SoS: February 17, 2014 - February 23, 2014

THURSDAY
Back to the DEs

I hadn't used the 2013 version of the R41 for nearly a week (using straights and the 2011 version for touch-up), so this morning I broke it out with a fresh blade.
The combo of the aggressive (yet tamed) razor with the slick XXX lather made for an extra-close, comfortable 2-pass shave.
The Neumann Heartwood balm is my current favorite to finish the job.
Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone!

 

2/20/2014 Show Us Your Mug Week

Prep: Hot shower with Axe Cooling Face Wash, home made PSO
Razor: Kampfe Brothers Star SE, French Frame Back straight razor
Blade: GEM PTFE coated single edge (6)
Brush: Turkish #6
Soap: Speick
After: Home made ASB
After Shave: Speick after shave

An easy 2 pass shave with a little touch up on the neck for a Darn Fine Shave +. Another good day in The Den!

Have a Blessed Day!

 

Razor: Toggle on 3
Blade: Polsilver
Brush:Simpson Chubby 3
Lather: Mama Bear's Czar's Choice...WOW..I forget about this great scent; think whole bath area
A/S: Special No. 127
Have a wonderful and balmy (80 F here) Thursday, everyone.

 

Rotbart No.15
Windamet Super Iridium
Rooney Emilion 1 Super Badger
LPL
Gentleman Jon Alum

Frederic Malle - Geranium Pour Monsieur

 

Thursday morning -


Prep - Noxzema & hot towel
Lather - Mitchell's Wool Fat & suribachi
Brush - Omega 40033
Razor - Gillette Single Ring
Blade - Feather (3)

2 pass
Warm water rinse & cold water splash
Witch-hazel AS

 

Mild DFS
I needed to get back on morning shaves after yesterday's afternoon chill. I didn't have as much stubble as usual, so I chose my milder Maggard MR10 over my Old Type, and I was not disappointed. The Frost_Byte was great again, spread by my HIS over the butter balm, which I used as a pre-shave this time. Everything worked very well together, but tomorrow I will skip the balm and just use the Frost_Byte to help me evaluate its lather better. So far, it has had the same amazing synergy performance with the welcome addition of menthol.

 

Mild DFS
I needed to get back on morning shaves after yesterday's afternoon chill. I didn't have as much stubble as usual, so I chose my milder Maggard MR10 over my Old Type, and I was not disappointed. The Frost_Byte was great again, spread by my HIS over the butter balm, which I used as a pre-shave this time. Everything worked very well together, but tomorrow I will skip the balm and just use the Frost_Byte to help me evaluate its lather better. So far, it has had the same amazing synergy performance with the welcome addition of menthol.

 

Thursday morning, February 20, 2014

Gillette Fusion Proglide Power,
Gillette Fusion Proglide Power Multi-5 (2)
Lather up with CO Bigelow - shave,
and finish with Walgreens Witch Hazel
and SFM Brisk Aftershave

 

Thursday

Prep: CeraVe facial cleanser
Soap: Barrister & Mann unscented
Brush: Oscar11 custom with HIS knot
Razor: Gillette Tech
Blade: Astra SP
After: cold rinse, CeraVe lotion

Today I got the mixture of water better with the B&M soap and got a lather that was thick, creamy, and slick. Today was day 4 for the Astra blade, so I did a quick palm stropping, which seems to me to smooth out the edge for one more good use. The result was an excellent, comfortable shave in three passes plus touch up.

 

Thursday morning, February 20, 2014

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

 

Razor: IKON Deluxe OC
Blade: Feather (D1)
Brush: Omega 21713 Boar Brush
Bowl: Dirty Bird 1.5 Scuttle
Pre Shave Soap: MRGLO Lime Basil
Pre Shave Oil: Homemade Lime & Spearmint
Shave Soap: SCS Bay Rum with Twist
Post: Monster Alum Block
Aftershave: Dominica Bay Rum w Lime


​

 

Prep: hot shower, Nivea face scrub
Razor: Schick Golden 500
Blade: Schick Platinum Plus
Soap: Martin de Candre
Brush: Everready C40 reknot
Post: Thayers Rose With Hazel, 100% Shea Butter

Was really excited to try out my Golden 500! This is my first injector and I've heard such great things. I have to say I wasn't disappointed. The razor and blade glided across my skin with near zero tugging and pulling. I almost thought I hadn't put a blade in it. Got such a good result after 2 passes I tried to go for bbs which is near impossible on my neck due to its sensitivity. I really shouldn't have pushed it but wanted to see if it was the perfect razor. Still ended up with a bit of irritation so won't be doing that again bit at least I know!

Love this razor! Everyone should try an injector.

 

You should be on the lookout for an Everyready/Schick M Adjustable. Those are fine machines. The injectors are really good shavers.

 

I completely brain farted so hopefully I didn't post today's SOTD already lol.

Gillette New
Personna Lab Blue
Simpson Duke 3
Razorock ABCBA
Captains Choice Bay Rum

 

Thor's Day:

Prep: Hot shower, Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub
Brush: Simpson 56 Best Badger
Soap: Ginger's Garden Grapefruit Mint Glycerin
Razor: Merkur 41c 1904 OC
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum (4)
Passes: WTG, XTG (6,7)
Post: Cold water splash, Dickinson's WH, Captain's Choice Cat o' Nine Tails Bay Rum

A problem with our furnace yesterday had us without heat during the snowstorm; I considered that a valid reason to take a day off from shaving. Today's shave produced DFS results in two passes, though I felt it necessary to call that blade done due to some perceived roughness. I waited longer than usual between the cold water splash and the Dickinson's, and then again between the Dickinson's and the aftershave, and was rewarded with more of the infamous 'sting' from the Cat o' Nine Tails.

 

WORST SHAVE EVER!!!!.....so far. I was going to shave yesterday evening after work, but ran out of time. My face is relatively sensitive and it enjoys having the evening to calm down. So this morning was a battle. Only had two days of growth and ATG was not happening, but I fought that battle anyway and lost. Tugging, pulling throughout the shave in all directions, just a mess. I think my beard destroyed that blade after the first use. Is it possible to have hair so tough that it could ruin a blade after one shave?

Pre-shave prep- Hot Towel
Pre-shave oil- Homemade TSD Recipie
Soap- Proraso Green
Brush: Escali Badger
Razor: 67 Gillette Slim Adjustable set to 5
Blade: PolSilver Super Iridium (2nd shave)
Post Shave: Cold water, Gentleman Jon Alum (yes it was torture), Nivea post shave balm with some TSD M-Bomb.

 

02/20/2014

Hot shower
Nivea menthol face wash
Merkur Progress (4)
Gillette 7 o'clock Super Stainless (1)
Omega 740
Stirling Soap- black cherry
Face lather
Cold rinse
Alum
Cold rinse
Dickinson WH
Barbon
Arko "cool" aftershave cream

Stirling black cherry is STRONG! My bathroom still lingers of the BC. Not a bad thing at all . I find the Super Stainless to be not as sharp and comfortable as Personna Lab Blue. Still a nice blade. Barbon and Arko cool work very nice together. I finished off with a splash of Tabac EdC.

 

Yes. I personally have not experienced a DE single-use blade & toss shave, but I know there are others out there who barely get through two shaves comfortably due to their thick, coarse whisker growth. This is a reason why many barbed-wire bearded shavers go for slants and ultra-aggressive/efficient razors. For some there's no need for ATG passes.

 

SOTD 02/20/2014

~ Maggard MR3 loaded with a Bic (on 3).
~ Semogue 1305.
~ Stirling Soap Co. shave soap, Black Cumin and Orange.
~ Clinique moisturizer followed by Canoe after shave.

The Maggard MR3 is pretty nice for a real quick but effective shave as is medium in aggression IMO. The Bic blades are not the best for me but they do a fair job compared to what I hear others say about them. Of course that's not saying much since I like the Dorco ST301's and most do not like those either.
I've been using the tallow based Stirling a lot this Winter. Even more so than MWF. For two reasons, it's great soap for one. Although, I believe it lacks some in the scent department it is competitive with any big named tallow soap at a much better price. The other reason is that I find the animal tallow soaps tend to work better if they stay hydrated so once I've "warmed" a few of them up I try to use them more often.
This is the 3rd time that I've used the Semogue 1305 brush, always face lathering of course. It's good just as it is so it's bound to get even better!

 

I have been shaving with a Superspeed, and just recently acquired a Slim from a member of TSD. It was a night and day difference between the SS and the slim. The SS always seemed to take some work to get a good shave, but the slim at a moderate setting was quite good. I am still testing out blades, so I will just chock this experience up to a singular event, for now.