SoS: February 10, 2014 - February 16, 2014

Bonus Head Shave - Valentine's Day 2014

Razor: Gillette Tech Fat Handle PreWar
Blade: Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum
Soap: Maca Root Cream
Brush: Omega 31025
Post: Captain's Choice Lime



Stubble on the scalp was pretty long and so I had to work at it a little bit. Still, only 2 passes with some light touch up on the lower neck. Near BBS all over the scalp.

 

Saturday



DFS+++​

 

Saturday

Prep: Hot Shower-Stirling Bath Soap
Soap: TOBS Avocado Cream
Razor: Gillette NEW Short Comb
Blade: Voskhod (4)
Brush: Whipped Dog Synthetic 24mm x 58mm
Aftershave: Proraso Green

WTG-XTG-ATG (adjusted angle for my beard a bit)

I went with the TOBS Avocado today. It is one of my favorite creams.It has a nice clean, fresh scent and produces great thick, cushioning lather with a lot of glide. Swirling the tips for 10 seconds to load the WD Synthetic gave me more than enough lather for a 3-pass shave! The NEW and Voskhod did a superb job together on this 4th shave with the blade. I finished with Proraso Green AS.

Bob

 

Shave of the Day, February 15 - 2014



Razor Gillette Tech Gold Milord 1940
Blade Rapira
Soap Tabac stick
After shave HBG Bayrum
Brush pure badger

 

Saturday:

L'Oreal Men Expert Facial Wash
Large Horsehair Barbershop
Super Speed/Permasharp day 6
Egyptian Palmolive Menthol SC
444 AS Balm
Alcolado Glacial Menthol Splash
Pe Re Ja Lemon Cologne

I finally started to love the Egyptian version of Palmolive Menthol cream. Although the Italian version smells nicer, this stuff smells pretty damned good when you come to think about it and the lather is also very pleasurable to work with as is the case with all Palmolive creams. The menthol sensation from this cream is POTENT, just like the Italian version and it's just as soothing. The 444 balm (danke sehr, Thorsten!) and the Alcolado Glacial made the end of this splendid shave so frigid and nice!

 

Dove Men's Face Wash
Van Der Hagen Deluxe Shaving Soap
Parker Black Badger
Gillette Fat Handle Tech
Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Stainless (7)
CWR
Thayers Cucumber WH
Aqua Velva Ice Blue

The Parker black badger brush face lathered the Van Der Hagen deluxe shaving soap into a rich lather. Two passes and touch ups on the neck with the Gillette fat handle tech and Gillette 7 O'Clock SS blade left me with a near BBS shave. I finished off with a cold water rinse followed by Thayers Cucumber WH and Aqua Velva Ice Blue after shave. I'm feeling clean, smooth, and refreshed...

 

Gillette New LC
Voskhod
Oscar11 Purple Omega
Xpec SC
Alum
Superior 70

A very nice shave today.

 

Two pass bliss
I went back to Tabac today and I think I'll stay a while. I used it almost exclusively for the first month or so after I got it, and after testing lots of others, and finding too many keepers, I want to return and stay for a bit. Tabac is so easy and smooth and kind to my skin.
I made two passes with my Frankenrazor, using a generous coating of Synergy Butter Balm before the ATG pass. My skin is still smooth, and I get faint whiffs of the coconut bay even now as it combines with the Krampert's bay rum splash. I really like the flask, and if there is any drawback, it's the lack of a flow limiter for the pour. Before I got good at using my finger to limit it, I got a few unintentional double splashes!

Prep: cool face wash with She Moisture TBS
Soap: Tabac!
Brush: HIS
Razor: Frankenrazor
Blade: Gillette 7 o'clock sharp edge yellow
Synergy Coconut Bay Butter Balm before ATG
AS: Krampert's Finest Bay Rum

 

SATURDAY
Three-Piece Razor Week, Day 6

Pre: Hot shower, Shea Moisture Facial Scrub, Homemade PSO
Razor: H. Böker & Co. 5/8
Strop: Whipped Dog 3"
Brush: Simpson Wee Scot
Lather: L'Occitane Cade soap
Shave: 3 passes, plus minor touch-up
Post: Cold water rinse, alum block, Ogallala Bay Rum 'Lime & Peppercorn' aftershave

I fell off the 3-piece razor bandwagon this morning due to the allure of a freshly-stropped straight razor.
A complete 3-pass shave with only slight touch-up = darn near BBS result.
One of my better straight razor shaves!

Have a blessed Saturday, all!

 

Saturn's Day (Speick Saturday):

Prep: Hot compress
Brush: Simpson 56 Best Badger
Cream: Speick
Razor: Merkur 41c 1904 OC
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum (1)
Passes: WTG (1)
Post: Cold water rinse, Speick AS

Without enough preshave lotion left to adequately coat my cheeks, I opted for the milder 41c razor this morning instead of the more aggressive FaTip. It helped, but I found I really did miss the extra glide provided by the preshave, and settled for a one pass SAS this morning. No nicks, weepers, or irritation to speak of, but the shave just felt rougher than I've grown accustomed to.

 

Razor: Rhodium Plated Fat Boy
Blade: Gillette 7 O’clock Blue (D4)
Brush: Vie-long Beehive 24mm Horse hair
Bowl: Dirty Bird 1.5 Scuttle
Pre Shave Soap: Nivea Energy Face Scrub
Pre Shave Oil: Homemade Lime & Spearmint
Shave Soap: Strop Shoppe Black Tie
Post: Monster Alum Block
Aftershave: Davidoff Cool Waters ASB


​

 

SOTD Feb 15 -- Blade safari day 14 -- Three Piece theme week

Prep: hot towel
Razor: WW2 Gillette Khaki with ball end handle
Blade: Israel Personna/Crystal (day 2)
Brush: Vie-Long
Soap: Arko shave stick
Passes: 3 (2 WTG, XTG)
Post: Alum, Dove Men Hydrate+ AS balm

It's hard to beat the Arko shave stick for ease of lather! The lather could have been a little thinner, but did its job well no the less. I added an extra WTG pass to make up for yesterdays "timid" shave, not too sure I needed it. There was next to no audible feed back with the second WTG pass so I'm not sure how much closer it made my shave, but it did give me a nick on my neck.. must have had a razor bump.

As expected, finishing with the alum was not "soothing". That not to say I was holding back expletives either. I went into this shave planning on pushing the Crystal blade with the full knowledge of what that can lead to. I got a smooth face, not DFS smooth but smooth all the same.

 

SOTD Saturday 2-15-2014

5/8 Frederick Reynolds "Hamburg Ring", Full Hollow, Spike Point
Proraso PSC
Proraso SC
GT G4 Scuttle
Omega boar
Dickinson's Witch Hazel
Nivea replenishing ASB
Mennen Original Skin Bracer

 

Saturday morning, February 15, 2014

Schick E2 Injector with Schick blade (7)
Semogue 1305 boar bristle brush,
Arko shaving soap with hot water lather,
finish with cold water rinse for a CCS!

 

Merkur 37C (Slant)
Rapira Swede (d3)
Arko (in bowl)- Face Lather
Vulfix 2235
Dickenson Witch Hazel
Clubman A/S

 

Still fighting this Upper Respiratory Infection so another simple 2 pass face / 1 pass head shave. Not DFS but it makes me feel better.

​

 

A quick picture since I've not been posting my SOTD very regular.
~ QCS shave soap, Basilica.
~ One of the VDH boar bristle brushes to face and palm lather the small sliver of QCS that is left.
~ Parker 22R loaded with a Personna Med Prep.
~ Clinique moisturizer followed by Ogallala Bay Rum/Sandalwood after shave.
~ Wen styling cream for the hair.

I still hear people on occasion being negative about the Parker razors. I'm not sure if I just got an exception for the brand or what but I have enjoyed this razor for several years now with no issues. With the QC issues they had in the past I'm glad it has worked out for me. Considering that it is made of brass compared to newer brands being made of pot metal (not all just some) I believe it will out last many.

 

Saturday - it's the weekend! Time for the SEs.

Prep: Strop str8, hot shower, Dirigo Blue Cedarwood PSO
Coffee: Dirigo Blue El Salvador, BLACK
CD: The Very Best of Lightnin' Hopkins
Strop: VB 2" black latigo/linen
Soap: TSD Florida Water
Brush: Vulfix Grosvenor badger/boar mix
Str8: J. R. Torrey, 3 passes
SE: Schick Injector G model, touch up
Post: Cold water rinse, RazoRock rub down, cold water splash, Old Spice cologne

Nice. Very nice.

 

I hope you feel better real soon!