OCT 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

I guarantee they'd only try it once.

 

I'll be right back. I have to get a towel and clean up the beer I just spit all over my keyboard. Now that's funny.

 

Yes but would they ever be able to shave again without the anticipation of pain? That's the real question.

 

Personal problem? (Shrug)

 

With me if I get One Tug....I toss it....Blades are too inexpensive for me to let one rob me of a Great Shave....I know, if I hang with it, I might discover how to use my 'chops' to over come equipment failure....Stop Check Please.....I get a tugg or pull....I toss the blade!..and..

I do subscribe to the Technique Trumps Tools Philosophy....but with blades...I have little patience...But on the good side...I have sooo many blades I love...I'm not really searching anymore...

 

Here here...Bravo and Whoot! Alum ....
My Dad used to get like a gram of Alum Powder from the Pharmacist and add about half that to a small bottle of Witch Hazel...Then each morning he would shake it up and splash...He swore it would tighten your skin, so as you got older you wouldn't get loose skin...('Chicken-neck')...Well when he passed at 82 he had zero loose neck skin....Hmm maybe I should have listened...Maybe it's not too late...!!

 

What I was trying to say and failed is you are only pulling enough to get move the skin to a flatter area. I would think that for people fighting ingrown hairs pulling excessively would tend to make the problem worse. For me using a DE razor or SE razor, I can accomplish much the same thing by turning my head side to side for the area above my Adams apple or opening my mouth wide for my jawline. Really it's about experimenting and finding what works best for you.

 

Perfect summary of why and how of using alum. I've actually only used 1/3 of the block I bought a year and a half ago. One other tip, when you use the block on your face, rough edges can make it uncomfortable. Rub it in the palm of you hand to smooth it out before you use it on your face. I sanded mine smooth before I used it the first time.

 

10/16/2015
Razor – Wolfman OC with Triad Helix SS
Blade – 7 O’clock Blue (1)
Brush – Olivewood with TGN Finest Fan
Lather – Strop Shoppe Baker Street
Post - Witch Hazel & Fine Platinum



Happy Friday. For today's shave, I loaded up the Wolfman OC with a 7 O'clock blue blade courtesy of @Rufus T. Another great 3 pass near BBS shave this morning. Baker Street proved to be very slick and the scent is great. Finished off with a splash of Fine Platinum and I am off to fight Atlanta traffic.

 

October 14th SOTD (8th shave of this focus)
Two days’ growth
Preshave: Hot Shower
Razor: Dubl Duck Satinwedge with Obnoxious Orange scales
Strop: Drygulch Leatherworks Oiled Latigo
Brush: Handturned Tulip Poplar Badger
Soap: The Shave Den Iced Yin Yang (Lavender, Lime, & Menthol)
Postshave: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block, Thayer’s Witch Hazel
Aftershave: The Shave Den Splash Iced Yin Yang (Lavender, Lime, & Menthol)

This razor is one I am very comfortable with, and consistently get great shaves from. It’s a smaller razor, just a hair under 5/8th. Today I played with the inward pressure while not applying hardly any cutting pressure. (I think I said that right.) I did two and half passes, and got a DFS. No bite on the alum! Soap gave me a great lather with almost no effort. I parked it to allow the menthol to chill the lather. Aftershave was soothing and cold. Good stuff.

 

Gillette Old Type
Vulfix Super Badger (660)
Proraso Sandalwood cream
Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Shave #3 with the Rapira Swedish Supersteel in my Old Type.
Did face lather and 2 full passes: Pass 1 XTG. Good reduction. Pass 2: ATG. Almost a DFS at this point. A cold water rinse followed by quite a bit of touch up trying to catch the baby. I gave it up deciding it just wasn't going to happen today. The Aqua Velva yelled, but settled down quickly. After it dried, I found to my surprise that I had a BBS. This was odd because during my cold water rinse touch up, I just couldn't get the last bit of stubble out of one of my trouble areas.

A surprise BBS shave today from the Rapira Swedish Supersteel in my Old Type. I had to go over a few spots several times today and had given up, but the baby showed up about 30 minutes afterwards. I don't think the Rapira Swedish Supersteel is suited to my Old Type. It was pretty good in the Fat Boy and better in the Tech, but I find it's just too much effort with a risk of irritation in this razor. At least that's my experience with it. YMMV.

Have a great Friday!

 

isn't that Mike Jordan?

 

SOTD
October 16, 2015
Prep: Hot Shower. Axe Energizing Face Wash Boost
Razor: iKon Shavecraft 101
Blade: Personna Lab Blue
Lather: Pré de Provence No 63
Brush: Stirling Synthetic
Post: Thayers Cucumber WH. Gold Bond Ultimate
Aftershave: Myrsol F./Extra
This was a great shave. Something I do I use a razor twice in a row, why? Because I use a blade twice. So the next time I use the iKon 101 I know the blade will be new. Something else I've been doing the last couple of weeks is dipping my cleaned razor/blade in rubbing alcohol before I hang it on the wooden rack. I've noticed a difference in my disposable razor that I use for my head shaves, and my DE/SE looks cleaner for SOTD pictures because I don't push DE blades past two shaves I'm not sure what benefits there are? Myrsol F./Extra is very soothing, healing, cooling but for the life of me i can not figure out the scent. It's nice. PdP no 63 is very good! If you want to add a new soap check this one out.
Never let the things you WANT
Make you forget the things you HAVE

 

The Myrsol F/Extra is a very nice aftershave just as you describe it. To me the scent is like a very classy barbershop scent without the powder note some have. I find it pairs well with many different soaps. If I have a less than great shave, it's the aftershave I reach for since the skin healing properties are so good.

If that deal is still running later this year, I am going to add some more Myrsol products to my den for sure.

 

Friday, October 16, 2015

iKon Short Comb with Triad Ti Rolling Hex
Feather #1
Simpson Classic 2 Best
Proraso Blue Cream
Alum,Witch Hazel+++ Menthol, CucumberMelon Shea Butter
Chilled Proraso Aftershave

Today's shave was a near BBS on two passes including clean up. The classic, my best travel brush had no trouble whipping up a mountain of Proraso Blue lather. The iKon Short Comb delivered a smooth comfortable shave. This was my last vacation shave. Finished up with a generous splash of Floid Blue Aftershave. I am ready for another day in paradise. Have a great weekend all.​

 

I shaved my head last night and used it, I was very happy with the results. Very healing, soothing. Yes! Classic barbershop, without the powder. That's the regular price $11.73 each. X2 with shipping came to $36 and some change.
Definitely a keeper!

 

That is a fantastic deal. When I order, I will be getting the Lemon and the Antesol which along with F/Extra were my favorites out of the sampler pack.

 

30 day focus - Day 16
Fat Boy set to 9
Sputnik Blade
MDC Face Lathered
3 passes

I had opened up the Fat Boy to 9 yesterday and got a very smooth shave and close even though I had a couple of weepers and some irritation. Today's shave seems just as close without weepers and most of the irritation. This is a very close shave, as good as I get with the Slim. I still have a little trouble getting the whiskers underneath my nose, but I am getting them.

After 16 days, I will say that the Fat Boy can be as good as the Slim Adjustable. Once a proper technique and setting are learned, either one can do a fine job.

BTW - I am still keeping track of exactly how much MDC I am using. At the start of the month I put exactly 20 grams of MDC into a container and have been using that daily. Anyone care to hazard a guess as to how much I have used in 16 days?

 

Basically we are saying the same thing, pull enough to just get it flattened out so that you have a smooth shave as opposed to dealing with the hills and valleys. I understand not pulling to tight especially if ingrown hairs have been an issue for someone. You don't want to do anything that would risk that getting worse. I paid attention to my stretching this morning, especially along the Adams apple area and I basically pull it tight to get it flat enough to get a good shave. My chin area is probably not pulled fully tight. I don't have any issues with ingrown hairs and this process has worked well for me.

 

It is. He is just another one that wants to be like Neal!