JUNE 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

Day 7 (2) - 8 May 2015

30 Day Rule with a Cadet OC!


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I am later, but it's still Monday in CO. Day 2 on this blade went pretty well with one exception. I got a little cavalier on the left pass and got scraped a bit on the jaw. Still learning on Day 7, but sadly learning not to be careless. The Alum sealed it right up and the Barbon thanked me for being alive. Barbon is herbal, oak moss and strong menthol, and very herbal in tone. It kinda smells like something barber shop, but in an east Europe kinda way. I think next month is gonna be a Stirling month, kudos to @Seabs for rolling out the vids! I logged on Sunday to find I was drawn the winner in a @Bobcat PIF, contents of which I will use next month in a 30 Day way. Also, lots of cool new blades out there with the SR crew, I hope they treat you right!

Have a great Tuesday!
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June Open Comb Focus
Day 7

Prep: Hot shower
Razor: Gillette New SC
Blade: Voskhod
Brush: Omega 10083 Boar Brush
Lather: Maggard London Barbershop
Post: Cold rinse, Alum, Witch hazel, TSD Sandalwood AS Milk

Today I tried stretching the skin out around the neck to get a cleaner shave. Worked like a charm! The Gillette New is a fine razor that gives me joy!

 

Most definitely growing on me. I'll be honest, I didn't think I would make the month when I started. But, this has become the shave method of choice for me. When the weather cools in the late fall, I may try hot water again, but the cold water feels too good now.

 

Thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to do this.

 

Cold water shave focus day 9:

Homemade PS Oil
WD High Mountain Badger 30 mm
Stirling Port-au-Prince SS
Gillette Slim
Stirling Unscented PSB
Brut Classic AS

The cold water shaves are really working out. I'm the water is very soothing, as is the cold razor.

 

June 9th, SOTD (Shave 6 of this focus)
Two days’ growth
Prep: Hot Shower
Razor: Sears Craftsman 5/8 round point
Strop: Drygulch Chromexcel Horsehide/ Linen (20 on linen, 50 on leather)
Soap: Homestead Ranch Goat Butter Soap (mixed scents)
Brush: Omega Boar Travel
Post Shave: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block, Thayer’s Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Aqua Velva Classic Blue Ice
Tunes: Steve Earle: I Feel Alright album

In a hotel room, have my strop tied to the closet door. Brought the good stuff so I can shave right this time. Did a two pass, plus touch up. I picked the round point to avoid cutting my face up before going to a corporate training session. I did have a DE ready as back up, but was able to do it all with the razor. Two pass with touch up, and DFS and so close to BBS I can taste it!
I forgot how much I like this soap. It’s made at a farm about 30 miles from where I live. Slick lather, but have to make it kind of thin. Leaves the face feeling good. Face lathered for the first time in a long time, and used the travel boar brush. This one still sheds. I have had it for a few years, but probably used it less than 30 times.

 

06/09/2015
Razor – Gillette Red & Black New Deluxe
Blade – Feather (2)
Brush – Rudy Vey with Shavemac Finest
Lather – TSD Yin Yang
Post - Witch Hazel & Myrsol Antesol Sample



A great work morning shave with 3 passes and near BBS. If you have not used the TSD Soap you should consider adding it to your rotation. I find it very easy to lather and the post shave feel with the lanolin is great. Plus you get to pick from an huge selection of scents and menthol levels. Finished off with Myrsol Antesol from the sample pack.

 

6/09/15 - A Month of Proraso!!!

Proraso Red Soap
Omega 11047 Mixed Midget
1921 Gillette Single-Ring
Pol-Silver Blade (2)
Fine Snake Bite
Splash of Clubman

 

Day 3 of 5; 30-Day JUNE Rule
Early start in the morn so an evening shave was in order. Third consecutive day using the big Rodgers razor, but last night was my first use of a beautiful hand-made strop made of Red Latigo from Drygulch Leatherworks (Beautiful craftsmanship, Adam! @Drygulch ). Great draw and supple leather…a quality piece of shaving gear! Three-passes, plus some swooping touch-up strokes. DFS results.
Strop: 30 on linen/60 on the leather…post-shave, another 15-20 laps on the leather to ensure a dry edge. Have a great Tuesday, all!

 

June 9 - Shave 6
Prep: Noxzema face wash
Brush: Omega 48
Preshave: Stirling Mentha Preshave oil
Soap: TSD Lanolin Bay Rum
Razor: Heljestrand No 24, French point, 5/8"
Growth: 1 day
Post: Cold water splash, Clubman, Shower, TSD Milk sub-zero AS,
Passes: WTG, XTG, WTG

SWMBO commandeered the shower from me and I was on a tight schedule this morning - no time for dilly dallying. Went to strop with the poor man strop only to find that someone had managed to cut the crap out of it - nothing nice can stay out I guess! I post a pic of that later. So 30 x strops on the gemstar bench the blade to face. Three easy passes. I'm completing the 2nd pass on my neck all with the same dominate hand. Confidence getting my hand into the correct angles without cutting. I'm really enjoying this Swedish blade.

Like Adams (@Drygulch) has mentioned with his wedge, the blade kind of "suctions" to my face on the thin, atg angles. But if I keep a good motion forward with the blade, it doesn't seem to stick to the face. No nicks or cuts today and no de clean up needed. I will need to pay closer attention to lining up my sideburns - a little jagged . Yesterday officially became the one month point of the goatee. Don't know how I'm going to last another 2 months to start the twist on the handlebar...#firstworldproblems :/ics:
Cheers,
Eric

 

I have to say yes Bama's question.

 

June 9, 2015

30 Day RULE - “Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Lather, Rinse….”

Morning Hot Shower
Prep: Pre-Shave Oil - The Art of Shaving
Soap: Arko
Brush: Omega Pro 48
Razor: Gillette Tech “Fat Handle”
Blade: Gillette Wilkinson Sword Stainless (India)
After Shave: Proraso Aftershave Splash Green

Shifted from a 3-pass to a 2-pass shave today - WTG, XTG and a vow for no touch-ups.

Have previously noticed a couple of razor bumps - something I've never experienced before. I’ve been shaving 7-days a week since I joined TSD in May (unusual for me, pre-TSD). So perhaps between that, the unusual heat here in Seattle this past week (90 yesterday!), and my cart tendency to go over different areas of my face repeatedly - the bumps may be a warning to recheck/revise my routine as well as a reaction by my skin to all the scraping.

So I’m going to be strict about the 2-pass for the rest of the week and maybe skip one day altogether this weekend. I’ll also need to constantly remind myself of no repeat strokes on the same area! and break that cart habit.

Speaking of bad cartridge habits…I still find myself rinsing the razor after a single pass using just one side of the razor and forgetting that it’s called a double edge! Some habits die hard!

The shave today still felt pretty darn good. No missed spots, my skin was just not as smooth on some of the more difficult contours of my face. I don’t think anyone will ever notice, except my wife as she’s the only one allowed to touch my face!

Thanks again to all on this thread who advised me on some of the remedies above.
Cheers!
RT

 

I'll make sure to soak up the last bit with a butterscotch muffin!

 

How's the TSD Yin Yang scent and effect? I was about to order a sample.

 

Changing over to SIX for June (one every 5 days). Nearly two down; four more to go!

Adding this one to the June Razor Mix... Vintage C-Mon Cadillac

 

Purdy

 

Once I got used to cold water I decided I was going with cold forever.

Very interesting scales!

Skin stretching was a big advance for my shaves as well!

I am with you Patrick! Everyone should be on SOTD everyday! It's one of the greatest, most dynamic threads. When I am on TSD, reading SOTD is one of the first things I like to get caught up on.

 

Give the 2 pass routine a little time. Your skin will likely adjust and calm down and smooth out. My complexion went through phases at first also.

 

World Tournament of Blades - Russia vs. the World!!
June 9, 2015
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - VDH Boar
Soap - Proraso
Razor - Razo Rock TTL
Blade - (1)
Post - Alum, Nivea Balm

Last Russian in the tourney. It's the crocodile cutter...the Gillette Nacet. I remember this blade being pretty nice in my trials if a bit short-lived. So here we go against the 6 of the Ladas. It's Russian against Russian - Mostochlegmash of Moscow vs. Gillette of St. Petersburg.

Great Proraso lather leads to the first pass which is......a bit disappointing. Smooth but didn't seem to get as much reduction as I'd like. So another lather and back to the second pass. XTG and it seems a bit less smooth than I like. Finished well short of the DFS on the neck and I swear I can already feel some irritation on my face. Third pass on neck, XTG/Gillette Slide and I shouldn't have tried it. Finished with a barely DFS and I'm sure I saw a bit of blood but couldn't find the nick/weeper when I was done. Grabbed the alum and holy cow. Lit me up good. Even the Nivea wasn't comfortable going on. Wow. So much for my memory. My notes from the trials were a bit more accurate. Not my favorite blade by far. But, who cares what's my favorite...let's grade it.

Sharpness...given the poor results on each pass this one is a 2.....at best. I'd go 3 but I want to be generous. Smoothness....Not horrible but not perfect either. 2 it is. Irritation.......Yeah, this is a 4. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Result......debated between the CCS and a DFS. Decided a barely DFS.......2.

Total - 10. Annnnnnnddddddddd....you're OUT! I think I have one tuck of these around now so you may see these in a future PIF. Anyway, the winner is......LADAS!!!!!

This completes the Russian sweet 16 bracket! Going on to the Elite Eight will be the Voskhod vs. Gillette Silver Blue, and Sharp Star vs. Ladas. First, though, we turn to the World challengers. Tomorrow....the KAI!

 

Ladas versus Nacet is basically a bye to the next round...