June 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Thank you, Andrew! It was a ridiculous purchase, to be sure, but so far it's been decent, and I'm hoping it will be even better tomorrow with the minor adjustments I've made

 

Originally I did look at the AC shavettes and some of the SE's as well, but the DE's were so easy to get, and cheaper. Getting the 77-a's was just a stupid COVID shut-in nonsense purchase

 

Thank you, Clint!

 

Awesome, Clint--nothing like tossing in a bit of pleasure with business!

 

I hope you’re able to enjoy your time away, Clint!

 

Just the Basics June!

June 11

Razor - Feather SS Artist Club (pain stick)
Blade -
Soap - Stirling Ozark Mountain
Brush - Jayaruh #54
Post - Alum

It's a Friday night guys and gals and time to celebrate the end of the week (for some anyway) with a great shave. I'm sticking with the Feather SS and Pro blade. Went with Stirling Ozark Mountain for one of my favorite scents and that world-famous Stirling lather. The JR54 is a classy brush that is a spot-on lather maker. Great lather, and a smooth effort with the Feather SS. I had the angle from the very first set down so that lip thingy on it didn't throw me for even a stroke. Finished three passes with near-BBS and alum mostly quiet. Great way to go into a Saturday! Hope you have a great weekend and get out and do something fun. Even if it is from six feet away.

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Everyone does not like Tabac, everyone loves Tabac. The bowl is classy just like the soap. Great news about your brides progress.

all in a days work.

 

Saturday Shave: A big Friodur for the weekend, this is an odd one it that it i a 1/4 inch longer than a standard straight. Wish is was the normal length but she takes a wicked edge. Barrister Reserve and the Shavemac worked great together and the shave was excellent.

 

Thanks, Clint.

 

Great shave with the usual top tier gear, Keith! Love that razor display stand.

 

Really enjoyed your detailed report, Tim! Sounds like from an ergonomic perspective the transition to a straight should be pretty straightforward!

 

SOTD SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2020

One of the issues with having too many great-shaving safety razors is deciding which razor to shave with each day. I've had some incredible shaves with my Auto Strop razors this month. My VB2 display model delivered an incredible shave, but the VC4, the last and only model with a safety bar, delivered one of the closest shaves I’ve ever had from any safety razor, modern or vintage, which I reported on last week. A FB shave brother from nearby Delaware, and Auto Strop collector of many years, contacted me on messenger. He asked for my mailing address, as he wanted me to try a shave with the model he felt was the best, the VC1

The nickel plated VC1 arrived two days ago and was an extra from a lot he’d recently purchased on EBay. He’d examined it and pronounced it mechanically sound, but neglected (read ‘dirty’). After a good scrub with Dawn, whitening toothpaste, and an aluminum foil boiling water baking soda soak, it cleaned up nicely. Following an overnight Barbicide soak, it was ready for a shave this morning. According to the Waits Compendium, the VC1 was released in 1922, a year after the VB1 and continued to be produced through 1929. It was the last true Auto Strop model before Gaisman acquired Gillette and blade protection measures became a regular part of the Auto Strop models that followed under Gillette auspices (VB2, VC2, VC3, VC4).

My benefactor insisted on the use of a despined Gem blade. Thanks to an excellent video by Jim Roe of Jayaruh Shaving (@Jayaruh), preparing the Gem blade for use in the Auto Strop VC1 was easy. After an early morning shower and cold water rinse, I lathered up with the Jayaruh Custom Boar #374 and Nancy Boy Signature shave cream enhanced with the usual 6 drops of M-Bomb. The razor is about 5 grams lighter than my VB2 and VC4, which made no appreciable difference in the shave which was very good, although not quite as close as my VC4 shave. It was still an excellent BBS, but fell a bit shy of the velveteen level. I’m not sure whether to attribute it to the blade. I’ve noticed that the first shave with a Feather FHS-10 was always closer than subsequent shaves, which is also true for their DE blades. Two passes (WTG, ATG) produced a very acceptable mug and noggin BBS. Tomorrow I’ll repeat the shave with a Feather blade. But today I do feel clean, smooth, cool and refreshed. Alum revealed very slight heat around the Adam’s Apple.

RAZOR: Valet Auto Strop (Model VC1)
BLADE: Despined Pella PTFE Gem
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: Jayaruh Custom Boar #374
CREAM: Nancy Boy Signature
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Nancy Boy Signature Scent Cooling After-Shave Gel.

 

Great report and great first shave with your newly acquired razor!, Jeff!

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

 

Thanks, Jim! I really liked the price.

 

Good news, Charlie.

 

I have. It was unusual, Jeff.

 

Yes, they are, Tim.

 

Gemini Shave Month (Twin shaves-same set up two days in a row).

Reduction Weekend # 9 Shave # 1

Rating: 5 / 5

Razor: Razor Retro Shavette
Blade: Univinlions
Brush: Jayaruh 381 Badger/Boar
Lather: Stache Soap Works E Barber
Aftershave: Stirling Barbershop
Additional Care:
Barbero Alum Block
Thayer's Witch Hazel - Aloe Vera
Stirling Unscented Glacial Balm

Fabulous and efficient travel shave with the shavette. Comfortable morning here in the south. Getting ready for a long day of driving. At least I have tremendous smoothness and smelling good.

 

Thank you, Clint.