SoS: December 16, 2013 - December 22, 2013

SOTD Dec 20
Prep: hot shower
Razor: WW2 Gillette Khaki
Blade: Sheffield Special (day 5)
Brush: Wilkinson Sword
Soap: Proraso white tub
Passes: 3 (WTG, XTG, ATG)
Post: cold water, Proraso blue
Decided to add an ATG pass in for today's shave. Results weren't any better then normally, but the ATG pass didn't cause any more damage either.

 

Great shave - smooth and easy DFS.

Prep: warm face wash with Shea moisture scrub
Soap: LA Shaving Woody Lavender
Brush: HIS
Razor: Maggard MR10
Blade: Gillette 7 OC yellow
Post: cold water rinse
AS: TSD Signature aftershave milk
EdT: Tabac Original

Everything seemed to work together very well. A nice way to start a Friday. 

#sheamoisture
#maggard
#HISbrush
#LASS
#woodylavender
#gillettesharpedge
#TSDSignatureASmilk
#Tabac
#traditionalshaving

 

SOTD Friday 12-20-2013

5/8 Wester Bros, "Manganese Steel", Full Hollow, Spike Point
Proraso PSC
Arko SS
GT G4 Scuttle
Semogue 820 Boar
Dickinson's Witch Hazel
Nivea Replenishing ASB
Old Spice Classic ASL

The Arko and the Old Spice goes well together and is a fitting finish to the "Cheap Week" Theme. The Arko provides great performance at a very low price and the Old Spice has been an economical staple for decades. Both could be (and in many cases; have been) used on a daily basis to provide excellent shaves.
I have to admit, the Arko scent does takes a little getting used to but, now I rather enjoy it's unique scent. The Wester Bros did it's part in delivering this mornings great shave; top drawer!

 

Friday:

Prep: Hot shower, Healthy Accents Daily Renewal Cleanser face wash
Brush: VDH Boar
Soap: VDH Unscented
Razor: Merkur 1904 41c OC
Blade: Dorco-300 (1)
Passes: WTG, XTG (1, 2)
Post: Cold water splash, Dickinson's WH, Pinaud Clubman AS splash

Because I've generally found the 300 a little less smooth than its relative the 301, I opted to use the face wash instead of simple soap and water for a little more softening of the whiskers. I suspect this was a good choice, since - as before - one edge of the blade was smoother than the other. The 'rougher' side caught a small nick in my soul patch area on the XTG pass, with no major blood loss. Luckily, yesterday's shave was close enough that I could easily justify just 2 passes today with a DFS+ result.

 

Razor: No name slant
Blade: Polsilver 2nd day
Brush: Danidom
Soap: Proraso Sandalwood
AS: Solo Alpen + Avon Balm
EdT: Eclat for Men

1x ATG + touch ups

Actually started cheap week, but discontinued cause I missed my Proraso It leaves my skin feeling nice, wonderfull smell athough it lost a bit of sandalwood smell and lathers fast and nice.

 

Razor: Merkur 39C Slant
Blade: PoliSilver SI (D4)
Brush: TGN 24mm Super Badger bulb w H2 Handle
Bowl: Suribachi 5” bowl
Pre Shave Soap: Musgo Real Lime Basil Oil
Pre Shave Oil: Homemade Lime & Spearmint
Shave Soap: Cella
Aftershave: Floid Suave

Last four days I ended up shaving at the gym after my workout in the mornings and surprised by the number of comments and questions regarding wet shaving. Two gents whom I have known for a couple of months at the gym I volunteered to loan them a shave kit that I will put together this weekend and hopefully find ourselves a couple of converts.

 

I decided to shave the cheeks, jawline and neck this morning. I'm thinking again of giving a Van Dyke a run, only day two.
~ Mühle R41 (2011), the one and only. For those that have not seen the blade exposure and gap, the close up is for you. It's a beast all right but, I wouldn't have it any other way. It must be treated with respect for sure but it will provide a nice close shave.
~ Treet Classic blade on one.
~ Mitchell's Wool Fat shaving soap using a cheap badger (face lathered) in a vintage Old Spice mug.
~ Clinique moisturizer, Clubman after shave, a light Clubman talc sprinkle here and there followed by Wen styling cream for my hair.

 

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Dove Men's Face Wash​

Van Der Hagen Luxury Shave Soap​

Parker Pure Badger​

Schick M Adjustable​

Schick Stainless Steel​

CWR​

Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel​

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS​

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I am liking the VDH Luxury soap more and more. The Parker badger face-lathered it very well. Two passes and neck touch-ups with the Schick M left me with a near BBS shave. Thayers Cucumber WH and Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS were icing on the cake. Cool, clean, and refreshed I am.​

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Saturday-All PIF Today!

Prep: Hot Shower
Soap: Mama Bear Ye Olde Barbershoppe-$0
Razor: RazoRock Jaws OC-$0
Blade: Personna Blue Lab(1) -$0
Brush: Omega 6192 Pure Badger-$0
Aftershave: Aqua Velva Musk-$0

WTG-XTG-ATG (adjusted angle for my beard a bit)

I was fortunate to receive all the items I used today in PIF’s (thanks again to all!). I put a new Personna Blue Lab in Jaws and lathered with the Mama Bear Barbershoppe using the Omega 6192 Pure Badger brush. This combination gave me a good shave this morning. I finished with Aqua Velva Musk (glass bottle).

Bob

 

Saturday's Shave
Arko SS
Omega 10029
Gem Clog Pruf Micromatic
Gem Stainless Coated
Rebul Manderine Colonia

Man this Clog Pruf is one perfect razor...they found the perfect balance between aggression, efficiency, and comfort...what a blast from the past...Full blown irritation free BBS...

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY !!!

 

Saturday - Cheap Week

Col Conk Almond face lathered with Omega 49
1960 Fatboy on 7 with Astra SP (2)
3 passes, cold water rinse and finish with Pinaud Clubman

Col Conk soap - $3.50 for 2.5 oz puck
Omega 49 - $9
Fatboy - $1.95 in 1960
Astra SP - 9 cents a blade
Pinaud Clubman -$8.59 for a 12.5 oz bottle

 

Barbasol Razor
Perma-Sharp Super
Semogue 1800
Klar Kabinett
Alum
Nord Ost ASB

 

Ten Shaves: FatBoy Adjustable Day 1

A friend loaned me his razor for a couple weeks after reading about my dilemma over which razor to buy next. I've never used an adjustable razor before, so this experience will help me decide if a vintage or Futur is right for me. My goal is to get a close, comfortable shave, so my thinking is a more aggressive or efficient razor might provide achieve my goal with fewer passes, and theoretically less irritation. I'm planning to shave with this razor and the same setup for ten shaves in a row, so I can evaluate it properly.

Prep: warm shower and face wash with Shea moisture scrub
Soap: LA Shaving Soap Woody Lavender
Brush: HIS Synthetic
Razor: Gillette FatBoy
Blade: Gillette 7 o'clock Sharp Edge Yellow
Post: cold water rinse, alum block
AS: TSD Signature Aftershave milk

I began my shave with great lather from the LASS... It really is a solid performer. I set the FatBoy on 4 to start, because that appeared to have a similar blade exposure as my Maggard MR10. After shaving one cheek, it seemed too mild, so I dialed up to six and continued my first pass WTG. My face felt very similar to my usual after one pass feeling, so I got cocky and dialed up to seven for my XTG pass.
I noticed the blade more than usual on this pass, but it did not seem to remove much more stubble. I dialed back down to six for my final ATG pass, and definitely felt a difference from my usual final pass. My alum block revealed some irritation - surprisingly on my cheek, but my face feels very smooth. I'd qualify this as DFS+, but with more burn than usual.
I'd say my first shave was a success, and I learned some things today - I think I'll leave it at six for my whole shave tomorrow, to see if the pass at seven was the culprit. I also missed the weight of my MR10, as the FatBoy is much lighter and shorter, perhaps leading to me using a little too much pressure. I'm excited to continue my journey. Have a great day!
#tenshaves
#LASS
#HISbrush
#Gillettefatboy
#adjustablerazor
#traditionalshaving

 

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Dove Men's Face Wash​

Kiss My Face Cool Mint Moisture Shave​

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush​

Schick M Adjustable​

Schick Stainless Steel​

CWR​

Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel​

Pinaud Clubman AS​

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I face-lathered with the KMF Cool Mint and the Semogue 1305 boar brush. Two passes and touch-ups on the neck with the Schick M left me near BBS. Finished off with Thayers Cucumber WH and Pinaud Clubman AS. ​

 

Saturday:

L'Oreal Men Expert Facial Wash
#6 Horsehair
Super Speed/Shark day 6
Egyptian Ingram SC
Svoboda AS Balm
Barbon AS

It can't too much better than this - another icy-cold and very enjoyable shave with the Egyptian version of Ingram. It's the regular type in the white and blue tube which is also more cooling than the UK version. I saw that I have some more Svoboda balm in reserve, because this tube will soon be finished. Soon, I'll have to think about getting some more Barbon aftershave.

 

Saturday:​

hot shower​

ShaveSecret PSO​

Schick Injector 3+ passes​

Personna Platinum Chrome (2)​

VDH boar​

Coate's Tea Tree cream in a warm mug​

Thayer's unscented with aloe​

Alpa Windsor AS​

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2nd shave with the Schick now that I've got some injector blades. I did better in the moustache and chin area but not so great on my neck. Ended up with some irritation so that tells me I used too much pressure. The Coate's product does such a fine job that I didn't realize my error till the redness appeared after I was finished.​

New aftershave. Certainly distinctive but much lighter and milder than the Alpa 378. It seems to be the kind of fragrance and feel that makes me think I'm going to like it more each time I use it.​

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Saturday
hot shower
Rooney Heritage Stubby 3XL
Proraso PSC
TSD Rosemary Mint SS lathered with 3 drops M-Bomb
OCMM/Pella coated (5)
warm water rinse
Monster Block Alum
cold water rinse
Thayer's Lavender WH
Myrsol Agua Balsamica

Wonderful 2 pass face plus 1 for da dome for BBS all around !!!

 

Saturday:

Prep: Hot compress, Crown Co. Supreme Glide Preshave Lotion
Brush: VDH Boar
Soap: VDH Unscented
Razor: Merkur 41c 1904 OC
Blade: Dorco-300 (2)
Passes: WTG, XTG (3, 4)
Post: Cold water splash, Dickinson's WH, Speick AS splash
Cologne: Ispazon by Parfums de Marly

Decided that, with no hot shower this AM, I should prep with the preshave lotion even if it is 'Cheap Week.' As always, the VDH soap provided ridiculous amounts of lather in no time, and as always, one side of the Dorco-300 was less enjoyable than the other. I got a DFS+ shave out of two passes, though, with only one tiny weeper in the mustache region. Speick's healing properties promptly took care of that, too.

 

I enjoyed my Gillette adustables (Slim & FatBoy), and kept them in the 'safe' zone (3-5) for the longest time. Eventually, in order to reduce the number of passes to achieve BBS-dom, I cranked both wide open to 9. A lighter touch was required, and I found I preferred the FB over the Slim (size of head & compact weight). Both will nick you quite easily at that wide-open setting until you find the right touch and angle. BUT, they do get you quite close after only two passes.
Neither are as 'aggressive' as the Futur, and the heads on both are considerably smaller. You can actually find a used Futur cheaper than what some of those vintage FBs & slims are currently going for on ebay.

 

SOTD Saturday 12-21-2013

5/8 Frederick Reynolds Faux Frameback, Shoulderless, Hollow Point
Proraso PSC
Classic Brand Jasmine SS
GT G4 Scuttle
Omega 31064 Boar
Dickinson's Witch Hazel
Nivea replenishing ASB
Royal Copenhagen Musk ASL

Great shave with the FR and I love the Jasmine scent of tghe SS. Jasmine is one of my all time favorites. The Royal Copenhagen pairs very well with this scent as it has soem Jasmine base notes as well. Have a great week end Gentlemen!