August 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

30 day Focus - Day 30
MDC Lavender Face Lathered
Voskhod Blade (Day 2 on blade, Day 6 on Voskhod)
Slim Adjustable set to 8
3 passes

I just finished back-to-back 30 days using MDC while face lathering. Did I learn anything? Absolutely! I learned that I was overloading my brush with soap to a ridiculous amount. Even after I cut down on the amount I was loading my brush, I could always get at least 5 passes out of it. I learned the proper way for me to add water during the lather, and I became much more comfortable with the Slim Adjustable, adjusting the blade gap from 6 to 8 and consistently obtaining better shaves as I went along.
I figured out my rating of Russian blades, which is:
1st Place: Ladas
2nd Place: Voskhod
3rd Place: Rapira Swedish Supersteel
4th & 5th Place (tie): Rapira Platinum Lux & Rapira Stainless Chrome
6th Place: Sputnik

I also did a fairly good test on how long Martin de Candre will last. In the first 30 day I did use some of my unscented MDC a couple of times, so it wasn't quite 60 days of use. But, I have also had this jar for at least a couple of months. By my calculation, I have used this jar a minimum of 100 times. Following is a picture of the jar with a penny standing straight up and pressed down until it was even with the top of the jar. MDC comes packed with the soap right to the top of the jar. At this usage rate, I figure that MDC gets pretty darn inexpensive. I am convinced that a jar will last at least a year and a half, and probably 2 years of daily use.




This was a lot of fun.

 

Phoenix Comparison Focus Day 30:

Homemade PS Oil
Stirling Synthetic Brush
Stirling Glacial Spearmint
Phoenix Dbl OC
Osage Rub
Stirling Unscented PSB
Aqua Velva AS

Last shave before SEptember, and it was a great one. DFS+ and bone chilling cold. I meant to post a summary yesterday, but I got called into work. I'll try to get something posted later today.

 

SOTD
August 31, 2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Energizing Face Wash Boost
Razor: Mongoose B3 Dr. Bomber Handle
Blade: Kia Captain Titan Mild (5)
Brush: Omega 10098
Lather: Mike's Natural Barber Shop
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman
Fantastic shave. This Omega 10098 is actually a pretty darn good brush, I did lose two hairs but that's expected. Mike's is so good! Slick as ice. I'm loving the Mongoose more everyday if that's possible. Clubman. Do you have a bottle? If not? You're missing out on an old school classic.

Smell good. Look good. Feel good. Wet shaving.

 

Yep, the old type doesn't leave much room for error. The window to find the perfect angle is very small.

 

12 day summary of using the Mongoose B3.

• Mongoose has set the Gold standard in quality.
• Perfect feel and balance in my hand.
• I've used three different blades all on the mild side and have been rewarded kindly.
• It doesn't clog! Finding the sweet spot comes naturally.
• The large head could be an issue with shaving under nose.
• Wide range of blade selection from mild to aggressive. .10 cents per shave average.
• Blade covers most of head makes it easy for shaping goatee/beard.

 

Well, I never thought I could stick to one thing for 31 days, as I have always subscribed to the random shaving plan. What a pleasant surprise this was.

"What razor should I try today?

What blade haven’t I tried yet?

Oops, how many days do I have on this blade?

Oh, look a new bright shiny object!"

You get the picture. I had the focus of @Darkbulb in a cookie factory and was not learning much about how to improve my shaves. I am not sure what finally prompted me to peek in on you guys at the end of July, but I was intrigued by what I saw. I decided I could do this and chose doing a blade focus so I could learn how several of my razors worked using a consistent blade. Before this focus, I believed that the Feather was the blade for me, so I chose that blade.

I learned several things this month.

1.) I like the Feather the most after day one. It tends to be a little rough the first day but is great on days two and three. I actually went as long as five days before I decided it was starting to degrade.

2.) Not all razors are created equal. Two of my favorite razors are my Mulcuto slant cap and my Grand Shave King. I found that the Feather is not my favorite blade in these razors. I prefer the GSB or Nacet Stainless in them.

3.) When using a very sharp blade, NO PRESSURE and take my time! This focus definitely helped me with my technique. I had many weepers at the beginning of the month and almost none at the end.

4.) The input and advice of my TSD Brothers is very important in helping me learn proper technique.

Thank you @GDCarrington for setting up the guidelines for the 30 Rule/Focus and to @Bama Samurai for setting up the monthly threads. I thank the rest of your for your participation and great input. It was a pleasure getting to know you guys!

Final August SOTD

Menthol Monday

Schick Krona

Feather (5) Still serviceable but time to go.

Proraso Pre-Shave Balm

Proraso Green Cream

Witch Hazel

Nancy Boy AS Balm

Pinaud Clubman AS

On to SEptember!

 

This past month has been pretty interesting. I used the Phoenix more than any other razor, but I put it up against 4 of my 5 other DE, some of which I hadn't used in a long time. It was fun to pull those out and give them some shave time. I was also interested in what I found as I used them.

The first razor I pulled out was my '48 Gillette Milord. This was a sentimental razor for me in that it was the first razor my family gave to me. I really wanted this razor to do well in this little comparison. Unfortunately, it was not my favorite. It provided nice shaves with at least a CCS or DFS result, but it also caused some irritation on each of the 4 days I used it. The irritation wasn't horrible, but it lasted several hours, and when I was outside in the SE Texas heat and humidity, a little sweat really agitated it (even several hours later in one case). One of the areas I noticed a big difference was the audible feed back between this razor and my Phoenix. The pitch of this was a bit higher with the Milord than with the Phoenix.

The next razor up was the '58 TV Special. Of all the razors I would have almost preferred to lose in a comparison, this would have been it, primarily because it didn't have any sentimental value, and I was thinking of trading it for something else. But, this razor performed well, as always. It was smooth and provided nice CCS to DFS results. I had little to no irritation each time I used it. The feel is also so natural to me. The balance is nice with sufficient weight to make shaving fairly effortless. I really enjoyed this razor. The audible feed back was a slightly higher pitch than the Phoenix, similar to what I found with the Milord. All in all, I had a great 4 days of shaving when using this razor.

I then put the Fatboy up against the Phoenix. This was by far the most interesting of all of the comparisons. Up this this point, all the razors had been fairly mild and smooth. After a month's focus on the FB, I had found that I liked it set on 7 (seems to be a bit of a theme on this thread), so I kept it here this entire time. At this setting, the FB is more aggressive than the other razors, at least in my opinion, and I could really tell. It was the first time I had really noticed this. I always got a nice CCS or DFS out of it, and never any irritation, but it also just felt more aggressive. I would say it was like comparing a cruising sedan to a sports car. The Phoenix would be like the sedan rolling down the highway almost effortlessly, not feeling a bump in the road, and almost lulling you to sleep. The FB on the other hand would be a bit like a sports car: you can feel the bumps in the road, but you can also feel there is more there and it just wants to go. There is also a bit of the feeling that it could break loose on you, but it never really does. In some ways, I would say the FB is more fun to shave with, in that you do seem to get just more feedback from it.

The last razor was a Gillette Ball End Tech. This razor was actually similar to the TV Special. It was fairly automatic and easy going. I like the weight and balance of the TV Special better, but I realize I need to make more room in the rotation for the lowly Ball End Tech, as it really is a nice shaver. The thin head of the three piece is also nice, as it is a little easier to get into places such as just under the nose.

So all of these razors up against the Phoenix. The Phoenix is a great shaver in my opinion. I love the head design, as I get smooth, irritation free shaves. I will say I have changed the handle on it, as I felt the original handle a little light. I had a RazoRock Mission that I have since given to my son, and I took that handle and swapped with the Phoenix handle. This has made the Phoenix a better overall razor in that it added some weight and made the balance a little more to my liking. With that, I can pull this razor out and just glide through a shave. Once I got used to the streaks of lather left after I pass, I got to where I appreciated them. It allows for a little buffing without fear of retribution. This is definitely a mild shaver, but at the same time, it is efficient, resulting in CCS to DFS without much work. To anybody looking for an intro into OC razors, I would gladly recommend this one.

Which razor was the best? Well, I am honestly not sure. I can tell you that I preferred the Milord the least (sadly). I would actually probably say that I liked Fatboy the most, closely followed by the Phoenix and TV Special. I do think the FB is just more fun to use, although I do feel that it warrants a bit more attention than the Phoenix. This could easily turn into a weekend (fun) vs weekday (not always fully awake) type of thing for me when deciding what razor to use in the future. I also will make sure to work in the Ball End Tech, as it really does work well, too, and has been neglected in my Den too long.

Now on to SEptember, which I have a sneaking suspicion will just complicate my rotation up further. This has been a fun month, and I have greatly enjoyed reading all the posts and shenanigans on this thread.

 

@Norcalnewb Great summary of the month. Thanks for taking the time to post such a detailed recap.

 

I have read your posts long enough to know you don't throw this kind of praise around freely. I may have to look into this Mongoose thing next year!

 

So glad you were a part of August! Also glad you benefitted from taking a step back from random and taking a more methodical approach. I feel like the guys who do these rules probably learn the razors better and faster than any other way! 30 Day exercises are a great way to avoid sentencing yourself to a never ending rotation of mediocre results from premium gear. See you on the September side of things!

 

Many thanks for such a thorough debriefing! I am with you...the Phoenix is a great razor for anyone, a true top performer. The comparison against FB is an interesting one, and one I need to investigate. See you in September!

 

Though I have one shave left...

The Wrap
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Goals

1) Produce a unique photo each day.
2) Perfect the use of a shave stick by finding the optimal amount to apply before lathering.
3) Optimize each shave through the use of SR style skin stretching and blade angle discipline.
4) Evaluate the razor for inclusion into my rotation.
5) Use an "old school" AS or a TSD exclusive each day.
6) Shenanigans per usual.

Results

1) Accomplished
2) I got the La Toja dialed in and loved it!
3) I really focused on this, and it paid dividends in comfort and closeness.
4) The Phoenix is a keeper! Best OC razor in my collection so far.
5) Accomplished
6) Oh yeah!

This was the best month yet! Our numbers, as well as our output, grew by a large amount! I would like to thank everyone who reads or participates in this thread. You guys make it happen daily! I look forward to a great month of injectors on the new thread! Technique is king, and almost anyone can be an expert in 30 Days. Keep up the great work!

Warm Regards,
Chris​

 

I am the exception that proves the rule on this one! I am 300+ shaves in and still not an expert. I have learned a bunch from this thread, though. Thanks for putting it together each month.

 

My pleasure! Thanks for inspiring me to spend a month on Phoenix. Totally worth it!

 

I'm 250 shaves in and still learning. You aren't alone

 

Chris, I have a La Toja shave stick that I've had for a couple of years, your focus has caused me to start looking for it. I've got to try this product.

 

You surely should! It has really grown on me. It's as good as anything I've ever tried.

 

Day 30 - 31 August 2015

30 Day Rule - Phoenix OC


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A great two pass to finish up my strict rule! I am sad to see this end, I greatly enjoyed this kit and fully endorse product I've used this month. Headed to Denver with Mrs. Samurai for a show tonight. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a terrific Tuesday!
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Well I think that's why Chris said "almost anyone!"


Seriously, I've got less than 100 shaves in, and humility aside - I'm working hard at this.
Mostly it's easy to do the work because it is so much fun. But in the 30 days of focusing on one thing, I think we get pretty close to be a technique expert in that narrow focus - if we put the work in. Not on the entire shaving world, but on that one, or few, things we've chosen to study that month. I felt that recently, on Sunday when I took out my two-month training razor (Gillette Tech) and took a break from the adjustables. Shaving with it in my hand felt as natural as anything I do these days.

I will admit that I feel less that way after August because I was focusing on more than one thing - the Slim and the FB. I think my level of knowledge / confidence wanes a bit with too many variables or trying too many new things in a short period of time. (That's why I have a bit of trepidation going in to this month with a goal to "try" five razors.

But we're learning all the time. I can express things today about my experience - positive or negative - that I would never have had a feel for two months or even two weeks ago.

So when you guys write about your realizations and experiences - it shows! In order to make those critiques, you have to have the knowledge of what's going on and also be aware of what your doing and all its related effects and causes.

So drop the humility a bit and admit that there is a piece of all this that you know. We don't know it all and probably never will (in my case) but with each focused exercise we become expert or close to expert in the use of that tool by focusing in on our technique.

Besides, if you guys aren't experts, who can I possibly look up too? @NCoxSTL ??? the Epitome of Humility! AAACK!!!!

 

I'm not sure if I should be offended or thank you for the compliment. I consider myself quite a humble guy, or at least as humble as possible given my natural and overwhelming talents. It isn't easy looking this good, knowing everything there is to know about every subject that could possibly come up and remaining humble at the same time. I make this look easy!!

Actually the things I don't know about shaving yet would fill several volumes. That's why we have people like @GDCarrington , @HolyRollah , @gssixgun and a lot of others around here to keep that knowledge alive and growing and I'm just glad to be a part of the forum. And without Google? I'd be helpless as a newborn. Can't help but offer one song though.

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