January 2015 30 Day Rule/30 Day Focus Pic and Discussion Thread- All are Welcome

Day 5 - Thirty Days with Merkur 34c (Jan 1-Feb 4 [No shave on Saturdays]) BSG 1-6-2015

Hot Shower and Prep - Nivea Men Sensitive Skin Face Wash, & Wm. Neumann & Co. Peppermint Leaf Bar Soap
Razor Merkur 34c
Blade Astra SP (5)
Brush - Plisson Synthetic
Lather - Poraso Green
Post - Warm & cool water rinse, WH & RazoRock "Problem Solver" Lime scented AS splash

Decent two pass, NS- SN then touch ups ATG in the trouble spots around chin and jaw line. Giving the blade one more day, will most likely go with a 3 pass tomorrow. I still haven't found the magic for my neck.

 

What's the benefit of the Nebraska Cornhusker lotion?

 

It's really slick but not oily like a pre-shave oil. It help the blade glide during the first pass when my stubble is thick.

 

SOTD January 6, 2015



This is the fifth day of my 30-day adventure to improve my shaving skills using the Mongoose. Pre-shave consisted of a warm shower and a face wash with Cetaphil. Post-shave included Thayer's Lavender Witch Hazel and Nivea Sensitive AS balm. This was the second shave on the Feather blade, and it felt smoother today. I had only one small weeper near the corner of my mouth (a sensitive area for me), but otherwise my two-pass shave was close and comfortable.

Here's a photo of my humble brush collection and my Mongoose with the Dr. Bomber and Big Bomber handles. I'm using the Kent BK4 brush and Dr. Bomber handle on the Mongoose during this adventure.

 

It's also available locally for a couple of dollars. It's good stuff and a great value.

 

I've been thinking about picking up some of the dirt cheap A/S you've been talking about, I just have to find some my wife likes. At this point she really only cares for bay rum.

 

Yup. That's what it's all about!

 

I love the razor holder!

Too bad he cut off the right tip of his mustache... But if I had to shave with a razor almost as wide as my own head, I'd be happy to escape with only that!

 

So... in exactly which knife or scissors did you put the Derby Extra? Or are these the blades for the next 30 day's low end entry level challenge?

 

Wednesday! Day #6 of the 30 day BSG challenge

• Music: Laïs, The Ladies' Second Song
• Prep: hot washing cloth
• Brush: TGN a grade silvertip badger in Oscar11 handle
• Soap: Cella
• Razor: birth quarter Gillette Slim (@ 4, 5, 6 & 7)
• Blade: Derby #3
• Shave: 3-pass + touch-up
• Post: cold water rinse, Floyd AS balm

Another nice shave. Some mild irritation, though.

Have a great day, ya'll!

 

Day 7
my 30-day rule
razor: Ever Ready 1924 SE
blade: Personna GEM teflon coated
brush: Omega 31064 (mostly**)
soap: Williams (Yeah, that's right! Williams! I triple dog dare you!)


Today was a step closer to BBS. I gained ground on a couple spots and lost on a couple. I give it an overall gain. A year ago I might have called today's shave a BBS, but it does not quite meet my current standard. <sigh>

Insight of this shave: late in the shave I noticed that I skewed both left and right across a given area on different passes. It was too late in the shave to see if one skew direction works better than the other. I suspect that both directions work together, rather like shaving WTG, XTG, ATG.

Conclusion: Today was a progress day. Looks like inches, not miles. Kaizen, anybody?

 

Same nice shave again today. Nothing new to report.

Gillette LC New Bulldog
Gillette Silver Blue
Semogue BC Mistura
Institut Karite Soap
Alum
Superior 70

 

SOTD 01/07/2015

1912 Gem Damaskene Razor
GEM Stainless Steel Coated Single Edge Blade
Vie Long 12705 Horse Hair Brush
C. O. Bigelow Menthol Shave Cream

Just keeping on....

 

Happy anniversary! Thanks for making TSD a better place.

 

1/7/14
#30DayChallenge #3
My shave was interrupted during the prep and lather for 5 minutes and the resulting shave just wasn't that great, but I get to do it again tomorrow!

Prep: Shower
Lather: Klar Kabinett
Brush: Vie-Long 13061M
Razor: Weber
Blade: Voskhod
Post: Ogallala Bay Rum

Wife hopped in the shower just as I started to paint on the lather. Our water just goes to the sink or the shower, not neither and since I didn't want to freeze or scald her I waited. Face dried by the time I started shaving and the first pass was really tuggy. Oh well...I like her better than I like shaving, so no problem.

 

SOTD
January 7, 2015

Prep: Hot shower. Axe Shield Face Wash
Razor: RazoRock Stealth Slant
Blade: Feather
Brush: L'Occitane Plisson
Lather: MdC
Post: Alum.Thayers Lavender WH.
Aftershave: Floid Black
I used MdC again this morning, everything about this soap is wonderful. If I had to choose one soap to use for a month it would be MdC. New product: Floid black, really nice aftershave! Sweet, powdery toner, left my face feeling really good. The scent stays 5-6 hour post shave. The Feather in the RRSS was a nice combo. So far I haven't found a blade that hasn't worked well with the stealth. Plisson. The best brush for your buck.
Go out and get it!

 

1/7/15 - BSG - RESET Day 2

Prep - Hot Shower, towel soak
Brush - Omega 48
Soap - Proraso Green
Razor - '46/'47 Aristocrat
Blade - Voskhod (2)
Post - Clubman

Another good morning. Again no nicks/weepers or problems. Not as close this morning as yesterday but still a good shave. Was a bit rushed so didn't take as much time on the lather and hurried the third pass. The Aristocrat was smooth as silk again with the Voskhod so I'm loving that.

​

 

SOTD 7 - BSG:

Prep: Shower, Corn Huskers
Soap: Arko
Blade: 7'oclock SharpEdge (yellow)
Razor: Ball End Tech
Brush: 24mm WD Black Badger
Post: WH , VIBR

1 WTG, 1ATG except on my trouble spots. This was the 2nd and final day for my blade, not sure why but it seemed smoother today. Could have been my imagination yesterday. I switched it up a little bit with some corn huskers today instead of the Proraso, but all in all it was very similar. I opted not to do an ATG on my neck and instead did some XTG action there. I'm still really liking the tech.

 

1/7/2015 30 Day - Shave # 7

Prep - Hot Shower
Razor - Mongoose Satin B2
Blade - Kai Mild (7)
Brush - Rubberset 400 with WSP HMW
Lather - Soap Commander Confidence
Post - Witch Hazel and Dove Aftershave Balm



This shave completed the first week of the 30 days with the Goose and constituted my entire experience with this razor. Today's shave required a 3 pass shave with touch ups. The Kai blade has reached the end. Had to work a little harder today to achieve my normal results and ended up with a little irritation.

After a week in, I am very pleased with my purchase of the Mongoose. Not to say it is the end all of razors but I have found that it works very well for me. I wanted a modern stainless still razor and honestly wanted something a little different as well. I am surprised at how mild but efficient the razor shaves. I will continue to use the Kai Mild blades for the remainder of the 30 days but I am interested in how the razor will change with the different blade choices.

I was impressed with Soap Commander before starting this 30 day run. However, the soap continues to impress me with it's ease of use and the shave it provides.

 

You are wise man, very wise man