August 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

Two workdays past my last shave some observations. I did my last shave with a DE instead of a straight. Just some comparisons.

1. The shave didn't last as long before the stubble came back.
2. I had more bumps and pimples than I typicly see with a straight razor shave.
3. Bumps and pimples were in areas I don't ussually get BBS, which I did with the DE.
4. Irritation lasted over 8 hours yesterday, but is not more than an hour with a straight.

Could be that I am not as familar with a DE anymore. I have done only three DE shaves since March.

 

Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable (1965)(7)
Blade: Gillette Platinum (4)
Brush: WDC-4, Silvertip Badger, Butterscotch. (VIG) 24/67
Cream: Proraso Shave Cream
Bowl: Sarah Welch Pottery
A/S: Fine Platinum Splash
Day 13

Turned the Slim up to #7 tonight and it worked very well. Got a close comfortable 3 pass shave. Used the Fine Platinum Splash for the first time this evening and was pleasantly surprised. A fellow member suggested it to me and I'm happy I took his recommendation. Adjustable August is going very well and I'm working with creams also.

 

I started yesterday with a 30 day Focus on my new Schick E2...

That would be Aug.12
So I can keep track of the courtship with this new beauty....

Yesterdays shave...

 

Awesome!

 

Welcome aboard! We will be here when you're all set up to start.

 

Day 2 of my "30 Day Focus" on the Schick E2
Thursday's Shave
HOT!! Shower, and whisker shampoo
Williams Mug Soap/Omega 10029
1935 Schick E2/Long's Drugs-Personna SS. D1
Ice Blue Aqua Velva/Clubman Classic Vanilla

After yesterday's one pass BBS, I didn't really need to shave today (unbeliveable). I was just starting to see the whiskers, maybe in 8 more hours I would have a 5 O'Clock Shadow...ha,ha
But, I want to keep this 30 Day Focus intact, and I'm going to a rehersal this evening so I can't wait to shave, soooo I did 2 light passes to bring everything back to BBS perfection.

Notes:
1. This injector is as loud as my 1912s.....I dig that!
2. 1 weeper and 2 red pin dots. Didn't feel weeper when it happened. Whole shave felt irritation free. Cold water fixed it.
3. After Shave has a nice 'Bracing' sting. About like 3 passes with a Slim on #9
4. Super Close and smooth.
5. no redness....skin feels great...

This E2, is so easy....This 30 Day Focus with this razor is going to be a pleasure, and as great as the shaves are now, I can't imagine what they will be like after a month of bonding....

 

Glad the Platinum worked for you. I really like it but it does smell much different in the bottle than wearing it.

 

I agree. When I smelled it I wasn't sure I wanted to put it on. I did remember you mentioned that before, so I put it on and asked my wife what she thought of it. She said she really liked it. Mission accomplished. Thanks. I'll try the Orange tomorrow. Double thanks.

 

AUGUST FOCUS: 1958 EXECUTIVE

OK, after starting the month with nice shave after nice shave I think I'm regressing. Yesterday's shave (on 6) was OK. Not great, but acceptable. Today (on 6 again) was miserable. I went lightly, concentrating on angle and technique and only did 2 passes (XTG, ATG). My face started burning in the middle of the shave. The alum stung a bit, but nothing remarkable. The AS, on the other hand, felt like I was getting hot in the face by a shotgun blast of rocksalt. It's later in the day and my face is still a bit tender. It never got red, just sore. Maybe I'm over-thinking my shaves. I may skip Friday, since I have a golf outing, and regroup...again. I've really enjoyed all my DE shaves since starting 16 months ago. But I feel like I never DE shaved before. This is so frustrating.

 

August 14 Shave 10

I thought I saw a little spot on the edge of the blade so I took it to my Shapton 12k for some laps and then through the pasted strop and finally on horsehide. I don't know if this made the difference or an improvement on my part. 3 passes and no irritation, it felt like I did a good job of beard reduction so I was tempted to go for a clean up with the straight. Sticking with the focus I did a 4th pass with the Cobra and some touch up. BBS and only a tiny irritation. I checked with the alum and no burn just one or two tiny spots of light irritation. Definitely a success given my goals for this month.

Proraso Pre Shave
QCS Iced Key Lime cream
Thater 2 band
Hart 7/8 - Cobra Classic
Dry Gulch bench strop horsehide
Alum block to keep my fingers dry
Alcolado Glacial (stored in the fridge) AS
Speick ASB
Creed Himalaya

TGIF

 

Good luck with your golfing.

 

Have fun on your golf outing. The same thing happened a couple of months ago with my New LC with bad shave after bad shave with a razor I've always enjoyed. I was over thinking things way too much after reading various posts on angles and such. I took a step back and resolved to just shave and trust my instincts and just shave. Worked out much better for me.

 

Thanks guys. I'm the only guy at our office who golfs. It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it!

I appreciate the comment Clint, I think you've hit it on the head. Like golf I've got to get my brain out of the equation.

 

1959 E3 Gillette Fat Boy
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Georgetown G12 Scuttle
Proraso Sandalwood cream
Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Shave #3 with the Gillette 7 0'Clock Super Stainless (Green) in my '59 Fat Boy set to 4.
A pleasant shave. Not as close as yesterday, but perhaps a little more comfortable with only slight irritation on the neck during touch up.
2 Full passes: Pass 1 WTG on my face and XTG on my neck. Pass 2: ATG. There were a few more spots remaining after my 2nd pass than yesterday. I had to lather the left and right side of my neck and part of my left jaw for my touch up. Along with some skin stretching and j-hooking, I reintroduced blade buffing. I just tried to go lightly on my neck where it was so irritated Tuesday. It still complained during my touch up. Aqua Velva seemed quieter this morning, but I could feel quite a few areas of stubble while rubbing it in. Unlike yesterday, most did not go away when the A/S dried. I ended up with a DFS shave.
Overall, a good but not very close shave from the green 7 0'Clock Super Stainless. I probably could have gotten closer to a BBS shave with higher settings on the Fat Boy or if I had worked longer at it. But I'd rather have an easier time with a comfortable shave. So (for me at least) the green 7 0'Clock is just an OK blade that I could use, but I doubt I'll make an effort to add to my stock. Of course, I'll try one of the left over blades some day and it might change my mind.

I’ll give the Gillette Silver Blue a spin in the Fat Boy tomorrow.

 

I had another very nice shave today with a Feather blade. I have been getting BBS with two passes on my face, but struggling on my neck. Thanks to this thread I think I know what the issue is. I'm not stretching the skin on my neck (thumps forehead). I almost want to do tomorrow's shave this evening to try it out

SOTD
Leresche #51
Feather blade (2)
TOBS Mr. Taylor's cream
Witch Hazel
WSP Beard Oil
Old Spice AS

 

August Focus - Slim and Feather AC
August 13
Razor - 1964 Gillette Slim (J1)
Blade - (2)
Brush - Vie Long 12601
Soap - Saint Charles Shave Sandalwood
Post - Cold Rinse, Alum, Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Home at a decent hour tonight. Spent the day feeling the lack of sleep but the pockets full of money so I can handle it. The life of sales. Nothing to it, no stress. So, back to this morning as I forced my eyes open, drank a couple of extra cups of coffee before my shower and shave and got ready for the day. Stayed with the Saint Charles Shave soap and changed from boar to horse. Used the smaller pony with a good soak on the brush and left it wet as that seems to help the soap. Got a good first lather, persistent, and I will say that this soap is slick and leaves a nice slick residue after the pass. It's possible to touch up without relathering if needed.

Set the Slim on 7 with the Ladas on day two. Definitely more aggressive than yesterday's 5. Big difference. Lots more feedback and effectiveness on that first pass. Relathered - oh oh - relathered - yeah the soap is giving me some fits with dissipation. I get the nice even lather and by the time I finish the XTG on the right side my left side looks like a thin watery residue fading fast. Not good. Reloaded the brush and was able to get a better lather for the left side. Maybe I didn't load the brush enough to get two passes? I don't think that's the problem but not sure. I'm also suddenly aware that my face and neck are starting to feel irritated after the second pass. Decided to do neck only on the third pass so lathered again, and again it seems too thin but I get enough, barely, by squeezing the lather out of the brush and working it a bit. Went XTG and a shallow G-slide to try and get the neck without making the irritation worse. Finished, honestly, with a good CCS. Too much left on the neck to be DFS but I don't dare do more by the way it feels. Only the alum will tell what's really going on.

Cold rinsed and the burn went away mostly so here comes the alum. Wow. Ouch. Is there smoke? Not good. Way too much irritation for a two pass and touchup third pass. Quite disappointed with the result and the problem is, I'm not sure if it's the lather issue, the blade at that setting, or technique tweak I need. I suspect it's a combination of the setting and the lather. Whatever the problem, not one of my finer shaves.

So, for tomorrow, I'm going to adjust the soap a bit. I'll use my VL 12705 to stay horse with a bigger knot to add more water and add water to the puck as well. I have read that this soap needs a lot of water so maybe I haven't given it enough yet. I'll also take the Slim up to 9 with the Ladas. Let's see if the higher setting might smooth it out a bit. 5 was really nice, 7 sucks, so what will 9 do?

One more day to the weekend so let's make it a good one!

 

Slim on 5 this week with two passes. Great shaves. Details to follow. Enjoying following everyone's progress.

 

I'm with Clint on this one Herm and overthinking can ruin everything and would try his remedy first.

Beyond that, I can only throw out other possibilities based on my very limited knowledge and experience.

1 - I have read in multiple areas that sometimes a blade that works on a "mild" razor performs a lot different in an agressive razor and vice versa. Can an adjustable be considered mild at the lower settings and aggressive at the higher settings? If so, could it be subject to that same theory? Perhaps the Astra SP you use isn't the best blade for this razor at the higher settings? I recall it was fine for you at the lower ones.

2 - somewhat related to Clint's advice, as well... Perhaps your situation would lend itself to just walking away from the Slim for a shave or two and get your favorite razor and just return to what's worked in the past? Just to get back to a place where you know you can get comfortable shaves again.

3 - above ALL else - enjoy your day on the links!