No Variation November - A TSD Challenge

That's what we're here for. To give advice, share success, laugh at the dumb mistakes we all make and of course to enable each other to buy more and more fun stuff!! Glad to have you along!

 

Ive given up on XTG. The irritation I get is just not worth it for me.

 

Noted. I'll keep that in mind. one thing I've been doing is shaving before bedtime that way the irritation is way down by the morning. Anybody else shaving before bedtime?

 

Yea what he said! But I do want to point out that many of Neal's shaves involve exigent and even aggravating circumstances. The Failing Turkey blade and a certain Russian made razor come to mind.

 

I do WTG on my cheeks in my first pass, but do XTG on the first pass on my chin and neck. WTG did absolutely nothing for me on my neck. I then do ATG everywhere on my second pass. I finish up with touch-up.

I will note I do not have really sensitive or easily irritated skin, so if you do, you may not want to skip the WTG pass. I also found that doing 3 passes WTG XTG and ATG did not provide any better than just the modified 2 pass above. It really is all YMMV but experiment and see what works.

 

One of the principles of Technique Trumps Tools is that it works with effective and usable tools. If the tools are defective, all bets are off. The Barking Bagle and the Rapira are two examples of defective tools that can still be made to work if necessary. Well, the Rapira can, the Tripping Turtle is too far over the edge.

 

Day 1

No Variation Novemmber



Day one went in the books with a smooth 2 pass DFS!

Have a sterling Monday!

​

 

Are we anywhere near Shakedown Street?

 

Prep: Hot shower, Nivea for Men Original Moisturizing Face Wash, TSD Jasmine Sambac preshave balm
Brush: Simpsons 56 Best Badger
Lather: Ginger's Garden Coffee Jasmine soap (with mango butter)
Razor: RazoRock Bamboozled RAKE OC
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum
Passes: WTG, XTG, XTG
Post: Cold water rinse, Thayer's witch hazel & aloe vera pad, Myrsol Metilsol AS splash
Cologne: Xeryus by Givenchy

 

November 1 & 2

Prep: warm wash
Brush: Vie-Long 13061M
Soap: The Soap Exhange tallow
Razor: Weber PH
Blade: Astra SP
Post: Ogallala Bay Rum Limes & Peppercorns (This may vary if I use up the bottle)

Yesterday I pulled a double with a face and head shave with the November gear. Today I used the same thing for a face shave. Should have changed the blade before, but I didn't so ended up with a small nick on my chin. Fresh blade tomorrow.

 

Kudos to all you NoVar NoVem participants!
You will no doubt reap the benefits of what repeated use of certain items can bring—familiarity with these items, learning the strengths and weaknesses of these items, and the ability to hone your skills with a particular razor.

 

November 2, 2015

No Variation NoVember

The No Variation theme month comes at a great time for me having acquired some new equipment.
I've had only two shaves with this razor in order to choose a blade to use exclusively this month. Also about half a dozen shaves with the soap and brush. So this will be a great month of learning.

Razor: Mongoose B3
Blades: Feather Artist Club Professional
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Manna
Brush: Omega 31025 Scarlatti Boar



Three-day growth, three-pass shave (WTG,XTH,ATG)
If first impressions mean anything, 30-days with just this gear will go by quickly.

Cheers!
RT

Baseball Postscript
Thanks to all TSDenizens for tolerating me this month and one of my other passions. Being part of this site, we all share the passion of shaving. You’ve made me comfortable enough here to share another one. I believe passions are that which make life most enjoyable. I wish you all the delight of life through yours.

“Baseball breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall all alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.”

- A. Bartlett Giamatti, (Former Yale University President and professor of literature and MLB Commissioner)
Take Time For Paradise: Americans and Their Games​

 

Monday's


Dove Men Face Wash
Tabac Shaving Soap
Jayaruh #27 Silver Tip
Gillette Super Adjustable
Astra Super Platinum
CWR, Asma Alum Block
Thayers Lemon WH
Aqua Velva AS​

The second of NoVember is a rainy, rainy day. I understand that the Royals won the Series last night.

The Tabac Shaving Soap face-lathered well with my Jayaruh #27 Silver Tip brush. Two passes with my Gillette Super Adjustable razor and an Astra Super Platinum blade gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse, alum block, and a final cold water rinse, I finished off with Thayers Lemon WH and then Aqua Velva after shave. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

Second shave of No Variation NoVember.
​

 

I'm a night shaver. I like having the extra time to relax and Zen through my shave.

 

When I used to work for a living, I would shave at night, too. It freed up prep time in the morning. Now, I am up before the wife and have all the time I need to shave, and I am pretty all day.

 

Thanks Kevin!

 

Oh really? I hadn't heard that Jim!

Kick a guy when he's down...cold, so cold man...but then, What would you expect from a guy who shaves with cold water so much?!!

 

I don't know if it was because I skipped the wtg pass or not, but today, my neck is a little tender with some tiny little red dots. Not ingrown hairs...I've had them before. After my shave last nigh, I had minor irritation, less than normal I'd say, but today it feels a little irritated. Hmmmmmmm.

 

So sorry.

 

Progress at setting 3
Astra SP
TOBS Grapefruit
Asylum Brush
For all you golf players out there..as in golf, I am searching for consistency in my shaving. Bama provided a good shave "swing thought" for me in another post..."ride the cap." So this will be my montra for the month. It helped yesterday and today. Off to a good start for the month.