August 2018 30 Day Rule/focus Pix & Discussion

Wow, I am 160 posts behind, no way I can catch up today. Today is our semi annual staff meeting. So that means a lot of prep, then presentations and last because it is Korea it means drinking like you are back in college.

Irritation A+ Closeness A Smoothness A+ Sharpness A+

Razor: M Martinez 8/8 near wedge
Strop: Herold Russian leather
Brush: Tom B-400
Pre: Proraso
Soap: SMN
AS: Alcoldo Glacial AS, Stirling ASB
Scent: Creed Green Irish Tweed

 

Count me in for the September challenge. I'll try to get a pic up tomorrow.

Razor: Weishi long handle twist to open
Soap: My Hendrix Classics Soap ( not trying to promote my soap - explanation to follow)
Brush: Rockwell Synthetic
Razor Blades: Gillette 7 o'clock SS; Gillette Silver Blue and Gillette Platinum
After Shave: Home made
After Shave Balm: Hendrix Classics Experimental R&D mix

I'm glad that my intro to The Shave Den was on this thread. Part of what I'm trying to achieve is to bring lots of folks from cartridges to wet shaving. What is listed above are the components of my starter kit. Using it everyday will help me become even more intimately familiar with how to help newcomers get past the learning curve that causes us to lose so many that try wet shaving.

 

As Uncle @Screwtape notes, it's identical to my Magic. Great price at $2.05! Those sell for $6-$12 in the USA.

Will you try? Yes!

Will you get hurt a little? Yes!

Will it be OK? Yes!

Will it be fun? Oh yeah!

Will we help you? Yes!

 

The Holy Black was one of the first artisan soaps I tried in 2014. His soaps were good, with awesome scents. He had some trouble keeping up with his business and reorganized it with his brother. Service has been much better since. I’ve tried to avoid the hype on his big releases like this one, Lavender Creeper, and The Tell Tale Heart set. This set I tried to get when it was released, but it sold out in less than two minutes. (300 sets at $80 a set, nice bit of sales.) The soap is pretty good stuf. A little softer than I like, but it didn’t take much. I was afraid to work the soap like it owed me money with a stiff boar brush. Lather was slick and left a great post shave feel. The aftershave is more than straight alcohol. Some skin food stuff and an amazing scent. I think it was worth what he was asking, even with the premium for the nice packaging. I do wish he made it in normal packaging, but his low supply/ high demand model is working for him.

 

Aha! I bet the people here who hated the Rubie blades in the past and said they were junk had those lefthand dubious boxes. I wonder if they were factory seconds that someone shipped out the backdoor or even outright counterfeits? Meanwhile the people who liked them had the middle or righthand boxes that are clearly genuine Gillettes.

That certainly would explain why the St. Petersburg Gillette factory blades are all very good with the exception of that one particular brand which was crap -- they were quite possibly not legitimate factory releases.

Thank you for that very interesting information!

It reminds me of the Red Personnas. A few years ago, there were a lot of Personna blades on the market that came in red boxes. People tried to figure out which Personna factory made them, and the company said that they were not an official Personna release. Best guess was that some people in probably the Israeli Personna factory had slipped a pallet or two of blades out the back door, done up their own packaging and sold them. The difference is, the Red Personna blades were actually good quality...

 

Adjustable (Arko) Anything Goes and whatever else we decide AUGUST!!!!

August 31
Razor - 1969 (O4) Gillette Short Handle Black Beauty (9)
Blade - (3)
Soap - Arko
Brush - Jayaruh #54
Post - Alum

It's been a brutal day. Incredibly slow at work until 7:30 pm, then incredibly busy until 9. I've fought with the September thread all day and all night but it's nearly a real thing. Not sure exactly what the problem has been getting it to post but I'm gonna beat it any minute now.

In the meantime - shave after work was needed. The tension I'm carrying showed as I cut myself on the first pass. Too much pressure and speed. The shorty Black Beauty is certainly not to blame nor was the lather from the JR54. Just me being too uptight to breathe and zen into it. Well, the cut on my jawline made me do that and the finish after two full passes and touch ups is a very nice DFS. Got the cut to stop bleeding with a little styptic and all's well. Other than my own stupidity it was a pretty good end to the month. I can say I thoroughly enjoyed spending it with adjustables and Arko as well as some other soaps too.

Great month from all of you as well with all of your great gear and conversation. Looking forward to see what we get up to in SEptember!!

​

 

Drumroll please.



Finally. After encountering every known technical glitch known to mankind, and one that I'm still not sure of what it is or how it even exists...........


WELCOME TO SEpTEMBER 2018!!!!!

 

Very nice. Good to see a pain stick in your den.

 

Sounds like a plan! See you over in the September thread!

BTW, what we really stress to newcomers here is the three-step Mantra: Ride The Cap (to keep the blade angle as shallow as possible), Use No Pressure, and Stretch The Skin (taut with the offhand)...

 

Things have really changed since my high school days. Back then we marched right through the thunderstorm. Either we were a lot tougher back then or else just dumb as rocks.

 

We're glad your intro was with us as well! Bring all your friends!

 

Adjustable August - Finish with a Flourish!

Hendrix Classics & Co. Barbershop SS sample
B-400 brush - Omega #10098 boar knot
Osaka Suribachi bowl & cool water
The Bunny prototype injector - NOTSO
Pinaud Clubman After Shave Lotion
Jamming too many activities into one day? That's the American Way heading into a holiday weekend. Spent the earlier part of my day designing, cutting out, and partially assembling a birthday present for my father. His dachshund is too short legged to get up on the bed. Yes, the dog sleeps at his feet but couldn't get in the bed since dad added another mattress. So I whipped up a 20" tall set of doggie stairs. Then the kids got out of school, got the whole barrel of monkeys loaded in daughters van, and went to Pops' house for his 78th B-day celebration. Mom outdid herself with a cayenne pepper, garlic, & onion stuffed pork roast, gravy and rice, and sides. There was cream cheese iced carrot cake.

Somewhen between saw dust & traveling I took the time to shave - Pawpaw's prerogative. Not wanting to be left out on The Latest Thing I opened my sample of Pete's @Pete123 shave soap. I'd already sniffed it so I knew the scent was acceptable. Used a spoon to scrape the soft pancake from between the paper (good shipping - no leaks!) and into a small bowl. I used the already soaked boar brush to clean soap off the spoon and that was almost enough to make my lather. Thirsty soap? This product does accept quite a bit of water. Being a soft soap I went to the new dish for just a little more. I like decadent lather so I won't skimp on loading. Easy to bring up a dish full. Impressive scent and it covers well on the face with no skin prep. Last day of Adjustable month headed into SE's and I enjoy Tom's @twhite handiwork so I dusted off The Bunny. Between the razor and lather there was no resistance. Pete's soap has a very nice glide, and residual slickness to rival Tabac. Three passes + usual cleanups went without a hitch. Sticking with the BarberShop theme a splash of Pinaud lotion and out the door.
Good Shaves Y'all!