SoS: February 1, 2016 - February 7, 2016

Congratulations!!

 

TGIF Planned SOTD



Razor: Gillette Rocket HD 500
Blade: Gillette 7 O’CLOCK Blue (D02)
Brush: Simpson Chubby 2 Synthetic
Bowl: Beaver WoodWright 4.5"
Pre Shave Scrub: MRGLO
Pre Shave Oil: Homemade Rosemary Mint
Shave Soap: Ginger's Garden Brown Windsor
Post: Monster Alum Block
Aftershave: Extro Cologne Italiana
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Gorgeous setup Guy. What a pristine rocket!

 

Thank you all for the congrats!!!

 

Thanks Roby!

 

Filarmonica Friday

I'm going to use this sample once again before finalizing my review...stay tuned.

Have a safe weekend gents.

 

Planned Friday

Schick type A
Schick blade (5)
Doug Korn brush
Tiki Kon Tiki shaving soap
D.R. Harris Marlborough aftershave
Ceruti 1881 edt

 

SOTD February 5, 2016

Prep: Warm shower
Blade: Rapira platinum lux (5)
Razor: Maggard MR1
Brush: Badger
Lather: TSD Shave Stick unscented
Post: Witch hazel splash spritzed with Fine American Blend, Nivea sensitive balm
WTG, touch-up

Nice shave this morning. This was the first use of a shave stick of any type and I have to say it was pretty cool! I needed a touch more water on my face before applying the stick and the brush probably could've used a little more water. It lathered pretty pasty and I dipped the tips of the brush and kept lathering. That helped but the lather dried on my neck a little before I got there with the razor. I'll get it dialed in with a little experimentation.

I tried the shave stick this morning because I'll be going on a weekend trip and wanted to see if it was feasible to take with me. The answer is yes! I'm taking a synthetic brush along as well (since they dry out quicker).

After a cold water rinse I spritzed some Fine American Blend into my palm with a pour of witch hazel and splashed it on. Then I finished with Nivea balm.

Nice CCS results on a TGIF. Hope you all have a great day!

 

I still haven't pulled the trigger on Ceruti 1881 and Roby likes it, so can you provide me your feedback Roger with 1881 edt?

 

February Focus - German blades

February 4

Razor - Merkur 23c
Blade - (1)
Brush - Vie-Long 12601 - The Pony
Soap - Proraso Green
Post - Cold rinse, Alum, Nivea, The Veg

After three really fantastic shaves with the Timor blade it's time to move to the next German in line. It's the Elios Inoxidable, or Inox blade, from Nouva Lama Bolzano Srl . Inox is simply short for inoxidable which indicates the blade is stainless steel. For the scientific minded or just those who need another useless bit of information in their brains, an inox, or stainless, blade is one with a minimum of 10.5% chromium content by mass. This give it the ability to resist corrosion and rusting unlike a carbon steel blade. Feel free to never memorize that or remember it at all.

I chose the pony today along with Proraso green in the tub. I don't recall using these two together before and I was able to get a really great lather. Proraso is a great lathering soap to begin with so I doubt the brush choice can mess it up too badly. And, today they worked together perfectly for a great lather. Loaded up the Elios in the Merkur 23c and was ready to go. My first impression on the first pass was nearly as good as the Timor. Very smooth, not as sharp, though. No drag to speak of but the feel was just enough different to notice the slightly less sharp blade. And the first pass result showed the difference as well. Clearly not quite as much reduction as the past three days on the first pass. Lathered up for the XTG second pass and went at it again and still very smooth, but on the neck, right side, two nicks appeared. My angle was good, used the same pressure as with the Timor, just ended up with two spots of blood. Rinsed and went for a complete third pass, ATG and Gillette Slide on the neck (German slide I suppose with this setup) and managed to get a nice DFS. So, not bad on the result. Two nicks were not what I was hoping for though. Nor was the bite of the alum. A bit warm today after that last pass.

So, not the same level as Timor on day one. The question is, will it smooth out on day two a bit or go the other way? We'll know tomorrow. In the meantime I can't say it's a bad shave, but not the best either. Out of five steins I have to deduct a half for requiring three full passes to DFS, and a full one for the two nicks. So, today's rating is a 3 1/2.

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Planned Shave for Friday(and perhaps a few days beyond)
Pre-Dove Care + 4 Men(in shower)
Shave-Barbasol Regular
Razor-a fresh Gillette Sensor 2 Pivot + DisposeABLE
A.S.-Clubman Country Club

It appears there will be continuous cold weather settling in for a week or so....that makes it a Clubman Nation for me. I may sneak in an occasional change during this cold period, but I love the warmth Clubman provides(not to mention the old-school barbershop fragrance).

 

What a wonderful feeling to be home with your wife and new daughter.

 

Day 35 - 90 Day Intro to SR

SOTD - 4 February 2016



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

Day 35...Things are finally starting to come together. The strop felt natural for the first time, and the WD was smooth and ready to play ball. Standard baseball pattern again. WTG was a breeze. I tried a couple of new neck stretches and grip for pass two (hybrid) and it worked! I got to DFS on two, and touched up the chin and mustache for a near BBS. After 35 days, I feel like I am no longer struggling to shave with a straight. Now, it's all about perfecting the technique and routine. Only one more day until the weekend. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a Fabulous Friday!
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Im not great at describing scents but can say it is something I can see me using often. Its got great staying power as Ive been wearing it all evening and keep getting pleasant wiffs of it. Im a fan of fougure, vetiver and woodsy scents and this reminds me of these mostly. For the price Guy, you cant go too wrong.

 

Thanks for the feedback Rodger!

 

Hello, here's tonight's SOTD;

Pendragon/Old Type 102A.
Shark Super Chrome blade.
Chinese Badger brush.
King Louis Lavender shaving soap.
Nivea post shave balm.
King Louis Lavender as splash.
Avon Mesmerize cologne.



Have a great Friday everyone!!!

 

SOTD
Pre - Hot towel bask
Razor - restored Wade & Butcher
Strop - Homemade
Soap - Dr. Jon's Gold Label
Brush - Ever-Ready "79" with 20mm Finest Badger
Post - Cold water rinse


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Razor: Gillette SuperSpeed Black Handle
Blade: Rapira (1)
Soap: Proraso Green Tea & Oat
Brush: Isana Men Synthetic
AS: Barbasol Pacific Rush