March 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

After yesterday's less than stellar shave, I decided to load the Personna 74 blade in one of my favorite Gillette razors. What a difference! I am smooth and blood free after two passes. This is a good thing on Sunday mornings, as I donate plasma every Sunday before church and the blood center won't accept me with bleeding wounds
SOTD
Stubble Trubble Pirate Cowboy Soap
Oscar 11 Brush
British Gillette Aristocrat #66
Personna 74 (2)
Alum
Lucky Tiger
Fine American Blend AS
Have a blessed Sunday!

 

Beautiful photo and lineup. I really like the looks of the razor.

 

March 5 - back to the 34C

Merkur 34C HD
Astra SP day 3
Homemade PSO
TOBS Sandalwood
Alum / Thayers WH
Nivea SPSB





Today I decided to mix things up and go back to the Merkur 34C HD. TOBS Sandalwood is a great scent and I was looking forward to using it again since I haven't in some time. It seems like I have forgotten how to lather it and made it too dry. I also find having a wet face only thins the lather since I tend to make it in the bowl right to the hairy edge of wetness.

I decided to use The Phoenix brush today. It wipped up a nice lather with no hair loss like the older AOS have been doing. This has been a nice brush.

My first shave was not nearly as slick as Stirling but the Astra, even on its 3rd shave, was smooth. I could feel the blade but no where as pronounced as with the Fatboy.

After getting the lather right on the next two passes, I resulted with a CCS that was not as clean as the day before.

This razor just needs either a more aggressive blade, dare I say more pressure or what I do not know. Alum was bright but not tingling and certainly no burn but I would rather to take the burn if it meant a closer shave. The blade does not feel worn out. It was quieter than my pass with the Fatboy. I am starting to wonder if silence is a good thing. The final ATG did not produce a close shave.

Maybe an aggressive razor might be in my future. It seems the 34C doesn't cut it. Still no sight of the Scientist. It may work out to be just what the professor asked for.

 

Thank you!

 

Wonderful picture!

 

What are your thoughts on the Stubble Trubble Pirate Cowboy?

 

Did you see the new polished one? Oh, and they are offering 20% off for the next little bit.

 

March 4, 2017
Razor: J2 Gillette SuperSpeed
Blade: German Wilkie (5)
Brush: Diane by Fromm
Cream: Simpsons unscented

March 5, 2017
Razor: M3 Schick Adjustable
Blade: Chick
Brush: Diane by Fromm
Cream: Simpsons unscented
both cases
Catching up on a couple of less than spectacular shaves. Some random observations...

The Diane brush is a bit of a mystery. To my untrained eye, it appears to be a Boar though this is not confirmed by anything on the packaging. I was able to find it onlonre at a couple of resellers and they list it as "faux badger". Is that term used to describe a boar brush? (Images of a poorly disguised pig.) The knot seems a bit less dense than my VdH boar and I'm curious to see what it's like after the tips split (assuming it lasts until that point).

The Simpsons cream is definitely a case of a little going a long way. It also seems to be a very thirsty cream which has me wondering if I'm giving it enough water as I have some concerns about slickness.

It's the slickness concern that has me calling the last couple of shaves "less than spectacular" as both seemed to be very tuggy. In both cases, I'm not sure if it was a lather failure or a case of using a blade past its prime. The latter is especially true of the Schick where I forgot exactly how long that blade was in the razor or howe many shaves it had on it.

Time to regroup and get back to baselibne, it looks like.

 

Very nice, Mark !

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Very nice Jim!

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Nice eye candy, Clint!

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Killer setup Ben

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I received it as a sample. It performs fine and has a decent scent. The scent is pretty light.

 

I have it in the tub, and would put the scent strength at a 6-7/10. How do they package them? I would consider trying more of them.

 

I've never used a 34C but I would compare it to the DE89 from Edwin Jagger (now 's the time for the arguments to start being posted). They are both fairly mild razors by design, which is why they are often promoted as a good beginner razor. Sometimes going to a sharper blade with the mild razors will produce a better result. Mild razors used properly can perform just as good as an aggressive razor and often with less irritation. It depends on the skill level of the operator of course.

I have found myself happier with the more aggressive razors, i.e. the New LC, Fatip, even the Aristocrat which is a bit more aggressive than a Flare Tip Super Speed. And I have found that I like the adjustables around 6 with most blades as the minimum setting. Of course, since I flay myself with pain sticks I suppose the aggressive razors/blades are more to my faces expectation. Or else I'm just a glutton for blood and scars.

 

Must be something in the air or water. I"m seeing a number of issues with shaves lately.

 

First Quarter Moon Phase; Exactly half the moon will be illuminated and half dark. Dark Side Sith waning power, Light Side Jedi Rising.

 

Thanks Andrew!

 

It was in a little waxed envelope like Route 66 uses.

 

Thank you, Andrew!