Feb. 6: Hell Week Continues...
As I was looking at the spreadsheet for scores, I became pretty despondent: 5 shaves, and only two of them qualified for a score--the rest were "Dead Is Dead." Morale was low. I needed a win today. Badly. It did not help that my next razor down memory lane was the MMOC...
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When I first started shaving with this razor I quickly discovered that it loves to bite, and if it wasn't biting, it was burning. Last month's 30DC was devoted to taming it, and it worked. Armed with my new skills, and Blair's
@b1hart inspiring thoughts yesterday on "reverse pressure", I kept the shave light and blood-free. I'm 50/50 now--hardly a win, but I'll take what I can get.
Week 1 Gear
- Blade: Gem SS (1)
- Brush: Kong
- Soap: Soap Commander "Drive"
- AS: Clubman Original
- Balm: Nivea Sensitive "Cooling"
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The Shave
Light, light, light "reverse pressure" shaving WTG on the 1st pass knocked some stubble off, but not tons. No biggie. "I'm a shaving-for-comfort guy now," I kept telling myself. Might even get that tattooed right under my "Reverse Pressure" tattoos on my right and left forearms. Towards the end, I snagged the corner of my mouth, and it felt like I got bit. I thought some rather choice expletives, but prolonged scrutiny revealed no blood, so... no foul. Shave on, Johnny!
Pass 2 (XTG), went without a hitch. Not quite as close as I'm used to, but that's a good thing now. I find myself chanting "Reverse Pressure," like a Tibetan monk--my new mantra.
Pass 3 (ATG), goes similarly well. I know for a fact that the south pole of the goat-zone is going to be rough with no touch-ups allowed, but after this week, even if I allowed myself touch-ups, I'd probably forego them. Gotta log this a bloodless win--don't get greedy.
Scores
Comfort: light, but noticeable, irritation along the corners of my mouth and upper lip. Comfort score: 3
Closeness: BBS with scattered areas of DFS and CCS. I'm tempted to log this as DFS, but the south pole and parts of the jaw are particularly bothersome to me. I'm calling it a DFS/CCS--score: 2
Reflection
Something I've noticed. Ever since cutting menthol for this month's 30DC, gone are the 'irritation-free' shaves. I find that odd. It could be that the refreshing tingle I've been feeling throughout the day has actually been a numbed irritation. Years ago there was a song that profoundly said, "I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all." Lately I've been thinking about that phrase--it's incredibly... stupid.
I want my menthol back! Click to expand...
