SEPT 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

Great summary of your shave today. Have an excellent weekend you and yours.

 

For September 5th:

http://theshaveden.com/forums/threa...uss-se-safety-razors.46760/page-8#post-888757

 

Thank you Douglas, same back at you!

 

Nothing here could possibly compare with where you've been!

(Oh except that @Bama Samurai finally had a bad shave!)


Anyway, how's that tan line?!!

 

RT

 

Razor: Valet Auto Strop/ Red Tip(4 Feather blade)
Blade: Feather (4)
Brush: Frendrihen Silver Tip Badger Faux Black Ebony Handle 22/49
Bowl: Yokohama Studio
Cream: Real Shaving Company
A/S Lucky Tiger
Day 4
Getting better with the Valet. I backed off the blade a touch and have improved my angle. 2 passes and the Red Tip touch up. There are certain areas I'm having difficulty shaving. Against the grain is not working for me yet. This cream is excellent, and the Lucky Tiger finish makes my day. Good focus this SEptember.

 

I gave up on my Valet. It's fun watching you try to conquer it.

 

Thanks, I will stay with this one until Sunday then move onto a Model C Valet. Thank you for your support.

 

back to basics for me to...

We can't blame you, Hawaii is a bit of a distraction!

 

These SE razors are proving to be a bit of a challenge at times!

 

Beautiful blade! Looks like a beast...

 

Tomorrow, I am going back to basics with my Injector. I am determined to get it right with this razor!

 

Leave it to a Marine! See the mission through Sir!

 

September 5 Focus Shave 4

Tonight I have a social engagement so I needed a BBS shave. In a stoke of perfect timing after a long absence my Barbasol Floating Head finally returned after being re-plating. Good thing it is Saturday because I initially added to much water to the lather, after adding more product I ended up with allot of great lather. Three passes with the Hart razor and just one small nick and things felt great no irritation and definitely at the DFS stage. Took out the Barbasol to finish the job and I ended up with some weepers and whole lot of irritation. What the heck????

The Barbasol come back with a Persona Med Prep blade so that is what I loaded. After the shave and wondering why the irritation I remembered why I do not use Med Prep blades, the always give me allot of irritation.

In the end it was an outstanding BBS but with allot of irritation but not from the straight.

Proraso Pre Shave
Castel Forbes Lime / AoS tallow
Simpson Polo 8 in Super
Hart Steel 7/8 / Barbasol Floating Dead
Dry Gulch strop after hitting the 12k stone and pasted strops
Alum block to keep my fingers dry
Spieck AS
L'Occitane Cade ASB
Dior Cologne Royal

Have a great weekend.

 

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Mongoose with Triad Ti Helix Spiral
Feather Pro #4
Doug Korn Button Orange Swirl
MDC Le Bol En Bois Fougere
Alum, Dickinson’s ++Menthol, Cucumber Melon Whipped Shea Butter
Fine Fresh Vetiver

A good DFS for watching College Football today! Two passes with clean up. The Feather Pro smoothed out nicely for today's shave. I substituted my new DK Taca 2 to test out the new to me TGN High Mountain White Knot. Wow! This one needs a review all its own. The MDC Fougere' may be my favorite. The scent explodes as you lather it. The Whipped Shea Butter is much easier to apply than the organic unrefined SB and smells better.

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The Crazy Ivan in SEptember!
September 4

Razor - Edwin Jagger DE89l
Blade - (1)
Brush - Omega Pro 48
Soap - Arko
Post - Cold water, Alum, Nivea, Aqua Velva Musk

Look out....here comes the first Crazy Ivan move. After three glorious shaves with the Gem 1912 and Gem Teflon blade it's time to throw the EJ DE89l and a Chinese blade into the mix. Chinese blades. Those ridiculously dull and painful excuses for something to throw into the middle of a safety razor. The Flying Eagle - Worst blade ever made (that I've discovered at least). The Baili blue? Horrid (yes, I know a few who like it) for me as well. It's almost like the Chinese can't figure out how to make a razor blade. So, in my search for a Chinese blade that works I discover the Blendax. It's a super stainless blade that is available in bulk from a few places or just a few at a time from others. I chose to add a couple to my order from tryablade.com awhile back, hoping to find a Chinese blade that would perform.

The Pro 48 and Arko - a trained monkey could produce a great lather, and so can I. Got it all lathered up, went for the first pass and I am actually thrilled and surprised to say that........I didn't throw the blade away until after an entire half pass. Yeah, it's THAT bad. I felt the immediate pull/tug/drag/ripping feeling and actually finished the right side of my face and neck WTG. Put the razor back on the shelf, grabbed my "rescue setup" of my '59 Superspeed and Bic Chrome Platinum and finished the shave. Result was a DFS with the right side feeling the alum more than the left just from that one pass. Words can't describe how bad this blade is. Chalk up another failure for the Chinese blade makers in my book.

Now that I have experienced that there will be no return to it tomorrow and Monday as planned. I'll let Ivan come up with something else for those days and surprise you all with it tomorrow. Suffice it to say, I won't be buying anymore Blendax. Hope you have lots of fun planned for the holiday weekend! I plan to have fun selling cars!

I think I found the source of Chinese blades!!!

​

 

I have the Yin Yang AS sample and I think Clint nailed it. The lime is the overriding scent, but the lavender provides cooling relief and a balance to the lime scent. I have both the AS and soap versions on my 'need' list.

Douglas, I'd say try a sample of the AS when you get a chance and go from there.

 

Crazy Izan has got to be one of the most fearless explorers in the shaving universe!


I know of no one, that's right, no one, who will go to the ends of the earth and stick his neck out, yes literally stick his neck out on the line for the eternal search of shaving nirvana. Hollywood has its Indiana Jones, TSD has Crazy Ivan.

Long may you wander for us Crazy Ivan, long may you wander.

 

There was a time when I expected to explore a bit of the world....enough to find that perfect razor, blade, soap, brush, you know, just one of each and ride off into the sunset with great shaves. Then came the siren song of blades. The thrill of chasing a potentially rare and/or dangerous razor down and taming it. The lure of a new brush, a soap yet untried that might be a micron slicker than the last. It's almost like living out the Odyssey trying to find the way home through all of the temptations and dangers of Chinese blades, Russian razors, and all of the other dangers. At least, though, I can say I love my mother without really "loving my mother".