May 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic-Discussion Thread

Day#26 of the 30-Day Focus
..and Day#6 of 7 with the J. A. Henckels Zwillingswerk #472 'Friodur' Straight Razor.

Next to last day of using the Henckels Friodur. I broke out the Cella—a soap I hadn't used in months. (A sure sign when you realize you have too many soaps: I found a heavy box in my closet last night containing several bottles of aftershave, bar soap, and about a dozen tins and plastic tubs of shave soap. This was my 'spill-over' box—which I had completely forgotten about—a box for those items that didn't fit in my wall cabinet. Quite a assortment in the box, including the Cella. )
I do enjoy the Cella soft soap, and love the marzipan-like fragrance. I find it pairs well with Bay rum, so ended the shave with my favorite BR aftershave.
After stropping the razor 35 linen/60 horsehide, a three-pass shave resulted in a near-BBS shave. I've mentioned before that after a week with this fine razor, the bar has been quite high as far as my expectations as to how good a straight razor shave can be.

 

May 26th, SOTD (Shave 15 of this focus)
One and a half days’ growth
Prep: Hot Shower
Razor: Wade & Butcher 5/8 square point (pre-1890) with worm eaten scales
Strop: Drygulch Chromexcel Horsehide and Linen (15 Linen/50 Leather)
Soap: Barrister & Mann's Bay Rum
Brush: 24mm Finest Badger in Quilted Walnut handle
Post Shave: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block, Thayer’s Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman with M-Bomb added

Not a great shave today. Only did a two pass, because I set the blade down under my lip and cut myself pretty good. Any tips to avoid doing this? It’s getting kind of old.
The two passes were comfortable, and provided a SAS. My chin is rougher than I like. No alum burn today, except where I cut myself. Tomorrow’s shave will be better.

 

Are we talking about the area under the lower lip (soul-patch area?) on the chin below the mouth, or the upper lip? On the downward stroke?
If I knew for sure, I could advise....

Assuming its below the lower lip: As with a DE razor, jutting the chin forward and stretching the lower lip over your lower teeth provides a taut region to shave. With an SR in a downward stroke, I try and keep the angle VERY shallow with the blade almost flush—but not quite—to the skin. The tendency in that area is to keep the blade upright (near 90° angle to the skin), especially if one is trying to trim around a mustache or soul patch. I speak from experience when I say I am more inclined to slice myself with a perpendicular blade trying to 'manicure' around the mouth and chin. With the razor held at a much lower angle, the odds of slicing the skin is reduced.

Upper Lip: Same rule applies with the lower blade angle. Most cuts I've given myself around the nostrils, upper lip, ends of the mouth, have occurred when I've accidentally moved laterally with an upright blade, resulting in a stinging little slice....

 

That is a dead on description of what I have been doing. I have a horseshoe mustache that goes down to my chin. The area between the bars is where I keep cutting myself, as I have to reposition the razor several times to trim near the facial hair. Usually, I cut myself in the middle of the chin in a vertical line, as I am setting the razor down to do my XTG pass from the center of my chin out. Today, I set the blade down under the lower lip to do my WTG pass from the lip to the chin. I felt it bite pretty good. This just seems to be the one area I keep tearing up, just trying to postion the razor to do the shaving strokes.

 

Don't know what I enjoyed more this month, your mentorship or looking at your beautiful straight razors.

 

I took the easy way out - stopped shaving that area and grew a goatee. Not an option for all

 

SWMBO has preemptively ruled that one out. She can deal with the horseshoe, and the beard missing the chin when it’s cold out, but is not OK with a goat. She was quite clear about that.

 

May 27 - shave number... we'll call it 15 (I lost count somewhere in the month...)
Preshave prep: Hot shower
Preshave: stifling metha preshave oil
Soap: TSN bayrum (thanks @Queen of Blades)
Blade: gemstar custom Sheffield square point 5/8 straight
Post: clubman bayrum, alum, cold water splash.
Growth: 1.5 days
Passes: WTG, XTG, WTG

It's amazing what a properly honed razor can do for a shave! My face feels so much better right now. Even after three passes with my recently honed Sheffield from Glen (@gssixgun) no irritation or bumps! I noticed that the square point does offer a little bit more precision around goatee, but is a booger on random nicks! This has been an amazing month of shaving. I have grown so much in confidence and ability with a straight blade on my face. I think another month or two of this, and I'll never go back to DE shaving - maybe... Big thanks goes out to Kevin (@HolyRollah) Adam (@Drygulch)and @txskimo for joining me and sharing your experiences this month. We've all made great strides.

First pass was nice. No pulling or tugging. I find that I'm actually making a "J" stroke from side burn to goatee on the WTG pass. The XTG/ATG 2nd pass is getting easier. I'm only going ATG on one half of my neck - the other I'm just doing a WTG. Funny thing is that the side I'm doing 3 WTG passes on the neck is actually smoother than the WTG/ATG/WTG. Jawline has been an issue in past shaves, but focused on stretching and moving the skin to get a good pass on it and it worked out. Alum rewarded me with very little sting.! I'm very pleased with today's shave.
Cheers!

 

You and @Drygulch really have made a lot of improvements and I feel the same way about dropping DE. Although I think I'll keep a couple around I'm not sure how often I'll bring them out. It's crazy to think how intimidating it was to begin with, heck DEs were intimidating to me at first, and now I look forward to using a straight. Hopefully you can keep RAD under control!

 

It might be too late for that...

 

Ha, thanks! This month has been very interesting in a variety of ways. I enjoy watching all those new to straights learning the process—the ups and downs...in full public view! Everyone can learn something from these experiences.
When I was learning to shave SR-style, it was a more of a private ordeal that I only shared in PMs with my SR mentor, Bruce @Stroker
Here's some sage advice he shared with me a couple of years ago as I was just beginning to learn to straight razor shave.
I though I'd share it here as there is much truth in Bruce's observations:

"The time frame it takes to become proficient at straight shaving is entirely up to the individual's realization level as he experiences the different aspects of shaving with a straight and advances to the next level along his journey. There is the no pressure (a light hand) required, the proper shaving angle that must be maintained on the ever changing contour of your face as your stroker advances. There is the realization of using the different areas of the blade to access the different facial areas and contours. All these seem hard to fathom now but will become obvious once you are actually involved with the shaving process. The enjoyment that you achieve once you have mastered the art of straight shaving is a personal pleasure that others cannot understand until they reach it themselves. It is the feeling of personal accomplishment and the feeling of confidence in your own ability that is so rewarding.

When I started to straight shave I also was overwhelmed with all the advice and videos on the web. It all seemed so technical and precise I thought I'd never be able to do it. Then I thought of my Grandpa on the farm back in Illinois. He was in his nineties and shaved with his straight razor in a dish pan on the back porch. He would lather up the shave soap in his mug with some hot water and boar brush, paint it on and strop his razor a few times and ....shave... no big deal! He had wrinkles and sagging skin on his neck and really didn't give thought to what he was doing. I thought to myself; sometimes we make things way too complicated! Just do it!"​

 

I have learned a ton this month. I haven't touched a DE razor in a few weeks, and have been really enjoying my shaves. Having three of us going through the learning curve, I think has helped all of us. I don't think we would have figured out some stuff as quickly without it. Having our own SR guru on board has been awesome. I keep reminding myself of this:

My grandfather shaved the same way.

I also like to look at the amazing razors that are out there.

I started the month with two shavers. Bought another one off a FB group. Damaged the edge on one of the first two. Bought three project straights from the lawn mower repair shop. Won another razor on a different forum. Sent the damaged one out to be re-honed. Bought another one off a vintage site. Traded a slim for another one. Current count including those in the mail- five shavers, four projects. (But I don't want to talk about hones/ rocks yet.)

RAD? What RAD? Its not a disorder if I can stop any time I want, right? I am even trading DE razors for SRs, so am actually ending up with less razors.

 

Blade Focus Day 27:

Homemade PS Oil
Vie-long Horsehair Brush
Chiseled Face Sherlock
EJ Chatsworth Barley
Astra SS
Stirling Unscented PSB
TOBS Sandalwood AS

Day 4 on this blade, and I noticed a little irritation this morning. Still very pleased with these blades over all. Tomorrow I will swap to my last blade for this focus.

 

Brush Focus: Day 27/30
Brush: WDC-3, Olivewood handle, Silvertip Badger (Whipped Dog), Deep set (22mm), 24/67
Gillette - K-4 (1965) Slim Adjustable. (5).
Gillette Platinum Blade (6)
Soap: Razo-Rock, Don Donato.
A/S: Osage Rub
Old Spice Coffee Mug.(soak brush)

Outstanding shave brush. It will be hard to place on the 30th day, but right now I would say third. Gathers tons of lather. I have 3 passes today and I could of had 7 there is that much lather in this brush. Razor-Rock is an excellent shave soap, and the Osage Rub is a great finish. This focus has been excellent for me as I have been concentrating on the brush and have been unconsciously taking less pressure of the razor and it has been gliding better and giving me some of the best shaves I have ever had.

 

Day 27 - 27 May 2015

30 Day Rule with a Schick!



Day 27 - I think I have totally gotten the hang of this injector. It is slightly more aggressive than the previous injector I had used, and I really like the skin feel it leaves behind. I had never really gotten to perfect BBS on the upper lip area, but this razor handles it like a champ. It's pretty much automatic 2 pass every day, alum feels good. Now I am trying to figure out what the exact plan is for June, other than Williams...new thread will open tomorrow, be sure to look for it and spread the word.

Have a great Wednesday night!

​

 

That's what I need to do. Trade! I have 10 out so de I can part with and a couple of gem micros as well... That's a fine idea Adam!

 

Great picture. I like the map.

 

I am making myself undo all of my DE RAD before I catch SR RAD. It will happen someday...this month has been really cool watching you two and @txskimo and @HolyRollah interact and share your experiences with SR. I catch myself looking for SR tips even though I don't own one...yet. Nice work this month gentlemen! Thanks for "growing up in public" on an SR, it's been a joy to read about!

 

Thank you!

 

I agree! It pulled me right into the image.

I even began reading the ingredient let on the soap.
Interesting that they spelled 'Avocado Oil' "Avocadao Oil"—unless they simply enjoy exotic spelling down there in Rancho Cucamonga...