My Straight Shave Saga (continues...)

Discussion in 'Straight Razors' started by olafurson, Mar 17, 2009.

  1. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    Congrats on #50!
     
  2. olafurson

    olafurson Member

    Thanks, buddy!

    So my wife says to me after Shave #49, she says "Haven't you shaved, like, 50 times with that thing? And yet you still managed to cut a giant hole in your chin?"

    <sigh>

    Then I put on a sample of Stephan Bay Rum aftershave yesterday, which I immediately LOVED, until she says to me "huh - smells like pumpkin pie. I think all Bay Rum smells like pumpkin pie actually".

    <double sigh>

    But anyways...

    NON-SHAVE DAY:

    Bath and Body Works Indian Vetiver EDT - a really nice little summer Vetiver, actually! 7th Anniversary present from wife. Not bad for $7.50! :happy088

    I don't know if their "semi-annual sale" is still going on, but if it is, check out the Indian Vetiver and the Chai Anise EDT's. Both are great! And the Anise doesn't smell as liquorice-y as you might think... if you didn't KNOW it was anise, you might not even notice. Avoid the Java Bloom - smells like cotton candy.

    I won't be buying a bottle of either of the above for Leo, mind you, but you can't go wrong for the price if you find yourself needing a new smelly.
     
  3. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    LOL! That is better than my wife. When she first smelled in a bottle she decided it smelled like sweaty socks! :eek:

    Thanks for the heads up on bath/body works. I will try to get out there this weekend.
     
  4. olafurson

    olafurson Member

    Something I just posted in Justin's Shave Journey that deserves a place here...


    I don't know if I ever put this in writing or not, but what I've been doing that feels (and sounds, and looks) weird but works great is to stick my index finger in my ear and "push" the outer 'ring' out laterally (no, seriously!) then use my middle and ring fingers of the same hand to "push" my sideburns upwards. That way I get lateral and vertical stretch at the same time. Use the right hand to stretch the right ear and the left hand to stretch the left ear.

    Yeah, it would take me all of five seconds to SHOW you what I meant... hopefully you get the idea.

    Anyways, this particular move also happens to help get the hairs in that little Bermuda Triangle you were having trouble with last time, below the ear and behind the corner of the jaw.
     
  5. superbleu

    superbleu Active Member

    Bermuda triangle....I have a hard time with area too, very fitting name.
     
  6. Jimbo

    Jimbo New Member

    lol - great name! Bermuda triangle... :happy102

    After a certain point I found I became intimately acquainted with the directions of hair growth on my face, and adjusted the directions and magnitudes of stretching and blade movements accordingly. The individuality of using a straight is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much, but it is also one of the reasons why it can be so hard to give generic advice.

    But we definitely need pics of the "finger in the ear" stretching thing! :D

    James.
     
  7. olafurson

    olafurson Member

    OK, obligatory "YMMV" inserted here due to Jimbo's subtle prodding.

    This is as close as I can find to a picture of the finger in the ear move: :scared001
     
  8. olafurson

    olafurson Member

    Shave #51:

    Irisch Moos shave stick
    Vulfix 2233
    Wapi (stainless scales)
    One drop of glycerin and some Osage Rub
    <cleanup brush, stropping>
    Clubman Classic Vanilla after-aftershave

    Nope, that aftershave regimen didn't do it either. The Pinaud's burned this time, after waiting too long post-Osage. I guess I'll just have to use all three (glycerin/Osage/Vanilla) at the same time. Lesson learned!

    Or maybe no glycerin? It's going to be 93 today, probably didn't need the moisturizer! Osage felt mighty fine though...

    I'm still scared to use my Semogue! I keep reading all these crappy reviews of it on B&B, how it's too floppy, and there's already two of them for sale on the BST, and I wonder if a) I should get some clear nail polish to cement down the sticker that will apparently fall off, or b) if I should just sell the darn things before I even use them. I was hoping this would be the Best Brush Ever, and many think it is not. But of course, there's that whole YMMV thing...

    Indecision!

    Great shave today. Just plain old great. Comfortable, close, bloodless. Seem to be having trouble getting BBS in my left Bermuda Triangle - an area I didn't have problems with until this week (you know, when I started THINKING about how to shave it instead of just shaving it). Also still not BBS lower neck, but I doubt I will ever see that goal realized. Had some fun with my tidying up "4th" pass, used a little schmear of lather from the brush on my fingers to lube the skin a little, then some little brush-brush-brush moves... it's really nice knowing I'm getting better at using the blade without it hurting me. I'm learning!

    Oh, also had a LOT of fun with my 3rd/ATG pass today! I used the same grip on the razor as I was doing on my lower neck, but on my cheeks, under my neck and under my NOSE! - holding the tang like a japanese straight, VERY loose and floppy grip to keep the strokes feather-light. GREAT! No little abrasions on my upper lip today!

    Also changed up a little and used my LEFT hand (with above "floppy" grip) for lower-right-neck 4th pass ATG touch up, along with my usual "touching up" by going WTG/XTG with my right hand and the index-finger-and-thumb stretch I talked about a few days back. Worked good! Closer than ever I think, and painless! Light little brush strokes...

    Hooray for daily improvement!

    Yes, I'm selling my SECOND bottle of Spanish Floid to a dude on B&B. Hopefully I'll learn my lesson this time and not buy a third! Idiot.

    I'm also getting a great little package of stuff together for Fozzy Beard, in exchange for two giant Hattric A/S bottles and a little bottle of Hattric EDC from eBay Germany! He had me buy him three sticks of Brut deodorant (all 3 kinds), Aqua Velva, Skin Bracer, a strop made in Germany that sells for 1/3 the price here (!?), four SE razors and some vintage blades. He's worried the German customs people will not let the package through, but we'll see. I've included all the receipts from every purchase to make it easier on them. And a big old Kind Regards to you, Mr. Fozzy! May all the luck in the world be with your little box of shaving toys!

    Oh, and I ordered three bottles of Superior 70 Mentholated from cubanfoodmarket.com, and they sent me three of the REGULAR Superior 70 (non-mentholated) instead. So now they're sending the three proper bottles, and said I could keep these! Great customer service!! I gave my first two bottles that I bought at the local Mexican grocery to my father in law, so I guess now he'll have 5! (well, 7 after I get the three new ones).

    Naw, that's kind of stupid. He doesn't need 7 bottles. Anybody want some Superior 70? PM me.

    One of the three mentholated ones (the original purpose of the order) is destined for England, if all goes well... couldn't resist the opportunity to get a couple for myself! Too bad my wife doesn't like Bay Rum... oh well, more for her dad!

    I got a Barber Supply catalog on the mail today. Junior the barber said I could order anything I wanted from it and he'd place the order with his distributor. There's a "Punjab Hone" in there I've had my eye on for $21.95. Junior is a big fan of the Stephans Stay Smooth Conditioning Shaving Cream, but I haven't tried it myself. Might steal a dollop from him first before ordering any, since I've just about 100% switched to soaps anyway...
     
  9. Etoyoc

    Etoyoc Backwards

    Your plan of attack for ear stretching to get the bermuda triangle was helpful. I used it again today with a DE and got great results as well! Thanks for the suggestions and support.
     
  10. Special_K

    Special_K New Member

    Are you talking about the limited edition one? Looks like there are just as many people who like from what I've read.
     
  11. olafurson

    olafurson Member

    Shave #52:

    Irisch Moos shave stick
    Vulfix
    Wapi
    Cool water as ONLY styptic
    Osage Rub with one drop of glycerin as ONLY aftershave
    Musgo Real aftershave as cologne

    Boy, I really, REALLY enjoy simplifying things. I'm just that kind of guy. I'm all about taking 15 steps for something if that's what it takes, but if I can get the job done with one perfect tool instead of three crappy ones, I'm all for it.

    Today's shave was an exercise in simplicity. I didn't use an alum block, just a BUNCH of cool water. Rinse after rinse after glorious rinse. And it was wonderful.

    Osage Rub may really be the greatest aftershave product ever. I really haven't been giving it proper credit because it's so simple. Water, alcohol, menthol and a little "barbershop" fragrance. So what, right?

    But it doesn't sting, it cools like mad, it smells OK and what little fragrance is there is gone almost immediately... except for the (winter?) need to add a bit of glycerin, it's damn near exactly what I need/want out of an aftershave. Plus, it comes in giant plastic bottles and Junior can order me one for, like, $6.

    I should have listened to Junior all along! Osage is all he ever uses on his customers for aftershave.

    I know, I have been trying to find a better OTC shave soap, but I tell ya, I keep going back to my IM. I actually had the slab of MWF in my hand this morning and planned to use it, but then I set my brush under some running hot water to get it ready, and the glorious scent of Friday's IM use came wafting up from the brush, and away went the MWF! Any soap that can leave my BRUSH smelling that great is a winner with me.

    Today's shave was... pretty much perfect. That's all I'll say about that, EXCEPT: after Justin's prompting, I have reexamined my ear probing method of stretching, and have one little revision.

    The left side stays the same - index finger in ear, middle and ring finger to push up on sideburns.

    The right side, however, I have decided works better if I PULL the ear out with my pinkie finger, then push up on 'burns with middle and ring finger. This way, the palm of my hand is even farther away from my razor (safety first!), but I still get the same level of stretch.

    <insert for Jimbo's benefit: "YMMV!!!!!!!!!">

    Yesterday was a GREAT father's day. I gave my father in law the 50's Superspeed I bought here a few weeks back, my tube of La Toja shaving cream, an Old Spice mug (empty), a BUNCH of random blades (told him to use the yellow Gillette's first), some Speick aftershave and the (admittedly pretty crappy) Speick brush.

    I think that's a pretty good little starter setup for a newbie!

    I was going to give him the 70's Superspeed I bought off of Dr. Mike too, but my wife piped in and snagged it! Suddenly, she wants to give DE shaving a try herself. Uhhhh.... OK!

    I actually doubt father-in-law will end up using any of it - he's found what works re: switching between his electric and his multi-blade cartridge razor, and he may not be willing to try anything new. But who knows! Maybe he'll fall in love with the process like we all have.
     
  12. kernel

    kernel New Member

    Some people read the newspaper, I myself prefer olafursons daily saga and his excellent qualities of description. Don't stop!
     
  13. olafurson

    olafurson Member

    Shave #53:

    Old Spice shaving soap in Hull pottery OS mug
    Semogue "Excelsior" Limited-Edition Horn Handle Silvertip Badger Hair Brush
    Wapi from theInvisibleEdge
    Cold Water
    Osage Rub (only!)
    Pinaud Clubman Classic Vanilla as cologne

    Oh, it's good to be a man. Such a great feeling, shaving today.

    So many new things today! I know, I broke cardinal rule #1 and shaved two days in a row, but I couldn't help it! I was finally home in the morning and I haven't shaved at home in weeks. I wanted to try my new brush and soap!!!

    Once and for all, here's the skinny - that Semogue is a MAN's brush. Contrary to what some have said, there's nothing floppy about it. I had nothing to worry about. It's just a big ol' mop of animal fur stuffed inside a whack of animal horn. <insert caveman grunting noise here>

    It smelled beautifully skanky. It worked like a dream. It held water like a sponge, and flopped lather around like a paintbrush. It's a work of art, and it brought a huge smile to my face. (and a sigh of relief!) What a wonderful brush. Hooray to Leon for making this thing happen! HOORAY!!!

    30 years of handmade brush-making experience = some serious skills. Hats off to you, Sr. Gomes. Thank you for sharing with the world.

    The Old Spice soap... kind of sucked. I know, it's 50 years old and I should give it some credit for that, but the smell is gone except for a little bit of "old", and it didn't really lather worth a damn. Once I got it on my face, sure it was protective and lubricating and all that, but the difficulty lathering and lack of scent turned me off. I'm so disappointed! I thought for sure the OS would be my one and only.

    Now I don't know what to do... I might just have to sell this puck (more like a brick, actually) to someone else to try. I'm keeping the mug though, it's still awesome.

    The InvisibleEdge Wapi SUCKED! It was totally dull. The guy that sold it to me said he bought it "shave ready" and he'd only used it three times, which means it obviously came to him in poor condition (which is probably why he sold it). I'm going to have to have it honed professionally... or I guess I could use it as my mess-with honing razor? We'll see.

    There are rumblings out there that some of the dudes selling razors as "shave ready", even the dudes with pretty websites, can't hone worth a damn. I don't know about all that, but it is something to consider. Beware. Don't give up on a razor just because it doesn't shave - it could need re-re-honing.

    Finally got a hold of David Yellowhorse yesterday, so Leo's Wapi #1 is in its final stages of production!! Yay!! This is a lot of work, getting five different guys to work on five different razors. Let alone the cost, getting them to actually DO the work is turning out to be even more difficult than I anticipated.

    Good thing I have 15 years.

    Osage Rub is awesome. It's the perfect summer aftershave, bar none. I'm going to stop using anything else 'til the air gets dry again.

    Started a new temporary position today, so I wanted to smell good, understated, unoffensive. Went with the Classic Vanilla again - no surprise there!

    I only did two passes today because I could tell the razor wasn't in shave-ready condition, just so that I could enjoy using my Semogue brush and OS mug. It was worth it, even though I know I didn't get a real good shave. Who cares - going through the motions was satisfying enough!

    What a great feeling, to be alive!
     
  14. olafurson

    olafurson Member

    Shave #54:

    Irisch Moos shaving stick
    Semogue "Excelsior" Limited-Edition Horn-Handle Silvertip Badger Hair brush
    Plain ol' Wapi
    Cold water
    Osage Rub
    Pinaud's Classic Vanilla

    I know, it's my own damn fault. I know better than to shave three days in a row. Well, at least, I should have known.

    Don't get me wrong, I still got a great shave today, but I had a good 4-5 of those silly "weepers".

    Still didn't need styptic, mind you, just cold water and Osage. But my face feels a little more sensitive than usual, like it's got one fewer layer of skin. Duh! It pretty much does.

    WARNING: DO NOT TRY ANY OF THE FOLLOWING AT HOME!

    I got the COOLEST package in the mail today! (pun intended) Believe it or not, I managed to get samples of WS-3, WS-5 and WS-23, all cooling agents developed by Wilkinson Sword in the 70's! All three are just about odorless, have no fumes that irritate the eyes, and cool as well as or better than menthol. So I'm going to play with them, and see if I can come up with my own aftershave "home brew"!

    So, to test them out, what did I do? You got it, I tasted them.

    WS-23 is the smelliest of the "almost-odorless" bunch (they describe it as menthol-like but I think it's more like a real soft, light mint with a bit of fruit). Cools like MAD! Here's the official description:

    "WS-23 is an almost odorless white crystalline material. It is characterized by a high cooling activity with no side effects such as burning, stinging or tingling sensations. Typical applications include use as a coolant in medicinal preparations, oral care products and confectionery products".

    No kidding "high cooling"! It felt like I had an ice cube in my mouth. Crazy!

    Hmmm... it says the WS-3 and WS-5 are 0% soluble in water, but 100% in alcohol. For WS-23, it says "unknown" for alcohol, and 7g/L in water - that might be enough to make me choose WS-23 for this application... since I don't want to use (much) alcohol if I can help it. I think WS-23 is also the cheapest. (too bad it only comes in 5kg pails!)

    WS-5 is supposed to be the cooling-est, but I didn't like the taste much. Kind of bitter. Plus a real slow onset... I bet it would be good in combination with one of the others.

    WS-3 was quite enjoyable! Good cooling, fast acting. Nice! A very good balance.

    This is going to be so much fun.

    WARNING: DO NOT TRY ANY OF THE ABOVE AT HOME!

    On another note... man oh MAN do I love my Semogue!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I decided not to hide it at home, and took it to the gym today. What a pleasure! My old friend Irisch Moos took to it like a duck to water, and I got the most wonderful lather out of it! The brush is so dense that it feels like I have two or three Vulfix brushes on my face at once! Like a big ol' sponge or something. Awesome! I'm going to put out the word that if any of the other 28 guys don't like theirs, I'll buy it. I'd love another one.

    I'm glad I saved the bigger, darker, heavier one for Leo. That #22 is one bad mama jama.

    No takers on my Superior 70, so they'll all go to my father-in-law. He's run through 1/3 of the first bottle already, so I'm sure he'll get good use out of it. He rubbed some on himself last night after working out in the yard, and my wife loved the smell on him. Figures!!!! Stupid body-chemistry.

    I feel like I'm getting down to the end of my "stuff"-aquisition-disorder phase. I've only got one item on my eBay watch list, and my spreadsheet of Leo's stuff is almost complete (yes, I have a spreadsheet). All that's missing now are Leo's Wapis, a bottle of Musgo Real for his fragrance fridge (wish it came in a 200mL size!), a bottle of Old Spice aftershave for his fragrance fridge (the watch item on eBay), and Fozzy Beard's Hattric stuff from Germany (which is on its way!!!) Other than that, I think I've got just about everything a guy could need. Maybe one more soap bowl, just for giggles. Then I can settle back and use what I've collected that nobody has bought from my sale page... and maybe move on to another manly obsession?

    If I wasn't so opposed to the health risks of cigars, that would be a perfect next step. Or maybe single-malt Scotch.

    Oh well, we'll see.

    Oh yeah, I need a coticule too - I've got the Belgian guy at Ardennes on watch for the perfect one for me. I think Leo and I should be able to share one of those, for the few times honing will be necessary.

    Oh crap, I need a strop for Leo too. Must remember to hassle Tony to make me one...

    I tried some Green Irish Tweed on last night, and my wife said it smelled like something from the mall. Something a teenager would wear. Ouch! And away it goes.
     
  15. jbcohen

    jbcohen New Member

    I received my new Dovo Inox in the mail yesturday after ordering it from Classic Shaving on Tuesday. I guess two days transit time is not that bad, just wish the post office had sent me more infromation on the status of the package while it was in transit to me.

    So I lathered up this morning with some Kent shave cream, which I am told is re-branded Mitchell's Wool Fat, and went to town with the blade. Due to my inexperience with any straight razor I managed to cut myself twice but got one of the best shaves in my life. I am not going to give up the fight for the best straight razor shave that I have ever had. Going to grit my teeth and keep going.
     
  16. olafurson

    olafurson Member

    Shave #55:

    Shower Soap: Neutrogena Rainbath
    Shave Soap: Boots shaving soap bowl (trying something new for fun)
    Brush: Semogue "Excelsior" Limited-Edition Horn Handle Silvertip Badger Hair (I just like typing all those words!)
    Razor: SFK Wapienica
    Aftershave: Osage Rub (green stuff in the little squeeze bottle)
    Cologne: Rive Gauche pour Homme, Yves Saint Laurent
    Hair Groom: Good ol' Krew Comb.

    [​IMG]

    Hey, my first SOTD picture!

    Pretty good for a camera phone shot taken at the gym, I think.

    So the Boots shaving soap was... adequate. Great lather (eventually), medium-great protection, good lubrication, OK moisturizing, zero scent, crappy plastic bowl. That about summarizes it. Nothing special. Off to the Bin of No Return it goes.

    I think figuring out how NOT to carve chunks out of my chin was the final piece in my "how the heck do I do this?" shaving puzzle. Now that I've got that part figured out, and my hands are starting to get some muscle memory and used to the angles and the stretching and everything, all the pieces fall into place nicely. Pretty much BBS shave today. How many months have I been doing this now? Only this week do I feel like I'm using the blade properly.

    I'm finally, FINALLY starting to see the "better skin care" aspect of straight razor shaving. Now that I don't razor-burn myself to death every other morning, my skin is actually quite happy!! I'm pretty sure it's smoother and softer than in my electric days. Or at the very least, just as good. Hooray!

    Maybe I can help keep Leo from suffering too bad acne? That's one of my goals.

    And, I can TOUCH it again after shaving! I can't tell you how frustrating it's been having my face be so sensitive after shaving that I can't even touch it for hours afterwards. Glad THAT's over with.

    Love, love, LOVE my Semogue. LOVE IT. It's so big and bad that I can actually drip water into the hairs at the base of the knot, underneath the lather, and the brush will HOLD THE WATER until I'm ready to bring the brush to my face.

    Only thing I don't love is the stupid sticker that I nail polished twice per instructions on the boards. I wish it was just "in" the brush somehow. Oh well, I still like it much better with than without.

    I haven't done Leo's yet, waiting to see the long-term effects of the polish.

    Loving the Rive, too! Interestingly, just noticed that the base notes are patchouli and vetiver, just like Musgo Real. No wonder I love MR so much!!
     
  17. olafurson

    olafurson Member

    Shave #56:

    Shower soap: Neutrogena Rainbath
    Shaving soap: Mitchell's Wool Fat
    Brush: Semogue "Excelsior" Limited-Edition Horn Handle Silvertip Badger Hair Brush
    Blade: Wapi
    Aftershave: Osage Rub with 1/2 drop glycerin
    Cologne: Musgo Real Classic Aftershave
    Hair stuff: Krew Comb
    Lip stuff: Carmex, in the little tube with the red cap

    Not much news today, fellas. I got me a fine little BBS shave, still love my Semogue, and Mitchell's Wool Fat just might be the best shaving soap ever. If it smelled a little bit more/better, it would probably knock Irisch Moos off the pedestal.

    I think one of the reasons I like MWF is that what I'm using is half a puck sold to me by Dr. Mike, that I rub onto my face and then face lather. I hear some of you dudes have some trouble lathering up the MWF, but because I'm face lathering, I've never had a problem. I said it before and I'll say it again - if MWF ever comes up with a shave stick, and puts it in an awesome container like the IM, I'm going to buy a case of it.

    I might like it less if I had to rub a whole PUCK on my face...

    I decided Osage by itself is juuuuuust a little bit drying, so added literally half a drop of glycerin and that balanced it out nicely.

    There's something about my little routine that's been drying out my lips lately (think it's the Osage) so I went out and got some Carmex balm in a tube. Problem solved. BONUS: The tube-style Carmex won't melt in the heat like my old fave Blistex does, nor do I have to touch it like I did with the screw-top Carmex metal container. Perfect!

    I need to start some kind of campaign to get Musgo Real RE-reformulated. I hear Lafco in New York had it brought back or something, but then somebody decided it would be a good idea to "goo" it up with aloe vera. Is there a single man out there ANYWHERE that enjoys the FEEL of the Musgo Real Classic Aftershave as it is now? Come on, Lafco/Ach Brito/whomever, bring the old formula back. Please?

    RIP Billy Mays, Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett.
     
  18. olafurson

    olafurson Member

    Non-shave day:

    So it was a long day at work yesterday, then a nice relaxing evening with wife and son, and my wife leans over and says to me "what perfume do you smell like all over?" "Why, do you not like it?" "No, I do like it!"

    Musgo Real aftershave, applied yesterday morning.

    Stunning.

    Applied it all over again today. Hell, if she likes it that much, I'm going to buy a barrel full. One of my top three longest-lasting, most pleasant colognes of all time.

    And maybe I've been looking at it all wrong re: the aloe vera. Maybe I should think of it like a (kind of expensive) all-over body moisturizer. That's the secret to healthy skin, don't you know!
     
  19. olafurson

    olafurson Member

    Shave #57:

    Cream: Musgo Real shaving cream
    Brush: Giant Omega #48 professional boar brush
    Blade: one crappy Wapi and one great Wapi
    Aftershave: 1 drop glycerin, 1 drop Geo. F. Trumper's Curzon, Osage Rub
    Cologne o' the Day: Trumper's Curzon

    Man I love Musgo Real shaving cream. It's a rare treat when I get to stay home to enjoy it, but this morning Leo was having a bit of trouble sleeping so I stuck around until he went back to bed.

    I'm so glad I found a cream that works every darn time without fail. Makes me happy.

    One of these Wapis, the one I got from the guy who got it from TheInvisibleEdge, simply is not ready to shave. It's obviously the next one to go out for rescaling... if I ever hear back from the guy I'm trying to get to do the work...

    The Giant Omega Boar brush from many posts ago is the only one I have that can reach the bottom of this Old Spice mug I have, so that's what I used today. Lucky for me Musgo Real doesn't take much to make a lather out of! It was actually kind of nice using the giant brush today - my tiny Vulfix has been seeming so... inadequate lately.

    Feeling great this morning! I hope you are too. :)
     
  20. boomslanger

    boomslanger New Member

    I happened across your thread 2 days ago and had a fantastic time reading it! I'm still DE shaving and aspire to starting straight razor shaving soon! Your trials and tribulations are bound to make my experience just that little bit easier!

    Thank you!
     

Share This Page