What did we learn from our last shaves?

Yes I have a nice little NOS Erich Ern Soligen razor from the 70s which is a wedge sitting in my cupboard and waiting to be used! I have yet to use it as I wanted to get good with the hollow prior to tackling the wedge. Lately I just seem to enjoy taking it out of the box to look at and then putting it back in its box.

 

And here he is:

 

In the modern poetic prose of the Yung Joc, ..."Don't play wit' it, don't play wit' it, Don't play wit' it, _ _ _ _, don't play wit' it!

 

That if I pull up on the bottom of my cheek before shaving my neck, I get a flatter area that responds better to the DE razor!

 

If you keep the badger brush soaking, then lather the brush across arko, over a bowl (to catch the lather) then after about a minute, transfer the brush to the bowl and lather for another minute you get a really thick and consistent lather. I mean, it's almost like marshmallow

 

learned that a blade that performs well in CC razor can suck in an R41 head...

 

I really wanted to like the Gillette 7 O Clock Yellows but it's not happening

 

That is very nice indeed!

Hmm...
I find the wedge (or near wedge) a bit friendlier to shave with actually.
It also seems a bit easier to hone.

 

I was reminded that the Pal Injector is an excellent razor, but only as good as it's blade (but that goes for any razor).

Besides Gillette's having set the standard for blade format for most of the 20th century, I wonder if injectors would have done better than they did had someone come up with a smoother, comparably comfortable injector blade. Sharpness isn't the issue...if an injector blade exists today that is as smooth as many DE blades are, I'd like to buy it because none I've tried - vintage or recent - have been.

 

I learnt that with safety razors I automatically go at a fast pace and throw caution to the wind, where as with a cut throats I am careful and thorough. It is as if I treat the safety like a pilot treats his plane, going through a procedural check prior to take off. With the safety I treat it like a car and just get in, start the engine, and head off at the quickest pace possible. On reflection, over the last three months I have cut myself more times with the safety than I have with the straight! Yes I understand they are completely different tools but they do the same job. I assume it is a mental thing and logically I am more familiar with the handle based tools than the cut throat but this does not excuse me from taking more risks with a safety. So I have learnt to respect the blade (or will try to respect the blade on a safety razor)

 

I will find out soon whether I am in the same situation.

 

This is such an obvious solution that I had not even considered. Now I'm seeking what else I can stretch on my face that I never considered whilst shaving.

 

I learned I like mild razors with sharp blades, and that this is the only thread where I make short post.

 

For those that complain about the smell of their new horse hair brushes or the smell of vintage brushes... I have found the solution. Use Arko for about a month and the smell disappears and is replaced by the smell of arko

 

Not all soaps from the same company are created equal. From my Catties Bubbles LVP it leaves my skin dry but Irish Coffee has the exact opposite effect. I suppose it's not that big of a deal since I just an aftershave balm, I just know not to order that particular soap again.

 

And that's a good thing?!?!

 

Some wedges are a real pain to hone. On some the bevels pop quite easily but I've had a few that were quite stubborn.

 

Well. For those that don't like the smell of their brush. They now have a choice . I have to admit, I don't mind the smell

 

I learned that all my vintage brushes are getting updated with new knots. None of them fan out on my cheek or lather like my newer VDH.

 

I realized today that I never do more than one pass above my lip. It is usually pretty smooth too. Kind of strange. Must be because it is fairly flat and easily accessible.

over the weekend I learned that I have been spoiled by my L'Occitane synthtic bursh and even my $10 Omega boar. I used my "travel kit" because I was out of town. The brush was my first VDH. Not only was it rough but I lost a clump of hair out of it like it had the mange. Was actually kind of gross.