Your "butterknife" is more deadly than the straight he's learning with!

January - Shavettes and Jeeves!

January 4

Razor - Feather SS Artist Club (pain stick)
Blade - (1)
Soap - Jeeves of Hudson Street Bay Rum
Brush - 30 DC LE
Post - Alum

After two shaves on the DX it's time to switch to the SS and see if I can tell what, if any, differences there are. My plan is to go two shaves with the SS to give it time for me to detect any subtleties. I'm using the same soap and just rotating my synthetic brushes to keep the lather consistent. Fresh Feather Pro blade for the SS. Should be a fair comparison of the difference in the actual razor head design.

So, when it comes to detecting subtleties, let me just cut through the fog and say it straight. It isn't a subtle difference after two days with the DX. The difference between these two is, well, not quite night and day but certainly early morning and late afternoon. The SS, which I have used now for at least 3 years, is a rough customer compared to the DX. I felt like the razor was actually dragging - once I finally got the angle right to get beard reduction. I tried to determine the cause of the drag. It wasn't the blade, as I'll explain in a second. It's coming from two possible sources. Either it's caused by the extra lip on the razor (supposedly put there for safety) as it creates friction following the blade, or it's caused by the slightly steeper angle needed to keep the blade cutting without coming off of the face due to the lip being there. Perhaps a combination of the two. Whatever it is, it's real. Also, starting each pass was a process of setting down then rolling into place to get it cutting. With the DX I could set down at an angle flush with the head and it was ready to go. You have to slightly roll over the lip on the SS to get the angle. Any slight deviation to shallow it up causes it to stop shaving and any deviation to steepen it causes drag and puts you in a more likely position to cut yourself.

After the first pass I decided to test my theory a bit and get a head start on the CJB comparison. I did half of the second pass with the SS. Same issues as the first pass. I then loaded the CJB with its DX clone head and did the other half. Smooth as silk, no feeling of being "off the angle" and a much better finish. Clearly the design of the SS, while usable with a lot of practice, has some built in flaws that create drag, make angles more difficult and not only reduces effectiveness (potentially) but also increases risk of bloody messes.

Figuring out the exact differences has made my discomfort with the SS over the past few years more understandable. I have often picked it up then switched to the Kai or CJB telling myself I shouldn't ignore them. In the back of my mind, though, I was struggling with less than perfect shaves with the SS and memories of some nasty cuts as well. It's all starting to become clear!

Tomorrow I'm going to do a full shave with the CJB just to give it a full run. It is a clone of the DX but is not the same build quality. In fact, when drying it tonight I accidentally knocked the sliding door off sending the blade flying across the room. Not a great thing to happen. It's much harder to do that with the Kai or either Feather as the doors fit flush and more tightly. But, I'm interested in the shave result. Build quality is just a hazard you sometimes deal with.

Have a great weekend everyone!

​

Thank you, Clint!
Have the girls both left?

Please, your kind attention to the following official announcement from Cartel HQ.

It is with much joy and excitement that our Events and Entertainment Committee announces with pride that we will indeed have a Meet-Up in 2019!!

The dates are -

June 21, 22, 23

The location will again be in the greater St. Louis area surrounding our most glorious headquarters.

More details will be made available shortly as well as a separate discussion area for the event. The sooner you can let us know that you plan to attend the better! I will be reserving a block of rooms within the next week so early reservations can be made for those who want.

We will have a 2019 Limited Edition soap/AS available for the meet up as well as another surprise or two.

Yes, I know, it's 6 months away, but I hope this will give some of you more time to plan and be able to come enjoy some time together. Last year was a really good time as the attendees will attest and the more the merrier!​

@NCoxSTL - boom!

@Drygulch - nice work keeping it in house. Kudos.

You really should consider closing the open blade before travel, it’s much safer that way Charlie.

Yes they are. I had one mishap with a straight while in a hotel. I was touching up a blade holding the stone in my palm and had a finger to high, and hit my fingertip. It’s a lesson you only need to learn once.

@wristwatchb

Concur! I will travel with shavettes when I am staying with a relative or friend, but rarely in hotels or new cities, for the reasons you've stated. But, as we all know, DFS can be had with any razor, open or not.

Awesome razor Keith.

Gentlemen, Thank you

I found the SS very difficult to use compared the DX or CJB

Looking forward to it comrade. Should be another great time. And congratulations on finalizing the adoption of the toggle from Adam.

January 4
Late evening shave

Craftsman 9207
Mwf
Jayaruh 147
Nivea post shave balm
Myrsol Don Miguel

Great shave tonight with the Friday fat, two passes and I had a close smooth shave.

I shudder to think of what adding kudzu vine to my Den would do to my attempts at controlling the growth.

One of the best quotes I have seen on straights and shavettes. So true.

And now my hunt begins again! I’m glad it’s in a good home. I have so many razors that it wasn’t getting used much. Negotiations with Mrs. Gultch resulted in me getting “the look” and having to buy her another drink. I’ll post my new “wall art” after I win the auction.

That is a sexy beast of a razor.

Pretty sure Mrs. Gulch could take Natalie. Dynamite comes in small packages too. I’d hate to see the cartel’s enforcement arm get broken like that.

My first open blade razor was the Artist Club SS. I used it for a month and a half, learned a lot about a light touch and feeling the angle. I bled several times, but it helped me focus on shaving based on the blade feel and sound, rather than looking. I went to traditional straights after that month and a half, and haven’t really looked back. I have a CJB somewhere, with some Dorco and Kai blades. It is easier to use than the SS, but because I learned to shave by feel, it wasn’t a huge change for me. More comfortable to use though.

EDRIO shave number 2: Case Brothers Tested XX. This is the oldest American Straight I own (for now,) and it holds a wicked edge. Mama Bear and Fine for the soft ware, and a theee pass DFS was had. Almost a BBS. Alum was silent, and no irritation.

I remember when you posted ‘the look’ from Ms. Drygulch I’m sure they will quickly become friends spelling trouble for the rest of us.