I have been stalking a couple of the Red Imps on the bay recently. Very nice razor!

June 2 - Shave 1
This month's focus is using shave den soaps (@Queen of Blades) been very happy lather thus far...so I want a whole month getting good at it. It will also be a cold water focus as well - I'm actually adding a frozen towel to the mix as a post shave reward wrap. And last but definitely not least, it will be a straight shave only month. Not apart of the focus but I'm 3 weeks into my handlebar goatee. "They" say it takes about 3 months growth until it's long enough to start making the twists...we'll see - yes I've marked my calendar. I've become a shave nerd - and I'm ok with that.
June's summary:
* Shave Den Soaps
* Cold Water Shaves
* Straight shaving

I needed to check the sharpness of the round point AJ Jordan, whipped dog special, and even after 30 x 50 treated balsa wood and leather stropping, I couldn't produce the edge I was comfortable running across my entire face. So, it was time for the gemstarcustom square point Sheffield.

Prep: Hot shower, Nivia Face wash
Brush: Omega 48
Preshave: Stirling Mentha Preshave oil
Soap: TSD Lanolin Iced Signature scent (my favorite scent so far)
Razor: Gemstarcustom Sheffield 5/8 square point hollow.
Growth: 2 days
Post: Cold water splash, Alum, Stirling Barbershop AS, Stirling Barbershop post shave balm
Passes: WTG, XTG, WTG

Love getting back to my cold water shaves, I might even say that the tap water wasn't cold enough?!? I must be crazy. But I find it's a much more enjoyable shave cold. The TSD soap soaked while I showered and loaded very easily on the Omega especially with the backbone it has. Whipped it up into a nice slick full lather. Now for the shave itself - I'm getting pretty comfortable with putting the blade next to my face - that was the biggest hurdle when I first started last month. I'm probably 18-19 shaves into the straight adventure. My RAD is getting the best of me right now - I have two razors I picked up locally with Glen (@gssixgun) and picked up two more sight unseen from Larry at whipped dog this weekend. That will bring my total rotation to 6. My first whipped dog was getting dull and before I was to send it out, Larry suggested I strop it on the treated balsa wood then another 50 plus strops on the leather. So I did that Sunday and this was my first time to put it to my face, while it was a bit better, it wasn't nearly as easy as my freshly honed sheffield. So I finished the shave with the square point.

I discovered late last month that in order to properly catch my jawline, I need to extend my WTG N/S pass from sideburns down to my neck. This has really helped me get a clean jawline shave. The XTG on face is the money pass for me - turned out very nice. My 2nd pass on the neck is actually ATG S/N. I've been nervous using my non-dominate hand for the ATG pass but today I manned up and did it - carefully. Not too bad, I'm sure this month I'll get better at it.

The final pass WTG is more of a clean up - just to catch those special areas. Alum was a little more noticable as compared to this weekend's shave, but no nicks or cuts. The stirling post shave balm left me with a great finishing touch to MY FIRST BBS STRAIGHT SHAVE!!! I keep touching my face to search for those places my could have missed, but nah! I did good today. I find the Stirling post shave balm a little heavy on my face if that makes sense...not sure how much longer I'll keep it in the rotation - love the scent though.

Congratulations on both accomlishments!

Going to try some different passes for the trouble spots on my neck. I am so close to the BBS I can taste it!

I'm going to skip today to give myself some more growth but I do have a question about stropping. Does your razor ever feel like it sucks into the leather? I keep nicking the leather when I go to flip and it seems like the metal creates a suction against the leather....kinda weird to describe. I may just use the hanging strop for the linen and bench strop for leather.

World Tournament of Blades - Russia vs. the World!!
June 2, 2015
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - Vie-Long 12705 Horse
Soap - Tabac
Razor - '46 Aristocrat
Blade - (1)
Post - Alum, Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Day two and the Rapira Swedish Supersteel. This is a blade I have liked and use occasionally but it's time to see where it lands against its fellow Russian competition. Let's load it up and go. Used the same setup as Monday and got the same great lather and feel from the brush. Man I like that. Started the first pass with the Swede and noticed a bit more drag, or is it just a rougher feel. Not much but noticeable. What became clearly evident though, was the result after the first pass. Not as smooth as the Voskhod on one pass. However, I am judging on the result not each pass. Lathered again, second pass was a bit more comfortable and ended with a very nice CCS. Went for the third pass, mainly on the neck and finished DFS but not as good as yesterday. On a scale of 1-5, yesterday's DFS was a 4, today's a 2. So, how did it all play out?
Sharpness - 2. This blade is better than most, not quite as sharp as the Voskhod and some others. Close, though. Smoothness - 2. Enough drag to be noticeable, not enough to make me throw out the blade. Irritation - 1. The alum was very quiet. Yes a couple of spots but nothing to wince at. In spit of the extra pass and the bit of drag, the blade didn't tear me up at all. Result - 2. It's a DFS. That counts. Total score - 7.

And the winner is......VOSKHOD! Yeah, so I kind of saw that coming but this could have been a very close race if the Swede was just a bit smoother or a tad sharper. Very nice round and the mighty Voskhod moves on to the Elite Eight!

Tomorrow.....the Rapira Platinum Lux, one of the few Platinum blades I really really like against the vaunted Gillette Silver Blue! The GSB is usually a very close runner up to the Voskhod with me. It's another Teflon blade. We'll see whether Platinum or Teflon wins the next round. Happy Tuesday!

I personally think a flaming defenestration would be preferred. In other words, set it on fire first!

June Open Comb Focus
Day 2

Prep: Hot shower
Razor: Gillette New SC
Blade: Voskhod
Brush: Omega 10083 Boar Brush
Soap: The Copper Hat Bay Rum
Post: Cold rinse, Alum, Witch hazel, Aqua Velva Ice Sport

Very smooth 3 passes today. Got myself once again around the chin.

I'm going to go ahead and predict Voskhod winning

Yeah I know it would seem so, right? However, there are a couple of potential challengers ahead of it on the Russian side. And a couple on the World side too. I won't say which ones but it's not a slam dunk for the Voskhod. As for the first matchup? Yeah I figured the Swede wouldn't beat it but I've used it enough to have an idea. Also as the blades add shaves to them in the tournament that could change things from a new/new matchup.

I had a job that was near Maggard's so I had to pop in and get a MR18c so I will try it out on my next shave.

I am using Derby too. Or maybe it's "oh Why I am using Derby?" Not all that smooth upon reflection...

Day 3 of June Blade focus- Big Ben Super Stainless. I'm glad it wasn't big bin time for this blade. It did well (yes I started on the last day of May). Weber is helping me zoom in and do a good job.

Ice Hot Shave

I was going to use a DE today but my last SR shave was poor and didn't want to skip a day after a bad shave. I decided to go with QCS Iced Lime cream, QCS creams always give me a great lather especially hot in a scuttle. So I got my tea kettle out and boiled some water

Proraso Pre
QCS Iced Lime in Steve Woodhead scuttle
Etsy brush with silver tip badger
Dovo Bismarck #2 6/8 carbon blade with ebony wood scales.
Drygulch classic american bridle strop with linen.
Alum block to keep my fingers dry.
Razo Rock Tight Buns AS
Castle Forbes Lavender ASB
Creed Green Irish Tweet (from a split)

I woke up early and I was planning a DE shave because I have a hot date tonight;P. Since I always have a 5 o'clock shadow I decided to do a three pass shave with a SR and then shave again tonight before I go out with a DE.

Big improvement over my last failure. Still just SAS but inching closer to a DFS. Allot closer than yesterday and less irritation. While I am improving I am still frustrated at how am not getting a close shave like I get with my favourite DEs. As long as there is progress there is hope.

I did enjoy the icey hot feeling of the lather this morning. It an interesting sensation, hot lather that quickly give a cold feeling.

To you experienced SR shavers, how long did it take before you achieve similar results to a DE? How long until BBS?

My latigo strop that I had would do this if I was using too much pressure on the spine. It's kind of balance between setting it on the leather and pushing it across, and using just enough pressure to keep it in place, without putting too much pressure on it. Maybe @HolyRollah can add some thoughts?

My wife is happy we don't live anywhere near there.

I'm by no means experienced, but in the 5 weeks I've been straight shaving, today was the closest I have come to BBS, without a de clean up. Keep at it. It will come. I'm going to enjoy focusing with you this month.
Eric

That is encouraging! It is a big help having a group project, it keeps me motivated.

It sounds as though you may be applying too much pressure in your stropping motion. I'm assuming you're not using a wet blade or soggy strop. With stropping difficulties, I think going to the bench will help.

It varies from shaver to shaver, but I finally shed the DE razor as clean-up duty after 6-8 weeks of regular SR use. Towards the latter half of that time frame I had many shaves that bordered on BBS quality.
Using the SR alone, it took a bit longer to match the overall smoothness the DE clean-up yielded.

I'm I'm the same boat, but I don't shave every day. Knowing the grain of my hair growth with the DE has helped me. I try to use the same stokes when shaving with the straight, although I have had to change my passes a little to focus on beard reduction rather than removal. Coming from the feather AC razor, I also had to make the angle steeper on the blade. One to one and a half spine widths seems to work, except on ATG, wher I am at about 5 degrees.

Howdy Gents...

My name is Mitch (45auto) I am a SR shaver with DE cleanup. My 30 day focus this first time out is to get to know my Dove Astral Better. My Dovo is a half hollow grind..Polished on chrome ox 40 lapes 35 linen/60Leather. Still maintaining the factory edge. I have had since last Christmas.

My biggest problem is the under side of the jaw and in the hollows of my throat on either side of my Adam's apple.
I shave about every 3 days.