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

I can shave with Israeli blades. They aren't my favorite but at least they aren't the tiger 3H.

Pakistani blades are less of a step up from Bangleshi blades then I can notice.

 

30 Day Focus February 17, 2016

Warm water preshave.
Gillette Heavy Tech / Derby
Semogue / Santa Maria del Fiore
WH / shea butter / Nivea Sensitive ASB

This is my 4th day with the Derby blade and it is still producing a great shave. Nice and sharp and smooth. No nicks, no weepers. Some time ago I said the RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore was on my "won't buy again list". Yesterday, I watched a couple of videos on this soap and based on the rave reviews of the Youtubers I decided it needed a second chance. And it is really a nice soap. I loaded my brush in the container and then did a face lather. Worked much better. Nice product. I do like the scent. It just goes to show...never say never.

 

February 17
Edwin Jagger DE89
Feather (4)
PSO, Hot Shower, Nivea Face wash
Omega 10066 Boar Shaving Brush
Route 66 Casablanca soap
Alum, Chiseled Face Summer Storm AS, Nivea balm

Very nice three pass, nothing from the Alum. BBS. I forgot to change the feather and it was still great on the 4th shave. I am getting great lather from Route 66 Casablanca smells great, a milder scent. The Summer Storm complements it, but overwhelms it.

 

SOTD February 17, 2016
Focus day 17
Day 2 of open comb use and comparison

Prep: Warm shower
Blade: Personna lab blue (2)
Razor: Maggard MR1 open comb
Brush: Satin Tip 'The Purest' synthetic
Lather: Ginger's Garden Salty Mariner
Post: Witch hazel splash, Nivea sensitive balm
WTG, touch-up

Nice, efficient, smooth, and enjoyable CCS this morning. The Ginger's Garden soap works really, really well. It lathers in a heartbeat and produces a beautiful coating. I've been more and more pleased with the Satin Tip brush. You can really bear down with it and watch it make plentiful lather.

One pass with touch-up is my normal on a weekday morning. This is one of the best weekday shaves I've ever had since using DE razors. Good products and improving technique are all working together!

Some thoughts about the open comb so far:
1. It seems a hair more aggressive than closed combs.
2. There is an evident audible difference between the two, with the open comb seemingly louder.
3. The lines through the soap on your face as you cut are a little disconcerting!
4. I was smoother today after one pass with touch-up than I normally am (perhaps coincidence).
5. I like it so far!

Hope you all have a great Wednesday!

 

Great pic and write up. Glad you had a good one

 

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Soap: Barrister and Mann Cheshire
Brush: Oscar11 Omega 49 Boar
Razor: The One Blade
Blade: Gem Super Stainless
Post: Barrister and Mann Kyovu Cheshire

 

Fantastic photo, Mark! Beautiful colors.

 

Great shave! Alumigoose + Feather Pro Super = BBS

 

Thanks Perry!

 

Great photo Mark. I like all the blues.

 

And more importantly, I didn't need the styptic pencil or bandages. It was the first shave with this combo that didn't have bloodshed, either nicks or weepers.

 

Thanks Doug.

 

SOTD
February 17, 2016
Prep: Hot Shower. Noxzema
Razor: Blackland Blackbird
Blade: Voskhod
Lather: RazoRock One X
Brush: RazoRock Plissoft
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: RazoRock One X
Fantastic!
Never let the things you WANT
Make you forget the things you HAVE!

 

Mongoose Focus
It took a couple of weeks, but I like this razor! The focus has helped me figure out angles and pressure. I had on of my best two pass shaves ever this morning. The fantastic performing Route 66 soap was a big part of it.
SOTD
Route66 Barbershop Hop
Vie-Long horse hair brush
Mongoose
Feather Pro (3)
Alum
Old Spice AS
Have fun!

 

So. I know zero about straight razors. Absolutely nothing. But. if I were to get one this is the one I'd want. Fantastic!! I mean I could really see myself liking the experience using a straight razor with one like this.

 

February 2016 Focus -- Schick injectors

February 12-17

Razor: Canadian Schick Injector E Type
Blade: Chinese Schick Injector (3-6)
Brush: Stirling Kong
Soap: Proraso Red, Stirling Gatlinburg, Stirling MITA, Stirling Gin and Tonic
Post: Cold water rinse, Witch Hazel, Fine Platinum, Fine American Blend, Fine Snake Bite, Fine L'Orange Noir


I have missed everyone in the week I have been gone, and nothing like returning to about 300 posts to go through. I think I am up to Monday at least. I spent Friday at a miserably long day at work and then training and then a forced social experiment. Basically not how anyone should have to spend their Friday! Saturday was dedicated to wedding planning, including getting invitations printed, cakes picked out, trying to figure out tux rental or suit buying or what the heck I am going to do since one of my groomsmen is 6'6" tall and about 320 and no one likes to carry extra long suits or tuxes. Saturday night was spent trying to fix the plumbing in my guest bathroom. For some reason, the pipe (behind the wall of course) developed a serious leak so had both plumbing and drywall repair fun! Fortunately Sunday was Valentines and I got to spend the day with my fiancee. We went ice skating, which is MUCH harder than it looks especially for a big guy. We had a good time, except for the broken finger (my pinky on my right hand, so not the worst option if I had to break one) I got falling into the glass surrounding the rink. The swelling has gone down and it no longer is black, so that is progress. We still had an excellent dinner of beef red curry and Pad Thai and both of us left plenty stuffed! Monday and yesterday were both long work days getting briefs out that the court felt necessary to expedite, so there was no rest for the weary. Came home to having to finish repair work so the bathroom would be usable by this weekend when company is expected. Needless to say, I am glad life seems to be back to normal (whatever that means) and I am able to get caught up on the important things like the 30 Day Thread.

My shaves have all been with the E type and all have been pretty consistent. Sunday I managed to get a BBS shave even with the hurt finger (my financee enjoyed the fact I was holding my broken pinky out like the British drink tea as I shaved. This provided her a very good laugh at my expense. A near BBS out of the shave Monday, which was also one very cold menthol shave using the MITA followed by the Fine Snake Bite! I did have to do some extra touch-up along the jaw line to get there though. Today's shave was another near BBS shave. I seem to have a really hard time right under the jaw line with the injector for some reason. It definitely looks clean, but there is always a slight bit of stubble so that it is not BBS. Love the L'orange Noir AS, definitely one of my favorites. I plan to use the E type a few more times and then switch over to the Golden 500 J Type injector. After I have used it for several shaves, I will be switching from the Chick blades over to personnas I received from a medical supply company so that I can compare the two.

Looking forward to getting caught up on everything. If you managed to read all of that, I am sorry . . . especially for you Vince (@Rufus T. ) since I know you hate loquacious posts.

 

I am certainly no expert on straights, but I do find this to be a very nice razor. It wasn't horribly expensive, and the steel seems to very good. Based what I read, the quality was higher than some other brands at the same price point. My experience with it would lead me to believe that it is certainly a good value razor.

I will also say the experience of a straight razor in general is fantastic. I still have lots of room for improvement, but even now I feel I get more comfortable shaves with a straight. Once I got the hang of stropping, that too turned into a fun experience, as there is just a rhythm to it that feels very relaxing.

I can see the dark side is starting to pull on you. Come on over, it is worth the time.

 

Seriously. We have cookies. And hones. And really cool sharp things people are afraid of.

 

I would love too! I suffer from arthritis in my hands and in the morning its the worst. I certainly do enjoy watching you fellas learn and bringing new guys over.