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

1/17/15 - BSG - RESET Day 12

Prep - Hot Shower, towel soak
Brush - Omega 48
Soap - Proraso Green
Razor - '46/'47 Aristocrat
Blade - Voskhod (3)
Post - Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Well the attempt for DFS on 2 passes continues to be slightly out of focus but it's getting closer. Discovered that my trouble spot - left jawline by my ear - is unique. The grain runs S/N there, while the other jawline at the right ear runs N/S. Finally recognized that while doing a clean up in that area. So, tomorrow I'll make sure my ATG for the second pass in that area runs N/S instead of how I've been doing it. That may be the missing link. Just have to squint a little to get it all clear in my head, so to speak.

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I confess I may have cheated. After sanitizing my new vintage Gillette old style I had to try it. So I used the old style on one half and the other I stayed with my original setup of merkur progress. Should have stuck with the progress. Old style gave me some good irritation on the jaw line. But here's the before and after of the old style for fun.

 

I don't blame you for wanting to give it a shot. Aggressive little sucker isn't it. Definitely has a bite! Very cool razor though.

 

SOTD 17 - BSG:

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

I'm totally sold on the cold water now. Another good shave today. I'm certainly much faster with the tech now than I was 20 days ago.

 

I picked up a Gillette Super Speed a couple weeks ago so I know the feeling. Hopefully I can fight the temptation for another 15 days.

 

I understand. It is hard to fight the temptation.

 

SOTD for January 17, 2015

This is the 16th day of my 30-day adventure to improve my shaving skills using the Mongoose. Preshave consisted of a warm shower and face wash using Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. I used my Kent BK4 brush and face lathered using MWF and a few drops of glycerin. After the adventure, I'm going to put my new Rudy Vey two-band silvertip (also shown in the photo) into daily service.

This was the sixth shave on the Feather Pro blade on a two-pass plus touch-up shave. It was one of the best shaves so far with the Mongoose. I finished with alum, Thayer's Lavender Witch Hazel, and unrefined shea butter.

I hope everyone has a great day! My Bride and I have tickets to our local dinner theater tonight!

 

Which one did you get?

 

Great job cleaning it up! Nice and shiny.

 

Sure is! But it's so cool! Feels good in my hand though.

 

I've picked up some this month that I eye prior to every shave but keep putting them back in favor of the Weishi.

 

Not quite sure when I tried looking it up all I could find was it was an early 40's. I was looking for a razor and brush stand and just came across it lol

 

I have a birth year SS and it is one of my favorite razors. I'm sure you will enjoy yours.

 

Nice, I have a 48-50 super speed. Basically if there is no date code and it's got notches on the center bar it's like mine, the easier ones do not have notches. There is a big identification thread that I can find when I get home.

I believe the early 40s were actually tech Rangers(similar, but more rare), and apparently during wwii Gillette only made razors for the military.


Edit:
Try this thread:
http://theshaveden.com/forums/threa...ess-info-you-probably-dont-need-to-know.8468/

 

Mike's soaps are really that good. Almost 11 hours post shave and my face is silky Smooth. His soaps are awesome!

 

30 Day rule - #17

Sorry I've missed so many days posting folks.
It's been a slew of trouble at work.
The only good thing has been that so far nobody has been injured...
We are back up and running now after fixing a major problem properly,
instead of going the duct tape and bailing wire route.
I'm hopeful that I will be able to get back to posting (almost) every day now.

Warm shower and face wash with Ivory bar soap.
Merkur 45 (Red & Black "bakelite")
Derby Extra (2)
VDH Deluxe
Omega 49
Thayers Witch Hazel w/Aloe



My shaves have been happening as I could fit them in for the last week or so.
So, sometimes at night, and some in the mornings. A couple in the afternoon....

Today's shave went very well indeed.
I'm pretty well used to this Merkur, and it's near parallel to the face hold now.
Two pass DFS's are the norm, and I've even caught a glimpse of the baby a time or two!
Three shaves with the Derby blades are the cutoff point for me. I was hoping to
push this out to 4-5, but I'm just not willing to give up the really nice shaves I'm getting now
for the sake of stretching the blade out another day or two. Having that really nice and
smooth shave + the super clean feeling afterward is addicting!
I have to put in a word for VDH Deluxe soap here. It was my very first shaving soap,
and I've always kept it around, but I've developed a real respect for it lately.
It seems to be made especially for use with my Omega brush, and if I keep it plenty wet,
it rocks with the Merkur razor and Derby blade too. If you haven't tried this simple
and inexpensive soap, you really should. It's very good.

When I first started with this rig, I had a bit of trouble getting my neck cleaned up as well
as I wanted, and I had a bit of irritation too. My regular pattern on the neck with other razors
is N-S, then mostly S-N with a bit of a skew. That scheme just doesn't work with this setup.
I no longer do a straight S-N pass. I now do more of a chevron pattern, (NE-SW and then
SE-NW) starting under the right ear and finishing under the left ear. This has fixed the irritation
problem, and I get pretty clean without much need for touch up now.

Well, I'm looking forward to a silent night now. Hopefully no more midnight rides for me
for a while.

Happy Shaving everybody!!

 

01/17 – Day 17 of the 30 Day Rule - Shave #14 with the Weishi

Objective: Survive a month using low end entry level products.

• Growth: 1 day
• Prep: Shower; Corn Huskers Lotion
• Lather: Arko – Face lathered
• Brush: Escali Badger
• Razor: Weishi 9306/Microtouch One
• Blade: Derby Extra (2)
• Post: Alum; Dove Men’s Sensitive AS Balm

Today’s Results: Another two pass DFS today with this setup. Still working on maintaining technique while also trying to go faster.

 

Day 15 of 30
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 Aqua Velva Musk

More setting 8 coming up! Back later with a lab report!

 

Language is sometimes a tricky thing, but necessity is the mother of invention. So people have asked about variation on THE 30 DAY RULE so here is a new term but I think it will serve us well.

http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/30-day-rule-meet-the-30-day-focus-greater-flexibility.42673/

 

Check that link out! Gary did a great job simplifying the terminology!

Shave well!