SoS: January 19, 2015 - January 25, 2015

Welcome to the SOTD. Lots of eye candy here.

 

today's shave
hot water wash with dove+ care
Oscar11/ omega boar
Pyrate' cove coconut soap
Ever-Ready 1924 shovelhead
cvs persona(1)
crusella& co aqua de ruda
today's shave was nice. I longed for something out of the ordinary. I lathered with a new puck of coconut soap, tingled a little? the shovelhead was loud as usual, and hard to get around the nose. but three passes left me very close. finished with Rue water.
hope y'all did as well, or better.

 

Damn I was hoping you wouldn't like MdC and send it to me haha! =P

 

Saturday 24th January



Warm shower
Hot towel
Stirling Sharp Dressed Man scuttle lathered
Finest Badger brush made by myself
Gillette Aristocrat Deluxe
Rapira Swedish (3)
Cold rinse
Thayers Superhazel
Aqua Velva Musk aftershave

 

Saturday:
hot shower w/CST Verbena bar soap
Maggard Eucalyptus PSO
Gillette Aristocrat 2+ passes
Ladas Super Stainless (5)
VDH Premium boar
Arko soap in a warm mug
Thayers unscented w/aloe
Old Spice Fresh AS

Didn't have time to shave yesterday so I had an extra bit of stubble to mow down this morning. Very nice shave with this razor/blade combo so I was surprised to note that this was shave number 5 for this blade. First time with Arko and it was just like using Derby albeit slightly less cushion but it's my first time with it so I'm sure it'll take awhile to get the soap/water ratio just right.

 

January 24, 2015

On day 23, I used my Mongoose loaded with a Feather Pro blade (day 6) and my Kent BK4 brush. All of the shaves this week have been great, but I changed up my soap (sssshhhhhh...don't tell Bama Samurai ). During the journey, I have exhausted my supply of Mike's Natural Soap and Mitchell's Wool Fat. I threw the remnants of these soaps into my container of Stirling Naked and Smooth Soap. I also added a sample of Queen Charlotte Soap and smidge of glycerin to make things interesting. I named this proprietary blend of shaving soap "Queen Mike's Smooth Fat." I'm sure you'll let me know if you can think of a better name.

All kidding aside, I had one of the best lathers and shaves with the Mongoose I've ever experienced. The lather was extremely slick and protective, and it felt great afterwards. This experience makes me want to experiment with different soap combinations. As usual, I finished with alum (very little bite this morning), Thayer's Lavender, and unrefined shea butter. To make things even better, my Bride approved of the end result.

We awoke to a beautiful sunny day with a bit of snow here in Kentucky. I enjoyed some classical music and had a very relaxed shave. I hope you all have a restful and blessed day.

 

Weber PH Bulldog
Gillette 7OC Indian Green
Semogue BC Texugo
Institut Karite Soap
Alum

A late but very nice shave this morning after a lot of snow shoveling.

Oops. Thought I had the Mistura, but it was the Texugo today. Regardless, it was a very nice shave.

 

24 January 2015

* Ikon Shavecraft 102 + UFO U2V1 Red Bronze
* Super Iridium
* WSP 2-Band + Doug Korn Cobalt Blue C7
* Mystic Water Irish Traveller
* Unrefined Shea Butter



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What can I say? Just another amazing shave with MDC and the Ladas blade in a Slim Adjustable.

 

I really should use my Palmolive stick more often. That's the bad thing about having so many shaving things. A lot of good things get neglected. I had a comfortable BBS.

 

That's a very creative photo and a sharp looking brush! Nice job!

 

Jim, I really enjoy your posts! You are a true encourager for a new guy like me. But, hey, it's the middle of January. Do I need to PIF you a water heater?

 

Kikuboshi frameback
H.I.S. XL brush
T.F.S. Fougere soap
Lucido AS

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1/24/2015 30 Day - Shave # 24

Prep - Hot Shower
Razor - Mongoose Satin B2
Blade - Kai Mild (6)
Brush - Rubberset 400 with WSP HMW
Lather - Soap Commander Confidence
Post - Witch Hazel and Clubman AS



I love weekends! Took the time for a full 3 pass shave this morning and caught the baby. Seriously this might have been my best shave ever not just the best with the Goose. Have a great weekend.

 

6/8+ C&S
QED Vetiver
homemade badger
The first pass kinda sucked so end up taking it to a pasted strop and then leather between passes and ended up with a nice shave. This knot is a terrible shedder thus far but I'll continue to comb it out until I no longer like it or it runs out of hair and then reknot it. Very nice feeling knot on my face, however. Have a good one.

 

Saturn's Day:

Prep: Hot shower, Neutrogena Invigorating cleanser, TSD Jasmine Sambac Preshave Balm
Brush: Beeline Boar
Soap: Speick cream
Razor: Merkur 41c 1904 OC
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum (4)
Passes: WTG, XTG (9, 10)
Post: Cold water rinse, Bloc Osma Alum, Dickinson's WH, Speick AS splash
Cologne: Darley by Parfums de Marley

Broke out the Speick today to get the best mileage I could from my aging Bic, because I know the protection and skincare from the Speick cream and aftershave are top-notch. Excellent lather, but the blade was pronounced dead after two passes and a DFS. No bloodshed, but my throat's a little irritated.

 

SoTD Saturday January 24, or SINGLEMANIA!!, the pushbutton

Pre- Clove Balsam PSO
Soap-Panna Crema Namaste
Brush- Ever Ready w/ synthetic knot
Razor- Gem Pushbutton
Blade- Gem Super Stainless (2)
Rinse- Osage
Aftershave- Siete Machos
Lotion- Kiehl's
Cologne- 4711



SINGLEMANIA continues running wild! Today the Gem Pushbutton is on deck. Not a bad razor, but certainly one of the least glamorous Gems. I found it to be quite mild, possibly even the mildest member of the Gem family. Not a bad thing, but it took me three passes to get to BBS on my face, four passes on my neck to get to a DFS plus. Like mini golf, I quit on the fourth pass regardless of results. Over par is over par.
Today I used the lovely Super Stainless blade from yesterday for the second time. It was just as good as it was yesterday. I really have to get some more of these blades. You would think that having a stock of a few hundred blades would keep me from actively buying more. You would be wrong, but I can understand why you would think it.
The soap was Panna Crema Namaste. It is good stuff. Excellent lather. The first time in a while that I have blatantly made way too much lather. Usually I make just enough for the shave. Today I had a bowl full,or about enough for three shaves. Oops. Although it looks and feels about the same, it works up a little easier than the La Pere Lucien that I have been using for the last few days. Now I know. I am really happy with this soap, which is great. It isn't something I would have just normally picked out, but it came with some LPL from a TSD member. It enforced the fact that I should keep an open mind.
The aftershave today is my son's. He discovered it at the Hispanic grocery where I get Florida Water. We originally named it "7 macho goats". We don't speak Spanish. Then it became "burning goat", due to the label (seven goat heads around a flaming urn) and the high alcohol content. But now we just call it "goat water". This was next to Florida water at the store, and it is the mildest, most neutral aftershave I have ever encountered. That is why my son likes it. The fragrance is nice. Have you ever opened your clothes washer while it was filling to throw something extra in? You know the smell? Watered down laundry soap? That is exactly what this stuff smells like. Laundry water. I am probably making it sound way worse than it is, because in actuality, it is a very nice, very comforting scent.
Finally, I got around to using a teeny little sample bottle of the venerable 4711. It is the reason cologne is called what it is. I had high hopes for this stuff, because I love old stuff. But sadly, not impressed. It has a very light citrus fragrance. Not unpleasant, but to call it anything would be to imply that it caused me to experience feelings. It didn't. To sum up; I used it, I briefly smelled like an orange peel, then it went away. All in the space of about an hour. So I am glad that I finally tried it out, but I am very disappointed that it was such a wash. I was really looking forward to using this stuff. It's legendary. Maybe my sample was iffy. I don't know. I think I will try and give it one more shot before I write it off.

 

No, I have a water heater. I use it for my showers. Since I started my cold water shaves, I find I really enjoy them and don't need the hot water. Although, some mornings when I am rinsing out my brush that water seems very cold. When I was in Vietnam we didn't have hot water near by. I you didn't mind walking about a quarter of a mile, you could get a hot shower. I just used the water on hand for my shaves. I longed for a hot water shave. But, that was in the days of canned lather. I have had no problem lathering with any of my 15 soaps and creams. I did put together a do-it-yourself scuttle that I have used once. It did pretty well. I was thinking of breaking it out for my Sunday shave.

 

SOTD Saturday 1-24-2015

Gillette NEW Improved Tuckaway w/Crystal
Noxema
Tabac
GP Scuttle
Omega Boar
Dickinson's WH
GB Body Lotion
No 4711 EDC

 

How is the QED Vetiver?