April 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix&Discussion Thread

Bring on MAYhem!!!


I am ready....

 

Ivan will be along to consult in a moment...

 

Ready for that as well....

 

Arko April in Russia

April 29

Razor - '59 Gillette Super Speed
Blade - (2)
Brush - Vie Long 12601 The Pony
Soap - Tabac
Post - Cold Water, Witch Hazel, The Veg

Day two on the GSB and another fine, fine shave. Two passes and another BBS and this blade will do that all day. People ask why I prefer Voskhod over this blade? Well, they're very similar, both Teflon, but Voskhod is made by Russians in a Russian owned plant and a Russian owned company. And they're much less expensive. Still, the GSB is a luxury that should be tried and enjoyed from time to time.

Tomorrow I'll be joining in the final shave with Arko, Derby and the Veg as we say goodbye to the best month of shaves I've had in, well, a very long time. MAYhem calls so nothing this good in the forseeable future....or is there? Stay tuned! Please stand by for an official announcement from Cartel headquarters. Coming soon. Very soon.

 

Nice Bunny Doug!

 

Thanks Chris.

 

Ivan says.........The MAYhem thread is NOW AVAILABLE HERE!!! Or you can just copy and paste if you prefer.

http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/may-2015-30-day-rule-focus-discussion-and-shenanigans.51110/

 

Congrats on the new CT !

CB Mile High Menthol- one of my faves!

 

Thank you!

 

April 2016 - 30 Day Focus - Recap
A month with my Schick Type F.



I had searched out this razor for months after I had discovered how great injector shaves could be for me. Unlike other Schick / EverSharp injectors, the manufacturing of this type lasted only one year. So it’s considerably more rare than most any other injector just for that reason. Paired with a reputation for providing wonderful shaves, it made my commitment to No Buy ’16 easily tossed to the side when I found this one available.

My three weeks with the F were so very successful that I was able to vault it to the top of my injector faves without hesitation, nor the need to assess it for the full month. The first few weeks of shaves with various blades let me know immediately that the purchase was worth every penny, but the last week with a Feather blade surpassed my expectations.

Along with very pleasing aesthetics, looking so unlike any other injector, the quality of the shave was at the top of each of the qualifying criteria. Smoothness, handling and efficiency all scored high - and with any blade - though it floated to a heady peak when paired with a Feather AC Pro. Other razors have scored high but not in every category, nor with every blade.

At some point later this year, I’ll regret all the time that has gone by since I last shaved with the F, but alas, the fun continues as I must move on to other razors.

Needing only three weeks to assess the F, I was able to use this last week for a very quick assessment of the Schick G4.



Reputed to be one of the more aggressive injectors, I used three different blades in the G4 that also performed very well. Once again the modified Feather rose to the top of the list. Four shaves with this razor (two of which with the Feather) left me very perplexed…

Will I ever get a bad shave with an injector? and…

How will I possibly be able to rank them all, with as many great shaves that I get from each one?

Tough problems to have!!!


Bonus Soap Review - Route 66



Though I started out the month as part of the Arko Alliance on this thread, I received my first order of Route 66 soaps and samples during the last couple of weeks. So I spent the rest of the month sampling them.

When I first left cartridge razors and moved to this type of shaving, I thought it was all about razors and blades. But I soon recognized that the wonderful ‘face feel’ we get during and after shaves, does not just come from razors and blades alone, but to varying degrees from the “software” products we use with them.

As soon as I realized that part of it, I contracted a wee bit of the SAD. I then indulged in various premium soaps and creams and began my stroll down another rabbit hole.

Traipsing along that path, I ran into one smiling Cheshire Cat - @Douglas Carey - who provided me with a very generous PIF of Bourbon Jungle soap from Route 66.

A winner!
It was so good, I went right out (violating No Buy 2016, yet again!) and ordered another full-size container (The Black Pearl) and various samples - (Perfect Gent, Sea and Citrus, Sweeney Todd and Barbershop Hop).

Scent
The scents are as pleasing as most any soap I’ve used and very close to my favorites from Saponificio Varesino. I’m normally a soft scent guy and as luck would have it, I managed to get exactly that out of all five soaps I ordered! The nuance and complexity of each one make each of them unique and discernible from each other. Now this may seem odd, but as subtle as they are, they seem to last into the day almost as long as their more bold kin, such as the Bourbon Jungle - whose scent, oddly enough, I’m finding intoxicating as well. (No pun intended - Ha!)

Lather
They all receive top marks for lather, cushion and glide. Face lathering with my favorite boars produced the immediate feeling of an imminent lather boom, followed by that wonderful moment when you realize you’ve nailed the soap/water equation as the lather goes from a drier soap consistency to full-on whipped cream lather goodness.

The great shaves I’ve had this month with my Schick Type F and very sharp Feather blades, must give some credit to the lather. The stellar glide was so good that I was zipping around my face like a teenager in his first sports car. (I wonder whatever happened to my Triumph Spitfire?) But that glide zippiness did tend to contribute to trouble now and again - which one should avoid when using ultra sharp blades!

Face-feel
Compares very closely with my premium soaps. During a shave, I worry about the last few strokes of each pass and their potential to be dryer than the first strokes of the pass. Once the soap/water equation is dialed in - this is not a concern.

Most refreshing is the length of time that the moisturized face-feel lasts after the shave. The clean, moist, non-greasy, fresh face feeling lasts for hours, nearly through the workday and that includes a few face washes during the day.

All in all, a fabulous soap formula that most should be able to afford even on a tight shaving budget.

Cheers!
RT

 

Excellent post and review of an amazing shave soap, "Route 66".
I still don't know much about Schick razors although I have enjoyed the shaves I have been getting with the Bunny V3. I'll have to look for a few Schick razors to purchase. This is usually not a good thing for me. Starting a new collection that is.

 

That is one beautiful picture @Boojum1 Stunning combination of tools.

 

Vince a great wrap up for the month and a truly well written review of Route 66 soap.

 

04/30/2016
Gem 1912 Damaskeene
GEM PTFE (8)
Elite Razor “Tres Amigos” Ironwood Beehive with Envy White
TSD Yin Yang
Witch Hazel
Fine L’Orange
Whipped Shea Butter

​

Another monthly focus that seemed to go very quickly. Finishing up with the Gem for a nice relaxing Saturday morning shave was a pleasure. I will continue with the Gem for weekend shaves until the blade gives up. The Amigo brush made short order of the TSD Yin Yang soap. I enjoy the lime and lavender scent along with the performance of the soap. Tomorrow will probably be the final hurrah for this soap. Since it is Saturday and I had the time, I went with a traditional 3 pass shave. Paying particular attention to the trouble spots, I almost nailed the my first BBS shave with a Gem. But my mustache area prevented that from happening. The shape of the razor head gives me fits in that area. Today was better than most but not quite there yet. Finished with a splash of Fine L'Orange. Off to get some new tires installed on the motorcycle. Hope everyone has a great Saturday.

 

April 2016 Focus Wrap Up.

​

I set out this month to improve my confidence with the Cobra Classic to the degree that it could be moved into my normal work morning rotation. While the CC looks cool, I find the handle hard to hold onto in general and in particular for the ATG pass. I decided to buy some Alum and use it on my fingers to improve my grip. Thanks SR guys for the tips on using Alum during the shave. This proved to be the turning point for me and the Cobra Classic. I quickly gained confidence and enjoyed using the razor. I decided to add the AlumiGoose to the mix mid month. The CC is certainly the more aggressive razor and bites harder. However, the AlumiGoose V1 is so very close in terms of efficiency.

My other take away for the month came during the trip to Tuscaloosa for my daughter's Honor's Ceremony. I had picked up a Feather MR3 Neo Cartridge razor as an add on to an Amazon order to reach the free shipping limit. I had hopes that this would be my razor to take along on motorcycle trips. This little razor is great. The 3 blades do clog up some so I will give the 2 blade option a try at some point. Otherwise, I am pleased and have found a great razor for bike trips. I also managed to finish off the MW Orange Vanilla shave stick.

Overall I am pleased with the month of April and my progress and I look forward to May.

 

4/30/16

Gillette New LC
Rapira Super Stainless (3)
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Proraso sandalwood cream
Georgetown G12 Scuttle
Pinaud Clubman Original



A wonderful shave from New LC loaded with the Rapira Super Stainless. The Proraso sandalwood cream provided a comfortable and slick cushion.
Pass 1: North to South, pass 2: I only lathered the jawline and neck for a wings to center pass. Did a cool water rinse, then lathered the neck again to touch up the center of my neck (S-N) and my trouble spots. A warm water rinse followed by some targeted touch up of the trouble spots on my neck and along the tendons. The Clubman stung a medium amount, but settled down nicely. A very comfortable and clean shave. An hour and a half later and it’s BBS except for a spot I missed.

My goal this month has been to reconnect with a comfortable shave. In March I had tried so hard for BBS each day that sometimes it just wasn't comfortable. So I decided to go back to the razors, blades, and soap combinations that worked well and provided the most enjoyable shaves. I still tried for a BBS, but I was more willing to step away if I felt that things were starting to get uncomfortable.
I ended up using 4 razors: The New LC, my Birth Quarter Tech and BQ Super speed, and the Super Speed flair tip. I limited myself to 3 blades: Rapira Super Stainless, Gillette Silver Blue, and Astra Superior Platinum. I started off using Mitchel’s Wool Fat, but after a week, I went to the Proraso sandalwood cream and stayed with it for the rest of the month.

I’ve had a lot of wonderful shaves this month and I'm happy I chose this focus. It has been a while since I posted and I've missed a lot of what's been said. Life has become incredibly busy for me and I just haven't been able to keep up. I'm grateful to Chris @Bama Samurai for continuing his tradition. These focus / rule threads are really helpful and a lot of fun.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and a great May!

 

It's Derby day! Sort of...

 

I will be back later with my SOTD - Arko, Derby blade, Tech head, and the VEG!

April focus recap - I decided to spend April going through various Russian blades that I had, some being new to me and others repeats. It was an interesting comparison. I found all of the blades to be acceptable. Some were better than others for me (as YMMV always applies). I mainly used a Maggard V2 open comb head with a Maggard MR1 handle. I was out of town a little bit and used a 1964 travel Tech on a few occasions.

The blades I used, in order of preference for me:

Gillette Platinum (gray and black box now sold widely in supermarkets and drug stores)
Polsilver Super Iridium
Astra Superior Platinum
Astra Superior Stainless
Voshkod
Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow

I am willing to give the Gillette Yellows and Voshkods another try in a different razor. The Gillette felt harsh to me. I got several weepers with it. The Voshkod was okay on the second day but the first day felt tuggy and uncomfortable. I know that may be blasphemy around here! Just don't tell Putin, please. I don't want to be on any lists!

It was a fun month! I didn't get to Rapira so I might do a similar focus again down the line and perhaps use only Rapira blades. But we'll see.

Thank you to Chris @Bama Samurai for continuing devotion and leadership to this thread and I look forward to Neal's @NCoxSTL guidance and shenanigans for May and beyond.

 

I'll be happy to start you down that rabbit hole. PM me your address.

 

Soap Focus
SOTD
Mickey Lee Soapworks Drunken Goat
Omega boar brush
Cooper MonoBilt
Feather blade
Alum
Thayers Witch Hazel
Ogallala Bay Rum AS
Have a great weekend!