JUNE 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

Currently, I have two record, both Sheffield's, but Glen had two more that I just picked up for cleaning and honing. Larry at whipped dog is sending me two more. Like you Adam, (@Drygulch) RAD is off the chart right now but I'm OK with that. I still haven't picked up a brand new razor. If I have a good sales month in June, I think I'll see about picking up nice Esbjerg from Lynn's shop online.

 

Cold water shaving is where it's at! I might even put a towel in the freezer for a post shave wrap.

 

those are some beautiful straight razors!

 

I am working on perfecting my technique with the equipment I have already. I will use one of 3 razors (Gillette 3 pc Tech, Gillette SuperSpeed, and The Shaving Factory TTO) and one of 2 brushes (Omega S Synthetic, and an Everready 100 rubberset) and I plan to use cold water as I have tried it my last 2 shaves and it seemed to help with irritation. I cannot commit to using just one soap even though I wish I could.

 

That's a nice looking razor. Has the head been replated?

 

It is Monday June 1st, even though it is a weekday I wanted to start of the month with a straight. But since time is an issue and I need to have good shave for my Monday meetings I used a DE too.

Proraso pre shave
QCS Cubano Breeze cream
Rooney 3/1 brush
Genco Easy Aces sr for the first two passes then Barbasol Floating Head with Thai script Thin Gillette blade for the final 2 passes
Herold oil tanned Russian leather strop
Alcolado Glacial AS
Spieck ASB
Santa Maria Novella Aqua d' Cuba

Two smooth passes with then final 2 passes with a newly acquired Barbasol razor. No blood and very little irritation. I can tell than I do not remove as much stubble in 2 passes with a SR as I do with a DE. In the end DFS and lite irritation, less than yesterday and it maybe left over from yesterday.

Let the June focus begin!

 

My June focus will be a continuation of May.... Going through the Try A Blade top ten pack. I am about half way through the first go round. I will finish off the first ten pack with the 1951 Canadian Fat handle tech, and then I will switch to my Super Adjustable (1973) for the second go though. I suspect that I will be going into July before I get all the results in. Thanks for listening.

John

 

Day 1 of 3: Wilkinson Sword blade

June focus:

1. Technique
2. Arko shave stick with a Badger brush
3. another blade assortment, use each 3 consecutive days

Oh, I'm so glad to read other people have to touch-up. One shave I will leave stubble, next shave I focus on that and leave stubble in another area.

 

Thank you and yes the entire razor with the bar end handle was replated by Nick at Sportshaving.

 

I have a razor from Nick at Sportshaving. He does really good work.

 

6/01/15
A Month of Proraso!!

Proraso Green Soap
Semogue Italian Barber LE
Gillette New Improved
Pol-Silver Blade (3)
Proraso Green Aftershave

A really good shave.
I did my usual prep of shower. Soaked the brush. And loaded for a count of 30 (not revolutions, but in my head). Then add 1/2 tsp of water.
Seemed like the slickness of the Proraso dried up after I made a pass. So there was no going back over it for touch up like I usually do. Going to try and add a little more water to see if it helps tomorrow.

Not sure why, but got a weeper on the tip of my chin on the first pass. Which very rarely happens.

The New Improved is a great razor. Really looking forward to the week ahead with it.

 

06/01/2015
Razor – Gillette New LC with Triad SS Helix
Blade – Lab Blue (1)
Brush – Every-Ready with TGN Finest
Lather – B&M Latha
Post - Witch Hazel and Floid Blue Sample



Very good 3 pass shave this morning. I did have one weeper just below my chin. Good bit of irritation in the same area. I am sure that both of these are technique related. I have just not shaved much at all with a DE this year so I really need to concentrate on my technique. The Latha soap was super easy to whip up into a very nice slick lather. I'm really not crazy about the scent but at least it dissipates by the time I'm finished lathering. Finished up with a splash of Floid Blue from my sample pack.

 

June 1st, SOTD (Shave 1 of this focus)
Two days’ growth
Prep: Hot Shower
Razor: Sears Craftsman 5/8 round point
Strop: Chromexcel Horsehide- 20 laps on linen, 50 on leather
Soap: The Shave Den Lime with M-Bomb added to Lather
Brush: Eveready 100T re-knotted with 22mm TGN Synthetic
Post Shave: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block, Thayer’s Witch Hazel
Aftershave: The Shave Den Iced Lime Aftershave Milk

First shave of the month, and I got a DFS. Cheeks, Chin, and Jawline are actually BBS, but I didn’t quite get it on my neck. This brush is a little tricky to use. With just a quick dip in the water, it holds more water than my badgers that have soaked during the shower. Had to really shake it out to get it dry enough to build a good lather. Using samples of TSD Lime soap and Iced Lime Aftershave Milk. Soap lathered well, was chilly with the M-bomb added, and lasted through my two and a half passes. I changed my facial hair a bit today to make it easier to shave the jawline. My horseshoe mustache no longer goes down to my jaw line, but only half way there. That allowed me to do XTG on my chin and jawline as my first pass, with the rest N/S. I then did S/N (mostly ATG) for the second pass. The round tip on this razor makes it a lot easier to use, but it won’t make quite as clean of lines next to facial hair. This left me with just my neck and under my lower lip to touch up on my last pass. I didn’t quite get the strip of hair I always have trouble with, but the rest is good. Second shave with this razor, and I am loving it. Some burn on the alum bar, but the Thayer’s witch hazel and TSD Aftershave Milk calmed that right down. Scent dissipated quickly. Happy Monday!

 

Some Amazing looking strops you're producing!

I think all of these posts are inspiring me, my rule starts tonight!

 

June Open Comb Focus
Day 1

Prep: PSO, Hot shower
Razor: Gillette New SC
Blade: Voskhod
Brush: Omega 10083 Boar Brush
Soap: Proraso Green
Post: Cold rinse, Alum, Witch hazel, Nivea Sensitive Cooling ASB

Not bad of a shave to start my 30 day rule. Only had 1 small nick around my chin.

 

The Battle of Williams
(Or 30 Day Rule with Williams)
​

This month brings Williams, an oft-mentioned and generally maligned drug store offering. After reading about so much difficulty with this soap during the May thread, I needed to investigate. My first order of biz will be a couple of test lathers on Williams. I will use the test to determine brush type and method that will be used this month.

I will be test lathering with an Omega 48 Pro Boar, an AoS Badger, and the trusty Plisson from L'Occitane. The tests will include bowl, face and shave stick style attempts at lather. @CyanideMetal says the right way to use Williams is to promptly defenestrate the citronella puck and grab another soap. @NCoxSTL feels about he same way. Let's see if I can get Williams to work. I feel that shave stick style will be the end result, but I plan on giving Williams a month to prove its worth. Why did I let Neal talk me into this? Lol...

After the test lather, I will declare the 4 elements of my Rule and commence. I hope everyone has a great Monday!

Catch you after the tests!

 

Cold water shave focus day 1:

Homemade PS Oil
WD High Mountain Badger 30 mm
Stirling Glacial Spearmint
'48 Gillette Milord
Stirling Unscented PSB
Osage Rub

This was a Menthol Monday and my first cold water shave. When in had finished, my face was numb. I used a Stirling Glacial for the first time as Rod included a sample of it with my last order, and man was it cold. I will say that I had no irritation, but the cold water is going to take a little getting used to.

 

June 1, 2015

“Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Lather, Rinse....”

Well that’s kinda what it feels like when I realized the commitment required for the 30-day rule to focus on my technique. I’ll be using the same tools and products all month without change!

Actually I’m looking forward to it. I’ve had some really nice shaves in my first month intro to wet shaving, so I’m very keen to project what the potential is once I really work on my technique. So here goes.

The Gear:

Pre-Shower Prep: Lucky Tiger Lemon Facial Cleansing Cream
Morning Hot Shower
Pre-Shave Oil: The Art of Shaving
Soap: Arko
Brush: Omega Pro 48
Razor: Gillette Gold Tech “Fat Handle”
Blade: Blade: Gillette Wilkinson Sword Stainless (India)
Mustache/Beard Trim: Schick Golden 500
Aftershave: Proraso Aftershave Splash Green



The first shave was very nice. I have what I would think is, a fairly average - beard, whisker thickness and growth pattern. The standard 3-pass shave works for me with hardly a hint of any irritation and maybe a handful of weepers over my first month. So I’m excited to focus on technique.

It occurred to me early on last month that I benefit in my novice stage by having a mustache and goatee - as I can work on technique with no worries about the usual major trouble spots. Then if I ever shave the mustache/goatee off, I’ll have some skills to focus on those new areas.

So for now I can focus on basic grips and technique and what I have already found as my primary trouble spots - right on the bottom of the jaw line and about 1 - 2 inches below it on both sides of my face. That's where the grain grows across my face in almost a straight line from my chin and straight out along the jaw line towards my ear.

As I right-hander, I can use the “dart-hold” to guide the razor across from the right ear towards my chin on my right side, though I know I need a lot of work and concentration to develop the muscle memory for that.

But it’s the left side of my face that will really present the challenge as I cannot use the same grip on the razor with my right hand to come from below the ear along the base of the jaw, across to the chin. So finding the right grip will have to come first.

What really bends my mind is how much fun I’m having discovering all this and figuring out how to solve it. Ah, the simple things!

Cheers!
- RT

 

I woke up early and decided to take advantage with another SR shave.

Today's tools:

Home made pre-shave oil
Czech and Speak 88
Simpson Tulip 3 in super
Ralf Aust 5/8 and clean up with Barbasol Floating Head
Speick AS
L'Occitane Cade ASB
MDCI Invasion Barbare

Ugghhh, not an improvement today. I was planning to just do 3 passes with the SR and call it a day. I ended up with 2 weepers and one that required the styptic pencil! Plenty of irritation and not that close. I decided I needed to keep it presentable and did a 4th pass with a DE. In the end DFS but barely and because of the DE. After the shave alum let me know and I followed it with and ice cube. Tomorrow is a date night so I will skip the SR in favour or my 2011 R41. Unless I wake up early Thursday my next SR shave will be Friday... unless I sleep late Friday too.

Not sure what went wrong but next SR shave I will go with software I know works.

 

I have a lot of catching up to do. I finally got around to shaving today and I would like to say I'd start a focus but I'm not sure I can this month. I've made some very poor decisions last week and really need to put my focus into fixing that part of my life but I'll try and hang in as long as I can. It was a good two pass shave and arko gave a nice lather although it didn't look so great on my face. One thing I noticed since I really didn't care how my shave turned out was that I'm always using the whole blade. I know that's probably something that you'd figure out early on but I just noticed it so I think it'll help improve. No nicks as well so that's always a plus. I think my straight razor skills will steadily improve this month especially having the alum.