April 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

This sounds like a plan, and a good idea. Big change for me as I usually change every Friday. I'll post my decision on the first. Thanks.

 

Arko April Focus - CJB Kamisori
March 30, 2015 - Week 1 Day 2
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - VDH Boar
Soap - Arko
Razor - CJB & '59 Gillette Superspeed
Blade - (2) (2)
Post - Alum & Clubman

Day two and a workday so not quite as leisurely. However, I allowed some extra time to avoid too much of a rush. The CJB first pass was solid although a bit shakier than yesterday. I found myself adding angle but caught myself before doing any damage. When I got to my neck I had to take a quick breather and remind myself.......watch the angle and no pressure......that is my mantra with this thing. Finished the first pass, did a second with the Superspeed and had a DFS. Alum provided more sting than yesterday proving that I had some angle issues causing irritation. Threw on the Clubman and it's off to work!

 

I think the Arko is already growing on you more than you are willing to admit. You are like that kid in elementary school still picking on the girl he is secretly in love with.

You can just fess up anytime now. We will still respect you

 

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Sorry to hear Troy, but probably a smart decision. Once you have been wet shaving a certain length of time, it gets easier to quickly recognize when something won't work. I had the same problem with Gems, and probably hung in with them longer than I should have. They cut everything on my face "except" my beard

 

I still haven't quite figured out the angle. 30 degrees is what is recomended for straights, but I seem to do closer to 45 with mine. I think the lack of muscle memory in my left hand is intresting, as I seem to be more solid on that hand than my right (dominate) hand. I have pretty much just been trying to scrape the lather off with this razor, and getting decent results.

A word of warning if you have any facial hair, it might look differnt after a few shaves. My sideburns lost a few inches, and my horseshoe mustache sides got much thinner. I didn't even feel the blade tugging them, which is my normal way of knowing where the DE is.

 

I started my 30 days a little earlier as well. My focus is going to be Arko and a Gillette Slim thanks to @Bristle Me . My face went pretty well and I surprised at the results after 2 passes. Well that's where everything went downhill as I got a bit cocky when I moved to shaving my head. The lather was a bit dry so I'm sure that had something to do with it but I was also a bit careless. There were quite a few areas that needed to be touched up but on the positive side only a couple small nicks. Overall a good way to start a focus as I can only improve from here. Maybe I'll dial down the Slim as I had it set to 7 until I get at least a week of getting acquainted with it.

 

Thanks Charlie! My razor inventory is shrinking though...

The Slim from earlier this year was given to me Dad along with the late Forties Aristocrat...I gave him a kit for his BDay that included the two razors, a bunch of GSB and Voskhod, Proraso green, alum and a badger brush. The Flare tip I had was given to my Bro-in-law. So far, they are my two converts. As I determine certain razors aren't for me, I restore them and PIF them to those who express interest in wet shaving. Some of the razors above will likely be PIF'd to forum members later in the summer..stay tuned!

 

That is a great razor! Perfect time for a 30 Day rule! Enjoy!

Props to @Bristle Me !

 

April setup:
Preshave: Homemade Euciliplous preshave oil
Razor: Ikon 102 Slant with bulldog handle
Blade: Wilkinson Sword
Soap: Arko? (was planning on TSD Lanolin Shaving Soap - TSD Signature (2x Menthol)

Should be a fun month. I'm going to try and focus on not too much focus with this bulldog handle. I tend to go hard with it.
Cheers!

 

My left hand still feels funny handling it due to my total right-handedness, but I notice I have a better view of the razor on the left side. I have tried to maintain about a 30 degree angle but, like you, I tend to give it more than that. When I feel it just start to dig it reminds me to back it off. The Kai MG seems to be protecting me pretty well.

I do have a goatee and I am very mindful of where the blade goes in relation to the edges of it. One slip and I lose the connection between chin and upper lip and I'll be down to just a moustache...and I don't like that look! It does take some extra concentration. I have thinned it just a bit I have noticed. Can't afford to thin it anymore!

 

Schizo Troy here with the "final" attempt at the Schick J1 injector. I inserted another new blade this morning and got ready to go. Hmmm....not bad after 1 pass. 2nd pass was near DFS and third pass cleaned it all up decently. I'm not certain that this razor/blade is as smooth as a DE, but I saw no blood and the resulting shave was okay. Guess I'll continue on for the next few weeks and see what I discover. I did make certain that my lather perhaps was little slicker than it has been. The cream whips up pretty quickly and I may have had it a little dry over the past few days.

Prep: warm wash and Cornhusker's Lotion
Lather: St. James of London Mandarin & Patchouli
Brush: TGN synthetic
Razor: Schick J1 injector
Blade: Schick (1)
Post: Captain's Choice Cat O'Nine Tails

How many days might I expect to get from the Schick blades?

 

Arko April Focus - CJB Kamisori
March 31, 2015 - Week 1 Day 3
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - Omega Pro 48
Soap - Arko
Razor - CJB & '59 Gillette Superspeed
Blade - (3) (3)
Post - Alum & Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Third day of the CJB and still no nicks/cuts/weepers. Careful attention to angle and pressure and, so far, no major lapses in concentration and all's well. Every time I finish with this thing I hear Sweeney Todd singing "The closest I ever gave.....". I've noticed that my left side is a bit of a problem, but since I am right handed I just need more work with the left. Alum was a major pain in the neck this morning but I also spent a bit of extra time on the neck with the CJB before doing the last pass with the Superspeed. Working up to two passes with the kamisori.

 

Congrats on a better shave this time around. I would think you should get somewhere around 7 shaves with the blade. I'm sure that those with more experience will chime in.

 

03/31/2015
Prep – MR GLO
Razor – Mongoose B2 with Jürgen Hempel Ti
Blade –Feather Pro (1)
Brush –Rudy Vey with TGNFinest
Lather – MdC
Post - Witch Hazel, Dove AS Balm and CC Bay Rum AS



Fantastic 3 pass shave this morning. For April I will be focused on the Mongoose with Feather Pro Blades. My goal is to see how long the blades truly last. During my blades testing earlier this year, I changed blades after 7 shaves and felt that I should have been able to get many more. Time will tell I guess.

I will be taking a few shaves off from the focus in order to test drive some GEM razors JR loaned me.

 

Will be watching with great interest as I move up the Mongoose waiting list!

 

I am hoping for a minimum of 10 days per blade. For comparison I never get more than 3 shaves out of DE blades.

 

Decided to trry it out today and learned something: don't put the arko soap on the face too thick while using an ikon 102. Thick lather doesn't clear out of the ikon well. Chopped the heck out of my chin. But I'll try it once more tomorrow with better results...hopefully!

 

I figured that out about the 102 this past month on my focus with it. Soaps like Catie's and Mickey Lee tend to gum it up pretty quickly. Like a stroke or two, and it's full already. Probably the only downside it has for me.

I'm toying with the idea of shimming it this month and see how that does.

 

I bet by the end of the month you will be an expert. My couple of rules with injectors have made me appreciate them as a great tool.

 

My blades have been going 7-10 shaves in the injector.