July 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

There's something quite beautiful about those warm cloudy days on the coast.

 

Mrs. Samurai has banned Old Spice because her Dad wore it. I am ok with this rationale.

 

Yeah I could do a few poorly imitated Russian pronunciations for that one too. I think it's a winner!

 

I can understand that as I've had a couple moments like that on TSD as well.

I was having a heckuva time with the hair on my jawline and a regular on here simply said - just stretch that part of the skin up to your cheek area by stretching it - DUH! Simply perfect and perfectly simple.

Sometimes I think we look for a complicated solution first.

btw - I truly had remembered reading the 'rub the puck on your face" quote somewhere on TSD. It all came back to me when you just respponded to my post!
Thank,
RT

ps - rubbing it on that way seeemed to have the scent stay with me longer during the day. Today I just used the brush to load and it didn't seem to linger as long afterwards...just a first observation. YMMV!

 

Your very fine photos of that razor Charlie, really work to show off its blemishes - specifically the second photo that shows the crack on the handle just above the top end of the knurling....and to think you still had a great shave with it! I guess that shows how well built these things were when "pride in manufacturing" was a given, not a marketing ploy.

I hope it serves you well or spurs you on to find a mint version. Can't wait to try the one I found.
Cheers!
RT

 

So glad you liked the Myrsol!
And thanks for the tip of pairing the unscented TSD ISZ AS with the Myrsol Limon. I have both and will give it a try!
Cheers!
RT

 

Saturday shave #14
First two passes were great and the third pass was pretty good too. I finished up with a DE for the fourth pass because I had an early ronuevuez but the shave ended up to my surprise with irritation and short of BBS. To add insult to injury I cut my finger drying the blade.

Proraso Pre Shave
AoS tallow - Castle Forbes Lime
Rooney 3/2
Hart 7/8
Dry Gulch strop
Alum block to keep my fingers dry
Speick AS
L'Occitane Cade ASB
Guerlain Monsieur de Monsieur

Have a great weekend!

 

SR focus day 28.
15k whetstone
Strop: handmade
PS oil: AOS lavender oil
24mm WD HMB brush
AOS sandlewood cream
M-bomb menthol from TSD
Razor: dubl duck goldduck
Single pass. Smooth shave
Rinse and pat dry
AOS post sandlewood balm and
Clubman original

starting to really enjoy my SR ritual.

 

Charlie, forgot to mention it earlier but if keep in mind that the Mongoose handles will fit the New LC. One of the few modern handles that will fit in the narrow opening between the ridges. I use mine that way quite often.

 

1956 Gillette Super Speed Flair
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Georgetown G12 Scuttle
Proraso Sandalwood cream
Aqua Velva Ice Blue
Current Blade under review: Gillette Silver Blue

Shave #2 with my 4th Gillette Silver Blue blade. A nice shave. Very comfortable, no nicks, weepers, irritation or razor burn.
2 Full passes: Pass 1: WTG on my face (N/S), and XTG on my neck (N/S). Pass 2: ATG. At this point, I had a solid DFS and almost a BBS shave.
Lathered up those areas that needed touch up. I used some stretching to get at the remaining spots and blade buffing on those that needed more attention. I even brought out the Fat Boy cranked up to 8 to get some of the elusive ones and help me catch the baby.

In the end, I wound up with an extremely close shave, but somehow missed a couple of spots near my jaw joints that I hadn't even detected before the Aqua Velva dried. So despite the extra effort, the baby escaped this morning. Still, a nice 2 pass+ shave from the Silver Blue.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

07/25/2015
Razor – Gillette Slim (J3) set to 7
Blade – Voskhod (1)
Brush – Olivewood with TGN Finest
Lather – Mitchell’s Wool Fat
Post - Witch Hazel & Captain’s Choice Bay Rum



With the posts earlier this week about the Slim and following Charlie's @wristwatchb I decided to take a day or two off from the focus to try my Gillette Slim. I bought this soon after starting DE shaving because it was my birth year razor. In the beginning I used it several times and never really enjoyed the shaves that much.

With much more experience, I decided it was about time to revisit the razor. I thought about using a Feather or Lab Blue but remembering how smooth the Voskhod blade was last month, I loaded my last one up. Now to decide what setting to try first. I thought about dialing the puppy up to 9 but nixed that and went on 7. Did a traditional 3 pass shave, WTG, XTG and ATG and almost caught the baby. One small area of touch ups on my left jaw line caught the baby, BBS.

This just proves again, not to give up on things you tried earlier. Experience and technique really changed my thoughts on this razor. I will use it for tomorrow's shave as well. I just might open this puppy up to 9 and see what we get.

 

Thank you Charlie. It really is in fantastic shape. I wish this one was my birth quarter (J4) but I this was what I found at the time.

I am seriously thinking about joining you on the focus. It will be hard for me to put the Mongoose away for an entire month.

 

30 day rule - Day 25
MDC lavender Face Lathered
Ladas blade
Slim Adjustable set to 8
3 passes

When I loaded my brush this morning I counted to 3. And, there was virtually no soap on the brush. The issue was that my brush was just a touch too dry. I experimented a few times and found an amazing difference in the amount of MDC loaded onto the brush when it is just right and when it is too dry. Not a great shave today, as I cut my chin when I lowered the razor to my face.

 

It is shocking. Who would have thought?

 

Not shocking, scary! Shaving with a Slim all the way open? You are brave my friend. My first razor was a N-2 Slim. I still have it. Still use it, although not lately.

 

I thought you were shocked that I would put down the Mongoose. Well on 7 it didn't feel very aggressive, just a good solid shave. I'll at least try the WTG pass on 9 and then decide.

Now scary. My friend stopped by today to pick up his ATT R2 and M2 he had loaned me last month. He left me with the H1 which looks almost to scary to try. But I know I will, just need to work up the courage.

 

I have noticed that menthol soaps seem stronger when left for a minute. However, I have no rational explanation for why.

 

Your method of mixing hard soap seems logical!

Some of best shaves were with a 63 slim on 9!

 

July 25, 2015

***COMPLETED***
30-Day Focus - Blade Trials for Gillette Tech

Day 4 of 7-day Vacation on
Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
48.8450° N, 123.2808° W
Island climate, island time, island life.

Sun came out again today!

We decided to skip the shave and get some sun!



Clouds moved in - we took a hike!


Enjoy your shaves!

Ahoy!
RT