JUNE 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

This puck has a classic cologne fragrance. Refreshing, spicy, lavender, amber, jasmine, musk, oak moss, and sandalwood.

 

Love the stamping in the strop - nice work Adam (@Drygulch)

 

Day 21 - 22 June 2015

30 Day Rule Focus with a Cadet OC!


​

Day 7 on the blade, I forgot to change it...oops. However, the blade still delivered a more acceptable shave today. I used the shave stick method again and did the normal 2 pass routine. Much less irritation today, my angles must have been off yesterday. ISZ balm and Osage rounded this one out for a little Menthol Monday diversion. Maybe I will remember to change the blade tomorrow! Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a great Monday evening!
​

 

June 20, 22 - Shave 15, 16
Prep: Hot shower, Aveeno 5:1 face wash
Brush: Omega 48
Preshave: Stirling Mentha Preshave oil
Soap: AoS Sandlewood Cream
Razor: 20th Gemstar Jordan 5/8 spike tip. 22nd Sears Craftsman Round tip - both 20 x linen strop 40 x leather strop
Strop: @Drygulch Modern Barber Strop 24"x3"
Growth: 20th 1 day, 22nd 2 days
Post: Cold water splash, Alum, Clubman AS, AoS - Sandlewood
Passes: 20th WTG, XTG, DE clean up pass. 22nd WTG, XTG, Clean up

This is going to cover two shaves as I was away from my computer for the weekend celebrating my birthday on the 20th and fathers day in the Bay Area (Pinole) with my family and this mornings shave.

First thoughts, my co-worker gave me AoS sandlewood cream and post shave balm - I wouldn't go out of my way in the past to buy any more sandlewood products since my last experience with TOBS was so obnoxious. I was pleasantly surprised by the mild scent of this cream. Not only did it produce a great lather easily but I - almost - enjoyed the scent.

20th first - Gemstar Jordan is a great shaver, honestly, I couldn't have asked for a finer 1st pass. I almost stopped there, but who am I kidding, all I wanted for my birthday was a bbs! So I chased the baby and was rewarded with my best straight shave ever. 2 passes wtg/xtg - de clean up pass. Whenever I get a new soap my 13 daughter has to approve of the scent and she approved with a big smile! I couldn't stop rubbing my face and neck all night. I think I've moved from novice to intermediate straight shaver after this shave. Still learning which ways to stretch my neck skin for 2 passes. But definitely getting better!

22nd next - Stropped up the craftsman, I think it's funny how I would never consider craftsman for anything other than garage tools, but back in the early 1900's I guess there were few options for manufacturing. It was an good shave - maybe it was the honing, but it doesn't seem to be as smooth of a shaver as any of the blades I've had @gssixgun hone up for me. But all that said, I was able to get a dfs from just two passes. Even used the straight for clean up - but that was because the point is round!

I got called out on my rad this weekend. So the duck will have to wait
Cheers,
Eric

 

Would like to see a photo of the craftsman. I have one too and it is a great shaver.

I got called out on my RAD too. I'm going to hold off on any purchases for a while.

 

World Tournament of Blades - Russia vs. the World!!
June 22, 2015
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - Omega Pro 48
Soap - Tabac
Razor - '46/47 Superspeed
Blade - (2)
Post - Alum, Nivea Balm

Back to India for the first World bracket in the Elite Eight. The Vidyut Super-Max Platinum is up today and I am putting it and the Bic in the '46-'47 Superspeed I had replated by Chris at razorplate.com . I haven't used the razor since its return so it's time to give it a run. As with all SS's the early one is a mild razor and after the replate it really shines. This was the first vintage razor I bought and has a top spot in my collection. So, with the Pro 48 and Tabac providing an outstanding lather, let's get to work.

First pass was a bit strange. The blade remains as sharp as before but appears to be dragging quite a bit. So, maybe it isn't as sharp as before? It got a 2 last round. Or, is it the blade dragging or the razor itself? Stopped after one side to rinse the razor well, wipe it down and go again. It has been cleaned since it came back from plating, just not sure if that's it or if it's really the blade. It isn't tugging, but rather dragging....if that makes sense. Anyway, finished the first pass and had a decent result so maybe it's the lather? Tabac is normally more than slick enough. Maybe not MWF slick but close enough. Hmmmmmmm. Added water to the Tabac and focused on the lather for the second pass. Seems like maybe that was it. XTG for the second pass and.....yeah still that draggy feeling. Lather didn't seem to make a difference. Finished with a very nice DFS on the face, CCS on the neck. Third lather, even more water and wetter lather and......on the neck only.......still got that drag. The blade is cutting, it's not pulling or tugging, just getting bogged down a bit. XTG and G-slide for the DFS finish.

I'm a bit confused on scoring so I will preface this by saying.....I reserve the right to modify this score tomorrow depending on the Bic. Basically, if the same drag occurs with the Bic I am going to have to assume it's the razor or lather and adjust. If the drag is gone, we know it's the blade. So, here we go...........Sharpness - 2 because the passes were effective...however if the drag is only on this blade I may revise that score as that could explain it. Smoothness - 3....yes, due to the drag. If the drag occurs on the Bic, then this will get revised as well since I can't blame the blade. Irritation - 1......not much burn. Less than the last round so I'll improve it by one. Result - DFS for the 2.

Total - 8 This is actually 1 better than its round against the Kai. I fear this may be the end of the SM Platinum given the Bic's last round but we'll see. I've been surprised before in the tournament, I may be about to get another surprise now.

​

 

Happy Birthday. I received the AOS Sandalwood cream and balm as a gift as well and you're correct. It's really a pretty good shaving cream.

 

Hey, happy birthday and Father's Day !

(but that's pretty cold, being called out on RAD on your big weekend.)

Oh well, look on the bright side...you can always join us for all the fun here!

Cheers!
- RT

 

We're getting down to the last week of the month....time FLIES in this thread. Anybody have next month lined out already? I'll be returning to the CJB as I work toward getting the kamisori ready to go. I'll throw in some DE shaves as well, probably centered around a particular setup for those days. Still working on that part of it. But the majority will be straight, straight, straight.

​

 

Soap-maker proto. Good stuff, too!

 

I suppose that the next logical step for me after a 30-day Rule will be to test other blades that would work well for me in the fat handle Tech I'm learning on? Probably try a different blade each week.

(Maybe even a Russian?!!)

 

Be careful future comrade - shaving with Russian blades may give you happy Russian feet!

 

Catching up for two shaves:
I like the weekend because not only do I have plenty of time for my shave I can shave later in the day when I have even more growth which tends to give me better shave. Sunday is a big day socially so I did 3 passes with the straight and then the 4th with my Lather Catcher. A good smooth shave with just a little irritation. I think I am getting closer with the straight but I will have to skip the 4th pass with a different razor to find out. I do prefer the Kamisori to having scales. I feel I have better control of the razor and the scales are not getting in my way. Just one weeper.

Proraso Pre Shave
QCS Iced Key Lime cream
Simpson Polo 8 in Super
Rasurpur Kamisori western grind
Herold Russian leather strop
Alum block to keep my fingers dry
Razo Rock Tight Buns AS
Muhle ASB
Dior Eau Sauvage

Tuesday morning shave. It is workday but I woke up early enough to do a couple of passes with a straight. I touched up my Dovo Bismark with some past so I wanted to give it s spin. I enjoy this razor because it looks cool with the gold and it is heavy. Good news, I think I did the touch up OK, the shave was smooth and just one nick due to operator error. Using a straight requires even more focus than a 2011 R41 DE. Despite the nick irritation was low. I have some meetings today so I finished with the Lather Catcher again for almost a DFS.

I am still not to the level of shave I can get with my favourite DE's, not as close and not as irritation free. Thinking back it took my 3 months of DE shaving before I got a BBS so I need to stay patient.

Proraso Pre Shave
AoS tallow and Cyril Slater Rose
Whipped Dog 30mm silvertip
Dovo Bismark
Dry Gulch strop
Alum block to keep my fingers dry
Speick AS
L'Occitane Cade ASB
The Different Company Sel de Vetiver

 

That seals it, I won't be trying Russians if that's what happens - my heart couldn't handle it and I'd bust most leg joints and hamstrings!

 

I am doing Maggard OC blade trial (4 Gillette labels) with MITA and Plisson. Maggard is new to me, from a @Bobcat PIF drawing. The blades I will use are the 4 tucks bottom row right.

 

06/23/2015
Razor – ATT R2 with Triad Helix SS
Blade – Feather (1)
Brush – Olive Wood with TGN Finest Fan
Lather – Tiki Cabernet Neroli
Post - Witch Hazel & Fine L’Orange Noir



Another great work morning shave of 2 passes plus touch ups produced a near BBS. The girls gave me the soap and aftershave for Fathers Day. The scent and performance of this soap is fantastic. Finished off with witch hazel followed by a splash of Fine L'Orange Noir. All in all a great morning.

 

Day #3 of 5; 30-Days of June
Third day cruisin' with the C-Mon Cadillac. I've been spoiled this whole month by getting so many smooth, quality SR shaves I can recall having for so many days!
One of the real fringe benefits of these 30-day test periods is it allows the opportunity for those 'standout' razors to really shine. I can now more clearly distinguish those which I favor and those I'll probably thin from the herd. This particular C-MON looks to be one of those keepers. Certain straight razors have a particular smoothness about them that make them a joy to use. When you get to experience a truly smooth, ultra-close straight razor shave, it becomes immediately apparent WHY you went to all the trouble to learn straight razor shaving in the first place. Nothing in wet-shaving compares to it.

 

June 23rd, SOTD (Shave 14 of this focus)
One days’ growth
Prep: Face Scrub
Razor: Sears Craftsman 5/8 round point
Strop: Drygulch Chromexcel Horsehide/ Linen (20 on linen, 50 on leather)
Soap: The Shave Den Lime
Brush: Eveready 100T re-knotted with 22mm TGN Synthetic
Post Shave: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block, Thayer’s Witch Hazel
Aftershave: The Shave Den Aftershave Milk- Iced Lime

Let me start by saying yesterday was an awesome shave related day. I picked up two NOS SE razors that haven’t been made since the teens, got pictures of three amazing straights Kevin (@HolyRollah) has restored for me, and I got a shave and leather related printing press piece as a gift from someone in my home town.


This is my third day for shaving daily. It was one of the things I wanted to try on this focus. Depending on how my neck feels tomorrow, it might be my last day of trying to shave daily as well. I did a single pass with no touch up today. It was a mix of XTG and ATG. I would rate this one as a SAS. Cheeks are smooth, but the chin and neck are rough. I also have shave bumps for the first time since I started wet shaving, under my chin. The skin there is very tender, so I went XTG, but the alum still lit me up there. The whiskers on my chin are easier to cut with two day’s growth. The razor caught on some and skipped, and managed to cut me pretty good where it landed, where the chin hits the flat part under my lip.

 

World Tournament of Blades - Russia vs. the World!!
June 23, 2015
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - Omega Pro 48
Soap - Tabac
Razor - '46/47 Superspeed
Blade - (2)
Post - Alum, Nivea Balm

From India to Greece we go. The Bic Chrome Platinum is on the field and ready to go. Once again the Omega Pro48 and Tabac prep the field and off we go.

First observation - I do believe the Pro 48 is not the right brush for Tabac. The high loft is not as effective as a short loft brush. It gets the soap going, loads ok, but the water seems off. Now, the Vie-Long works great with Tabac probably due to its shorter loft AND the fact that horse stays wetter than boar, at least that's what I've noticed. So, in the future I plan to pair horse and Tabac more than boar and Tabac.

First pass very nice. The Bic remains sharp and is very smooth. The dragging I noticed yesterday with the Super-Max is barely there if at all. So, that tells me it was more the blade than anything else. I also noticed, though, that after the first pass my face isn't slick like it is with MWF or Arko. Tabac doesn't leave as much behind, at least on this first pass.

Second pass - XTG and I worked more water into the lather. That produced a better slickness but still not MWF worthy. Brush or soap? I'm thinking the two just don't work together well as I mentioned above. The XTG did feel good though, smooth, and produced a good result on the pass. I picked up a very small nick on my right cheek while going nose to ear, which is not my usual direction. Probably more of a technique nick but I'm counting it.

Third pass - XTG and G-slide on the neck. One minor nick under the chin. Hmmmmmmm. That's not technique. Soap perhaps but it's a nick. Finished with DFS.

Scoring - The Bic is sharp and earns the 1 for that. Smoothness? Honestly, I have to go a 2 because of a few issues but better than yesterday. I do think the playing field is more the problem here but both blades played on the same field and the Bic performed better in the conditions. Irritation - the two small nicks factor in here. Overall just a bit of a quick burn, the nicks a bit longer so a 2. Result - DFS so a 2.

Total - 7 First round was a 5 so not as good a result but......still good enough to say.........

The Winner is BIC!!!!!!

A lot of variables on these two blades it seems and I have to wonder if a different brush/soap combo might have made a difference....however the Bic pretty much outperformed the Super-Max Platinum in every way. So a great win.

Tommorow - The American blade has its day again - The Personna Lab Blue sets the bar against the Turkish Derby. Final two of the Elite Eight begins tomorrow!

 

June 23, 2015

30 Day RULE - “Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Lather, Rinse….”

Hot Shower
Pre-Shave Oil: Gingers Garden
Soap: Arko
Brush: Omega Pro 48
Razor: Gillette Tech “Fat Handle”
Blade: Gillette Wilkinson Sword Stainless (India) (3)
After Shave: Myrsol Agua Limon
After Shave Balm: Gingers Garden



Went a little overboard on loading the brush with Arko this morning so I decided on a 3-pass shave to use all that soap...suppose I could've done the rest of my body as well with all the lather I had.



Nice shave. Really focusing on the stroke these past days with a grip closer to the head. I'm sensing a bit more tug or drag from this blade and begin to wonder if 3 shaves are a max for me with it. Will pay more attention to it in the final week of the month and probably get through two more blades to assess with.

Cheers!
RT