August 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

This is how I came up with the plan for my Tuesday shave. Translated, it means set the Slim to 3 and let 'er rip for two passes. Vince, I'm glad you're enjoying your new adjustable. It's fun following your progress!

 

Ok, ok...
(I shoulda seen this coming)

Here's my new way to determine adjusting up....

 

Ok now it's getting creepy. The suit is almost a match and the hair...yeah could be mine....guy's weight etc. about right. I'm trembling with fear trying not to look over my shoulder! That is a funny commercial I have to admit.

 

I love the look of that razor, both folding and non folding. On my future acquisition list.

 

Hell that's my formula just for choosing the blade I use every day. In that position, with the wind out of the Southwest and a waning moon with the temperature between 72 and 86 F, it means use the Voskhod stupid.

 

Voskhod and GSB are equivalent in my book. Glad it treated you well!

 

August Focus - Slim and Feather AC
August 3
Razor - Gillette Slim (J1)
Blade - (2)
Brush - Omega Pro 48
Soap - Arko
Post - Cold Water, Alum, Clubman

It's Monday so a Slim shave is on order. Saturday's went extremely well on 3 then 4 for the second pass. Very nice feel and finish. This morning I'm going to 5 and staying there for the entire shave. The Pro 48 and Arko combination was incredible as always with enough lather to do a dozen passes and still wash my car. First pass was WTG and it felt about the same as the razor on 3 Saturday. Smooth as silk, just a bit more feedback and a great result. Second pass I stayed on 5 and went XTG and got a great result. The third pass was mostly for the neck and involved the Gillette Slide as well. Great feel and finish. DFS all the way and off to a new week!

It's still early in the month but I'm not feeling the Slim quite like I do a couple of my other DE's, but it's still a fine fine razor. We'll see what I think in a couple of weeks.

 

Good plan of action! IMHO the twelve hour mark is the true test of a shave.

 

Also valid!

 

First time with the Slim. Started with the usual Proraso Green pre shave, followed with Colnel Conks Bay Rum soap. Set the razor to 4, which may have been a mistake for the first time. A couple nicks on the neck, one which required Styptic (but not bad really). Overall though, minus the nicks it was a nice dfs with little irritation surprisingly. Ended the shave with the usual Proraso preshave followed by Gabel's Bay Rum aftershave. Very nice considering, but for Wednesday's shave I'mean going to set the Slim on 3 to see if that's any better.

 

Day 2 - 3 August 2015

30 Day Rule - Phoenix OC!


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Day 2 on this blade. I am going to spend this month trying to develop a routine that is standardized and replicable. From shave stick application, to Alum, and everything in between, I am trying to do it the same each day. Turns out there are only 8 Rapira, so each blade needs to go at least four days, not that I am concerned. Focused on blade angle, I am working on a new strategy for chin area. Have not exactly figured it out yet. Overall though it was a nice and easy 2 passes to automatic smoothness. So far the Phoenix is a very smooth shaver, it looks like this month should end up great. Alum felt good today and the FW is always nice on a summer day. After my shave, I enjoyed a 78F evening with Mrs. Samurai. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a terrific Tuesday!
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But be careful, avoid using Voskhod on days that do not end with the letter "y".

 

I think the Swede will give you 4 shaves per blade without issue but I have extras if you find yourself running short. Just let me know.

 

I did the Slim in January and found that blade angle of attack was the key for me. It has rather flat head geometry, so making sure the razor cap (door) stayed in contact with my skin while shaving really smoothed it out and tamed the irritation. I also seem to recall the razor smoothing out after setting 5 or 6, attribute this to the blade being under more tension, and making it more rigid than at lower settings. It almost felt like a vibration or resonance set up in the blade at lower settings, making it micro-skip and cause weepers.

 

Thanks Neal, sure will! 5 is norm these days, but that's clutch! I am just using up blade stock in anticipation of making a bulk order for a hundred Voskhod and maybe Rapira or Ladas. I still have a good stash of GSB.

 

August 30 Day Rule -- Day 3

Razor -- Lord L6
Blade -- GSB (But not to start with as will be explained)
Soap -- MITA
Brush -- VDH Boar
Post -- WH, Styptic if needed

Monday was an unusual shave. Started out with good lather from the MITA which allowed me to keep going with menthol Monday even while doing the 30 Day Rule. Started the shave and all was wonderful. So smooth feeling. But the beard never changed felt like nothing getting shaved. CRAP! Forgot to put in the blade. (Yes, this was a sign of how the whole day was going to go too, which is one reason why I am posting about my Monday morning shave at 2:30 am on Tuesday!).

OK, fix lather, put blade in razor, now actually shaving and not just moving a razor. Really trying hard to get the angle down and keep it consistent. Maybe even over thinking it. Had a good first pass on my face, both sides seemed nice after WTG. Neck was a different story, it was horrible after the first pass. Think I forgot to take the advice to use short quick deliberate strokes and was trying to rush too much.

So started second pass, which had to be my last because of time constraints, and the neck really did well this time. I took my time doing short deliberate strokes and really paid attention to the changes in direction of the grain so I could best cut all of it. Really great second pass on the neck. Think it ended up DFS for sure with very minimal irritation which was mostly from the first pass.

Second pass on face, went ok but not great. Just not a smooth shave around the jaw line, which had previously been one area I could consistently do well. Chin was good, upper lip no problems, cheeks check. Right on the jaw line, nope. It had to be the angle failing me cause I used the same strokes in the same direction that I have done many times to much better results. No nicks or weepers so the no blood is good checkmark holds for second day. Just not a good shave. Since I did not have much time, I let it go and will focus better later today with Shave number 4.

Technique, Technique, Technique . . . it is why I am doing the 30 Day Rule!

 

Sorry to hear of the difficult day. Sadly there are no short days, but tomorrow will likely be better!

I believe this is the razor you're using?



If so, it's very similar to what I learned on. Earlier I wrote about the Slim and the need to "ride the cap" of the razor. This technique involves allowing the razor cap to carry the weight of the razor against your skin. For example, if you are shaving in a N-S direction you would raise the handle much closer to floor parallel than with a cartridge razor. This is how that head style (Merkur) was designed to be used. It makes the blade angle quite shallow, like 15-20deg, forcing the blade to slice (split cleanly, to be precise) through the hair shafts at skin feel. If the angle is too high, the blade edge scrapes the skin and cuts much less efficiently.

A suggestion that worked for me was to stick to WTG and XTG and try to do exactly the same pattern each day (once you get the grain down) while I worked out the angle and made the effort ride the cap. Don't get frustrated, you are unlearning how to shave right now as well. And...don't chase the baby...just let the baby find you. You'll get all this worked out in no time.

 

August 4

Gillette Slim G3 (3)
Feather blade (2)
Edwin Jagger XL Synthetic
Trumper's Coconut cream
Two passes
Alum, Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Trumper's Coral Skin Food

This was my second close and comfortable shave with the Slim. First impressions are great! Maybe it's just the two razors that I have, bit the Slim handle seems more grippy than my FB. Time for work! Have a great Tuesday!

 

1956 Gillette Super Speed Flair
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Georgetown G12 Scuttle
Proraso Sandalwood cream
Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Shave #2 with the Voskhod Teflon blade. A smooth shave, very close and mostly comfortable. I did some feel some irritation during parts of my touch up. The Proraso cream provided its typical great lather. After shaking out the brush, I went back for more water 3 times while working my lather in the scuttle.
2 1/2 passes: Pass 1: WTG on my face and XTG on my neck. Pass 2 and 2.5: ATG. At the end of the 2nd pass, I had a solid DFS. Unfortunately, I had to lather my entire neck because of all of the spots that were reluctant to become BBS. Touch up took a lot more time than yesterday and some places needed attention two or three times, but I finally caught the baby. The Aqua Velva stung a lot on my throat, but quieted down after a minute or so.

My impression so far of the Voskhod is that it isn't as sharp as the Silver Blue. It gave me a close BBS shave, but only with a lot more time and effort.

 

Phoenix Comparison Focus Day 3:

Homemade PS Oil
VDH Boar Brush
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Deja Fougere
'48 Gillette Milord
Stirling Unscented PSB
Wholly Kaw Fougere Bouquet

Good shave this morning, and the Deja Fougere was nice and slick. I am still getting a bit of irritation on my neck. Everything else is great though. Have a great Tuesday!