April 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

Its not as bad as you'd think.

 

FB focus day 20:

Homemade PS Oil
Vie-long Horsehair Brush
Stirling Cool SS
FB w/Astra SP set on 7
Stirling Unscented PSB
Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill AS

Starting a 7 week shutdown at the plant and having to adjust my hours, so an early shave for me. This may turn into evening shaves before long.

The FB was smooth and provided a good shave. I am liking these more aggressive settings.

 

Sunday Night shave with the SS, Lord Platinum blade(3). I am really finding this razor to be a great comfortable shave. (No wonder it was sold for so long!) I will be able to see how the newly purchased travel tech compares, once it gets here.

 

April 20

Stirling Sheep facial soap
Merkur 37C slant bar razor
Feather blade (day 1)
Omega 10098 Professional boar brush
Arko & glycerin
Two passes plus touch-ups
Alum, Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Alt-Innsbruck

This is the first time I've used my boar brush to load Arko off the puck followed by a face-lather. I know already that this is my preferred method of using this soap. I whipped up a mountain of protective and slick lather. This Omega brush is a work horse! Over the past week, the uncovered puck has lost most of the characteristic Arko scent. All things considered, this was a great shave to start the week.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable week. Now off to work!

 

04/20/2015
Razor – Mongoose B2 Dr. Bomber
Blade – Feather Pro (5)
Brush – Brothers Bristles with WD HM
Lather – Soap Commander Confidence
Post - Witch Hazel and Floid Amber AS sample



This morning was one of those mornings. In a rush but still a very nice 2 pass shave. Not a BBS shave but a little better than DFS. Finished up with a splash of witch hazel followed by Floid Amber AS from a sample. Like the Amber but not as well as the Blue. Hope you did as well or better.

 

Arko April Focus - CJB Kamisori
April 20, 2015 - Week 4 Day 2
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - VDH Boar
Soap - Arko
Razor - CJB
Blade -
Post - Alum, The Veg

Made it through a decent first pass today except for two spots on the neck. At least the problems move around. It's just a matter of consistency with placement, pressure, angle. Did a second pass face only and finished the neck with the SS/Bic combo just to save time. All in all a good result. It's getting to feel normal to use only one hand with all of the hand positions required. Hit the alum and enjoyed the burn and it's off to sell four wheels and a steering wheel!

 

Aggressive April - Day 12 (4/20/15)



Prep: Hot shower
Soap: TSD Barber Shoppe shave stick
Brush: Omega 13522
Razor: Cadet OC
Blade: Voskhod
Post: Witch Hazel, Nivea Sensitive Balm
Scent: Tommy Bahama Very Cool

Another great 2 pass shave. Running a little low on the shave stick already. Wonder if i screwed up my count somewhere along the way? Anyways, recycled picture since I forgot to take one this morning.

 

April 20th , SOTD (Shave 9 of the focus)
Two days’ growth
Prep: Hot Shower
Razor: Wade and Butcher 5/8 Square point (post 1890)
Strop: Oiled Red Latigo and Linen- 15 laps on linen, 20 on leather
Razor: Gillette Red Tip- B2 (1956)
DE Blade: 7am- Stropped 30 times per edge (2nd shave on blade)
Soap: Maggard Orange Menthol
Brush: Tulip Wood Brush- TGN Best Badger Knot 22mm x 54mm loft
Post Shave: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block
Aftershave: Maggard Orange Menthol/ Pacific Shaving Company Caffeinated After Shave Balm

Today’s shave wasn’t great, but I have certainly had worse. The razor wasn’t as smooth as the last shave, I am guessing I am using too much pressure on my stropping. It’s very different than stropping an edge on a work knife with an apple seed profile. Even with it not being quite as smooth, it took the whiskers off pretty well. I did get a quarter inch cut next to my sideburn where I put the razor down too hard, and a couple of cuts on the base of my neck from the same. One weeper on my chin. I did an N/S pass, which is WTG on my face, and XTG and ATG on my neck, and a S/N pass with the straight. Did some touch up with the Red Tip on my neck and chin. Face is BBS, and neck is DFS.

Had some pretty severe razor burn about 25 minutes after shaving. Put on a second aftershave, a balm, and that seems to have calmed it down a little bit. All my other aftershaves are alcohol based. It’s about 3.5 hours after shaving now, and there is still some irritation.

I will be putting up a separate post in the straight razor area to talk about how to grip the razor, but I think that was part of my problem this morning.

 

Prep: Hot shower, Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash, TSD Jasmine Sambac preshave balm
Brush: Simpson 56 Best Badger
Soap: Stirling Glacial Obsidian
Razor: RazoRock Bamboozled RAKE OC
Blade: Bic (1)
Passes: WTG, XTG, ATG (1, 2, 3)
Post: Cold water splash, Bloc Osma alum, Dickinson's WH, Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS splash
Cologne: Xeryus by Givenchy

Now that I've figured out how to lather the Stirling effectively, it's quite a good performer for me, very yogurt-like and conditioning. I also reconfirmed that Bic Chrome Platinum blades need to have a permanent place in my den, as they're ideal pairings for both the 41c and the Bamboozled RAKE in my opinion; I'm practically baffled that they aren't more popular, since 3 passes produced BBS results with no bloodshed or irritation at all, even with nearly 3 days' growth. The only razor it's disagreed with so far, for me, is the notorious FaTip Piccolo, which needs a more forgiving blade under my hand.

 

ARKO April (still?) REPLACED WITH MENTHOL MONDAY!!!
Prep: Hot shower, Mentha Body Wash (C.O.Bigalow Co.), Noxzema face wash
Prep Shave: Homemade "Sophie's Suds" Eucalyptus Preshave oil
Brush: WSP Silvertip
Soap: TSD Iced Barber Shop
Razor: Ikon 102 Slant
Blade: Voskhod (shave # 2 on blade)
Passes: WTG, XTG, ATG
Post: Cold water rinse, TSD Post shave milk - 2x iced signature scent, Stirling Post shave balm barbershop scent

Love the menthol Mondays! Frozen face addiction I suppose. Got a great lather with the shave den soap this morning. I focused on the smooth strokes with the ikon slant like I have all month. I have a good map of my face now and trusting what I've learned about my face. My last two shaves have been amazing. Both BBS shaves and finally figured out which way the whiskers grow below my ear under the jawline. The one area I kept me from BBS in the past. Got my first straight on order and can't wait to add that into the next month of focus and learn how to use it well. From what I've read and seen online, the strategy will be to start with flat segment of my face first then finishing with DE razor and adding in more sections as I get comfortable with technique.
Cheers!

 

Razor: Bluebeards Revenge
Blade: Wilkinson Black
Brush: WD Marble Handle Silvertip, 24/67
Cream: Bluebeards Revenge
A/S: Lucky Tiger

Day 16- Didn't shave yesterday. Still working on brush movements. I'm starting to combine painting with small circles for a better lathe. Third day with the Wilkinson Black blade. Been very happy with this blade except with one bad blade. Bound to happen I guess.

 

Did an Eskimo just earn a CT?

 

Arko April!!

Late post for Day 3-4, blade three, 53 tech!



(Recycled photo too!)

Day three and four went great. I am now back in Murray, KY. Had a nice detour to Alabama and then Nashville with Mrs. Samurai to visit my parents and siblings/in-laws. Back to helping my friend get settled into his home in Murray. Then on a plane Wednesday to head back to my home on the range of NE Colorado. My posts should become more regular then. Lots of good stuff by the 30 Day Crew this weekend!

I miss the Veg!

Have a great Monday night!
​

 

PM me when you get home. I have a very good friend in Colorado. I served with him.

 

That's covered in used car salesman training 101.

 

I work in a manufacturing plant, so I know what that means. Be safe and take good care of yourself.

 

Thanks. I am in a refinery that is almost 115 years old. Lots of ways to get hurt.

 

Chris, I hope you and your Bride have safe travels. I also hope everything is going OK with your friend getting settled. It's very kind of you to help him, but that's what friends do for each other.

 

I see you've read the manual!