I am new to str8 shaving. I don't want to let unnecessary blood, so I do the cheeks with the str8 and finish all the rest with the FHT. I am just not confident enough for a full shave with a str8 yet.

A sound strategy—one that i followed when I ventured down the 'straight & narrow ' path last year. I was using the DE for about 3 months in conjunction with the SR.

Dampened face with warm water

• Check

Rubbed the stick over entire shave area of my face (no indication this stuff will lather at this point)

• Check - correct, no indication for me either

Took brush from that was soaking in hot water, let it drip excess water and went to town face lathering.

• I was using a boar brush so I actually think it was too wet. I am going to try to start with a slightly damp synthetic tomorrow and add water as needed.

Resulted into very thick paste like lather almost immediately

• Mine was water thin until I added Arko.

Brush retained enough for a couple more passes easily

• Brush had nothing to start with lol.

Thanks for the reply. I'll keeping tinkering until I get it corrected. Hopefully the brush change will be all that is needed.

Sorry wasn't very clear...the brush held enough lathered soap created from the face lathering to last a couple passes. I was using a high mtn badger brush that holds water but not gobs of it.

Im gonna try it with my omega boar next to see how it compares....I might even do it right now. lol

SUNDAY
Evening shave for Tomorrow
Early, early rise on Sunday morn, so I opted for a more leisurely-paced shave tonight.
A smooth, creamy lather shave using the Valobra with the C-MON. I'm trying some 'new' techniques with the SR (new direction and upstroke), and I've managed to get near BBS with no blood…so far!

Have a blessed Sunday, everyone!

Thanks, Guy!

Lovely outdoor pic, Phil! That is a nice camera you have on your phone!

Thank you Celestino. I Love your contrasting blues!

These next few shots were inspired by you. I went for a walk through the park this morning and took my razor and brush along for some shots.

Sunday's SOTD 02/08/15

Razor: iKon Deluxe OC
Blade: SuperMax SP Tiger (10)
Brush: Simpson P8 24mm Best Badger
Bowl: Buffalo Horn 5” Lather Bowl
Pre Shave Scrub: SPAtopia Dead Sea Scrub
Pre Shave Oil: Saponificio Varesino Fern
Shave Soap: Saponificio Varesino Fern
Post: Monster Alum Block
Aftershave: Saponificio Varesino Fern

​

SOTD
8 Feb 2015

Muhle R41/T2 handle
Crystal
Klenzo
Arko SS
Witch Hazel

​

There are 8 million shaves in the Naked Shave Cave...This has been one of them....

I hadn't slept in two days, but I knew this Case would be cracked very late tonight....No time to sleep....Just time to grab a quick shave and head back down to the waterfront.......

Late Saturday Shave-Noir:
Hot Whisker Rinse
Williams Mug Soap-cake
Omega 10029
WTG-ATG: 1952 Gillette Black Tip Super Speed, Steel Handle/Astra sp d2
ATG touch-up: 1914 Ever Ready/GEM Stainless d6
1. Palm full of Clubman Original AS Splashed
2. Palm of Clubman Original & Special Reserve AS Splashed
Lock & Co. Sandown Trilby
1960 S&W Model 10 Heavy Barrel/158gr. FMJ

2 passes with my Black Tip Super Speed actually surprised me with what a great DFS resulted. I haven't used a DE in a while and this combo was very impressive....But whats that sound?....Do I hear a baby off in the distance....I...I....I can't seem to resist....I had to grabbed my ER Little Lather Catcher and look for that baby....Boom, too easy....Baby's Bottom found instantly and still irritation free....
The above AS Coctail is so great feeling and refreshing...It also smells great, classic barbershop scent, powdery, and the SR adds the best touch of leather that I've ever found. Better than Colognes that cost 20 times more...I did a back to back test with Creed English Leather...I thought it was no contest. The SR simply smells like real leather, period ;^)) And the cocktail of Original Clubman and Special Reserve.....Splashed, Not Stirred.....,is fantastic....

I'm now ready for whatever this night has in store....

Shave of the day

Pre- Hot shower, Bulldog Original face wash

Soap/cream- KLAR KABINETT

Brush- Whipped dog 24mm silvertip

Razor- Gillette Slim adjustable(5)

Blade- LADAS(2)

Post- Cold water rinse, Alum block, Aqua Velva Ice blue and Nivea original aftershave balm

The Klar Kabinett paired a little better with my WD than with my new boar brush. It was easier to create a nice lather.

2 passes for a comfortable shave. I usually go 2x WTG and 1 XTG. But today I went with 1 pass WTG and 1 pass XTG. It feels like my skin liked that a little better.

I feel a slight irritation but I chop that up to pressure with the razor. I never thought of my Adam's apple to be a problem area but I see som redness there. Didn't go ATG, I went WTG/XTG, pulled the skin to the sides before shaving and I got a little closer. I'll see if that place develops bumps or anything.



I made my container with Klar kabinett "pretty" haha

Hey Buddys,

here is my Shave of the Day:

Soap: Saponificio Varesino Dolomiti
Brush: Plisson Synthetic
Razor: Gießen & Forsthoff Closed Comb with a Jürgen Hample Handle
Blade: Croma Diamant
Aftershave: CH Pitralon
Postshave: Unrefined Shea Butter

Great shave. The soap smells great and gives a great lather. Can´t describe the scent but it smells very good. The Head / Blade combination wasn´t perfect...a little pulling and tugging even the blade was new. But that didn´t ruined a good shave.

A pic will follow later that day.

Take care of you my friends and have a wonderful time.

Greetings
Thorsten

And then...she walked in.

Good strategy is right. You're braver than I.

Sunday, February 8, 2015 - "Sunday-go-to-meetin'" shave
Plisson Synthetic
C.O.B. + 4 drops glycerine
EJ DE89 w/Gillette 7 O'clock Super Platinum (5)
Cold splash, alum, witch hazel, TSD AS Milk - Tabac Type
W/X/A, touch ups

Decent+ shave. Very low-maintenance, too. I skipped the Proraso preshave, and this was probably the first time in 25 years or more I didn't need to use some kind of lotion after shaving. (Whether or not that was a good idea will be decided by how my skin feels later in the day.) It's taken me 16 months, but this morning was the first time I think I used a truly soft touch and let the blade do the work.

How do you lather with all that stuff in your bowl?

I usually do floral scents on Sundays and today was not an exception. 3 passes and I feel great.

Goe. F. Trumper Lilac w/ TOBS Lavender
Rapira Platinum Lux
Slim adjustable

Sunday:

Neutrogena Men Facial Wash
Large Horsehair Barbershop
Super Speed/SuperMax Blue day 7
Synergy Frost_byte SS
Anherb AS Conditioner
Osage Rub AS

This shave left me not only BBS and with a frozen face, it also left me with tearing eyes after so much menthol. (I love that feeling!) The Frost_byte soap lathered up for me so easily and richly, its icy sensation began almost right away and got even stronger when I started doing my second pass. The skincare of this stuff is also pretty good as well. At first I was a bit put off by the scent, but since then I've come to enjoy it a lot. The Anherb conditioner is one of the best aftershaves for sensitive skin because it's not only very cooling, it's also very moisturizing and soothing. That Rubby Dubby Doo added a potent menthol wallop of its own. This shave was so enjoyable.

02/08/15 February Focus on Blades

Prep – MR GLO
Razor - Mongoose Satin B2
Blade – Kai Sharp (1)
Brush – Ever Ready with TGN Finest
Lather – Strop Shoppe Baker Street
Post - Witch Hazel and Clubman AS



Thanks to Charlie, aka @wristwatchb for his gift of MR GLO preshave soap. This is the first time I used a preshave soap. I could tell it provided a very slick base to build the lather. Coupled with the slickness of the Strop Shoppe, I had a exceptional 3 pass shave this morning. The witch hazel and Clubman proved a nice finish to a great shave. With the great weather today, I am off on the motorcycle to the N GA and NC mountains for a nice day trip.