No Variation November - A TSD Challenge

28 November 2015

Day 27 - No Variation November!



Utopia 3-piece
Gillette Silver Blue
Proraso Barbe Dure
L'Occitane Plisson Synthetic
Alum
TSD 2x Iced Barber Shoppe AS

Have a super Sunday!


Two more to go!!!
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I varied today. I haven't shaved yet

 

November 29

Feather Artist Club SS
Feather Super Professional (2)
Semogue 830
MdC scented
Two passes plus touch-ups
Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and CC Bay Rum

Goals
Further develop my two-pass shave technique by practicing the basics
Break in and get more experience with the Semogue 830
Get more experience with MdC

Have a great Sunday!

 

After a month of use how do you like the 830? Do you like other boar brushes better that are in a similar price range?

 

Sunday's


Dove Men Face Wash
Tabac Shaving Soap
Jayaruh #27 Silver Tip
Gillette Super Adjustable
Astra Super Platinum
CWR, Asma Alum Block
Thayers Rose Petal WH
Aqua Velva AS
​

The Tabac Shaving Soap face-lathered well with my Jayaruh #27 Silver Tip brush. Two passes with my Gillette Super Adjustable razor and an Astra Super Platinum blade gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse, alum block, and a final cold water rinse, I finished off with Thayers Rose Petal WH and then Aqua Velva after shave. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

Twenty-nineth shave of No Variation NoVember.
One more and done.
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Day 29 NoV


As Jim has posted above....one more and done.

 

NoVember 29, 2015 Shave Den Sunday



Hot Shower
Soap: TSD Unscented
Brush: Omega 31025 Scarlatti Boar
Razor: Mongoose B3
Blade: Feather Artist Club Professional (4)
TSD Witch Hazel
TSD Aftershave Milk
TSD Yin Yang

2-day growth, 3-pass shave.

Switched up my 30-day Rule just a bit to accommodate my usual Shave Den Sunday - with their fine brands of soap and aftershave products. Switched on a little Dave Brubeck for a real smooth Mongoose shave. Best of the month!



Cheers!
RT

 

I remember Take Five. A really cool piece in 5/4 time.

 

Quite right Jim.

I'm in total awe of the creative genius of people like Brubeck. Musicians must have another whole section of their brain wired up differently than most of us mere mortals. I'd imagine @Bird Lives would agree?!!

Though having seen some of your unique brush creations Jim, I'd say you have a bunch of brain cells cooking along as well.

To the creative ones amongst us!

 

Yesterday was the first day that I did not shave since last Christmas so I woke up this morning with some substantial whiskers. I lathered up and went to work with my Feather AC SS and a Feather Professional blade. I was blown away with how this thing just wiped my face clean. I had a one pass CCS + with some areas DFS. All it took was a second cleanup pass to get a DFS. I really am starting to like this razor and I intend to keep it in the rotation.
Thank you to all of up you that encouraged and helped me this month!
SOTD
TOBS Grapefruit
Rubberset 400
Feather AC SS
Feather Professional (7)
Witch Hazel
Chrome Azzaro Legend cologne

On a side note. I just realized how much these 30 day threads did for my participation in this forum and how much it helped my technique. I have now done five monthly focuses and have increased the quality of my shaves tenfold. I'm starting to think I could shave with a rusty can lid. Just have to keep the correct angle and pressure
I just realized that I now have 2000 posts, much to my wife's dismay. I don't hardly post elsewhere anymore because you guys and gals are the most helpful friendly group up there. Thank you!
If you haven't done a focus yet, join us for December.

 

I like the Semogue 830 quite a lot. It had soft tips and good backbone right out of the box. After a month of use, I think it releases lather better. After the initial load, I still have to load more soap from the puck in order to finish a two-pass plus touch-up shave.

As far as boar brushes go, I can only compare it to an old Ever-Ready that I have (super scritchy, so no comparison) and an Omega Pro 98 (good backbone but the tips are less soft than the 830). All things considered, I rate the Omega Pro 98 and the Semogue 830 about the same in terms of performance. I like them both, but I like my badger hair brushes best of all.

 

Day 28 - 29 November 2015

No Variation November!




TSD ISZ PreShave Balm
Utopia 3-piece
Gillette Silver Blue
L'Occitane Plisson Synthetic
Proraso Red
Alum
TSD 2x Iced Barber Shoppe AS

One more day left!!!

Have a sterling Monday!​

​

 

Planned Day 30 NoV

This will be it for NoV. I'm glad and melancholy at the same time. The items I chose for the month all performed flawlessly and consistantly. I did get to learn a lot about the Type F razor and how well it can provide a DFS if I concentrate on technique. I was surprised how much it took to break in this brush and am not convinced it is all the way there yet. I forced myself to use a boar brush as I prefer a badger and that hasn't changed. I don't see this brush making my regular rotation. The MdC shaving soap had nothing to prove and was chosen really to see how it would last, using it every day. Ive included the picture from the first day of the challenge to show the usage of the Soap.
Day 1 (For comparison)

 

There is a study going on at John Hopkins about this as we speak....They are doing MRIs of Jazz Musicians brains when they play. They had to invent an electric keyboard that would work in an MRI and head phones that would work in an MRI....
So far they have found out that when improvising Jazz Musicians do use a different part of their brain than for anything else.....But the Big thing they discovered was that.....There's a section of our brains that we use to keep from "screwing up"....and when Jazz musicians improvise they turn that part of their brains off....more so than anyone ever does....like shuting it down completely....It's almost dangerous....Ha ha...

So I'm gonna get this in writting from John Hopkins.....I now have a Scientific Reason and Licence to "Screw-Up"...........

 

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Monday's ​

Dove Men Face Wash
Tabac Shaving Soap
Jayaruh #27 Silver Tip
Gillette Super Adjustable
Astra Super Platinum
CWR, Asma Alum Block
Thayers Rose Petal WH
Aqua Velva AS​

The Tabac Shaving Soap face-lathered well with my Jayaruh #27 Silver Tip brush. Two passes with my Gillette Super Adjustable razor and an Astra Super Platinum blade gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse, alum block, and a final cold water rinse, I finished off with Thayers Rose Petal WH and then Aqua Velva after shave. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed... A month with one soap, one brush, one razor, and one blade has come to a successful end. I chose well and had a blast with the Tabac and my new Super Adjustable, and my Jayaruh #27 did not disappoint.

Thirtieth and final shave of No Variation NoVember.
​

 

The last daily shave with the Feather AC was a good one. Since that was the point of this focus, I would call it a success. I can't say I ever got a BBS this month, but I'm happy with consistent two pass DFS. This has been quite a learning experience and I am happy to finish the month with no scars or scabs. Thanks for the support and encouragement. I don't know that I could have finished the month without it. I actually grew to like this razor over the month and will keep it in my rotation.
SOTD
TOBS Grapefruit
Rubberset 400
Feather AC SS
Feather Professional (7)
Witch Hazel
Old Spice AS
Enjoy your week!

 

Whoa! A musician and a medical researcher!!!
You're making my head spin Mr B!!!

 

November 30, 2015

SOTD - No Variation NoVember
This month is perfect for me to learn skills with new-to-me equipment.

60 yo newbie’s intro to traditional shaving. (Week 29 AC*)

Razor: Mongoose B3
Blades: Feather Artist Club Professional (5)
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Manna
Brush: Omega 31025 Scarlatti Boar
AS: Changes at will. Today: Myrsol Plastic Shave



My mid-morning shave yesterday (Sunday) was so close that I decided that I would do a one-pass ATG shave this morning. Face-lather.

This was the last day of my month-long intro to the Mongoose - my first use of a non-vintage razor. Between a design totally different than what I was used to and the sharpest most unforgiving blade I’ve ever used - this month challenged and ultimately further developed my skills.

Simply, this combo is capable of incredibly close shaves that requires sharp focus at all times (for me). Whereas I can get away with a mental lapse now and then with other razors without needing a transfusion!

It will definitely find a place in my rotation, though with so many razors yet to try - getting to a set rotation may take awhile!

Why oh why did I wait sooooo long to dump my carts!

Cheers!
RT

*AC = After Carts

 

Thanks for the feedback on the brush. Thinking it might be my first boar brush.

 

What a great month of NOvember. Really got to know the Progress which was new to me mid October. Experimented with the lower settings but ended at setting 5 - getting nice comfortable shaves with the Astra SP. Who knows maybe I'll take it back down a few settings and see how it goes with GSBs. I think Santa is bringing me a Mergress. Should be fun comparing the two razors.
Great hanging out with you fine gentlemen for the month. Thanks for sharing your experiences with your gear. Learned a lot from you.