March 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic-Discussion Thread

03/04/15
Prep – MR GLO
Razor – ATT S1
Blade – Persona Lab Blue (1)
Brush – Ever-Ready with TGN Finest
Lather – MdC
Post - Witch Hazel and Dove AS Balm



Another fantastic 2 pass plus touch ups shave this morning. I am really enjoying this razor and soap combo.

 

Trying to decide between focusing on adjustable razors or Italian soaps. Maybe I will put it up for a vote..

Speaking of vote, I say we are organized!

 

Organized it is. Or, as Travis Bickle would say, organizized. My current thinking is a month of "bad blades". The ones that everyone hates, or the ones that you really don't hear about. Maybe "the bad, the maligned and the invisible" or something along those lines.

 

Going for the challenge! I like it....

I was having a similar thought for a few months up the road. I have untouched pucks of Luxury VDH and Williams sitting on my shelf. Possibly a two weeks per soap revisit on these would be enlightening for me...

 

Good to see you on board. The focus can also be based on product longevity. I am currently on one that has spanned more than one month based on how long would a 10 pack of blades realistically last. It gets some links here as the razors change for each new blade.

http://theshaveden.com/forums/threa...s-with-product-determining-time-length.42857/

I think you will enjoy the focus concept.

 

March Focus - Vintage and Carbon
March 4, 2015 - Week 1 Day 4
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - Omega Pro 48
Soap - Arko
Razor - Gillete New Long Comb
Blade - (4)
Post - RazoRock Alum and The Veg

Day 4 will be the last for this blade. Still not a horrible shave, felt good but the results were not as good. Took 3 1/2 passes to get to DFS on my face and CCS on my neck. The 1/2 pass was a Gillette slide on my neck to work it down. No serious tugging or other issues, it just isn't cutting like it did the first three days. Gave me a great run, though so a good start to March.

 

The first shave I tried with a Derby I really didn't like, but after my 30 days I revisited the blade and have a totally different feeling towards them. If you do decide to switch blades at least keep a couple around so as you get better technique you can give them another try. I think your perspective will change a bit.

I really like the VDH luxury as far as scent but for the life of me I couldn't build a consistent lather.

 

DAY 3 - COLD WATER MENTHOL MARCH!
Prep: shower and Noxzema face wash
Growth: 1 day
Razor: Gillette Tech
Blade: Yellow Gillette 7 O'clock
Preshave: Stirling Orange Chill Preshave oil
Soap: Stirling Orange Chill
Passes: 2.5 - WTG, ATG - XTG on neck - no clean up
Post shave: Stirling Orange Chill Witch Hazel with Aloe
Post shave: Stirling Post Shave balm - barbershop

I couldn't resist using the new Orange Chill product I received a few days ago. Wasn't disappointed. Cold water shave was still epic. So refreshing post shave. I had to double check my angle as the razor was guiding so smoothly over my face I didn't think it was doing it right The standard two pass shave I used yesterday left a few whiskers on the neck so I added a cross grain pass just to the neck. No nicks or cuts. Looking and feeling good!

 

03/04 - Day 4 dialing in the Slim: Another BBS/DFS from the Slim and Voshkod using the same settings as yesterday. Going to make a little tweak tomorrow on the third pass and raise it to 2 and reduce touch-up to 4.

So last weekend I bought a Bay Rum soap from a local maker. It’s not glycerin or tallow based. It’s lard. I was skeptical when I purchased it but curiosity got the best of me because it does have a top notch bay rum scent. Horrible! I tried twice. Once face lathering and once bowl lathering - both times gradually adding water. Each time resulted in lather that disappeared before I could finish the other side of my face and there was no slickness after rinsing it off either time. I’ll practice making lather with it a few more times, but in all likelihood it will be tossed.

Cade saved the shave.

• Growth: 1 day
• Prep: Show; Corn Huskers Lotion
• Lather: Local Bay Rum Soap Cade Soap
• Brush: Omega 49
• Razor: 1964 Gillette Slim (3,1,1,5 for chin touchup)
• Blade: Voshkod (2)
• Post: Alum; Captain’s Choice Bay Rum AS

 

March 5 Plans

Stirling Sheep Soap
Merkur 37C Slant Bar
Feather blade (day 1)
Ever-Ready C40 Boar
Stirling Naked and Smooth soap & D.R. Harris Almond cream
Two passes
Alum, Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, & unrefined shea butter

Enjoy your day!

 

So my face is still pretty torn up from my last shave. I am thinking tomorrow I am going to do a two pass with the DE only, and skip the Feather Artist Club. Just worried I am going to make this worse if I don't let it heal. Unfortunately, not shaving isn't an option with my job.

 

Late Post for 3-4 and 3-5

30 Day Rule

Tough day...will get caught up tomorrow! Happy Thursday!

 

A very good shave today, now that the blade is hand stropped, and used for the three previous shaves. I am remembering just how much I like my SE razor shaves! Day 4, upward and onward.

 

I've been using Palmolive Menthol, my '62 Gillette Slim, Personna Lab blades, Burma Brush, and Fine American Blend aftershave exclusively for at least a month now... but who's keeping track?

 

Continuing on with my New LC and today's shave was outstanding. I changed my routine just a touch with swapping a homemade PSO for the Cornhusker's Lotion I've been using. The results were amazing close and smooth. 2 passes and I am ready to take on my day.
The homemade PSO is a mixture of olive oil, macademia nut oil, almond oil and some type of clear oil my wife has in her cabinet.

Prep: warm wash and PSO
Lather: frankensoap face lathered
Brush: Bodyshop synthetic
Razor: Gillette New LC
Blade: Gillette 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge (2)
Post: cool rinse and Seaforth Spiced cologne

 

SOTD
March 5, 2015

Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Shield Face Wash
Razor: ATT Kronos S1 Slant Bar Razor
Blade: Ladas
Brush: Red & Black acrylic Silvertip 22/50mm by Gluck Huckelson
Lather: PAA ClubGuy
Post: Alum. Thayers Lavender WH.
Aftershave: PAA ClubGuy
Finding the angle with the ATT S1 is fool proof. Clean cutting machine. New brush is excellent! ClubGuy is super! Great shave.
Go out and get it

 

March 5th, SOTD (Shave 3 of the focus)
Two Day's growth
Prep: Hot shower
Razor Start: Feather Artist Club SS non-folding with Pro-Guard Blade (2nd shave on blade)
Razor Finish: Maggard MR6
DE Blade: Derby Extra Super Stainless- Stropped 30 times per edge (3rd shave on blade)
Soap: The Shave Den Barber Shoppe Scent
Brush: Omega 1066
Post Shave: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block
Aftershave: The Shave Den Iced Barber Shoppe Splash

Pretty effortless two pass shave. DFS, but I didn't push it. My neck and parts of my face were still pretty raw from the Feather Artist Club, so I skipped it today. The Maggard razor is nice and heavy, and provides lots of audible feedback. It is very mild though, and not as efficient as I would like. Good razor for the money. Enjoying the aftershave and soap from The Shave Den shop. SWMBO is not sure about the old man scent yet. She will get used to it, right?

 

I am going for my first 30 day challenge

VDH razor
astra blades
TSD urban cowboy soap (sample, so may not last all month) Barber shoppe as back-up if I run out

 

03/05/15
Prep – MR GLO
Razor – ATT S1
Blade – Persona Lab Blue (2)
Brush – RV with TGN Finest
Lather – MdC
Post - Witch Hazel, Dove AS Balm followed by CC Sandalwood AS



Great 2 pass shave with some touch ups. Not BBS but very good for a work morning. The MdC is a great soap. It lathers so easily and rinses clean. Followed up the shave with Dove AS Balm and CC Sandalwood AS.

 

Probably a smart move. You don't want to be coming into work looking like you lost a fight with an alley cat