January 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic&Discussion Thread

I've decided what my February and March foci will be. February will be an attempt to use one Persona blue blade for the entire month of face shaves only. March will be a blade trial. I may be putting a call out to trade for some blades so I can give a fair trial. I'll start a thread for a potential trade sometime in the next few days.

 

I am getting 3 head shaves per blade I only really do my neck so I don't count the face really. I tried changing my angle and it hasn't gone well. The most sting from the alum I've had since the beginning. I think my original angle was ok. I suppose my head counts as 2 face shaves area wise and the hair is very coarse. Also I'm still not happy with my technique using the 1924 I will be extending the focus on it by two weeks.

 

I have many DE labels laying about my stash, if there's anything you are looking for, please list it. If I have any of them, I will send them to Pueblo in the name of science!

 

I've actually not done SE shaves other than Schick injector. My comments were just an observation of my own learning curve. It seems to me you must be right, those SE blades would tear up some skin if applied at a poor angle.

 

They do, this has been a painful focus. I figure if I stick with it I need not fear any razor or blade in the future, even a straight honed on a bench grinder.

 

I would fear a straight honed with a bench grinder. I think I may have one or two of those.

 

That's what I was telling you earlier. If you fully master the 1924, SR won't be too hard to learn.

 

@Drygulch @Holy Rollah @Keithmax

I've been stropping on the hanging strop for a while with the WD. Much smoother! I've been learning on it. 20-25 on the poly web, 40-50 on the leather. What effect is neatsfoot oil going to have on the strop?

 

28 January 2016

Planned Day 28 - 90 Day Intro to SR



Whipped Dog "Sight Unseen" 5/8
L'Occitane Plisson Synthetic
Route 66 - Lumberjack
Alum
TSD ISZ AS under Clubman



Have a nice evening!
​

 

Good shave today. Went back to the beginning for the honing, and got this razor cutting better, while not quite as refined as I would like. I apologize to those reading the thread that my focus on finishers has turned into a honing focus. (Again.) That’s kind of been my stuck point for a while with my straights. This time rather than focusing on the finisher, I focused on getting the bevel set correctly, and didn’t do half the polishing with finer stones I have been doing. And I got a better shave than my last four. Makes sense, if you don’t set the foundation right all the other pieces won’t make it better.

Good news is that as of now, all razors I have used this month have not only been Vintage and American Made, they have also all had edges created by me. I’m proud of that.

 

I haven't been able to make out the stamp on the tang of this razor. Who is the maker?

Neatsfoot Oil will increase the draw of the strop, sometimes drastically. If you rub your hand across the leather a few times a week, you will transfer enough oil that you shouldn't need to use Neatsfoot Oil. I only oil strops when they are dry from not being used, or if I want to increase the draw.

 

How's that Stephan Island Lime? Can it be used as an aftershave as well? I had their Bay Rum, and liked it.

 

January 28

Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed (Z3)
Feather (3)
Kent BK8 silvertip badger
Arko
Alum, Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Floid Vigoroso

I had a very nice two-pass shave this morning. I rubbed the Arko puck on my face, and the Kent brush whipped up some nice creamy lather with ease. I don't find the Arko to be drying, as some do, because I always finish with unrefined shea butter. My first pass is WTG on my face and ATG on my neck. My second pass is ATG on my face and XTG on my neck. I think I've landed on the best way for me to achieve a daily near BBS shave in two passes. I resist the temptation to touch up or chase excessively, and my skin appreciates it. I have enjoyed getting to know my Super Speed. I'll give it three more days, and then I move on to my trusty Weber PH. I'm curious if the same approach with the Weber will yield the same or better results.

We enjoyed 50 degrees and beautiful sunshine today. We look forward to a few more days of warm weather. I enjoyed the company of some fine folks at work, and I came home to a nice meal prepared by my beautiful Bride. I hope you all had a glorious day like I did.

 

SOTD January 29, 2016
Focus day 26

Prep: Warm shower
Blade: Personna med prep (1)
Razor: Wet Shave Club 3-piece
Brush: Badger
Lather: Country Club for Men Cahaba Blues
Post: Witch hazel splash, Nivea sensitive balm
WTG, XTG (neck and jaw only)

TGIF!! Nice CCS results this morning. A few observations:

Blade - This was my first shave with the Personna med prep. It felt pretty sharp! I was using Astra SP all week previous to today and the Personna felt a tad sharper than the Astra. Perhaps it was only placebo effect. But I liked this blade today.

Brush - Today was an Escali badger brush - inexpensive and ubiquitous. I had not used it in the past couple of weeks and felt that a good many hairs came out in just today's shave. That was disappointing. It's not appetizing to look in your soap container and see all those errant hairs stuck in the lather. I tried to fish some out but couldn't get all of them. Oh well. I may have to retire this brush soon.

Lather - Country Club Cahaba Blues is a terrific soap! It's made only about 15 minutes from where I live. I whipped up some dense, thick, rich, yogurty lather in less than 20 seconds of brush loading. It's really good stuff. Face lathering was a cinch. I have not tried any of their other scents or varieties but will conclude that Cahaba Blues is great.

Technique - My skills have vastly improved throughout this month. I am getting irritation-free shaves on a consistent basis and haven't had a nick or weeper in the past week. The discipline to commit to a one pass with touch-up approach has worked well for me. I'm eager to continue improving and exploring soaps and perhaps a personalized witch hazel concoction for post shave.

This was a good way to start off Friday. I hope you all have a great day!

 

I like this aftershave quite a bit. It's cheap, smells good, is cheap, has a really good skin feel, and is cheap. I want to try thier lilac smell. If it works like this and skips the cat piss smell the Veg has it should be great.

 

I'd just like to say I've enjoyed this 30-day thread this month. I am new to DE shaving and I feel the focus I came up really helped me work out some technique and continue on the path of good shaves. Plus the banter and camaraderie is fun to read and witness.

Now, next month.....I've already chimed in on this a few pages back. Right now my plan is to use my Maggard razor with both closed and open combs doing a comb comparison. Here's is what I'm thinking:

Mondays - Menthol Monday using Proraso Green.
Tuesday-Thursday - Use the same soap and same brush each of these three days to continue honing in on lather development.
Friday-Sunday - Wild card days; switch up soaps and brushes.
I'll use the Maggard MR1 handle with the closed comb head for the first half of February and then use the open comb the second half.

**I reserve the right to occasionally break focus and try other razors, mainly a new-to-me Schick Injector or a new-to-me Gillette vintage travel razor.

****I also reserve the right to totally change my mind if a better set of focus goals comes to me!

Thank you guys for a good month. I know we have a few days left but you must always think ahead.

 

Friday, January 29, 2016

Pre: Hot Shower, Sterling Pre-Shave Soap, Proraso Green Pre-Shave
Soap: Mike’s Natural Barbershop
Brush: Simpson Chubby 2 Synthetic
Razor: The One Blade
Blade: Gem Super Stainless #5
Post: Alum, Witch Hazel +Menthol, Whipped Shea Butter, CF Ghost Town Barber

Today's shave was BBS in two passes +clean up. The 5th shave on this GEM blade was very smooth. The One Blade continues to impress me. Using short strokes, buffing and added pressure to my trouble spots I was able to get a very close and smooth shave, with zero burn from the alum. Finished with a generous splash of Chiseled Face Ghost town Barber. TGIF! Have a fabulous Friday folks.

 

Jan 29 Focus Shave 21

Since it is almost the end of the month I wanted to try my new Feather DX with a Feather Pro blade and see the difference between a machined prepared edge and my hand prepared straights razor edges. This is also a good chance to see how my technique has improved since the shavettes are unforgiving.

While shaving I used a very light touch and while shaving the edge felt smooth and very sharp. On the second pass while it felt smooth while shaving right after I could feel there was some irritation. I completed the three passes and just splashing the water I could feel some burn. To have a fair test and in the name of science I decided to go ahead with a fourth pass so it's the same as my usual SR shaves.

With each pass I picked up a weeper even though I never felt it. This razor does not give any warning nor feedback like a SR. Despite the four weepers I did finish with a very good BBS. I applied the alum and as expected it burned.

Irritation C Closeness A Smoothness A? Keenness A+

Castle Forbes Cedarwood
Simpson Tulip 3 super badger
Woodhead scuttle
Feather DX, Feather Pro blade
No strop
Lucky Tiger AS
Speick ASB
Knize 10

 

I am impressed. I have not shaved with a razor where I set the bevel. I bought a cheap razor to try learn how to set a bevel.

 

I thought the one blade only used spineless DE blades like the feather. Are you removing the spine?