August 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Discussion in 'Shave School' started by NCoxSTL, Jul 31, 2017.

?

Using an adjustable this month? Which one?

  1. Gillette Fatboy

    15 vote(s)
    34.9%
  2. Gillette Slim

    15 vote(s)
    34.9%
  3. Gillette Black Beauty

    13 vote(s)
    30.2%
  4. Gillette Toggle

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  5. Gillette Executive

    2 vote(s)
    4.7%
  6. Merkur Futur

    4 vote(s)
    9.3%
  7. Merkur Progress

    2 vote(s)
    4.7%
  8. Russian Ideal or Mladost

    1 vote(s)
    2.3%
  9. The original adjustable - a straight razor baby!

    7 vote(s)
    16.3%
  10. Cookies....just cookies. Seriously, can we just stick with the stupid cookies?!?!?!

    17 vote(s)
    39.5%
Multiple votes are allowed.
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  1. Screwtape

    Screwtape A Shaving Butterfly

    Another great family shot! Congratulations, Jason.

    And good to see you have a travel setup worked out that gives you good shaves and doesn't involve carts or cans.
     
  2. John Ruschmeyer

    John Ruschmeyer Well-Known Member

    Wow! Remind me never to ask you to test a specific blade for me again.

    The thinness of this blade has me starting to wonder something...

    I wonder if part of the issue with this blade is that the thinness is causing it to chatter in many razors. The one razor I have which seems to do well with this blade is a post-War English Tech with an Aluminum baseplate. At first glance, it looks like a regular post-War Tech, but is actually narrower than its US counterpart and, I suspect, is bending the blade more severely. Oddly, I've not been happy with the shaves from this razor and any other blade. Moreover, the couple of times that I tried to move a blade from this razor to another, the shave has also been off, almost as though the blade had been damaged in the English Tech.

    I'm wondering what razors would do well with holding a very thin blade rigidly. Maybe it's time to break out the Thick Cap OT....
     
  3. Paul Turner

    Paul Turner outside the quote(s) now

    The Stirling brush("Li'l Brudder")did a great job in scooping up the soap this morning. I could have been satisfied with just one pass, but decided to repeat, as I wouldhave wasted the amount of Fields&Streams(Local Gent Shaving Co)that was still on it.
     
  4. NCoxSTL

    NCoxSTL AAACK!

    Progress was made but we still lack a bilateral agreement. We are hoping the cookie detente will hold a bit longer.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
     
  5. jtspartan

    jtspartan appropriately stimulated, via Netflix

    Healthy and happy, Clint. We are very lucky.
     
  6. NCoxSTL

    NCoxSTL AAACK!

    Kimchi cookies would be considered a weapon of mass destruction.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
     
  7. NCoxSTL

    NCoxSTL AAACK!

    We saved a kimchi cookie just for you.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
     
  8. NCoxSTL

    NCoxSTL AAACK!

    You may be onto something with the chatter.
     
  9. jtspartan

    jtspartan appropriately stimulated, via Netflix

    I do have a few quick one work trips coming up that I'll be using a carry on for. I suspect they'll be my first cart shaves since last year.
     
  10. jtspartan

    jtspartan appropriately stimulated, via Netflix

    They are very fortunate that they look like their mother!
     
  11. mrchick

    mrchick Odd, Terrible Avatar

    What a pleasant shave this morning. This JWest just mows it down. I did four passes and am as smooth as it gets. Great way to start a Sunday
    risch Moos Shave Stick
    Wolf Whiskers Brush
    Heart Columbia JWest Razor
    Lucky Tiger
    WSP Gaelic Tweed After Shave
    Have a blessed Sunday![​IMG]
     
  12. Screwtape

    Screwtape A Shaving Butterfly

    Sunday morning August 20 - stalwarts Sunday

    Rockwell 6s on plate #3 / Topaz Platinum ( 1 )
    Alluminati Envy White badger brush
    My Red Green Duct Tape Special frankensoap
    Alum and TSD Milk Aftershave Lavender

    I used all tried and tested equipment today for a pleasant, solid shave with no surprises.

    A nice dose of TSD Aftershave Milk for moisturizing skincare with Lavender sent for calmness, and I am all ready for another 12 hour shift listening to people from three Provinces and one Territory complain about the nasty police who have arrested them, calm them down and give them legal advice...
     
  13. John Ruschmeyer

    John Ruschmeyer Well-Known Member

    I think so.

    Since my last post, I have taken a shower and shaved....

    August 20, 2017- STD-301 Stiffness Experiment #1 (Marty, get the camera...)

    Razor: '20s Thick-Cap OT
    Blade: Dorco STD-301 (a.k.a., Dollar Store blade) (1)
    Brush: 30DC LE/Pure Badger
    Cream: Simpsons Luxury
    Post: Alum, Listerine, WH

    Objective: Test the theory that the STD-301 will perform better if held more rigidly

    I've actually been wanting (and dreading) trying the combo of the OT and the STD-301 for a while. Initially, I assumed that success with this blade depended somehow on angle as I'd previously only had good results with it in one razor. @NCoxSTL's observations on the thinness of the blade got me wondering if rigidity might be the real cause of its unusual performance. So, today's shave was with the razor which I felt could hold the blade the most rigid- an OT. As a safety measure, I went with the Simpsons cream to give an extra margin of comfort/cushion.

    First impression- this is actually transformative. I can honestly say that this was the first time I've used this blade and had no unpleasant reminders of its presence. I did my usual two passes to a high DFS. There are a couple of areas that aren't quite as close as I'd prefer but nothing to complain about. There was a little noise from the Alum but not unpleasant; indeed, I've had worse Alum experiences with far better hardware combos.

    Initial Conclusion: There is something to the rigidity theory.

    My problem now is where to go from here. I only have the one style of OT and I'm not sure what, if any, other razors hold a blade this rigidly. Even so, it's not likely that I own one of them. One possible idea might be to try a shim in a different razor. I'll have to give this one some thought...
     
  14. NCoxSTL

    NCoxSTL AAACK!

    Nice to see the theory proven. Shimming one might do the trick as well. Also nice to see you avoided your ear lobe!
     
  15. John Ruschmeyer

    John Ruschmeyer Well-Known Member

    Agreed! I have enough issues when I nick my upper lip.

    Review time... According to Dorco Vietnam, the Dorco Titan has the following characteristics:
    • Thin blade thickness is 0.075mm, while other products are 0.1mm.
    • The blade adopts a multilayer metal coating method that improves the sharpness of the blade, increases durability (long-term use), corrosion resistance, and provides user comfort.
    • Four-layer blade design: The outer layer is a very thin plastic film, the second layer is a thin film against corrosion. The third layer is an increase in durability and the inner layer is a rigid blade body that fits all facial types.
    Both the Titan and Prime are double-coated blades, so I assume four layers for both:
    1. Thin plastic film (PTFE on Dorco Prime)
    2. Thin film against corrosion (also PTFE on Dorco Prime?)
    3. Increase in durability
    4. Rigid blade body
    Neal, you looked into some of this already so help me out here. What's likely going on in layer 3? Is that the sputtered Platinum? What happens in a non-Platinum blade?

    Personally, I'm still holding with the Duff Beer Vat theory regarding the origin of the STD-301. If so, then it is probably just layers 3 and 4 from above (maybe even just layer 4). Would that make enough difference in the blade thickness? Especially since the Titan is only 75% of the thickness of a regular blade and that is with the extra layers.
     
  16. clint64

    clint64 Blind Squirrel

    August 20, 2017
    Wolfman WR1 OC
    Feather (1)
    Elite Razor “Tres Amigos” Beehive with Envy White
    Route 66 Bay Lime Twist
    Folsom & Co Capri

    [​IMG]
    No motorcycle ride through the mountains today. Might have been for the best since everyone in Atlanta has decided to go to the mountains for viewing the eclipse tomorrow. On the bright side I got to have a leisurely morning and shave. The scrub and backbone of the Amigos brush was a big plus while face lathering. Three passes ended in a near perfect shave. I remembered the 1/4 pass on my lower right neck and decided to go for it this morning. The last 1/4 pass is the ticket for me getting a perfect shave. A splash of F&C Capri and I am ready for the day. I hope everyone has a great Sunday.
     
    jtspartan, NCoxSTL, RyX and 10 others like this.
  17. Bama Samurai

    Bama Samurai with Laser-like Focus

    Hi guys! Big shout out to Cartel Central and the Czar himself for a nice evening in St Charles.

    Been super busy.......

    Left CO Saturday morning, drove 821 and stayed in MO. Short Day! Only four hours or so until Murray KY...

    The shaves....

    I've been sticking to the rule at home.

    Road gear:

    Barbasol
    Schick G
    Schick Injector
    Alum
    Adidas Dynamic Pulse
    M&L Florida Water

    Thanks again to Neal and his wife. It's a true joy to actually see Neal in person after all these months writing together on the thread. The conversation was great, steaks were rare, and we even stayed for dessert!

    Next person that asks about cookies has to babysit Igor and Ivan after Tuesday night bowling. So.....

    Keep it classy, St Charles! I am on the road to KY!

    Other than that... All is road noise in my Ford.

    Have a nice Sunday!

    [​IMG]
     
    jtspartan, RyX, SharptoothC and 10 others like this.
  18. NCoxSTL

    NCoxSTL AAACK!

    Stay safe! Be sure to duck as you go around the bend in STL. That keeps you below the level of the stray bullets flying about! Totally enjoyed the evening as well! You're welcome to stop by HQ anytime.
     
    RyX, SharptoothC, FaceScraper and 8 others like this.
  19. RetLEO-07

    RetLEO-07 likes his penguin deep fried, with pink sparkles

    Great Success!!
     
  20. Rufus T.

    Rufus T. Late for dinner

    All the wonderfully beautiful offspring photos being displayed here recently and then we're subjected to this?!!! :scared001:

    Quick, where's my Eclipse Glasses? my eyes are melting! :happy005:


    AAACK!!!! :scared011:
    IMG_0578.JPG
    @Bama Samurai @NCoxSTL
     
    twhite, RyX, SharptoothC and 9 others like this.
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