No Variation November - A TSD Challenge

Shave Den Sunday!

Day 22 - No Variation November!



TSD ISZ PreShave Balm
Utopia 3-piece
Gillette Silver Blue (22!!!)
L'Occitane Plisson Synthetic
Proraso Red
Alum
TSD 2x Iced Barber Shoppe AS


I love Sundays with TSD!
Have a sterling Monday!​

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NoVember 22, 2015 Shave Den Sunday



Hot Shower
Soap: TSD Unscented
Brush: Omega 31025 Scarlatti Boar
Razor: Mongoose B3
Blade: Feather Artist Club Professional (1)
TSD Witch Hazel
TSD Aftershave Milk
TSD Yin Yang

2-day growth, 3-pass shave.

Continued focus on the new Mongoose. Smooth skin all around except for a bit of trouble around my mouth with a couple of nicks.

Cheers!
RT

 

I fell off the wagon a week ago when I introduced the shavette to the mix. Everything else stayed the same including the Super Speed. I just started using the shavette for the first pass but this evening I'll be slowly adding more shavette and using less Superspeed. Next month I'll be using straights and a rolls razor. I'm working the shavette up as a muscle memory exercise. The motions are the same so I'm getting some extra practice in before next month.

 

Shave 10

Waited 3 days to shave again and I have to say I had a wonderful shave. Did three passes 1 with and 2 cross in opposite directions. alum told me I might have over done it a bit but there is no irritation that I can see.

I guess based on the alum feed back I need to do less during my clean up pass.

 

Posting about my shave last night. Mainly making observations. I will start with the razor
Razor
ER 1912. This is a fantastic shaver. I can get DFS and BBS with my 3 pass shave almost every time. With a newer blade 4 shaves or less I can go a true ATG on the upper lip. This is a very noisy razor. This is a good thing. It really lets you know when you have your angle right. When keeping a very light grip on the razor you can feel the head follow your face. The design of this razor seems to me to have a very slight spring effect. Meaning it moves ever so slightly with your contours. This is almost unperceived. The balance is pretty nice I tend to grip it a bit low on the handle. This razor is a keeper.

Blade.
I am using the GEM SS this month. I find that it shaves great right out of the gate. I hand strop the blade before each use. I give it a good 20 strokes. I find this blade to be very smooth on my face. I can get 4 great shaves from this blade. The 5th shave I can feel the pull starting. Very manageable though. I only tried a 6th shave 1 time. Had to stop on the first pass on the 6th shave. It seems to go south very quickly. 5 3 pass shaves is perfect for me. Next month I will be trying the Carbon blades in the same razor to see how they compare.

Cream
AOS Sandalwood This is some very nice stuff. It makes a great lather and has a very nice scent. I mainly only used soaps up until this point. I like the cream so much that I placed an order with TSD for some of their creams to try.

Brush
WD synthetic mounted to my 3D designed and printed handle. I will start with the handle. I am pleasantly surprised as to how comfortable the handle is to hold and operate. Being printed and still with the rough type finish gives fantastic grip. Now for the WD synthetic Knot. This is a lather making machine. It almost instantly starts whipping up great amounts of lather. The brush is a bit softer than I really like. I like the more scrithcy brush. I really like the more aggressive feeling on my face when lathering. That being said the WD share lays down a beautiful even coat of lather when painting your face. I have 2 more of my brush handles that I will be mounting WD knots into later this week. Boar and Black pure Badger.

I will be finishing the rest of the month with this same setup. I just wanted to post a summery so to speak right now as this is all fresh in my mind.
This has been a fantastic learning experience for me. I will be doing more 30 day focuses in the future.

Bama thank you for keeping an eye on all of us.

Tom

 

Merkur 39c
Personna reds
Wsp formula t
Wsp pure badger
Alum
Cc bay rum
Seems that the personna is great on shaves 2 through 5.
First shave is always rough, wish I could skip that one....but overall a descent shave, not too much sting from the alum. The cc was a little warmer than usual though.
Can't wait for the second she with this blade.
Have a great week everyone!

 

I've come into four five razors that I will want to try out. Then there is the Jayaruh#30RS I have to break in and the three soap samples that Ed (@Redrock ) sent me.

 

replying to my own post...and Roseanne ain't so bad herself.

 

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Monday's ​

Dove Men Face Wash
Tabac Shaving Soap
Jayaruh #27 Silver Tip
Gillette Super Adjustable (new blade)
Astra Super Platinum
CWR, Asma Alum Block
Thayers Rose Petal WH
Aqua Velva AS​

The Tabac Shaving Soap face-lathered well with my Jayaruh #27 Silver Tip brush. Two passes with my Gillette Super Adjustable razor and an Astra Super Platinum blade gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse, alum block, and a final cold water rinse, I finished off with Thayers Rose Petal WH and then Aqua Velva after shave. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

Twenty-third shave of No Variation NoVember.
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Kris&Rita probably sounded better than the original artist(forgot her name).

 

If I did that, I'd have to buy 3 10-packs of the Sensor 2 DisposeABLEs. (Of course some put in 2 extra for free).

 

I've had stuff piling up all month and it was driving me crazy until I put it away in the bottom drawer in the den so that i dont look at it and tempt myself.
If my Mongoose gets here before the end of November, all bets are off though....

 

Forgot to post several shaves over here, but will post the last couple.

November 22

Razor – 1974 Gillette SS
Blade – GSB
Brush – AOS Badger
Soap – Gada Cool Mint shave cream
Post - Cold water splash, Witch Hazel and Aqua Velva

I think I have finally figured this razor and blade combo out. It requires my usual 2 passes of WTG on cheeks, XTG on chin and neck, and then ATG everywhere for the second pass. I then have no choice but to do some J hooking around the Adam's apple, which I will call touch-up though it really is closer to another whole pass in that area. The chin with some buffing and really paying attention on the ATG pass to go slow and deliberate has come together as well! Ended today with BBS as declared by my fiancee and I agree. The shave held up for about 8 hours, which is the best I can get from this razor.

Got a few more shaves with this razor and then it will probably be used only around my birthday as I have several others I enjoy using more and this one really was only bought because it is my birth year and quarter razor.

 

November 23

Razor – 1974 Gillette SS
Blade – GSB
Brush – AOS Badger
Soap – Gada Cool Mint shave cream
Post - Cold water splash, Witch Hazel and TSD ISZ



Another good shave today. Getting really antsy to move on and struggling to stay in the no variation. Mainly because I have several razors that I have never used, a new Stirling Kong (more on that in a minute), and several new soaps to try!

The razor and blade combo really likes the extra effort on the neck and chin to get a DFS+ or BBS shave. Today I believe it is just shy of BBS and I did not feel like chasing. I ended up with no irritation at all, which was definitely worth not chasing the baby!

I have been using this AOS Badger (fine badger I believe) so far this month. I can get a good lather out of it, just like I could the VDH boar. The difference is the AOS just has no backbone. This thing is soft as it can be on your face, but it just flops everywhere. I have no trouble making the lather, and no trouble distributing it on my face. I just am not sure about the way it feels on my face. I guess I am liking a little more stiffness and all after having started with the boar. I am going to finish out the month and then plan to use my new Stirling Kong for a month to see how it compares. Just running my fingers through the knot definitely seems like the Stirling has more backbone than the AOS. Definitely looking forward to giving the Kong a go next month!!

 

Day 23 - No Variation November!



Utopia 3-piece
Gillette Silver Blue (1)
L'Occitane Plisson Synthetic
Proraso Red
Alum
Osage Rub (face and scalp)​

Finally changed out the blade, didn't have to, but did. Turns out a day one GSB is both way sharper and more harsh than a day 22 GSB. That being said, the sharp blade and the Proraso made quick work of it for a two pass near-BBS with zero irritation. Alum was quiet, Osage was Osage. I am proud to say I have no official responsibilities until Monday and plan on a relaxing holiday weekend. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a terrific Tuesday!
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Well that was awesome shaving as long as you did with that one blade. Nice work.

 

Planned Day 24

Im thinking I might try to make the rest of the month on this Chick blade. Tuesday will be day 6 and no signs of slowing down.

 

Thanks, I actually just got bored and changed. I think 30 was a possibility...

 

12-14 shaves is pretty average on my injector blades.

 

I cant remember but I think 10 or 11 was as long as Ive went on one blade....