SEPT 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

I'm not a shave stick guy, but this one has started to change my mind. The post shave is on point. <-- I sound like my 19 year old daughter

 

Good luck to your granddaughter! Scholarships are always "on point" to steal a phrase from @RaZorBurn123 (And no pun intended I promise! ).

 

Good one. Thanks for the good wishes.

 

Another great photo. Looks like your weather is similar to ours. Good luck to your grand daughter.

 

Thanks @clint64 hope she does well.

 

Thanks Kerry, I'll give dipping the tips a try. I put a small gob of shave cream on each side of my neck and splay the brush while getting what lather I can spread out. That gives me a nice pocket in the brush to add 2 or 3 drops of water to, lather, and then repeat. I don't use much water to start with. Today I ran it under the faucet, squeezed it well, and then gave it a shake. I really prefer the badger, but we're heading to Nevada this Saturday for a week long road trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Southern Utah and I'm not going to have my nice brush with me. I really don't want it in a wet baggie all week. So this week is my effort to try to dial in the synthetic. Who knows, I may end up liking it better at some point.

 

You can sure say that again! Thanks Charlie!

 

I like your Shady Past aftershave! I bought a La Toja shave stick for our road trip to Jacksonville Florida early this month. But my beard is pretty light. Most of it is on my neck, mustache and goatee. The couple times I tried it I couldn't seem to get much soap even after rubbing it into my wetted neck. Not enough to really work into a lather. Maybe if I had rubbed it on my brush too, or on the edge of my goatee, but I didn't spend the time doing that. I still have the stick. I'll give it a shot another day.

 

Lovely picture. The leaves are turning. Beautiful time of year.

 

Shady Past. Did you notice the maker? Folsom. Where have I heard that before? Johnny Cash comes to mind...

 

I love that you appreciate the vintage razor and how they handle when you learn technique. I feel exactly the same way. I'd rather have an old dog in my hands than a shiny new toy. Well, ok so the shiny new ones are nice too. Glad the Voskhods treated you well. And Ladas is one of my favs too as it is with several on here. GSB - yeah, a great blade as well and if it's your number one blade you haven't gone wrong at all. I prefer Voskhod over GSB by a hair, but the Moscow blades treat me better than the St. Petersburg ones anyway.

As far as your fiance's remarks.....well let's just say if she says it's better don't overthink. I can think of worse things to say, and I've heard most of them.

 

Let me know how dipping the tips go, I do the same thing with creams. Sounds like a fun time you have planned.

 

Try dipping the tip of the stick in water, I did that this morning and boy the stick exploded. The Shady Past is very nice, I really like the entire line (6) of Folsom & Co. Aftershave's.

 

The Crazy Ivan in SEptember!
September 29

Razor - Edwin Jagger DE89L
Blade - (0.5)
Brush - Omega Pro 48
Soap - Arko
Post - Cold Water, Alum, The Veg

Well today was the day to go to Czechoslovakia. Crazy Ivan was packed and ready so what was there to do but go. Czech Blades makes a number of different blades including the Tiger 3H. They are the company that bought out the former Astra and Gillette plant in Czechoslovakia. Now, for accuracy sake, the picture above is actually a Tiger LH. That would be a stainless blade. The 3H is a carbon blade and is shaped like a legacy Gillette Blue with the three holes. So very retro and cool looking. Well, see for yourself.

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Reports of this blade being horrible and dangerous surfaced over the past couple of days but Ivan said he didn't care. So, who am I to argue? I just end up talking to myself anyway. It was also suggested that perhaps I should use the Rapira razor for this one. Ok, so sanity prevailed and I stayed with the EJ. Turns out it probably wouldn't have mattered. Lather provided by the Pro 48 and Arko so no issues there.

My first stroke with this blade was, what's the word I'm looking for? Oh, yeah, ATROCIOUS! Seriously this thing pulled and dragged like a dead cat on sandpaper. I actually suffered through the WTG on the right cheek and checked the result. Ummm....I could swear I just felt that blade tearing my face to shreds. No blood, no wounds but also......no real reduction in the beard. Seriously? I'm done. NO, wait........can't stop yet. Lathered that cheek again and did a second WTG pass. Felt a bit smoother, about like the difference in sandpaper or asphalt, so maybe it did some good? Felt it again......still no real sign of reduction. Ummmmm....I'm confused. Ok, let's try XTG. Wow does that sting but I still can't say it's even close to CCS on that cheek. ATG? I know, sounds crazy but I suffered through it and found that I still wasn't at CCS. I stared into the mirror and asked Ivan for help. That %@$%** crazy Russian had bugged out. Nowhere to be found. I have honestly never had a blade that felt that rough and yet couldn't reduce the beard. Actually, maybe the Flying Eagle was that bad but I'm not sure even it was a horrible as this. Ok, NOW I'm done. Grabbed the Tech with Thai Gillette and used it for a 4th shave and ended with a very nice DFS and it felt great.

I never thought I'd find a blade worse than the Flying Eagle but if the Tiger 3H isn't worse it's equally bad. And that is an honor no blade should go for. My recommendation? Stay clear of this Tiger. Very clear.

 

I tried to warn you but Ivan just didn't listen. If you have any more use them as interrigation tools when the blade mafia needs to " take care" of someone.

 

Wednesday, SEptember 30, 2015
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B-3 Mongoose with Triad Ti Helix Hex
Feather Pro #1
Doug Korn Root Beer Pur-Tech
Palmolive Classic
Alum, Dickinson’s +++Menthol, Cucumber Melon Whipped Shea Butter
Myrsol Aqua Balsamica
I had an excellent shave today. BBS on two passes plus clean up. Palmolive Classic was my firat lather more than 50 years ago and it continues to please. It's easy lathering, cool slick and creamy with excellent cushioning. Ended today's shave with a good splash of Myrsol Aqua Balsamica.
Happy Hump Day!
Today's the last day of the Sept Focus.The Focus Threads have given me the opportunity to hone my technique with the Mongoose. The sharing of SOTDs with a good group of fellow members has been a wonderful learning experience. I look forward to the Oct Focus.

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Well Ivan is Russian. And you can always tell a Russian........you just can't tell them much. Hey, good idea for these blades. I like. A couple of minutes of trying to cut them with these things and they'll beg for mercy from the irritating scraping.

 

Give them a 3 or 4 pass shave and you'll know all their secrets.

 

You know, I've been described as having a "tiny, withered, blackened heart" and I'm not sure I could be convinced to put anyone through a 3 or 4 pass with a Tiger. Well, maybe one of my ex wives....but other than that no.

 

You should send them along when the comrades visit @Rufus T. They won't leave bruises.