SEptember 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

All I can think of is something like... A Real Man (tm) skins his own badger, carves his own handle with a Bowie knife, and then sets the knot with glue he makes from tree sap.

Do badgers have enough fat to make soap from them?

 

Wednesday Shave

Brush- AOS Fine Badger
Razor- PAL Adjustable / Schick E3
Blade- Chinese Schick
Soap- Stirling Ozark Mountain
Post Care- Crystal Alum
Thayers Witch Hazel
Bombed Aqua Velva

Second round of the injector shave off. This round was the Schick E3 vs the PAL adjustable. I used the PAL on my right side and the Schick on the left. I grabbed my Stirling Ozark Mountain which smells great, is easy to lather and protects wonderfully. I truly like the weight of the PAL but the Schick is more maneuverable. Three passes and I was BBS everywhere. Again I was trusting the alum to decide the winner alas both sides there was a slight tickle on my upper lip but everywhere else was silent. It's now been 9 hours since I shaved and we have the winner. I'm very closely shaven on the Schick side, closer on the PAL. The PAL adjustable wins the first round. I also lucked into a wonderful combination with the Ozark Mountain/Aqua Velva combo. Very complimentary to each other. Have a great day folks!

 

Congrats! Sounds like you've got it.

 

Real men don't need soap to shave, it's merely a civilized luxury.

We won't tell anybody.

 

Another day on Focus

Todays is one of my favorites, PRC western grind kamisori. This razor always seems to deliver a comfortable and close shave. Today was no exception, four passes and zero feedback from the alum and finished BBS.

I have 3 PRC razors and this razor and the damascus steel razor both shave similar and fantastic. My Chimera (also a kamisori) seems to shave just a half notch behind it sisters. No idea why.

Irritation A+ Closeness A Smoothness A+ Sharpness A

 

Full hollow western? Fancy!

 

Thirty Days Hath SEptember!



FYI... The AS for yesterday, Barbon, and Barbus today, are drug store AS in Hungary and Slovenia, respectively. Barbus is kinda like Myrsol Blue, and bargain when you see it on ebay periodically. @Darkbulb actually turned me on to this one, and I am glad he posted about it last year. And for @Norcalnewb - La Toja... Spain's gift to wet shaving. It's a great soap, and a drugstore brand in Western Europe. Equinox tomorrow, it's going to be cold soon on the prairie. Other than that...all is quiet in Colorado.

Have a great evening and a fine Thursday!
☺

 

Thanks, it is a 1/4 hollow western grind.

 

Do you like the grip feel of the Kamisori style?

 

I like the grip but more than the grip without the scales it feel easier to maneuver and I don't have to keep adjusting the scales.

 

SEptember Focus; Staying the Course

Cella & Omega Pro #248
B-V3.1 / MILD & Chick blade
Alum, Clubman Special Reserve


Skipped yesterdays shave because I can. Chose the Cella (Thanks for the generous sample @John Ruschmeyer ) and a big bore boar for maximum lathering potential. I was not disappointed. With two days growth it felt like a job for @twhite 's Bunny. I left the MILD comb in and with a paintbrush like grip took my WTG & ATG passes. Reloaded the brush for XTG & Bunny Slides. A little touch up on my lower neck with no blood and no noise from the alum. Feeling like I'd conquered my beard, a double splash of Pinaud's S.E. and I'd declare this a BBS finish.
G'Evening Y'all!

 

September 22, 2016
AlumiGoose V1 with Triad SS
Feather Pro (4)
Brother’s Bristles with Sunrise Synthetic
Mystic Water Eucalyptus & Spearmint
Witch Hazel
Floid Blue

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Another very good near BBS shave this morning. I do find the AlumiGoose V1 more efficient and more aggressive than my Mongoose B2. In fact with a Feather Pro it feels much like the Mongoose with a Feather Super Pro.

 

SEptember 22 SOTD:

Stirling Synthetic Brush
Chiseled Face Sherlock
ER 1914
Stirling Unscented PSB
Clubman Vanilla AS

By my count, this was shave 23 on the Gem Stainless blade. I can't fee much performance difference between it now and the first shave. I got a great two pass DFS this morning. No wonder why these big companies have tried to move everyone to carts. The best cart blade gave me probably 10 shaves, but that 1 blade cost me as much as the entire pack of these Gems. I am going to hang on to the blade just to see how long it can go.

I topped this wonderful shave off with a Clubman Vanilla, which is a great way to start a new day. I hope everyone has a great day!

 

SOTD September 22, 2016

Blade: GEM PTFE
Razor: GEM Pushbutton
Brush: Artisan badger
Lather: Italian Barber L'Americano
Post: Witch hazel splash, Fine American Blend, Nivea sensitive balm
WTG, touch-up

The Pushbutton performed quite well again. This is the third day with this combination of products. The shaves have been good and the scents from the soap and after shave are terrific.

Have a great day!

 

September 22, 2016

Razor: F2 Gillette Fatboy (4)
Blade: Treet Platinum (2)
Brush: VdH Boar
Soap: NeutroMarvy

Day 2 of the combo of the Fatboy and the Treet Platinum. I'm definitely liking this blade. I only have about one tuck of them, so I need to look into getting some more at some point. Of course, I need to work through the year or so's worth of Astra SP and GSB blades I already have.

I'm starting to really like the Fatboy. If I have one complaint, it's that I really can't tolerate it much above a setting of '4'. It feels a bit like having a vintage muscle car, but only being able to drive it to the supermarket and back. You people who can run it wide open either have very different skin than I do or mad skills when it comes to technique.

DFS for the day... and off to take DD to her doctor's appointments.

 

Jim, the ER 1914 looks stunning.

 

Shave 29
Jayaruh 94
Proraso Red Shaving Soap Jar
Ceramic Suribachi bowl
Gillette New Long Comb
Astra Superior Platinum Blade.
Ginger's Garden Green Irish Tweed Aftershave Splash

This brush loaded up quickly and made fast work making enough foam for a 3 pass shave. First pass WTG then XTG the ATG. I believe that I have gotten the best shave that this blade / razor combo can provide me which is a very close DFS. Since I went to the gym at lunch and showered off the GIT aftershave splash, I decided to use it again today to see if it truly an all day scent. I think I will go with something classic tomorrow for the last of this 30 shave challenge. I'm still eyeballing my hardware to see which is next. Also thinking of starting another 30 shaves with another razor / blade combo, but there is so much to choose from that I may "play the field" for a while & see what the Oct challenge is. Hope everyone has a great day.

 

SOTD 9/22/16
Razor: Jacob Ray Production 6/8 quarter hollow
Strop: Drygulch Chromexcel/ Linen
Brush: Dubl Duck M-2 Omega 10066 Boar
Soap: Barrister & Mann 42
Post: Cold water, Alum, Thayer’s Lavender Toner
Aftershave: Stephan Island Lime with M-Bomb

I didn’t post my last shave, but it was also with this razor. I purchased it from @Keithmax, and one of his comments was that it was difficult to dial in the edge. When I started working on it, I noticed the blade is just slightly warped, so one side of it does not sit flat on the hone. I contacted the maker, for a recommendation on how to hone it. He gives outstanding customer service, considering I didn’t even purchase this from him. He had me send it back in, and rehoned it. My shave on Monday was with the razor as delivered. It had the bevel fully set, and gave me a mid-grade DFS, but wasn’t quite where I wanted it. I think I am turning into an edge snob. The shave was also not as long lasting as I typically go for. Since my actual focus this month is supposed to be shaving with my own edges, I took a little time this morning. I used my great great grandfather’s Swatty barber’s hone, and did five laps with no pressure, then did seven laps on my chromium oxide pasted vintage linen strop. The result was an edge that felt much keener, and was much smoother to use. I did three passes, plus an extra S/N one on my neck. I expected the alum and Stephan to burn, but they were quiet. I didn’t quite catch the baby, but not far off. Pretty happy with today’s shave, and being back on my focus.

 

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Simpson Captain 2 Manchurian
Barrister and Mann Cheshire
The One Blade
GEM PTFE Coated #1
Barrister and Mann Reserve Cool

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Just have to find a badger that prefers double cheeseburgers.

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