SoS: December 29, 2014 - January 4, 2015

Menthol Monday (maybe it's also Platinum Monday?)

Excellent shave today. I hadn't used FrostByte in a while and now I'm reminded how good this soap is for my face. I love the tea tree oil. I didn't use any menthol pre shave so the cold was enjoyable and not over the top. Fine Platinum is another product I hadn't used in a while, and this really works nicely with FrostByte and leaves a pleasing scent and soft skin. I get red for a few seconds, then my skin calms down and I'm good to go.

Prep: Kiehl's Face Wash
Soap: HTGAM FrostByte
Brush: HIS
Razor: Gillette Aristocrat
Blade: Astra SP
AS: Fine Platinum

 

SOTD
Menthol Monday, December 29, 2014

Prep: Hot Shower, Neutrogena Face wash
Razor: Schick Injector I - 1
Blade: Schick
Brush: B&B Omega Essential Boar
Lather: Strop Shoppe - Alpine Frost + M Bomb
Post: Alum stick, Aloe Vera Toner + Menthol, Witch Hazel + Menthol, Gold Bond Green Lotion
Aftershave: Proraso Aftershave Lotion

​

 

Monday 29th December



Warm shower
Hot towel
Soap Commander Confidence scuttle lathered
Finest Badger brush made by myself
Gillette New Improved Bostonian Silver
Personna Lab Blue (1)
Cold rinse
Thayers Lavender witch hazel
Old Spice Sensitive aftershave

 

∙the Wife's Fusion Pro-Glide w/new cart
∙body wash

2 pass absolute BBS. Result is as smooth if not smoother as from most any DE/SE/injector. But not using shave soap was a mistake. No damage but some irritation the FPG never gives otherwise. That's what I get for rushing. HOWEVER, some Lucky Tiger saves the day.

If they weren't so expensive and sure to be obsoleted, and if I didn't enjoy traditional wetshaving so much, I could shave happily with the Proglide until I shuffle off this mortal coil. Your mileage, I'm sure, will vary!

 

Monday morning -


Prep - Noxzema & hot towel
Lather - Mitchell's Wool Fat & suribachi
Brush - Semogue SOC 24mm boar reset @ 47mm
Razor - Wm. Greaves Sheaf Works wedge, 7/8

2 pass
Warm water rinse & cold water splash
Alum block & Witch-hazel AS





Clear & cool here again this morning, with a chance of snow later today and overnight. 10ºF/-12ºC @ 07:30 and maybe 40ºF/4ºC this afternoon. Kicking off Monday with another excellent Mitchell's lather and a nice ol' Sheaf Works wedge. The lowered SOC is really outstanding as well. It's another short week but it's still Monday, so have a better one folks!

 

How did you remove the knot to reset it?

 

29 December 2014

* Silverloaf 7/8 Kamisori
* Tony Miller No. 2 Heirloom
* WSP Manchurian + Oscar11 All-Amber C7
* Mystic Water Lemongrass & Blue Gum
* Unrefined Shea Butter




​

 

Razor: Gillette Slim (k3) 1965 (5)
Brush: Whipped Dog Silvertip 30/45
Mug: Old Spice (late glass Mug 04) 1970s -1992 The last OS Mugs
Cream: TOBS Coconut
Blade: Feather (2)
Pre shave: Tree Hut Shea body wash Mango
Post shave: Thayers Cucumber WH, Azzaro AS Balm, Old Spice original Shulton 1980 glass AS (gift from my father in law)

The WD Silvertip is a great soft brush on my face, but with its low set whipped up the TOBS in no time. I really like the slim the heavy handle and head gave me a nice smooth shave with no pressure. Just 2 passes WTG XTG on my face, and WTG ATG on my neck with the Slim set at (3). Just have to not over buff my neck, because on 3 the Slim is very mild, even with a Feather. The Shea Mango for the pre-shave helped. No burn! Old Spice to start the day and off to get those last trades in for the year.

 

SOTD

Razor - RRKS

Blade - Rapira PL

Brush - WD Silvertip

Soap - The Freedberg

I am trying to use my favourite gear that won't be in my 30 trial. I was dialed in today and inspired by @razorburn 's new acquisition. Three pass BBS with zero irritation or weepers.

 

SOTD Monday 12-29-2014

Muhle R102 (2010) w/Crystal
Noxema
Irisch Moos SC
GP Scuttle
Semogue 820 Boar
Dickinson's WH
GB Body Lotion
Mennen Original Skin Bracer

Love the Irisch Moos but hate to use it as it's not available anymore. Oh well, no sense in leaving it dry up in the tube either.

 

today's shave
hot water wash with nivea men's
pur-tech on whipped dog handle
bombed Palmolive classic
Merkur 39c
persona lab(1)
Osage rub
menthol Monday
today's shave went well.
I bombed the Palmolive with 2 drops of m-bomb. New lab in the sledgehammer. super close shave today, very nice. finished with Osage rub. eyes were watering, very cold.
hope y'all did as well, or better.

 

Neat razor! Is it assymetrical? And how does she do? (and nice pic as usual! )

 

Do you shave differently with the Sledgehammer than with other DE's? I don't seem to get it to work for me.

 

Last time I used it I had used it a couple of days in a row. And soaked over night.

This time I hadn't used it for a while but I did soak it. The lather was just okey. I knew it, I don't know why I didn't pick up a cream to use instead. Maybe I really wanted to use the MWF haha.

I know this soap is much better than this =P

 

Well it wasn't the easiest removal, let me just say that right up front. But basically I just steamed it and wrenched on it a lot (wrenching with just my hands of course, no actual wrenches!).

The glue at the bottom of the Semogue knot isn't like the nice neat glue plugs on the Omega knots, or any of the aftermarket suppliers like TGN, Virginia Sheng or ACE. No, the SOC knot was set into probably 15mm of glue, so it clung on a bit more tenaciously. But once it was out it cleaned up nicely and there is in fact a nice compact glue plug right at the base of the bristles, just the same as with the others, but the Semogues are set into the handle with considerably more glue.

I wrapped the bristles in cellophane and then aluminum foil and applied a fresh coat of tung oil to the wood handle before I attempted the steaming, but even then it was sort of a 50-50 proposition as to whether I'd either burn the bristles or split the wood or not. The steaming took about 45 min before I got the knot to budge at all, and then probably another 15-20 min in & out of the steam, wrenching on it all the while. But in the end it finally did give way, and somewhat to my surprise, without any damage to the bristles either. The wood seemed to hold up to the steaming a lot better than I was expecting too, so the tung oil may not have been need in hind site, but then again...better safe than sorry . The glue bump proved too wide for the knot to seat down past the decorative metal ring, so I removed that, and then just hogged out the remaining glue from the bore in the handle. Added a quarter for a little extra ballast and then just glued the knot back in place.

So while it's not quite as easy as getting the Omega knots out of their plastic handles (or even the Semogue knots out of their wood handles, provided you don't want to re-use the handle - that wood splits real easy!), the results are well worth the effort IMO. The SOC is wonderfully dense and the lower setting perfectly counter balances the Semogue propensity for excessive splay (obviously a subjective evaluation there, but that's been my experience). It's probably a personal call though as to whether or not it's worth the risk of damaging the knot.

 

Mike, thank you for your kind words. The Kamisori has a symmetrical grind, is quite heavy and feels fine in hand. Unfortunately, I think I needs a good touch-up on the hone. I may ask a friend of mine, here, to do it as he has much more experience than I.

By the way, if you aren't getting on with your Sledgehammer, I would highly recommend the Shavecraft 102 Slant as it is a very smooth shaver.

 

yes,I do. the hammer gets held with the handle a little closer in.
other than that, just no pressure and listen to the blade. hope this helps.

 

The RRSS is awesome! I want thank you for your insight on your RRKS, it definitely helped me in deciding to buy the RRSS.

 

SOTD 29 December 2014 - Menthol Monday soap and brush lather test



Brushes: AoS Fine Badger, L'occitane Plisson Synthetic
Soap: (info redacted)
TSD Iced SubZero Preshave Balm
Kroger Arctic Blue AS
Alum
TSD M-Bomb Sample
1953 Ball End Gold Tech
Kroger branded Blades (likely Personna-Israel)

The Preshave balm kicked this session into menthol overdrive right from the start...the vial one may notice in the photo is M-Bomb from TSD...it allows the user to mentholate a single serve size of any product. Go buy it!

These blades are solid performers...and the Kroger AS kept it frosty with a little M-bomb...this AS is a clone of AV, is cheap, and provides good skincare on a 10 degree Colorado day.

Come check out what me and some the newer guys (and some forum vets too) are doing with 30 day rules! We already have a good core group, and are always looking for more to join in the fun. If you are interested in strict 30 day rules for new guys, or looser hybridized 30 day rules for veteran equipment fine tuning...come find a way to participate or a role to play! I will be spending a month on a new to me Slim. Others will be using razors of all stripes...we are looking forward to a month sharing experiences and exchanging info as we master our tools. Our experience levels range from a few days to many years, and all are welcome and encouraged to take a look at what we are doing. We anticipate a photo heavy, very fun month of learning in January.

 

My first shave with the ABC Pocket Edition. A great shave, and maybe one of my best shaves ever. The Crown Shaving Cream makes an excellent cooling lather and the vintage Rubberset Badger brush whipped it up in no time at all. BBS with no irritation.
ABC Pocket Edition (1910) / Astra SP (1)
Crown Shave Cream
Vintage Rubberset Pure Badger
Retinol Men ASB
Aqua Velva Classic Ice Blue