January 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic&Discussion Thread

January 11, 2016

A January 30-day focus with my Schick Type C1.
My goal:
- Due to it’s compact design, build technique to use it exclusively as my travel razor
- Determine the best blade for my use with it. (I will test 5 different blades for 4-5 shaves each.

Razor: Schick Type C1
Blade: NOS Schick (Holland) (3) (Thanks to @Hodge )

Three shaves with the Dutch Schick and I think I'm gaining positive experience with this blade. It is very sharp. Using the advice of our resident injector blade expert @Billyfergie (use a "feather like touch" and "that extra bit of focus") I'm getting really close shaves, while having reduced weepers. Only need to work on the usual trouble areas (chin and corners of mouth) and this is one fine blade.

Cheers!
RT

 

Geese like to fly. And it's snowing so good goose weathet.

 

January Focus - Our Old Friend The Gillette Tech

Started the month with a '57 ball end Tech and used both an Astra SP and a Gillette 7 O'clock Blue. The shaves were OK, but nothing exciting. Now I've been using my gold Fat Handle with the same blades and I think I'm getting the hand of these mild razors. I've really paid attention to a shallow angle and a light touch. Most of my face is very close, but I'm still struggling a bit with my chin. Things will get better. Feathers are coming.

 

Ah, you're a nature-lover! Totally missed that.
Spoiled Goose won't want to come back to rainy Seattle!

 

Jan 11, Day 10

Mongoose
Feather Super Pro (1)
New Forest
Proraso

First day back with the Mongoose after a week with the Pils and it was a drastic departure from the mild DE. The Mongoose loaded with the ultra sharp Feather is close to a straight razor shave imo. I nicked myself twice early into my first pass and had to go slow with a very light hand the rest of the way.
My plan is to work with the Mongoose and see how many shaves I can get from this new blade.

 

Thanks Tom! A sharper blade made all the difference for me in the DOC. While I liked the Lord Platinum Class and got BBS shaves from them in my Tech and Super Speed Flair tip, I wasn't able to get a BBS from it in the DOC. At least, so far. But I'm happy to report that since moving to the GSB, I've had 7 BBS shaves in a row. Of course, that probably means Tuesday's shave won't be.

 

I always thought shaving with a wood chisel was a bad idea. Leave that to the Russians. Get better soon.

 

30 Day Focus - Hard Soap
I was starting a business trip today so I fit in another day with one of my favorite setups this month. I get a fabulous two pass shave today with no touchup needed. The Route 66 soap lathers easily and lubricates well. I'm sold on this stuff.
Today I packed my on the road kit with Arko for tomorrow's shave. We will see if I still like it as much as I used to since I have a top quality soap to compare it to.
SOTD
Route 66 Sweeney Todd
Rubberset 400
Mulcuto Slant
Bic Chrome Platinum (4)
Alum
Nancy Boy AS Balm
Pitrulon Classic AS
Have a great week!

 

Just finished watching. All is right in the football universe. ☺

And I am good, it doesn't hurt, just gonna be annoying for a week or so.

 

Thanks Keith, I am hoping they're right!

 

Actually I am just "Ivan" enough to attempt an SR shave with my off hand splinted. No additional blood was shed, and a good time was had by all.

 

Thanks Mark, apparently it's a yearly thing. I am good now. ☺

 

ok shave report.

Unmarked 6/8 straight
Proraso White
Semogue boar
Axe Shield
Gillette Fusion Cooling aftershave balm

First thing I had to find a small bowl because I had soap samples in all of the ones I had in the bathroom since I've been rotating my samples trying to clear out some room for later. I currently have 21 soaps and creams and all but 4 are sample size. Of those 4 I have made samples out of them so I have maybe half containers of them. And then I have an emergency stash of an Arko stick and 3 pucks worth of Williams. I don't count those since I have a partial arko stick in the rotation and Williams is Williams.

I found a clean deli cup and used it for my water cup that I soak my brush in and dip into to while I'm building my lather.

I had forgotten how effortless Proraso lathered and how fast it loaded up with the stiffer boar brush. My first and second passes resulted in lather dropping in clumps off of the brush and my face. I made a mess and it was fun. Great mild slick lather that reminded me to use proraso more often. I had a 3 or 4 day growth and cold dry weather so I knew my face wouldn't be forgiving to any nonsense. I did a full pass N/S rinsed, checked reduction with wet hands, found that I was most of the way to a CCS and relathered. After I dried my hands I picked up the razor and did a S/N pass on my neck and cheeks and an ears to middle pass on my goatee area. Wet face and hands and check for reduction again. Very good BBS on the cheeks but I needed an extra pass everywhere else. Since my face was very dry I did a WTG N/S on the goatee area with minor buffing and a tad more blade angle and very slight pressure to avoid irritation and nicks from ATG and an odd ears to center of the bottom of my neck pass with minor scything action on my neck. I was trying for a pass between XTG witch on my is N/S and ATG which is sides to center. I couldn't see at all on the right side because of the razor the scales and my Arm and hand so I missed a DFS by some extra stubble on that side of my neck. I am a one handed shaver and that was an odd pass I made trying to avoid some irritation while my face was so dry from the weather. It's a very fine shave for as much growth as I had. Minor irritation on the right corner of my mouth and 2 weepers, on at the bottom of my Adams apples and one high up on my right cheek. Axe Shield while my face was still wet from the warm water rinse then cleanup to let it soak in. I then patted off the extra and applied the Gillette balm. It is an alcohol balm but I couldn't tell because even with weepers and some redness I had no burn. It was a good shave but because of the right side of my neck I'm going to call it a CCS ++. BBS on the cheeks and really good everywhere else. I'll ha e to experiment with different grips to see if I can see better on the right neck so I can do better on the tricky days like today.

Have a good night and a pleasant morning.

 

I know how injuries like that are. Good thing it was a sharp chisel or it would have hurt more and been harder to close. My broken toe is alot like that doesnt really hurt until its touched and im able to walk with it fairly comfortable but its annoying to have it taped to the one next to it with the splint. Hope you heal fast, goodluck.

 

SOTD January 11, 2016
Focus Day 3

Prep: Stirling pre shave face wash
Razor: Wade and Butcher 5/8 hallow
Brush: omega 48 synthetic
Lather: Simpsons luxurious shave cream vanilla and something (it's a technical term)
Post: cold water splash, alum, TSD post shave milk

Epic shave tonight. Not sure if it's my better honing skills or the Wade and Butcher is such a fine shaver. 2 passes with the straight; N/S and E/W. And ATG with merkur progress number 3 setting, 7pm Gillett blade. The order of Simpsons came in from shoebox shave. Great deal - 7 dollars a can baby. Love this cream. So easy to work with.

 

Heal fast friend and get back to the straight life

 

That's a beautiful razor. Simple lines, very elegant.

 

Is it some kind of obligation to hurt one of your hands each year? But I'm glad you are doing okay. And it's very interesting to read about your straight shaving journey.

 

I am not sure what's happened actually, but it's two years in a row.

Thanks Eric! Turns out I used SR today! Streak intact!

 

Which Simpson's soap is the early favorite?