Thanks Clint. The Kai Captain is working pretty well. I would say I prefer the Feather over the Kai. IMO.

That mirrors my thoughts as well.

Great picture, Doug! Looks chilly.

Have a safe trip back!

-Henckels 13/16 RP
-Doug Korn DK7
-Stirling Electric Sheep
-Stirling Gin and Tonic

Real quick shave and out the door early this morning. It was a perfect start to the day.

Thanks very much Jim. Cool and damp today. A little warmer though.

Nowhere to go but up! Glad you're back.

March Madness & Spring Cleaning!!

March 27

Razor - Fatip Piccolo
Blade - (3)
Soap - Proraso Green
Brush - BoS Omega 10066
Post - Alum

As I considered what setup to use tonight I knew I'd stick with the Fatip and Ladas one more shave but the soap and brush had me a bit thoughtful. I realized I had been neglecting the first soap I ever used, Proraso. Specifically, the green version which is menthol and eucalyptus. I always had good luck with this soap, just wandered off to the land of the Fat and Tabac and never came home. And, since I have been dragged, not quite kicking and screaming, into the "artisan" soap ranks such as Route 66, Stirling and Soap Commander, I've come to appreciate those three and let Proraso gather dust. So, here we go with the Proraso reunion shave.

I'll start by saying that two passes produced DFS but not the best I've had. And....I'm blaming it on the soap. Yes, I just said that. Proraso is a good soap, there's no questioning that. But.....given the nature of the others I've been using, it isn't a great soap by any means. The first thing I noticed was my pre-shave trial of the slickness. I will run a finger over my lathered neck and then rub the lather with my thumb and finger. The slicker the better. Route 66 - slick. Stirling - slick. Soap Commander - slick. Fat - slick. Tabac - slick. Proraso - ummmm....slick but only for a second. I can normally rub my finger and thumb together over the slick soap and then wipe it off and shave. With the Proraso - a quick feeling of slickness followed by friction between thumb and finger. Well, maybe I just didn't get it rich enough on the first pass. On the second pass I lathered until it looked like Santa Claus and - slick for a quick second followed by friction.

Also, after the shave my face feels dry. Not painfully so, but definitely a dryer feeling than with any other soap I've used recently. Quite a surprising revelation for me given that I've always considered Proraso to be a good choice. And again, it's not a bad choice........but there are better ones out there! How about that. I learned something new about something other than a blade!

I finished with a quick splash of Proraso aftershave and I will say the scent is still a nice one and it certainly didn't hurt the finish any. so at least there's that. Hope you have a great tomorrow!

​

March of the Soaps Focus

Stirling Orange Chill, JR #130 Synth brush
Eversharp (Krona) and Feather blade
Alum, WH - Lime & Patchouli E.O.


Menthol Monday! Stirling is good stuff. Chill on a warm spring day doesn't hurt either. Orange bumps it up a notch. Rubbed my Pass-around sample onto the bottom of the suribachi and attacked it with a well shook out Maggard's synthetic knot. Up popped a couple shaves worth of tasty lather. On application, the "chill" seemed light but present. Pulled the blade from the Fay Boy and into a razor that's been getting forum chatter lately. Mild DE/sharp blade combo pulled it's weight through regular W,A, & XTG and since I had plenty of lather a couple extra cleanup passes. Not as smooth on my neck as I'd get from a more aggressive razor, but no nicks either. This is a Krona that my dad passed to me. He gave them up when he couldn't find Wilkies. If it wasn't heirloom gear I'd consider passing it to a Newbie. It's mild even with sharp blade. Alum swiped quite quiet, but the alcohol in the witch hazel sparkled a bit. I gave it a shot, but I prefer the #195 on 9/6.
Good Shaves Y'all!

Love the Eagle logo on the handle.

I got some new toys in the mail today. I was thinking of this crew when I bought them. Who's up for a challenge? (insert evil laugh here)

I bought 5. Who wants to try one?

Kamisori style... shavette-ish...
Have you tried one yet? I'd give it a shot, but only after those with experience using a scaleless type straight have spoken up.

Excellent picture!

March 28, 2017​

Cobra Classic
Feather Pro (3)
Brothers Bristles with Tuxedo Synthetic
Fine Italian Citrus

​

I am running a little behind schedule this morning and it is not even Monday. Another very quick automatic shave this morning. Once I mastered the stylized handle, the Cobra Classic is an easy razor to use and provides comfortable close shaves. The Tuxedo knot continues to impress me more with each use. A splash of Fine Italian Citrus and I am ready for the day. I hope everyone has a great Tuesday.

March 28 (Tuesday) - just shaving

Gillette Fatboy on 3 / Gillette Platinum Plus (5)
1930s Simms reknot with 22mm Maggard black synthetic knot
Arko
Alum and Clubman VIBR

Right now, rather than continuing with my SE Gem focus, I am doing an odds and ends shave cleanup. I am just going through my razors that still have blades in them, putting the last shave or two on the blades and binning them. I will start April with fresh blades in everything.

One thing I have figured out in the last few months of focuses is how many decent shaves I can expect to get from most blades. The answer for "shaves" is "a lot". If money was tight and blades were rationed, I could stretch most DE blades for anywhere from 15 to 30 shaves, and injectors and Gems possibly longer. However, the answer for "superb enjoyable shaves" is "a lot less than that". For simplicity, I have settled on 7 shaves (or a week) for injectors and Gems and 5 shaves for most DE blades. Except for Topaz Platinum, which are 2 and done (not great blades and unfortunately I bought a 100 carton of them.)

So today it was time to use and change out the vintage Gillette blade in the Fatboy. A final solid DFS from it and into the blade bank..

This is the third or fourth time I have used Arko and it always surprises me with the speed at which that thin film of soap scraped across my face explodes into usable lather. The scent is nothing to write home about (although not at all unpleasant or irritating) but everything else about it is first class. The bay rum splash then gave a nice touch of warmth and a hint of a tropical holiday to finish off.

I will shed some details but I have a question:

Where, in relation to the balance point should you hold a DE razor?

At the balance point?
Closer to the head?
Closer to the bottom of the handle?

Does holding at the balance point with a narrow grip result in less pressure and less irritation?

thanks

For me it varies by razor. I try to have a grip on the razor that allows the weight of the razor to do the work without me adding pressure. Most likely now I am just doing it on auto pilot without thinking. I'll try to pay more attention next time I shave.

I'm in. I'll even use the pink one you sent me a few months ago too.

February 28, 2017

Razor: F2 Gillette 195 Adjustable
Blade: 7 o'Clock Sharpedge (Yellow) (1)
Brush: Razorock Plissoft 22
Cream: KMF fragrance-free

Retiring the Rubie, I moved on today to another St. Pete blade, the 7 O'Clock Sharpedge (Yellow). There was a bit of a buzz about these a few days ago and I realized that I had one from a sampler.

First impression- As I took the first few strokes, I had to check to see if there was actually a blade in the razor. The reduction was great but there was no sense that the blade was actually there. I think I've really only experienced this before with the Rapira Superior Stainless. Two passes to a near-BBS. I definitely need to be careful with this blade, though, as I also got two weepers from technique fails.

I can see why people like this blade, though.

Shoot, I'd try one. Where'd you find these guys?