OCT 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

OCtober - Trick or TREET
October 2

Razor - Gillette 1918 Old Style
Blade - (2)
Brush - Vie Long 12601 (The Pony)
Soap - Tabac
Post - Cold Water, Alum, Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Reporting live from Pakistan (well ok so not so much) on day two of the Treet focus. Same setup as yesterday except for the brush and soap. Used the Pony today along with Tabac. SWMBO loves Tabac and I had no idea how much until last night when I was setting things up and had it open on my desk across from hers. She instantly named it and came over to my side and sniffed it. I have warmed her up to the idea that there are other Tabac products too so when I order those she won't have any argument about that purchase.

The Vie-Long is such a great brush to use. Different from the boars in its feel and how I use it. I paint more with it than swirl on my face once it's loaded and love the scritch and scrub. Really gets the lather up good and leaves me feeling great. Day two on the King was as smooth and awesome as day one and I'm happy the shaving gods decreed this setup to start the month. Seems to be perfectly matched with the 1918 and I didn't even mess up on my chin this morning. Finished near BBS and feeling good. Irritation was a bit high on the neck from the G-slides but other than that no problem. Hit the Ice Blue for the retro finish and off to my next to last day of training. Sick of staring at a webinar. I know the real world is out there somewhere!

​

 

Congrats on your 1000! I aways enjoy your posts and have learned a ton about SR from reading them.

 

Congratulations

 

I really found the FB to come into its own between 6 and 7. I'll be watching to see how you like it.

 

You results seem to mirror mine. I feel like my struggles early last month with angles really made me focus on them now. I think last month really improved my over all shaving ability, probably the most since my first month or two of traditional wet shaving. All the more reason why I like these threads so much.

 

I would buy it. I think it is a great idea!

 

Way to go Adam! Love your posts and looking forward to seeing many more!

 

Love the Old Spice ship's wheel decanter Doug! How do you manage to get a splash of aftershave out of it in the morning without upsetting the ship?

 

Second shave went a little better, two nicks, in the exact same spot. I am able to get my cheeks, and mustache BBS, but the jawline and neck is extremely difficult for me right now. Definitely subpar. I think I'm going to do this whole month with my 52 Gillette SS instead of the Parker 71R. The Parker seems a little more aggressive and I don't have as good of control. I'm having an extremely difficult time getting any kind of non dissipating lather out of this classic brand soap, it is admittedly a very cheap soap though. I have a couple nicer soaps coming, as well as a sampler blade pack. Hopefully a nice lather will help, as well as a decent after shave. My current after shave is alcohol based and doesn't sit very well. I will update with my next shave.

 

The shaves will get better over time. Like any skill it takes time to develop the muscle memory. I had problems with the same areas.

 

Me, too. 6-7 is my sweet spot.

 

Hang in there. My jaw line is always a problem, but it's getting better. Yours will, too!

 

I agree with Clint and Herm, it will get better. Something you might want to try is shave cream. I switched to it early on and haven't been back to soaps. I will, but the Proraso cream is just so easy. Need more product, squeeze a little more out. As for the jaw line, if you haven't already, try stretching your skin up or down to give yourself a flatter area to shave. On the neck, hold the pressure off and take it slow. Once you find the right angle and the direction, it will get better. I just recently found that for one of my trouble spots I need to hit it from two directions while pulling my skin a bit toward my left shoulder. Whatever it is you need to do, you'll discover it and it will make you smile. And when you finish your shave and find you missed a spot or two, take that opportunity to figure out what direction the grain is (opposite the direction it feels roughest). Then, next shave, make sure you do an across and an against the grain in that spot and see if it makes a difference. We're glad you're part of the Shave Den family!

 

I have the Proraso green and red tubs of soap on the way, I'm hoping they work better than this classic brand. In the reviews some more experienced shavers said they had issues getting a lather with them. My next purchase may be a cream if neither of these work out. Still focusing a lot on technique. I realized after I completed my first shave, I had completely forgotten to pull my skin tight, and tried a few different techniques on the second shave. I will capitalize on this weekend when I have ample time to put into a shave. After I got the Proraso soaps, I plan on a 30 day focus on technique, and different blade types. I haven't had a "wow, this is what I've been missing" moment yet. Staying optimistic though. After all, all good things take time.

 

+2

 

I see a good bit of 'Scalp'em Noles' there too.

 

Congratulations on your 1000th post. We've enjoyed watching your move to straights. Here's to your next 1000 posts.

 

Congrats, and keep em coming.

 

Menthol fell 12 points behind Osage. This is NOT good.

 

One of the things that helped me a ton is to lock in on my focus. If you can figure out things that work, even if they are sub-par, using the same soap, razor, brush, and blade for every shave for a month will get you a great shave. The Black Tip is a great razor. I did a focus with it in February or March of this year.