January 2015 30 Day Rule/30 Day Focus Pic and Discussion Thread- All are Welcome

Thursday! Day #13 of the 30 day BSG challenge

• Music: Ed Sheeran, X
• Prep: hot washing cloth
• Brush: TGN a grade silvertip badger in Oscar11 handle
• Soap: Cella
• Razor: birth quarter Gillette Slim (@ 4, 5, 6 & 7)
• Blade: Derby #4
• Shave: 3-pass + touch-up
• Post: cold water rinse, Floyd AS

Nice shave. Not much to add.

 

1/15/15 - BSG - RESET Day 10

Prep - Hot Shower, towel soak
Brush - Omega 48
Soap - Proraso Green
Razor - '46/'47 Aristocrat
Blade - Voskhod (1)
Post - A/V Musk

New blade for the halfway point of the 30 days. Noticed a bit of drag on the first pass but my shaves haven't been as close since I started trying for DFS with 2 passes. Spent some extra time today so will call it 2.5 passes. Didn't do ATG on my face but did 3 passes on my neck. Very nice DFS from that. Seems like my neck areas are getting closer each time, just need to keep working for the 2 pass. I'll get my masterpiece before it's all over!

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Day 12 Lab Report - 30 Day Rule with a Slim BSG

Day 12's evening shave was actually one of the best yet...for this shave I did a little preshave balm and washed it off with soap before proceeding, just a little moisture help for Denver. Though yesterday I did not think that I was having a great shave...it turned out it was. I used setting 7 again. This shave required 2passes plus touch up to get to DFS, but the buffing technique on the chin and jaw seem to be really working out. I have found that with these Personna blades, angle is important to maintain an efficient cut...and shave 2 is better than shave one on a given blade.

I plan on setting 8 for day 13...just to see. Close to halfway!

 

Day 14
Shave this morning started with Nivia face wash and a hot shower. Merkur progress with matching blade set at 4 for a 3 pass shave plus clean up. Got a great lather from my Bigelow cream in grumpy coffee mug. Finding my xg and ag passes are mapped different than north south east west. Better than average shave close to total bbs.

 

Day 13 of 30
BSG
30 Day Rule with a Slim​

J2 Gillette Slim Adjustable
Kroger Israeli Personna
VDH Kit Badger
TSD Lanolin Shave Stick - Barber Shoppe Scent
Today's Great Cheap AS™ is Barbon!

Gonna try setting 8 tonight for kicks...back later with a report!

Happy Thursday!

 

Day 15 BSG

ATT S1 Kronos

Rapira PL

Plisson

Cade Soap and Balm

3 pass DFS today. Seems like it is either touch up or do a third pass, which is fine. I am starting to think my Cade soap is an eternal puck. Has not changed at all. I can still read the stamp!

 

SOTD 15 - BSG:

Prep: Shower, Proraso PreShave
Soap: Arko
Blade: 7'oclock SharpEdge (yellow)
Razor: Ball End Tech
Brush: 24mm WD Black Badger
Post: WH, VIBR

Cold Water again, WTG, ATG still great shave.

 

Day 13 - Thirty Days with Merkur 34c (Jan 1-Feb 4 [No shave on Saturdays]) BSG 1-15-2015

Lucky 13 = Great Shave

Hot Shower and Prep - Nivea Men Sensitive Skin Face Wash, & Wm. Neumann & Co. Peppermint Leaf Bar Soap
Razor Merkur 34c
Blade Astra SP (1)
Brush - Plisson Synthetic
Lather - Poraso Green
Post - Warm water rinse, Alum, wait 30 seconds then cool water rinse, Neutrogena Razor Defense Post Shave Lotion

Two Passes WTG & ATG plus a few touch ups. DFS+ with quite a few areas BBS. If I can consistently get DFS with two passes I will be satisfied - maybe

 

SOTD for January 15, 2015

This was the 14th day of my 30-day adventure to improve my shaving skills using the Mongoose. Preshave consisted of a face wash using Stirling Sheep Soap. I used my Kent BK4 brush and face lathered using MWF and a few drops of glycerin. (I exhausted my supply of Mike's Natural Soap.)

This was the fourth shave on the Feather Pro blade on a two-pass plus touch-up shave. I had another great shave and finished with Thayer's Lavender Witch Hazel and Nivea Men's Sensitive Skin AS balm.

I'm finding that this set-up yields a very consistent and enjoyable shave. It is a wonderful way to start the day, and I really look forward to it! I hope you all had a fine Thursday!

 

How are you noticing the more aggressive settings? Anything past six and I seem to just tear up my face, even with the stroping. Have you modified your grip or the angle you are using?

 

36 hours out from my last shave, finally have a five o clock shadow. That was a pretty awesome shave. Hope I can do it again in the morning.

 

My general feeling is that four is too mild, five is workable...six is great on cheeks and chin, but rough on neck. Seven seems better.... I do notice the change. The higher the number, the more careful I must be.

I think this is because I am used to GSB and Voskhod. These blades are testing my ability to find the sweet spot on razor for sure.

 

Day 13 Lab Report - 30 Day Rule with a Slim BSG

I was really tired again...but set the razor on 8. It was a test to avoid a blood bath...I dialed it back to seven for pass two.

I am having brush issues, lather issues, fatigue issues and despite all that...I got a DFS from two passes plus touch up. Very little feedback from the alum. After this thirty days, I plan on putting a GSB in the Slim and setting it on 7 and going for it. I just wanna see the difference...

Despite shaving in fear of a bad/uncomfortable shave every time with this kit, it has turned well, and seems to improve each day a little...TSD soap is leaving my skin moist. I like that. Great Cheap AS is a nice distraction. 18+ more chances at a great shave!

Anybody else constantly surprised?

 

I you can get to DFS on 2, then chasing the baby is a lot easier. Less strokes = less chances to burn.

How did the Alum say you did? That little burn means the razor is taking skin...was the block relatively calm?

Cruising. Nice work!

Is the Cade Balm scented similarly to the soap?

 

Pretty much. I'm not great with identifying scents. The only way to really describe the scent is clean. It is mild and there is a mild (pleasant) juniper scent.

 

My Thurday shave was at night, as I am on my six night rotation, after being off for a set. I gave my previously unshaved chin an extra 11 hour break, and that, plus a little more attention to blade angles, and just how to shave the irregular angles, lead to a better shave. I had one minor weeper, where I set down the razor, at the wrong angle, and I knew it right away, but too late. Other than that, the shave was two passes, plus touch ups at the chin line. BBS at cheeks and chin line, CCS at the neck, with some minor stubble. The chin is DFS. All in all, a great shave, and a step forward. Still the same PTFE stainless blade for 18 shaves!

 

Day 16
my 30-day rule
razor: Ever Ready 1924 SE
blade: Personna GEM teflon coated (6)
brush: Omega 31064
soap: Cella
finish: HolyRollah's awesome DIY balm >here<

Ding! There's another BBS(rf). The observant among you will noticed that I switched to Cella for this shave. Man, that's some good soap!

Don't get me wrong! I quite intentionally chose Williams for the 30-day ride and will return to it**. Though I have several soaps I like way more than Williams, it has provided excellent cushion, slickness, and moisturizing (as much as soaps do, anyway). Because Williams has some haters, I think the Williams lovers go underground. Well I say stand up and be proud! You can do a lot worse... and I can find it locally for a dollar a puck. You can't beat that price with a stick!

I got a sixth shave out of my blade. I had one slightly irritated spot that calmed down while driving to work. It could have been the end of blade or operator error. Though I probably could eek a seventh shave out of it, I'll load a new one tomorrow. Time to try the cork trick!

**IF I don't punk out and quit before the next two weeks is up! Golly gee whiz, but I want to move to a different razor! I don't see how the participants survived "no change NOvember."

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Day 13&14
Prep: Hot shower
Brush: Van Der Hagen (the one from the premium kit)
Soap: Van Der Hagen Luxury
Blade: Hill Country (rebranded Personna)
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89
Post: Nivea Original, Old Spice

I've been busy these last couple days and when I get around to shaving it's usually late at night. Just glad I decided to keep on with the everyday shaving. Everything is going good and I'm going on 2 or 3 shaves with absolutely no nicks or cuts on my head and increased smoothness as well. I did cut my lip the day before yesterday but that was all on me and usually wouldn't happen so no big deal.

Hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend if I don't get a chance to post

 

Friday! Day #14 of the 30 day BSG challenge

• Prep: hot washing cloth
• Brush: TGN a grade silvertip badger in Oscar11 handle
• Soap: Cella
• Razor: birth quarter Gillette Slim (@ 4, 5, 6 & 7)
• Blade: Derby #5
• Shave: 3-pass + touch-up
• Post: cold water rinse

Today I face lathered. That was nice! Will repeat that tomorrow as we'll be at the in-laws for their 50-year anniversary. But I'll add some AS tomorrow of course!

Have a great day!

 

SOTD
January 16, 2015

Prep: Hot shower. Axe Shield Face Wash
Razor: RazoRock Stealth Slant
Blade: Rapira Swedish Supersteel
Brush: L'Occitane Plisson
Lather: IanS Cinnamon Girl
Post: Alum.Thayers Lavender WH.
Aftershave: Clubman Vanilla
Cinnamon Girl is fantastic! Rapira Swedish Supersteel are really good.
Go out and get it!