NOV 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic&Discussion Thread

Aristocrat Focus Day 10:

Homemade PS Oil
Frank Shaving Pur-Tech Brush
Mitchell's Wool Fat
Gillette Aristocrat
Stirling Unscented PSB
Old Spice Classic

A early and quick two pass shave this morning. Everything is really coming together with holding to two passes. I am cutting down on the irritation and am doing better at cutting the stubble down with two passes.

Now I am off for the rest of the week. Have a great day!

 

11/10/15

Gillette Super Speed Y3
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Van Der Hagen soap
Pinaud Clubman Original

Shave #3 with the second Gillette Silver Blue in my Birth Quarter Super Speed.
I placed a few drops of water on the VDH puck, then worked the lather in the container until I had a good amount on the brush. Face lather. Did 1 pass XTG. Very nice reduction. I used the lather remaining on my face and neck to do a small amount of touch up where I could easily feel stubble. I would have done a little more, but the soap all but disappeared before I was finished. Still, I almost had a nice DFS. Did a cold water rinse followed by small amount of touch up. I could feel some tiny spots of stubble, but the soap was gone! Even squeezing out the brush only gave me a small amount that seemed to dissipate as I tried to use it. I ended up just using cold water and the blade and whatever I soap I could find on my face on some of my trouble spots. I got lucky, there was no irritation. The Pinaud Clubman was just a little less mild than yesterday. When it dried, I was shocked to find that I had a BBS. I don’t expect it will last as long as the one yesterday or last Friday, but nice anyway.

A surprise one pass BBS from the Gillette Silver Blue in my Birth Quarter Super Speed after the VDH soap gave out. Yesterday's lather wasn't as slick as the Proraso cream, but it lasted through the shave. I thought I hadn't used enough water, but perhaps today I used too much. I'm happy with the outcome, but the VDH is going back in its box for a while. I'll give it another try in a month or two.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

 

11/10/2015
Razor – Wolfman OC with Triad Ti Aristocrat
Blade – Feather (3)
Brush – Rudy Vey Rover with TGN Finest
Lather – B&M Seville
Post - Witch Hazel & Fine Platinum



I changed up the 3 pass routine a little this morning and went with WTG followed by 2 ATG passes. I think this works a little better and gives me a closer shave. I really like the B&M Seville soap. The scent is great and the lather is super slick. Finished off with a splash of Fine Platinum. Hope everyone as a great Tuesday.

 

Bill, I'm pretty impressed with all your 1-pass BBS shaves. Your obviously doing something right!

 

get well Vince!

 

SOTD
November 10, 2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Energizing Face Wash Boost
Razor: Mongoose B3 Dr. Bomber Handle
Blade: Kai Captain Original
Lather: WSP Tobacco
Brush: Omega 10098
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: WSP Tobacco
Great shave. Feels great using the Mongoose. Smooth shave. WSP Tobacco lathers on its own.
It's better to give than to receive.

 

Thanks guys! The Monty Hall PIF claimed another.

Looks like @pvtbanks got one as well or am I just very late to the game on his? Congrats though Seth since I had not seen it before!

 

Tuesday, November 10, 2015


Schick I-1 Injector
Schick Injector II Twin #3
Oscar11 Omega Boar
Tabac Shave Soap
Alum, Witch Hazel ++Menthol, Unrefined Organic Shea Butter
Tabac After Shave

Schick I-1 Injector with SI II Twin Blades made for a very close 3 Pass BBS shave today. Maintaining a flat angle with the I-1 is easy. It’s been described as the Corvette of Injectors. Great slick creamy lather made easily with an Omega Boar. Finished with a generous dousing of Tabac After Shave. I am really really smooth. My face is singing the high notes.
Have a great Tuesday!

 

Congrats on BBS! It would be impossible for me to get even DFS on a one pass XTG. My beard is so stubborn it is ATG or it will not be smooth!

 

November 10

Razor – Lord L6
Blade – GSB
Brush – AOS Badger
Soap – Gada Cool Mint shave cream
Post - Cold water splash, Witch Hazel and Old Spice

Welllllll, today I broke ranks. I beg forgiveness. I used my L6 this morning because I have an oral argument today and needed to make sure I had a great shave. I needed no chance of irritation on my chin where the 74 SS has been causing me problems all along. So I switched to the L6 with the GSB. The combination never fails to deliver so for my peace of mind, as well as a great shave, I switched.

The GSB I just carried over from the SS since it was only on day 4. Smooth as always. It and the L6 really go perfectly together. No irritation no problems at all. A couple passes, small touch up on the jaw line, and ended sooooo very smooth! Will see how it is doing later this afternoon, but if it is anything like previous BBS with this combo it will be nice and smooth well into this evening. I know I fell off the NOVember wagon, but it was at least for a good cause (I am making certain a monster that preys on children will remain where he belongs!).

 

Before starting up with straights my most frequently used razor was my Mühle 2011 R41. Usually I get no irritation but usually I use it only with my best software.

 

I am with you. There is absolutely no way for me to get a 1 pass BBS with any razor I own. My facial hair is just so course. With a 64 SS, a BBS would require 3-4 passes with touch ups. Even using a Slim on 9 is 3 passes with touch ups.

 

Good to see someone else make their own sticks. Have you made your own MW stick yet?

 

Yes, I did. I have 2 MW sticks and it works much better for me in stick form. I am trying to finish off a couple of soaps (B&M and Strop Shoppe) so I have not used MW this month.

 

So do you have to melt the soap and then pour it into the sticks, grate it and pack it or what? If you melt, do you melt it right in its container or scoop it out and put it into something else to melt? Just curious about the process. I assume it depends on the soap too. Thanks for any info.

 

No I have not melted any soaps. I just dialed the empty stick up to the top. Taking a spoon I just scooped out small portions of soap and pressed them in the tube with my fingers dialing the stick down as I went. I even used this process with a well hydrated puck of MWF.

The main reason, I started making my own sticks was using Mystic Water soaps. The soaps work so much better for me in stick form. However, I was reluctant to buy a 2 oz stick for the same price I could buy a 5 oz refill. So I just bought some empty sticks off of Amazon ($14 for 5) and made my own.

 

Thanks for the info! I was thinking about turning a couple of my Stirling soaps into sticks and knew they were soft enough to just pack in, but did not know about others. I am predominantly a bowl latherer, but that really becomes a pain when traveling so was looking for something I could easily pack and still have some variety of soap type.

 

I would think that Stirling would work pretty well in stick form since it is about the same consistency as Mystic Water. Some soaps are just too soft to work in sticks. I had to pull the Strop Shoppe out of the stick for that reason.

 

I followed Clint's lead since I was also having trouble lathering MW soap. I grate the soap, then load the empty stick, pushing the soap down with my fingers. Shave sticks are an easy delivery system for for face lathering and excellent for travel. I have a drawer full!

 

I like that I able to keep so many soaps in the drawer. The containers with more soap are stored in less convenient places.