SoS: May 18, 2015 - May 24, 2015

Shave of the day

Pre- Hot shower, Rituals Samurai Bamboo and Wakame foaming face wash

Soap/cream- Cella

Brush- Plisson synthetic

Razor- Merkur 37C

Blade- Rapira platinum lux
Astra SP

Post- Cold water rinse, alum, Speick aftershave lotion and Nivea sensitive aftershave balm

Man... I really haven't had any luck with these Russian blades. I had to switch blades.

All this talk about Cella got me I'm the mood for some cella=D very nice soap! Good slickness and protection

 

FRIDAY
Day#1 of a Seven-Day Razor use

Today was the first day using the Henckels Friodur. It is the largest razor I've used this month (nearly 7/8") and fresh of the hones with the Apache Strata as a finisher.
The lather was the thick & creamy Valobra. The shave? Absolutely magnificent. This was one of those shaves where I had to pause in the middle and say to myself, "whoa...!" The edge on this razor was so incredibly smooth—no stubble resistance nor hint of tugging anywhere. The only clue that I was actually removing hair was the noisy feedback from the big blade. Three passes and some touch-up—just for fun! A true BBS shave was the result.
Today's shave raised the bar for how good an SR shave can be!

 

Finished the week with my Thiers-Issard No 17 - and the Gillette Blue tip for clean up.
It went really well and am enjoying this so much that I might try to dedicate one day/week for straight razor shaving at the same time as I work my way through my DE/SE backlog.

Razor: Thiers-Issard No 17
Razor II: Gillette Blue Tip w/ a 7 O'Clock blade
Brush: SOC Boar
Soap: Klar Kabinnet
Pre-Shave: Myrsol Emulsion
A/S: Myrsol Agua Balsamica and Emulsion

​

 

Feel better!

 

​

Feeling fresh and smooth this Friday. I didn't use the blades from the picture, instead, I loaded this pre-war tech with a Gillette 7 'O Clock Blue and lathered up with CRSW American Barbershop. I'm one shave away from FINALLY finishing my first full tub of soap.

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Have a good one Gents.

 

Sitrling MITA
Parker best badger
Muhle ('11) Feather blade
Cold water/alum
Wm Neumann Absolute Zero

This has been the line-up for the past two days. The Neumann pairs well with MITA. It just puts cold on top of cold. It might not be sufficient for some of the menthol fans around here, but for me it's just perfect for when I am looking for a blast of cool. The shave was nothing short of terrific. After about 6 weeks with the '11 R41, I just can't stop using this razor. I wound up keeping the '13 for sentimental reasons... but this thing is just too good to NOT use.

 

Not as good as I hoped. First time in a couple weeks i didnt use Myrsol Emulsion and i missed it

 

Brush Focus: Day 22/30
Brush: Frank Shave, Beechwood, Best Badger- 22/55
Gillette SS, K-4 (1965) Slim Adjustable. (5).
Gillette Platinum Blade (1)
Soap: Arko.
A/S: Clubman Lime
Old Spice Coffee Mug.(soak brush
The brush didn't seem to work all that well with the Arko soap, however, I am not used to applying soap sticks. Probably my error. I do like this brush. It did loose a few hairs today which may have been my unfamiliarity with this soap water mix. The Gillette Slim Adjustable I like. I'll stay with the Arko for a few days and a couple of brushes to see if I can work out the right combination.

 

SOTD 5-22-15





Razor: Gillette Super Speed
Blade: Feather
Brush: Omega s synthetic
Soap: Soap Commander Fougere
Post: CVS brand Aqua Velva
my package got here today from @spacehobo. it is a Gillette Super Speed and 4 packs of blades. this shave went wonderful. BBS with no nicks. I did get a little irritation under my chin but I get that almost everytime I shave. the floral scent of the soap is refreshing on a nice day like today. all in all it was a great shave with great gear. thank again @ spacehobo for being such a generous person.

 

You also. Thanks...Where did you get those blades?

 

Saturday's


Dove Men Face Wash
Arko Stick
Jayaruh #6 High Mountain Badger
Schick J-2
Personna Stainless
CWR, Asma Alum Block
Thayers Rose Petal WH
Barbasol Brisk AS

The Arko Stick Shaving Soap face-lathered well with my Jayaruh #6 High Mountain Badger brush. Two passes with my Schick J-2 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 Barbasol Brisk after shave. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

 

The blades in the picture came from a local antique shop. I'm not brave enough to try and shave with one.

 

Here's the plan for Saturday:

Neutrogena Men Facial Wash
Large Horsehair Barbershop
Super Speed/Derby day 8 (it's an experiment)
Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill SS
Gold Bond Moisturizer
Alcolado Glacial Menthol Splash
Chabrawichi 555 Cologne

After having not used any menthol stuff today I decided to go all-out with some of the coldest stuff I have, and believe me - this is one HELL of a cold selection. Even the Neutrogena face wash has plenty of menthol in it, and it gives a very good cooling effect. The Glacial Lemon Chill I'm using is an older puck from last year but it's fantastic - tons of some of the best lather you could get, with a truckload of powerful menthol as well as soothing and protective skincare. The Gold Bond is very chilly so it prolongs the freeze, and a couple of splashes of the Penguin can really make you shiver. I want to see if I could squeeze another good shave out of the Derby.

 

Like the pic!

 

Get well soon Patrick!

 

I see you are having some of the same issues I have using a straight. I know the shavette is a little different as it is sharper and the angle is different, but deciding on how to go into an area is a challenge. The left side of my neck is a breeze with my left hand but my right side is still a challenge. My upper lip is getting better but I still get a weeper on occasion. I re watch a lot of videos and that helps as I re engage a specific area like my upper lip or chin. It helps a lot. Good luck! I think this just takes time and practice.

 

May 22

MdC facial soap
Weber PH
Feather blade (day 2)
Kent BK4 silvertip
Le Père Lucien shave soap
Two passes plus touch ups
Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Nivea Sensitive Post-Shave Balm

I had a very nice early morning shave before hitting the road with my Bride for our trip home. We were blessed with a restful week, good friends, and safe travels. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

 

Oh yeah there is a learning curve but it is nice that I can "pretend" shave with it to see or try different ways to figure out those areas. Without a blade in it of course! Makes it nice to practice with.

 

MAYhem & Mercy
May 22, 2015
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - VDH Boar
Soap - Proraso Green
Razor - EJ DE89L
Blade - (1)
Post - Alum, Nivea Balm

The Sharp takes center stage again in the Mercy configuration. So far all of the blades have passed, even the miserable Baili, even if by the narrowest margin. The Sharp...........continues the trend. This blade is still on the dull side but in the EJ it actually performed very well. Three full passes and I had a DFS. Can't really complain about that. As with all of these blades it takes extra work to get there but it can be done and, in a good razor, can be done fairly comfortably in this case. I have no plans to order any of these but given their reputation I'm happy to say they aren't the worst blade I've tried.

Speaking of the worst blade, it's back on the menu tomorrow. The Diving Duck....I mean Flying Eagle is up for the EJ tomorrow since the Sharp did so well today. I'll be meditating the rest of today to try and calm my fears knowing what's approaching! Have a good Friday.

 

SOTD 5-22-15

PRESHAVE: Face wash with soap and warm/hot water
RAZOR: Wolfman WR1-DC Polished (dual comb) with Bamboo handle
BLADE: Platinum Lux (3)
SOAP: Catie's Bubbles Fouet L'Orange
BOWL: Bonjour
BRUSH: Tweezerman
POST: Rinse with warm/hot water to get soap off and then some cold water rinses/splashes and pat try.

Comments: Today I had almost a two day growth because I tried a Parker Shavette yesterday that didnt quite turn out as planned for my first try and the shave was cut short! The shave today was once again awesome! I managed to get almost a full BBS with three passes except a very small neck area spot that is more sensitive so I will call it DFS for sure! I used the OC side for first pass then the CC side for the other two. The third pass was actually more for touch up in a few spots and not a complete pass or on all areas! Soap was very good too as this is only the second time I used CB! The lather, protection and feel throughout the shave and the post shave feel was so great that I didn't even use the Alum block as I feel absolutely no irritation at all and didn't get any weepers/nicks, not even in the two spots a got the nick from with the Shavette yesterday so I was happy that I was able to shave over them without any issue. A great shave today and the Wolfman and the CB proved to also be a great combo! All I can say is WOW, what a razor and soap!!! My hats off to Wolfman and CB!!!

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

Thx.