OCT 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

Congratulations

 

Thanks @clint64. It shave great also. Menthol Crystals are working out great.

 

Thanks for your kind words. I have a number of Fine A/S, and I really like them all. I don't have sensitive skin so I my not be a good judge of thee skin care qualities of Fine products. I can say that I haven't had any difficulties with them. Hope this helps.

 

I bet you really like L'Orange Noir. have a great night yourself.

 

Charlie I know you asked Doug but I couldn't help chiming in. I add a couple of drops of glycerin per ounce to Fine aftershaves to help with skincare. Platinum is a great scent when you put it on. Kind of funky in the bottle but fantastic when you put it on. Both Platinum and L'Orange are great but I prefer Platinum.

 

I'm glad you're enjoying them. I've not tried adding them to soaps but I might try your idea of the hot water and give it a go.

 

Good idea. That would help people with more sensitive skin I think.

 

I just received a bottle of Gingers Garden OakMoss aftershave today, one word. Fantastic! I shaved my head and applied a small amount, goodness! My head feels so good, so smooth, so moisturized.

 

Gents. @Douglas Carey is working very hard on putting together a Shave Den 2016 Calendar! Please submit your SOTD entry for consideration HERE

 

Love this!

 

October 3rd SOTD (Shave 2 of this focus)
One and a half days’ growth
Preshave: Hot Shower
Razor: unrestored J. Wostenholm EBRO, from around 1865
Strop: Drygulch Leatherworks Oiled Latigo (30 laps linen/ 30 laps leather pre, 10 /10 post)
Brush: Handturned Tulip Poplar Badger
Soap: Jabonman Lima-Incencio (Menthol)
Postshave: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block, Thayer’s Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman with M-Bomb added

My new 150 year old razor showed up early. Thanks, @entropy1049! There was no way I wasn’t shaving with this thing today. It is a larger and heavier razor than I have used in the past. The scales are horn, one side black, and one side with some honey streaks. The blade is just over 6/8th of an inch, and it is a near wedge grind. This razor has not been restored, or been unpinned, or polished to a mirror shine. I love the patina on it. I broke a couple of shaver’s cardinal rules today:

1. Don’t change too many things at once. I have only used this brush twice this month, and am still remembering how much water it takes and how to work a lather with it. I don’t think I have used this soft soap in over a month, and a new razor.
2. Don’t chase the baby. Let him come to you.
3. Don’t go over an area you have already shaved without re-lathering.

The soap is one of my favorites, and came as a gift with a razor I purchased. It is a very soft Spanish soap, and takes a light hand or super soft brush when loading. I had trouble getting enough soap, and had to reload my brush twice. The razor just plowed through the whiskers on the N/S stroke. I re-lathered, and did a S/N pass. After that pass, there were a few spots just under my jaw that needed attention, and I shaved them with very short strokes, skin stretching, and no new lather. I could see and feel the whiskers coming off, so I kept at it on my neck. The Alum got my attention, the Witch Hazel felt good and the Bombed Clubman had a bite! Overall, BBS shave except on my neck, a DFS ++.

 

October 4 Focus Shave 4

It is a lazy Sunday so I had plenty of time so I broke out the scuttle again today. The Dovo Bismarck first shave after touching it up on the 12k stone and putting it through my pasted strops and it did not disappoint. I did 4 passes but only completed about 2/3 of the ATG pass. There is still an angle I can't figure out yet. I thought the shave felt a little rough but when I applied only the slightest hint of irritation. The shave was borderline BBS, all in all a very successful shave.

I rate this shave irritation A, closeness A-

Homemade Pre Shave
Queen Charlotte Soaps Cubana Breeze cream
Rooney 3/2 silver tip
Dovo Bismarck 2
PRC hanging strop
Alcolado Glacial AS
Edwin Jagger ASB
Santa Maria Novella Acqua di Cuba

 

Excellent post. Good information to be reminded of for sure. Great to see new life for a really old razor.

 

30 day focus - Day 4
Fat Boy set to 6
Rapira Platinum Lux Blade
MDC
3 passes

I moved the Fat Boy adjustment from 5 to 6 today and am pleased with the results. On 6, the Fat Boy seemed a little more eager to mow down the really heavy whiskers. This resulted in a slightly better shave than the previous few days. I will try it on 6 for a few days and then move it up to 7 in order to determine what the best setting is for me. This was a very good shave today.

 

OCtober Focus Day 4:

Homemade PS Oil
Stirling Synthetic Brush
TSD Lanolin Pumpkin Spice SS
Gillette New LC
Stirling Unscented PSB
Clubman Vanilla AS

I had a really nice shave this morning with my New. It was smooth and effortless, and I am very near BBS. The TSD Pumpkin Spice has me in the mood for fall. An all around great Sunday shave.

 

Time to switch blades. Next up:

I am so glad I decided to do a blade focus this month. It is showing me how much I have learned recently. It isn't so much the blade as the technique. I have tried this blade before and didn't like it much. Today it was fine. I got another very nice two pass shave with very little touch up needed. This blade was slightly less smooth than the Gillette 7 O'Clock Blue that I just used but more than acceptable.
SOTD
EJ DE89
Personna Med Prep (1)
Rubberset 400
TOBS Grapefruit cream
Glacial AS Splash
Have a blessed Sunday!

 

Great pic! Calendar entry?

 

SOTD
October 4, 2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Energizing Face Wash Boost
Razor: Gillette Aristocrat
Blade: Ladas
Lather: La Cigale Savon Barbe soap
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: Gingers Garden OakMoss
Superb shave. 3 new products.
La Cigale Savon Barbe soap from France, I picked this up at Bullgoose for $9 very slick, cushion-y, wonderful post shave. The scent? I want to say it almost unscented. Clean.
RazoRock Plissoft $10. Good brush, won't replace my Plisson and definitely not my Stirling Kong.
Gingers Garden OakMoss $15. Outstanding! 4.2 oz bottle full to the top, great ingredients, my face and head love it! I'll be adding more flavors to my collection.
Never let the things you WANT
Make you forget the things you HAVE

 

Its interesting for me to see blade comparisons. The equivalent for SR shaving is the out of control RAD I have been displaying for the last few months. I agree that technique trumps tools. I can get an acceptable shave with just about any DE set up. Some are ore comfortable than others, but most will do the job. That fact is why I am willing to dump money on mor straights, without knowing how comfortable the shave will be.

 

You just very eloquently explained why I have resisted the urge to use straights. I know I would want to try every blade type