OCT 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

Warning.......Thread Highjack in Progress!








Just a quick update for the night


We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread. That is all.

 

Also @Joef

Though I have never used a SR, I have learned much from the SR guys. Their methods of skin stretching and focus on blade angle and pressure basically fixed my shave issues (over time, with practice). The Alum that Adam (@Drygulch ) writes about is available from a pharmacy. It's usually cheap (US$5-$9), considering a block might last 18-36 months. Ask the pharmacist for a Potassium Alum deodorant block. Do not use aluminum based alum salts, they are not the same thing. Adam uses it for grip, a pure SR trick, but Alum has three other functions. It is an astrigent, meaning it has a drying and tightening effect on the skin surface. It's somewhat antibacterial. But the magic is function three. It provides instant, real, easily interpreted feedback about your skills. If it burns, it's because your technique is weak in those irritated areas. It will even reveal irritation that is not visible to cursory glances. If your face is smooth, and the Alum feels like a cold stone, it means you achieved and held near perfect technique on each pass. To use, rub the block over your wet face after shaving, allow to sit for thirty seconds or so, rinse and proceed with whatever you do after your shave. The crazy thing is though, even though alum burns like fire for a few seconds, it is extremely soothing with regular use, and I believe helps condition my skin to remain tight and smooth when used in conjunction with old school AS (think Skin Bracer or AV). If new converts are gonna chase the Baby, I personally recommend Alum as a technique gauge. (Ymmv, but I like it.)

On your MTO, make sure to ride the doors of the razor a bit as you shave. It's how those razor heads cut most efficiently. I did thirty days of MTO (because it's a good razor) and Williams (because @wristwatchb dared me, see also I'm nuts) and got near BBS pretty easily. No matter what razor you use, it's all about presenting a DE blade to the skin at the optimal angle and pressure, and building solid lather. This can be achieved with almost any razor. I realize the MTO is temporary, but why not go for the gold anyway?

Again, welcome. I really hope you have fun and enjoy things here. As you can see, ask away! It's why we are here.

Techniques trump tools.

 

Good idea!​

​

 

You should probably prep it for a great shave--give it a dunk in some warm salty water, then don't shake off and leave in a puddle on the counter. Safety first, right?

Sorry about your counter in advance.

 

Now that's what I call a proper prep of a carbon blade. For the newbies......don't try this at home.

 

Why not?

 

In Soviet Russia, blades draw the line on you...

 

I guarantee they'd only try it once.

 

I'll be right back. I have to get a towel and clean up the beer I just spit all over my keyboard. Now that's funny.

 

Yes but would they ever be able to shave again without the anticipation of pain? That's the real question.

 

Personal problem? (Shrug)

 

With me if I get One Tug....I toss it....Blades are too inexpensive for me to let one rob me of a Great Shave....I know, if I hang with it, I might discover how to use my 'chops' to over come equipment failure....Stop Check Please.....I get a tugg or pull....I toss the blade!..and..

I do subscribe to the Technique Trumps Tools Philosophy....but with blades...I have little patience...But on the good side...I have sooo many blades I love...I'm not really searching anymore...

 

Here here...Bravo and Whoot! Alum ....
My Dad used to get like a gram of Alum Powder from the Pharmacist and add about half that to a small bottle of Witch Hazel...Then each morning he would shake it up and splash...He swore it would tighten your skin, so as you got older you wouldn't get loose skin...('Chicken-neck')...Well when he passed at 82 he had zero loose neck skin....Hmm maybe I should have listened...Maybe it's not too late...!!

 

What I was trying to say and failed is you are only pulling enough to get move the skin to a flatter area. I would think that for people fighting ingrown hairs pulling excessively would tend to make the problem worse. For me using a DE razor or SE razor, I can accomplish much the same thing by turning my head side to side for the area above my Adams apple or opening my mouth wide for my jawline. Really it's about experimenting and finding what works best for you.

 

Perfect summary of why and how of using alum. I've actually only used 1/3 of the block I bought a year and a half ago. One other tip, when you use the block on your face, rough edges can make it uncomfortable. Rub it in the palm of you hand to smooth it out before you use it on your face. I sanded mine smooth before I used it the first time.

 

10/16/2015
Razor – Wolfman OC with Triad Helix SS
Blade – 7 O’clock Blue (1)
Brush – Olivewood with TGN Finest Fan
Lather – Strop Shoppe Baker Street
Post - Witch Hazel & Fine Platinum



Happy Friday. For today's shave, I loaded up the Wolfman OC with a 7 O'clock blue blade courtesy of @Rufus T. Another great 3 pass near BBS shave this morning. Baker Street proved to be very slick and the scent is great. Finished off with a splash of Fine Platinum and I am off to fight Atlanta traffic.

 

October 14th SOTD (8th shave of this focus)
Two days’ growth
Preshave: Hot Shower
Razor: Dubl Duck Satinwedge with Obnoxious Orange scales
Strop: Drygulch Leatherworks Oiled Latigo
Brush: Handturned Tulip Poplar Badger
Soap: The Shave Den Iced Yin Yang (Lavender, Lime, & Menthol)
Postshave: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block, Thayer’s Witch Hazel
Aftershave: The Shave Den Splash Iced Yin Yang (Lavender, Lime, & Menthol)

This razor is one I am very comfortable with, and consistently get great shaves from. It’s a smaller razor, just a hair under 5/8th. Today I played with the inward pressure while not applying hardly any cutting pressure. (I think I said that right.) I did two and half passes, and got a DFS. No bite on the alum! Soap gave me a great lather with almost no effort. I parked it to allow the menthol to chill the lather. Aftershave was soothing and cold. Good stuff.

 

Gillette Old Type
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Proraso Sandalwood cream
Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Shave #3 with the Rapira Swedish Supersteel in my Old Type.
Did face lather and 2 full passes: Pass 1 XTG. Good reduction. Pass 2: ATG. Almost a DFS at this point. A cold water rinse followed by quite a bit of touch up trying to catch the baby. I gave it up deciding it just wasn't going to happen today. The Aqua Velva yelled, but settled down quickly. After it dried, I found to my surprise that I had a BBS. This was odd because during my cold water rinse touch up, I just couldn't get the last bit of stubble out of one of my trouble areas.

A surprise BBS shave today from the Rapira Swedish Supersteel in my Old Type. I had to go over a few spots several times today and had given up, but the baby showed up about 30 minutes afterwards. I don't think the Rapira Swedish Supersteel is suited to my Old Type. It was pretty good in the Fat Boy and better in the Tech, but I find it's just too much effort with a risk of irritation in this razor. At least that's my experience with it. YMMV.

Have a great Friday!

 

isn't that Mike Jordan?

 

SOTD
October 16, 2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Energizing Face Wash Boost
Razor: iKon Shavecraft 101
Blade: Personna Lab Blue
Lather: Pré de Provence No 63
Brush: Stirling Synthetic
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: Myrsol F./Extra
This was a great shave. Something I do I use a razor twice in a row, why? Because I use a blade twice. So the next time I use the iKon 101 I know the blade will be new. Something else I've been doing the last couple of weeks is dipping my cleaned razor/blade in rubbing alcohol before I hang it on the wooden rack. I've noticed a difference in my disposable razor that I use for my head shaves, and my DE/SE looks cleaner for SOTD pictures because I don't push DE blades past two shaves I'm not sure what benefits there are? Myrsol F./Extra is very soothing, healing, cooling but for the life of me i can not figure out the scent. It's nice. PdP no 63 is very good! If you want to add a new soap check this one out.
Never let the things you WANT
Make you forget the things you HAVE