SoS: March 11, 2013 - March 17, 2013

!Beware the Ides of March!

 

Friday morning, March 15, 2013

Schick E2 Injector with Schick blade (3)
Semogue 1250 boar bristle brush,
Arko shaving soap with hot water lather,
finish with cold water rinse for a DFS!

 

7/8 W&B
Tabac
28mm H.I.S. knot

Stellar shave again this morning. Both the Tabac and the razor where hitting on all cylinders. Have a good one, sounds like we're supposed to get a fair amount of snow again. Computer is kaput, no pics again.

 

Arko today? Diversity, I love it!

 

Today's shave was not as good as yesterday, but still a DFS.

Hot shower
Proraso pre/post cream
Proraso White/sensitive skin
M-Bomb added to lather
'65 Gillette Slim Adjustable
PolSilver Super Iridium blade (2)
CWR
Thayer's Lemon WH w/added menthol crystals
Axe chilling hydrating AS gel
Pinaud Clubman AS w/addedenthol crystals

today i realized that the SuperMax Super Platinum blades are a perfect match for me. Sharp, smooth, and comfortable, I average 6.5 shaves with each one.
Polsilver Super Iridiums are good, but no where near as smooth on my face.
YMMV

 

I'll stick with it for a few weeks!

 

Friday 3/15/13

Hot Towel
Gold GEM Jr.
GEM Blade (walgreens)
Tabac Soap
Tweezerman Badger
Cold Rinse
WH
Nivia PS Balm
Clubman

Face lather, WTG, ATG, ATG, J-Hook.

 

Gillette red tip SS
Wilkinson sword
The body shop synthetic
Klar kabinett
Thayers rose witch hazel

Great shave today. I still don't like that brush. Oh well I think it was cheap.

 

Hot Shower/Wife’s Conditioner on beard
Prosaso Pre-Shave Cream
Van Der Hagen SS
Boar Brush
Derby Blade
Gillette Gold Tech
Pinaud Clubman’s Special Reserve AF
“Living Blessings Rejuvenation” balm (I think the name is, I always forget)

3 full passes: WTG (re-hydrate wash and re-lather) XTG (re-hydrate wash and re-lather) XTG from another direction (re-hydrate wash and re-lather)

Touch-ups using Blade Buff Technique ATG. Wash face with warm water.

Dry. Clean up. Splash with cold water. Aftershave and balm. Smile.

A fine BBS shave.

This morning I went back to a Derby blade (after using an Astra blade yesterday). I had a BBS with a Derby a couple days ago and I wanted to see if it was a fluke. Also, I trust the Derby because it’s the blade I used the most, and I’m feeling confident with the performances I’ve been getting with this blade. I am at one with the Derby when I shave. The blade and the Tech are an extension of my arm. Sure enough, again, the Derby gave me a BBS with no irritation . What a comfortable shave!

P.S. It also helped that I watched a bunch of Mantic’s videos last night!

 

Friday 15-03-2013

Razor: Merkur 37c Slant
Blade: Polsilver SI (5)
Brush: Omega 10077
Cream: SuperMax Menthol
AS: STR8 Black

 

SOTD 15-03-2013

Wilkinson Sword "Black label" loaded in my Merkur 15C open comb.
Prepped my face with a facial soapwash using Matas Men Sensitive Face Wash and hot tapwater.
Worked up a warm lather of Arko with my noname Pure Badger and did a traditional 3-pass followed by a cold rinse.
Zero sting with the alum block afterwards. I'm amazed what Arko and the Wilkinson can do together with my, so far difficult, open comb razor.
Used the Matas Men Sensitive Aftershave Balm and I was good to go - no scents today besides the Arko "leftovers".

 

Another DFS,

Today was:

Kirks Castile soap
Mikes Natural Soap shampoo bar with a vinegar rinse

Schick G type injector
Schick blade (4)
VDH boar brush
TSD Cool Water Type Wheat Cream. I'm out, and can't get anymore right now!
Dickensons Witch hazel
Boosters Polar Ice AS
CO Bigelow Elixer Blue cologne

I found out this morning that my new girl doesn't care for Clubman Original AS, which I'm really liking. On the other hand, she really likes the Boosters Polar Ice, which I think is just OK. Fortunately, we both like the CO Bigelow Elixer Blue cologne, so all is well.

 

I'm not sure about today's shave. It wasn't painful, but I couldn't seem to cut any of the stubble easily. Oh well, tomorrow will be a better one.

Prep: hot shower, Axe Chilled face wash.
Brush: TGN Grade A brush.
Razor: Gillette Ball End Tech.
Blade: Personna Lab.
Soap: Proraso White.
Post: cold water rinse, Axe Chilled Aftershave gel.

I have to get up early and report to the base to do some tests. I'll have to shave again, I hope this one is better.

 

​

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Proraso Shaving Soap​

Parker badger brush​

Edwin Jagger 89​

Wilkinson Sword SS blade​

CWR​

Dickinson's Witch Hazel​

Pinaud Clubman AS​

 

16.3.2013

• Prep: shower, RazoRock glycerine pre-shave soap, VITOS pre/post
• Razor: Gillette Tech / Mühle frankenrazor
• Blade: Feather (1)
• Brush: WSP Monarch HMW
• Scuttle: "Estremoz" V2 Green
• Cream: Speick sample
• Post: alum, jojoba oil
• Aftershave: Speick balm sample

I think waiting for 3 months for this brush to arrive was worth it. It has very soft tips and yet isn't too floppy and provides good backbone. At 23mm it's a comfortable, middle of the road, size. Perfect for both face and bowl latherers. Now I have some fantastic brushes in my collection and I can't see myself buying a new one for a while. Also, the mildness of the Gillette Tech head and sharpness of Feather blades is a great combination.

 

Kevin, my wife is much younger than me and she cannot understand how I can love Booster Polar Ice so much. She hates the scent of it and she tells me I smell like an old barber every time I wear it!

 

Saturday:

#6 Horsehair
Super Speed/7 AM day 6
Egyptian Palmolive Menthol SC
Anherb AS Conditioner
Alt Innsbruck AS

Today I went all-out with the menthol goodness - the Egyptian version of Palmolive Menthol has the typical fabulous lather like all these creams, with awesome skincare, and the menthol effect kicks Proraso Green in the butt. The only issue I have with this cream is the scent - it SUCKS. The Anherb conditioner not only freezes like the North Pole, it soothes and protects against dryness so well, and it feels so comfortable. Now, I have to try to figure out how to get another bottle of Alt Innsbruck because this one is almost empty.

 

Saturday morning, March 16, 2013

Schick E2 Injector with Schick blade (4)
Semogue 1250 boar bristle brush,
Arko shaving soap with hot water lather,
finish with cold water rinse for a DFS!

 

Saturday:

Cetaphil Face Bar
Shave Secret Oil
TSD Soap With Lanolin Irish Spring Type
Alcolado Glacial
Afta Fresh
Pinaud Clubman Special Reserve
Dovo Natural 5/8 Round Point
EJ Best Medium

 

Saturday:

-Hot shower with goats milk soap as prep
-Whipped Puppy Silvertip - just loving this brush!
-C.O. Bigelow cream
-"Lord Jagger" (L6 Head on EJ handle)
-Feather Stainless Platinum
-Thayer's Witch Hazel
-Krampert's Bay Rum

I haven't used a Feather blade since I was first starting out, and decided it wasn't the blade for me. Boy, was I wrong! Amazing how a blade can change when you learn proper technique... What a wonderful, close, smooth and irritation free shave! No nicks or weepers, no irritation with the alum... Now I have to add Feathers to my 100's and 100's of blades in stock.