SoS: June 8, 2015 - June 14, 2015

it performed great, and you got most of the funk gone, good thinking starting that process.

 

Nothing like a little badger funk to remind you that it's a new brush.

 

Fantastic Shave followed up by a little trim of the Van Dyke with my Weck Sextoblade. Stirling Cocoa Forest was the soap today, followed by Capts North.

 

SOTD 12 May 2015

30 Day Rule with a Cadet OC!


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Day 2, I believe, on this blade. A really easy and smooth shave today. It seems like after eleven days, things are finally falling into place. The key to this razor is maintaining a consistent low angle to mitigate the aggressive geometry. This is a cap riding razor for sure. Throw in a little SR style stretching and 2 passes will get it done. I wasn't gonna shave today, but decided to anyway and was rewarded. Kept this real simple on the finish, just some alum and a little of the TSD ISZ AS Splash that everybody just ordered. Right?!? Other than that, still raining in Colorado...

Have a beautiful Sunday!
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Sundays Planned SOTD
Razor: PILS 101NE
Blade: Personna 74 (D03)
Brush: Rooney Faux Horn 1/2 Super Silvertip
Bowl: Turkish Porcelain Bowl 4 ¾”
Pre Shave Scrub: RazoRock GLO
Pre Shave Oil: Iced Mojito
Shave Soap: Dr. Jon Hydra
Post: Monster Alum Block
Aftershave: Alcolado Glacial


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World Tournament of Blades - Russia vs. the World!!
June 13, 2015
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - Vie Long 12705
Soap - Tabac
Razor - Van Der Hagen (Weishi 9306)

Blade - (1)
Post - Alum, Nivea Balm

Back to India in the World division today. It's the Super-Max Super Platinum and was the first Vidyut blade I ever tried. And, I found it to be a really good blade. One of the platinums that don't drive me to drink. Loaded up the Weishi again, grabbed the horse and galloped into a great lather. Tabac is another new addition to my den that will be permanent. I've definitely added to my soaps with it and MWF.

Hit the first pass early this morning....man I hate these monthly spiff meetings. Felt great, did a good job on the first pass and onward we go. Lathered up again enjoying the scent and did XTG. Finished with a quick touch up on the neck and had to call it good due to time. However, I probably wouldn't have done any more anyway to avoid irritation. Finished with a DFS and looked great for the busiest day of the week.

Sharpness....this blade is as sharp as the Voskhod and several others so it's a 1. Smoothness also a 1. Felt like no blade was even in the razor, though the mildness of the Weishi no doubt helped. Irritation was also not bad at all. Just a slight all over sting to the alum that didn't last long. It's a 1. Result? DFS so a 2. Total? 5.

We have a TIE!! The Bic also scored 5. And, there is no overtime in this tourney. So how to break the tie? Well, as subjective as it is I have chosen to compare each section of both blades' scoring and add my opinion based on the results. I think both blades are equally sharp. Great on that point. Smoothness? Really couldn't tell the difference. Obviously they both got to DFS and neither produced any blood so we'll call that even. Irritation is left. The Bic was quiet. Not really a sting at all. The Super-Max did produce a mild sting. Compared to some others it was nothing, but compared to the Bic is is slightly, and I mean slightly worse. So.......change Irritation on this blade to 1.5 and final score is.......

Bic - 5
SMSP - 5.5

Winner by the slightest of margins is the BIC!!!

A confession - When I set up the brackets I fully expected Kai to beat the Super-Max Platinum and the Super Platinum to beat the Bic. I ended with the exact opposite results! It's surprises like that that make doing things like this so fun. And, it's why I refuse to pick a winner of the whole thing! Hope you all had a great Saturday! Tomorrow we move to the Treet Platinum as we travel to Pakistan for the next round!

 

Very nice Pils

 

After using straights all week I decided to take a break and do a basic de shave.
I picked up some VDH at the store, so why not....
Sunday shave
Warm water rinse
VDH scented. Soap (still trying to figure out the scent)
24mm high mountain badger brush by WD
R89 muhle with Astra platinum blade 2 days old. Single pass with the grain
Witch hazel splash
Lavender lotion. After shave.

No pics today. Just a normal work day shave.

 

Shave Local
I used a soap from an artisan who lives just a few miles away. It is tea tree with kokum and several other butters. The shave was solid, but a little rough with a few small weepers. I think the blade might be a dud since yesterday wasn't great either. The lather took a bit of work, but it left my face smooth.
Prep: Mickey Lee Lime
Soap: Farmington Soap Works Gold Medal Tea Tree
Brush: The Colonel
Razor: Gillette Fatboy
Blade: Personna Lab Blue (2 and out!)
AS: Chiseled Face Sherlock

 

June 14 SOTD:

Homemade PS Oil
Vie-long Horsehair Brush
Stirling Glacial Spearmint
Gillette Ball End Tech
Stirling Unscented PSB
Aqua Velva AS

 

Sunday 14 June 2015



Mastro Livi CarboInox, 6/8 Full Hollow, Barber's Notch​

Top shave! Take a superb Mastro Livi CarboInox straight razor, then a Mastro Livi Silvertip Badger Brush and load it with a high class shaving soap like Martin De Candre. Lather your face with the most luxurious lather you can think of and let Mastro Livi CarboInox razor slide on your skin like a feather. Rinse well with cold water and then pass alum block: no burns, no stings. Take just five drops of argan oil and spread them all over your face, let it absorb and then a generous splash of Floïd Vigoroso aftershave: how can you possibly think about a better shave? By the way: also my pre-shave oil was part of the shave and it certainly contributed to the picture, although being a homemade product, it did a good job anyway.​

• Pre-Shave: RazorGuy Pre-Shave Oil
• Soap: Martin De Candre
• Brush: Mastro Livi Silvertip Badger, Makassar Ebony Handls, 26mm knot
• Bowl: Gerby Bowl
• Strop: Mastro Livi Loom Strop and Hand Palm
• Razor: Mastro Livi CarboInox, 6/8 Full Hollow, Barber's Notch
• Post-Shave: Alum Block
• Post-Shave: Argan Oil
• After Shave: Floïd Mentolado Vigoroso

 

Man alive, this Glacial Wintergreen trio left me with a freeze to beat the band - the soap, a/s balm and witch hazel are simply awesome items. What a great shave I just had!

 

My shave today, Sunday the 14th...no shave. For the first time in pro ably 3 weeks I am taking a day off. I have nothing today I need to be cleanly shaven for.
Admittedly i have been abusing the face a little unable to wait doe the neXT morning sometime when receiVing a new soap or blade in the evening mail so I have been subjecting my face to a few double shave days. Only a few here and there (receiving MWF in the mail I had to try it) but still giving the old mug (and head) a rest won't hurt. I hope everyone has a peaceful and fun Sunday.

 

06/14/2015
Razor – ATT M2 with Triad Helix SS
Blade – Feather (1)
Brush – Shavemac Silvertip D01
Lather – MWF a PIF from @SDK
Post - Witch Hazel & Captain’s Choice Bay Rum



Continuing my month of focusing on OC razors, the ATT M2 is up for this week. The M2 and the R2 are on loan from my best friend. I had a great 3 pass near BBS shave. The only area is just below my nose. The ATT head is just a little thicker than the New OC razors causing me to have a little more trouble maneuvering the razor. I'm sure I will get it figured out over the remainder of the week.

The MWF was a PIF from @SDK and provided a very slick lather. Finished up with a splash of CC Bay Rum.

 

June 14

MdC facial soap
Muhle R41 (2013)
Feather blade (day 1)
Omega Pro 98 boar brush
D.R. Harris Almond shave cream
Three passes
Alum, Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm

I had a good shave this morning with a bit of irritation since I went for three passes. Here are my recent finds fresh out of the Barbicide. I'm thinking about a vintage focus for July.

I hope you all have a great Sunday!

 

SOTD
June 14, 2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Shield Face Wash
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89 w/MR5 handle
Blade: Sputnik
Brush: Ever-Ready 150 TGN 24/54mm Synthetic by GDCarrington
Lather: Knockout Shave Cotton
Post: Alum. Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: Folsom & Co. Capri
Super shave.
A better tomorrow. Takes your best today!

 

6/14/15 - A Month of Proraso!!!

Last day using Red. It's been a good one. Seems a little thinner than the green but slicker. Maybe a wee bit different formula.

The 1930's LC New. I used to thing the SC was less forgiving, but after using a single-ring, this is pretty aggressive. Also, I have another LC that is less aggressive. I believe I have 3 in all. Might do a test with them this week to see the differences. More so than I realized. Gave a great shave.

Proraso Red Soap
Semogue Italian Barber LE
Gillette New LC
Pol-Silver Blade (1)
Stetson Aftershave

 

That Triad handle is really sweet

 

Thank you. I really like the handle. I am sure at some point I get another one from Toby.

 

Sunday:

Prep: Hot shower, Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash, TSD Jasmine Sambac preshave balm
Brush: Simpson 56 Best Badger
Soap: Stirling Glacial Obsidian
Razor: RazoRock Bamboozled RAKE OC
Blade: Bolzano (3)
Passes: WTG, XTG, XTG (5, 6, 7)
Post: Cold water splash, Bloc Osma alum, Dickinson's WH, Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS splash
Cologne: Jasmin et Cigarette by Etat Libre d' Orange

I got good lather from the Stirling, guys! As in, good enough lather that I could confidently do a 3rd pass without thinking I'd have to go back to the puck. The difference this AM, other than a day's stubble, was two-fold. The first was a trick I picked up watching blade review videos, where the reviewer poured the 'bloom water' that had been left to sit on the puck during his shower into his hand, then rubbed it on his beard. Perhaps this prevents the preshave balm from interfering with lather production, or perhaps it creates a little proto-lather; I don't know. The second difference was the amount of time I spent lathering. I know @swarden43 firmly believes that there's never any reason to try to reduce the time spent shaving, but today's time might even give him pause, as it was over a half hour process from the time I got out of the shower until the time the Aqua Velva hit my cheeks, with over half that time spent building lather (and remember, I didn't need to swap out a new blade or strop it). That's not necessarily the amount of time I regularly want to invest in shaving, even with DFS+, blood-free, irritation-free results.