Just the picture today. More thorough review tomorrow maybe. One word? AWESOME SOAP. Wait what? That was 2 words.... Happy new year everybody!!
31 December 2014 * Weber DLC + UFO U2V1 Red Bronze * Super Iridium * WSP 2-Band + Doug Korn Cobalt Blue C7 * Mystic Water Vanilla Sandalwood * Unrefined Shea Butter
SOTD Dec 31 2014 Beard Prep: Hot shower. Glycerin soap. Hair conditioner. Brush: Omega 13109 Pure Badger Cream: TOBS Grapefruit Razor: Merkur 34C Blade: Feather Post shave: Cold water rinse. Thayers Original WH. After Shave: Nivea Sensitive Skin After Shave Balm Today was a great shave! I have finally tamed the mighty Feather blade with 2 passes + touch up. I'm going to enjoy my cup of coffee before work. Happy New Year to everyone!
Razor: Gillette 85 Super Adjustable "Black Beauty” (p2) 1970 named “The Black Pearl” Brush: Erskine Badger 1947 Birth Year Mug: Old Spice 1985 Cobalt Blue Cream: TOBS Grapefruit cream Blade: Feather (2) Post shave: Thayers Cucumber WH, Jack Black balm, Armani Mania cologne I really like this old brush, nice and soft with the original knot. So I whipped up the TOBS in my favorite mug and off we go. The Pearl gives a nice shave, and I'm just addicted to the Gillette Adjustables. WTG XTG on my face an neck on 5 ATG on my neck on 3. A little Armani and I'm ready for the last day of the year. Hope you have a good one. Fire place and movies tonight with my bride.
12/31/14 - New Year's Eve shave Prep: warm wash and Cornhusker's lotion Lather: Klar's Kabinett Brush: Vie-Long 13061M horsehair Scuttle: Georgetown G12 Razor: Gillette New LC Blade: Voskhod teflon coated Post: Proraso green aftershave Shave #2 in the #30DayChallenge. All I can say is that this shave was a really nice way to finish up my first year of traditional shaving. 2 passes - N/S and S/N with a little touch up on my neck and I am good to go. Have the sparkling cranberry and pear juices in the refrigerator chilling and we are ready to party - well as much as a couple of 50 year olds will party! Quick question, does anyone have any good ideas of how to clean out the corrosion left between the comb teeth on this razor? I polished the whole thing up with a copper brush and then some woolish pads +Brasso and my dremel tool but the teeth didn't quite come clean.
SOTD - December 31, 2014 Hot shower Prep: Lime PSO Brush: Simpsons Duke 3 Best Soap: Stirling Ozark Mountain 'winterized' with TSD M-Bomb Razor: Weber PH Blade: Voskhod (2) Aftershave: Fine American Blend - Don
I use a length of cord stretched out between my thumb and finger and sort of work this between the teeth like a violin player uses a bow. Apply some polish to the cord if you like. The Gold looks to be mostly gone so little damage to be done to the plating.
Final Shave of 2014 - Approximately my 40th shave using a DE - 12-31-2014 Shower and Prep - Neutrogena Men Invigorating Face Wash & Wm. Neumann & Co. Peppermint Leaf Bar Soap Brush - L'Occitane Plisson Synthetic Lather - Wm Neumann & Co. Signature 1907 Soap Razor - Merkur 34c HD Blade - Astra SP (5) Post - WH & RazoRock "Problem Solver" lime AS Splash Result - 3 Smooth passes for a great BBS This evening I will be taking down and cleaning the Merkkur getting it ready to begin the 30 day rule tomorrow. It is not too late to join us for the next 30 days improving our shaving technique and experience. Happy New Year to you all - And remember please shave responsibly ! arty:
Last shave of 2014 Razor: Diamondine restored by @HolyRollah and won by me in a PIF. I love this razor. My first straight... Soap: Old Spice shaving cream Brush: SOC boar A/S: The Veg A great shave...even though I had to take it slow. It felt fitting as a last-shave-of-the-year.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014 - last shave of the year Proraso Preshave Simply Beautiful Badger Stirling Frozen Tundra Merkur 34C w/Gillette 7 O'clock Super Stainless (1) Cold splash, witch hazel, styptic, Lab Series balm, TSD AS Milk W/X/A, touch-ups Same set-up as yesterday (except the brush). I watched Stirling's video on how to lather their soaps, and wow, what a difference. A VERY thick, rich lather, which stimulated millions of my cold receptors. (Unlike yesterday.) However, I still had too many nicks and weepers, and too much irritation. The closeness of the shave rates a "Decent," but the overall result is "Unacceptable." The lather came at the expense of a great deal of soap. (When using Stirling's method, you press about a fourth of a puck into the bottom of a large cup or bowl, and do both the loading and lathering in the one bowl.) I could see a difference in the amount of soap left after I was finished. All in all, yet another disappointing shave.
Gem Damaskeene couple with a CVS blade and my french soap mix made a truly great shave. 3 passes and 0% irritation, 0.34% stubble
Last shave of 2014! Rooney 3/1 Crabtree & Evelyn Moroccan Myrrh cream Gillette Gold Fat Handle Tech Rapira Swedish Super Steel (1) Shulton Old Spice AS Silky, silky soul singer!
FINAL SHAVE OF 2014: Razor: Gillette Gold Fat Handle Tech (late 40's rectangular slots) Blade: Astra SP Soap: Stirling Black Ice Brush: Semogue 1520 Boar AS: Barbasol Pacific Rush Love that menthol feel of the soap and the AS...aw yeah.... This is shave #3 with the Fat Handle Tech. I had a very nice, comfortable shave with no problems. This is only my second "go-round" with this razor and the results are much better that my firs attempt. My first time with this razor (when I was very inexperienced) was an irritating, multi-pass shave that never did get close. The razor is so mild that I found myself "overworking" areas resulting in problems. I think the one thing I've learned in this first year of wet shaving is understanding the proper angle and how that angle may be different on different razors. So, unless there is an official hierarchy to one's progression in the wetshaving, I am promoting myself from "Noob" to "Lightly Experienced".
Final SOTD 2014 Touched by TSD Edition Everything used to shave (except bowl) in this photo has been touched by another TSD member. Thank you to all who gather here. You make this so much more than just a shaving forum. Happy 2015 to TSD! 60's SS (purchased on TSD classified) Bolzano Superinox (spontaneous PM-initiated random comment PIF) TSD Preshave Balm ( Handmade by @Queen of Blades, ...a fave product) Burma Boar Brush (announced TSD forum posted PIF) IdC Yuma/Bluma Mystery Soap (part of a TSD group project) Aqua Velva AS (another TSD forum posted PIF) Everything I know about shaving starts here. I can't express enough my joy each day from this site. Check out the new razor crew as we learn our gear in January 2015! Also, nice sale on TSD Exclusive products...get great pricing as you support the forum now through Jan 4th, details in link.