- Thread starter
- #561
I'm not sure I could manage a weeks worth of shaves with an Astra...
My Grande Journey
- Thread starter Esox
- Start date
I'm not sure I could manage a weeks worth of shaves with an Astra...
Astras were the first blade I shaved a full week with. They were also my first blade, and I got tired of swapping them out twice a week.
- Thread starter
- #563
I'll be attempting this soon with Polsilver, Gillette Yellow and maybe Derby Extra, but not sure it will hold up. I've only gotten 4 shaves on one of those before, but 10 so far on a Yellow.
- Thread starter
- #564
A Shave...of sorts.
48 hours since last shave.
I will not foul these pages with a picture of the 'razor' I shaved with tonight.
It was a 3 bladed behemoth branded 'Bic" on its giant black and blue scaly back.
A female friend gave me 3 of the large scaly menacing monstrosities along with an even more evil appearing 5 bladed black and white yet again, larger and scalier beast.
The last time I used my Mach 3 I vowed "Never Again." I remember back when I started using my Mach 3 and between then and now, it seems as though the blades these days are quite a lot less sharp.
This Bic was honestly, a refreshing change in comparison to my Mach 3. It reminded me very much of the early days of Mach 3 blades. Sharper, and a lot smoother than the last fresh Mach 3 blade I tried.
Captain's Choice 45th lathered for the first WTG/XTG pass and much, tugging, took, place! Painful at times especially on my upper lip. I actually had to tighten my skin a lot more than I ever remember doing. Single long strokes and did I mention significant tugging? The only time it stopped tugging on the first pass was when it plugged up solid and skated over my stubble like a hockey puck.
Finish that first pass wipe and check and an honestly decent DFS.
Lather again and the beast attacked ATG in a buffing pass. Quite a lot of tugging again but that quickly diminished to none and the cats tongue took over.
Wipe and check, lather again. If you can imagine what it feels like being licked by a rather large cat, thats pretty much it.
If someone had been watching me they most likely would have thought I was trying to cut my throat with a toy knife or something the way I had to attack my swirls. Like a crazed man with a dull saw attacking a piece of wood in frustration.
The amount of pressure needed to even get the blade to properly engage the skin is nothing short of ridiculous. I think they make these beasts with left over valve springs from a Chevy V6.
Wipe and check, paint lather attacking my neck yet again in an effort to get the BBS finish I like, and I nearly did, but in the end did not.
300 strokes with a 3 blade cart razor, or 3 strokes with a single bladed DE razor. Hmmm, decisions decisions...
In the end a very good shave, but if this was my only choice of tool to use, I might become a hipster myself. I already have more than enough hair for the man bun lol, but I refuse!
Naturally I have some redness to my skin and I remember the guy in the video that scrubbed his cheek pink. I was doing the same thing, not constantly on the same spot, but as vigorously.
I do not have a BBS finish and I have never had a BBS finish with any cart type razor I have ever used. I can feel stubble along my jawline and under my chin. No matter the amount of buffing, no not buffing, scrubbing is a more accurate word to use, BBS is not happening.
Now 30 minutes later my neck and under my chin still feels warm and a bit raw. I'm not sure what the bigger 5 bladed monster can accomplish. I've never used a 5 bladed cart, but I doubt it will do much better.
I just now felt under my chin and along my jawline and if my skin didnt feel so warm and raw, I'd go do it right with my Grande!
48 hours since last shave.
I will not foul these pages with a picture of the 'razor' I shaved with tonight.
It was a 3 bladed behemoth branded 'Bic" on its giant black and blue scaly back.
A female friend gave me 3 of the large scaly menacing monstrosities along with an even more evil appearing 5 bladed black and white yet again, larger and scalier beast.
The last time I used my Mach 3 I vowed "Never Again." I remember back when I started using my Mach 3 and between then and now, it seems as though the blades these days are quite a lot less sharp.
This Bic was honestly, a refreshing change in comparison to my Mach 3. It reminded me very much of the early days of Mach 3 blades. Sharper, and a lot smoother than the last fresh Mach 3 blade I tried.
Captain's Choice 45th lathered for the first WTG/XTG pass and much, tugging, took, place! Painful at times especially on my upper lip. I actually had to tighten my skin a lot more than I ever remember doing. Single long strokes and did I mention significant tugging? The only time it stopped tugging on the first pass was when it plugged up solid and skated over my stubble like a hockey puck.
Finish that first pass wipe and check and an honestly decent DFS.
Lather again and the beast attacked ATG in a buffing pass. Quite a lot of tugging again but that quickly diminished to none and the cats tongue took over.
Wipe and check, lather again. If you can imagine what it feels like being licked by a rather large cat, thats pretty much it.
If someone had been watching me they most likely would have thought I was trying to cut my throat with a toy knife or something the way I had to attack my swirls. Like a crazed man with a dull saw attacking a piece of wood in frustration.
The amount of pressure needed to even get the blade to properly engage the skin is nothing short of ridiculous. I think they make these beasts with left over valve springs from a Chevy V6.
Wipe and check, paint lather attacking my neck yet again in an effort to get the BBS finish I like, and I nearly did, but in the end did not.
300 strokes with a 3 blade cart razor, or 3 strokes with a single bladed DE razor. Hmmm, decisions decisions...
In the end a very good shave, but if this was my only choice of tool to use, I might become a hipster myself. I already have more than enough hair for the man bun lol, but I refuse!
Naturally I have some redness to my skin and I remember the guy in the video that scrubbed his cheek pink. I was doing the same thing, not constantly on the same spot, but as vigorously.
I do not have a BBS finish and I have never had a BBS finish with any cart type razor I have ever used. I can feel stubble along my jawline and under my chin. No matter the amount of buffing, no not buffing, scrubbing is a more accurate word to use, BBS is not happening.
Now 30 minutes later my neck and under my chin still feels warm and a bit raw. I'm not sure what the bigger 5 bladed monster can accomplish. I've never used a 5 bladed cart, but I doubt it will do much better.
I just now felt under my chin and along my jawline and if my skin didnt feel so warm and raw, I'd go do it right with my Grande!
Female friends! That's great. You should repay the favor by passing her a Grande. You can interptet that as you will.
- Thread starter
- #566
The "Grande" has sometimes been called inefficient shall we say. 
As far as the razor goes haha, I've been trying to get her to use the Lady Gillette I have, but after asking her why she didnt like the Bic and she replied "they're too sharp" I dont see that coming anytime soon...
As far as the razor goes haha, I've been trying to get her to use the Lady Gillette I have, but after asking her why she didnt like the Bic and she replied "they're too sharp" I dont see that coming anytime soon...
- Thread starter
- #567
Time for a new challenge, inspired in large part by @Cal and his use of a single Polsilver blade for 120 shaves! Is that a standing record? 
Polsilver shave #1.
Single buffing pass ATG. No issues and a repeat performance of my previous use of the same blade.
Wipe and check and a damn good shave. BBS everywhere but my swirls and maybe a 1/2" strip just below my jawline where I need a steeper angle. Lather my neck again and buff my swirls in the opposite direction and along my jawline, wipe and check and I dropped the angle left side jawline, so I hit it again and done.
Easy peasy. Repeat in 48 hours or so with the same blade flipped.
Polsilver shave #1.
Single buffing pass ATG. No issues and a repeat performance of my previous use of the same blade.
Wipe and check and a damn good shave. BBS everywhere but my swirls and maybe a 1/2" strip just below my jawline where I need a steeper angle. Lather my neck again and buff my swirls in the opposite direction and along my jawline, wipe and check and I dropped the angle left side jawline, so I hit it again and done.
Easy peasy. Repeat in 48 hours or so with the same blade flipped.
- Thread starter
- #568
Polsilver shave #2.
Blade flipped.
48 hours since last shave.
Captain's Choice 45th cream.
Omega 10005 boar.
First buffing pass ATG, no issues.
Wipe and check and lather my neck again, but this time something different...
I decided to try a steep angle with this razor seeing as a few people seem to prefer a steeper angle. You know who you are.
First clean up pass directly ATG, no buffing, steep angle and all comb. It was instantly obvious I needed less pressure with such a steep angle. No issues for most of the pass, but as soon as I got to my swirls it started to tug and wanted to skip over them. I maintained the same pressure as I knew I'd need to go over them again anyway.
Wipe and check and yep another clean up needed over my swirls and jawline. Steep angle again, paying close attention to angle and pressure, no buffing, as much as I wanted too! Tuggy again over my swirls and a bit of blood right side.
Wipe and check and pretty good, but I wasnt happy yet. Paint again and buff, yesss this is more like it lol. No tugging at all, no issues anywhere and when I wiped my face and neck with a towel I have a very close very nice BBS shave. My whole face is shiny haha.
Feeling now, my neck, chin and jawline feels like its never had whiskers growing out of it.
I'm not sold on this steep angle business, but I'll keep playing with it. I do have an extremely close shave, not quite as comfortable as usual but pretty damn good.
Blade flipped.
48 hours since last shave.
Captain's Choice 45th cream.
Omega 10005 boar.
First buffing pass ATG, no issues.
Wipe and check and lather my neck again, but this time something different...
I decided to try a steep angle with this razor seeing as a few people seem to prefer a steeper angle. You know who you are.
First clean up pass directly ATG, no buffing, steep angle and all comb. It was instantly obvious I needed less pressure with such a steep angle. No issues for most of the pass, but as soon as I got to my swirls it started to tug and wanted to skip over them. I maintained the same pressure as I knew I'd need to go over them again anyway.
Wipe and check and yep another clean up needed over my swirls and jawline. Steep angle again, paying close attention to angle and pressure, no buffing, as much as I wanted too! Tuggy again over my swirls and a bit of blood right side.
Wipe and check and pretty good, but I wasnt happy yet. Paint again and buff, yesss this is more like it lol. No tugging at all, no issues anywhere and when I wiped my face and neck with a towel I have a very close very nice BBS shave. My whole face is shiny haha.
Feeling now, my neck, chin and jawline feels like its never had whiskers growing out of it.
I'm not sold on this steep angle business, but I'll keep playing with it. I do have an extremely close shave, not quite as comfortable as usual but pretty damn good.
Catchy lyrics there Mike.
I suspect that you've been "educated" and that you've been reading "rule books" way too long Mike.
As a "steep angle shaver" my preference, and the majority of my shave is performed at a steep angle. BUT, I also use neutral angle AND shallow angle wherever they are better suited.
As you are well aware, tugging is a "technique problem."
- Thread starter
- #571
Stay tuned for my Spotify post.
Theres a rule book? I thought the only book that was required reading was "The Book of Rabidus". LOL
I would agree. A problem initiated with too steep an angle haha.
I really dont enjoy a steep angle shave. For me even slightly steep with the Grande changes the shave from feeling no blade at all and having a really smooth shave to a rough, harsh and scraping feeling shave.
My most comfortable shaves are shallow on my cheeks and everywhere below my jawline. Along my jawline I need to steepen the angle just slightly so I feel the blade to get a BBS finish. The same as the face of my chin, but the closer to my bottom lip the steeper the angle needs to be for the same close shave as everywhere else.
Riding the comb like I did today I dont think is for me, but like I said, I'll keep at it.
I know you're only joking with me Mike, but in fairness it's a problem initiated by an incorrect angle for the circumstances (and no doubt several other things).
- Thread starter
- #573
Yes, that's what I'm saying (assuming your lather and pressure are spot on).
- Thread starter
- #575
Yep lather was good, pressure I varied trying to find a sweet spot. It was tuggy and harsh regardless.
The rest of the shave on other areas went fine really. I've been curious about a steep angle since I used a Derby Extra in my NEW SC and had a 10 hour BBS vs a 4 hours BBS shallow. So it is something I'll experiment with.
- Thread starter
- #577
Welcome to the dark side, Mike. Like Cal recommends, shave angle can vary depending on the conditions of your shave and the razor itself. I have found some razors shave me better with a steep and some with a shallow and some in between, so this whole ride the cap thing is really on it's head for me. How long did the shave last from the steeper angle?
- Thread starter
- #579
I kind of naturally took to shaving with a shallower angle and have with all my DE's. Only along my jawline and the face of my chin do I use a steeper angle. The stubble in those areas is coarser and denser, so to get the same level of BBS shave, I need a little more aggression. Think neutral to 60/40 cap compared to my usual 80/20 cap.
I didnt keep track of how long the BBS lasted, but 12 hours is typical for me and has been pretty consistent with the Grande. I can use my NEW SC with a very steep angle a lot more comfortably than I can the Grande. Not sure why but I think its the lack of gap and the extra blade exposure.
The longest lasting BBS shave I've had was with a Polsilver blade in my Gillette Regent. That was a steep angle shave, all safety bar. It was also a very slow very cautious shave lol, but the BBS finish lasted 23 hours. My usual shave with that razor and a Perma-Sharp Super, shallow angle, is also 12 hours. NEW SC and a Polsilver is 12 hours at a shallow angle, Derby Extra 4-5 hours shallow, but 10 hours steep. That was actually a pretty good shave too. I'll have to repeat that combination again sometime.
- Thread starter
- #580
Polsilver shave #4.
Blade flipped.
46 hours since last shave.
Captain's Choice 45th. Who could get tired of this scent?
Started buffing ATG as usual. First pass went really well. Comfort all the way and when I wiped and checked it was also very close. I did have to buff over my swirls again, not sure I'll ever be able to get around doing that.
Wipe and check again, BBS everywhere but my left side jawline. I seem to have issues with this one strip maybe 4"s long and just below my jawline, it's about a 1/2" wide. If you feel with the pad of your thumb right under and up against your jawline, thats the spot. Buff over that with a slightly steeper angle again and done.
I'm not sure why I'm struggling with that spot. It's always the same strip and its only on the left side. I shave with my right hand but even concentrating on holding the right angle and direction, I really need to work to get that area BBS over all others. I BBS the same strip on my right side first pass, its never been an issue.
Incidentally, this is the most I've used a single Polsilver blade, and going by todays shave, it wont be giving up any time soon.
Blade flipped.
46 hours since last shave.
Captain's Choice 45th. Who could get tired of this scent?
Started buffing ATG as usual. First pass went really well. Comfort all the way and when I wiped and checked it was also very close. I did have to buff over my swirls again, not sure I'll ever be able to get around doing that.
Wipe and check again, BBS everywhere but my left side jawline. I seem to have issues with this one strip maybe 4"s long and just below my jawline, it's about a 1/2" wide. If you feel with the pad of your thumb right under and up against your jawline, thats the spot. Buff over that with a slightly steeper angle again and done.
I'm not sure why I'm struggling with that spot. It's always the same strip and its only on the left side. I shave with my right hand but even concentrating on holding the right angle and direction, I really need to work to get that area BBS over all others. I BBS the same strip on my right side first pass, its never been an issue.
Incidentally, this is the most I've used a single Polsilver blade, and going by todays shave, it wont be giving up any time soon.
