NOV 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic&Discussion Thread

You're right, cost per shave might even be cheaper on injector, they're quite hefty blades. I just about find a new fave each month is the real issue. And I am sure that SR in 2016 could be a new round of craziness with the RAD and experimentations.

 

Well you still need to spend a couple of months on AC's too. Nobody should miss out on that!

 

Always looking out for me...

 

Aristocrat Focus Day 4:

Homemade PS Oil
Stirling Synthetic Brush
Stirling Bay Rum SS
Gillette Aristocrat
Stirling Unscented PSB
Stirling Bay Rum AS

After yesterday's shave, I almost skipped this morning, but since it is a work day, I had to get a shave in. I tried to stay disciplined and was able to keep it to a strict two shave pass. I also kept riding the cap and went nice and slow. I ended up with what I would call a CCS. The only burn I had was from the Stirling Bay Rum AS, but that wasn't an irritation burn, that is just the AS and felt good.

The burn from the Stirling AS this morning reminded me of one of the first times my 4 year old son shaved with me. I had just gotten this AS and was putting some on. He wanted some, so I put a little in his palms and had him put it on. It was just like the scene from Home Alone. I felt a little bad, but it was also very funny. Or course my wife didn't think it was too funny. That was the last time he got any Stirling Bay Rum.

 

11/04/2015
Razor – Mongoose B2 with Triad Helix SS
Blade – Feather Pro (4)
Brush – Rudy Vey with TGN Finest
Lather – Strop Shoppe Backer Street
Post - Witch Hazel and Fine Platinum



Another very good 3 pass shave this morning. I would grade it with closeness A- and smoothness A to A+. Finished off with a splash of Fine Platinum. Happy Wednesday.

 

We want to see blood too!

 

Hi everyone,

so after taking a break from shaving yesterday, skin irritations are gone completely and I had the 3rd shave of NOVember this morning

Setup as usual:
- D.R. Harris Sandalwood
- Semogue 620
- Mühle R89
- Gillette Silver Blue (#3)
- Tüff sensitiv Rasierwasser

I followed Chris' advice and stretched the skin a bit today. While the shave itself was great (absolutely no skin problems, nicks, cuts or razor burn) my fight with the semogue brush went on.

I let the brush soak while I was in the shower. And I put a small amount of water onto the surface of the soap at the same time to soften it a little. This is what the brush looked like before I started face lathering:




One might think, this should be a sufficient amount of material for 2 passes. But far from it - had to gather some more soap again for the second pass.

Is it my lack of technique or is maybe the brush too small to hold a proper amount of lather for the 2 passes? It IS a pretty small brush

Would you say it's cheating if I try to lather up the soap with my slightly bigger Vulfix Grosvenor tonight after work, just for testing this theory and without shaving?

 

I think the golden setup is one of wet shaving biggest myths RAD is very real though...

 

I don't know why your brush isn't holding enough lather for 2 passes, but it's not cheating in the least to try other things. When you signed up for NOVember, you only said you'd stick with one setup for shaving your face. You didn't say anything about not experimenting in other ways.

 

November 4th SOTD (Shave 2 of this focus)
Three days’ growth
Preshave: Hot Shower
Razor: CJB Blade Handle
Blade: Kai Captain Sharp (2nd Shave)
Brush: EverReady 100T with TGN 22mm Synthetic Knot
Soap: Maggard’s Orange Menthol
Postshave: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block, Thayer’s Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Maggard’s Orange Menthol Splash, Styptic Pencil, Swear words

Shave two with the CJB handle. Unlike @mrchick, I won’t shave with a pissed off cat. I like to think of this razor as being like the feral barn cats we had when I was growing up. Completely harmless, until you picked one up and tossed it on a sibling. Then the blood would start…

Did a two pass shave, N/S and S/N. First pass went well. Short strokes, pay attention to angle, short strokes, and skin stretching. Second pass went pretty well until I was working on my chin. I set the razor down too hard and ended up with an inch and a half long cut. Dang it.

Finished the shave, and ended up with a DFS or A- for closeness. D+ for irritation. Family wasn’t awake yet, so I muttered things under my breath as I waited for the alum to calm down. Got the blood mostly stopped and called it good. I am traveling on Saturday to attend a funeral, so will be switching to a nice mild DE on Friday and while in Phoenix. I may skip the straight this month and see if I can master the pain stick.

 

How often are you adding water while building your lather? I get my brush looking about the same as your brush and generally end up with plenty of lather. I will build the lather and throughout the process dip the tip of the brush in my sink full of water and work it some more. I don't have a Semogue, but I do have VDH Boar about the same size, and I can generate tons of lather this way.

 

11/4/15

Gillette Super Speed Y3
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Proraso Sandalwood cream
Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Shave #1 with the Gillette Silver Blue in my Birth Quarter Super Speed.


Face lather and 2 full passes: Pass 1 XTG. Good reduction. Pass 2: ATG. Wet my face and neck and did a small amount of touch up where I could easily feel stubble. A nice DFS at that point, but also picked up a weeper on the jaw line by my goatee. A cold water rinse followed by moderate amount of touch up and I had the BBS. The Aqua Velva stung a bit, but settled down pretty quickly.

A nice comfortable BBS from the Gillette Silver Blue in my Birth Quarter Super Speed. Seems to have taken a little more touch up to handle my trouble spots. But this is my first time with this razor, so I'll put it down to learning its best angle.

Have a great Wednesday!

 

Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" or Pink Floyd "Money" blasting through quad speakers....Turntable suspended from the ceiling so it didnt skip....

 

I only use blades 3 times regardless of how much they cost. I tried injectors longer and my face didn't like it. Some DE I can go longer but they are cheap enough so I don't try. SE last near forever for me, at least 6 days.

 

It's the same one I've had for a month or so, fantastic shaver. I highly recommend getting one.

 

I fell asleep yesterday after I got everything ready in the bathroom for a shave. I decided to sit down a min in the bed to talk to my future wife and woke up about 8:30 this morning. I'll get shave 3 done in a few min and do a one or 2 pass touch up tonight as shave 4.

 

SOTD
November 4, 2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Energizing Face Wash Boost
Razor: Gillette 1941 Ranger Tech
Blade: Personna Lab Blue
Lather: Bronson Distinguished Goat
Brush: L'Occitane Plisson
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: NeverMoreBodyCo.Guinness
Let's start with the 1941 Ranger Tech. Possibly one of the best shaves I've ever had, I'll need a few more to make it official. Bronson Distinguished Goat, Guinness and Goat milk, notes of creamy oatmeal,orange peel, butterscotch, almond and vanilla. Very easy to lather, slick, plenty of cushion. Bonus: it's local! Made in San Jose!!
Finished off my shave with NeverMoreBodyCo Guinness!
Never let the things you WANT
Make you forget the things you HAVE

 

Well - that's exactly what I do. Load the brush, lather, dip the brush tips in water, lather more. And this is the first combination of soap and brush that's giving me trouble like that. I usually produce lather for 3 or 4 passes with my WD Synthetic and Taylor Cream or Cella Soap.

 

Today was day four with the dreaded Feather AC SS and I am starting to see some improvements. I did an uneventful WTG pass with no irritation or weepers. This gave me enough confidence to try some ATG cleanup on my neck. I managed to get a CCS with only only one minor weeper on my neck. It wasn't even bad enough to require the styptic pencil. I'm still not going to be overconfident and will not chase BBS for a while, as I don't need any more scars

 

From what I understand in reading different posts, yours is not a unique issue with the brush. Many people posts about a significant improvement in the Semogue brush after it is broken in. My Omega was never that bad in the start but did get much better in the lather it produced and released after it was broken in. Maybe some people more familiar with your brush will post up some tips.

Another suggestion would be to post a thread in the brush section asking for tips.