April 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

It's one of my favorite brushes as well. I here you. If I had the money I would have a closet full of custom brushes.


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Glad you made it back safely! I hope you and your bride had a great time!

 

Beautiful picture, Clint!

 

April 2 SOTD:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
Stirling British Leather SS
Schick Adjustable
Stirling Unscented PSB
Stirling British Leather AS

 

Cool photo, Jim! Is your Stirling Unscented the type with menthol added? It has quickly become my favourite Stirling balm.

 

Another stunning photo, Clint, with a great set up. I feel like I could say that everyday after reading your posts...

 

Thank you, Jason! The balm is with menthol. I like it so much, I use it after every shower, whether I shave or not.

 

Thank you Jim.

 

Beautiful photo Jim.

 

Thank you Jason.

 

Thank you, Clint!

 

-Dovo Bismarck
-Epsilon Poor Man's Chubby
-Arko
-Stirling Orange Chill

This month, as much as work will allow, I am going to use one straight per week. This week's is the 6/8 Bismarck. The biggest goal I am hoping to achieve with it this week is to not drop it, ding the bevel and have to send it out to be repaired. I really like the feel of this razor in the hand. The way the tang is shaped, and the thumb notch make it feel very comfortable and stable. I really will be working mainly on angle this month, and trying to optimize it. The Artist Club style razors may be way less forgiving about flaying your face, but they seem way more forgiving about angle. It didn't take long to see that the straights are a little more finicky.

Feeling full of team spirit, I grated up a stick of Arko and went to town with it. Arko was one of, if not the first soap I bought when I started visiting forums. See, I was still a frugal minimalist type then, and the ridiculously low price was pretty appealing. I love the soap. I enjoy the scent, it is easy to lather, slick, but I am a dry skin type of guy, and Arko doesn't help that at all.

So I hadn't used it in at least a year, and I figured since I was going to lecture about how to lather it, I had better step up. I do miss an Arko shave. I had a bunch a good slick lather and I love the old school soap smell. Something about it reminds me of my gramma's laundry room. I am going to work this in every once in a while in the warmer months when my skin can take it.

@Fly2High - this is what I mean about shiny gloop. In these pictures it still needs a touch of water, but I always test and finish it on my face, not in the bowl when it isn't a soap I am really familiar with. I lather up, flick my brush under the dribbling faucet if it needs more. That way I don't mess up the whole bowl with a misstep. Again, some people might not like it this soft; this is just how I do it, and it is slick as baby snot.

 

You are the Lather Making Jedi Master. Seriously you do a wonderful job explaining and teaching the the concept.

 

Thank you sir. I like making lather. I feel like a little kid. I probably need to get a tub toy to put on my little counter. Maybe I could float it in the sink while I shave.

 

Lather making, yes. Not so much on the minimalist concept. Just about got my AD's in check. Along comes the Parade of Superior Brushes.

 

Jared,

Thank you for taking the time to give such great detail. It will not go wasted. Busy with housework but I shaved earlier today and might have some photos for The TSD gang to scrutinize. I measured some Stirling and used a reasonable amount of water and got it nice and thick. Later, for fun, I hand lathered to see if I could get it shinier. Will leave you with this cliffhanger so as to wait for the photos and the results of my shave.

Thanks again

 

My uncle has a soft fine beard and is able to make a cartridge last 6 months, no joke. And they call me Frugal!

 

I agree, Clint! @PickledNorthern is the man when it comes to lather. @mrchick has some beautiful lather shots as well. I rarely get mine that shiny. I can with Stirling but it can take so much water that you can work it up to that.

I agree with this also. My shave yesterday with Arko was really nice, but about 45 minutes later I had to go back and put on some balm because my face felt so dry. But again, the lather was excellent and the shave was smooth.

 

I shaved for several years with a Parker 22r, an Omega 49, Colonel Conk lime soap and Shark SS blades. No aftershave, except occasional witch hazel if I was sunburned or somethingiq. Everything was fine; great actually. And then I was looking to buy a second razor for traveling and Googled searched for reviews on a razor I had seen on Amazon. I found one of the other forums where I learned how bad all of my kit was, and proceeded to become the enabler I am today

 

Thanks, Perry.

Thing is, a lot of you guys have to shave for work in the mornings, and I rarely do. If I do shave in the morning, it is a quick two pass face lather. Otherwise I have all the time in the world to build lather one drip of water at a time.