July 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

It's not as bad as I remember, actually.

 

Wednesday Shave

Brush- RazoRock Tri-Colored
Razor- GEM 1912 X2
Blade- GEM
Soap- Stirling Margaritas in the Arctic
Post Care- Crystal Alum
Thayers Witch Hazel
Osage Rub
Bombed Florida Water

I wanted to try my newly finished short handled GEM 1912 this morning. I took the blade out of my long handle, lathered up a thick bowl of Stirling (It was 4 am and already 93°, menthol was needed) and started my pass. It started great, sounded like a knife buttering toast but quickly silenced. I looked and the blade had slid back off the stops. I repositioned it and tried again and again it slid back. The only difference I can see from my long handle is that the long handle snaps shut with more force. I switched to it and had a wonderful shave, three passes and I'm dolphin smooth. I finished with my new favorite combo of Osage Rub and bombed Florida Water.

If anyone has a suggestion to how I can fix the problem of the blade sliding back I would greatly appreciate it. Have a great day folks!

 

I guess if your target demographic involves over a billion mostly poorer people, as well as a few suckers in the US, then it might not be a bad gig.

 

No shave for me today as I am allowing my face to recover from yesterday's "shave" with the Bigfoot Shaves blade assumed to be made by Baili. I have a Baili blue blade in my shave den. I am debating on whether, in the name of science, I should use it next just to do a comparison. I honestly have a feeling it might be a better blade and that Bigfoot Shaves ended up with Chinese seconds, which just cannot be good. I will wait and see whether my common sense has returned in time to prevent me from such an undertaking.

 

Sorry to hear the razor would not cooperate. I hope you get it figured out with the stops so you can get some good use out of it. It is a very nice looking razor and goes well with the color scheme of your picture.

 

SOTD July 22nd


1947-48 Gillette Aristocrat
Super-Max Titanium
IB Amici
Stirling 24mm synthetic

The blade trials

Good morning friends. For today's shave we have two products that I haven't used before. The 47-48 Gillette Aristocrat (the unusual aristocrat) and the Super-Max Titanium. This was a great shave and everything worked beautifully together. The Aristocrat was fantastic. I really love the additional weight over the SuperSpeed, it reminds me a lot of my Merkur 34C. The Super-Max Titanium was a bit if a surprise, very sharp and very smooth. We will have to see how it fares on subsequent shaves but if it continues to perform it will definitely be in my top tier. The Amici smells so good and gives such a great lather, you can't beat it for $3. The baby must like gold or titanium because it was waiting for me at the end of the shave! Have a great day my friends!

Sent from my Galaxy S6 using Tapatalk

 

Hump Day for me......Friday for you! Second shave on the Zorrik is in and I'll give you all the details this evening. Looks like we might get a little rain before the heat moves back in and turns it all into wonderful steam and humidity! Have a great day.

 

July Focus Day 22:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
Stirling Frozen Tundra
Gillette British Tech
Osage Rub
Stirling Unscented PSB
Canoe AS

I had a nice easy shave this morning. I would rate it a CCS, but that is all I was after. It was quick and efficient. So efficient, I reused the picture from a couple of days ago, as this was the same set up. We have one more day of our vacation, then it's back to reality. Hope everyone has a great day.

 

Last shave at home before I go to AZ for a well deserved vacation for 10 days. Broke out the big guns with a Mastro Livi. 2.5 passes and BBS on the face, jaw, and chin. I need to tighten down the bolt holding the pivot, because the scales move and throw off the balanced for the razor when I shave my neck and when I strop.

 

Thank you, it was very disappointing.

 

No focus focus
In keeping with my lack of focus this month, it was time for the pain stick.
I'm out of town for the long weekend and haven't graduated to hauling a strop around with me. This brush is very nice. I face lathered with it and it was very soft and comfortable.
Travel kit shave
Lea soap stick
Wolf Whiskers brush
Feather AC SS
Feather Pro blade
Proraso post shave balm
Captains Choice Bay Rum
Happy Friday!

 

The Aristocrat is, in my humble opinion, the best razor Gillette made. You should probably say that the Merkur 34C reminds of the Aristocrat. Get that ranking in order. I have never tried the Super-Max Titanium but will in the future, obviously. I've always passed over it due to the fact that my wife bought me a titanium ring and after a couple of days it causes my finger to break out where it's touching it. That sounds like a great shave though. Better than mine this morning for sure!

 

It's great to see the pain sticks coming into every day use now and then. Remember when we all started with them? We weren't sure we'd survive a week much less add them to any kind of rotation! TTT!!!

 

I get great shaves with mine now. I've actually grown to like it even though it gave me a permanent scar

 

That healed up pretty good, I was honestly expecting much worse with how it looked.

 

That's just the character the razor added to your natural good looks.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

July 3/3 Focus

SCSW Hesperide
TBS Synthetic
Flare Tip & Rapira SS
Lime/Patchouli witch hazel
Osage Rub AS



Had I chosen a synthetic brush to start, I don't know if I'd own anything else. I know some folks love their badgers. I have one, it's good. Others use only boars, I used to agree. Now I want/need to try other synthetics. Which ever brush I use, this cream (croap) serves up good lather in a savory scent. A Rapira SS blade in this Gillette is an automatic DFS. No Alum noise, ought to use the EO enhanced WH more often. Osage Rub will be in my summer rotation in perpetuity.

Via Kyocera / Tapatalk (edit; added photo because I'm still not as smart as my phone)

 

Thanks. Please help convince my wife

 

She's being cagey, Chick's dig scars.

Via Kyocera / Tapatalk

 

In the Good Old Shavertime!

July 22

Grand Blade Trial

Razor - 1962 (H1) Gillette Slim (6)
Blade - (2)
Soap - Arko
Brush - BoS Omega 10066
Post - Alum, Nivea, The Veg

Day two for the Zorrik Super Stainless and I was a bit unsure of what I'd find at the higher gap. Given the feel and lack of reduction yesterday it was a bit difficult to predict. The only way to find out....shave.

So, great lather again and off we go. Immediately I knew it would be interesting. The feel of the blade at the higher gap was definitely harsher than yesterday. Can't say it was horrible but there were a few times when I wondered if it was about to go totally south on me. But, it didn't. After the first pass I was wondering also if the reduction would be that much improved, but the second (xtg) pass definitely improved on that. Final ATG was able to take it down to a near BBS along with the Gillette Slides on the neck. I felt most of the blade discomfort on my neck and alum proved out how irritated I was there. Again, not extreme but a lot.

Interesting day in a way because while the blade felt harsh and added irritation, it also provided a better result than yesterday. If the same thing happens between 6 and 9 on the Slim, then tomorrow I should get BBS but with extreme discomfort and irritation. Not sure that's what any of us are after!

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