SoS : August 6th, 2012 - August 12th, 2012

Prep: warm wet towel, lather, warm wet towel
Soap: Mitchell's Wool Fat
Razor: Valet Autostrop
Blade: Gem Stainless Steel
Brush: Omega 11047 Mighty Midget
Post shave: Cold rinse, Alumn, Cold rinse
Aftershave: Addidas Dynamic Pulse

 

So I have been camping since Wednesday and we got back home today!

I had shaved everyday and my lineup was as follows:

TGN Finest
Feather Injector
Schick Blade
Proraso Green Soap
Proraso Splash

The menthol felt great in the mountain air!

 

Sunday, August 12, 2012, Shaving Ritual

Razor: 68 Slim Gillette Adjustable (N4) (set on 9)
Blade: Blind Blade Test Blade 8 (3rd use)
Brush: Semogue 830
Bowl: Homemade Scuttle
Cream: TOBS Sandalwood
A/S: Alum & Cold Water Rinse

Today is day three of blade eight in the Blind Blade Test; tomorrow starts blade nine.

 

8-12-2012

 

SOTD 08/12/12

Razor: Gillette Aristocrat
Blade: Feather
Pre shave: Proraso
Brush: Vulfix 1000A
Cream: C O Bigelow
A/S: Thayers w/ Aloe then Proraso again

Picked up the Bigelow cream to leave at my Moms place so I don't have to haul my Tabac back and forth. I whipped up a batch of lather in the blue/green bowl I got with the premium VDH set. That bowl is staying there as well, scored an old Old Spice Mug at a local antique shop for home. Pic will be posted in the haul thread when I get home.

The shave with the Bigelow was great. I discovered while lathering that spinning the brush lathered better than what I had been doing, kind of pushing the brush into my beard. I noticed during the shave I could hear much more scritching as the blade glided across my face. Got a very good shave WTG, XTG, ATG on all but my neck and DTG (just invented that, I think) on my neck Diagonally using a buffing stroke. Best shave to date. I will definitely be using my new brush method and the DTG with Tabac tomorrow to see how that goes.

 

GorgOlympics of Classic Adjustable Gillettes!

For the first time ever I had these three legends in the same room, so decided to see what's what (didn't include the Super because I already know how I think about that one). Set all three on 5 and used each with the same blade. Rankings are as shown, though all three are excellent. BBS, too.



BTW -- that Blue Bird is a DARN SMOOTH blade. I found a small stock of them I'd misplaced, stropped one on my forearm 5x each edge, and went to town. Very smooth, sharp enough and no nicks. I need to see if these are still available because, for me, it outperformed the Voshkod and quite possibly the Astra. Would welcome any comments on the Blue Bird, as I don't recall seeing it discussed much (but I'll go double check on that).

EDIT: Just read some reviews both here and...elsewhere...and note that some guys (about 1/2) say this is a smooth blade, but not particularly smooth. Okay, mileage varies but it occurs to me to NOT take anything I say about smoothness into account, as I've become accustomed to using out-of-the-pack carbons and so am probably somewhat oblivious to slight roughness in stainless that others pick up on easily.

Except for Derby and, to a lesser degree, Voshkod. Them's rough.

 

Pre-shave: Marinated in Proraso Pre-Shaving Cream, Warm shower
Razor: EJ89L
Blade: Feather
Brush: Muhle Black Fiber
Soap: Tabac
A/S: Cold Water Rinse, Alum Bar, Witch Hazel, Proraso AS

BBS!

 

August 12 - Second Shave
Prep: Nivea Moisturizing Face Wash
Pre-Shave Lather: Institut Karite
Shave Oil: 5Savages Shave Oil (grape seed & castor oil, clove & tea tree EOs)
Razor: Merkur 42C
Blade: Ladas (1)
Brush: Vulfix 660S
Soap/Cream: Kiss My Face - Lavender Shea SC
Post: 5Savages ASL (WH, Vodka, Aloe, Glycerin, EdC), Every Man Jack ASB

Second shave of the day. I normally shave in the evening but shaved in the morning Sunday. Sunday night I thought I'd just test lather some KMF I just picked up. Then I decided to face lather. Then I thought, what the heck, might as well take it off with a blade since I did have just a bit of stubble. Then I thought I might as well make the second pass since there was plenty of lather. I did skip the third pass however.

Result was just a DFS, since I really wasn't trying to do a great job.

 

Exactly!

 

That's Japanese craftsmanship for you, they really put a lot of pride into their work, along with the effort.

Absolutely gorgeous razor, Jamie!

 

8-13-2012

 

My weekend shaves:

Pre shave: Warm shower, Proraso Pre/Post cream
Razor: Red Tip Super Speed.
Brush: Semogue
Cream: Arko Sensitive
Blade: Personna Lab Blue (USA)
Post: cold water rinse, alum block, cold water rinse, Proraso Pre/Post Cream.

These American Personna blades rock my world. They gave me a DFS with a couple of small irritation spots. Also, my irritation I had is almost all healed.

 

I also love the Personna Labs. They are my go to blade.