If it's something you wanted (not needed)...your 28 days was worth the wait.

I agree. I wanted to move away from samples for a while and chose to get these and some Gillette Silver Blues. I got the GSB pretty quick so that's what I'm using. Having the GSBs made waiting for the Rapira SS no big deal.

I gotta check out that site.

Nice work catching the baby!

Shave today was about the same as yesterday. 20mm WD synthetic made a fine mess of lather out of the Proraso White. The shavette was amazing. I'm liking it with the sharper blades. The superspeed was perfection again as well. 2 pass WTG shavette and ATG SS. DFS with no irritation. Gillette Fusion cooling after shave balm to finish. I really can't wait till I use this junk up. I dislike the smell and it feels greasy and heavy like the Nivia never did.

I'm thinking of increasing the shavette use thru the last 6 days of the month to prepare myself for next months straight razor bonanza. First 2 days shave 1 pass plus ATG on the cheeks, next 2 days add neck XTG then last 2 days just the shavette for 2 full passes WTG and ATG/XTG and touch up with the superspeed. I'm really looking forward to trying out my new-to-me Omega synthetic. It looks so lonely sitting unused on the shelf. I'm also looking forward to finishing my samples off of T&H lime cream, Taylors peppermint cream and, MWF. The box tour should be to me soon so I should have at least one more soap to add into my rotation.

Me too! I'm not constrained by this "no buy" nonsense.

They really do have fantastic prices on products based out of Europe. The price on Myrsol alone makes it worth the time but also many of the shave sticks and soaps have great prices as well.

Thank you. The cut cleared up nicely and should not be a problem. While the H1 gave an gave an exceptionally close shave, it does charge a price for stupid errors. I'll try to minimize my mistakes today.

We talk a lot about riding the cap on a DE razor. I've held such a narrow angle on my Feather AC this month that the blade holder nearly rides against my face. It results in a much closer and more comfortable shave. Thanks to my brothers here for continuing to share and encourage the use of good technique.

No shave yesterday, so I'll have a two-day growth to mow down later today. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

I've enjoyed following your progress this month with the "pain stick". This weekend should be the first pretty weekend we have had in a while. Nice to the the sun for a change. My youngest turns 16 tomorrow so it should be a great weekend. Hope you have a great weekend as well.

Thanks Clint! I hope you and your son have a wonderful day together. Weather looks good here too. We'll see some snow before long, though.

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with the H1. I hope today's shave goes better. Otherwise, you'll be included in the Brothers of the Pain Stick. Same pain, just a different stick.

Thanks Charlie. I am outnumbered in my house with a wife, 2 daughters. Even the dog is a female.

The H1 is on loan, so it's going home soon. It's just a little on the aggressive side and doesn't put up with lapses of attention. I'll try to do better today.

SOTD
TSD members inspired shave.
November 21, 2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Energizing Face Wash Boost
Razor: Gillette Black Handle Super Speed @LaSalle82
Blade: Personna Lab Blue
Lather: MdC @Gabe
Brush: L'Occitane Plisson @Bama Samurai
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: Fine American Blend @Douglas Carey
Often I struggle with what I'm going to use for my SOTD, many times I'm inspired by what other members are using. Here's my members inspired shave and it was fantastic!
Gillette Black Handle SS, mild, forgiving, a great razor for every level of experience. MdC. The best soap I've ever used, best bang for your buck per shave. Plisson. Everyone wants to copy this super brush, makes sense because it's a workhorse. Fine American Blend. A barbershop in a bottle. Smooth as silk shave. Thank you all for your inspiration.
Never let the things you WANT
Make you forget the things you HAVE!

11/21/2015
Razor – ATT with Triad Ti
Blade – Feather (2)
Brush – Rubberset 400 with Omega Boar
Lather – Soap Commander Passion
Post - Witch Hazel & Captain’s Choice Bay Rum



First time using the Soap Commander Passion in a shave stick. The big Omega boar made short work of whipping up a slick protective lather. My second time using the loaner ATT H1. I paid much closer attention to technique today so I did avoid any cuts. I stuck with a 2 pass shave mostly out of necessity. The shave was super close but even with only 2 passes the H1 punished my face. I have It's just too much for me to use on a daily basis. If I shaved every 2 or 3 days, my thoughts might be different. In the end both the Mongoose and Wolfman OC deliver comparable shaves but are so much smoother. I am glad I got to test the H1.

Finished off with witch hazel and some aftershave balm. Even after waiting several minutes, the CC Bay Rum lit me up pretty good. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.

11/21/15

Gillette Super Speed Y3
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Chiseled Face Tradewinds
Georgetown G12 Scuttle
Pinaud Clubman Original

Chiseled Face Tradewinds and shave #1 with the 5th Gillette Silver Blue in my Birth Quarter Super Speed.
Ran hot water over and in my scuttle and then reduced the temperature and added my brush to soak. Put about a tablespoon of hot water in the soap container while I showered. I squeezed out the brush and emptied the scuttle, then poured the water from the soap container into my scuttle. Once again, I went to town and overloaded my brush with the proto lather from the container. I moved the brush into the scuttle along with the small amount of water from the soap dish and used my fingers to get all of the proto lather from the container into the scuttle. Then I went to work on the lather. I added a few drops of water a couple of times until I had a gracious plenty. I checked the consistency and it was slick as well as thick:


I wet my face and applied the lather. It went on nice and thick and very smooth. A nice consistency. I ran hot water over my razor and began my first pass. During the pass I realized that I could have added a little more water to the lather, but I compensated by rinsing my razor frequently. A warm water rinse showed me that I had gotten good reduction from my XTG pass. My second pass (ATG) was very nice. The small amount of rinse water provided what had been missing. The lather went on thick and smooth and provided great protection. I wet my face and neck and did a small amount of touch up where I could feel stubble. This left me with a near BBS. A cold water rinse followed by a small amount of touch up and once again I thought I had the baby. The Pinaud Clubman stung briefly, but left me with its comforting warmth. I still had a lot of lather when I finished, probably enough for another 3 passes:


About 5 minutes after the shave I realized that there was hint of stubble in one of my trouble spots, so today was only a near BBS. But it was a very nice shave. The Chiseled Face behaved as it should now that I have begun to grasp the mysteries of getting ample rich lather from soaps. I thank Chris and JR for their recent suggestions that helped me make progress in time to enjoy the travel box soap samples. I'm sure I'll be inconsistent for a while, but I think I'm off to a good start.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

There is nothing quite like a big Omega Boar for a fantastic shave. Have a good weekend!

Thank Mark. I hope you have a great weekend as well.

Bill, great shave! Your lather looks good enough to eat. nicely done. I may? Bring my scuttle out.

Another great write up Bill. Fantastic lather shot. How would you describe the scent of Trade Winds?

November 21

Feather Artist Club SS
Feather Professional (4)
Semogue 830
MdC scented
Two passes plus touch-ups
Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Fine L'Orange Noir

Goals
Further develop my two-pass shave technique by practicing the basics
Break in and get more experience with the Semogue 830
Get more experience with MdC

Everything came together for a "top 5" shave this morning - WTG, ATG, and a few touch-ups. I'm near BBS and quite comfortable. Alum was quiet, like the Colorado plains. I finished with a splash of Fine L'Orange Noir, and my Bride is calling me to try some freshly baked breakfast rolls. Life is quite good. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! Better go...