February '16 - 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion Thread

It sounds as if you just lost the angle just a bit with a dull blade. Tomorrow is gonna be a good one.

 

The Moscow Blade Cartel appreciates your allegiance!

Very, very Good! It's my personal theory that all razors are essentially the same, in the sense that angle is everything! So good to hear of your results!

 

I feel like they are basically identical, and get identical results. Great clones.

 

Wouldn't near BBS with little irritation, with a blade that's hard to feel, mean that you nailed the edge prep?

 

I shall forever be faithful and wholeheartedly grateful!

 

I think so, I think it is due to lack of technique and the shaving gods that I did not nail the BBS. I also touched up a razor that is 1/2~1/4 hollow on the J Nat. I will be interested to see how it behaves.

 

Straights Focus February 3:

Homemade PS Oil
Stirling Synthetic Brush
Mitchell's Wool Fat
Henry Sears and Son Queen 5/8
Stirling Unscented PSB
TOBS Sandalwood AS

Today's shave was just all around pleasant. I broke out the MWF for the first time in a while, and got a very nice lather. I did a single pass with no clean up and ended up with a CCS and no irritation. I just seem to be able to get so much better reduction on one pass with the straight than I do with DE razors. It is very nice, as it definitely helps to keep the time requirements down on work mornings.

 

February 3

Continuing on with the Blackbird/Persona focus. Easy 2 passes and out the door.

Prep: warm wash with Kirk's
Lather: TSD Coconut
Brush: TGN finest
Razor: Blackland Blackbird
Blade: Persona Lab Blue (3)
Post: Old Spice aftershave and a dash of Seaforth Spiced

 

Thanks! Funny, I just fell into this razor. I bought a gold Tech on eBay and the seller sent the Old Type out by mistake. He contacted me and apologized for the error even before the razors came. He told me I could have the Old Type if I wanted to, so I gave him the little he asked for it and became the happy owner.

Mitchell's Wool Fat is a great soap. @clint64 was kind enough to give me a sample. It's lasted so long, I'm almost embarrassed.

 

Bill that was about half a puck of MWF so I am not surprised that it's lasting a long time.

 

2/3/16

Gillette Old Type
Rapira Super Stainless (1)
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Mitchell's Wool Fat
Georgetown G12 Scuttle
Pinaud Clubman Original

First shave with my Gillette Old Type loaded with a Rapira Super Stainless.
Normal 2 passes with minor touchup followed by cool water rinse and a small amount of additional touch up. The Rapira SS was smoother than the Supermax Super Stainless, except in the center of my neck where I had the weeper yesterday. There, the blades felt about the same. During my touchup, I was careful to go slowly and make sure I had plenty of cushion when I went over that spot and it felt better. Another example of needing to pay close attention to angle (as Chis @Bama Samurai said) when going over sensitive areas or where the skin is curving. I ended up BBS except for one spot close to my Adams apple that I can only feel when I put my head down and hunt for it.

A nice comfortable near BBS with the MWF, Gillette Old Type, and the Rapira Super Stainless. The Clubman stung a little today, but not too bad. The MWF generated loads of lather from the 20 seconds I spent in the container. After my shave I had tons of lather left:



Hope everyone has a great Wednesday

 

Wow! I still have so much left I suspect I won't need to buy anymore this year.

 

Indeed.

 

2/3/2016
Mongoose Satin B2 with Triad Ti
Feather Super Pro (1)
DK7 with Druida Manchurian
Mystic Water Lime
Witch Hazel
Folsom & Company Shambala
Whipped Shea Butter



After such a great week shaves last week with the AlumiGoose, I was little disappointed in the last 2 shaves with the Mongoose. While the shaves were very smooth, I felt I was having to work to hard for the results in just 2 passes. With that in mind, I changed out the blade for a fresh Feather Super Pro. The Mystic Water Lime scent was fantastic and adding water slowly produced a wonderful slick lather. I have found a very slick lather is the key to the Mongoose. I went with 2 passes, ATG & XTG paying particular attention to my trouble spots as I went. With one touch up on my jaw line I ended up with a BBS. More importantly the shave was smooth and irritation free with no nicks or weepers. I would rate the shave an A+ for Closeness and A+ for irritation. This was one of the rare work morning shaves that everything clicked. I finished up with a splash of F&C Shambala. I hope everyone has a great Wednesday.

 

SOTD
February 3, 2016
Prep: Hot Shower. Noxzema
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Flare Tip 1959 E1
Blade: Personna Lab Blue
Lather: Klar Kabinett
Brush: Semogue 610
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: Folsom & Co. Capri
Sweet shave. Klar Kabinett is a fantastic soap, I really enjoy using it. The 610 needs a lot of love! And I'm going to give it all it needs and some! From what I can tell this brush will be great once it starts to get broken in. F&C Capri is a very nice aftershave. I'm stuck on this Super Speed... My iKon Short Comb OC head will be here tomorrow so I'll give that a go on Friday. Noxzema is a nice change of pace for a pre-shave from what I've been using Axe something or another. I'll shave my head later today with my Gillette Atra using the same soap.
Never let the things you WANT
Make you forget the things you HAVE!

 

MWF. I like it as much as the next guy, but one thing MWF lacks that so many others have is slickness. I don't find MWF to be the slickest soap on the market, not even in the middle of the road. Next time you use it check it out.
Of course YMWV...

 

February 3
Edwin Jagger DE89
Feather (3)
PSO, Hot Shower, Nivea Face wash
Omega 10066 Boar Shaving Brush
Chiseled Face Sherlock Soap
Alum, Chiseled Face Sherlock AS
Doc Elliott Beard Balm

DFS today, really like the Sherlock sample, I will have to get a full tub

 

Have two shaves to catch up on.

February 1, 2016 (Shave 1 of this focus)
Razor: Cattaraugus The Magnet
Strop: Drygulch Leatherworks Chromexcel Horse/ Linen
Soap: Barrister & Mann Bay Rum
Brush: 24mm Badger in quilted maple handle
Post Shave: Cold water rinse, Alum Bar, Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Lustray Blue Spice

Decent shave, but not fantastic. This razor is thin and light, so can give a good shave, but takes more work. Overall, DFS but two cuts. Irritation was minimal.

February 3, 2016 (Shave 2 of this focus)
Razor: Cattaraugus Chief’s Head
Strop: Drygulch Leatherworks Chromexcel Horse/ Linen
Soap: Jabonman Lima-Incienso
Brush: 24mm Badger in quilted maple handle
Post Shave: Cold water rinse, Alum Bar, Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Fine L’Orange Noir

I love this razor. I love this soap. I love this brush. I love this aftershave. I kind of enjoyed my shave today. This razor still isn’t quite keen enough, but I still got an amazing shave from it. I can’t wait until I manage to get it dialed in. 2 and a half pass shave, DFS, approaching BBS. Two weepers and a cut I reopened, along with one trouble spot are preventing me from calling this a BBS. Alum was mild, but the Fine aftershave burned. Took about 20 minutes for the irritation to die down. I am blaming that on my honing. I would settle for a "not quite there" shave like this every day.

 

Clint that brush is amazing. Glad the Goose came through for you.

 

Kerry, I got some Noxema at Walmart. Good to hear it is a nice pre-shave. Will try it today.