SoS: April 27, 2015 - May 3, 2015

Finally had the shave I was hoping this razor could deliver. Read more ramblings here

Razor: Pils 101NE
Blade: Feather
Brush: L'Occitane Plisson
Soap: Soap Commander Endurance

Also tried two samples of products I've never used before;
Edwin Jagger Pre-Shave lotion for sensitive skin, and
Geo F Trumper's Sandalwood Skin Food.

Edwin Jagger
I never use any pre-shave products and even though I rather liked the feel of this product I don't see myself starting to use a dedicated pre-shave product regularly...unless......what if it was the pre-shave lotion that gave me this great shave today....oh......

Trumper
I really liked the scent and it gave a passable moisturizing and tightening effect. Not quite on par with other products like Myrsol so probably not a product I'll get in the future.

​

 

SOTD 1 May 2015

30 Day Rule with a new (to me) Schick!



About to embark on a 30 Day rule for May!

The elements:

Schick Injector
Proraso Eucalyptus
Chinese Schick Blades
L'Occitane Plisson

!!NEW!! May 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic-Discussion Thread

Happy Friday!

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Gillette Super Adjustable P-2 (1970)
with Astra S.P. blade (1),
Edwin Jagger STF XL brush ,
Lather-up with CRSW Vevitier Moderne,
finish with water, Witch Hazel
and Clubman Special Reserve for a DFS!

 

Saturday morning looks something like this:

Neutrogena Men Facial Wash
Large Horsehair Barbershop
Super Speed/SuperMax Blue day 6
Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill SS
Gold Bond Moisturizer
Osage Rub AS
Chabrawichi 555 Cologne

Here's the best way to freeze your face off and to smell nice both during and after a shave, as well as to have a great time while you're doing it. The Glacial Lemon Chill soap is so loaded with menthol goodness that you feel it as soon as your brush makes contact with your face, and the longer it's on there the colder it seems to get. That zesty lemony scent drives me bonkers every time I smell it, and it leaves you feeling frozen and so comfortable. The Gold Bond combined with the Rubby Dubby Doo is such a nice way to finish off!

 

Saturday's


Dove Men Face Wash
Tabac
Jayaruh #8 (first shave)
Dad's Schick E2
Personna Stainless
CWR, Asma Alum Block
Thayers Rose Petal WH
FD Old Spice

The Tabac shave soap face-lathered well with my Jayaruh #8 badger brush. Two passes with my Dad's Schick E2 razor and a Personna Stainless blade gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse, alum block, and a final cold water rinse, I finished off with Thayers Rose Petal WH and then FD Old Spice after shave. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

 

Jim, that is a lovely brush handle!

 

Man, that brush looks great in SOTD photos!

 

Great looking brush.

 

Thanks. I am looking forward to using it for the first time in the morning.

 

Good luck with the Injector. If I was to try the 30 day I'd likely choose my schick.

 

SOTD 5-1-15

Razor: ATT H1 plate with Krono's handle
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (2)
Soap: Tiki Land Locked (tallow)
Bowl: VDH
Brush: Tweezerman
Post: Gentleman Jon Alum block
Preshave was just face wash with warm water and post shave was rinse with warm water then some cold water splashes and pat dry, then apply the alum block

Razor: As usual, no complaints! Liking the H! very much! Today was the 6th time using it and first for the Krono's handle which I also like..
Blade: Second time with this blade and I am not sure it is as smooth as either one of my favs, the Platinum Lux or the Astra SP's but the sharpness is there! It worked fine but there are others that are better!
Soap: First time with this soap and it is very nice stuff. Lathered easy and alot of it. Great slickness and protection! Post shave feel is also very good! No issues at all but I cannot quite pinpoint the scent!

Comments: Shave was very good and close. I got a DFS easily but not quite a BBS. No nick or irritation based on the Aum block. Another very good shave with no issues!

Please feel free to leave comments on any items used as I enjoy reading them to see what others say about the gear I am using/trying out! Of course, YMMV!

Thx.

 

SOTD - Friday, May 1, 2015

Shower
Prep: Homemade PSO
Brush: WD Silvertip 24/47
Soap: Mitchell's Wool Fat
Razor: Weber PH bulldog
Blade: Astra SP (5)
Aftershave: Clubman

 

2 May Plan

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I like the Scuttle!

 

Bee-you-tee-ful brush Man!

 

May 1

Stirling Sheep facial soap
Merkur 37C slant bar razor
Feather blade (day 2)
Omega 98 Professional boar brush
Arko & glycerin
Two passes plus touch-ups
Alum, Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Alt-Innsbruck

This shave concludes my month-long evaluation of Arko. My Mayhem shaves begin tomorrow. This will include my Weber PH loaded with a Feather blade. I plan to rotate between different "high-end" products, including MdC, XPEC, and Le Pere Lucien. I'll mainly use my Rudy Vey two-bander, but I may use other brushes as well. My goal is to see if any of these high-end products can perform as well as, or better than, Arko for me.

I've had more terrific shaves during April than any other month since I started wet shaving. This month, I gained a huge appreciation for Arko in terms of its pure shaving performance. For me, the shaves are more enjoyable when I load my brush off the puck rather than using Arko as a shave stick. I've also improved my lathering skills and come to appreciate the value of a good boar brush, like the Omega Pro 98, when working with a soap. All things considered, my confidence and skill has improved to the point that I can consistently get a near-BBS daily shave with two passes and a few touch-ups.

I've enjoyed following everyone's progress and learning from each of you over the past month. A big thanks to @Bama Samurai for being TSD's "Pat Sajak" for these 30-day runs.

Have a great weekend, and I'll close with a photo that reminds me of "Ali vs. Frazier," "Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed," and maybe even "Vanilla vs. Tutti Frutti."

 

Planned Saturday SOTD

Vintage Merkur razor
Gillette Spoiler blade
New Forest silver tip brush
Myrsol Emulsion pre shave
L'Occitone Cade rich shaving cream
Myrsol Agua Balsmica AS

Im hoping my first shave with the Merkur will be a memorable one. I wont be able to blame it on anything else as the rest of the products are first rate goodness.

 

Thank you!

 

Gracias!

 

GEM 1912 with a SS PTFE blade from Connaughts
My latest formulated hot process shaving soap with the addition of a small amount of Bentonite clay.
Cold water rinse between the 2 passes with a cold water wash to finish.
Pat dry and marvel at why anyone uses a DE

Steve