Thanks guys. Fortunately the bank was very good with everything, it was just paperwork and sitting waiting for them to do their thing on the computers. Fun part was one of the forms had in big bold letters at the top USA PATRIOT ACT and required me to check a box indicating I was not using the fraud to establish the new account to support any known terrorist organizations or something along those lines. I am pretty sure I had to fill it out thanks to Neal getting us all on the watch list.

I'm not sure how Neal boxed off the watch list for everyone. But that is funny

Great is a relative term.

I feel I have made some definite strides, but my skill level is obviously still far below that of several of the others on this thread. I would call today and the past several shaves good to great for me, though.

All this talk about the Route 66 soaps, I really need to get some. My problem is I like to sample a bunch and so I am waiting for samples to be available. Probably just going to have to bite the bullet and order some just to try it out. Would have to decide on scent . . . Sweeny Todd, Boubon Jungle, Cavendish, Retro Spice . . . decisions decisions. This is why I like samples.

Thank you - glad you like the picture. We did not have that much snow either the last few years ... and this won't survive the next two days weather forecast says 42-45 degrees on friday

My shaves are getting better every single day. Face feels great today. Before if my face didn't feel bad I considered it a good shave. But today I left the bathroom with a face feeling better than I went in with. My wife thinks I'm weird now for enjoying shaving haha. Can't believe I'm only 6 days into this focus.

January 7

Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed (Z3)
Feather (3)
Rudy Vey Shavemac two-band silver tip
Route 66 Lumberjack
Two passes plus touch-ups
Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Small Batch Shave Tonic

This set up could easily be my one and only. It just works that well for me. I get a close shave and no skin irritation, plain and simple. I'm focusing on my blade angle, the sound of the blade cutting the whiskers, direction, and the overall quality of lather to minimize the need for touch-ups after the second pass.

I hope you all are having a fantastic week! It finally feels like winter here in my neck of the woods. Still no snow, though.

That's great news I remember a similar moment when I realised how I'd been abusing my skin on my head in particular with cartridges. I can't wait to try some of the soaps and A/S these guys mention now to see if it can improve even more. Congrats on your progress

It's great you are so fond of a set up. I was thinking about this earlier today. What do you do when you achieve the ultimate set up? When the search ends? It's a double edge sword I think because I want to get the combination but don't want to stop exploring. Anyway glad you had a nice one

Great progress. Congrats.

Hello Tom, and thanks for the comments. I hope you are having a great week.

It's easy for me to stick with one set up for weeks at a time, so that's not really a problem. I have a few different razors, brushes, soaps, etc. I can mix and match things in my set up until the cows come home, so I have as much variety as I want. I'm at a point where I get a good shave with most every set up. I just find the shaves with the Super Speed to be relatively easy compared to some of my other razors. There's always something to learn, so I'm using this time with my SS to experiment with the finer points of my technique.

Plenty of challenge awaits once I get my straight razor. I should have it sometime in the next month or so. I'm soaking up all the knowledge that gets shared on this thread in preparation for that time. Who knows? I might develop new interests and acquisition disorders related to this mode of shaving.

I'm a long ways off from finding that ultimate set up. I hope I never stop learning and enjoying the different aspects of this great hobby.

Six days into the month, but only shave three for me. I am going to count my shave today as a memorably good one -- I am smooth and razor-burn free. When I gave it much notice, it seemed that in the past, those near-perfect shaves arrived at intervals of about every fifth to tenth shave (like the legendary ninth wave for surfers).

I will pay close attention for the remainder of the focus, hoping to find that those intervals between the masterpieces are due to my inconsistency of gear -- my focus needs to be simply technique.

Thats a good idea and I think you will find it will work out exactly how you say.

That's good to know. The dark side is about to gain another recruit it grows stronger by the day.

So with my focus being on my badger brush I was doing some research on Finest badger. A member of the forum notified me that finest is a grade of silvertip badger hair. Can anyone verify this? I do want a silvertip badger brush in my collection but would save a ton of money if my 28mm Finest Badger from Manhandled wood shop is already one.

Jan 7 Focus Shave 5

We have a new entry into the edge test focus, a new acquired Feon 172 from our Shave Den colleague @entropy1049. My pictures does not do the razor justice it in new condition. The razor was finished on a Suehiro Gokumyo 20K, something I have never experienced. The edge was very comfortable, given the condition of the razor and the great edge it just reinforces why I only want to buy razors from a know source.

The edge is very kind, it felt smooth on the skin for every pass. 4 passes and no blood and no discomfort. The alum test gave on a tickle. I just missed BBS.

Irritation A Closeness A- Smoothness A Keenness A-

AoS Sandalwood cream and tallow soap
Rooney Silver Tip
Feon 172 finished on a Suehiro Gokumyo 20K
Pre stropped
Speick AS
L'Occitane Cade ASB
Le Labo Santal 33

According to Manhandled, they use "TGN's finest badger knot."
According to TGN, they have a broad range of badger with the following classifications...High Mountain White ($48-65/knot) - Silvertip ($27-43/knot) - Super Badger ($30-33/knot)- Best ($25-70)- Finest ($27-35/knot) - Pure & Black ($13-19/knot)
It appears TGN classifies their 'high mountain white', 'Silvertip' and 'Super 'as silvertip badger hair; the others (Best, Finest, Pure, Black) are not labeled as silvertip.

I tried the not stropping after the finishing stone and found the shave to be very rough.

Not stropping a razor after being honed is akin to not using a kitchen steel on your favorite butcher knife before use. The knife may still cut, but not nearly as smoothly.

Lesson learned. Someone had suggested so I had to try it..... just goes to show you can't trust everything you read on the internet.