OCT 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

Adam, best wishes for your mother and speedy return to health.

 

October 25 Focus Shave 16

I have an early rendezvous today so almost went with a DE shave instead of a straight razor shave.

The first two passes were smooth but on the fourth I felt a little irritation. Went ahead with the fourth pass as I need a close shave today and did have a DE loaded and at the ready. Got a little farther on the fourth pass so I was hopping for close shave. I had a small nick on the third pass but by the end of the shave it was not bleeding. Applied the alum and yes there was some stinging, but alas finally a BBS shave with a straight, the first one.

Irritation B+, closeness A.

Homemade pre-shave
Simpson Polo 8 Super silver tip
Castle Forbes Lavender / AoS tallow
Woodhead Scuttle
Hart Steel 7/8 French Point
SRD strop
Lucky Tiger AS
Castle Forbes Lavender ASB
Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur

 

Congrats on the BBS with a straight!

 

Just want to say thanks for the positive thoughts and prayers. It means a lot.

 

Congrats on catching the baby!

 

Congrats on the BBS with a SR. That's impressive.

 

Still working out what I am going to do for November. Not going to do a solid rule, but I think one of my razors will be the one I used today, and one will be a CJB with a Kai blade. We can bleed together right? Will also have a bit of DE in there for some travel.

 

Hmmmm..... Focus on bleeding? Where's Neal?

 

I told Chris that I'm doing a New Razor November. Not the Gillette NEW, but several razors that are "new to me". I've already got lined up a 1937 Sheraton, a Schick Adjustable, a Star DE, a Treet SE, and a late 40's Super Speed.

PS - my prayers are with you and your family.

 

Got done with my whole head shave. For the dome I did 2 passes with a used 3 blade disposable I had in the cabinet. I lather up Proraso white in the tub with a razorock plissoft. I then cleaned up and had my spouse-to-be shave the final pass with a new store brand 2 blade disposable. The 3rd pass was Arko lathered with my WD synthetic. Near BBS on the dome.

Face shave was the final shave with the personna red. I chose my favorite cream, Truefitt &Hill west Indian limes, and, after I washed the Arko out, I used the WD synthetic for a slightly thinner but amazingly slick lather that smelled good enough to eat. The triangle guard hole ball end tech surprised me today by mowing down a few days growth in 2 passes with a near BBS. My neck was not quite BBS but on the 3rd day for this blade I didn't want to push it and hurt myself. I showered off after I got done and scrubbed with Axe shock mentholated body wash. I splashed on clubman after the shower. It nibbled at me some on the neck and back of the head but not really bad. I rubbed in Nivea sensitive post shave into my face and scalp after the clubman dried because I felt like I needed the moisturization.

I'm very satisfied with today. Tomorrow starts a new blade on the tech and I'm thinking of doing a head shave with it on the 2nd day then tossing it so I can sneak in an extra blade this month. Bic, personna blue and maybe I'll embrace the boring and load up a feather.

 

I too spent the afternoon cleaning up a straight and plan on putting it to the hones tomorrow. Prayers for your mother's health issues and for you and SWMBO on the upcoming addition to the family. Happy Birthday to your daughter.

 

I'm a little late getting back to the thread but wanted to join the others in wishing your daughter a happy birthday! Enjoy that age. It really is a magical time. Also hope all goes well for the new little one and your wife.

Prayers for your mother's health and for you and your family.

 

What, no Twisty the Clown?

 

Nope, the kids are too small for that and they chose the costumes for my fiance and I. The girl is 10, and the boys are 7 and 4. I unfortunately will be unable to trick or treat with my boys because of the legal mess. They are 6 and 2.

 

OCtober 30 Day Focus -- Cadet Open Comb

October 25

Razor – Cadet Open Comb
Blade – TREET Platinum/GSB/TREET Platinum
Brush – VDH Boar
Soap – Arko/ Stirling Gin and Tonic
Post - Cold Water Splash, Witch hazel, clubman

I have missed posting my last couple shaves with the TREET Platinum blade. I shaved Thursday morning and then Saturday morning. Thursday was OK. No highlights really. A good shave, probably DFS, nothing great but definitely nothing bad.

Saturday a little different. I used Arko for my soap. Decided I needed to try it some more since it is a popular soap and could be a travel soap. I wet my face while soaking the boar brush. Took the Arko stick and smeared it all over my face. Shook water out of the brush and started lathering. The lather exploded everywhere. Great coverage of great looking lather.

Started my shave. Nothing felt smooth. The blade was not gliding at all on my face. Really felt like no slickness at all. Maybe it was the blade. It was my third time using it so maybe this was a two and out blade. I switched to my standard. The GSB. Nope. Something else was wrong. The GSB did not even go smoothly. Took a deep breath started over making sure blade angle and everything was right. The shave just stunk.

Washed my face off and tried again with the Arko. Exact same result. It just does not provide any slickness for my face. Almost like it leaves a sticky residue or something. Not sure if I am doing something wrong like using too much soap or not enough water but tried everything I could think of over the course of about 6 tries. More product/more water, less product/more water, etc and etc. Nothing generated a good base to shave on.

Got frustrated went back to my Stirling gin and tonic. Put the TREET back in the razor and started over. Wanted to make sure I could still properly shave. No stuttering by the blade. Slid very well and sliced well. The blade was probably a little tired and so was my face after starting and stopping the shave trying to get the soap right. On the second pass I got a little irritation but the blade did pretty well overall.

Now I need to figure out the Arko. Maybe the soap just doesn't work for me or maybe I am doing something wrong with it. Thoughts? Advice? Suggestions? Just needed a cookie? What to do about the Arko??

 

No worries, no stress on the 30dc. The likely issue was simply water ratio. Just experiment. Arko really is a top soap, just have to get the consistency down right.

Slice off a coin or two and bowl lather it.
It will help you see how it should be.

 

From your experience does it prefer more or less water? If you ever have used a cheap bar soap and you rub your hand across where you put the soap and it is almost sticky, that is what my face felt like with the Arko. That was even after using way more water than I do with the Stirling. Guess it could be the bowl versus face distinction.

 

What I do:

Scrub beard gently with cold water and a cloth. No soap, leave face wet.

Rub Arko all over beard. When you feel you have enough, add more.

Lather with a wet brush. Add water as needed to knot of brush. Keep adding until it looks and performs the way you like. Be sure to soak your boar. It make take more soap, and more water than you think, and more time to build than you used today. It takes about 1-2 minutes of adding water and lathering for me, albeit with a synthetic, though I've used your exact VDH brush model to the point of wearing mine out...

 

Arko works well for me. I wet my face then before I load the stick on my face I dip the end in hot water and if it decides to grab at my face while I'm loading it I dunk it back in the hot water. I load it up until my face is nearly white and each hair of my beard has some soap on it then I take a damp brush and lather away. I spash at least one cupped hand worth of water on each side of my face as I'm lathering and add any more to the brush. It isn't the slickest soap I have but it is very protective for my face. My straight razors don't like it as they prefer the slicker thinner less rich lather I get from my soaked Williams.

 

I am thinking about doing my 'dangerous' straights, those with sharp points and heels and of course the CJB or hard soaps. Maybe I will join you for some bleeding...