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

Day 5 Lab Report - 30 Day Rule with a Slim BSG

Day 5 was a breakthrough. I simplified and went really slow, shooting for 2 pass DFS on a setting of six...

The Slim seems to work a bit better with the Kroger blades if it is set to 5 or higher. First pass was good, and I could not detect any tugging or scraping. For pass 2 I used a skew technique on my neck and focused on keeping the razor cap in firm contact with skin without bearing down enough to cause razor burn. It went so much better than previously. I will try more aggressive settings as the month progresses...I feel like today's shave was a better indication of how good the slim can be. An unexpected outcome of this month may be a preference for a more aggressive razor...stay tuned.

I may be a little scarce for a few days due to travel...this report filed on location, 34k ft above Nebraska with an iPad and a good airline wifi connection...will post a pic later, airline firewall won't support file uploads....

This is post #1801 on TSD!

Edited to post photo

 

Complete echo of Kerry's comments....also 2pass (WTG and XTG) while learning is ok. With good technique a 2 pass shave looks great and saves wear and tear while you learn.

 

No worries Justin! I may organize another in a couple months! Have fun with the new gear!

 

You should feel much shame JK. I too as a new wet shaver am struggling to keep the same setup all month. But I am trying, I'm trying hard. As said in Pulp Fiction, "But I'm trying, Ringo. I'm trying real hard to be the shepherd."

 

Prep - Hot Shower
Razor - Merkur Progress
Blade - Merkur
Brush - AoS Fine Badger Chrome
Pre - AoS pre shave oil
Lather - Bigelow
Post - AoS Lavender Balm

WTG setting 3. XTG/ATG setting 1 on the progress. Much better today with regards to burn and nicks. Tried the "buffing" on the chin and it seems better there. Had a great lather in my mug today - mixed about 45 - 60 seconds longer than normal with great results.

 

SOTD 8 - 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, 1XTG except on my trouble spots. Not much to report really, it was pretty good, today I'm mostly doing a rest. Shaves are certainly getting quicker than they once were, the tech is still doing quite well. I may look into getting a heavy tech(or try a different handle on this one) when we are done here.

 

Day 6 of 30
BSG
30 Day Rule with a Slim




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J2 Gillette Slim Adjustable
Kroger Israeli Personna
VDH Kit Badger
TSD Lanolin Shave Stick - Barber Shoppe Scent
Today's Great Cheap AS™ is Brut

More dial settings....lab report later!​

 

Day 7
Prep: Hot shower, Clean and Clear deep action exfoliating scrub, Conditioner
Brush: Van Der Hagen (the one from the premium kit)
Soap: Van Der Hagen Luxury
Blade: Hill Country (rebranded Personna)
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89
Post: Nivea Original, Old Spice

Only thing done differently today (which I also did yesterday just didn't write it down) was let some conditioner sit on my head for several minutes. Not sure if it did anything as I really should have switched my blade out, but the hot water felt great for the extra time spent in the shower. I don't know if it's a problem with my lather still or the blade going dull but I'm getting a tugging feeling. Tomorrow I'll change blades and if it's still happening I'll try lathering differently to see if it helps at all.

 

SOTD January 8, 2015

This is the seventh day of my 30-day adventure to improve my shaving skills using the Mongoose. I enjoyed another great two-pass plus touch-up shave this cold Kentucky morning. I concentrated on gently stretching the skin, much like I would do with my Feather Artist Club razor, and this helped me. The Feather blade on day four performed well.

I may wear the fancy duds I received for Christmas to work tomorrow. Happy Shaving, gentlemen!

 

Day 7 - Thirty Days with Merkur 34c (Jan 1-Feb 4 [No shave on Saturdays]) BSG 1-8-2015

Hot Shower and Prep - Neutrogena Men Invigorating Face Wash, & Wm. Neumann & Co. Peppermint Leaf Bar Soap
Razor Merkur 34c
Blade Astra SP (1)
Brush - Plisson Synthetic
Lather - Poraso Green
Post - Warm & cool water rinse, Nivea Men Razor Defense Post Shave Lotion

Two pass NS - SN with a few touch ups ATG in the trouble spots. Decent DFS. Even though hit the big 5-0 last month I still have a problem with acne. Nothing major but the occasional pimple will show up pretty regular. Starting yesterday I had a breakout (more than usual) on the left side of my face and neck. Not sure what that was about. With me it could be anything. Hopefully it will clear up soon. My only thing is I have not used Proraso this many days in a row - Hopefully not an issue.

 

I have some voskhod blades if you need some

 

I'm in
Ikon slant
Rapira Swedish stainless steel blades
TFS cream soap
30 mm silver tip badger custom brush

 

Shave of the Day

Shave 4 of 30 Days with a Straight



Prep: hot bath, Shea butter Black African soap
Razor: Morley 5/8 straight
Brush: New Forest 2204 badger
Lather: Stirling - Naked and Smooth
Shave: 3 passes; WTG, XTG, ATG + Cleanup
Post: Stetson Cooling Moisture

Put an exclamation point next to this shave, it was fantastic.

In my continuing adventures with perfecting technique with a straight, I keep making progress. It is feeling more natural every time I shave now.

The Stirling soap is simply one of the best soaps I've ever had the pleasure of putting on my face. The fact it was unscented even may be a plus. One less scent to cause possible irritation, in theory.

I could just tell from the smooth sweeps of the blade that this was gonna be a great shave and I was right. I achieved near perfection, BBS quality.

 

1/8/15 - BSG - RESET Day 3

Prep - Hot Shower, towel soak
Brush - Omega 48
Soap - Proraso Green
Razor - '46/'47 Aristocrat
Blade - Voskhod (3)
Post - Aqua Velva Musk

Early start today with an early appointment but I still got in a full 3 passes. Just didn't get time to post. Can't complain on a busy day of 4 sales and total success on that front. The shave was great too. Smooth on all passes, no irritation, DFS all the way with the neck getting better each time. No sting from the AV splash so all's good. Feel like I'm getting the routine down fast with this one.

Thought I'd show the whole family today including the new Merkur 23c for my head. Tried it out last night and got great results with a Derby. Onward and forward!

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Congrats...that's pretty sweet on a straight!

 

Welcome!

 

Day 6 lab report waits til morning. Way too tired. Happy Friday! Hope all are shaving well! Meanwhile...on with the show.

Planned Day 7 of 30
BSG
30 Day Rule with a Slim

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J2 Gillette Slim Adjustable
Kroger Israeli Personna
VDH Kit Badger
TSD Lanolin Shave Stick - Barber Shoppe Scent
Today's Great Cheap AS™ is Aspen

Aspen is approved by Mrs Samurai, it was a small sample bottle. I have no idea what this stuff really costs, when I say great cheap AS I simply mean good smelling and very commonly available. It's the type of stuff I wear almost always.

Hopefully reports for 6&7! Busy day! Time to sleep...

 

I'll have to check out some Aspen! Wonder if Walmart has it.

 

There are no reward for perserverance here. If you must change something don't sweat it. You are in luck, we are practicing razor technique, not loyalty to a fine Italian Classic or ability to endure anything. No worries. Just keep going like nothing happened. As long as your replacement soap is kinda familiar to you, your technique should remain the focus, and all works out. If anything other than technique is irritating your skin, it essentially defeats the drill by injecting noise into the feedback on your shave.

 

No need to apologize! This is all about having fun! So: have fun using your new stuff!