May 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic-Discussion Thread

May 8

Stirling Sheep facial soap
Weber PH
Feather blade (day 1)
Rudy Vey Shavemac two-band silvertip
MdC scented shave soap
Two passes plus touch-ups
Alum, Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Alt-Innsbruck

I'm starting to get the hang of the MdC, and it's a very nice soap. The lather is much improved over just a week ago, and I think it will be even better with more experience. I'm waiting for my XPEC and LPL to arrive from the UK, so I will stick with MdC for a few more days.

I start most days reaching for all these goodies...Have a fantastic weekend.

 

Day 2 of the Sharp brand. BBS due to more attention and skill. Tomorrow I switch to the 7am brand, whatever that is.

 

Chris, enjoy the weekend with your Bride.

 

Scott, I hope you get to feeling better soon.

 

It's hard to explain until you experience it for yourself how dense and tightly packed the Shavemac knots are compared to many other brushes. The tips are soft but with backbone approaching boar levels. I've found they take a little longer to dial in the water/soap ratio. Once I dialed the MdC in I could get a 3 pass shave out of 10-15 swirls of the brush. I hope you have a great weekend as well.

 

7 a.m. From Samah Razor Blade Industries in Bangladesh. Just finished three days with it in a couple of bad razors. Not sure a good razor would help much. It is a blade. Sort of. Interested to learn how it treats you.

 

I'll donate a puck if he'll commit to 30 days.

 

@SDK Scott, I hope you are getting plenty of rest and feeling better.

 

@Bama Samurai is our 30-day rule leader. And we all know that a leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

 

Well and it's not like we're asking him to do something stupid like use bad razors and blades with the Williams. NOBODY is stupid enough to do something that asinine. He's much smarter than that.

 

After two days using the Russian slim adjustable, I switched back to the Tech, and the blade focus. My current blade to try is the Personna Red (Israeli) . As I went from a more agressive razor to the milder Tech, I was less careful, and ended up with a few weepers. I will be more careful tomorrow, to determine if it really was technique (usually is!) or if the blade does not agree with me.

So far in my explorations: Sharpest blade.... Feather Smoothest Blade......Voskhod....... out of two blades....

 

Blade Focus Day 9

Homemade PS Oil
Vie-long Horsehair Brush
TSD Lavender Rose Wheat SC
EJ Chatsworth Barley
Trig Silver Edge
Stirling Unscented PSB
Clubman AS

I had to say good bye to the Bic, but am almost wishing I hadn't. The Trig was not too sharp, and my neck is feeling it this morning. Not looking forward to date 2 of this blade tomorrow, but I am going to do 2 days at least. After starting this focus with two good blades, the past two haven't been so great.

 

I am modifying my brush focus to use only my badger brushes - of which I have 2 - in order to really get to know them. They are my newest additions and I feel like I have a bit to learn from them. My other brushes offer no surprises. I am using Dusy Kabinett soap this month and badgers seem to need a little different technique to load and lather this soap. Oh, to have to suffer through with only 2 fantastic brushes! The challenge with rotating 5 brushes is that at my state of CRS I forget how a brush worked by the time I get back around to it.

Prep: warm wash
Lather: Dusy Kabinett
Brush: TGN Finest
Razor: Gillette New SC
Blade: Rapira Lux (3)
Post: Captain's Choice Cat O'Nine Tails

 

Troy, I enjoy following your SOTD posts and seeing your great collection of brushes! Life is good, eh?

 

Good idea.

 

May 9

Stirling Sheep facial soap
Weber PH
Feather blade (day 2)
Omega Professional 98 boar brush
Arko
Two passes
Alum, Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Alt-Innsbruck

I played a Mayhem card and switched up my brush and soap for the day. If someone truly wants to save money and get a fantastic wet shave, I highly recommend the Arko and the Omega Pro 98. My beautiful Bride, I, and another couple plan to explore a local winery and enjoy some live music on this fine afternoon.

Enjoy your Saturday!

 

Sounds like another marriage made in heaven. Have a great day.

 

Doug, you are absolutely right. I am very blessed. Thank you, and I hope you have a terrific weekend.

 

Day#8 of the 30-Day focus
…and DAY ONE using the next razor for 7-consecutive days. The next razor I chose is similar in many ways to the Böker I had been using previously. This Otto Deutsch is of the same vintage (both are from the early to mid-1930s); both are 5/8 full-hollow width, both are 3-pin razors, both have a square point and both have blades made in Solingen, Germany. The Otto has a slightly different shoulder design (transition from blade to tang), and 'fancier' Art Deco-styled inlay scales with metal bolsters. The 'Otto Deutsch' line was distributed by the same company (Carl Bresnick of Bresduck/Pearlduck, Inc. 1930-1952)) that produced other fine razors such as the Dubl Ducks, Beau Brummels, Lifetime and Satinedge. This particular model, the 'Hans' was a commemorative razor honoring Hans Otto (his story can be seen HERE ).
The shave: One thing I noticed right away— this razor's edge is silky-smooth on the face! Much like it's sibling (the Dubl Duck Goldedge), this razor took a very keen, but refined edge that just feels great on the face. No tugging, no pulling, no harshness. I'm using the same soap I've been employing the past week (the Martin de Candre), but today I started using the regular 'scented' version (rosemary-jasmine notes); same performance, different scent. It is easy to fall in love with these razors as they really are a joy to use! I look forward to the next 6 days of using this razor...