OCT 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

+1 on Ladas

 

You gave way more effort then I did on the tiger. I think my sense of self preservation is more refined.

 

I agree with these comments on blades. I am doing a blade focus this month and am finding that some popular blades just don't work for me. For example

Today is day three with the PolSilver Super Iridium and this blade will not be staying in my rotation. While I'm getting nice shaves, I am also getting some irritation.
SOTD
TOBS Grapefruit cream
Rubberset 400
PolSilver Super Iridium (3)
Witch Hazel
AoS AS Balm
Florida Water
Have fun!

 

I prefer to think of it as my sense of adventure is more highly attuned. Yeah, that's it.

 

OCtober - Trick or TREET
October 15

Razor - Gillette 1959 Ball End Tech
Blade - (2)
Brush - BoS Omega 10066
Soap - Mitchell's Wool Fat
Post - Cold water, Alum, Nivea Original

Onward and forward to day two with the Falcon carbon. I checked the blade and found no signs of rust so apparently my method of drying and storing it worked. That's a good sign. This blade surprised me yesterday with a really fantastic shave ending in BBS. So, let's see if it has legs.

BoSFat for the lather today and it is almost as much fun just making the lather as it is shaving with it. Maybe more, actually. Just a fantastic face lather after an easy load. And off to the first pass we go. WTG and I am impressed again. Feels as smooth as yesterday. No sign of any issues with sharpness or smoothness. Nice audible feedback and away we go to XTG on pass two. On the face everything seems perfectly fine. I do note a hint of roughness on the neck but just a hint. Still no real issues so a rinse and off we to go ATG. As I start to lather I notice a small nick on my neck, just above the adam's apple. Hmmmmm. Didn't feel it so not sure if I got heavy handed or the blade skipped. Oh well, no worries, lather up and go.
Now the world begins to turn. ATG on the face is fine, but when I go back to the neck to work it ATG and Gslide I can feel a difference. And, coming across under the goatee line on my chin I feel the bite. Yep, that one's gonna leave a mark. Nothing shows up immediately so I continue on. Finish up the X and go for the G with a pretty sharp angle trying for a quick finish. Now the marks under the chin are showing themselves along with another small nick on my left neck. Wow, this thing is losing it fast it seems. Finish the G-slide up and call it good. As I'm drying off and checking it out SWMBO sticks her head in and comments instantly on the redness and visible irritation. I note the same issue as I hit it with the alum and fairly jump off the floor. Even my face is reacting pretty strongly to the alum. As I apply the Nivea I can feel enough left to call this a DFS, and not a great one. I'm not sure I've ever had a shave change direction this fast before.

So, now to figure out the cause. Technique errors? No, not that I can determine. I kept angle right, pressure off and did my usual passes, directions etc. I don't see a problem with that. Lather issues? It's the FAT so no. But not just because it's the FAT. It was a good lather, cushion and slick, all of that. And, I didn't work without lather on any areas after a pass. The blade? Looks like it. I'm suspecting that it just isn't able to hold an edge, or at least not for long. Now, that brings us to tomorrow's planned third shave with it. I'm going to go off my usual routine and hand strop the blade just before shaving. See if that changes anything. And, if it is headed south at an even faster pace when I start I'll have a Russian rescue setup and waiting.

Looks like the first Trick of the month may be in the making!

 

Arko burns for me. I used it one day, then tested it on my forearm and got the same reaction. I traded the rest of the stick for a blade for my shavette. No turkish shave goodness for me.

 

October 15, 2015

OC October - This month I'll introduce myself to OC razors.
Gillette New LC
Gillette Goodwill
Standard Safety Razor OC
Schick Type C1 OC

Morning shave
Hot Shower
Soap: La Toya stick
Brush: Vintage Rubberset Travel Brush
Razor: Schick Type C1 OC
Blade: Schick (China) (3)
TSD Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Vintage Old Spice


Two-pass shave and another CCS with this setup.



On this day in 1969, JC Martin’s bunt in the bottom of the 10th resulted in bringing home the winning run as the throw to 1st ricocheted off his hand into right field. The Mets took a 3-1 series lead against Baltimore and won the Series the following day. They had been a 100-1 longshot against winning the World Series that year…Amazin’!

Let’s Go Mets!
RT

 

October 15

20's Old Type
Astra SP (5)

Not a lot to say about this shave, just another one-pass CCS with just a little neck irritation. (I really need to look into an aftershave balm.) This is the longest I've used an Astra SP and I'm impressed with how its hanging in, though I will probably replace it after tomorrow's shave.

I'm trying to stay with this combo and really work on my technique. For some reason, though, I am really having to fight the urge to use a different razor just to break the monotony. Is the siren song always this loud?

JR

 

Yes it is that loud at least for me but I am the type that has very little patience anyway.

 

Blades are cheap. I go a max of three and out on one blade. Saving 20 cents by giving myself razor burn with a worn out blade doesn't make sense to me. (Kind of like making one cartridge work for a month of shaves. You can do it, but why would you want to?)

Yes, the siren song is loud, somewhat hypnotic, and a lot of fun. Once you get a solid foundation of shaving skills that will work with many razors, go nuts! What I found out when I went nuts before getting my basics down is that my skills didn't traslate between razors. When I focused on one razor, blade, and brush for a month, things got better. Then I got to where I could get a good shave out of any razor, and started being able to play with more hardware.

Then I tried straights...

 

I believe Martin played for the White Sox before coming to the Mets. Ditto Tommie Agee.

 

There had to be at least one or you just would not have had your usual fun this month!

 

Two things happened in 1959..my sister was born, and that razor was developed.

 

Razor: Gillette Black Tip (X3) 1952
Blade: Voskhod Teflon Coated (3)
Brush: Omega 10066 Boar
Soap: Captain's Choice Bay Rum
A/S: Captain's Choice Bay Rum
Day 15
Very good shave tonight. I added a little to much water, so it took some time to fix that. "User error"

 

My first post here so give me a good interweb slap if I mess up
Razor MTO
brush WSP badger
Soap TSD barbershop
Blade Wilkinson

The shave was great, cold water for me thanks. 3 pass, WTG, XTG, ATG.
Very little irritation and still no cuts (been lucky I guess, no cuts since I switched to DE)

I can't say BBS, but my 2nd best shave to date. I had better with a feather blade.
I've only had 2 bad shaves, my second which was shaky hands the other was when I went off the cold water path. Neither were too bad though.
I'd love to get that BBS, just can't seem to get one.

 

Good job. Thanks for your post.

 

Thanks for joining the crew and a great job on your first post. Don't worry the BBS will come in time. Feel free to ask any questions and we'll try to help if we can. I am looking forward to following your progress as you master DE shaving,

 

Welcome aboard! This is a great thread to talk about technique to improve your shaves. We won't slap you. We have Igor and the Russian Blade cartel for that. (Keep reading, it will make sense.)

Judging from your set up, I am guessing someone gave you a starter gift or PIF, since its hard to put a kit together like that.

 

Boy, everyone's breaking out the Captain's Choice now...good to see!!

 

No actually bought it all. The shave den soap and captains choice came today. The MTO I got at Walmart. Have a few tins of WSP soap and some TSD milk as well.
The only problem I'm having right now is just above my Adams apple and to the sides of it, no matter how many passes or directions, I can't get it smooth. It's like the razor just won't catch the hair. I even tried applying a little pressure, but still not getting it.