August 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

One of my new razors so it is competing for a spot in the den. It is a Theirs Issard 69 frame back.

It came shave ready and it is shave ready. The blade felt smooth and sharp but short of A level sharp. I did 4 passes and just a tickle from the alum and BBS. I also picked up a J West frame back so I will decide one and sell the other. The TI represented France well today.

Irritation A Closeness A Smoothness A Sharpness A-

 

Awesome Adjustable Arko August!!!!

August 6

Grand Blade Trial


Razor - 1962 (H1) Gillette Slim (9)
Blade - (3)
Soap - Arko
Brush - Wolf Whiskers Custom Silvertip
Post - Alum, Nivea, The Veg

Sorry for my extended silence today. Up and at 'em this morning, got my shave on, headed to work and figured I'd post from there as I've started doing more. Well, I have a new Assistant Manager. I hand picked him from the available candidates. Started by getting him settled in, then the customers started. I got home about an hour ago finally. Can you say fantastic busy day? It's tax-free weekend in the St. Louis area before school so shoppers are frenzied.

Final shave for the Gillette Stainless which has performed amazingly well through two shaves. Today it's wide open on the Slim and I was hoping for that amazing feeling and result. Unfortunately, I think the sharpness of the blade is overkill on this aggressive of a razor. If you don't ride the cap on the high setting you end up with what I got. Irritation, and three weepers and two nicks that required alum to close up. Once I got on the cap and stayed there I got a good result. Near DFS but the alum was nice and hot today and with the extra blood, not a great shave. This is a blade that appears made for mild to medium aggression. Too much and it loses its charm!

Tomorrow is my free day so I'll figure out what I'll use in the morning. Hope you're all having a great weekend. From the slower pace on here I'd say lots of good times outdoors or in front of the tube with the Olympics. School starts around here as early as next week so if that's coming up for your kids....or you......enjoy the last days of freedom!!!

 

AAA
(Off day)​

Just ran out of time. Some days are like that. Final SDS tomorrow, join in if you can!
Other than the fact that it's been anything but quiet, at least right now...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a super Sunday!




​

 

...on GSB and the FB...

Similar conclusion with similar blades and geometry, blade is a bit sharp for nine. If I don't give SR attention and get way up on the cap, it scrapes me. And if you need help training your new AM, Kyoto can help. And FWIW, we don't do that Tony Robbins sunshine. We just evaluate results. And offer "life coaching." As always, we're at your service, Cartel for life.

 

Adjustable August update this afternoon was my second shave of the month.

Gillette fat boy set on 7
Blade Gillette 7 o'clock yellow (3)
Brush omega barber chrome
Soap mama bears fall scent label worn off
After shave clubman

This was a 2 pass shave wtg xtg over all DFS

I've had my fat boy for 8 years or so when I got it I set it on 5 and never changed it, it wasn't recently that I wondered what the other settings were for so I am working my way from 5 to 9 and then from 5 to 1. Right now I am on 7

 

Did you find yourself adjusting the grip angle, or any increased irritation? I am using a FB also this month, the get pretty aggressive at the top end of the dial.

 

Straight Razor Focus
I forgot to post this morning about today's shave with the spike point I honed. I am glad I muted the point. I managed to get a two pass DFS with this razor without blood. I am thrilled that my hone jobs worked and will shave with these three razors this week. Good night.

 

Nobody needs Tony Robbins sunshine. Wimps.

 

August Focus Day 7:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
TSD Lanolin Egyptian Spice
Ever-Ready 1924
Stirling Unscented PSB
Avon Spicey

First shave with this razor, and it was pretty good. Not quite as good as the 1914, but still smooth and effective. I probably need some more time with it. The TSD soap was great as always and I finished with a little Avon Spicey. A great start to my Sunday. I hope everyone has a great day!

 

August Straight Razor Focus
I really like these focus months. I am really hitting my stride with the straight razor shaves. Two pass DFS
Arko
Wolf Whiskers Brush
Union Razor 6/8
Alum
Thayers WH
Azzaro Chrome Cologne
Have a blessed Sunday!

 

Adjustable August

Arko & Omega #98
Gillette FB & Derby
Avon Oland AS



Visiting family in Texas, my temporary home is the game room. Someone needs to discuss cat fur and pool tables.
This brush, that soap, & the razor could be my forever-after shave. The Derby seems to get better with use or I'm getting the angle right. First time using the discontinued Vintage Avon scent Oland. I've read a review suggesting it's like Aramis plus bayrum. I find it acceptable, and it feels good hours later.

 

Still haven't shaved this weekend. Back at four days growth. Will try the MD barbers razor and shavette later. Here is Wednesday's shave.

SOTD from 8/3/16
Razor: John Engstrom, Eskilstuma, Sweden
Strop: Drygulch Chromexcel horse/ linen
Brush: Dubl Duck M2/ Omega Boar
Soap: Jeeves of Hudson Street Turkish Bath
Post: Cold Water, Alum, Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman with M-Bomb

Five days of growth. This is another razor on loan from @Norcalnewb. I did my two passes, and had a SAS. Not quite a DFS. I think part of this was due to prep, as I used a warm towel instead of a shower. No irritation, but more tugging than I like.

 

SOTD August 7th


Ikon X3 Slant
GSB(3)
IB Amici
Satin Tip The Purest
Homemade Tangerine AS

3 and a half days of growth taken down by the X3 effortlessly. Once you get the angle with this razor it cuts like a dream. It's so mild it hardly feels like it's touching your face but it just wipes away whiskers. Paired with a GSB and it's a silky smooth shave. If you are thinking about getting the X3, do it. It is a bargain at the price it is selling for. Have a great day my friends!

Sent from my Galaxy S6 using Tapatalk

 

you M-bombed the Clubman?? Did that make it as cold as Osage or any of crackstar's stuff? That's the thing with Clubman-I love it, but to me it really doesn't "cool" much.

 

This being "Adjustable August" I believe I can make my claim of my Stirling aftershave(Barbershop)slowly but surely becoming "one" with my face and neck! The burn isn't as bad as when I first did it a week or so ago.

 

SOTD 8/7/16
Razor (Kinda): MD Barber Straight Razor
Strop: Drygulch Chromexcel horse/ linen, vintage firehose linen with Chromium Oxide
Shavette: MD Barber with no handle
Blade: Rapira Sweedish Supersteel
Brush: Dubl Duck M2/ Omega Boar
Soap: The Shave Den Purple Rain
Post: Cold Water, Alum, Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Master's Lilac Vegetol

Four days of growth, have been trying to put off this shave. This is the razor sold though a barber's supply house, and is listed as hand honed up to 30k and absolutely shave ready. That triggered a dare from @NCoxSTL for some one to shave with it, right out of the box. Being the instigator I am, I had to step forward. When the razor arrived, I inspected it, and gave it a few tests. It wouldn't cut the hair at the top of the top of my cheeks, wouldn't cut arm hair, either above the skin or at skin level. I looked at the edge under magnification, and the bevel did not appear to have been set. In addition, the design of the scales had a spacer instead of a wedge. The spacer was shaped with a lip to catch the end of the blade, to keep
It from going all the way through the scales. Contact with this lip will pretty much destroy the edge where it hits.

I had accepted the bet, so I was going to shave with it. I didn't figure I would get a full shave with it. So I had a pasted strop and a regular strop ready to tune the edge, because it would need it. I also prepared the MD Barber Shavette with a Russian blade as a rescue razor. TSD Purple Rain was up in the rotation today. Good scent for what I assumed would be multiple passes.

Started the shave at the top of my right cheek expecting pulling and harshness, and was surprised to feel none. One of the pieces of advise I give new shavers is to focus on only enough pressure to wipe away the lather, and let the blade take care of the whiskers. Success! Lather removed. Unfortunately, no wishers came with it.

I put the razor on my pasted strop and regular strop, and tried to tune the edge. Started at the top of the left cheek, and the razor managed to pull a few hairs out.

Sorry for the lack of either blood or pain. (Except for the pain of $60 spent on it.) I'm going to call this a defective tool as delivered. I re-lathered and grabbed the shavette. This is just what they say, a shavette meant to have folding scales, that doesn't. Once I got the half blade loaded, I had a small and light weight razor with a lot of blade exposure. Shave was actually similar to the popcicle stick razor. Two passes didn't quoted get me smooth, so I went for a third one and got BBS smooth, but with irritation. Alum had a bite, and the astringent witch hazel really lit me up. Apparently I used too much pressure.

Used a new aftershave today also. Master's Lilac Vegetol. Formulated like the Veg, minus the cat urine. If this is what the Veg smells like to those with broken noses, I understand the love. Wish the scent lasted longer however. I am going to contact MD Barbers' customer service about the razor. Not going to return it, but I want to see if it will take and hold an edge. Also going to add a pin to keep the edge from hitting the spacer. Sorry for the novel.

 

You're a good man. Most of the time when you see "shave ready" you know it isnt. That truth clearly holds. Now I wonder if it can even be made into a usable razor. Nice report on the shavette too. I considered buying one of those.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

I put some of my clubman in a 3oz bottle for travel, and did a 15 count with the M-bomb. It's cold enough that it changes the scent profile. Mine is colder than Osage rub. I like it quite a bit, and mainly use it for travel. My suggestion would be to get a small bottle to mix it in, and start with just a little M-bomb. One you try it, adjust it until you get to the level you like. Then get nuts with it. (Figuratively speaking,)

 

ok thanx....y'know, I tried Clubman by itself on a summer day a couple years ago....ended up with droplets of Clubman perspiration!!

 

Great shave today. BBS with no nicks or irritation. This weekend went by way too fast. Work in 5 hours... time for at least an hour or two of sleep and then.....


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