Thursday morning’s Grand Freeze

Stirling Mentholated Pre Shave Soap
Yaqi 30mm Barber Pole
Junjie/Wilkinson Sword day 9
Stirling Glacial Wintergreen SS
Stirling Glacial Wintergreen ASB
Stirling Glacial Wintergreen Witch Hazel
Givenchy Gentleman EdT

It’ll probably take all day for my face to thaw out after using this setup because it’s so damned FRIGID. The mentholated pre shave soap from Stirling is quite chilly but it’s warm in comparison to the Glacial Wintergreen soap which has a delightful scent that fills the bathroom, the tallow formula gives the lather such richness and slickness, the cushion is great, the menthol sensation is so potent, and the skincare is perfect. The matching balm and witch hazel kept the freeze going, the scent is exactly the same as the soap, and they’re so skin friendly. The Givenchy Gentleman eau de toilette has a lovely scent which is spicy and exotic - it gets me a lot of compliments when I wear it. Three passes left me smoother than silk - what a great shave this was!

Enjoy your day and your shaves - be well and safe!



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SOTD THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 19, 2022

Had a visit from Jeff (@jmudrick) , a very knowledgeable shave brother currently residing about 5 hours away from me. Folks at TSD, B&B, DFS, and many other online Shave Forums know his handle and respect his seemingly exhaustive safety razor shave knowledge, particularly about French safety razors. He introduced me to my beloved, noggin-shaving Shake Sharps, Speed Razor/Shavers, French Cagehead razors of every stripe, and this remarkable little French razor, the Vib’Raz.

Jeff’s a fascinating guy who spent much of his life in Cambodia where he owned/ran a number of entertainment venues (i.e. bars). He was visiting friends in nearby Hatfield, and since I happened to be on his way home asked to stop by. Retired now, like me, and a great raconteur, we discovered in our conversation a shared love for both razors and Vietnamese food. I brought him to my favorite local Vietnamese restaurant and we enjoyed Bunh with pork and summer rolls. He left with my Ronson razor in hand.

Unlike the King Oscillator, traceable to Minneapolis in the 1920’s, which had a single rotor in the cap and actually moved the blade from side to side as one shaved, the twin rotors in the cap of the French Vib’Raz really don’t appear to contribute much. This razor appears designed to encourage “riding the cap”. My safety razor technique evolved to riding the bar or OC years ago. Despite that I tried riding the cap and promptly nicked myself on the back of my noggin. Returning to riding the bar resolved that issue, and two ATG dome passes later I was as smooth as I could expect to be with this razor.

My son in addition to ‘borrowing’ my 9 Ball slate, retrieved his Shapton glass stones prior to him and my grandson taking off to fly fish the Ausable River last Sunday. As a result, and with guidance from a friend, I acquired three Shapton Kuromaku stones, the 1.5k, 5k, and the 8k to sit between my Chosera 1k and 12k. My Puma 88 suffers from microchips in the edge. So last night, I rebuilt the bevel after killing the existing edge on this new progression. I was so happy with the results that I did the final polish on the Gokumyo 20k.

The bevel was smooth as a mirror under magnification, and the resulting three pass mug shave was amazing. My mug is velveteen smooth, but the dome not quite in the same category. I’d always enjoyed my shaves with the Puma 88, but never really understood the enthusiasm so many owners had for this brand. I now realize that I’d been shaving with an unoptimized edge. I'm very happy with my current waterstone progression. I no longer strop after finishing with the Gokumyo. There’s no need since spine leading strokes are incorporated into the Gokumyo finish.

RAZOR: Puma 88 5/8 (Mug), Vib’Raz Safety Razor (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a heavy scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: BG Custom Two Band Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys WH. Finished with PAA Rabid Banana Star Jelly AS Balm.

Yeah I think for the Vib'Raz to work as intended the cap and rollers needs to engage the skin (so pressure needed). Sorry this one didn't work out for you.

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No big deal, Jeff! It was only the first shave. I’ll use it a few more times! I feel the same way about the Ronson! It shaves well for me. Have fun with it!

Yes sir, it's a pretty good unscented.

8/19/1942

Edwin Jagger 89 / Gillette Platinum
Yaqi Synthetic
Fine Accoutrements / Italian Citrus

8/19/1942

thursday
brit fb new
nacet
simpson
tobs


​

DE SOTD, Thursday, May 19 2022. Final test shave with Aggressive razors for a while.

Razor : Yaqi Beast 2 - Med higher aggression range- Combination of 2 different Yaqi razor heads(melon head top cap, flipside base plate) this combination makes for a very nice shave with very manageable blade feel with a steep approach(riding the bar), safety bar side is aggressive side and the open comb side is tamer for working the chin and other sensitive areas. Instant adjustable with a 180 degree flip. I like this combination for a very close shave using a short hand (2 3/4 inches). It will give most razors a run for quality shave results any day with the right technique & from my limited experiences using aggressive razors over the years. This razor is for fellows who enjoy some blade feel IMO and shaves most of the time giving a excellent shave issue free results.

Blade : Gillette 7oClock SP(3) sharp & Smoooth with reasonable longevity.
Soap :Ach Brito Lavanda cream- very nice mild scent with excellent lather qualities.
Brush : Yaqi 24mm dandelion synthetic- excellent lather generator, heavenly cloud like soft tips, nice gentle scrub + excellent painter.
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups.
Post shave : Ach Brito Lavanda AS with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results :CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + no weepers= Excellent shave(24hrs growth) with my Yaqi beast 2 with a Gillette 7oClock SP blade.


Have some great shaves!

Thursday Shave

Lather: PAA CK-6 Scentsless soap
Brush: restored Mohawk
Razor: Rockwell 6C R2 plate
Blade: Wizamet
After: Southern Witchcrafts Incorporeal splash

Cold water shave


First outing for another restored brush. This handle says Mohawk Canada. It had a large 26mm knot. It cleaned up nicely and I gave it a big soft 26mm Plisson style knot. It was very pleasant on my face.

Very smooth comfortable shave with the Rockwell and Wizamet blade.

friday work shave
french new rfb/re handle
nacet
rr 400 synthetic
taconic lime
c&e lime balm

​

The new Clubman shave jar(brushless cream)looks like the Taconic(different design and lettering, of course). Might give it a try sometime.

Aaand..the way it is for Friday(20th):

prep-Nivea 4 Men Bodywash(Fresh Wave)-in shower
shave-Razorock (Lime Burst)puck.
brush-Jayaruh#59
razor-Gillette Sensor Deuce Pivot DisposeABLE
A.S.-Stoylin Glacial Lime

SOTD Friday May 20, 2022

Brush: Simpson T3 Trafalgar
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper Bowl
Pre: None
Lather: Proraso Green
Razor: Henson AL13 Mild
Blade: Astra Superior Platinum
Razor: Gillette Styler
Post: Omega Alum Block
Post: Thayers Unscented
Post: Aveeno Daily
Have a great day!

Friday SOTD


Razor: Ever-Ready 1924\Razor Emporium Ball End
Blade: Gem PTFE SS (D5)
Brush: Zenith 506U Manchurian 26m
Bowl: Supply Provision Marble 4.5"
Pre-Shave Scrub: Holy Black True Grit – Coffee
Pre-Shave Balm: GroomingDept Chamomile & Lemon
Shave Soap: Chatillon Lux La Foret de Liguest
Balm: Saponificio Varesino Puro Burro di Karitè
Aftershave: Chatillon Lux La Foret de Liguest
​

Fine Friday



Gillette ‘67 M2 Slim @6 / Polsilver Super Iridium
Elite Razor Fire and Ice 24mm Manchurian White Fan
Fine Accoutrements Platinum Shaving Soap & Aftershave​

Mühle R89
Personna Platinum (3)
RazoRock Keyhole
Palmolive Sensitive SC
Tabac AS

Have a great day!

Oceanbrass Stateroom Brass Razor
Voskhod Teflon
Maggard 2 Band
MDC Original Soap
Aloe Vera
A&E Asian Pear Aftershave

Shaved with the Milord I found last weekend. Yes it's just a gold Super Speed but when you want a smooth, comfy shave, the humble SS tough to beat.

FRIDAY'S SHAVE​

Perfumed by James Heeley



Razor - Edwin Jagger "Kelvin"
Blade - *10th Shave
Shave Brush - Scaramouche+Fandango 22mm "Ultra-Soft" Synthetic
Razor/Brush Stand by Royal Shave
Cream - Pacific Shaving Co. (Cooling Spearmint)
Pacific Shaving Co. Travel Lather Bowl *Souvenir from the Big Shave S'West 2019
Aftershave - Thayers "Medicated" Witch Hazel
Balm - Pacific Shaving Co. (Cooling Spearmint)
Deodorant - Protex - Camphor Medicated Charcoal Talc *Ships from Japan or Thailand
Fragrance - Heeley Parfums "Esprit du Tigre"

Friday's Shave


Cold Water Rinse
Mitchell's Wool Fat Shave Soap
Jayaruh #423
F1 Tech
Gillette Silver Blue
CWR
Granddad's Blend AS

The Mitchell's Wool Fat Shave Soap lathered well with the Jayaruh #423 Badger Brush. Two passes and touch ups with the F1 Tech Razor with a Gillette Silver Blue Blade gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse I finished off with Granddad's Blend AS. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...