OCtober-een!

October 24

Grand Blade Trials - Day Off for OCtober

Razor - Gillette New LC
Blade -
Soap - Tabac
Brush - Vie Long 12601 The Pony
Post - Alum

Time for another OCtober shave and, given the state of my face from yesterday's run in with the Gillette blade in the Slim 9 I decided on the Gillette New LC. This is the mildest of my three OC razors and with the Voskhod should be a great shave. Going to use the Vie Long as well. I've missed the scritch of the horse brush and it's time to renew my love of Tabac as well. Arko is a fine, fine soap but.....yeah it gets old with the same scent after a few weeks. Anyway, off we go.

I love the sound of the New as it works. Nice audible feedback and it does a great job with a mild feeling. The long comb helps with that feel and it took two passes to get to DFS. I stopped there as that's all I need. Off again tomorrow, just a meeting with a lawyer, so who cares if it's perfect by then. I'll use the Fatip tomorrow night to get it ready for work on Wednesday.

Alum was a bit hot but not bad. Still some irritation from yesterday I think. But I'm very happy with this shave. Russian steel, horse brush, classic American razor....I call that a good night.

I have vague memories of my inexpensive shavette being a bit lighter in weight than a SR. Because I had no technique vivid memories of cuts, slices, nicks, & scrapes. No doubt I would fare better with 14 whole months away from carts
and successful Rule/Focus shaves with DE, SE,and SR's.
That pesky Enablers Cabal has me eyeing both SR and kamisori style shavettes. Should I shop one, I'd prefer more mass & better construction than my first.
But first I need to pay attention to my incomming Fatip OC DE. I still have an Aristocrat to be tamed. So many shiny things!

Philosophical Statement accepted; Given time I can learn to shave well with any razor.
Ancillary Statement; Learn enough styles of razor and the learning process is shorter for a new razor.

Your scared, I'm scared too... these are strange times. Next thing you know people will be shaving with DE blades stapled to popsicle sticks.

Now that's just CRAZY! Never happen. Not in this lifetime. Well, again anyway. Maybe.

No shave November ?!?!! ======> uhmmmm NO
No variation November?!?!? =====> hmmmmm NO
Focus ===> Yes Shenanigans ===> Yes

More power to all who don't shave or don't have any variation in November, I will be rooting you on.

That's crazy talk.

Another day with the Cade cream. Today I tried something new with this cream, face lathering. Well it was messy shaving cream all over the place. I used a Duke 3 in best and my Mastro Livi straight.

The Cade does make a thick cream with lot's of cushion, maybe the best cushion of all my creams and soaps. I tried to get to be runny but no matter how hard I try it seems to be a notch below my slickest creams. So great for DE or SE but not as bad but not great for straights.

Zero irritation and just missed BBS.

By jove I think he's GOT it!

Hello TSD

Shave #14 of my November focus:

- Mystic Water Bay Rum
- The Tuxedo
- Feather Artist Club SS
- Feather Professional Super (#4)
- Tüff sensitiv Rasierwasser

No picture today, because it's been a busy morning and will continue to be a busy day. Therefore the shave was a pretty quick one as well - just one pass WTG, sufficient for a clean look. After more than three weeks with the pain stick these WTG passes are no problem any more, there's nothing I have to worry about. The tricky part is going ATG around the jawline/chin area, I have to be really careful here not to tilt the razor or screw up the angle.

Michelle's Bay Rum is a fantastic soap, great performance and scent - though in my opinion it smells nothing like Bay Rum at all.

Have a great day

October 25, 2016
iKon B1 OC with Hempel Ti
Feather (2)
Rudy Vey Rover with TGN Finest
Reef Point Dragon’s Blood
Witch Hazel

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I am really enjoying using the iKon B1 Open Comb razor. The shaves have been smooth and I find the razor efficient. Three passes and minimal clean up ended in a near BBS. Overall I would give the shave a solid "A". I hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday.

Oh, is THAT it? . Well, as I've been saying, near the end of the year, I plan to plunk down for some major...er...."acquisitions". Not like betting at the track, but along that line. My current brush is the Burma Shave I got before buying the Wlliams Mug Soap. Never heard of Unobtnium before, but the fact is that prior to being a TSD member,I never heard of Stirlingsoaps or Chiseled Face(plus others)before either.

SOTD October 25, 2016

Blade: Chinese Schick
Razor: Schick L1 injector
Brush: Vulfix 2006c badger
Lather: Stirling Barbershop
Post: Witch hazel splash, Stirling Barbershop aftershave, Nivea sensitive balm
WTG, touch-up

Stirling focus continues. We're winding down October and I've had a month of great shaves. I'm looking forward to getting back to a rotation, however. I guess I did the no variation theme a month too early. Oh well. I will not be utilizing No Variation November because I'm too eager to try some new soaps out! But I've enjoyed the Stirling over this month and today was no exception. Smooth, enjoyable shave.

Have a great day!

Unobtanium refers to a fictitious substance that's nearly impossible to find or get hands on. Did you see the movie Avatar? "Look at all that Cheddar!"

Brad @fishcrow has a Pass Around box that got lost. Not his first box, or even the first one that turned up missing. There's a discussion about gathering more supplies to get another one going. This would be a chance for you and others to try products you've not seen and only for the low low price of shipping it to the next Trusted Forum Member.
Paul, I know you don't post photos - is your Burma Shave brush like the one I recently picked up?

Oct. 25
Soap - Proraso Green Tub
Brush - Omega 10098 Boar
Ceramic Suribachi Bowl
Blade - Blade - Gillette Silver Blue - Russia
Razor - 1937 Gillette Sheraton
Aftershave - Fine Accoutrements Absolut Santal with a few splashes of Taylor of Old Bond Street Luxury Sandalwood Cologne

I can clearly see the bottom of my Proraso green tub, so one of those is good for ~60 days loading up a big boar brush. This is the third day on the blade and I had a 2 pass DFS shave with it. It will hit the garbage tomorrow for a new sharp blade to round out this monthly focus. The TOBS cologne paired really well with the aftershave, but I'll put a review on that elsewhere. Overall great shaving experience today. I'm looking forward to completing this monthly focus.

Tuesday OCtober 25, 2016

Wolfman WR1-OC with Darwin Deluxe Titanium
Personna 74 #21
Elite Razor Acrylic/Buckeye Burl with Envy White
Nuavia Rossa
Mentholated Witch Hazel
Fine Fresh Vetiver


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Amazing picture and setup amigo.

Great picture, Mark! The Nuavia Rossa looks great next to those flowers.

Doug

Your brushes are fantastic. Not to mention your photos.

Tom


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks very much Tom.