SEPT 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

SOTD
September 15,2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Energizing Face Wash Boost
Razor: Mongoose B3 Dr. Bomber Handle
Blade: Feather Professional
Brush: Ever-Ready 150 TGN 24/54mm Synthetic by GDCarrington
Lather: TABAC
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: TABAC
Cologne: TABAC
Top shelf shave. I think the cologne may be a bit over the top? I'll use less next week. The Mongoose. My shaves are very consistent, always good. Today I could have gotten away with a 2 pass shave had I wanted to. I went with my 3 and out.
Never let the things you WANT
Make you forget the things you HAVE

 

Skipped the shave this morning. I'll submit my report to the Russian shaving commission later today.

 

Thanks guys!!

 

Thanks Kerry! I love TSD! I had no idea how much fun there was to be had!

 

Today...more Science! I will be spending the next three days testing an unknown sample, and then three days on a different sample. It's for the 4 Guys - 2 Soaps project that occurs quarterly. That little group is a lot of fun and has allowed me to try soaps that I never would have thought to purchase on my own.

My thoughts on the @TheSoapExchange are that it's a very good soap that just isn't for me. It's a Shea Thing. I just don't dig Shea. I want to, and tried to. However, the Bay Rum scent was nice and the lather was amazingly easy to work. Don't let my dislike of Shea discourage you from trying. It's a quality soap that many people are gonna love. I will be trying the Barber Shoppe later in the month, and I hope to like it better. Amanda (proprietor) is so nice to interact with and is working really hard to produce soaps that are both high performing and a joy to use. I have emailed with her a bit over the soaps and can tell you that she really stands behind and is proud of her product line, and her attitude of great customer relations comes through every time. She is also a supporting vendor and friend of the forum. Her products may be found on her company's website, and she offers products for men and women that go far beyond shave soap. I see lots of good stuff on her site, check it out.

 

Ah, that's how I like it.

Now you see me, now you don't...there's something to be said for anonymity!

 

Mission Impossible...(cue theme song)
it's....Agent AAACK!

 

Amen Kerry!
...and I count myself as one of the blessed "many new members" who have benefitted from having Chris on TSD and especially in this thread!

PIF all!

 

Yet another unknown attribute that's been revealed!
Throw caution to the wind even in the face of a job interview...I'd give you the job just based on that!

Me - I'd be reaching for my most trusted razor for my interview shave.

That's why he's so adept at dealing with the international blade agents!

(best of luck on the interview)

 

September 15, 2015

During Single Edge SEptember I've experienced razors I’ve never used before:

• four different Schick injectors (Type E, G, I and J)
• a PAL Adjustable.

I’ll add another today - a Schick Type C (Magazine Repeating Razor).
I’ve got two different types - an open comb (C1) and one with a safety bar (C3) that I’ll use today.

Morning shave
Hot Shower
Soap: Arko stick
Brush: Omega Pro 48
Razor: Schick C3
Blade: Schick Injector (China) (1)
Thayers Lemon & Aloe Witch Hazel
After Shave: Myrsol Limon



Two-pass shave.
A little apprehensive approaching this razor. A bit of a departure from other injectors I’ve used. It’s certainly heavier than more “modern” injectors. I’ve also read that modern injector blades are a tad thicker than those used when this razor was manufactured 80 years ago. So that meant not using the auto-load feature of the design. Inserting a blade manually requires care for safety, but is easily done.

First pass - XTG - All apprehension was immediately relieved as the cutting angle is easily found by my normal routine - cap first onto the skin and increasing the blade angle from there to ascertain the best cutting angle. I used a very shallow angle on this first shave. Very smooth pass, hardly felt the blade, but got an acceptable reduction.

Second pass - ATG - I chose to use the same angle as the first pass. A good deal more feedback of course, but normal for most injectors.

A very nice shave. I think that in time, regular BBS would be a possibility for me with this razor. The added weight makes it a bit easier to focus on our “no pressure” mantra than with the more common, lighter injectors.

I will be working with this and the open comb version to see which works best for me. My hope is that, because of it’s compact design, it might make for a very good travel razor.

Cheers!
RT

 

Chris, did you get a chance to try her Shaving Oil? I have a sample and I really like it, I'm not a shaving oil guy but TSE has a very nice scent and I found it to be an added bonus when used as part of my head shave.

 

Thread highjack in progress/

Is it an attribute or just foolishness masquerading as courage? Well, it's me whatever it is. When I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree (I was a mid 30's student so a bit older than the normal) I was Valedictorian. I was tasked with addressing the class and of course audience with a speech about where we were headed from there. What was the future? How would we impact it? The Salutatorian was tasked with a speech about where we had been and how we had arrived where we were. As I tried working on a speech I realized that until I knew what he was going to say it would be tough to start mine and tie them together coherently. My solution? Don't write a speech. Get a general idea of what I wanted to say in the main body and just improvise the intro since I would immediately follow him, tie it to my points and put it all together as I went. Good old extemporaneous speaking, which I was a master of in High School. State Champ in fact.

When my mother asked me if I had my speech ready I replied something like "it's getting there"....and this was an hour before graduation. She blinked and said "what?" and I explained to her I had the main points in my head but wouldn't finish it up until David had given his speech. She actually was speechless. She later told me that she told her brother, my uncle who was a professor at the college, that I was going to extemp my speech and she thought that was perhaps a bit foolish. Uncle Wilbur apparently looked at her, smiled and laughed and said, "no, that's confidence."

So, fool or idiot savant? Arrogant or lucky? Stupid or just too confused to care? You got me, but it seems to have always worked out for me. For the record, interview went very well and all is well.

Returning thread to its rightful owners.

 

Razor A: Ever-Ready 1914 WW1 SE
Razor B: Gillette Black Handle Flare Tip P1 1970
Blade A: Gem Blue Star SE (1)
Blade B: Feather (1)
Brush: Omega 10066 Boar
Soap: Proraso Green
A/S: Osage Rub
Day 15

Fine two pass shave with the Ever-Ready 1914 SE. Cleaned up with Gillette Black Handle Flare Tip.

 

So... We all know Chris aka @Bama Samurai has been using a La Toja shave stick for what seems like an eternity. His positive reviews on the stick forced me into buying the La Toja sensitive shaving cream (like I needed to be forced ) and I love the cream.
I knew I had a stick in my overflow box, but frankly was too lazy to get to it. Well today after two energy drinks I have the energy to get to the stick. I also found a Gillette Super Speed that I've never used before yeah I buy stuff and never use it.
So.. Tomorrow I'm going to take a slight detour from my Mongoose and try out this Gillette Super Speed and La Toja shave stick.
I hope you all understand.
Kerry

 

Understand, applaud and admire! I'm concerned it took two energy drinks to have enough energy to get a shave stick, but if your overflow box is like mine has become I fully understand. I have noticed he is stuck on La Toja. Has made me curious as well but I'm trying to control my SAD. Since I just got the TSD Lanolin I'm convincing myself I don't need to add another yet. I'm fine. Fine. Fine. No worries. Enough soaps............

 

Another great photo. What did you think of the Every-Ready?

 

I have about 75 jars/tins of soap on top of the box, I had to remove everything on top to get inside of the box. I try to keep my OCD down to a limit.

 

Right. Fine makes aftershaves, not soaps...

 

Actually, you might just be a little bit of all those things....

..but, it helps explain an awful lot about you Neal!

I understand now why you also fit in so well here at TSD - Technique over tools!
You are obviously very confident in the years of honing your technique (your approach to life) that you can pick up anything and run with it - making a speech, using a razor, sales, or anything else you put your mind to.

Great way to live life!

I'm sure that mother and Uncle Wilbur were quite proud afterwards and since!

 

I understand! And I think you'll be very happy you found it!