OCT 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

And the results of our poll show that a vast majority of shavers like menthol at some level, with a third of all shavers liking Osage level chill. Our friend @crackstar should be happy to know that menthol is alive and well in the traditional shaving world.

General announcement: new 30DC thread will open tomorrow late evening. I will be participating in a more limited, yet highly parallel manner on the NOVember thread, but will post to 30DC and SoS(SOTD) like it's just any other month. Hope to see lots of new good stuff in November! Between the techniques and the shenanigans, there's always something to talk about. OCtober was BIG! Thirty days hath November...

Have a safe and happy weekend!


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And being charming helps too. And bribes...always good. Turns out I know a guy.

 

Well kiss away, or keep up whatever it is you did Friday night - it's working!

 

@pvtbanks You might want to keep an eye on this thread that features woods type themed shaves.

http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/walk-in-the-woods-week-2015.47698/

 

I will definitely look into that. I've been trying to find a good hard soap. I have the proraso red and green, and though most love them, I find them to be too creamy. Maybe I haven't gotten the water mixture correct yet. But I also don't care much for menthol yet. I just love the nice slick lather that the harder soaps give me.

 

Jabonman soaps are not really a hard soap. You can easily press it around with your fingers. Not really in the scent profile you are looking for but Mitchell's Wool Fat is a hard soap and when you get the lather technique down is a very good soap. The scent is just a nice clean soapy scent to me.

 

I would love to get a DR Harris, just unfortunately out of my price range in my current situation. MWF is also kinda pricey. I may just have to hold off for a bit.

 

Tell you what. I loaded half a puck of Wool Fat in a shave stick. I still have half the puck. If you want it, send me a pm with your address and I'll get it out to you next week.

 

October 31 Focus Shave 19

Joris DE Vs. PRC Western Kami Smack Down

Since this was the last 'Focus Shave' of October I wanted to be able to judge my progress and the best way is do a 'reference shave' with one of my top DE razor and blade combos. For the straight I choose the razor I feel has given me the best shaves over the month, Portland Razor Company 6/8 round point western grind Kami. For aesthetic reason I choose my Joris Razor, I thought it would good in the same picture.

To get my best out of the PRC straight I took to my 12k stone for refreshing and then hit the pasted strop. The Joris was given my favourite DE blade, Super Iridium. The brush, scuttle and soap were the same.

Friday morning as expected the Joris delivered a little above expectations, an epic shave. Just the faintest tingle from the Alum. Closeness was BBS, a long lasting BBS. Saturday the PRC was up. The first two passes were very smooth, so I focused and getting as close as possible on the 3rd and 4th pass. The alum test yield just a little irritation and the shave was BBS but not long lasting the Joris nor quite as super smooth in the aftermath.

Joris: Irritation A, Closeness A+, PRC: Irritation A-, Closeness A (this was my best every straight shave and only the second BBS). I also think straight shaving has improved my DE shaving. I am much more focused on skin stretching and shaving in a flat plane then before I used a straight.

I am very pleased with my progress in October, but I still have some improvement needed.

Proraso sensitive pre-shave
Kent BK8
QCS Vetiver shaving cream
Woodhead scuttle
PRC Western grind kamisori / Joris DE with Super Iridium blade
PRC strop
Lucky Tiger AS
L'Occitane Cade ASB
Friday Geurlain Vetiver, Saturday Knize 10

 

Great report. I have really enjoyed following your progress with the straights.

 

Thank you. I am not a coordinated person nor handy with tools .... so if I can do it so can others. I never thought I could shave with both hands, never thought I could learn to strop and never thought I could maintain and edge. So if anyone is thinking about trying a straight and worried about that you can't do these things, well you can it just takes time and persistence and you should not be afraid of loosing a little blood.

 

I admire you guys that master the straights. I just have to many visions of me visiting the Emergency Room.

 

10/31/15

Gillette NEW LC
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Proraso Sandalwood cream
Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Shave #3 with the Lord Platinum Class in my New LC.
Face lather and 2 full passes: Pass 1 XTG. Very good reduction. Pass 2: ATG. Wet my face and neck and did a small amount of touch where I could easily feel stubble. A nice DFS at that point. A cold water rinse followed by very little touch up and I had the BBS. The Aqua Velva was mild today and it did not reveal any stubble as I rubbed it in.

Another nice comfortable BBS from the Lord Platinum Class in my New LC. I have another blade I want to try in this razor, so I'll stick with it for a few days at least. Hope to see most of you on the November focus. Looks like the rule has a separate thread this month!

Happy Halloween! I hope all you're little goblins, witches and wizards enjoy the fun!

 

10/31/2015
Razor – Wolfman OC with Triad Ti Aristocrat
Blade – Feather (2)
Brush – Romera Olivewood Synthetic
Lather – Catie’s Bubbles Santal Sensuelle
Post - Witch Hazel & Captain’s Choice Sandalwood



I love shaving early on the weekends since I get to take my time and enjoy the routine fully. A exceptional 3 pass shave this morning. I decided to chase the baby and with just a few touch ups, I ended with a BBS. I would rate the shave closeness as A+ and irritation as A. In an effort to use up some of my soap inventory, I have started rotating through just 3 soaps twice a week and a TSD soap on Sunday. If I finish one of the 3, I will add the next in line. Finished off with CC Sandalwood with menthol. My oldest daughter is home from Alabama on fall break. We're off to the N GA mountains this morning to get some apples. I hope everyone has a great Saturday. Happy Halloween.

 

October 2015 Focus Recap:

My goals for October were:

• Unique photo each day
• Focus on Open Comb 3 piece razors. Wolfman OC, Gillette New LC and Gillette New Deluxe 15mm.
• The blade of choice will be Feather but I will try a couple of different blades that I received as PIFs from fellow members.
• Focus on Olivewood shaving brushes. Romera with Synthetic Knot and the TSD Olivewood Group Buy Handle with TGN Finest.
• I will choose soaps and aftershaves as the mood strikes me.
• By the end of the month, I hope to have picked one of these razors to share workday shave duty with my Mongoose.

I really enjoyed this month. For DE shaving, I prefer Open Comb razors so this month's focus was perfect. All three of the razors performed very well and I enjoy using each on of them. Going into the focus, I had very little experience with the New Deluxe or the Wolfman OC. I have used the New LC many times and it was my favorite DE razor. All three razors are very efficient, smooth and easy for me to use. There thin heads make it very easy to maneuver into tight spaces. In terms of efficiency, all three are very close in performance, really to close to call. Smoothness of the shave for me revealed a bigger difference. Ranked on Smoothness it would be Wolfman OC, New Deluxe and then the New LC. Again the differences are very small and only revealed when used back to back.

I enjoyed using both of the Olivewood brushes this month. It's no secret that I really like TGN Finest knots in brushes. That continued to be true. The real surprise for the month was the Romera Olivewood Synthetic. It far surpassed my expectations proving able to tackle even my most difficult soaps. By the end, this is easily in my top four or five brushes. I am still badger guy but this is by far my favorite synthetic brush.

As always, I got a great deal of enjoyment in following the other participants during the month. I always manage to pick up a tip or trick that improves my shave routine. I will be participating in November's Focus and look forward to seeing many of the same folks participate as well.

 

Hey man....when I was getting my Str8 chops together....I'd be lying if I didn't say, for more than a few weeks my sink looked like a prop from the film 'Helter Skelter" And although I did get so I could get a close relaxing shave, and most of those scars ; I thought wouldn't; did heal....a couple are still there, to remind me that "blood will flow when flesh and steel are one...Drying in the colour of the evening sun...The witch hazel splash will wash the stains away...But something in our minds will always stay."...(I wonder if Sting was learning to Str8 shave when he wrote that...)....

 

Ain't Destiny Grand!!! 9-3 !!!!!!!

 

It's great to know I can still get the good old Rubby Dubby Doo!

 

Happy Halloween Clint. Beautiful classic handle, perfect for the Wolfman.

 

Happy Halloween
Saturday, October 31, 2015


Mongoose with Triad Ti Helix Hex
Feather Pro #3
Druida Red D-7 Manchurian
TSD Pumpkin Harvest
Alum, Witch Hazel ++Menthol, Whipped Shea Butter
Floid Vigoroso


Today’s shave was a Spooky Close 2 pass BBS. The Red D-7 had no problem whipping up an outstanding slick lather with TSD Pumpkin Harvest. TSD lanolin soaps are among the best lathering in my den. The whipped Shea Butter was cool and soothing. It’s moisturizing is top notch. I’m all cleaned up and ready for a night full of SHENANIGANS.
Hope you all had a great shave today!