April 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Closest I've seen to a Blade Rating Thread was folks reporting their 100 blade purchases. I went from post #1 to that current entry and tabulated the results. There were certain blades that were preferred judging by their larger purchase totals.
The topic of "Why don't we have a DE Blade Subforum?" comes up, gets answered with too subjective & will devolve into arguments, and fades. Until it comes up again. One day Neal will conclude his Grand Blade Trials and report his findings. Then we'll all know his results. As a reference it will be comprehensive with numbers, charts and graphs, and 8X10 glossy photos with notes on the back.
Then you'd still have to buy a tuck of whichever blades and try them yourself.

 

I was hoping this place could be someplace Neal could chime in, as I know there is an interest in genuine blade reviews. I certainly have one as well. I laid out the ground rules as well as I could to get informed reviews posted, and keep YMMV squabbles to a minimum. My instructions sounded a bit like they were posted by a nun with a ruler in her hands, but I've been called worse things than that before. Well, anyway, it is out there. We will see if it is a useful tool or a dumpster fire ( or hear the crickets chirping) in relatively short order.

 

It has become quite lengthy and tedious - more than I ever imagined - but I am in the process of getting it together bit by bit. Still a bunch of blades to go as well. I probably need to forego some of the shenanigans and just focus on that but.....where's the fun in that, right? I would like to know, however, where you got that portrait of me? That was supposed to be in a locked office.

 

I'll take a look when I get a chance. I have the next two days off though day one is going to be spent getting the new car titled and all that fun jazz with the DMV. We all know how well those days can go.

 

April Arko Adjustable Focus!

Arko - Clubman Enhanced, B-400 Tux brush
'59 Gillette #195, Dorco Platinum ST-301 blade
Alum block, Pinaud Clubman aftershave lotion


Arko & Clubman? How's about Barbershop scented Arko! Loaded the synth knot and went to the bowl. Started agitating, gave it a shot of AS which promptly reduced the protolather. Couple dribbles of water & more stirring the bowl brought it right back. As I applied the less than regularly voluminous lather I noted the thickness. Something in the Pinaud may have kept the bubbles down, but enhanced the creaminess. This will happen again; next time I Arko there will be Clubman in the mix. Took the Fay Boy through it's paces noting the less than stellar performance of the Dorco blade. WTG at #9. Downshifted to #6 for ATG, XTG, & G-Slides. With plenty of the less fluffy/more creamy lather clean up passes ensued.
If just one person added AS to their Arko lather, you'd think they were sick. If two shavers did it...And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people adding AS to their lather...
Good Shaves Y'all!

 

OK, I am in. Somehow in the last week I ended up with two sticks of Arko, and was considering what to do with the second one, as the first one, combined with my other soaps, won't need to be replaced for at least 20 years. It gives me an excuse to play with the cheese grater, and use my new clubman sample in a science project. Hopefully more lemmings will follow. I just have to go get the soap containers and a cheese grater first.

 

Thank you, Jim!

Thanks, there will be a new razor making an appearance every week!

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The Myrsol lemon is good stuff! I was surprised how mentholated it was though.

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At least you'll get to meet some interesting new friends in the process! You can double up the experience by taking the city bus there and back. I'm sure there will be story value in the experience that can be shared as well.

 

I'd suggest trying it in small batches with different AS's or colognes. Arko is Very Lemon and my not compliment just any old scent. An option is to grate the soap & let it air out for a while to reduce the one note song. I'm not the originator of the idea. Somewhere out there is a batch of Cavendish tobacco scented MWF, and IIRC Rose Arko.

 

I did the same once with my unscented AOS and one of my colognes .

 

Maybe I'll try using a fragrant ice cream flavor for one. We've got a cherry that might work well...

 

Great picture, Richard!

 

Last shave of April... is May really tomorrow? Where does the time go?

So today was another shave, very similar to my previous. The Schick Injector, the Dr. Jon's Anne Bonny shaving soap...

A pass and 3/4 of another one.... and then touch ups with that lovely thing known as witch hazel. One weeper on the neck, but not a big deal. I am finding I get a closer shave if I use diagonal passes, so some more testing with that.

The big winner of this shave was the TSD Energy Aftershave Milk which came in the mail over the weekend. I few splashes in the balm and on the face and wow! I am loving the scent. Like I want to keep splashing it on. Maybe even huff it.

I like it so much that I think I'm going to have to get some of the TSD Energy Cologne. But so far A #1!

 

April 30 (Sunday ) - back to the Italian croaps

Rockwell 6s on plate #3 / Topaz Platinum ( 2 )
Alluminati Envy White brush
Vitos Supercrema Extra Super Coco soap (aka "Red Green")
Alum and Clubman VIBR

I "discovered" another soft Italian almond soap in my inventory tonight. Named after Red Green, a noted Canadian handyman and TV personality, it is a unique custom formulation. Red Green is obtained when "someone" pries cakes of Vitos Supercrema (Green label) and Extra Super Coco (Red label) soaps out of their overfilled containers, squishes them together, folds and re-folds them like a giant lump of PlayDough, and then kneads the resulting mixture into a handy large empty TOBS tub. I didn't even have to use any duct tape...

What is the performance like? Well, it's a lot easier to load the brush, because there's enough empty space in the new container to do so without spilling everywhere. Beyond that, the performance is much like using either Vitos Red or Green label soaps, which I couldn't tell apart anyway. At least now they'll be easy to use, and the emptied 100ml sample tubs are in turn a good fit for my Haslinger refill pucks.

The two pass shave very nearly gave me a BBS and the VIBR splash was a warm perky finish.

 

When you are done playing with Arko, and want to really talk about being a Lemming.

 

It doesn't have quite the mass appeal of "hey kid, I've got chocolate bunnies in the van" but it is similarly disturbing in an entirely different way.

 

I always put a bit of old spice AS on top of a vintage cake of old spice soap when I use it. Works good for me!

 

Yup. He's hooked. Reel him in. When you get ready to try a few more yell at me. I will loan you a few to try.