Welcome aboard. Tell us a little more about your current setup if you get a chance. I found it wise to quickly find a blade that works good enough. In the beginning I would not have known enough to say for certain the blade was the fault and not the operator. The trick is to start learning the technique. It takes time to develop muscle memory and unlearn bad habits.

SHAVE 2

Tonights shave pretty well. I did 2 passes and for the first time tried to do the touchup with the straight. I finished with a nice comfortable shave. Cheeks are very smooth but under jaws and neck I can feel stubble. As my neck hair grows at the normal funky angles it is a challenge. I need to go from ear to adams apple to get a clean shave.

I find that this will be my greatest challenge. When I first started a few weeks ago, I would have thought learning to use my off hand would be the problem. I noticed tonight that I was not even thinking about it.

Tom

Welcome! I'm glad you decided to join us, and I look forward to riding along with you this month!

Welcome aboard!! Glad you joined us. If you have any questions at all feel free to ask. These guys will give you all the advice you need and maybe even some you wonder where it came from! Hang in there and keep at it. After 30 days you'll be amazed of how much you've already mastered!

On their way - the following items.

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Decided on the Piccolo FaTip as I tend to prefer smaller handles. Even though it's a more compact size than the Grande it outweighs it, and the handle is solid brass, not hollow. The Proraso three pack will finally let me try the Sandalwood and the sensitive skin version as well. All courtesy of winning a contest at work that generated a gift card. Sometimes it pays to work hard even while surfing TSD and the bay!

Glad to see you making progress. Just under my jawline took the most practice for me. I finally conquered it with an XTG pass and skin stretching. It will come.

October 6, 2016
Timeless OC .95 Gap with Hempel Ti
Feather (3)
Doug Korn DK7 with Druida Manchurian
AOS Sandalwood
Witch Hazel
Captain’s Choice Sandalwood

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This month seems to be going by very quickly. Another great shave this morning with 3 passes and minimal touch ups ended in a near BBS. I finished the shave with a splash of Captain's Choice Sandalwood. I hope everyone has a great Thursday.

Great picture, Clint! The black background makes that hand pop.

October 6 SOTD:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
Stirling Ben Franklin SS
Gillette Rocket
Stirling Unscented PSB
Stirling Ben Franklin AS

I had a great shave this morning. This razor is grea, and the Stirling soap was as well. It is one of my favorite scents, and it really set the stage for this shave. I did two easy passes and ended with a DFS. Just a great start to my day. I hope everyone has a great day!

Thank you Jim. The background is our home desktop.

SOTD October 6, 2016

Blade: Chinese Schick
Razor: Schick L1 injector
Brush: Satin Tip 'The Purest' synthetic
Lather: Stirling Barbershop
Post: Witch hazel splash, Stirling Barbershop aftershave, Nivea sensitive balm
WTG, touch-up

Stirling continues to provide nice, easy shaves. The L1 injector works really well. Nice shave overall. Tomorrow I'll go with Mitchell's Wool Fat in my normal Friday setup. I'll return to Stirling on Saturday with a new brush.

Have a great day!

Hello TSD

Shave #4 of my October focus:



Switched soaps today - I just had to try this Reef Point "Dragon's Blood", because it smells simply amazing. Incense, some sweetness, some kind of resin - great mixture. It also lathered up easily (easier than Mystic Water) and produced a huge amount of creamy lather. I think though that the Mystic Water soaps are just a bit better in terms of slickness and cushioning. But that's criticism on a very high level - both soaps are great performers.

The shave itself was kind of a mixed bag. Very nice and comfortable first pass WTG, going ATG on the second pass resulted in a few bloodspots - AGAIN Guess I really have to work on pressure here - a bit too much and you peel the skin off. My face also feels a little tense now.

Maybe I'll let my skin rest for a day and skip shaving tomorrow.

Have a great day y'all

Thursday, OCtober 6, 2016

The Varlet Orion
Mystic Water Barbershop
Wolfman OC+ with WRH-7 Titanium
Personna 74 #7
Stirling Soap Co. Barbershop Aftershave


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SOTD 10/6/16
Razor: W.S. Brown Special
Strop: Drygulch Leatherworks Chromexcel Horse/ Linen
Brush: Troth Handle, Envy White 24mm Badger
Soap: Mama Bear’s Lavender Oakmoss
Post: Cold Water Rinse, Alum, Thayer’s Toner
Aftershave: Fine American Blend

I really should have taken a picture of this blade before I started. In keeping with my focus of getting some of my razors usable, I pulled this one out of the pile. It was dirty and nasty, and I can’t believe how much it cleaned up with WD40 and 000 steel wool. After the rust and worst of the gunk was gone, I lightly buffed it on a cotton wheel with green polishing compound. The razor was made in Germany, and judging by the etching, I would guess is from 1930 or later. (Could be wrong on that though.) I added two layers of tape, then ran this one through my Waterstones, and then to my Purple Welsh Slate with slurry. Spent about 45 minutes on it, checking the sharpness both on my arm/leg hair and on the USB microscope. Really focused on the bevel, and seeing the edge as I tested the sharpness on my arm/ leg. I have a bad case of Honer’s Mange right now. After the Welsh stone, I did 5 laps on my Swatty Barber’s hone, then stropped on chromium oxide, linen, and leather.

First time using Mama Bear soaps. This is a glycerin soap, but is not a melt and pour product. This soap makes Arko look difficult to lather. Awesome, thick, slick, and protective lather. Scent is awesome too, with a great post shave feel. Did a N/S pass, S/N pass, and an XTG pass. Not quite a BBS, but a good high grade DFS. Irritation was a little more than I like, and the edge didn’t feel quite as smooth as I like. The alum was hot, but not on fire. I wouldn’t be embarrassed to call this one usable, but I wouldn’t call it shave ready. I will go another round with a finisher before my next shave on it. Overall, good shave.

I was on a Mama Bear's pass-around from a Facebook shaving group. It was a huge box of about 40 soaps. We could shave off some slivers for sampling and I kept about six different scents. Really good performance! Easy to lather and the lather is high quality. When you rinse the razor in the sink the soap suds just disappear into the water. There was no residue or suds left at all. It's good soap for sure!

The ultimate open comb
TOBS Coconut
Wolf Whiskers Brush
Hien 650 Kamisori
Thayers WH
Ogallala Bay Rum
Have fun!

Congrats Neal! These items will be nice additions to your Den! I like that razor, and I'm sure it will shave great.

Beautiful setup and photo, Clint!

Dude, I just can't get past the description on the website: "This soap smells like an older gentleman’s pantaloons at the end of a hot July day in Philadelphia, drafting important documents with no air conditioner."

Every review on this soap has been positive, so I'm sure it is fantastic like all the other Stirling soaps. Great set up today, Jim.

October Off Focus Diversion

LPL Savon du Barbier & TBS synthetic
'46-'47 Aristocrat , Voskhod (1)
Alum & Avon Leather AS


Glad I didn't declare OCtober a Rule. Got this mechanically sound, user grade Gillette from Tom @twhite in a swap. It's showing near 70 years worth of age, but only in loss of gold off the cap. Dropped in a fresh Russian blade, lathered up Frenchy soap, and got a decent shave. It's a heavy razor, shorter handled that a FatBoy, but similar knurling. Quite audible and easy to find the angle of attack. Three passes with dill pickle scented soap left me doing a bit of clean up. Only one little nick, alum was pleasantly all over warm, but the Avon left me feeling dry. It's called,"Leather" but no way as good as Clubman S.R.
Good day Y'all.