very nice shave. After celebrating cream week I figured it was time to use soaps for a few days.

 

Thanks Bruce but, I've seen some pretty darn good shaves and much better pictures from a lot of folks around TSD.

 

You are correct. Purchased this from Oscar11(Steve) end of June and really like it a lot.

 

SOTD 03-12-2013



Pré Proraso Green / JabonMan Ylang Ylang / Semogue BC Boar #98 /
Edwin Jagger Barley DE89BA11 / Gillette Silver Blue / Thayers Peach / ASB Veleiro

 

Thank you sir!

 

R41 (2013)
Rapira Lux (d2)
Palmolive Stick/MWF-Uber Face Lather
Tweezerman Badger
Superior 70 A/S

Terrific shave today. So smooth!

 

Tuesday:

L'Oreal Men Expert Facial Wash
#6 Horsehair
Super Speed/Shark day 2
Arko Ice Mint SC
Phyto Expert Sensitive AS Balm
Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS
Grey Flannel EdT

Another awesome shave with so little effort - this time I'm absolutely BBS. I love the Arko Ice Mint cream so much because its scent is really nice and its lather is a pleasure to work up. It also gives GREAT cooling unlike the Arko Moist which can barely be felt. The Phyto Expert Sensitive balm is so cooling and soothing and the Aqua Velva put the finishing touches on me with its wonderful menthol punch.

 

Ja, alles, aber die Preshavelotion und der Bürste wurde in Deutschland hergestellt. Es ist nur passend, als Erbe meines Vaters ist überwiegend Deutsch.

Yes, everything but the preshave lotion and the brush was made in Germany. It is only fitting as my father's heritage is mostly German.