DEC 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

I shave in bare feet, a deep cut my foot or toe I can live with but..... well I do wear shorts or have towel rapped around me.

 

The towel also keeps the unintentional splashes of Osage Rub to a minimum.

 

I shave tested my unmarked Straight today after my honing attempt.

Kiss My Face unscented
20mm WD synthetic
??? Straight
FatBoy GSB(1)
Alum
Pinaud Clubman

I decided to use the Kiss my face cream My fiance got at the store today. I have lathered KMF in a bowl before for her to use several times but I have never tried it myself. I made it the same way I do for her but I face lathered the last bit of water into it for an amazing smooth wet lather. I had been honing the last few days but I had never gotten my Arkansas stone where I wanted it to finish the razor so I set the bevel on a King 1k then worked on it a bit on the King 6k. I then went to the pasted strop for 50 laps CroOx and 50 Iron Oxide. I then did 100 laps rough side and 100 laps smooth side on the leather and set it in the bathroom for today. I wasn't hopeful so I also loaded up the FatBoy and set it in there too.

I had the cream perfect and coating my face, I picked up the straight, I set it to face and. . .

It wasn't bad. Better then it was but still not what I would call shave ready. I finished the first pass and could have quit with a CCS. I laid it down picked up the FatBoy and did an ATG pass to clean up to a DFS+ and called it a day. I checked myself with the Alum, not even a tingle, and splashed on some clubman for the finish.

It looks like I need a finer stone then the 6k so when I have some cash I'll be picking up an 8k and maybe a 10 or 12k. I impressed myself with what I got out of the 6k stone. It was just shy of shave ready. I'm sure the 300 laps on pasted and unpasted strops helped me.

I was very impressed with the Kiss My Face cream. I'll have to look into the different sccents since all we have at the house now is unscented and pomagranite. Not really my cup of tea. I feel the same way about these scents as I do the Mama Bears stargazer Lily. Just not for me although they are fine scents.

Tomorrow I'll try out the french faux frameback and see if I have improved the edge on it as well.

 

I would like to say that I shaved barechested in thick jeans barefoot. I lean into the sink when I shave to see better in the mirror so I have nearly zero risk of dropping the razor on the floor. in the sink maybe but on the floor would be hard. I would have to bounce it out of the sink to my left side for it to hit the floor and since the bathroom is small it has a greater chance of skipping onto the toilet and into the tub.

 

20 DEcember 2015

Shave Den Sunday!

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Just a quick two pass before an outing with Mrs. Samurai. Soap was Barber Shoppe, AS was 2x Iced Florida Type Splash. Alum was quiet and face was smooth! Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.
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Have a Sterling Monday!!
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I was truly impressed by Route 66!

 

Sage wisdom! We don't wanna get nuts with an SR!

 

12/21/2015
Razor – Gillette Super Speed (J4)
Blade – Feather (1)
Brush – Shavemac Silvertip D01
Lather – Soap Commander Passion
Post - Witch Hazel & Captain’s Choice Bay Rum



Back to my birth quarter SS for today's shave. The Shavemac Silvertip D01 is an acquired taste in brushes. It has more backbone than a well broken in boar and has more scritch than any brush I have tried. The DO1 whipped up the soap commander into a very good lather quickly. I went with a normal 3 pass shave, WTG, XTG, and ATG, with touch ups around my chin resulting in a near BBS shave with no irritation, nicks or weepers. Closeness A- and Irritation A+. Finished up with a splash of CC Bay Rum with menthol added. Hope everyone has a great Monday.

 

Clint, if you had to do it over again would you buy that Shavemac Silvertip D01? Knowing what you know now.
Its nice seeing flare tips getting so much love.
Nice picture..

 

SOTD
December 21, 2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Energizing Face Wash Boost
Razor: Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed 1959 E1
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
Lather: Knockout Shave Cotton
Brush: Oscar11 Root Beer/Black 28mm Silvertip
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: RazoRock Baby Blue
Goodness. I can't believe how much I'm enjoying the flare tip, when I think back to a year ago I couldn't get a decent shave from it. I'm glad I put this away and not just unloaded it. It's no wonder the flare tip was so popular. @KnockOut Shave Cotton really makes me feel good! Think clean fresh linens hanging on the clothesline. I bowl lathered this morning, man this Silvertip sure whipped up my lather like no tomorrow.
Never let the things you WANT
Make you forget the things you HAVE!

 

Neal,
Happy 1 year anniversary here at TSD! Thank you for making The Shave Den a better place.
I also would like to thank you for your generous donations to the Newbie Give-Away.
Kerry

 

Kerry, I bought it used at an exceptional price. In my opinion that's the best way to get the D01 as the used prices are great and so many people don't like them. My best friend Wade was thinking of ordering a Shavemac and thought he wanted a D01 2 band. The D01 2 band has even more backbone than mine. After trying my brush one time, he changed his mind and is going with the Silvertip 2 band. He couldn't believe, I could use the brush.

Having said that, yes I would buy it again but I like what the brush offers.

I do love the Flare Tip. I changed from the Merkur 34c to the Flare Tip about 45 days into my DE journey and used the Flare Tip daily for over 2 months before getting the New LC.

 

12/21/15

Gillette New LC
Rapira Super Stainless (1)
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Stirling Margaritas in the Arctic
Pinaud Clubman Original

Menthol Monday and back with the Stirling MITA. Still using the New LC loaded with the Rapira Super Stainless.
A small amount of warm water on the top of the soap to soften while I soaked my brush. Afterwards, I poured the little that was left into my scuttle. I squeezed out the brush and loaded it for about 45 seconds. This gave me tons of pre-lather. Built the lather in the scuttle adding just a little water from time to time as needed. After a bit I was rewarded with a ton of slick and creamy lather.


2 full passes: Pass 1 XTG. Very good reduction. Pass 2: ATG. Did small amount of touch up using the lather on my face. Then a cool water rinse and some areas needing more attention revealed themselves. A moderate amount of touch up in my trouble spots and the baby came home. The Pinaud Clubman stung a little, but settled down quickly. The brush still had enough lather for another two or three passes.


A nice comfortable BBS from the Stirling MITA and the Rapira Super Stainless in the New LC. The Stirling MITA lathered well but I should have added a little more water. The soap went on nice, but it thickened as I worked it on my face. I compensated by rinsing my razor more frequently.

I'm on vacation through the end of the year. I hope everyone has a great Monday and can take some time off for the holidays too.

 

I'm glad to hear you would buy it again. I'm waiting on a Do1 Silvertip now.

 

It will be right in line with what you like in a brush.

 

Pain Stick (Straight) Focus December 21:

Homemade PS Oil
Frank Shaving Pur-Tech Brush
Stirling Cool SS
Ralf Aust 5/8
Osage Rub
Stirling Unscented PSB -- Mentholated
Clubman AS

I had my best shave with a straight today. I would call it a CCS, buy didn't use anything to clean it up. On top of that, my son and middle daughter shaved with me so, it was a good time.

I increased the angle a bit, and the razor went right through the whiskers. I still need to remember to stretch my skin a bit, but overall it was a nice step in the right direction.

 

I typically shave with a straight at "two spine widths" angle. This seems to me to be 15-20 degrees. Due to the with of the spine on the pain stick, I was closer to 30 degrees. Just be sure to do lots of skin stretching.

 

This.

 

Tentative is a good word. Don't know why but something about the straight makes me more nervous than the pain stick. Probably just familiarity. Or lack thereof.