SOTD Saturday 8-11-2012 Edwin Jagger DE86 w/Crystal Proraso PSC Salters Wild Rose SC Parker Badger Dickinson's Witch Hazel Brut Original ASB Royal Copenhagen Musk ASL
Blind Blade Test, Shave of the Day (SOTD) Saturday August 11, 2012 Prep: Brush soaking in ice water, face scrub with TSD Sandalwood soap, Tepid Water Shower Razor: FaTip Chrome on iKOn Handle (it took about 20 wraps of teflon tape to get the handle to work) Blade: Blind Blade Test Blade #8, Shave #3 Brush: Semogue 1438 Boar Soap: Tabac AS: Brut Post: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Rub, Cold Water Rinse, Double Splash Of Aftershave. This is day twenty-two of the blind blade test, which is the last shave with blade number eight. I cheated with today's blind blade test. Instead of using the same gear, I wanted to try the blade in a razor that I would be using on a regular basis. I had my wife load the FaTip after I wrapped the threads of the cap in teflon tape. I also wanted to try the Semogue 1438 Boar in an ice water soak for a cold water shave. The Semogue 1438 Boar is hands down my favorite brush. It had some breaking in from the previous owner Brian (SharpSpine) and I have been lathering with it daily since it arrived (although not using it for my shave routine). The bristles are very soft, much softer than the Vie-Long Beehive Horse Hair, almost as soft as my vintage Stanley Home Badger. What I love about this brush is the size of the knot, loft and handle. Combine that with an excellent backbone and incredible softness and you have yourself a near perfect brush that has a retail price under $21.00 USD Today I bowl lathered so I could at least do everything as close as possible to the routine of the blind blade test. The 1438 is a lathering machine. I had enough lather left over in my bowl for at least 3 more passes. There is now no other brushes for me. I will do a few re-knots to two vintage brushes that I own, but when it comes to purchasing a new brush, the only brushes that I will spend my money on are going to be Semogue.
Saturday: Soak brush/Shavemac custom 167 2 band, d01/Ayars Bowl warm shower Proraso PrePost Proraso Green shave cream (new formula) Gillette 40's style SS W-1/Gillette Silver Blue (4) cold water rinse Monster Block Alum cold water rinse Thayer's Medicated Superhazel Proraso splash (new formula) followed with Proraso Aftershave balm (new formula) Very nice shave today,2 pass face,1 pass head,BBS all around,enjoy the weekend everyone !!!!
Arley, when I saw the Ikon handle on the Fatip head I wondered how it fit 'cause I tried my Ikon handle to the Fatip and it didn't work. I never thought about thread tape. (DUH!) The Fatip looks great on the Ikon Bulldog! Congrats on sticking with it on that test. Using the same razor for an entire month would be torture for me!
Saturday, August 11, 2012. Good Morning! Morning Coffee: Dunkin Donuts Prep: Wash face with O Melhor Soap Razor: Schick I1 Blade: Schick Soap: Prairie Creations KISS Brush: Vulfix 406 Burlington Scuttle/Mug: Schwarzweisskeramik Post: Cold water rinse followed by some Floid Blue & Prairie Creations Balm
FaTip (or whoever is the OEM for them) seems to have major issues with their quality control. There is a thread across the street about which handles fit on which FaTip head. It is all over the place, some have perfect fits with iKon, Weber, Tradere and many others, while others have no luck. I know that my brother can get his to fit the iKon with no modification, for me, it took many, many wraps of the Teflon tape. Some people have paired other top caps, such as the Merkur 1904 or EJ89 to use the FaTip baseplate with another handle, but in my opinion, then it is no longer a FaTip, but a Frankenrazor.
Saturday 08/11/2012 The beginnings of great day start with the luxury of a great shower. A bar of natural soap turns an ordinary shower into a great shower. The second part of a great start is a traditional wet shave. After the shower the bathroom is warm and steamy. The soap has been warming in the sink and the brush soaking the warmth of the water. The brush removed from the warmth of the water, it dances atop the soap. As it dances the tips begin to fill with soapy goodness, the soap exploding onto the brush, then to the awaiting bowl. Swirling along the sides the bubbles turning into mounds of snow capped lather. The face eagerly awaits the warm lather, face prepped, final whip of lather loading the brush. The brush works the lathery magic into the face, whiskers coming to attention. Each crevice of the face covered, whiskers standing awaiting the first pass. The chosen razor and blade now in hand. Slowly down one side, then the other, done the slopes of the neck. Face re-lathered for the second swipe, this one is up stroke first up the neck, then up the cheeks. The face lathered for the final pass of east to west. The water runs in the sink to chill it, splashing it liberally on the freshly shaven face. Wetting the alum to tone the face, then patting dry a clean shaven mug. Finishing it with a cooling splash of after shave. Today's Tools Proraso glycerin Omega "48" Mama Bear's Hydrogen Gillette SS black handle Mystery blade Cold water, RazoRock Alum, Kanaga Water. Results; Near perfection DFS
I agree with you on that Arley. There is nothing wrong with changing handles IMHO but changing caps or baseplates creates an entirely new head and the products identity is muddled and lost. (Not that there is anything wrong with creating a Frankenrazor if that's what someone really wants to do but, then it's just a Frankenrazor.) The YMMV rule applies here!
Wade and Wingfield 5/8 w/Ivory Scales (19th century) PC Woodworks and Pens Silvertip Brush with Snakewood Handle AOS Ocean Kemp SC TSD Iced Grapefruit Witch Hazel Mama Bear's Iced Grapefruit AS Balm tunes-Andrew Bird this was my Fri shave
Saturday: Hot water splash / 30 minute soak in TSD ISZ Pre / Proraso Cream / EJ DE89L w/ Feather / RazoRock / Osage Rub
08/11/12 Started out the day with a fresh hair cut from my awesome wife! She did my son's as well. Then off for a nice 2 pass shave, and my son with a no blade shave! Me: Razor: Parker 22R Blade: Shark Super Chrome Omega Shave Soap Brush: El Cheapo My Son: Razor: Parker 22R Blade: NONE! Omega Shave Soap Brush: El Cheapo I swear my nearly 5 year old son is BBS every time!
August 10 Face Wash: Nivea Moisturizing Face Wash Pre-Shave Lather: Institut Karite Shave Oil: Homemade shave oil Razor: Merkur 38M Blade: Ladas (2) Brush: Vulfix 660S Soap/Cream: TABAC!! Post: 5Savages ASL (WH, Vodka, EdC), The Body Shop Razor Relief ASB DFS! Unfortunately a nasty cankor sore is preventing me from my usually facial twists and turns so it's preventing me from a BBS. Still, pretty darn good! The second go-round of the Ladas is turning out better than the first time. I think I'll be able to keep them. Now to find out which of my razors they work well in. I may have a razor or two to PIF when this is all done.
Saturday Morning Belated post. Where do Saturdays go?? Pre (yard work, Eucerin, cool shower) Simpsons Milk Churn Institut Karite SS Merkur 1904 Open Comb w/ (not sure)??? Post (Cetaphil, cold water rinse, Master Bay Rum, BBQ!) DFS+/BBS- by means of wtg, xtg, atg, touch-ups. The 1904 just isn't aggressive enough to give me a true BBS shave. Very comfortable. Institut Karite = pure moisture! I've been fortunate to have great success lathering this soap. Luxurious IMHO.
