May 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic-Discussion Thread

I never tire of seeing that razor. I've seen them on ebay going from 50-200 dollars depending on condition...congrats on 32 years. No easy feat this day in age.
Cheers,
Eric

 

May 13 - shave 7
Prep: AoS Lavender preshave oil
Soap: AoS Lavender Soap
Straight: Whipped Dog Sight Unseen Straight - Clover Brand, 5/8, Round
Strop: Gemstar Bench Strop x 30
DE Razor: Gillette SS
DE Blade: Wilkinson Sword (1)
Post: Cold water, alum, TSD Shop milk, AoS post shave balm Lavender
Growth 3.5 days

Shaved last night but didn't get a chance to post. So here it is. There's been lots of chatter the past couple days on the quality of soaps/creams got me thinking that maybe the Col Conk WASN'T giving me protection I needed for the learning curve of the straight. So, I switched over to my original AoS setup in lavender scent. Great smell for an evening shaving. I was also going to make my first lines in the handlebar goatee - day 3.5 of growth (counting half days of beard growth is like the parent counting the age of their kids in months - "Jimmy is 25 months old..." No - your kid is two years old...I digress)

Plan today was to only use the straight and limit the need of the DE clean up. AoS lathered up great and I was confident that I had eliminated one possible cause of my recent irritation. First pass (WTG) with the whipped dog - great. I tried the short multiple passes down once then a couple longer strokes over the same area. I stopped well short of the goatee area so I wouldn't accidentally mess up the lines (could have used the goateesave - thanks @Bama Samurai) 2nd pass XTG - funny how after 7 shaves of focus this month, I've found a grip that's working for both W and X the grain. Three fingers on the spine, one on the tang. Final pass was another WTG pass - got a wonderful shave this evening with little irritation - confirmed by the alum rub post shave. DE was only used this evening for cutting in the first lines of goatee. DFS results.

Post shave thoughts: combination of changing the soap and eliminating the ATG DE cleanup helped my face so much! Very pleased with my results last night

 

Congrats!

 

Encouraging progress! Keep at it!
LOL at the Goatee Saver reference.....

 

I think it's real...but the ad almost seems like SNL satire.

 

Nice that you started lining up the goatee. I've had mine for 145 months.

 

Happy Anniversary! 32 years is amazing. You're either easy to live with or just well trained!

 

Happy Anniversary to @HolyRollah ! I hope you and Mrs Rollah have a great day!

 

A little of both......plus my wife is amazingly patient.

 

Behind every good man is a better woman!

 

Not quite the milestone, but my first date with Mrs Samurai was 14 May, 2010. We went to Blue Bonnet Cafe, the ultimate Tex-Mex place in Denver. We married 15 months later after realizing we had each found the one God had set aside.

 

Nice!
May 14th was not only our wedding date, but also the day of our first real date in college, May 14, 1979...four years prior to our nuptials.

 

Happy Anniversary to @HolyRollah and your wife. Hope you have many more.

Brush Focus: Day 14/30
Brush: WDC-1 Black Badger, (Whipped Dog knot).
Gillette Super Speed, A3 Flare Tip (1955)
Gillette Platinum Blade (7)
Bowl: KO Shave
Soap: Jack's Soap
AS: RE9 Post Shave Balm
Old Spice Coffee Mug.

Back to the beginning for my brushes. This is an amazing brush that loads well and applies an outstanding lather to my face. Have nothing negative to say about this brush. Seventh day for the Gillette Platinum Blade. I have been very happy with the performance of this blade. The Gillette SS Flair Tip(1955) is a joy to use. I will change Gillette's tomorrow and load a new Platinum blade. Three passes. No clean up needed.

 

30 Day Rule with a Schick!

Day 14 (day 3 on blade)


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Day three brought one of the best shaves yet this month. Start to finish, this is my routine:

1. Wash face with rag and cold water (no soap)
2. Load a damp Plisson with Proraso ~25 swirls in the jar.
3. Wet face and build lather on face directly.
4. Perform a WTG pass, stretching the skin SR style.
5. Rinse face with cold water.
6. Relather and perform XTG, more stretching for this pass also.
7. Rinse in cold again.
8. Feel for strays and touch up if needed.
9. Relather face and enjoy menthol while cleaning counter.
10. Rinse and shake dry the Plisson.
11. Rinse face in cold, multiple times until face is cold.
12. Alum
13. After Alum dries...base AS of TSD splash, then Veg.
14. Osage on the scalp.
15. Enjoy the great shave!

I am not noticing any blade performance degradation yet. No issues today, ended up being the automatic 2 pass smoothness!

Have a great Thursday night!
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It's better when you shave with it.

 

Happy anniversary, Kevin! My Bride and I celebrate our 28th on Saturday.

 

Now that's funny.

 

Would that be considered an old goatee, then?

 

Blade Focus Day 14:

Homemade PS Oil
WD High Mountain Badger 30 mm
TSD Lanolin Egyptian Spice
EJ Chatsworth Barley
Bluebird blade
Stirling Unscented PSB
TOBS Sandalwood AS

This was my first use of the 30 mm WD. I like the brush, but will have to spend a little time figuring it out. Shave was good, and I seem to have had good success with the Bluebird. I am going to push it one more day to see how it goes on 4 days.

 

Good picture.