Arko Adjustable April!!!!!

April 17

Razor - 1959 (E4) Gillette Fatboy (3)
Blade - (1)
Soap - Arko
Brush - Jayaruh #46
Post - Alum

After yesterday's rather long and quite fun discussion about blades and how much difference they really make and, after probably surprising a few people by my basic conclusion that blades aren't the major determining factor in a shave, I decided to throw a little pseudo-science at the question again. I wanted to move back to my Fatboy for Arko Adjustable April, and decided to choose a blade that I have tried before and determined to be second tier. The Merkur Super Platinum from Germany fits the bill nicely. While this blade is certainly not among the worst blades, I have always considered it to be in that second tier of blades that are usable but not preferable. To me it's a bit rough, draggy and not all that sharp. That's my last impression of it at least but it has been a year or more since I used it.

Now, I will also state that I know a lot of people who like this blade, based on shave reviews and SOTD's around. But the general consensus would be more to the negative, again based on anecdotal evidence. For whatever that's worth. Did I mention this is a Pseudo-science approach yet? I did? Good.

So, with the JR46 and Arko I removed any possibility that the lather would be either too thin or not slick enough and went to work. Two passes and I found the blade to be smooth at the mild 3 setting. No issues with dragging and overall a nice feel. The finish is DFS, though not as high a DFS as I tend to prefer. Still, it's a good shave. And the fault of the result could be the mildness of the setting as much or more than the blade. That's why I'm giving it three shaves. Up to 6 tomorrow, then 9 on Wednesday. Standard blade trial but I'm being careful to judge only what I feel from the blade each time and the result.

Early results from tonight would suggest that my impression of the blade as being among the "not the sharpest" is probably correct but my impression of it being rough was not confirmed. We'll see how it works out the next two nights.

Tax day today! I trust everyone is all done with that. If not.....there's still time! But not much!

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I shaved with the Aust just now, but will edit and tomorrow do an Awesome April special edition where I truly contrast it against a heavy Parker shavette. My day ended up running 15 hours, so I am just going to read and comment for a bit,

However, now, a little preview.

There was Arko.
There was Veg.

There was fine German steel. It was full hollow and it was sharp.

Those things together make me very happy.

@Keithmax - it's still the shave I remember.

I would agree with the developing group consensus here:

1. Really nice size and shape of handle - no changes needed.
2. The natural finish really lets a nice woodgrain pop. Any other stain is best just on the top bulb.
3. A 26mm hole for a 24mm knot should work for just about anything, given how common a size 24mm is for knots.

I would add:
4. For lettering, maybe two lines up top? With "TSD" on the top line and then the variant for the 30 Day Crew below? Either "30DC" or "DAY 30 CREW" works for me -- or anything similar you come up with too. I like the idea of the brush number on the bottom flat.

Finally, a small note of envy. I have always wished I had some talent at craftwork, especially woodworking. I can pretend to be a small projects home repair handyman but that's about as far as my own capabilities stretch.

Since you put my avatar overlooking your pseudoscience....kiddding....

On Blades:

Blade selection matters less as one gains experience. They are not intrinsically equal to each other or the all the same, but almost all of them are serviceable in well-practiced hands. One should use a blade that inspires confidence. There is no predicting which blade that will be for any given individual.

On Good Blades:

Any blade that will glide easily while cutting the beard is a good blade. Good is relative though, others will have different personal criteria.

On Bad Blades:

Blades in which the user lacks confidence are bad blades. Bad is relative though, others will have different personal criteria.

On my favorite blade, GSB:

I spent of my early months shaving with it, and it inspires confidence to this day. I know that many others like it, but I can't prove that it's any better or worse than anything else. If I want "an easy day", I can always try GSB.

So very cool! 30DC is our unofficial shorthand, but I'd be happy either way. Whatever you think would look cooler in a graphic design way is what I vote for!

I really appreciate your hard work and faithful effort to make this happen. It's gonna turn out great.

Can we get this on the base?

Laser etched 3D look would be cool.

Nice work!

That is amazing. I would be honored to own one. I am very happy with my current brushes, but would make an exception for this one.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

I agree. Need is not a reason for wanting this one.

Awesome! Can't wait to see how you decide to finish it out and then see about getting one! Very very nice!

The more I look at this, the more I like the current color scheme on it. The darker colors give it a sense of depth, and I am a sucker for wood grain.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the input so far. Folks (so far) seem to like the size/shape and are fine with the standard hole size. Those are probably the biggest things for me. Whether it is stained, light or dark, or not at all seems to be a little less unanimous. One option is to have the same painted bulb on all of them so the lettering is the same colour and then leave the bottom part up to people's preference. If people want it natural or stained, light or dark, it would still have that communal LE look.
When the lettering set comes in, we can look at options for that. Chris's suggestion of 30 DC is great, as is potentially putting TSD on it. Sorry, though, there will only be one font! If anyone wants Brian's group hug picture on it, I would suggest tape...
I'll wait to hear from the rest of the group as well.
Thanks so much for all the nice comments!

April 17th

Progress
Semogue 620
TOBS lavender
Thayers unscented
AOS lavender ASB

Bbs with even less irritation than yesterday! Another step towards the goal!

Epic???

Of course a 2011

It sounds like the design plan is coming together nicely. I'm sure we're all deeply disappointed though to hear that the laser pictograph of a massive heap of tangled ugly monkeys won't somehow get shoehorned onto the handle space...

Looking at your photos again, I must say that I have always really admired your boar brush with the dark top and natural handle. I was wondering about that actually: you called the top part "Espresso" -- is it a paint or a very dark stain? Also, if you don’t mind me asking, what brands do you use for the stains and the cover coat? Since we're both in Canada, I figure they're probably available here too...

I like big brushes too, it looks awesome. I like the two tone finish.
OK with with any size you decide to go with for the knot.
I vote for DAY30CREW

Jason the handle looks stunning.

1. The handle shape works great for me.
2. No changes at all in the shape
3. I like the dark walnut color but I like the natural finish to the right better.
4. 24mm opening is great. It allows for many different knot choices
5. Your ideas for lettering are fine with me.

Again fantastic work. The handle is stunning.

April 18, 2017
Wolfman WR1 OC
Feather (3)
“Amigos” Simpson CH2 Jade Synthetic
Route 66 Lumberjack
Fine Platinum

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Monday was a rough day between work and physical therapy so I am so happy it is in the rearview mirror. A cup of coffee and a long walk with the dog followed by a shower and shave make for a great start to the new day. This lineup is a great autopilot lineup. The brush just flat works with everything and Route 66 practically lathers itself. The Wolfman OC is very smooth and efficient. So it should be no surprise that the shave this morning was an automatic near BBS. A splash of Fine Platinum was the perfect end to a great shave. I hope everyone has a great Tuesday.