It's a bugger for sure. Glad you are on the mend!
AoP's Commonplace Shaving Journal
- Thread starter Alum of Potash
- Start date
It's a bugger for sure. Glad you are on the mend!
- Thread starter
- #42
12-16-22:
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Texas on Fire (shaving soap);
Omega boar w/wooden handle (shaving brush);
Dovo Shavette w/Personna hair-shaping blade (razor);
Stirling Texas on Fire witch hazel w/aloe vera (post-shave).
Largely a replay of 12-13, substituting the Texas on Fire for the Sheep soap, to see if I could wield the Shavette loaded with the hair-shaping blade without trashing my face like last time. Slow and steady did the trick, making sure that the spine was as close to the skin as possible with each stroke. Only one weeper this time from an ingrown hair. The Personna blade is definitely less forgiving than the half blades I've been using, although it's nice to have the longer edge length during the first and second passes. Perhaps it has to do with the steel reinforcement at the top of the blade leading to an increase in blade rigidity, whereas the half-blades are more flexible in comparison, floating as they do in the plastic housing.
Went for a wetter lather this time, to increase the slickness as compared to Sheep soap. While still not as slick, it was an improvement over the last time I used it. I was really enjoying the scent too. Only problem is that when I asked the missus what she thought, she said, "It's not my favorite scent, and it's a bit too strong." Guess I'll have to shave with it when she's already left the house.
Feeling better these days, but not completely out of the woods yet...
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Texas on Fire (shaving soap);
Omega boar w/wooden handle (shaving brush);
Dovo Shavette w/Personna hair-shaping blade (razor);
Stirling Texas on Fire witch hazel w/aloe vera (post-shave).
Largely a replay of 12-13, substituting the Texas on Fire for the Sheep soap, to see if I could wield the Shavette loaded with the hair-shaping blade without trashing my face like last time. Slow and steady did the trick, making sure that the spine was as close to the skin as possible with each stroke. Only one weeper this time from an ingrown hair. The Personna blade is definitely less forgiving than the half blades I've been using, although it's nice to have the longer edge length during the first and second passes. Perhaps it has to do with the steel reinforcement at the top of the blade leading to an increase in blade rigidity, whereas the half-blades are more flexible in comparison, floating as they do in the plastic housing.
Went for a wetter lather this time, to increase the slickness as compared to Sheep soap. While still not as slick, it was an improvement over the last time I used it. I was really enjoying the scent too. Only problem is that when I asked the missus what she thought, she said, "It's not my favorite scent, and it's a bit too strong." Guess I'll have to shave with it when she's already left the house.
Feeling better these days, but not completely out of the woods yet...
- Thread starter
- #43
12-24-22:
Stirling Sheep (shaving soap);
VP Leonhardy boar-badger (shaving brush);
Dovo Shavette w/Personna hair-shaping blade;
Stirling Unscented (post-shave balm).
It's a pretty low-key Christmas for us this year, so I thought I'd stay true to things with a pretty low-key shave. This also has to do with some of my soaps and after-shaves still being packed away. That said, the Stirling Sheep soap and the VP Leonhardy boar-badger brush are a great pairing for palm-lathering. Soak the brush, lightly shake off standing water from the knot, load heavily from the puck, and begin building the lather in the palm, dipping the tip of the brush in warm water to add as needed. A very smooth and slick lather is the result. Too bad Stirling hasn't come out with a line of scent options for their sheep tallow soaps, although this "unscented" one is nice in that it can be paired with almost anything. Tonight I used Stirling's Unscented post-shave balm as an Arctic cold front has settled in and the air is very dry. Better protection for the skin that way. Four shaves in with the larger Personna blade and I cannot say I like it all that much. A persistent weeper from an ingrown hair on the first pass and in spite of the blade's increased length the shave could have been a bit closer in places as I'm not inclined to really go for the gusto knowing that the blade likes to bite. I'm going to try one of the longer Solingen dedicated blades with it next time as I've finally found a matching blade insert for these kind of blades. Hopefully, that will offer the les rigid flex of the half blade along with the length of the hair-shaping blade. We'll see.
Stirling Sheep (shaving soap);
VP Leonhardy boar-badger (shaving brush);
Dovo Shavette w/Personna hair-shaping blade;
Stirling Unscented (post-shave balm).
It's a pretty low-key Christmas for us this year, so I thought I'd stay true to things with a pretty low-key shave. This also has to do with some of my soaps and after-shaves still being packed away. That said, the Stirling Sheep soap and the VP Leonhardy boar-badger brush are a great pairing for palm-lathering. Soak the brush, lightly shake off standing water from the knot, load heavily from the puck, and begin building the lather in the palm, dipping the tip of the brush in warm water to add as needed. A very smooth and slick lather is the result. Too bad Stirling hasn't come out with a line of scent options for their sheep tallow soaps, although this "unscented" one is nice in that it can be paired with almost anything. Tonight I used Stirling's Unscented post-shave balm as an Arctic cold front has settled in and the air is very dry. Better protection for the skin that way. Four shaves in with the larger Personna blade and I cannot say I like it all that much. A persistent weeper from an ingrown hair on the first pass and in spite of the blade's increased length the shave could have been a bit closer in places as I'm not inclined to really go for the gusto knowing that the blade likes to bite. I'm going to try one of the longer Solingen dedicated blades with it next time as I've finally found a matching blade insert for these kind of blades. Hopefully, that will offer the les rigid flex of the half blade along with the length of the hair-shaping blade. We'll see.
- Thread starter
- #44
12-28-22:
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Texas on Fire (shaving soap);
Omega boar w/wooden handle (shaving brush);
Dovo Shavette w/Tondeo blade (razor);
Stirling Texas on Fire witch hazel w/aloe (astringent/post-shave).
Tonight's shave was excellent. First time using the German Tondeo blades which are dedicated to the Dovo Shavette via a three-pin plastic housing. Very smooth, no weepers or nicks. Like the Timor Solingen DE blade, the Tondeo is on the mild side. At least for me, it confirms my little theory that a shavette works best (smoothly) when the blade is held in a plastic housing. And it would appear from my bad experience with the steel-reinforced Personna hair-shaping blades, that it is preferable that the blade "float" in the plastic housing, so as to allow some play and flexibility, rather than rigidity. This makes me wonder if there is a safety-razor equivalent to this, as a slant safety razor would appear to operating on the opposite principle in seeking rigidity.
Left with a well-shaving set-up with a longer blade, I was able to make some comparisons to straights while shaving. Ergonomically, the size and feel is similar to a 4/8, which would be good for hair-shaping too as European barbers like to use a 3/8 for doing this. Yet it differs from a straight in lacking weight and heft. Much lighter in comparison, one has to more consciously make the stroke rather than letting the razor do the work. Although different, it is nice all the same. Too bad these rare German blades are so expensive.
Otherwise, a bunch of familiar players here. I'll not comment on them other than to say that they did the job they were supposed to do quite well.
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Texas on Fire (shaving soap);
Omega boar w/wooden handle (shaving brush);
Dovo Shavette w/Tondeo blade (razor);
Stirling Texas on Fire witch hazel w/aloe (astringent/post-shave).
Tonight's shave was excellent. First time using the German Tondeo blades which are dedicated to the Dovo Shavette via a three-pin plastic housing. Very smooth, no weepers or nicks. Like the Timor Solingen DE blade, the Tondeo is on the mild side. At least for me, it confirms my little theory that a shavette works best (smoothly) when the blade is held in a plastic housing. And it would appear from my bad experience with the steel-reinforced Personna hair-shaping blades, that it is preferable that the blade "float" in the plastic housing, so as to allow some play and flexibility, rather than rigidity. This makes me wonder if there is a safety-razor equivalent to this, as a slant safety razor would appear to operating on the opposite principle in seeking rigidity.
Left with a well-shaving set-up with a longer blade, I was able to make some comparisons to straights while shaving. Ergonomically, the size and feel is similar to a 4/8, which would be good for hair-shaping too as European barbers like to use a 3/8 for doing this. Yet it differs from a straight in lacking weight and heft. Much lighter in comparison, one has to more consciously make the stroke rather than letting the razor do the work. Although different, it is nice all the same. Too bad these rare German blades are so expensive.
Otherwise, a bunch of familiar players here. I'll not comment on them other than to say that they did the job they were supposed to do quite well.
If your theory on footloose and fancy free blades is correct, it explains the shift from post-war Tech razors to 34C/DE89/R89 razors. Probably is.
- Thread starter
- #46
01-01-23:
C.O. Bigelow (shaving cream);
Generic boar w/wooden handle (shaving brush);
Dovo Shavette w/Tondeo blade (razor);
C.O. Bigelow Dr. Galen Skin Tonic (astringent/post-shave).
Another attempt at a minimal shaving sequence tonight. The C.O. Bigelow cream has massive amounts of menthol, so I didn't need the Vitos pre-shave. Perhaps too much menthol here. Haven't used the Bigelow cream in a while, and wasn't all that impressed after recent shaves spent with the tallow/lanolin soaps. The cream itself felt watery. They say that it is the same as the Proraso "Green," but I haven't tried the latter. The Proraso "White," with vitamin E and aloe vera, I like very much and don't find watery. Shave itself went well apart from a couple of mild, unexplained weepers in the chin area where some capillaries run close to the surface. Finished with a large splash of Bigelow's "Dr. Galen's Skin Tonic." The "tonic" has a nice, minty-medicinal smell. Think I'll pair it with Vi-John's tea tree cream next time as it too has a medicinal quality to it. As I recall, Galen was the founder of ancient Greek medicine, along with Hippocrates, hence the "Dr. Galen" here?
First time using this small, wooden-handled boar shaving brush. I bought it because there aren't too many small, wooden-handled shaving brushes. Cost me something like $8. Lost a few hairs on its maiden voyage, but it did the trick for the usual two passes plus touch-ups.
C.O. Bigelow (shaving cream);
Generic boar w/wooden handle (shaving brush);
Dovo Shavette w/Tondeo blade (razor);
C.O. Bigelow Dr. Galen Skin Tonic (astringent/post-shave).
Another attempt at a minimal shaving sequence tonight. The C.O. Bigelow cream has massive amounts of menthol, so I didn't need the Vitos pre-shave. Perhaps too much menthol here. Haven't used the Bigelow cream in a while, and wasn't all that impressed after recent shaves spent with the tallow/lanolin soaps. The cream itself felt watery. They say that it is the same as the Proraso "Green," but I haven't tried the latter. The Proraso "White," with vitamin E and aloe vera, I like very much and don't find watery. Shave itself went well apart from a couple of mild, unexplained weepers in the chin area where some capillaries run close to the surface. Finished with a large splash of Bigelow's "Dr. Galen's Skin Tonic." The "tonic" has a nice, minty-medicinal smell. Think I'll pair it with Vi-John's tea tree cream next time as it too has a medicinal quality to it. As I recall, Galen was the founder of ancient Greek medicine, along with Hippocrates, hence the "Dr. Galen" here?
First time using this small, wooden-handled boar shaving brush. I bought it because there aren't too many small, wooden-handled shaving brushes. Cost me something like $8. Lost a few hairs on its maiden voyage, but it did the trick for the usual two passes plus touch-ups.
- Thread starter
- #47
01-12-23:
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Sheep (shaving soap);
Unknown German brand two-band/best badger (shaving brush);
Razorock closed-comb Lupo 58 w/Vi-John super platinum blade (safety razor);
Osma alum block (astringent--not shown);
St. Johns bay rum w/dollop of 444 (blended aftershave and balm).
Four nights ago, I shaved with the Dovo Shavette and the Tondeo long blade combination with Stirling Texas on Fire soap and witch hazel. Shave was going well with no weepers, then suddenly, my face flared up and started turning red. After shaving my face was fairly sore and this lingered even into the next day. Don't really know how to explain it. Perhaps I was having a reaction to the soap and witch hazel? Maybe the blade's edge was compromised? All I know is that at one point, having missed my cheeks, I went into things somewhat aggressively there, and that seemed to be the start of the reaction, but why everywhere else as well?
Anyway, I wanted to give my face a break before returning to things by waiting four days. And for this, I chose to use the relatively gentle Razorock closed-comb Lupo 58. Coupled with a new Vi-John, the shave was smooth with no irritation this time. Still, the first pass would have benefited from the Lupo open-comb 78 as four days growth was a bit too much for the mild closed-comb. Also switched to the unscented Stirling Sheep in case it was the fragrance that triggered the reaction. Given the lack of razor aggression, the shave could have been a bit closer, but it really wasn't bad. Shaving the base of my neck proved difficult. Haven't used the unnamed German shaving brush in a while. I picked it up from The Superior Shave years ago, and I've seen its siblings in little shops in France from time to time. Really a nice little brush. As far as aesthetics are concerned, it's possibly the most beautiful brush in my collection in my opinion. The simple, cylindrical handle could be improved as to ergonomics, but it is easy enough to wield regardless. Started with a new alum block. How exciting is that? What I like about Osma's is that it is really smooth out of the box and seems to be made from one solid piece. Other brands can be rough in starting out and made from composite pieces compressed together. The St. Johns bay rum is really nice. I like bay rum's like it and Grand Bay that are actually made in the Caribbean. St. Johns has a little more alcohol burn upon application, but I could use either one after every shave if it came down to that.
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Sheep (shaving soap);
Unknown German brand two-band/best badger (shaving brush);
Razorock closed-comb Lupo 58 w/Vi-John super platinum blade (safety razor);
Osma alum block (astringent--not shown);
St. Johns bay rum w/dollop of 444 (blended aftershave and balm).
Four nights ago, I shaved with the Dovo Shavette and the Tondeo long blade combination with Stirling Texas on Fire soap and witch hazel. Shave was going well with no weepers, then suddenly, my face flared up and started turning red. After shaving my face was fairly sore and this lingered even into the next day. Don't really know how to explain it. Perhaps I was having a reaction to the soap and witch hazel? Maybe the blade's edge was compromised? All I know is that at one point, having missed my cheeks, I went into things somewhat aggressively there, and that seemed to be the start of the reaction, but why everywhere else as well?
Anyway, I wanted to give my face a break before returning to things by waiting four days. And for this, I chose to use the relatively gentle Razorock closed-comb Lupo 58. Coupled with a new Vi-John, the shave was smooth with no irritation this time. Still, the first pass would have benefited from the Lupo open-comb 78 as four days growth was a bit too much for the mild closed-comb. Also switched to the unscented Stirling Sheep in case it was the fragrance that triggered the reaction. Given the lack of razor aggression, the shave could have been a bit closer, but it really wasn't bad. Shaving the base of my neck proved difficult. Haven't used the unnamed German shaving brush in a while. I picked it up from The Superior Shave years ago, and I've seen its siblings in little shops in France from time to time. Really a nice little brush. As far as aesthetics are concerned, it's possibly the most beautiful brush in my collection in my opinion. The simple, cylindrical handle could be improved as to ergonomics, but it is easy enough to wield regardless. Started with a new alum block. How exciting is that? What I like about Osma's is that it is really smooth out of the box and seems to be made from one solid piece. Other brands can be rough in starting out and made from composite pieces compressed together. The St. Johns bay rum is really nice. I like bay rum's like it and Grand Bay that are actually made in the Caribbean. St. Johns has a little more alcohol burn upon application, but I could use either one after every shave if it came down to that.
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- Thread starter
- #48
01-15-23:
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Sheep (shaving cream);
Generic boar w/wooden handle (shaving brush);
Razorock Lupo DC w/Vi-John super platinum blade (safety razor)
Stirling Unscented witch hazel (astringent/post-shave).
As my last shave with the milder Lupo 58 could have been closer, I thought I would switch heads and give the Lupo DC a shot. This one has a .72 open-comb on one side of the head and a .95 closed-comb on the other side. I was fine about the .72 OC side on the first pass involving three-days' beard growth as I could have benefited from much the same on my previous shave. But I was a bit apprehensive about switching to the more aggressive .95 side for the second pass and touch-ups. In the end, I was left with a much closes shave and only one weeper at the base of the next as I forgot to switch back to the .78 side for ATG there (never can do it with the .95 side). What nice about the dual-comb razor is that I can use one edge of the blade for one pass and the other for the subsequent pass. With a normal symmetrical sided safety razor, I'm always trying to remember which side I used and when so as to even out wear to both edges equally. It would be interesting if Razorock came out with a milder .58 open-comb and .72 closed-comb combination head.
Second lather with the small wooden-handled boar, and it did the job losing only two hairs this time. What's nice in palm-lathering with small brushes like this one is that they shed more lather on the palm to be used for the first pass. This leaves just enough lather in the head for the second pass and touch-ups. The Sheep soap made for a very slick lather, as always. We were about to dine with friends at a new restaurant that's opened up, so I opted for the Stirling Unscented witch-hazel, not wanting to over-power everyone with a strong after-shave. The scent is very "witch hazel," a light smokey smell that goes well with the slight animal smell of the unscented sheep soap.
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Sheep (shaving cream);
Generic boar w/wooden handle (shaving brush);
Razorock Lupo DC w/Vi-John super platinum blade (safety razor)
Stirling Unscented witch hazel (astringent/post-shave).
As my last shave with the milder Lupo 58 could have been closer, I thought I would switch heads and give the Lupo DC a shot. This one has a .72 open-comb on one side of the head and a .95 closed-comb on the other side. I was fine about the .72 OC side on the first pass involving three-days' beard growth as I could have benefited from much the same on my previous shave. But I was a bit apprehensive about switching to the more aggressive .95 side for the second pass and touch-ups. In the end, I was left with a much closes shave and only one weeper at the base of the next as I forgot to switch back to the .78 side for ATG there (never can do it with the .95 side). What nice about the dual-comb razor is that I can use one edge of the blade for one pass and the other for the subsequent pass. With a normal symmetrical sided safety razor, I'm always trying to remember which side I used and when so as to even out wear to both edges equally. It would be interesting if Razorock came out with a milder .58 open-comb and .72 closed-comb combination head.
Second lather with the small wooden-handled boar, and it did the job losing only two hairs this time. What's nice in palm-lathering with small brushes like this one is that they shed more lather on the palm to be used for the first pass. This leaves just enough lather in the head for the second pass and touch-ups. The Sheep soap made for a very slick lather, as always. We were about to dine with friends at a new restaurant that's opened up, so I opted for the Stirling Unscented witch-hazel, not wanting to over-power everyone with a strong after-shave. The scent is very "witch hazel," a light smokey smell that goes well with the slight animal smell of the unscented sheep soap.
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- Thread starter
- #49
01-19-23:
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Sheep (shave soap);
Semogue Pharos horsehair (shaving brush);
Razorock Game Changer 68 open comb (safety razor);
Osma bloc d'alun (astringent--not shown);
St. Johns bay rum w/dollop of 444 cream (aftershave/post shave).
The Lupo razor from last time seemed a little too aggressive for me in hindsight, so I decided to try the milder Game Changer open-comb 68. A very nice, calm shave in the usual two passes plus touch-ups, removing 3-1/2 days of beard growth this morning. Probably the best overall shave I've had with a DE since returning from France. Think I'll try the 86 OC base plate next time to see how it compares, and if it's too aggressive, I might look into the 86 closed-comb plate so as to mimic the Lupo double-comb on a milder level. The other possibility would be to start out with an GC 86 open-comb followed by a 68 GC closed-comb in following the Fatip combo I left back in France. The question of whether or not is better to follow an open-comb first pass followed by a more aggressive closed-comb or a milder one still eludes me. But for now, though, this open-comb 68 seems to be coming close to doing it all. The Vi-John blades are quite good for the price too. Nice all-around blade.
Most of the other players are quite familiar, so I won't comment on them. Haven't used the Semogue horsehair brush in a while. It's only around 3 shaves in and the loose dye in the hair is still tinting the lather a very light shade of grey. At first, the clipped tips threw me as compared to the finely tapered Vie-Long horsehair brushes. But this "Italian-style" horsehair knot is softer on the skin. Still not sure if I like it or not though.
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Sheep (shave soap);
Semogue Pharos horsehair (shaving brush);
Razorock Game Changer 68 open comb (safety razor);
Osma bloc d'alun (astringent--not shown);
St. Johns bay rum w/dollop of 444 cream (aftershave/post shave).
The Lupo razor from last time seemed a little too aggressive for me in hindsight, so I decided to try the milder Game Changer open-comb 68. A very nice, calm shave in the usual two passes plus touch-ups, removing 3-1/2 days of beard growth this morning. Probably the best overall shave I've had with a DE since returning from France. Think I'll try the 86 OC base plate next time to see how it compares, and if it's too aggressive, I might look into the 86 closed-comb plate so as to mimic the Lupo double-comb on a milder level. The other possibility would be to start out with an GC 86 open-comb followed by a 68 GC closed-comb in following the Fatip combo I left back in France. The question of whether or not is better to follow an open-comb first pass followed by a more aggressive closed-comb or a milder one still eludes me. But for now, though, this open-comb 68 seems to be coming close to doing it all. The Vi-John blades are quite good for the price too. Nice all-around blade.
Most of the other players are quite familiar, so I won't comment on them. Haven't used the Semogue horsehair brush in a while. It's only around 3 shaves in and the loose dye in the hair is still tinting the lather a very light shade of grey. At first, the clipped tips threw me as compared to the finely tapered Vie-Long horsehair brushes. But this "Italian-style" horsehair knot is softer on the skin. Still not sure if I like it or not though.
- Thread starter
- #50
01-23-23:
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Sheep (shaving soap);
Omega boar w/wooden handle (shave brush--not pictured);
Razorock Game Changer 84 open-comb w/Vi-John Super Platinum blade (safety razor);
Osma bloc d'alun (astringent);
St. Johns bay rum w/dollop of 444 (after-shave/pre-shave).
Forgot to add the photographic special effects this time. Shave mostly followed the same sequence as last time except that I substituted the Game Changer 84 (not "86" as written before) open-comb plate for the 68 open-comb plate so as to raise the aggression level a notch. The usual 2 passes plus touch-ups went very well. No weepers, no nicks. Application of the alum block revealed a smooth shave with little or no tingle. This is probably the limit for me as far as safety razors are concerned. No need to scale back things with an 84 closed-comb as the 84 open-comb did the trick from start to finish. Four days' beard growth mowed down during the first pass without clogging up. This Vi-John blade is a great all-around blade at a low price. The Omega boar with wooden handle as depicted elsewhere above did a great job in kicking up the Sheep soap's lather as always.
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Sheep (shaving soap);
Omega boar w/wooden handle (shave brush--not pictured);
Razorock Game Changer 84 open-comb w/Vi-John Super Platinum blade (safety razor);
Osma bloc d'alun (astringent);
St. Johns bay rum w/dollop of 444 (after-shave/pre-shave).
Forgot to add the photographic special effects this time. Shave mostly followed the same sequence as last time except that I substituted the Game Changer 84 (not "86" as written before) open-comb plate for the 68 open-comb plate so as to raise the aggression level a notch. The usual 2 passes plus touch-ups went very well. No weepers, no nicks. Application of the alum block revealed a smooth shave with little or no tingle. This is probably the limit for me as far as safety razors are concerned. No need to scale back things with an 84 closed-comb as the 84 open-comb did the trick from start to finish. Four days' beard growth mowed down during the first pass without clogging up. This Vi-John blade is a great all-around blade at a low price. The Omega boar with wooden handle as depicted elsewhere above did a great job in kicking up the Sheep soap's lather as always.
- Thread starter
- #51
02-18-23:
My apologies for not posting any recent shaves. I've been occupied with many other things and have not been able to post on a regular basis. Over the past several shaves, I've stuck with the Razorock Game Changer .84 open comb razor with the Vi-John super platinum and the Stirling Sheep soap. Great, close shaves with nary a weeper. After eight shaves with the same blade, I switched to a Vie-John super stainless and the same players with the result being weepers galore. Rather than chuck the new blade, think I'll try it with the .68 Game Changer OC plate next time to see if that brings down the aggression...
My apologies for not posting any recent shaves. I've been occupied with many other things and have not been able to post on a regular basis. Over the past several shaves, I've stuck with the Razorock Game Changer .84 open comb razor with the Vi-John super platinum and the Stirling Sheep soap. Great, close shaves with nary a weeper. After eight shaves with the same blade, I switched to a Vie-John super stainless and the same players with the result being weepers galore. Rather than chuck the new blade, think I'll try it with the .68 Game Changer OC plate next time to see if that brings down the aggression...
Welcome back! Hoping the blade behaves better in the 0.68OC or that a nicer blade takes its place.
- Thread starter
- #53
02-22-23:
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Sheep (shave soap);
AP Shave Co. 22mm SynBad synthetic (shaving brush);
Razorock Gamechanger .068 open-comb w/Vi-John super stainless blade (razor);
Osma bloc d'alun (astringent);
St. Johns Bay Rum w/dollop of 444 cream (aftershave).
Mostly the same players as last time, except that I used the milder Gamechanger .068 razor, and the result was a very nice and smooth weeper-free shave, leading me to conclude that the Vi-John super stainless is more aggressive than its sibling, the Vi-John super platinum. Pretty much like night and day. Now to decide which gives the better shave overall the Vi-John super platinum with the GC .084 or the Vi-John super stainless with the GC .068? Pretty close, in any case.
First time using a synth knot and a resin handle in a long time. Did the job pretty well, but the handle slipped out of my hands twice. Guess I'm used to the grain feel with all the wooden-handled brushes I've been using over the past several weeks. Really a different feel when loading too, with the tips picking up more soap than it appears prior to lathering.
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Stirling Sheep (shave soap);
AP Shave Co. 22mm SynBad synthetic (shaving brush);
Razorock Gamechanger .068 open-comb w/Vi-John super stainless blade (razor);
Osma bloc d'alun (astringent);
St. Johns Bay Rum w/dollop of 444 cream (aftershave).
Mostly the same players as last time, except that I used the milder Gamechanger .068 razor, and the result was a very nice and smooth weeper-free shave, leading me to conclude that the Vi-John super stainless is more aggressive than its sibling, the Vi-John super platinum. Pretty much like night and day. Now to decide which gives the better shave overall the Vi-John super platinum with the GC .084 or the Vi-John super stainless with the GC .068? Pretty close, in any case.
First time using a synth knot and a resin handle in a long time. Did the job pretty well, but the handle slipped out of my hands twice. Guess I'm used to the grain feel with all the wooden-handled brushes I've been using over the past several weeks. Really a different feel when loading too, with the tips picking up more soap than it appears prior to lathering.
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- #54
Oops, that's 0.68 and 0.84 above!
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- #55
02-28-23:
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Haslinger Schafmilch (shaving soap);
Semogue 2020 best badger (shaving brush);
Razorock Gamechanger 0.68 open-comb w/Vi-John super stainless blade (razor);
Osma bloc d'Alun (astringent);
Pinaud Whiskey Woods (after-shave).
Wow, six days without shaving! Good thing I recently clipped my fingernails and toenails or I would be worried about walking around looking like Howard Hughes at the end. Have to get rid of some stuff so I thought I'd give a few neglected players a shot. Haven't used the Haslinger sheep's milk soap in a few years. Loaded into a gold-rimmed teacup I inherited from my grandmother, the scent is as delicate as the flower design on the teacup. Nothing has aged this soap, still a winner! This is the old-formula, tallow-based soap. Haven't tried the new one, but I won't hesitate trying it when the time comes. I've probably written above regarding the Semogue 2020. It's a nice all-around brush. Rated as "best badger," my experience with Semogue badgers is that they are a little bit scritchier than what we've come to expect from China at the same rating. And as I almost exclusively palm-lather these days, I'm fine with a bit of scritch in building up the lather.
Overall, the same blade/razor head combination yielded a nice, smooth shave. Looks like the 0.68 OC head is the ticket here, as similar results were obtained with a different soap.
Hauled out an American after-shave by way of an eventual good-bye. As always with the Pinaud products, the first application seems pretty light and trashy, but then it dies down to a nice lingering scent with a bit of staying power. Even the missus concurred here. This one seems the lightest in the Pinaud Clubman > Pinaud Clubman Vanilla vein...
Vitos cream (mentholated pre-shave);
Haslinger Schafmilch (shaving soap);
Semogue 2020 best badger (shaving brush);
Razorock Gamechanger 0.68 open-comb w/Vi-John super stainless blade (razor);
Osma bloc d'Alun (astringent);
Pinaud Whiskey Woods (after-shave).
Wow, six days without shaving! Good thing I recently clipped my fingernails and toenails or I would be worried about walking around looking like Howard Hughes at the end. Have to get rid of some stuff so I thought I'd give a few neglected players a shot. Haven't used the Haslinger sheep's milk soap in a few years. Loaded into a gold-rimmed teacup I inherited from my grandmother, the scent is as delicate as the flower design on the teacup. Nothing has aged this soap, still a winner! This is the old-formula, tallow-based soap. Haven't tried the new one, but I won't hesitate trying it when the time comes. I've probably written above regarding the Semogue 2020. It's a nice all-around brush. Rated as "best badger," my experience with Semogue badgers is that they are a little bit scritchier than what we've come to expect from China at the same rating. And as I almost exclusively palm-lather these days, I'm fine with a bit of scritch in building up the lather.
Overall, the same blade/razor head combination yielded a nice, smooth shave. Looks like the 0.68 OC head is the ticket here, as similar results were obtained with a different soap.
Hauled out an American after-shave by way of an eventual good-bye. As always with the Pinaud products, the first application seems pretty light and trashy, but then it dies down to a nice lingering scent with a bit of staying power. Even the missus concurred here. This one seems the lightest in the Pinaud Clubman > Pinaud Clubman Vanilla vein...
- Thread starter
- #56
04-09-23:
Sorry not to have posted in a while here. Suffice it to say that I have been swamped with all that preparing to put my residence on the market entails. Still not out of the woods there by a country mile (more of a city-mile in my case).
So I've pretty much been shaving on auto-pilot: Stirling Sheep as to shave soap with no pre-shave; Razorock Game Changer open-comb 0.68 loaded with a Vi-John stainless steel blade, followed by Stirling unscented witch hazel. Simpson travel synth or Vie-Long horse-badger knot as to brush. My shaves, around five days in between, have been consistently good and have come as quite a relief to at least be somewhat presentable after each shave for the next 2-3 days given present social standards; day 4 and 5 not so much, but the OC does the trick with the longer whiskers there.
Sorry not to have posted in a while here. Suffice it to say that I have been swamped with all that preparing to put my residence on the market entails. Still not out of the woods there by a country mile (more of a city-mile in my case).
So I've pretty much been shaving on auto-pilot: Stirling Sheep as to shave soap with no pre-shave; Razorock Game Changer open-comb 0.68 loaded with a Vi-John stainless steel blade, followed by Stirling unscented witch hazel. Simpson travel synth or Vie-Long horse-badger knot as to brush. My shaves, around five days in between, have been consistently good and have come as quite a relief to at least be somewhat presentable after each shave for the next 2-3 days given present social standards; day 4 and 5 not so much, but the OC does the trick with the longer whiskers there.
Fantastic choices - no need to change up there, that's a great auto-pilot setup.
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- #58
I'm going to be hitting the road in the next few weeks and want a small set-up that might help me maintain a straight razor or recondition any dull knives I might come across where I'll be staying. In wanting to keep things light, I'm close to settling upon the following:
Norton medium India, 5" x 2";
Dan's soft Arkansas pocket stone, 4" x 1-5/8";
Dan's black hard Arkansas pocket stone, 4 x 1-5/8";
Solingen felt-lined paddle strop, one side black-pasted, the other left plain, 8" x 1-5/8";
Home-made dual strop, one side thick latigo, the other thin horsehide, 21-1/2" x 2-1/4";
Olive oil as found for honing;
Dish-washing detergent and a sponge as found for removing the oil after honing;
SOS or Brillo pads as found for dressing the oil stones as needed.
The paddle strop is mostly for putting any finishing touches as needed to a razor off the black hard Arkansas. The latigo side of the dual strop would be for stropping any kitchen knives I come across from my various hosts (many of their knives being way too dull from my experience), this being laid out on a kitchen countertop or table like a bench strop. Latigo, I've found, works well with knives. For razor use, the strop would be flipped to the horsehide side, and used hanging from a doorknob.
Norton medium India, 5" x 2";
Dan's soft Arkansas pocket stone, 4" x 1-5/8";
Dan's black hard Arkansas pocket stone, 4 x 1-5/8";
Solingen felt-lined paddle strop, one side black-pasted, the other left plain, 8" x 1-5/8";
Home-made dual strop, one side thick latigo, the other thin horsehide, 21-1/2" x 2-1/4";
Olive oil as found for honing;
Dish-washing detergent and a sponge as found for removing the oil after honing;
SOS or Brillo pads as found for dressing the oil stones as needed.
The paddle strop is mostly for putting any finishing touches as needed to a razor off the black hard Arkansas. The latigo side of the dual strop would be for stropping any kitchen knives I come across from my various hosts (many of their knives being way too dull from my experience), this being laid out on a kitchen countertop or table like a bench strop. Latigo, I've found, works well with knives. For razor use, the strop would be flipped to the horsehide side, and used hanging from a doorknob.
- Thread starter
- #59
14-08-23:
Stirling Sheep (shaving soap);
HJM boar w/beech handle (shaving brush);
Focus R28 shavette w/Big Ben blade (razor);
Christian Lenart Eau Micellaire (astringent/post-shave).
Three months later and what can I say? I did not follow the set-up as mentioned above, but instead limped by with a cheapo open-comb razor that did a fair job at best. More recently, I've been swamped with work and relocating to France. But finally, I can start to crawl out of the hole a little bit. Last few shaves have been with the Focus all-aluminum shavette loaded with an Egyptian Big Ben blade snapped in half as shown. The Egyptian blades tend to be a little bit harsh, especially at the start, but really lay the whiskers low. Four shaves with each half-blade seems to be the limit (which isn't bad as that translates to eight shaves with a full DE blade). And practice makes perfect with the Focus shavette. Keep the spine low and all goes well there. The Stirling Sheep soap is almost spent; a great soap that pretty much can do it all on its own. That said, the Christian Lenart "eau micellaire" is a very nice complementary finish. Sort of a French supermarket version of the Thayer's witch hazel line. It consists of a blend of witch hazel, rose water, cornflower water, and orange blossom water
Stirling Sheep (shaving soap);
HJM boar w/beech handle (shaving brush);
Focus R28 shavette w/Big Ben blade (razor);
Christian Lenart Eau Micellaire (astringent/post-shave).
Three months later and what can I say? I did not follow the set-up as mentioned above, but instead limped by with a cheapo open-comb razor that did a fair job at best. More recently, I've been swamped with work and relocating to France. But finally, I can start to crawl out of the hole a little bit. Last few shaves have been with the Focus all-aluminum shavette loaded with an Egyptian Big Ben blade snapped in half as shown. The Egyptian blades tend to be a little bit harsh, especially at the start, but really lay the whiskers low. Four shaves with each half-blade seems to be the limit (which isn't bad as that translates to eight shaves with a full DE blade). And practice makes perfect with the Focus shavette. Keep the spine low and all goes well there. The Stirling Sheep soap is almost spent; a great soap that pretty much can do it all on its own. That said, the Christian Lenart "eau micellaire" is a very nice complementary finish. Sort of a French supermarket version of the Thayer's witch hazel line. It consists of a blend of witch hazel, rose water, cornflower water, and orange blossom water
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