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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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