January 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

El Druida D-7 Manchurian
Route 66 Sweeney Todd
RazoRock Black Mamba
Feather HS #3
Route 66 Sweeney Todd Aftershave Balm

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My second night with the toggle/BIC...toned it down to "4" and "2" across my throat. A bit too mild. Looks like "3" is the sweet spot, just like the Slim. Learned to not worry about getting *all* the stubble off my throat, too. I'm doing more irritating than shaving. At least stop going over the same areas repeatedly. Hafta work on my technique on those pesky sideways whiskers.

 

I too sometimes do not get it all on my throat. Lately I have been sweating it less. Really sharp Russian steel will do that for you(7 o'clock Greens, Voskhods).

 

Sorry so late to the party! Hope you had a nice Birthday!

 

A Journey on R66
2 January 2017





Parker SR1
Derby SS Saloon
Route 66 - Lumberjack
L'Occitane Plisson Synthetic
Alum
The Mighty Osage

Flawless lather, smooth shave, and chilly finish...though I did not get nuts with it. The holiday season is finally winding down. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

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Rockwell 6S/R6 Plate/Voskhod (1)
Stirling 26mm Finest Badger
Stirling Gentleman Shaving Soap
Stirling Unscented Witch Hazel
Stirling Gentleman W/ Menthol Aftershave Splash

Great shave today. Decided my focus this month will be rotating through all of my soaps in an attempt to start finishing some off/putting a dent in some and decided what I will be rebuying and what will never grace my den again.

 

Today's BET (Beard Elimination Tools):

Feather Artist Club SS
RozoRock Plissoft Big Bruce
RazoRock Tobacco
Unnamed Alum block from my local Indian grocer's
Dickinson's Witch Hazel
Clubman Pinaud

Got the new year rolling with the Feather Artist Club SS. I simply adore the scent of RazoRock Tobacco. It is hands down my favorite tobacco scent. I wish it were a cologne. I would wear it copiously. Plenty of lather with some left over. I managed a full face and neck WTG pass, then XTG on the face and part of the neck with no blood shed, and called that a win with the Feather. The face needed no touch up. I did clean up the neck a bit with the Schick G1 because my neck growth patterns are a real nuisance. The alum gave me a stern warning not to push things. The witch hazel shushed it a bit and told me it would be OK. All in all, a happy shave and nice start to shavette focus month. I did pick up a Magic shavette today so that all my DE blades don't feel left out. It will probably see action tomorrow. If the storms leave us with power, that is. I refuse to use it in the dark.

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I did thanks. Got to help Herself make supper and watch CFB with my son.

 

Happy Anniversary January!!

January 1

Mostly Shavettes

Razor - CJB Greager
Blade - (1)
Soap - Route 66 Sweeney Todd
Brush - Semogue 620
Post - Alum

And off to the focus we go! As I posted earlier, a lot of shavette time this month including the pain sticks and I'm starting with the Greager on a Kai Mild blade. I considered the Feather Pro but decided to stick with the Kai to make it a little less likely I'd bleed copious amounts due to mistakes. It's been awhile since I've used one of these for any length of time.

Sweeney Todd for the soap and the Semogue made enough lather for all of us. Very comfortable first pass and both hands performed well. I was taking my time and letting my left hand work at its own pace. Two passes to include XTG and I'm at a very high level CCS and totally fine with that. I plan to continue on with this razor for a few days to see if I can get DFS or better with 2 passes plus touch up.

Alum was quiet and that was a good thing. Overall a great shave and I'm happy to start the new month (officially) with a bloodless, irritation free shave. I don't imagine it will last the entire month.

 

Awesome about the shave and the Magic! Just fold the DE blades in half before unwrapping. They break easily with an audible snap. I think you'll have fun with it!

 

I usually shave in the evening because I like to take my time, and with a family of five in a small house, bathroom sink time is a hot commodity and in short supply. Because I was off work today, I shaved this morning. But my stubble grows hecka fast, and I had a pretty rough face by this evening. Storm warnings are out, tornado watches are on, sleep is elusive and tomorrow is the first day back to school for the kids. So I decided to get back on schedule and touch up tonight. I have a new Magic shavette (thanks for the recommendation, @Bama Samurai) that was staring at me, so I took advantage of wakefulness and went for it.

My first thought was that it felt very light and cheap. I grabbed an Astra SP blade and started the learning curve. I was nervous about trying to break a DE blade in half, but the fears were unfounded as it went off without a hitch. Inserting it was a bit tricky but I finally figured it out and got it ready to shave. My last experiment with a cheap razor from Sally's (a cheap DE razor) was a bloody affair so there was some trepidation. But I crave variety and experience in my life and I was bored. So I named the shave (yes, I name some of my shaves...I like stories) "Cheap Thrills" and forged ahead.

I knew I needed a soap that I could trust. A soap that would lather unfailingly and not flinch when I set steel to skin. So I broke out the Arko. Nearly instantly I had an ample supply of good, stable lather.

The razor fit surprisingly well in my hands. I had to adjust to the shorter blade as I have been shaving with the Weck and the Feather SS, bit it didn't take long at all. I found myself taking to it quite easily. It felt similar to the Weck in my hands, but the smaller blade exposure made it seem less intimidating. It may have been a head game, but I felt confident with it rather quickly. I ended up with a comfortable 2 passes with cuts, nicks, scrapes or blood.

To finish I slapped some Osage Rub on my face and let it burn while I cleaned my brush and dried my razor. Then I finished up with The Veg.

Cheap, loud, thrilling...A great shave all told. Shavette month is gonna be great (if the tornadoes pass us by)!

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So glad it worked out! If I had to use nothing but Magic forever...I'd be ok with it. It's one of those nice surprises we're cheap doesn't equal awful. The Magic won't last forever, but at $12, if I break or lose one while traveling every year or so, it doesn't really hurt much.

 

Very nice narrative. I envy you guys in the Southeast and your fun weather. We're just having cold rain and fog. I'd rather have a shot at chasing a real storm but, I'm strange that way. When I used the Magic I was surprised at how well it performed because, like you, my first impression was "cheap". Really a nice tool, though.

 

Agreed. I would miss the variety, but if all I had was the Magic and some Arko I could get along rather smoothly.

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You'll see three Shavettes in my January. A Leopard, the Magic, and today's Parker. The Parker and the Leopard are essentially the same design.

I'm thinking the Durch West Indies in a walled compound would be a nice start at an alternate reality as a tuna fishing redneck.

 

And that's what we like to read! Dial on nine? Check. Voskhod? Granted. Quiet Alum? Proof is in the pudding.

 

Hero!

 

I hope your first lesson sets you on the path to success!

 

Be careful, you'll wake up in a bathtub full of ice in a Gorky warehouse. Then, you'll realize that in addition to a raging hangover, you're now short one kidney.

Tactics without strategy is the noise before the defeat. -Sun Tzu