May 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic-Discussion Thread

05/08/15
Razor – Gillette New LC
Blade – Lab Blue (1)
Brush – Rudy Vey with TGN Finest
Lather – B&M Seville
Post - Witch Hazel and Floid Amber AS Sample



I decided to take a day off from the May Focus and use a razor that I have neglected this year. This New LC was replated by Nick at Sport Shaving and is one of my favorite DE razors. I had a very good 3 pass shave this morning with no nicks, weepers or irritation. The shave was not as quite as close as I get from the Mongoose with a Super blade. I believe that is due to the simple fact of how much I have used the Mongoose in particular and SE razors in general this year. After finishing this month, I plan on spending some time with both this New LC and my New Deluxe LC to refresh my DE skills. Finished off the shave with witch hazel and Floid Amber from my sample pack.

Leaving early today for another motorcycle trip this weekend I will be using a Schick Injector as my travel razor. I hope everyone has a great Friday and a wonderful weekend.

 

MAYhem & Mercy
May 8, 2015
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - Tweezerman Badger
Soap - Williams (As good as it's going to get)Mug Shaving Soap
Razor - Soyuz 1
Blade - (1)
Post - Alum, Nivea Replenishing Post Shave Balm

The good news - no cuts, nicks, weepers or any other problems. The bad news - a blade this dull CANT'T cut you even if it wanted to! Seriously....this thing is DULL. As in NO SHARPNESS. As in I could have done better with some sandpaper and it would have felt better too. Three passes to failure. Didn't get CCS this morning and took extra time trying. Wow. Just wow. Plenty of irritation from trying but that's about all I got for it. Will throw it in the Rapira tomorrow to see if that helps. Sheesh! Happy Friday to all who were able to shave today! I just went through the motions!

 

I don't think I would sign up for a week of bad shaves for internet points, but I am throughly enjoying hearing you struggle with it.

 

Day#7 of 30-day Focus
Friday, May 8
My final day of using the Böker 5/8 straight before switching over to the next razor for a week.
Some observations: I knew this razor was a fine shaver, and having used it for consecutive days (6 of the past 7) only confirmed this fact. One of the easier razors I have to pull off a successful near-effortless shave. Consistent results, smooth performance, holds it's edge, lightweight and easy to navigate/maneuver. The perfect-sized razor for a straight razor beginner—although ideally, as I've mentioned before, a round tip is probably a wiser choice versus a square or spike tip for novices. Beginners aside, this razor is a real keeper and besides, being it was my first straight razor, I dont foresee parting with the Böker anytime soon!


On the practical side: Thoroughly drying a straight razor post-shave is essential in maintaining the life of a straight razor, particularly the blade edge. Think of the 3" straight razor blade as a large, non-stainless DE razor blade. Damp carbon steel DE blades are notorious for being prone to rust and decay fairly quickly if left wet or in a moist environment. The same is true for carbon steel SR blades. My routine: I'm not one of those guys afraid of getting the SR wet during the shave (i.e. this is called 'wet shaving' for a reason) but I am conscientious about drying my razors. Post-shave, I throughly rinse off the blade, pivot end of the scales under the faucet. I towel dry any visible or excess water on the blade and scales. I then take a sheet or two of bathroom tissue, fold it in half and insert the folded end between the scales and wipe off/dry between the scales. This is slightly more difficult with a 3-pin razor, but I follow the same procedure for all SRs. Dry around the pivot pin (which can be one of the first areas to see rust), and wipe down both the tang and blade. I then strop 12-15 laps on the linen/canvas section of a strop. Some use leather. All will accomplish the same thing: ensuring a dry edge. A final wipe down with a dry towel post-strop. Back into the drawer it goes. I used to keep straights on my counter top but I realized my bathroom is too moist an environment so I now keep them in the drawer. I also keep several silicon packets in the drawer as well to ensure dry conditions.

 

Ah but it's your support that keeps me loading these hunks of steel into a cheap piece of metal.

 

Love the Stirling vintage effect.

 

That LC is a beauty!

 

I tried face lathering with my Omega silver tip and the results were less than stellar. The lather stayed a little thin, even though it was slick. I went to the bowl for the second pass and it thickened up a bit more.

 

Hey all. Sorry to be missing the fun. Wound up in the emergency room last weekend and diagnosed with severe pneumonia. I have been shaving a bit, and the Mongoose continues to impress...

I am starting to feel better, and will get a proper update posted over the weekend!

Cheers!
Scott

 

Prayers sent for a speedy recovery, Scott! Pneumonia is treacherous. Hope you're on the mend soon!

 

May 2015 ... 30 day blade focus ... yikes, this is my first post in may, and it's already the 8th!?!?!

during this month, i will be continuing the blade focus i started in april. i started from the outside-going-in on alphabet with respect to the blade names. some gillettes and personnas will make up the last few blades. i'll then pick my final four ... for a mini tourney near the end of the month.

pre: dr.bronner's, PSO(diy)
brush: EJ best badger medium
lather: proraso green soap
razor: EJ89lbl
blade:
post: alum block, thayer's witch hazel (various flavors)

05/02/15 ... Sharp DuraBlade (1) ... 2 1/2 days growth ... i'd say this was a middle-of-the-road shave. no nicks, cuts, or weepers ... no irritation as with the dorco ... sharper than the treet or supermax ... but not as overall smooth and sharp as some of the others. at the end of it all, i had a nice, respectable shave.

05/05/15 ... Sharp DuraBlade (2) ... 2 1/2 days growth ... yikes! lesson time!! first, by the end, all was well, but this started out as a potential disaster. due to some family issues, i was in a rush this particular morning. after building the lather in the mug, i forgot to rinse and went straight to the face with the brush. after a few swirls, i realized what i did (or didn't do). i decided to keep going. when i got to the thick/coarse area around the chin, the tugging adn pulling actually turned into a little pain. with a grimace or two, i finished the first pass, rinsed, relathered, and tried again. luckily, there was no bloodletting during this (mis)adventure. while i am done with the sharp for this focus, it certainly deserves another shot down the road.

lesson learned ... water is good; it's called wetshaving for a reason!

April ... wilkinson, 7am, voskhod, astraSP, treetdurasharp, crystal, supermax platinum, dorco st301,
May ... sharp durablade, next up ... Gillette 7o'clock SharpEdge (yellow)

 

Prayer for a quick healing

 

Thank you!

 

Praying you feel better and a quick recovery!

 

It's a beauty!

 

Thank you, Clint. I sure appreciate your help with the MdC. It has made all the difference, and I think it will get even better as I get more practice. Thanks also for compliments on the brush. It has a unique feel compared to my silvertips. The tips are very soft, and it has incredible backbone. It's a lather-maker for sure. I hope you have a great weekend.

 

I pray you rest well and heal up quickly!

 

Chris, the Williams Mug Soap is calling your name for the June 30-Day Rule...

 

In Traverse City, MI, USA... Surprise weekend trip for Mrs Samurai... Taking her to the shore for some R&R until Sunday. Will catch up on razor stuff later. You SR guys are keeping busy, our ranks are growing. Nice work Gents!

 

Donkey Kong!