July 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

I noticed with both my AC and my straights, if I was thinking about every motion, and trying to minimize cuts, that's when I cut myself. If I thought about short strokes, and scraping the lather off, the shaves were much better. Sometimes we have to get out of our own way.

 

July 26th, SOTD (Shave 14 of this focus)
Two days’ growth
Prep: Hot shower
Razor: Cattaraugus Cutlery Co Green Lizard Model B54GL
Strop: Drygulch Chromexcel/ Linen (20 laps Linen/ 20 laps Leather pre and 10/10 post)
Soap: Barrister & Mann Seville plus M-Bomb
Brush: Spalted Maple Brush with Badger Knot
Post Shave: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block, Thayer’s Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman plus M-bomb

Nice relaxing shave today. Two pass, no touch up. BBS on face and jaw, and DFS on neck. I’ll take it. M-bomb was a nice addition to the both the soap and the aftershave. Lather with B&M is awesome once you get enough water worked into it. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

 

You're right. What was I thinking?!?! I almost wimped out on that one!

 

30 Day Rule - July 2015
July 26th
Razor - Feather SS AC/Gillette New LC
Blade - (8) (1/3)
Brush - Omega 10066 (BoS)
Soap - Mitchell's Wool Fat
Post - Cold Water splash, Alum, Nivea

Gotta love Sunday. Sleep in just a bit, time for some coffee, catch up on TSD then head in to spend some quality time with my razors. Head shave first as always on Sunday with the Merkur 23c, Astra SP, VDH Boar and Deluxe Soap. Always a good result and today was no different. Since dialing that setup in I've never seen a need to change anything.

On to the face. БоСФат (BoSFat), [with thanks to @Bama Samurai for the final name and the Cyrillic idea] threw down a magnificent layer of lather. Not sure why I have as many soaps as I do at this point. Well, ok, so I will want to change it up but MWF has simply outperformed my expectations. Still going to give Tabac a chance to counter as I like it too. Had the Feather ready and went into Zen mode. Correct shallow angle and short strokes and just watch the lather disappear. Great auditory feedback and feel and the first pass was actually quite smooth and comfortable. Lathered again and went XTG using the same process. Just let it do its thing. No worries or pressure. Very nice finish to that pass. Grabbed the New with a brand new Voskhod in it and nailed the ATG pass. Very near BBS today. Great shave and finish with Alum that barely stung and Nivea. Definitely one of my best this month using the Feather.

One more week, well 5 more days to go and it's August and time for a new Rule/Focus. I think I have a plan.

Happy Sunday everyone!

 

Congrats Neal! You're nailin' it with the Feather AC!

 

James, I love that Wade and Butcher razor. The stamping on the blade is superb. How is it working out for you?

 

It works great. Nice smooth shave. I stole it for the price I paid. It's definitely in my top 5 list for daily razors

 

Adam, I recall that this razor seemed a bit light when you first started using it. It appears that you have mastered it now. I've enjoyed following your progress with straight razors. Your handmade strops are beautiful as well, and I enjoy seeing them in all the SOTD photos. I love the smell of tanned leather, and I bet one of your strops can fill a den with some great aroma.

As a side note, my dad collected antique pocket knives when I was a kid. A highly sought after knife brand was Cattaraugus and another was Wade and Butcher. I think of the good times I had with my dad every time I see one of these beautiful straight razors.

 

July 26, 2015

***COMPLETED***
30-Day Focus - Blade Trials for Gillette Tech

Day 5 of 7-day Vacation on
Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
48.8450° N, 123.2808° W
Island climate, island time, island life.

My wife and I celebrate 29 years of marriage today!

She likes the Island Man scent so I used the face rub application technique again. Also changed to the original "Detente" set-up (as per @NCoxSTL ) with the Aristocrat razor (USA) and the Voskhod blade (from the formerly known as USSR).

3-pass shave started off very rough.
Naw, this can't be? I've got Voskhod and the Aristocrat!
Say it aint so Neal?!

Then I realized - I didn't close the doors fully! (dang new-fangled TTOs - where's my old fashioned 3-piece?!)

So I cleared the room of all participants except for the primaries, locked the doors and moved thru the 2nd and 3rd pass with ease. Reached for the Schick Golden 500 (gotta have a Closer for any major deal, right?)

I usually use the 500 just for the trim around the mustache and goatee. But things had gone so well after my initial stumble that I went on the chase with it!

Gotcha! All cleaned up for the anniversary!

We have a Weber Rocky Mountain smoker, so we've got baby backs and spare ribs stacked in the smoker while we kick back.

We're all having a whale of a good time!

Hope you all are too!
Enjoy your shaves!

Ahoy!
RT

 

Razor: Merkur 34C HD
Blade: Merkur Super Platinum (1)
Brush: Semogue 1305 Superior Boar
Soap: TSD Coconut
A/S: TSD Coconut
Day 26

Good shave this evening with the above combination. Great finish with TSD Coconut A/S.

 

Isn't that the truth.

 

One of the real pleasures of attempting to master the straight razor is adapting one's technique to the nuances of a particular straight razor. As with DE razors, there exists variety between models, makes and manufacturers. The differences are even more pronounced in the realm of straight razors as we are talking of a time span of sometimes 200+ years of razor manufacture. Steels vary in size, styling, shape, grind, thickness—all of which influence the 'feel' of a particular razor. Getting comfortable in using a broad range of blades is both challenging and rewarding!

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! 29 years of marriage is an awesome accomplishment and I wish the two of you many more together.

Loose doors on a TTO is something we have all experienced. I learned to double check them after a Super speed, one of the most benign razors ever made, put a straight razor worthy slice on my cheek because of loose doors. I'm glad you only got a rough start out of yours!

First it was crabs and salmon, now ribs on the smoker. Sheesh. And I thought we were friends.

 

Kevin, those are beautiful straight razors. Their history and the designs are amazing. Thank you for posting them.

 

Congrats on the anniversary!

 

July Focus Shave Number (mumbling something incoherently under my breathe...)
This is the last week of my straight adventure - the C.V. Heljestrand MK No.24 half hollow 6/9"
Preshave: Sterling Mentha
Prep: hot shower plus Noxzema face wash
Brush: Omega 48
Blade: C.V. Heljestrand MK No.24
Strop: Dry Gulch (@Drygulch) 20x linen 20x leather
Soap: Tobs Sandlewood cream
Passes: 3 - wtg, xtg, atg
Post: Cold water, alum, clubman as, Unscented Stirling Post shave balm

This was the blade I've been looking forward most to this month. Looking forward to summarizing this month's focus in a few days, but I really enjoy this razor. I spend my past few shaves on vacation and used my ikon 102 slant de. I've enjoyed the simplicity of the DE shave, but missed the pageantry of the straight shave. First pass of a 3 day growth was like a warm knife through butter. Must have been the fabulous honing by Glenn (@gssixgun) and expertly crafted strop from Adam (@Drygulch). 2nd pass xtg I focused on the skin stretching - and it paid off. I was able to get a nice clean up around my mustache which was great. Still learning how to groom the 'tache - three months growth and no trimming yet. Only removal of the goatee. As for the final pass, face was S/N (atg) pass and N/S (wtg) on neck. And....wait for it...wait for it...BBS! Alum stung a little bit, but overall, I'm happy to add this blade as a daily shaver.

On a separate note, I have to "thank" Adam (@Drygulch) for tempting me out of the No Buy July thread. I'm ending up with a shave ready dubl duck wedge. The razor I've come to covet most in my short straight shaving time. I'll have a lifetime to have a "no buy" month. For now, the boy has his own dubl duck!
Cheers,
Eric

 

Menthol Monday, July 27, 2015
Day 22 with the Mongoose

B-3 Mongoose with Triad Helix Hex Titanium
Feather ProGuard #6
Druida #7 Barberpole Manchurian
Stirling Soap Co. Glacial Obsidian (substitution)
Stirling Black Ice Witch Hazel, Unrefined Shea Butter
Chiseled Face After Shave Cryogen

Two passes + clean up = BBS. Today’s shave is my first time using a Stirling Glacial Soap, an excellent choice for a HOT summer day. To say Stirling takes menthol seriously is an understatement. Glacial Obsidian (GO) was a real face freezer. Toward the end of the first pass my eyes started watering, and continued through the second pass and clean up. Whoa Nelly! My barber pole brush and bowl churned up some major glacial suds. The lather was thick and slick with chillin’ moisturizing. 20 minutes after the shave my face was still feeling COLD. Two thumbs up for GO. The pleasant scent of cooling anise continued with the Black Ice Witch Hazel. Italians love anise. Loaded up my face with the shea butter before lobbing on the Cryogen. A total face freeze as I walked out into the blazing heat of an Arizona Day. Ummmmm! Ahhh!
Have a good week!​

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9 is pretty sweet!

 

+1 (puts popcorn on shopping list)