March '16 - 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix and Discussion Thread

Injector Focus.
I have an early flight tomorrow and have set up my Type D for a very early morning shave. I will post how it shaves later.

Sunday's Planned Shave
Route 66 Sweeney Todd
Rubberset 400
Schick Type D
Chick blade (1)
Alum
Thayer's Witch Hazel
Ogallala Bay Rum
Have a blessed Sunday!

 

This Rubberset thing...

Have a nice flight!

 

Thank you!

 

As soon as my late night company leaves I'll be shaving with Route 66 and the pain stick with a Kai ProTouch MG. I'm thinking of using my Semogue boar and Lime Sec to round out the shave. I'll let you know in the morning how it went.

 

Three days and I'm stocking up on popcorn! Although with your experience with straights this may be a bit less traumatic. I don't know, though. The difference in forgiveness levels from the straight to the stick could be interesting.

 

I am 73 shaves in the books, and the one thing about straights that still amazes me is how forgiving it became at about day 50ish. Just today I was working the jawline, felt the razor bite and backed off before the red started. With an injector blade disposable, not sure that will be an option! Fyi, I think he sent me the Pro Blades, well, probably because I deserve the most difficult/humbling shave possible. My plan is to spray my skin with Teflon, just kidding, wet lather, low angle, no crazy pressure, and most of all, patience. The goal is DFS+ on Day one, and if I bleed more than a stray weeper, it shall not be considered DFS.

 

Super Pros would be the ultimate humbling tool. Not sure if a teflon spray would help but perhaps some Pam cooking spray? One way to lay down a coat of pre-shave oil.

 

You think oil is the way? I haven't tried it in a while.

 

I have actually never had any luck with pre-shave oil. Seems like it always creates drag instead of slickness for me. Not sure what would cause that. Maybe just the natural oils in my skin are already too high or something. I prefer just to make sure the lather is nice and slick and stay with soaps that produce that kind of lather especially when using the pain stick or a straight. You'll notice I tend to rotate between just a few and usually use MWF or Tabac when using the stick. I chose Tabac this month because I wanted to use only one soap for all the blades and my Fat puck was about gone when I started. I've since gotten a new one but Tabac has done a fantastic job.

 

The blades I sent are the same ones @NCoxSTL used tonight. Kai, not mild but not pro level.

 

Stayed up to late after the gym, so shaved at 1 in the morning. Have to shave on Monday, so did one pass and some touch up. This is the last of the five razors I got cleaned up at Mathis Restorations. This one got new scales, a polish, and a hone. Scales are Mohagony, with brass wedge and hardware. One pass everywhere, and an XTG pass just on my chin. CCS plus, and no bite from the alum or Lustray. I could get used to that. I did notice tonight that I have a weird growth in the bottom of my B&M Seville soap. Has anyone seen that before?

 

Late night company??

 

SOTD
March 12, 2016
Prep: Hot Shower. Noxzema
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89lbl
Blade: Personna Lab Blue
Lather: Clubman Shaving Soap
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft Disruptor
Post: Thayers Rose Petal WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: Clubman
I used the EJDE89 yesterday and today, I believe this razor shaves as good as any I have or have owned. Could you imagine if EJ made this in Stainless Steel? The razor crazies would go nuts!! Clubman shaving soap is nice, Slick, moisturizing and easy to lather when using a smaller knotted brush slapped on some Clubman and I coughed. Boy was it nice.
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try

 

Injector Focus
The Schick Type D was all I hoped it would be in my very early morning shave. Two pass BBS with very little touch up.
"What do you mean 'Airplane mode', how will I communicate with my friends?" Gotta go, see you guys in about six hours

 

3/12/16

Gillette Birth Quarter Super Speed (Y3)
Feather Hi-Stainless (1)
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Mitchell's Wool Fat
Georgetown G12 Scuttle
Pinaud Clubman Original



First shave with a Feather in my Birth Quarter Super Speed. Not as efficient as I had hoped. My 2 passes were comfortable and provided great reduction. I could have stopped there with a near DFS. But I wanted to see if the Feather was capable of giving me a BBS in the Super Speed. I ended up working hard during my touch up and came very close. The Clubman stung a lot on my neck. The results? Back of the hand BBS? Yes. Dig in the finger tips and search BBS? No. So, I'm calling this a near BBS.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Lords' Day.

 

Had some friends over so we could have adult time after the kids went to bed. Ended up being around 4am when we all went to our respective beds.

 

Route 66 Black Pearl
Semogue 1438
CJB Painstick
Kai Captain Titan ProTouch MG (1)
Pinaud Lime Sec

I did a 2 pass N/S, S/N shave with the painstick and ended up with 1 weeper, no cuts or slices, a DFS on the neck and a BBS everywhere else. The Route 66 was amazing. Rich lather with hardly any work making it. I hardly loaded my brush either. I loved the smell of Black Pearl. I'll use it up then try the next scent probably Ghost Town. I still don't understand the fear and bloodletting but I'm sure I'll learn when I start working up though sharper blades. I like the feel of the handle and I'll loving that I can get a better angle on my neck due to the shorter blade. I was surprised at how easy it shaved. I almost feel bad not having anything exciting to say about the shave.

 

Pinaud Soap? Say it ain't so...

You're right about the 89! Somebody should make one in Stainless.

 

Razor: Gillette President Y 1, 1953
Blade: Wilkinson (7)
Brush: Simpsons CH1 Chubby Best Badger.
Soap: TSD 2x Iced Barber Shoppe (@Boojum1)
A/S: TSD Iced Barber Shoppe

 

After last night's painstick shave I think I will be setting the Evahs razor down and devoting an entire week worth of shaves to each blade in the tryablade artist club sampler. I started with the Kai guard blade and I will work up though the kai blades before I start on the feathers starting at the guard and working up to the super pro. I then have a blade marked Kamisori from Canada that I will try last. I'll be using the Route 66 samples until they are gone then I'll start working through my soap and cream samples. I plan on using the ones closest to running out first I'm hoping I can clean out my cabinet some since I want to try Martin De Candre and I need to at least look low on soap to justify its price to the missus.

In other news I think I have used enough samples to know what I like and start buying full size soaps and aftershaves. Soaps will include some Sterling, MWF and Route 66 to start with. I have a Tabac stick on the way that I will have to try at least once during my extended ''use stuff up'' focus. After the first impression it will get hidden away with the other full size soaps until all my samples are used up. I currently have 19 soap and cream samples, 2 and 2/2 pucks of Williams, 2 half full Proraso, 1 3/4 Arko stick, the incoming Tabac stick and a puck of VDH. I'll also be using sample sized aftershaves until they are gone. I currently have 11 small samples, 1.5oz Citrus musk, about 3oz of Clubman, a mostly full Axe Shield, a full Gillette Fusion Hydro Soothe, 1oz Humphrey's lilac WH, and a new Nivia Sensitve cooling ASB.

I'm very fond of the Pinaud line. I don't like Special Reserve but all the other scents work for me including the mighty Veg. The Axe is too thick feeling for normal use so I won't replace it. Floid amber is pretty good. If blue is better than I understand why @Darkbulb bought all of it. I'll also be making an effort to shave daily. I need to get out of my depressive funk from all my ex-wife/child custody problems/ unemployment. I think maintaining a clean cut image will help some. At least with the last 2.

I'll be going for nightly shaves with a full report the following morning. That will allow for a more accurate judge of shave quality. I'll have lists for both soaps and Aftershaves to be used shortly.

I guess its 2 focuses at once. A pain stick focus while my "use up the little stuff" focus is in progress.