August 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

SOTD
August 29, 2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Energizing Face Wash Boost
Razor: Mongoose B3 Dr. Bomber Handle
Blade: Kia Captain Titan Mild
Brush: Semogue 750
Lather: B&M Latha
Post: Alum. Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: B&M Latha
Great shave. Latha. If you want a great soap at a great price look no further. Okay. 10 shaves in with the Mongoose, if you are looking for a high end, top quality razor I would highly recommend a Mongoose. Get on the "list" This Semogue 750 was one of my first brushes.
Never let the things you WANT
Make you forget the things you HAVE

 

August 29

Gillette Slim G3 (9)
Feather blade (3)
Edwin Jagger XL Synthetic
Trumper's Coconut cream and glycerin
Two passes plus touch-ups
Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Trumper's Coral Skin Food

I enjoyed a great shave with the Slim set on 9 this morning, and this concludes my Adjustable August focus. Tomorrow, I plan to begin my SEptember focus with my Mongoose.

This was my first time using a Slim. It came from an estate sale in Sandusky, Ohio. I ran it through its range of aggressiveness settings by shaving a week each on 3, 5, 7, and 9 in order to find the best setting and to compare it to my FB. It was also my first time using the EJ Synthetic brush, and I wanted to optimize its performance as well. I used the same basic kit all month; however, I went minimalist during a two-week trip with my Bride.

I promptly earned a CT by stating a fact: "I like the Slim on 3, but then again, Danger is my middle name." I learned that it's better not to state facts and stick with shenanigans only. Most of you have mastered this skill. To top it off, I was set up by my friends here while I slept peacefully overnight. I've learned to sleep with one eye open.

I found the Slim handle to be more grippy and a bit easier to maneuver in tight spots compared to my FB. Overall, the shaves between the two razors are similar. I give the "edge" to the Slim, as it appears to shave more aggressively at the higher settings than the FB. This could simply be due to the fact that it is more maneuverable, which invited me to chase a closer shave. The Slim on 3 compares to my Muhle R89. A setting of 7 provides the best overall shaves with the least amount of effort (automatic?). When I kick it up to 9, I have to be very careful to keep from getting weepers and irritaition. If I take my time and use laser focus, I prefer to shave with the Slim on 9.

I learned this month that my shaves are better and more relaxing if I shut off the running water and listen to the blade cutting the whiskers. This allows me to get a cleaner shave right under my nose, as I can almost tell by hearing when all the whiskers are gone.

I also dialed in the synthetic brush by following Clint's good advice. Essentially, I learned to add water slowly to the knot and build the lather slowly. The synthetic brush requires more patience (and then some) to use compared to my boar and badger brushes; however, it is a fantastic travel brush because it dries so quickly.

I also learned not to go too mimimalist while traveling. I could have used a pre-shave soap and an after shave product in my kit. I plan to return to Alaska sometime with a better shaving kit to see if I can learn from my mistake.

A big thanks to all my friends here. You all are always willing to help out and otherwise enable. To a person, you made some serious progress this month. More than anything, your good humor and overall kindness make this a great place to hang out. A big thanks to Chris (aka Capt. Kirk) for taking us on another 30-day adventure.

 

Yes it does mean that by simple geometry but let me tell you a little secret shortly. Here is the setup. Our hands when we shave cannot be accurate enough to differentiate 30 degrees from 32 degrees. We will not pull out a protractor to determine our shaving angles when we shave. Nice in theory but not borne out fully in reality. Even those that are shaving with straight razors will not be doing angle measurements.

Now to the secret. The secret is there is science behind the development, manufacturing, and functioning of hardware is part of the science of the matter of shaving, but the technique you develop for your skin and your hands and your equipment is the art of the matter of shaving. So you will more than likely use a slightly different angle with one razor versus another somewhat unconsciously because the "feel" is right to maximize the cutting action and minimize irritating the skin. This will truly vary (albeit it slightly) between different equipment because your brain will (or should) eventually determine the methods that are right for you. That is why I discuss that technique which is the art of applying the equipment will almost always (unless you are using truly defective hardware) trump hardware. Many get the same great shaves from a lesser expensive set of equipment as they do with expensive equipment for that reason.

As to your "riding the cap" you should work on the technique of backing down on the cap to allow more blade to contact versus cap and you will begin to notice the different, but again that is applying the art of the issue because the science part is static in this case.

I hope this helps.

 

It helped me Thanks!

 

Today was my fourth effort with the Feather Artists Club SS with a Feather Pro blade. My first three efforts were one pass WTG. Today I graduated to a two pass WTG and ATG with good results. I did have to do a little touch up on the neck with my Krona. I have one consistent trouble spot with the Feather AC. I have a crease in my neck that I consistently nick with this razor even when stretching my skin. My wife came in the bathroom and said, "Why do you always bleed in the same spot"? I turned off my inner smart mouth and just said, "I'm working on it".
SOTD
Feather AC SS
Feather Pro (4)
Truefitt and Hill #10 cream
Omega boar brush
AOS AS Balm
Florida Water AS
Have a great weekend!

 

Very thorough post. Thanks. Looks a great setup. I also find #7 is my best overall shave with my Slim this focus.

 

Great and informative information. Thanks.

 

Doug, thanks for the kind words. I have enjoyed following your progress this month. Have a great weekend.

 

These focuses are very beneficial to progress in shaving.
Have a great weekend yourself.

 

08/29/2015
Razor – Wolfman OC with Triad Helix SS
Blade – Feather (2)
Brush – Rubberset 400 with Omega Boar
Lather – Mystic Water Lavender
Post - Witch Hazel & Captain’s Choice Bay Rum



My Wolfman OC razor head arrived Friday afternoon. I can not pass up the opportunity to play with shiny new things. A fantastic 3 pass near BBS shave this morning. Mystic Water soaps were hard for me to lather consistently in the beginning. I have found I can lather the soap with my boar brushes better. Finished off with a splash of CC Bay Rum .

 

Beautiful looking razor @clint64. Good picture also. I also like CC Bay Rum.

 

Thank you. I really like the CC Bay Rum a lot. I did add some menthol crystals to it. I didn't go over the top with them but I do like the cooling effect now.

 

It looks like I need to decide what to do next month. I have a couple of ideas. One is to do an SE focus, the other is to pick a razor and do a series of blades three days at a time. Oh well, I have a couple more days to decide.
I decided how I am going to finish the month. I did a Feather blade focus where I tossed each blade after the third day. You may have noticed that I liked the Feather better on day two and three. Well, I am going to toss all caution to the wind and extend this blade to five days. Yes, I said five days. What a Daredevil huh? I do have safety precautions in place (see below). Wish me well.

 

I learned all about Irish history on TV. I believe it was a documentary.

 

Clint, I hope you and your family are feeling better. It seems that you guys have had a rough week.

The Wolfman head on the Triad handle looks great! It looks to be very well made. How do you like it, and how does it shave compared with the New LC?

 

Thanks @clint64 for the tip. Did you measure the amount of Menthol you added? I'd like to try that.

 

Charlie thanks for asking. My daughter is pretty much over the bug she caught. I am much better but my back is still not right. I have a follow up appointment with the Orthopedic on Wednesday morning. My guess is another round of spinal injections in hopes of avoiding surgery.

My initial impressions of the Wolfman is that of a very well built and crafted razor. You can tell he put a great deal of effort into finishing. It is very similar to a New LC. I got mine with the standard blade gap so it is mild but super efficient; maybe more so than the New LC. I'll be better able to compare the 2 after I spend some more time with it.

 

I didn't really measure how much I added. I added one large crystal to my partial bottle and let it dissolve. Gave it a try and added a little more. I really should have weighed the amount I added. I did the same thing with CC Sandalwood and managed to go over the top on that one freezing my face off. A little of the stuff goes a long way for me.

 

Hey, wait a minute! Danger is my middle name!

It's been fun following your Feather blade trials. Your experience and mine are similar. I use a blade for three days and toss it, and it shaves better on days two and three. I'm sure you'll get a fourth day out of the blade. It seems that when I started wet shaving that I occasionally used a Feather blade for four days. My technique was still developing then, and I couldn't discern whether the nicks were due to degrading blade performance or operator error. The fifth day will be interesting for sure.

A big surprise for me was using a Feather SE blade in the Mongoose. (Not to brag, but I have a vintage Mongoose from Batch 2. ) These blades easily last a week, and I know that Clint has pushed them significantly longer. Since my SEptember focus with the Mongoose starts tomorrow, I expect to change the blade every Sunday. It's just easier for me to remember when I do it that way.

Have a great weekend!

 

Thanks, I'll take your advice and add a little at a time.