DEC 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

One thing I struggle with a little bit is the different water requirements on my soaps. Since I have a rotation 13 different soaps made by 8 different companies, they all take a little different touch to lather correctly. This includes what brush to use and how much water. I have noticed that if I spend a lot of time mastering one soap, like I did last month with the Jabonman, I have to adjust to using a different one. A couple of my soaps do like yours did today and the lather just doesn't last. I am going to keep working on those soaps, and have found three main variables with soaps. 1) How much water in the brush. 2) Do I soak the soap before loading the brush. 3) How much water to add to the lather in the bowl. When the lather is dissipating, I can usually address it by using a little more damp brush to load the soap. I have never been able to save a bowl full of this lather by adding more soap, and just have to start over.

 

Bill anytime I start with a new soap I tend to overload the soap. I've found it much easier to add water to thin down a lather than a reverse. After I have mastered the soap, I can then begin to fine tune the load time.

 

I'll be shaving later today as I'm home on grand-baby babysitting duty. I called in sick to an answering machine last night, **cough** **cough**
My daughter-in-law has one more week of school until break! On the downside of watching my grandkids today, I'll be watching Barney ALL Day.

 

Some just posted this on my Facebook page. I thought of you guys.

 

I know it is sad, but when I read the first line and hit the "Yousa" I immediately thought of Jar Jar Binks. Oh well. Unfortunately Samurai is going to have to wait until tomorrow for the "BBSa ofa my life" using his settings. I woke up feeling eh and decided I wanted sleep instead of a shave. I will spend the rest of the day watching out for my kneecaps.

 

I pictured Jar Jar in a fedora and a nice suit saying this... (So glad I am not the only one. 8 days left!)

 

SOTD 12/9/15 (Shave 5 of this focus)
Razor: Boker Red Injun 101
Strop: Drygulch Leatherworks Forty-Five Series Bridle/ Poly
Soap: Barrister & Mann Seville
Brush: Omega 1066
Post Shave: Cold Water rinse, Alum, Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman w/ M-Bomb added

Used the Boker Red Injun again. Light weight and smooth. I am getting really good results with changing my shave pattern to N/S, XTG, then S/N instead of doing the XTG as touchup. Seems to result in much less irritation under my chin. With using the alum bar for careful skin stretching, and focusing on just wiping the lather off my face, the whiskers just went away. Got the water level perfect on the B&M soap, and a fantastic lather that wasn’t too runny. Almost no burn on the Alum or Clubman. Just a good shave. My focus for this month seems to be shifting to a no irritation shave, and I am getting closer.

 

Thanks Adam. I looked at my notes and this is the third time I've tried this soap and I had this problem the other two times also. The first time I needed to go back to the soap container because I didn't even have enough for my touch up. I'm going to spend a few days on this soap to see if I can get a consistently good lather. Hopefully I'll get it dialed in.

 

Thanks Clint, I remember you mentioning overloading the soap. I will do that tomorrow. I'll count the seconds so I have an idea how long I've spent in the soap container, but I'm not going to stop just because I hit a minute or whatever. I'll go until I've got a lot more pre-lather than I had today (which is actually more than I was getting from MWF the last couple of days). WSO seems to be well respected, so I'll give it a few more days and hopefully figure out how to get a solid lather from it.

 

Bill, counting seconds helps but also look at how much soap is being loaded into the brush. Getting used to the way the loaded brush looks should look pays huge dividends when you change brushes or soaps. I really believe that many problems with lathering come down to not loading enough product. Of course YMMV.

 

I have had this problem with my first two attempts to use Sterling soaps. I know that a lot of users swear by them, so if I can't get the lather right on them I will use them for several shaves on my next rotation.

 

Yes. It still seems to be doing well, too.

 

I don't want to be left out! Count me in as well.

 

December Chill Focus
Can it really be that I've only shaved 3 times this month? Wow...
Prep: Hot shower + Stirling Preshave soap
Preshave: Stirling Metha Preshave Oil
Soap: Simpsons Peppermint Cream + M-Bomb
Brush: WSP Silvertip
Blade: C. V. Heljestrand, "No 24" 5/8 Quarter Hollow
Post Shave: TSD Signature 2x iced Post shave milk

Two passes with the No 24 - buttery. WTG and XTG. Note that I am not comfortable going ATG with the straight even after 6+ months of straight shaving. Tried light to no pressure on one ATG w/ straight and it wasn't too bad - meaning no irritation. Cleaned up with an ATG pass with Merkur progress loaded with (4th shave - single pass only) Derby blade for a fine shave. May have dropped one too many m-bombs in the simpsons cream this morning - face was frozen and tingling for a good 60 minutes post shave.
+ =

 

For me, Stirling means lots of product and lots of water. With most of my Stirling soaps I will put a little, emphasis on little, hot water on the puck before I jump in the shower. I find this gets the soap good and ready for a moist but not dripping wet brush to pick up lots of soap. I then add a decent amount of water a little at a time with the brush and usually end adding more water than I thought I would have needed, and definitely more than I do with some other soaps. Good luck with your Stirling!

 

Stirling is very thirsty. It's almost impossible to add too much water as long as you don't add too much at one time. Put in a few drops and work it in then add a few more and work it in etc... Until you have a thick, slick lather. Great stuff when you take your time with it.

 

DEcember 2015

Day 9 - 9 December 2015


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Day 4 with the Stirling. I have been getting really nice shaves from the GSB/Stirling combo...this razor may end up staying in the collection! The blade shows no signs of let up, and yielded the usual two pass DFS. Revisited the Soap Exchange today, nice soap base and performance, but the Barber Shoppe scent created by our own @Queen of Blades for the TSD store is better, IMHO. Alum was quiet, and the Pinaud felt like it's supposed to! Off to rake leaves on the prairie, hope to check in later. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a wonderful Wednesday evening!
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Tough week for scalps with the 30DC!

 

Too much soap is usually the right amount!

 

It's so easy to get nuts with M Bomb!!