May 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Primotenore · May 12, 2020

jtspartan said: ↑

That is an awesome looking shaver, and a great description as well, Joseph!
So...does blade gap matter?
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Thank you Jason. In a word...no.

Primotenore · May 12, 2020

Trigger said: ↑

Great inaugural shave Maestro! Have a wonderful day!
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You as well, Joe and thanks.

Primotenore · May 12, 2020

jgreenepa said: ↑

Well he’s off the respirator, but there may be some cardiac complications!
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I am sorry to hear that, Jeff. I hope he recovers quickly.

Primotenore · May 12, 2020

brit said: ↑

View attachment 225832
tuesday shave
1930s new rfb 2piece
gsb
omega boar
herc ration
av blue

good morning gents,tuesday shave.loaded the new to me Hpin rfb with a gsb,loaded the new omega with the new ration soap.fine lather.nice scent.fantastic 2+ pass bbs ,no drama.av blue to finish.have a fine day everyone..
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Nice photo today, Gary.

Primotenore · May 12, 2020

brit said: ↑

awesome shave and pic Joseph..cool flying wing inspired razor..Tom build some fantastic stuff..
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brit · May 12, 2020

Primotenore said: ↑

Nice photo today, Gary.
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thank you Joseph..

Primotenore · May 12, 2020

MrEE said: ↑

May 12th
Tabac/tobacco Tuesday

Razor: Valet Autostrop
Blade: Feather FHS (11)
Brush: Omega 10098
PS: Proraso Green
SS: Chiseled Face Sherlock
AS: Tabac

I decided to try refreshing the blade by stropping on my diamond sprayed strop by holding the blade by hand. I held the blade gently between my thumb and middle finger and was able to do about 10 strokes on each side of the blade at a very shallow angle. I then loaded the blade in my VAS and did 10 strokes on my homemade VAS strop. I'm pleased to report that the blade refresh worked. The blade was nice and sharp and gave a wonderful two-pass DFS shave. If this refresh gets me another 10 shaves with just stropping, I shouldn't have an issue finishing the month with this blade.

As with all my shaves with this blade, I did WTG for the first pass and the second pass was a mix of XTG and ATG depending on the area I was shaving. My cheeks can take it, but my neck and jaw won't stand for it without irritation. This was something I did to extend blade life, but I will modify my normal shave routine to be more efficient with fewer passes. I am loving the results.

View attachment 225836

I finished cleaning and repacking the spindle bearings on my CNC. Ran the spindle through a shorter break-in process to distribute the grease and seat the bearings. Heat spiked and then cooled down just like it's supposed to after service. So, the CNC is back up and running.

Razors are normally ground by hand and on a special belt sander. I don't have that kind of belt sander. So, I plan to do that grinding with a grinding wheel on my CNC machine. The difficulty will be holding the razor secure while the CNC machine does the grinding. So, I built a jig that will support the blade and keep it square in the vice. The jig isn't pretty but it doesn't have to be. The blanks set in the jig with very little wiggle room and that should be good enough. If all goes well, grinding should start tomorrow. Of course, that first attempt will be very cautious and just remove a few thousandths from the blades... I really don't want to screw up this close to the finish line.

View attachment 225837
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Looking great, Evan. Have you picked out scales?

MrEE · May 12, 2020

Trigger said: ↑

Very nice shave and gear Gary!

Awesome shave Evan! I guess you didn't see my question concerning your choice of the grind. Are you going wedge, near wedge or half- hollow? I would think you wouldn't go full hollow because it takes years to master from what I have read.
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Sorry Joe. I am really behind. I'll try for half hollow on the first blade and see how that goes. The advantage of using a CNC is repeatability. If I get the grind process down I can litterly tell the machine to repeat the process 1 thousandth closer and keep going until I get to where I want. The problem is making adjustments or shaping by feel is nonexistent. I have a feeling that's important or more people would make razors with a CNC.

Trigger · May 12, 2020

Primotenore said: ↑

Looking great, Evan. Have you picked out scales?
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With your background Joseph, I can see why scales would be of interest to you.

Trigger · May 12, 2020

MrEE said: ↑

Sorry Joe. I am really behind. I'll try for half hollow on the first blade and see how that goes. The advantage of using a CNC is repeatability. If I get the grind process down I can litterly tell the machine to repeat the process 1 thousandth closer and keep going until I get to where I want. The problem is making adjustments or shaping by feel is nonexistent. I have a feeling that's important or more people would make razors with a CNC.
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I figure that you would go half-hollow. Thanks for satisfying my curiosity.

Primotenore · May 12, 2020

Trigger said: ↑

With your background Joseph, I can see why scales would be of interest to you.
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JACarbone · May 12, 2020

Rating: 5 / 5  Razor: Wade & Butcher 5/8 French Point
 Brush: Shore Shave Blue Nebula w/ Paragon 25 mm Boar
 Lather: Stirling Spice
 Aftershave: B & M Reserve Spice 
Additional Care: 
Barbero Alum Block
  Thayer's Witch Hazel - Aloe Vera 
Stirling Unscented Glacial Balm

One of my all time favorites scents. It brings me back to my childhood while I watched my grandfather shave. An additional bonus; the wife enjoys it as well.

JACarbone · May 12, 2020

b1hart said: ↑

View attachment 225821
May 12th

Proraso PS Red
Asylum Shave Works - SS & AS - Old Virginia
Supply Co v2
Schick Proline (1)
Simpson Chubby 2 Synthetic

Bowl lathered ASW (made by WSP) creating a very thick yogurty bliss, slightly tan in color. Used both painting and face lathering swirls with the Chubby 2, worked great with Old Virginia for an awesome fragrance & face feel. 2 auto pilot passes to a nice DFS+, one extra pass with exagerated skin stretching for catching baby skin smooth with ease. Still had tons of lather left, painted the face a 4th time...just while cleaning the tools. Quick rinse and after shave application finished the routine. Old Virginia....dark cherry tobacco with a nice vanilla hint. Wifey approved.

Hope everyone has a Terrific Tuesday!
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Excellent shave Blair!

JACarbone · May 12, 2020

Primotenore said: ↑

May Focus

SMN Crema da Barba~~Simpson CH2~~DE-Vise/Wilkinson Light Brigade~~SMN Tobacco Toscano
Well, the long-awaited day has finally arrived.
Tom's DE-Vise arrived last evening and it was all I could do to not try it out.
I used patience and with 4-day's growth, performed my inaugural shave this morning.
First, let me show you some pictures of the razor:

In this last shot, you can see the blade exposure.
(You will also notice, that at this point, I had not "seated" the blade properly)
Also notice that there is no safety guard below the blade.
For those interested, Tom first approached me with this idea, after I made a post climbing that blade "gap"
made NO difference in a shave. After all, we don't shave with the gap, we shave with the edge of the blade.
What we really have here is a hybrid of a DE razor and a Shavette.
Therefore, I have re-named this razor...a DE-Vette.
With respect to the creator, going forward, all references to this razor will use this newly dubbed title.
But...how does it shave?
I did have a challenge getting the blade aligned. As Tom told me, the tolerances are extremely tight.
However, once I figured out how to keep the blade in the slot and get the top cap to "accept" the
raised bar of the base cap, the handle would then screw in completely.
No issues of uneven blade exposure.
Now to the lather. I'll keep this brief, because the focus of this post is the DE-Vette.
First time with the SMN Crema da Barba.
Here's the lather I created:

I was careful to assure that I had a very slick base for the shave.
First pass, WTG, sideburns to jawline (stretched skin) was just like using my Feather AC.
I kept the angle shallow and the blade obliterated the hair.
A word on the handle.
It's smooth and Tom eschewed knurling. Now, this was a slip issue, so I used some alum to
to assist in the grip. I could ill afford to lose my grip on this in the middle of a pass.
Continued my WTG on the neck and got two small weepers at the base.
Now, this was clearly user error as I failed to maintain the shallow angle at the bottom of the pass.
Side note: THIS is a perfect example when a SB would come into play.
Mustache area and chin area were next. I moved slowly and carefully. No issues.
After the first pass, I could have quit and called it a DFS+++, but I re-lathered for an ATG pass.
No issues, no more weepers.
Under the nose is always a challenge, with ANY razor, and the DE-Vette is no exception.
It's quite awkward to get a shallow angle AND get the razor-edge right underneath the nose,
WITHOUT scraping. I did manage to "scrape" a bit and the alum let me know about it.
Called it quits after two passes and my face is as smooth as it ever gets. Maybe smoother,
because of the 4 day growth.
Took a couple of drops of SMN Tobacco Toscano and mixed it into a small amount of
Stirling Unscented Glacial ASB for a really wonderful finish.
First impressions.
We all know what a talented machinist and designer Tom is and he has created
a not only gorgeous razor, but a razor that functions perfectly.
Mos def© NOT a beginner's tool, but a unique and solid razor.
I am very fortunate and grateful to @twhite for this opportunity and to own a one-of-a-kind creation.
In the very-near future, I will be hosting a pass-around for those interested in trying it.
I will not be taking names or creating a list at this point so please wait for an official thread.
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Joe - Fabulous report! Extremely informative and descriptive. Looking forward to hearing more about this razor.

jluc · May 12, 2020

JACarbone said: ↑

View attachment 225842 View attachment 225843
Rating: 5 / 5  Razor: Wade & Butcher 5/8 French Point
 Brush: Shore Shave Blue Nebula w/ Paragon 25 mm Boar
 Lather: Stirling Spice
 Aftershave: B & M Reserve Spice 
Additional Care: 
Barbero Alum Block
  Thayer's Witch Hazel - Aloe Vera 
Stirling Unscented Glacial Balm

One of my all time favorites scents. It brings me back to my childhood while I watched my grandfather shave. An additional bonus; the wife enjoys it as well.
Click to expand...

Nice, Joe! I used my Reserve Spice set this last weekend. Great stuff.

JACarbone · May 12, 2020

jgreenepa said: ↑

View attachment 225822
SOTD TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2020

Welcome to M-Bombed (6 drops) Tabac Tuesday. As promised, I returned to my recently acquired Ronson, but did not use the stacked DE blades. The nipper I use for my Gibbs razors doesn’t provide a square nip, but rather a circular one which isn’t wide enough for the Ronson. I have a new nipper arriving Saturday that should solve the problem. But today’s shave was with a fresh Proline Injector.

I’m really growing to like this little razor. It provides beautiful BBS dome shaves. That is my threshold for any razor I shave with. It needs to perform for both mug and noggin. And this little beauty does in spades! I have, after a recent den reduction 59 razors with one (Blackland Tradere) on order. Every one of these meets my shaving criteria. If not, they’re gone!

The Ronson is right up there with my Shake Sharps as one of my favorite vintage SEs. I really don’t need to use DE blades in this razor, as the Injector performs excellently. I’m just curious to compare the Ronson to the Shake Sharp with stacked DE blades. That shave won’t take place until the weekend when the proper nipper arrives.

This morning’s shave couldn’t have gone better. I just love shaving with vintage razors. And the Ronson is a pip! It’s truly a joy to shave with. The Jayaruh Custom Boar #372 whipped up a prodigious cooling lather which the little Ronson swept away, taking with it most of the accumulated whiskers in that first WTG pass. The second ATG pass left me with that velveteen feeling only a stellar BBS provides. And best of all, the alum check revealed no heat which the Cryogen AS splash confirmed. I feel cool, smooth and refreshed!

RAZOR: Ronson Safety Razor
BLADE: Schick Proline B-20 Injector
PREP: Iced cold water rinse
BRUSH: Jayaruh Custom Boar #372
SOAP: Tabac salted with 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Thayers Lavender WH and Chiseled Face Cryogen AS Splash. Finished with A&E Post-Shave Serum.
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Fabulous shave Jeff. Love the Jayruh boar. As you may know I have several. He does such nice work.

Trigger · May 12, 2020

JACarbone said: ↑

View attachment 225842 View attachment 225843
Rating: 5 / 5  Razor: Wade & Butcher 5/8 French Point
 Brush: Shore Shave Blue Nebula w/ Paragon 25 mm Boar
 Lather: Stirling Spice
 Aftershave: B & M Reserve Spice 
Additional Care: 
Barbero Alum Block
  Thayer's Witch Hazel - Aloe Vera 
Stirling Unscented Glacial Balm

One of my all time favorites scents. It brings me back to my childhood while I watched my grandfather shave. An additional bonus; the wife enjoys it as well.
Click to expand...

Beautiful shave Joe! Old Spice is a classic brand. I wish they brought back the original formula.

blondblue · May 12, 2020

A catastrophe happened in my apartment, fellas...shave-related. I was fishing around for some medications on the top of the fridge/freezer where I keep them, and my "fishing" action knocked the bowl of the Phoenix soap off, and it shattered on the floor. So mad since I just put it there this morning. I have another soap bowl up there(the Burma Shave soap)and I pushed it further back so as not to hit it while fishing again.

jluc · May 12, 2020

Paul Turner said: ↑

A catastrophe happened in my apartment, fellas...shave-related. I was fishing around for some medications on the top of the fridge/freezer where I keep them, and my "fishing" action knocked the bowl of the Phoenix soap off, and it shattered on the floor. So mad since I just put it there this morning. I have another soap bowl up there(the Burma Shave soap)and I pushed it further back so as not to hit it while fishing again.
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That's too bad, Paul.

blondblue · May 12, 2020

jluc said: ↑

That's too bad, Paul.
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Thanks Jim-it was a great-smelling soap. :-(

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May 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

What will you be "mixing up" in May?

Razors I rarely/never use

Blades I rarely/never use

Soaps I rarely/never use

Brushes I rarely/never use

A combination of everything just thrown together like a salad!

Who said you could suggest a salad?! We eat cookies here!!!

Gonna PIF some stuff and try to win some PIF'd stuff to replace it!

I miss Chris's intros with only two questions. This is just ridiculous!! Sheesh!

Primotenore missed opera tunity

Primotenore missed opera tunity

Primotenore missed opera tunity

Primotenore missed opera tunity

Primotenore missed opera tunity

brit in a box

Primotenore missed opera tunity

MrEE Half Naked Shave Stalker

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

Primotenore missed opera tunity

JACarbone The Oud Dude

JACarbone The Oud Dude

JACarbone The Oud Dude

jluc smelling pretty

JACarbone The Oud Dude

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

blondblue Well-Known Member

jluc smelling pretty

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May 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

What will you be "mixing up" in May?

Razors I rarely/never use

Blades I rarely/never use

Soaps I rarely/never use

Brushes I rarely/never use

A combination of everything just thrown together like a salad!

Who said you could suggest a salad?! We eat cookies here!!!

Gonna PIF some stuff and try to win some PIF'd stuff to replace it!

I miss Chris's intros with only two questions. This is just ridiculous!! Sheesh!

Primotenore missed opera tunity

Primotenore missed opera tunity

Primotenore missed opera tunity

Primotenore missed opera tunity

Primotenore missed opera tunity

brit in a box

Primotenore missed opera tunity

MrEE Half Naked Shave Stalker

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

Primotenore missed opera tunity

JACarbone The Oud Dude

JACarbone The Oud Dude

JACarbone The Oud Dude

jluc smelling pretty

JACarbone The Oud Dude

Trigger Double Jedi Knight

blondblue Well-Known Member

jluc smelling pretty

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