March 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

I will say this: It is not one I will be using pre-coffee or post-beers.

 

Thanks. Another soap to look for (like I need more of those )

 

March 31 (Friday ) - monthend cleanup of blades

Supply Provision Single Edge injector / Personna Injector ( 5)
Supply Provision synthetic brush
Kent-branded MWF
Alum and Thayers Witch Hazel Aftershave

This is the second or third time I've used MWF and it lathered quite easily for me. I put a sprinkle of warm water on the puck while I washed my face, then lathered up with a damp synthetic brush. About 30 seconds loading the brush - roughly twice as long as usual for soaps for me - resulted in a well-loaded brush. I then just whipped it as normal in my bowl with a palmful of water. The result was a good creamy lather that provided excellent slip and glide to my shave. In fact, the slip was so good I actually doublechecked my razor to make sure there was a blade in it.

It was a pleasant shave that was a good end to the month of shaves. I then dumped the blade, leaving all my razors to await fresh blades in a fresh month.

This month I learned to shave with the Gem-style single edge razors. The two 1912s I was using seemed clumsy at first but improved markedly once I readjusted their shaving head angles back to near factory specs. I found I liked shaving with the Gem and EverReady 1912s and the Gem Junior 1912 variant. I found the 1914 and 1924 models were unpleasantly harsh and aggressive shavers but found they tamed down considerably with a shimmed blade - although I still don't particularly like using them. All in all, I found the early model Gems are viable razors for me that will have a place in my occasional rotation. I haven't had an opportunity yet to try the later TTO and pushbutton model Gems (which were designed to use the modern thinner blades), but I am now actively searching for some of them too.

It was a worthwhile Focus that taught me about a significant segment of my collection and expanded my skills past DEs and injectors.

I also finally killed off the Eternal Tub of TOBS Avocado Cream ( croap ) - which had long since ceased to be a scented cream.

Finally, I started trying some other products, including using both Arko and MWF for the first time.

 

March 31, 2017​

Cobra Classic
Feather Pro (6)
Brothers Bristles with Tuxedo Synthetic
Fine Italian Citrus
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Happy Friday everyone. The lineup this week has worked very well together. The Fine Italian Citrus has been a joy to use and the Tuxedo knot has really impressed me. Two passes and minimal touch ups left me clean shaven and ready for the work day. I hope everyone has a great Friday.

March has been a great month. I have spent the month using SE Artist Club Razors. I find the AlumiGoose to be the most aggressive followed by the Cobra Classic and Mongoose. All three provide exceptionally close and smooth shaves. Both the Reef Point Tranquility and Fine Italian Citrus soaps have really impressed me with their performance and scents. I have enjoyed following everyone during the month. The progress made by the guys learning to use SRs has been remarkable. I am looking forward to next month. ​

 

That is a sweet pic. The razor looks cool stood up like that. Of course the Cobras are sexy razors anyway. You could toss it on top of a used coffee filter in the waste basket and it would still look great.

You should be proud of me, I will have my taxes turned in in March this year. It is such a bummer, nervous time for us that it always gets put off. I like to be back in the busy time of my work year if I am going to get bad news.

But the good news is that our dining room table is cleared off!

 

Trying to catch up on brush scores.



I had this 10066 for a while, and while I really liked the knot, I hated the plastic handle. It was so light, it just felt crappy to use. So when Tom Zmuda from Manhandled Woods gifted this one to me along with a couple I had ordered from him, it just begged for that Omega knot. It took about 30 seconds to knock it out of the Omega hadle, and was glued into this Zebra wood a few minutes later. It is a light handle too, maybe a bit too light, and maybe should have a little weight added. It is still a definite improvement over the handle it came with however, and looks great with the boar knot in it. It fits in the hand nicely; a near perfect fit, so it doesn't need any pronounced shaping to give it a good grip. A fairly tight knot, the brush doesn't have a ton of bloom to it. The tips are extremely well broken in, and it is pretty much as soft as a best badger. It loads as well as one would expect from a boar its size, and still has a pretty good scrub to it for a bristle brush with as many shaves on it as it as this one has. It isn't uber stuffed in there, so it lets the lather flow really well. All in all this is a great boar brush for someone who doesn't want something Pro sized.






The Zenith brush busted onto the scene somewhat recently, at least in our market, and have really gone after the Omega Pro lovers with their boar brushes. With heavy chromed aluminum handles shaped almost exactly like an Omega 49, they definitely raise the bar of the quality in pro boars. The handle is a bit larger than I really like. It is definitely easy to hold onto, and maybe it I used it ten times a day shaving people for a living I would appreciate the large size more. It is simple though and definitely has that old school look to it. The brush has a densely packed knot with tips that are a bit slower to split and soften than its Omega counterpart, but when they do get there, they are even a bit softer. This brush packs good backbone, which makes it load like a champ, and scrub the same way. It does trap lather a bit though, so you need to make sure you load it up but good. (@FrugalFrank ) A guy can find himself working to paint on those last cleanups, but squeeze out two passes worth when he is all done. Are they worth $20 more dollars than an Omega 49? It really depends on the shaver. It has a much better handle, and it is denser and softer. So even at three times the cost of a 49, you are still only talking about $30, which is very affordable.





It think there are only two more brushes left that anyone picked. I will do those two by the end of the weekend, and we can get some prizes picked.

 

Thank you Jared. I always thought the Cobra was a cool looking razor. Initially I had problems using it but now with more practice the Cobra is one of my favorite razors.

I am not sure I will get our taxes done on time. Most years I have to get an extension so I know how you feel.

 

Great write up Jared. For me the biggest advantage to the Zenith boar was it was soft out of the box and didn't require a lengthy break in period.

 

OMG, talk about the cobbler's kid going barefoot. I feel for you this time of year, I really do. Our poor tax lady always looks about like death warmed over this time of year.

 

I would place this one smack in between an Omega and a Semogue in terms of the time it took. The first one I bought had clipped hair, so it never split a one, even after 25-30 shaves. I was not happy.

 

Beautiful picture, Clint, and a great wrap up!

 

March 31 SOTD:

Razorock Plissoft Brush
La Chateau du Bois SC
Gillette Ranger Tech
Stirling Unscented PSB
Wholly Kaw Chypre Rose Concerto

Last shave of this No Focus Focus, and I used this cream my parents got while in France a while back. It is a no lather cream, as I found out this morning, more like a shave butter. The scent is terrific though, as it blends lavender and lemon. I was a little concerned without the lather, but the shave went well enough. In fact, I got a DFS +. I was pleasantly surprised after the shave, and the post shave feel is pretty good. The Chypre Rose Concerto was a nice finish.

I managed to make it through the whole month without using the same razor or soap twice. It was a lot of fun to just work through some of lesser used items, and it made for an enjoyable month of shaving. Of course, everyone on this thread helped make this fun as well. Thanks for the great month!

 

I closed out the month with a strong loading effort from the WSP Pure Badger(although perhaps the strength of it could be due to the fact that I'm almost to the end of the TSD Russian Leather soap jar). While I expect to be tossing out the jar in the near future, there's still plenty of Russian Leather aftershave(TSD Splash)around.

 

Thank you Jim. March was a fun month for sure.

 

Great photo and wrap up. You do have quite the inventory to go a month without using the same soap or razor twice. Somehow that makes my bloated den seem more reasonable.

 

Day 5 of 30 days of Henckel straights

I skipped shaving yesterday because I had given myself a rather nasty cut the day before and I wanted to give it a chance to heal.

Today I did only a single WTG pass. I did managed to do the one pass without any nicks, cuts, weepers or slices. The result was very good, somewhere between CCS and DFS. It's not quite a DFS, but it may be the best single pass shave I have ever had. I am very pleased.

DIY Pre-shave Oil
ABC Face Lathered
24mm High silvertip set an extra 10mm deep
1 pass, WTG
Sampsons All Natural Aftershave Balm
4/8 Round Toe Henckel 89 1/2

 

I just about used all my safety razors. However, I still have more soaps than I would have thought. I'll definitely have to work through a few before I get more.

 

I have been using the Wheat State Soaps all month. If I had to guess, I would think you didn't add enough water. I am at 10 4 pass shaves from my sample, so you have plenty to play with. Try building a lather in a bowl, with an overloaded brush. Keep adding water a little bit at a time. You will be amazed at how much water this lather will take. I found with Wheat State Soaps, the cushion is lacking if it isn't hydrated enough, and it takes more water than Sterling does. When I get a new soap, the first thing I do is a test lather with it, and I keep adding water until the lather collapses. That gives me an idea on how much to add when I use it the first time.

 

If you order a soap from him, please invite him to join TSD as a vendor.

 

Excellent filter, Jim. Love the look.