SoS: March 29-April 4, 2010

Saturday, April 3rd

Hot shower
VDH Deluxe mugsoap
VDH Deluxe boar
D.R. Harris DE87 w/ IP
444 alum
444 ASB w/ La Toja splash

 

Saturday Shave

Hot Shower
Glycerin Pre-shave
Boker Red Injun #102
Omega Boar Brush
Arko Shavestick
Corn Huskers Lotion
British Sterling

Now if that ain't BBS I don't know what is! The edge on this razor has really come around nicely and it truly has evolved into one of my best razors. Arko shavestick is amazing too. You know you're on to something when you rinse your face between passes and can nearly generate a face full of slick lather with your bare hands. If there's a better soap on the market someone please tell me what it is. This shave was just brilliant, my best in recent memory.

 

Saturday:

Gillette SuperSpeed razor
Gillette 7 OCY blade
Vintage Williams SC w/lanolin
Vulfix 375S brush
Ivy Club Spice A/S

I've got the William SC hydrated now and it does a terrific job. Makes for a smooth and comfortable shave. Too bad it's only a travel size and there's only a couple of shaves worth left.

 

Saturday:

Omega Wooden Handle
Goodfella/Super Max day 3
Solo Menthol-SC :love008 :love008 :happy108
Lubriderm unscented moisturizer
Barbon-AS :love008 :love008 :happy108

Although the menthol of this Solo cream is not strong, it's still there, and it can be felt during and after a shave, and this cream smells so nice, and it lathers fantastically. The Barbon aftershave is very cooling and soothing.

 

Saturday - the weekend! :happy069 Time for the SEs!!

Prep: Hot shower, hand strop blade, tape blade (you'll see)
Coffee: Home roasted Costa Rica Tarrazu, black
Soap: Old Spice
Brush: Vulfix 406, The Burlington (Man, what a lather maker!)
Tape: Target Invisible (you'll see )
Razors: Gem MicroMatic Clog Pruf, Krieger 7/8
Blades: Gem, day 1, 3 passes; Krieger, day 1, 1 "pass"
Post: Cold water rinse, Humphreys Maravilla Lotion, Curve
'Stache Wax: Wacky Tacky

Shave Rating: a 3 Blade and a 5 Blade (read on!)

I tried a couple of different things today as I am saving up and getting ready for my first straight razor. I'm looking at this setup from Vintage Blades, or a similar set up from Straight Razor Design.

First thing I did differently was to stretch my skin. Normally just moving and contorting my face is sufficient to get a nice, close shave. But I've been reading up on str8s and all the advice is to stretch your skin. Doing this is, I'm sure, what lead to a rather raw, burned face this morning, hence the 3 Blade rating. Oh, it's super smooth, but still a bit tender!

The next thing I did differently was to use my left (non-dominant) hand for the left side of my face. I have always use my right hand to shave. Again, I've been reading up on str8s and the advice is to learn to use both hands. This really didn't go as bad as I thought it would. Turns out I'm not really that uncoordinated!

Here's where the tape, the Krieger, and the 5 Blade rating come in. After I finished up my normal three passes with the MM, I lathered up again. I had prepped the blade by covering the edge with the tape. I proceeded to "shave" one pass with the protected Krieger just to get a feel of using a straight and not risk slicing the dickens out of myself. I thought it went pretty good, even using my left hand! I got a real kick out of using the straight. I can't wait to get one that I can really shave with. ::git

 

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Merkur Futur
Super Iridium
Simpson Colonel X2L Best
D.R. Harris Marlborough SS
Dickinson's Witch Hazel
Ogallala Bay Rum, Limes & Peppercorns A/S Toner

Excellent, irritation-free shave this morning. The Futur/Iridium combo seems to be a no-fail stubble eradicator.

 

Saturday DFS

GEM Open Comb Micromatic
Walgreens Blade
Proraso Cream
Vulfix Badger
No AS
The first time I tried the OC Micromatic, several months ago, was not a success. Today, with several months of experience with easier Gems, it was no problem at all.

 

Saturday's late-afternoon shave, after a long and hot shower:

Fitjar Bee my Honey shave cream
Kent BK2 grey Badger
5/8 Wade & Butcher wedge
Fitjar Fjellheim after shave cream

 

lol, No Steve, that is the first time I have ever seen that. I'm 33 too and judging by the crazy acid trip motif of that it should be something I've at least heard of. Maybe it never aired down in Central Florida during the late 70's? Did it have a long run?

 

I watched Lancelot Link Secret Chimp in Central Florida in the 70's I think it was done by about 72 or so. Great Show!

 

From Sep. 1970 to Sep. '72.
It came on Saturday mornings, "Cartoon Day" as it was known to me and my two younger brothers.

Yea, guess I've got a few years on ya. I'll be 48 next month.

 

Saturday

Razor: Merkur HD
Blade: Israeli Personna (1)
Brush: Omega Boar
Soap/Cream: Lervia
A/S: Pinaud Clubman

 

Yeah, I wasn't outta the chute until '76 so.....I missed it. Looks like it would have been good though. BJ and the Bear was good and it only had one chimp. I saw at least 10 there. More chimp = more fun!




Saturday's Shave:

• hot wet rag
• '57 Superspeed
• Dorco blade (orange) day 1
• EJ 25mm silvertip
• TSD Iced Sub-Zero SS
• Master's Bay Rum mentholated

Man! What an awesome shave today! Coming off of Micromatic learning curve week and all the associated aggressivity today was like shaving with a marshmallow! So nice and smooth and it didn't feel like a blade ever touched my skin. That Superspeed is a fine, fine razor. I have a blue tip as well but that thing is so passive it isn't any fun for me to use. But this new Superspeed is my Goldilocks razor.

Oh to be happy! Now its time to go find a rock pile to climb with my new Rubicon!

 

SOTD Saturday April 3, 2010

Razor: 5/8 Mehaz Solingen
Soap/Mug: Mitchell's Wool Fat
Brush: Custom Rosewood Silvertip
ASB: Dickinson's Witch Hazel
Aftershave: Aqua Velva Classic Ice Blue :freezing

Good shave this morning! :happy005 Same as or better than yesterday and have learned some better techniques that is paying off in a good consistant irritation free shave. Went WTG, XTG and ATG this morning and no problems. Will finish out this week with this shave kit then move on to another razor and soap. Looks like my 10th shave yesterday was a turning point so to speak.
Great shaves shown by all today Gents!

 

Saturday April 3, 2010

Brush: BBE
Blade: Red IP (2)
Razor: 69 super adj. 9/9

Soap: Green Mountain
Splash: TSD Acqua Di Gio Type
Milk: TSD Acqua Di Gio Type
Cologne: Acqua Di Gio

 

Gem micromatic
Ted pella blade (2)
semogue 1250 brush
TSD iced subzero soap
TSD iced bourbon vanilla aftershave

Thanks for the words of encouragement. While yesterday, I had a nice shave today's seemed better. Today's only trouble was with my subzero... After loading my brush I noticed that there was a thin spot in the bottom of the tub, it seems that my supply is running out, I'll need to find a solution quick.

 

Dubl Duck Special
Rooney Emillion
Ogallala Bay Rum soap
Musgo Real after shave

 

Saturday

Musgo Real Glycerine Lime Oil Pre-shave Soap
Mitchell's Wool Fat Shaving Soap
Semogue 2000 Brush
Tonight's shave was a good test to 4 straight razors I just honed:
Le Grelot «Le Merle Blanc» 7/8 Straight Razor
Wade & Butcher «Celebrated Hollow Ground» Straight Razor
«Magnetic» Straight Razor
Kabrand Straight Razor
Musgo Real After Shave Balm

​

 

-24mm Silvertip Badger Brush w/snake wood handle
-TSD Iced Pink Grapefruit SS
-Merkur 38C
-Gillette Permasharp Blade (1)
-Aluminum Block
-TSD Iced Mojito splash
-TSD Iced Subzero AS Milk

 

Sunday, April 4th

Hot shower
Mitchell's Wool Fat
Omega 639 Havana Silvertip
D.R. Harris DE87 w/ IP
De Vergulde Hand alum
444 ASB w/ Aqua Velva splash
Davidoff Adventure EdT