Adam's RAD Odyssey

[bahomebrew]

Well, I have entered the shavette world with a generously PIF'ed Weck Hair Shaper from gvw755. I have now a handful of shaves under my belt, but as I have been looking for more info, and other's experiences, I haven't seen much of it, so I figured I would chronicle mine and hopefully get some feedback along the way, and maybe someone wanting to get started will find some useful tidbit, as well.

I have been intrigued by the myriad choices available for knocking back whiskers and have a full blown case of RAD in the works, though I am trying the 2017 Sabbatical as I already have more than I can use in the next few years. I have several DE's, a 1912 Gem Jr., and when gvw755 gave me the choice between a Futur clone and the Weck, I figured that would give me the more unique and exciting option to broaden my shaving repertoire. I decided to do 2 passes to start with, N/S and then S/N. The S/N is XTG on my neck and ATG on my cheeks and chin and I only do a side to side on my moustache as I am feeling too trepidatious for a fool's pass.

My first attempt was pretty good, I managed to get a couple of BBS spots around my face and drew no blood and I also got a good feel for how slick a lather needs to be to slide this thing around without skipping and gouging as my first 2 attempts at lather were not slick enough and I had to add more water and reapply. All this time, I thought lather was the easy part of wet shaving, and now I realize technique there is as important, if not more important, as technique with the blade. Already, my opportunity with this razor is paying dividends.

Number 2 and 3 were further examples of how good I had to be with lather and a lesson to not try too many new things at once. This was after the holidays and I had gotten a couple new soaps, Strop Shoppe's Baker St.(not new as it is discontinued, but new for me) and RR Tuscan Oud. It was a first for both soaps for the respective shaves and I couldn't get the lather dialed in for the life of me. Shave 2, I finished prematurely as I sliced my nostril not paying attention to the end of the blade(these things are long and I have had some close calls with either end depending on where my attention was). A good bit of blood from about a 3mm cut but it closed up quickly and did not require any special attention. The #3 shave was the RR and though I love that smell, sort of bitter, smoky tobacconist kind of vibe, I couldn't get the lather slick enough. It went better than number 2 but as I was going XTG on my lip on the other side from my nostril cut, I had a bit of indecision with the blade too close and gave a slice instead of a stroke. This was not deep but left a cm cut more or less straight up and down on my moustache area. Not as much red stuff from this one as the other and I took the lesson, know your mind before you touch blade to face.

Shave 4(yesterday), I decided to go with my B&M unscented as I have used that one a fair amount and was able to get a nice shiny, yogurty lather without too much effort. The shave however, was not going smoothly. I found I was having a hard time cutting hair and had a fair amount of stubble after two passes of S/N so I finished with a pass from my Fine Superlight. I wasn't sure if it was blade or lather or angle, but decided to switch the blade and the lather for shave 5 to be on the safe side(did I mention something about not changing too many things at once?). I am still processing that lesson, it would seem.

Shave 5 with a fresh blade and Tabac cream was a much closer experience but I had a handful of weepers to gently chide my technique. I have gotten the angle ok though I know I will get better, but pressure with this razor is tricky. It is very light to my mind and requires a certain firmness of hand, though I hesitate to call it pressure as I feel I am very concerned about the sharpness of this blade and err on the side of caution with respect to angle and pressure. I also didn't get any sting save for the cuts from the AS so I think overall I was alright. The weepers showed up on my Adam's apple, chin, jawline, and moustache area, which I think are the locations for more refined technique, so I am not totally dismayed, but just want to take more time in the future to try and minimize the bloodletting while I learn.

My overall impressions are that it's difficult getting this guy around my chin, and under my nose. I can do N/S and side to side no problem but both places require ATG for a BBS and I have not had the courage to try on my moustache area or the skill to achieve on my chin. The best I can do on my upper lip is sort of across the XTG if that makes sense. Somewhere between across the grain and against the grain worked ok, but like I said, I had weepers. This is nothing new as trying to get close here often results in weepers with any equipment I use. I am a BBS chaser, as to my mind if I'm going to leave hair on my face, I would rather grow a beard. The smooth effect of a clean shaven face is the aesthetic I want. Achieving that with the Weck is in my sights, but still out in the distance somewhere.

So, all that said, I have decided to use this as my weekend driver for the time being although at some point in the near future I would like to use it as a daily tool to really learn it well. All told the 5 shaves I completed have come in the last month and I plan to try it as a daily driver around the 15 to 20 mark. If there is any serious bloodletting, I will take time off and go back to one of my mild DE's. I only plan to use my TOBS, B&M, and Tabac unless I feel that I dial in another soap to the level necessary for this fine tool. Any comments, feedback or criticisms are welcome as I know I have much to learn on this topic and in life, in general. Thanks to those who have taken the time to read.

 

[bahomebrew]

The Weck weekend has begun. Shave number 6 this morning(#2 on the blade), and I used Tabac and face lathered with my Vie Long horse. I got a good shave and maybe my closest shave up to this point. I have come to the conclusion that certain parts of my face need three different directions to get BBS. I have been doing a 2 pass with a third just for those specific spots. One of those directions is right to left on the neck which with the Weck is difficult. I can sort of do it diagonally, but it is not as good as a full ATG. Any tips for how to take that long blade across the neck would be greatly appreciated.

I had a cut on the right jawline just by the ear. It was a case of imprecise motion, I think. It wasn't very deep; hardly bled at all and besides a tiny weeper on my upper lip and a little nick on my septum(I didn't even feel that one, but noticed some red in the lather and can't even see it) marked the only red spots, which is fewer than the last shave and all were more superficial than before. All in all, I feel I'm getting better.

Tabac cream is a good performer and fairly simple to get the slickness needed. I'm not a huge fan of how long the smell lasts, but don't have any real issue with the smell itself. It is becoming my go to with the Weck as I feel I can get consistent results.

 

[bahomebrew]

I took the day off as I received the Supply Provision Stainless Steel injector from a passaround and wanted to use that and send it on it's way. Will resume the Weck when I'm finished with the SPSSI. If you would like to read my reviews, you can follow the link -
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...jector-Tour-Pass-Around?p=8785786#post8785786

 

[bahomebrew]

I came to the end of my experience with the Supply Provision SSI and have returned to my Weck Weekends. Shaves yesterday and today with the Weck are in the books.

Yesterday, I used Tabac with my Burt's Bees Boar brush, my first brush that I've had for almost two decades now. It has thinned out a little, but still makes a good lather and has a great face feel. It is a handsome handle to boot. I got a great shave and am really starting to feel comfortable with this razor. Not comfortable lazy, or inattentive, comfortable like I have the respect, attention and technique(mostly) necessary to get a close shave. At 3 shaves on this blade, it seemed like the work to get a close shave increased a little, and maybe the blade was fading in performance, but I did a two pass over most of my face with a third or touch up pass for the final spots that require that extra attention. I have not yet tried the fool's pass although I have been working the angle from XTG little by little towards ATG and at some point think I will be able to do it. My moustache area has a lot of topography(at least I think so) and the skin is the most sensitive of any other spot. It is the one place that I get weepers consistently no matter what I use.

I have found when I shave my left jaw and cheek S to N, I open the scales to around 180 degrees and hold the razor like a Kamisori. I do all strokes with my right hand and find this the most comfortable for spots on the left side of my face. Anyone else use their folding straights or shavettes like this?

Shave today was number 8 overall with this razor and #4 on this blade. I used Barrister and Mann's unscented soap, and my Burt's Bees Boar again. I have tried this one a few times to really work on the slickness and got a nice, shiny, yogurty lather with plenty of protection. I like the face feel after I use this soap. Like last time at shave 4, I had to work harder to get a good shave(at least that is what it seemed like). I think I will try one more with the Tabac to see if it is soap or blade causing the extra work. I did manage a good shave out of it. My trouble spots remain neck, chin, and moustache area and I am most likely to draw blood in these spots. Today I had a weeper on my chin and nothing on my upper lip which is just fine in my book.

I have decided to use this the next two days as well, and then shift over to a DE for the One Blade in February challenge and then get back to Weck Hair Shaping in March.

 

[bahomebrew]

Shave number nine over and done with. Today was number 5 with the Personna blade and the Tabac cream worked really well. I ended up with a better shave than yesterday's and in general things went smoothly. I still have no solution to an E/W pass on my neck which means stubble in that direction. I was shaving down diagonally away from my chin today and got the point caught in my neck as the contours changed. I knew it was a precarious stroke, and I was being pretty cautious which I think helped to minimize the damage, but I will have to think on how to achieve that stroke as I need it for a clean shave.

All in all, I was pleased that I got a close shave with a blade that I thought was about done, and have in a very short time, grown to really love this razor.

 

[bahomebrew]

Today was my last shave with the Weck for a month as I embark on the One Blade in February Challenge! I am excited to push my technique to the max and see how far I can go on one DE blade which brings me to my shave today. I used the Personna blade for the 6th shave today which I wasn't sure I should do, but ultimately shaved fairly well. So far, I have been unable to get a BBS so it is hard to pinpoint where the shave is lacking. Is it lather? Is it blade? Is it technique? Is it some elusive combination of the three? I got a CCS to DFS which is about as good as I've gotten with this razor. I also completed a shave without any red which let's face it, is important.

Initially, I thought the blade had left a lot of hair, but after I had finished my post shave, it really was on par with the last couple shaves.

I find the blade length unwieldy in spots and great in others. From my adam's apple to the side of my neck is a concave depression. Trying to get the blade in there is pushing me to my limits. Cocking my head to either side and stretching skin helps, but I need to be able to hold the blade vertical and go across the neck which is not easy. Any videos or tips for this would be appreciated. I can get my cheeks in three swipes that takes my DE's 4, so that's a plus. And my chin and moustache area seem a wash as far as technique goes, they both take about the same amount of effort with the Weck or a DE.

I like the overall feel, and comfort of these blades which I wouldn't have suspected prior to using it. I have yet to get irritation even though it is a very sharp blade with full blade exposure. It has me curious about other shavettes and straights. More to come in March. Thanks for reading.

 

[bahomebrew]

I just got a couple of half DE shavettes, so I am going to fire them up soon and expand my chronicles to include my shavette soirees. You can see descriptions of the new hardware here:
Shavette And Barber Razor Enthusiast (SABRE) group

 

[mata_66]

Thank you for the very good reading. Using a shavette may be difficult at the beginning but it looks like you are doing great!

 

[bahomebrew]

Thank you for the very good reading. Using a shavette may be difficult at the beginning but it looks like you are doing great!

Thanks for reading mata_66. The learning curve has been steep, but I do feel I am improving rapidly and getting pretty decent shaves with the shavette hardware.

Today was shave number 1 with the Halyari using a Bic CP(14).

This handle has good blade exposure which allows for a fairly wide usable angle while shaving. I prefer a shallow angle, but if you preferred more aggressive, you could achieve it. The metal has decent weight, and felt good mowing through some whiskers. I wasn't sure about using a blade that already had 14 shaves under it's belt as my first time, but it cut well, and I got somwhere between a CCS and DFS. My concern stemmed from many who use the shavettes saying that a half blade would be used up after 2 or 3 shaves, but I do wonder if having the open blade like this will affect performance and maybe I only have 1 or 2 shaves left with this handle. I lathered with Barrister and Mann's unscented and kind of lucked into a sweet spot. It was probably the slickest lather I have made of this stuff, and significantly better than I had done before(and this was a soap I liked already).

My only complaint is not with this razor but the folding razor setup in general. The maneuverability of DE's and SE's is second to none. These are cumbersome at times trying to find the angles that will actually cut hair. For a barber, I could see this being easier as you could move your whole body to get to the right position, but it is a challenge. That said, by cumbersome, I am comparing this to a DE and not say, a large couch I am trying to maneuver through a narrow doorway from a narrow hallway(I worked as a mover for a few years, what can I say, that always sucked). I'm not sure I will ever have a preferred razor, as I find all the different razors fun to try. I will use this a few more times and then try the Facon.

 

[bahomebrew]

Shave #1 with the Facon Cut Throat Barber Razior or some such nonsense. This shave did not go very well. I am going to put it all squarely on the Dr. Bronner's Lemongrass Lime Shave Gel. I hadn't used this stuff with anything but a DE and I really thought it was going to be pretty good with the shavettes. It gets a lot of slickness even though there isn't much lather to speak of, but it really didn't translate into shaveability with the Facon. This could be because of the extreme light weight of the Facon, and the more steep angle required for shaving, or it could be because this gel is not up to snuff for a straight style shave. I may still try it with the Weck and Halyari, but not again with the Facon. After two passes, I was at a SAS, but I could feel irritation and knew it only got worse from there, so I called it and went about my business.

Some observations about the Facon itself(from what I could tell given the soap situation), the minimum useable angle is steeper on this than the Halyari. It is an aggressive handle, which I assume is a factor in the irritation. This razor was easier to hold than the Halyari as the shank is thicker width. This coupled with the light weight made it feel very maneuverable. Tomorrow, I think I will go back to the Facon and try Tabac, a go to cream that performs consistently with many different razors.

 

[bahomebrew]

Two more shaves in the books. I used Tabac to give the Facon a better shot, and got better results. I think the learning curve with this guy is a little steeper than the Halyari, so I will just have to be patient. I managed to grab a SAS but closer than the previous attempt and no irritation and fewer weepers. I do think with this handle, no pressure means negative pressure, but the lightness of the handle begs a little pressure to slice the hair, so I dunno. I still like the feel in the hand, as it's maneuverable, but finding and maintaining the right angle is not so "straight"forward with this razor.

Second shave with the Halyari was this morning and I must say, this one is instantly accessible and I am getting very nice shaves and little discomfort though today was more weepers than shave 1. Maybe I went for too much too soon, or maybe it just got good to me, but I had a handful of superficial weepers by the end. I see it as room for improvement for my technique, but also in the context of improved technique, as I cut myself pretty good with the Weck when I first got it, and have been able to avoid those types of cuts with the two new shavettes(knocking on wood right now). I have found that I can do a stroke between XTG and ATG on my upper lip that works admirably, close with no weepers(ok, one this morning, but I do that with my other razors trying to get close, I think it is either my upper lip or my technique and as I like my upper lip, I'm going to say it's technique).

I am liking the smaller DE blade length compared to the Hair Shaper blades. It is a little more maneuverable, and given the topography of my face, I think smaller is better. I have heard that it's not the length of the blade, but how you use it that counts, and that's my two cents.

 

[bahomebrew]

After the storm of the century hear in Los Angeles(I had to cancel a drum lesson for my son because of how hard it was raining), I am feeling bummed that our hillside apartments haven't slid down to the beach(ocean front sounds so much nicer than ocean view). Also the temperatures have been in the 50's and 60's and my face is a bit worn out because of the cold. These are La La land issues, not to be taken seriously by anyone outside of Los Angeles County.

Shave number three with the Halyari and today I used RR Tuscan Oud. I used my Body Shop Synth and got a much better lather than I have gotten with this soap before. Previously, I had decided to not use this soap with the replaceable blade straights because I didn't think I could get a slick enough lather, but this brush has been whipping up some great lathers with some of my more difficult soaps and it has me rethinking brushes and synthetics. I am glad, as I really enjoy the smoky, musky scent of Tuscan Oud but didn't think I could justify keeping a soap around without adequate performance.

Number 18 on this blade(I think it's 9 or 10 on this edge) and I got another decent shave. Not as close as I would like overall, but I chalk up a lot of this to variables in performance like a soap that I don't think is a stellar soap, and overall technique with rbs's(replaceable blade straights). It could be the blade slowing down, but I got a much closer shave yesterday with a more reliable soap in my rotation, so I will go to either my TOBS or Tabac to test and see if my most reliable performers give better results before I throw the blade under the bus. Today's shave included one tiny weeper on my moustache area, right as I was applauding myself for completing a shave without any weepers(of course - why notice a thing before it is a thing?).

On an aside, unrelated to my shaving, but something related to general shaving and that I'm excited about, my dad found his old shaving brush that he retired because it is missing at least half the bristles. It is an Ever-Ready C40 red and white resin handle. He said he got it in the Marines, and used it my whole childhood. I didn't think he even had it anymore, but I asked him about it and he said he had put it in a box somewhere. I initially thought I would ask him for it, but when I saw his eyes light up at the thought of a refurbished brush, I knew I'd be restoring it for him. My brother is going to help me as we live a couple miles from each other. I figure I'll do my old Burt's Bees Boar first, to get an idea or two of what not to do, and then give it a go on his. Also, I'll do a thread in the brush restoration to track the progress, but this is a nascent idea at the moment. I'm just enjoying the dream aspect before the work begins.

 

[bahomebrew]

Two shaves to report for yesterday and today. I was also just looking through the SABRE thread and realized I have been calling the Haryali Halyari - mixing up the r and the l. I'll get it eventually.

Yesterday's shave was with the Haryali and TOBS organic cream. I felt like I had found a good slickness with the lather, but the blade felt a little rough moving around and the cream dried out and I had to reapply, so I think I missed the sweet spot a bit. I tried as my first pass going XTG from the midline of the face to either ear. On my cheeks this actually does a bit of ATG as it is a little multidirectional growth there. I didn't feel anything but as I removed the razor by the ear there was a line of red parallel and right underneath the bottom of my sideburn. I must have caught the corner for a little blood letting. No biggie, it didn't bleed too much, and doesn't look terrible. When I got the soap on for the second pass I noticed I had done something similar on my chin just under the bottom lip. This one was smaller and bled very little, but I was surprised at two fairly large cuts without even noticing, and with a blade that felt otherwise rough and has at this point 20 shaves on it. I finished up the second pass and a touch up third with some more weepers making this the reddest shave I have given myself with the Haryali which I maybe jinxed myself with last time even thinking about congratulating myself. All told, the closeness was on par with other shaves I have done, only with more blood.

Today's shave was with Tabac cream and the same Bic blade. I wondered if prep was a factor or if the blade has just had it. The blade felt rough again, but I was really working on pressure after last shave and by pressure obviously I mean no pressure. Even given the rough feel, I was able to get a similar shave to all the rest so far. One small weeper low on my neck. That was a new one for me. I am experimenting with skin stretching, trying to find the right times and places to stretch. In general, I can shave many areas that don't require stretching and I do fine, but there are specific areas where there is more skin or whatever and I am finding it helps to stretch to get closer.

As to the blade roughness, the Excalibur gang talk about how a blade goes through an initial roughness and then mellows and becomes very smooth. I am hoping I am in this stage but I really don't know. 20 shaves on a DE is a record by 1 for me so I am in uncharted territory here. One of the difficulties lies in using a new setup with the shavettes. With my DE's I have a much better sense of technique and what is required to get a thorough shave. With the RBS's(replaceable blade straights), I have not been able to get a BBS so I don't know what the ceiling is here. I plan to continue using this blade until the shave end quality really deteriorates to see what is what.

 

[bahomebrew]

So, I am thinking about re-directing this journal to a generic shave journal as opposed to just my Weck, or shavettes even. There are just so many fun things to try and it doesn't make sense to start a new thread, or journal for each separate thing. To that end, I will recount the last week of shaves, as I haven't updated in about that long.

After the Haryali I switched to the Facon to see how shaves were there. I used that Tuesday through Thursday taking the Bic blade to 23 shaves with 10 in RBS and the rest in my Ball End Tech. I would have aimed for more, but I have been reading the thread about devettes and finally couldn't wait any longer; I had to take the devette for a spin. More on that in a bit. I feel like each shave with the Facon gets better and better. It is light, but has wide grip areas, which make it manageable(more so than the Haryali, which is fairly narrow). To my mind, when the tang is wider, it gives more subtle control of angle, at least that is the effect with the Facon. Don't know if people think of it that way, or if there is a really wide variance with actual straights compared to the RBS. My overall complaints with the shavettes is maneuverability, which maybe means I lack creativity, but there are directions and angles on my face that are not readily available to the shavette setup.

Enter the devette(and probably some of the AC Feather SE's like Mongoose and Hawk) which puts the sharpness and control of the shavette into the maneuverability of the DE. The thread I was reading is entitled No Guard DE? but you can search that or devette and find what you are looking for. The DE straight is an intriguing concept as the open blade allows for as aggressive or mild a shave as you would like and teaches control and finesse with exacting precision. One wrong move and you know it. On Friday, I could take it no longer, I had to try a devette in one form or another. I didn't really have tools to make one right, so I decided to just remove the baseplate from my Merkur42. This was mentioned by several people as an option, though some found the blade too loose without extra support, and others said it was the future of shaving without a baseplate. I found myself in the first camp. I stuck it out through 3 passes, but found the blade chatter significant and with a negative effect on the shave. My focus was laser sharp and I did not cut myself even though the blade jumped many times. Most would say why bother for a sub-optimal shave? All I can say is I just had to. Of course when I had finished, I knew I wouldn't try a devette again without a baseplate, but I got the full experience and on the places where I shave easily(my sideburn are of the cheeks) I got BBS and very soft, but in general, it was not a great shave.

The upside of this shave was my recent work in reducing my pressure. I had an epiphany this week that I was in fact using a considerable amount of pressure while shaving, even with the RBSs. My technique was essentially using that pressure to create skin stretch(concave stretch) much the way the guards work, but found this was creating a fair bit of irritation if not weepers and cuts. It was my shaves with the Facon where I sort of stumbled on a much softer touch where I was just moving the blade around the contour of my face, cutting hair and not touching the face at all(that was what I imagined at any rate). After three years, I was still shaving like I would with my carts, even though I thought I was shaving with no pressure. Funny. The devette really hammered that home as with that much chatter, I really had to be careful of pressure. Too much and the jump would have bit on the landing. Take that to yesterday and today's shaves and apply it to the Fine Superlite.

Which is what I did. It had been a month since the last run I made with the Fine slane and that was the best shave I had ever had up to that point, so I was itching to get back to it. With my new awareness of pressure and experience with the RBSs, I glided that rigid blade around, mowing hair down like nothing. 3 passes, no irritation, and DFS+, as close as I have ever come to a BBS. My face felt great and was still mostly smooth when I went to bed. Today's shave was with RR Tuscan Oud which I find a finicky soap, and one that I have trouble dialing in and I ended up with a DFS. Not quite as smooth and with some irritation from the shave. I'm not sure where to pin the blame on the irritation as I mixed up my passes today in an attempt to find the ideal order and progression for a comfortable BBS. I am close, but missed it today. Was it soap, technique, trying to get super close two days in a row, the dry cool weather, the unlucky 13th shave on the blade(to be fair 13 has actually been a lucky number for me, so I can't imagine it was that)? It is hard to say.

All in all, a week's worth of good, enjoyable, and enlightening shaves. I am starting my brush restoration project this week and looking forward to it. I will also make a devette out of one of my razors, though I haven't committed to which one yet. I will do a separate thread for the brush and post about the devette here. I'm staring down the barrel of another great week.

 

[bahomebrew]

Second to last day in February. I am closing in on two consecutive calendar months shaving every day. A record, and a surprising one as I never was one to shave frequently, or enjoy shaving. I always felt that a clean shaven appearance was arbitrary as a benchmark for trustworthy or responsible, and maybe I still feel that way after shaving for two months straight, but I have enjoyed myself and enjoy the knowledge of self care I have gained since I started wet shaving.

Today's shave, I decided to try a sample of Truefitt and Hill's Sandalwood shaving cream. There was enough for about a shave and a half, so I went for it. I may be wrong, but this smelled nothing like sandalwood. I thought it reminded me a bit of Baker St. and a bit like Body Shop Maca Root cream, but sandalwood? Creative naming, I guess. It lathered easily enough, was plenty slick, and provided good cushion. The smell was not a bad smell, and was not overly strong. It didn't linger all day, which is a positive in my book. I used my Fine Superlite with the same Personna Red for shave 14.

I tried a different approach to my passes looking for the right order to mow everything cleanly and efficiently. I divide my face in half top and bottom as the growth patterns are fairly different on the two. I did 3 passes, top was XTG centerline to ears, XTG ears to centerline, and ATG S to N. Shaving every day, I don't get much out of a WTG pass, so I skip it. Below the jaw I did XTG S to N, ATG diagonally North right to South left, and ATG left to right. Yes, two ATG passes in different directions. I think the diagonal pass works best after the left to right pass, as it leaves less hair behind when I do it that order. But I wouldn't have know that if I hadn't tried it today. Good shave, CCS, but after the DFS great shaves of the last couple I was hoping for more.

I got two new soaps in today, Cella and Taconic Mint Eucalyptus. I will try the Cella first as it has been high on my list, and then the Taconic has nice ingredients and should have a little cooling which I have not much experience with shaving, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. To be continued...

 

[bahomebrew]

Three shaves in the books and very good shaves at that. I switched from the Fine to my Gem Jr. which had a PTFE blade with 3 shaves on it already - nice and broken in. I gave the Cella the green light for my shave on the 28th and how did it go! It was love at first shave. I think using my Gem or my Fine goes a long way as these are my two best, most comfortable, reliable shavers right now, but this soap is the best I have used to this point. For performance, the cushion and slickness were excellent, and the post face feel was soft and hydrated. I used an almost dry Body Shop Sythetic brush and got a lot of thick paste loaded up. It took some water, but was very easy to lather and find the right slickness. The aroma of sweet almonds, or cherry and almonds, or marzipan as I've read it described is to my liking and though up front it is strong, it doesn't linger on the face which is a huge plus in my book. I like the smells, but I don't want the aroma all day(maybe every once in a while, but in general, I prefer my olfactory passages clear).

Coupled with the Cella, the Gem moved effortlessly through whiskers providing an extremely close shave. DFS was the order of the day. The lather catcher means I can concentrate on the task at hand without many undue interruptions, and the stiffness of the sharp blade really does a number on my whiskers. I have found the more rigid the blade, the better it functions for me, sharpness is a factor, but I need the rigidity or there is too much chatter and I don't cut much hair. The feeling of the rigidity is something I wouldn't have thought possible until I noticed it. My face could tell instantly with the Fine Superlite that the blade was much more rigid than when held by other DE's. The Gem PTFE is very rigid and stable in the Jr. and allows for a fairly aggressive angle as well. I have been naturally gravitating towards a more aggressive shaving angle, even though initially I thought my sensitive skin would only tolerate the shallowest angle. I am moving my handles more or less to their most aggressive angles as I feel they are what suits my face best. I don't know that I have very aggressive razors compared to an R41(I have read they are aggressive - I have no experience with this one) but I gravitate towards the maximum aggressiveness of the handles I have. Did I say I am loving the Gem Jr?

I did another shave yesterday with Cella and the Gem Jr. and got another great result, although a little irritation after the shave. I think I am cautious the first shave with a handle I haven't used in a while, than more comfortable on the next shave and sloppy habits start to creep in. I was still DFS but there were just a few more whiskers left than the shave before. All in all, I was still very happy and feel like this week has been very close to shaving nirvana for me. Between the Fine and Gem, I am a happy camper, and I can't quite describe the feelings of wanting to shave every day, and accomplishment that have come with learning this skill to the level that I have. It is quite new and foreign to the man I was even several months ago.

Today I broke out the Taconic Eucalyptus and Mint for a first try and found it a very good performer. It took a good bit of water for a cream, which surprised me, but I was able to keep whipping it up and found a nice yogurty smooth finish after a few minutes. The cool didn't really set in until around the end of the first pass. It was creeper cool, but once it got there, it was very pleasant and added to the sensory experience of the shave in a most agreeable way. I don't know if I will continue to use it in cool weather, but for sunny days and summer heat, it will be an admirable addition to the lineup. The smell was not overpowering and not long lasting, so again, I am pleased as punch. Is it as slick as Cella? No. Does it have the same cushion? No. Is it close in performance? Yes. The ingredients are very nice as well, so this is a winner for those looking to lessen the amount of unpronounceables they ingest in one form or another. And did I say I am loving the Gem Jr? Loving it.

 

[bahomebrew]

Today was back to the Cella and number 7 on the PTFE. Close and comfortable, just a fine time shaving. I really am glad I went for the Cella. It makes my face feel smooth and hydrated, and provides loads of protection. The Gem blade is starting to slow down, I am putting in a bit more work to do the same shave. I think my number may be around 10 for this blade, but we shall see. All told, I have found a sweet spot with my Fine and the Gem Jr, and now have a couple of soaps that compliment these tools well. Up next will be the PAA Bakelite which I have not had good rapport with but it has been calling to me, asking for a shot at the big time. Maybe because it's oxblood, or maybe because it's very light, or just because others have gotten good shaves from it, makes me wonder, can I make it work? I'll take it for a spin this weekend and report back.

 

[bahomebrew]

I went ahead and gave the PAA Bakelite Slant a go today with Cella lathered in my GP scuttle. The lather started out very airy and bubbly and I wondered if it was maybe too much water, or too much heat from the scuttle. Don't know, the first pass was a bit off I think because of the lather. The lather settled into good yogurty form with time and the second and third passes were much better.

All in all, the PAA is an interesting shaver. I feel like it has differential blade gap which makes for more aggression on one side of the edge compared with the other side of the same edge. It gives the feel of shaving with half the blade as I am either shallow on one side of the edge or steep on the other side of the edge, but either angle prevents the other side of the edge from engaging. I have heard of some of the Fasan slants having this feature, I guess it is like an adjustable only no adjustments need be made, just decide whether I want a mild or aggressive shave. When I look at the blade, there is definitely more blade relative to the combs on one side than the other. Today's shave was much closer than the previous two I had with the PAA so I am pleased. I ended somewhere in the DFS neighborhood.

My last thought is that I am wondering how this razor would do as a devette slant. I feel like cutting the combs off would have a nice overall effect to this razor, but I'm on the fence as to whether I will try this or not.

 

[bahomebrew]

Monday's shave was a Fine Superlite day. I had to be my best and that one delivers the best consistently. A comfortable and smooth DFS. Yesterday and today I was back at my RBS challenge of learning these razors.

I used the Facon yesterday and started a new blade, going with the next in my cue, the Derby. I am getting frustrated as I don't know if I can get the same shave given the angles of my face. I have thought about giving up, but am stubborn, when I hear about best shave possible from guys who swear by straights and RBS's, and I think if they can, so can I. We shall see. I have managed to get BBS on my cheeks, about as close as anything else, so that keeps me optimistic, bu I still have not found away to get the blade positioned properly on my neck.

Today was around the same quality of shave as the Facon, but with a ton of irritation. I don't know if that is build up from two dicey shaves in a row, or just a technique issue today, but my face was on fire. It is the first time using fresh blades in these two RBS's so I think that plays a part. I have heard Derbies give a lot of irritation to some, so maybe that plays a part. It was definitely much sharper than the Bic that already had 12 shaves on it when I tried these for the first time. It's maybe not a bad idea to break in the blades with a DE first and then go to the RBS. Maybe I will try that. Anyone with experience doing that feel free to weigh in.

I am still loving Cella. what a soap!

 

[bahomebrew]

After the irritation from the RBS's, my face was still a bit raw on Wednesday so I reached for the ever comfortable Pre War Ball Handle Tech with a Gillette Nacet blade. It is a struggle to get perfectly smooth, but I came closer than ever and no irritation. The Tech may not be my perfect razor, but it is one darn good one, no doubt. My brother swears by his, but he doesn't chase smoothness like me. The mildness makes it not quite enough in some areas.

I started wondering after that shave, is it worth it to keep at these RBS's when I have several really good shavers already at my disposal? My hand was itching to go back to a handle that could smooth my face and that comfortably, so I indulged and reached for my Gem Jr. I used Taconic Eucalyptus and Mint and a PTFE blade with 6 shaves on it prior. The last one seemed like a little more work, but I finished in a smooth place, so I figured I'd give it a go. #7 ended up not quite as smooth though still closer than my Tech shave the day prior. I was a bit disappointed and feeling like maybe the blade was fading out beyond what I wanted to work with.

Today I had a feeling or intuitive urge to grab the Barrister and Mann and give it a go with the Gem for #8. I was well rewarded as this was one close, comfortable shave. I hit a quality of lather with this soap that I had not reached before. The cushion and slickness were excellent, and the lather stayed true to the end of the shave. The blade still needed work to get to the smooth finish, but I felt no irritation or hint of irritation when considering a fourth pass for cleanup. It was what the shave needed, as I finished smooth and happy. Happy weekend shaves!