NOV 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic&Discussion Thread

Nov 6 Focus shave 6

Next up in the soap test is Martin de Candre Fogère. I love the scent and it lathers easy but always felt like it was lacking in slickness, cushion and aftershave feel. I decided to add some liquid lanolin and use my small scuttle so it is warm but not hot. I loaded it like I hate it, a few drops of lanolin in the scuttle on off we go. Today's razor is an ATT R2, aggressive but not at the extreme end of aggressive.

This was the best lather I ever experienced with MdC, it was slick and good cushion. With the scuttle I always need to add a little water between passes and between pass 2 and 3 a couple of drops of lanolin again. Four passes and everything felt great. Next the alum test, nothing, not even a tingle. The shave was long lasting BBS. The rating for this shave is 'epic shave'.

In the past I never felt I could use MdC for a straight razor shave but it has earned a shot, this weekend I will put MdC to the ultimate test and shave and pair with a SR.

Irritation A+, closeness A+


Martin de Candre Fogère soap
Rooney Beehive 3 band Super Badger
ATT R2 with Super Iridium (2nd shave)
Razorock XXX AS
Edwin Jagger Aloe ASB
Houbigant Fogerè

 

Shave today was great, will write about it later... Out in Denver tonight with Mrs. Samurai. Have a great evening Gents!

 

A little Newbie giveaway photo minus the TSD since it's made to order. So lucky blessed to have such great people in my life.
@Bama Samurai
@Seabs
@Queen of Blades
@Boojum1
@soapbuddy

 

Plus a surprise birthday present thanks to my incredible fiancé!

 

Congrats on your CT!

 

Seth, don't let her get away.

 

Oh man...what a gift. Sounds like she is a keeper. You might just cure your soap acquisition disorder right there.

Congrats on all of the new gear.

 

Welcome to the 30-day Rule Tim. Good to see posting again.

 

Thank you kind sir

 

Definitely a fine gift! Looks like you found a keeper (the Fiancee and the soap).

 

Plan for Friday, November 6, 2015

Schick I-1 Injector
Schick Injector II Twin #2
Romera Black Buffalo Horn Verzelli
Mystic Water SS Barbershop
Alum, Witch Hazel ++Menthol, Cucumber Melon Whipped Shea Butter
Sterling Barbershop Aftershave

 

Planned Day 6


I was worried I might get bored with this kit but its been a pleasant surprise not to be burdened with all the choices I faced each day......although I am missing a couple of my silvertip badgers.

 

Very nice gift. She is a keeper for sure.

 

Mark, what do you think of the scent of MW Barbershop? I am coming up with a MW order list.

 

NOVember - No Variation

November 5

Razor -
Blade - (5)
Brush -
Soap -
Post - Cold Water, Alum, Aloe

Day five on the Feather SS. I haven't had a blood free day yet this month. And, I was running a bit late so not exactly a combination that gives a person much confidence. Decided to stick with it and allow myself two passes. No more, no less. It had to be CCS or better after two and I couldn't be twitching in a pool of blood. Kind of defeats the purpose of getting ready to go to work if you kill yourself in the process. After yesterday's slight miss on the lather I was worried I had somehow lost the focus on that as well. Yeah, a little stress to start the day.

As for the lather, I needn't have worried. BoSFat was right on the money. Exploding lather on the brush and face and slick and protective just like I need. That's why MWF is in the top spot for me. I'm not having any trouble living with one brush and soap this month at all. It's just that good. Picked up the Feather SS and here we go. Set the blade down as normal, added angle as I began the downstroke and set it right where I wanted it. Very easy first pass not only on the right cheek and neck, but the left was also nice. I never get quite as good a first pass on the left but today was close. No nicks, cuts, weepers, slices, or spurting arteries. Nice first pass. Reapplied the lather and knew this was it. I wasn't at CCS yet because of my neck and, well to tell the truth, my face wasn't there either. The first pass had been fairly timid which left a bit extra for the second. Went diagonal on the face and neck for the second pass and switched to my left hand out of the Japanese (I think I'll call it Yakuza grip now, thanks to the allegiance the cartel has made with @Bama Samurai ) and that went better than normal. Hit a couple of spots again on a different direction and checked the result. Dare I say? A barely DFS, but definitely the best shave I've gotten from this razor. And, with NO blood.

Hit it with alum and, while it has that burn I've come to expect from the Feather, it wasn't as bad as most. Seems like I'm getting it under control a bit. I'm not about to say it's mastered or any foolishness like that. I have 25 days to go and I'm a long way from a BBS, but baby steps! Off to a busy day in the rain. Now listening to the thunder in the Lou. Gotta love November thunderstorms.

 

November 5

Razor – !974 Gillette SS
Blade – GSB
Brush – AOS Badger
Soap – Gada Cool Mint shave cream
Post - Cold water splash, Witch Hazel and Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Shaved tonight. Still impressed with the Gada cream. Produces an excellent slick lather. Going to stick with it the rest of the month instead of switching to the Stirling MITA so the above will be my No Variation kit. When I got home tonight I had a package waiting that will make NOVember even more difficult. New soaps from Stirling and my new Stirling brush. I have to keep telling myself they will still be there in December waiting for me to use them.

Tonight's shave was very good. Very little irritation except on my chin which just seems destined to be irritated by this razor. Still working on it. The rest of the face and neck was great. DFS even on chin for smoothness just had the irritation. Got to work on my chin.

 

She's the best. Don't know what I'd do without her.

 

I don't think it will. I'm an addict.

 

Soap: TSD Floid Blue Type
Brush: Omega Pro 49
Razor: Mongoose B3
Blade: Feather Pro
Post: Alum, Stirling Orange Chill WH/Aloe

Still not getting good lather with the Omega. I know it's not the soap as I can get great results with my Stirling Kong. I make plenty of lather but it seems to disappear into thin air. Next time I'll try starting with a wetter brush and add less water during the whipping process. Due to the lackluster lather I did suffer a little irritation on the neck. My fault for baby chasing without the usual cushion of soap. Results? DFS with a heavy Alum bite. Better luck next time.

 

2nd day on the Voskhod. I think with my next blade swap I will increase the slim to 5-6. I'm having to make 4-5 passes on my neck to get a CCS, and it's not cutting it. No pun intended. I used my new jar of MdC, and had trouble getting a lather. I tried to change up my technique from wet lather to dry, so that's probably where my issue came from. We will make baby steps toward more aggressiveness with less passes and hope for the best. The mentholated AS JR sent me was a blessing tonight for my neck. Really helped cool things down.

I also plan to start getting in a better habit of photo documenting my shaves.