NOV 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic&Discussion Thread

Good morning guys,

second day of NOVember, second shave. And just another struggle with the Semogue 620.

Setup:
- D.R. Harris Sandalwood soap
- Semogue 620
- Mühle 89R
- Gillette Silver Blue (shave #2)
- Myrsol Agua Balsamica

First lathering attempt failed miserably Soaking wet brush + soaking wet face + not enough material = really poor excuse for lather. It just ran off my face.

But I did not give up, of course. Next attempt with an almost dry brush and just a little water on the face. The brush looked like this after some intense swirling on the soap:



Much better now. But still not enough for 2 passes. Guess I really have to go crazy on the soap with the next shave. And I have to be careful about the amount of water I add.

Since I still suffer from some minor skin problems around the jawbone (should be gone in a few days), today's shave was just 2 passes, WTG and XTG. Anyway, clean enough, I'd say. And I'm getting better at shaving the pretty sensitive area on my upper lip and around the corners of the mouth. Less and less irritated spots there.


Guess I'll skip shaving tomorrow, let the skin soothe for a day.

 

Skipping a day and allowing your skin to heal is a good idea. Hope you figure out the brush.

 

Please congratulate our October NGA winner Seth @pvtbanks :rah::rah:
And a big thank you to our supporting vendors and members @Queen of Blades @soapbuddy @Seabs @Boojum1 @Bama Samurai Thank you for your generosity and support.
Kerry

 

SOTD
November 2, 2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Energizing Face Wash Boost
Razor: Gillette Red Tip 1958 D4
Blade: Personna Lab Blue
Lather: Catie's Bubbles Jardin D'Or
Brush: Switchback 400 24mm #2 Suave
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: Folsom & Co. Capri
I haven't used this Catie's soap in over a year, what a lovely soap, the Switchback 400 24 mm -#1 Dura whipped up Jardin D'Or nicely. I kept my shave to a 3 pass shave, and was kindly rewarded. I'll shave my head later today as I'm out of regulation.
Never let the things you WANT
Make you forget the things you HAVE

 

11/02/2015
Razor – Mongoose B2 with Triad Helix SS
Blade – Feather Pro (2)
Brush – Rudy Vey with Shavemac Finest
Lather – B&M Seville
Post - Witch Hazel and Fine Platinum



This morning's shave was better than yesterday. A 3 pass shave with touch ups end with a near BBS which is about par for the course for me on work mornings. I paid more attention to loading the soap on my face and ended up with a much better lather today. In fact I had enough for 4 full passes. Finished off with a splash of Fine Platinum. All in all a great shave for a rainy Monday morning.

 

11/2/15

Gillette NEW LC
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Proraso Sandalwood cream
Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Shave #2 with the Astra SP in my New LC.
Face lather and 2 full passes: Pass 1 XTG. Good reduction. Pass 2: ATG. Afterwards, did a small amount of touch where I could easily feel stubble. This gave me a nice DFS. A cold water rinse followed by a moderate amount touch up and I thought I had the BBS. The Aqua Velva complained a bit and it revealed some stubble as I rubbed it in. One spot was significant, so I hit it with the lather and did a little blade buffing and hit it with more A/S. Achieved the BBS.

Another BBS shave from the Astra Superior Platinum in my New LC. I needed a little more touch up than yesterday and even did some touch up after applying the A/S. Sometimes I’m surprised that I can’t feel any stubble during my rinse only to discover some after I put things away. If anyone knows what I can use before my touch up to make the stubble show up as well as the Aqua Velva, let me know. I’ve tried witch hazel, but it doesn’t seem to wake them up as well. Just doesn’t seem right to use A/S and then shave again, but my face and neck sure are smooth 2 hours later where I did!

 

Aristocrat Focus Day 2:

Homemade PS Oil
Stirling Synthetic Brush
L'Occitane Cade SC
Gillette Aristocrat
Stirling Unscented PSB
Canoe AS

Second shave with this razor, and it was another good one. After my ride the cap epiphany, I am going to have work back through all my razors. This one is almost too smooth. Definitely a DFS with very little clean up needed.

 

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, the polished head and #9 are going today.

 

After this morning, your name seems appropriate. I did not have a good morning with the Feather AC. I started on the left side and had a very nice single pass shave. The dang thing bit me twice on the right side. And I mean bit. These weren't some little tiny weepers, but bloody slits. It looks like I tried to shave with a pissed off cat. I managed to stop the bleeding with styptic powder and pressure with a wet wash cloth. Now I look forward to explaining the two marks on my face to curious coworkers. I'm thinking if saying I tripped and fell face first into a rose bush. Unfortunately, many of my coworkers know about my hobby and will make a few comments. Oh well.
I do not intend to let this thing beat me! Have a great week.

 

Yes the SS definitely does NOT have a "weeper" setting when it comes to most bloody episodes. It just plain slices, dices and lets you know it is unhappy with how you wielded it. I've gone to work sliced and diced before and I've always just told them how I got it. Even showed them pictures of the Feather. It quickly raises their opinion of your courage. And perhaps your level of insanity.

 

NOVember
November 1

Razor - Feather SS
Blade -
Brush -
Soap -
Post - Cold compress, Alum, Nivea Original Post Shave Balm

Onward and forward to day two. Same setup as it will be all month. My cut from yesterday appears to have healed fairly well but I'm aware it's there so will be careful in that area to try avoiding opening it again. Gave the brush an extra couple of shakes today after soaking the puck for about 10 minutes and got a really nice result. Less foam, more brush load and it began making that thick and slick MWF lather on the puck. So, lots of cushy lather to keep me safe. That's the theory anyway.

First pass on the right as always, set the blade flat and angled for cut then held it. I'm being cognizant of the angle at all times as well as never never never never never never sliding across for even the tiniest microsecond. Finished the right face and neck with a really comfortable pass and no issues. I was able to work over yesterday's cut with the lather and not create a problem at all. Feeling pretty confident here. Took a minute and went to the left, using the Japanese technique. That felt more comfortable today than yesterday and I got a good result on the first pass. Around the goatee on that side got a bit tricky but I got it finally. Not perfect but that's not the point yet. Went down the neck and watched my hand position as I moved toward the ear. I didn't realize how far I work the blade toward my hand in order to get the angle on the left side that far back. If I slip I may lose a thumb.

Rinsed and went for the second pass, XTG or sometimes DTG (diagonally to the grain) with this razor. Made good progress. Did have two tiny nicks on the right cheekbone area but nothing that one quick press with my finger didn't close up. That's an area I sometimes do that in. The neck is tricky on this pass as is the left side, especially up against the goatee. Managed to complete the pass with no blood but not totally happy with the result. So, one more time. Lathered up again and hit the face first. I can actually call the face DFS. And, no blood. Worked on the right neck and got CCS. Good enough. Went under the chin down the neck and, yep, there you go. A nice cut right against the goatee line under my chin. What happened? I have a tendency to land the blade vertically along the goatee to avoid cutting into it, then rolling the razor toward my skin to set the angle. It's not a bad technique.......as long as you use NO pressure. I applied pressure when I rolled the blade which caused it to grab and cut just before it slid down my neck. Can't do that again. Stopped to check the damage, not too bad for me and finished the left side to a CCS. Used cold towel pressure on the chin for a bit and it was done bleeding. Hit the alum and......on my face it was HOT. On my neck it was jump around and cuss and throw things hot. WOW! Two days and it's heating up it seems. My neck was hot red. Used the Nivea liberally to help cool it off.

Overall I can't complain because of the setup. It will improve day by day, hopefully with less blood as I go along. I'm calling the finish a CCS. But that's acceptable right now. Happy Monday everyone!

​

 

November 2, 2015

No Variation NoVember

The No Variation theme month comes at a great time for me having acquired some new equipment.
I've had only two shaves with this razor in order to choose a blade to use exclusively this month. Also about half a dozen shaves with the soap and brush. So this will be a great month of learning.

Razor: Mongoose B3
Blades: Feather Artist Club Professional
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Manna
Brush: Omega 31025 Scarlatti Boar



Three-day growth, three-pass shave (WTG,XTH,ATG)
If first impressions mean anything, 30-days with just this gear will go by quickly.

Cheers!
RT

Baseball Postscript
Thanks to all TSDenizens for tolerating me this month and one of my other passions. Being part of this site, we all share the passion of shaving. You’ve made me comfortable enough here to share another one. I believe passions are that which make life most enjoyable. I wish you all the delight of life through yours.

“Baseball breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall all alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.”

- A. Bartlett Giamatti, (Former Yale University President and professor of literature and MLB Commissioner)
Take Time For Paradise: Americans and Their Games​

 

They all know it's a shaving injury and question my sanity. They also seem happy to tell me why "safety" razors were invented

 

Sorry they weren't amazin'. Here's to passions. ON!

 

I just snorted coffee through my nose.

 

I respectfully disagree with this statement. I was very careful last night with angles, and had no cuts or slices. I quit counting the weepers after 25, because there were more showing up. I used a little bit too much pressure on chin and just under it, and my pain stick turned into a weeper machine.

 

Well I did qualify by saying MOST bloody episodes. Maybe it's only the pain stick experts who get weeps instead of cuts. You're just that good!

 

shaved last night with my months setup. Y2 Gillette Super Speed, GSB, 20mm WD synthetic, Proraso white.

having only used this razor a handful of times I expected it to be rough for the first few shaves until I was comfortable with it. I was not disappointed. 3 passes to a DFS in closeness but also to a weeper above my lip on the right side and a half dozen more on my neck along with one nick where a tricky spot on my neck is. This tiny spot smaller then a pea has hair that grows opposite the red so it got an early ATG and hung up the blade just long enough to catch skin. The clubman stung some but quieted down before I started cussing. Nivia sensitive to help it heal.

Today is a lazy rainy day so I'm going to spend my birthday reading inside with multiple pots of earl grey. It's colder here now so inbetween chapters I'll try to finish the blanket I've been crocheting for the last 10 months.

 

You tell me what it looks like