A journal of a Cajun's life wet shaving
- Thread starter cajunrph
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #1,842
I agree with Don(@huck1680), the Safari is an excellent pen, and Western nibs, i.e. European and US-made as well as China, run bigger than the Japanese nibs. A Fine LAMY nib is a good choice for those starting out with fountain pens.
Just remember that a Lamy Safari is like a gateway drug.
- Thread starter
- #1,844
- Thread starter
- #1,847
300+ Shaves in 2024 126 of 300+
May 2024 GRUME 14/31
Shave Date 5/15/2024
Razor: 1940'S Fat Handle Tech
Blade: Kai (1)
Pre-Shave: Razor Emporium Pre-Shave soap
Soap: Razor Emporium Heritage (5)
Brush: Semogue 2000 Boar
Post-shave: Alum Bock, Thayer's Witch Hazel, Mother Bear Winter Balm, RE Heritage, Pierre Cardin Pour Monsieur Cologne
Rating: 28.5/30 10 for Comfort, 10 for cuts and weepers(0), 8.5 for smoothness, neck stubble, BBS on the face, and DFS+++ neck.
Notes:
The Fat Handle Tech got the call today for the initial shave with the Kai blade. There was more blade feel, but not the rough feeling I had with the Rapira blade of the last 5 shaves. The additional blade feel may be due to the Kai being wider than most other DE blades as I have learned in the past week from Kim (@Phoenixkh) and others. As the shave progressed I became accustomed to the extra blade feel and proceeded as normal. I even did some diagonal clean-up passes on the neck, which is between XTG and ATG for that area. The result was just shy of the best shaves, a half-point reduction. The Pierre Cardin Pour Monsieur paired great with the Heritage scent. A very successful first shave with the Kai, close, comfortable, and no blood, a winner in my book.
Gonna cut it short today, much to do at work. I wish all a blessed Wednesday, and may all your shaves be the best.
May 2024 GRUME 14/31
Shave Date 5/15/2024
Razor: 1940'S Fat Handle Tech
Blade: Kai (1)
Pre-Shave: Razor Emporium Pre-Shave soap
Soap: Razor Emporium Heritage (5)
Brush: Semogue 2000 Boar
Post-shave: Alum Bock, Thayer's Witch Hazel, Mother Bear Winter Balm, RE Heritage, Pierre Cardin Pour Monsieur Cologne
Rating: 28.5/30 10 for Comfort, 10 for cuts and weepers(0), 8.5 for smoothness, neck stubble, BBS on the face, and DFS+++ neck.
Notes:
The Fat Handle Tech got the call today for the initial shave with the Kai blade. There was more blade feel, but not the rough feeling I had with the Rapira blade of the last 5 shaves. The additional blade feel may be due to the Kai being wider than most other DE blades as I have learned in the past week from Kim (@Phoenixkh) and others. As the shave progressed I became accustomed to the extra blade feel and proceeded as normal. I even did some diagonal clean-up passes on the neck, which is between XTG and ATG for that area. The result was just shy of the best shaves, a half-point reduction. The Pierre Cardin Pour Monsieur paired great with the Heritage scent. A very successful first shave with the Kai, close, comfortable, and no blood, a winner in my book.
Gonna cut it short today, much to do at work. I wish all a blessed Wednesday, and may all your shaves be the best.
- Thread starter
- #1,849
Thanks, Eric, you have a blessed one as well. How is the settling in going over there? Catching up with old friends?
Things are going very well. Thanks for asking, my friend.
I'm grateful to God for all the wonderful people He's put in my life.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #1,851
Almost a week after sending the Mother's Day poem, it arrived. Mom loved it, and kept telling me "Thank you so much." She didn't have a problem reading it and told me I got my dad's talent for poems. It came late but it was still a hit.
Congratulations!
- Thread starter
- #1,853
300+ Shaves in 2024 127 of 300+
May 2024 GRUME 15/31
Shave Date 5/16/2024
Razor: 1950s Rocket 500 HD
Blade: Kai (2)
Pre-Shave: Razor Emporium Pre-Shave soap
Soap: Razor Emporium Heritage (6)
Brush: Zenith 502 Blue Wave Boar
Post-shave: Alum Bock, Thayer's Witch Hazel, Mother Bear Winter Balm, RE Heritage, Brut EDT
Rating: 29/30 10 for Comfort, 10 for cuts and weepers(0), 9 for smoothness, neck stubble, BBS on the face, and DFS+++ neck.
Notes:
After a good number of shaves in which I used an abundance of caution due to harsh and/or unfamiliar blades, shaves where the sea lions were escaping from their customary buzz cut, today the gloves came off. And the results? A fantastic shave, comfortable, close, no nicks, and the sea lions ran plumb off the dock into the bay water, of course, the dolphins splashed them in the face for good measure. For all of the Rapira shaves and the first Kai shave, I did only N-S and S-N on the neck, which is basically XTG work in order to avoid any irritations or cuts. Today, bolstered by the fine performance of the Kai yesterday, the diagonal neck passes came back into action, this is as close to ATG as I care to get on the neck, as true ATG work leaves the neck with many red spots and irritation galore. Today I had nothing of the sort, the Kai handled the neck work great, with today's performance this blade has rocketed up to the upper tier of blades for me, right there with the GSB, Nacets, and Lords Super Stainless of the world. The Brut EDT paired great with the Heritage scent.
I took a picture of the soap to have a baseline of sorts. The 6 shaves is a rough estimate, as I don't remember using it much before. Picture below.
The notch is from when I first used the soap and used a Bass Guitar pic to scrape some out. Now I load from the tub.
That's all for today, I wish all a blessed Thursday, and may all your shaves be the best.
May 2024 GRUME 15/31
Shave Date 5/16/2024
Razor: 1950s Rocket 500 HD
Blade: Kai (2)
Pre-Shave: Razor Emporium Pre-Shave soap
Soap: Razor Emporium Heritage (6)
Brush: Zenith 502 Blue Wave Boar
Post-shave: Alum Bock, Thayer's Witch Hazel, Mother Bear Winter Balm, RE Heritage, Brut EDT
Rating: 29/30 10 for Comfort, 10 for cuts and weepers(0), 9 for smoothness, neck stubble, BBS on the face, and DFS+++ neck.
Notes:
After a good number of shaves in which I used an abundance of caution due to harsh and/or unfamiliar blades, shaves where the sea lions were escaping from their customary buzz cut, today the gloves came off. And the results? A fantastic shave, comfortable, close, no nicks, and the sea lions ran plumb off the dock into the bay water, of course, the dolphins splashed them in the face for good measure. For all of the Rapira shaves and the first Kai shave, I did only N-S and S-N on the neck, which is basically XTG work in order to avoid any irritations or cuts. Today, bolstered by the fine performance of the Kai yesterday, the diagonal neck passes came back into action, this is as close to ATG as I care to get on the neck, as true ATG work leaves the neck with many red spots and irritation galore. Today I had nothing of the sort, the Kai handled the neck work great, with today's performance this blade has rocketed up to the upper tier of blades for me, right there with the GSB, Nacets, and Lords Super Stainless of the world. The Brut EDT paired great with the Heritage scent.
I took a picture of the soap to have a baseline of sorts. The 6 shaves is a rough estimate, as I don't remember using it much before. Picture below.
The notch is from when I first used the soap and used a Bass Guitar pic to scrape some out. Now I load from the tub.
That's all for today, I wish all a blessed Thursday, and may all your shaves be the best.
- Thread starter
- #1,854
300+ Shaves in 2024 128 of 300+
May 2024 GRUME 16/31
Shave Date 5/17/2024
Razor: 1952 Flare Tip Super Speed
Blade: Kai (3)
Pre-Shave: Razor Emporium Pre-Shave soap
Soap: Razor Emporium Heritage (7)
Brush: Yaqi Caramel 26mm two band
Post-shave: Alum Bock, Thayer's Witch Hazel, Mother Bear Winter Balm, RE Heritage, Bootleggers El Dorado A/S
Rating: 29/30 10 for Comfort, 10 for cuts and weepers(0), 9 for smoothness, neck stubble, BBS on the face, and DFS+++ neck.
Notes:
The Kai continues to impress, today's shave was fantastic. The Kai is providing such a comfortable shave, that today I went after those dastardly sea lions and their fur. I did extra clean-up passes on the neck today, on the right side I rode the cap and mowed down the problem area quite well, on the left I did a true ATG pass on the neck, all led to a great shave, but a good bit of alum block feedback. The Kai is a well-behaved blade and I was able to avoid any serious irritation, but I don't think the extra work is worth it, I did not achieve full BBS on the neck, and as stated earlier, significant alum block feedback. Once again, I have proved that my neck will not be BBS ever, I will have errant fur here and there on the neck that will resist being mowed down. Work with what ya got.
I am thinking of a 100ct purchase of the Kai blades, they are roughly the same price as the GSB at Shave Nation, oddly enough they are $25 more at Maggards. $59 VS $35. But then again Nacets are just $22. And the almighty Lord Super Stainless are just $19. Dunno, more investigation is needed. I need to get a fresh 5 shaves on the Lords and see where it stands now in the pecking order.
I have neglected Bootleggers El Dorado for far too long, this one certainly will pair great with any barbershop scent. I highly recommend mixing up a batch and enjoying the lovely aroma, the fully awake spousal approval was achieved today.
'Tis all for today, I wish all a blessed Friday and weekend, and may all your shaves be the best.
May 2024 GRUME 16/31
Shave Date 5/17/2024
Razor: 1952 Flare Tip Super Speed
Blade: Kai (3)
Pre-Shave: Razor Emporium Pre-Shave soap
Soap: Razor Emporium Heritage (7)
Brush: Yaqi Caramel 26mm two band
Post-shave: Alum Bock, Thayer's Witch Hazel, Mother Bear Winter Balm, RE Heritage, Bootleggers El Dorado A/S
Rating: 29/30 10 for Comfort, 10 for cuts and weepers(0), 9 for smoothness, neck stubble, BBS on the face, and DFS+++ neck.
Notes:
The Kai continues to impress, today's shave was fantastic. The Kai is providing such a comfortable shave, that today I went after those dastardly sea lions and their fur. I did extra clean-up passes on the neck today, on the right side I rode the cap and mowed down the problem area quite well, on the left I did a true ATG pass on the neck, all led to a great shave, but a good bit of alum block feedback. The Kai is a well-behaved blade and I was able to avoid any serious irritation, but I don't think the extra work is worth it, I did not achieve full BBS on the neck, and as stated earlier, significant alum block feedback. Once again, I have proved that my neck will not be BBS ever, I will have errant fur here and there on the neck that will resist being mowed down. Work with what ya got.
I am thinking of a 100ct purchase of the Kai blades, they are roughly the same price as the GSB at Shave Nation, oddly enough they are $25 more at Maggards. $59 VS $35. But then again Nacets are just $22. And the almighty Lord Super Stainless are just $19. Dunno, more investigation is needed. I need to get a fresh 5 shaves on the Lords and see where it stands now in the pecking order.
I have neglected Bootleggers El Dorado for far too long, this one certainly will pair great with any barbershop scent. I highly recommend mixing up a batch and enjoying the lovely aroma, the fully awake spousal approval was achieved today.
'Tis all for today, I wish all a blessed Friday and weekend, and may all your shaves be the best.
- Thread starter
- #1,855
300+ Shaves in 2024 129 of 300+
May 2024 GRUME 17/31
Shave Date 5/18/2024
Razor: 1950s English Ball End Tech
Blade: Kai (4)
Pre-Shave: Razor Emporium Pre-Shave soap
Soap: Razor Emporium Heritage (8)
Brush: PAA Atomic Rocket 26mm Synthetic
Post-shave: Alum Bock, Thayer's Witch Hazel, Mother Bear Winter Balm, RE Heritage, Canoe EDT Splash
Rating: 27.75/30 9 for Comfort, 10 for cuts and weepers(0), 8.75 for smoothness, neck stubble, BBS on the face, and DFS+++ neck.
Notes:
The fourth shave with the Kai is getting a tad rough, but I did go after BBS on the neck like yesterday. Today the blade was noticeably rougher, maybe this is a three shave limit for me, like some are with Feather blades. Tomorrow I will take it easy for the 5th shave, no ATG work and just N-S and S-N passes on the neck, get through number 5 and call this one a 3 shave limit blade. I shall shave with the GSB for 5 shaves starting Monday to get a baseline on my best blade and then go on from there. This shave was BBS and the sea lions are buzz cut again, almost like yesterday but a bit furrier. The Atomic Rocket is a very soft brush, and today it did not sling lather too much, 30 swirls in the Heritage tub yielded more than enough lather for many more passes than I did today. And Canoe is a blast from the past that paired well with the Heritage soap, although I did get a good bit of aftershave sting today, evident that I shaved a little too aggressively today.
Enjoy the weekend my shaving Brethren, may it be a blessed weekend, and may all your shaves be the best.
May 2024 GRUME 17/31
Shave Date 5/18/2024
Razor: 1950s English Ball End Tech
Blade: Kai (4)
Pre-Shave: Razor Emporium Pre-Shave soap
Soap: Razor Emporium Heritage (8)
Brush: PAA Atomic Rocket 26mm Synthetic
Post-shave: Alum Bock, Thayer's Witch Hazel, Mother Bear Winter Balm, RE Heritage, Canoe EDT Splash
Rating: 27.75/30 9 for Comfort, 10 for cuts and weepers(0), 8.75 for smoothness, neck stubble, BBS on the face, and DFS+++ neck.
Notes:
The fourth shave with the Kai is getting a tad rough, but I did go after BBS on the neck like yesterday. Today the blade was noticeably rougher, maybe this is a three shave limit for me, like some are with Feather blades. Tomorrow I will take it easy for the 5th shave, no ATG work and just N-S and S-N passes on the neck, get through number 5 and call this one a 3 shave limit blade. I shall shave with the GSB for 5 shaves starting Monday to get a baseline on my best blade and then go on from there. This shave was BBS and the sea lions are buzz cut again, almost like yesterday but a bit furrier. The Atomic Rocket is a very soft brush, and today it did not sling lather too much, 30 swirls in the Heritage tub yielded more than enough lather for many more passes than I did today. And Canoe is a blast from the past that paired well with the Heritage soap, although I did get a good bit of aftershave sting today, evident that I shaved a little too aggressively today.
Enjoy the weekend my shaving Brethren, may it be a blessed weekend, and may all your shaves be the best.
You too! Have a great weekend.
- Thread starter
- #1,857
As my dad used to say to me "Yes you are grown up but you still don't know SFA ". So there's that.
Our babies are our babies even when they’re 100 years old and we’re 130 or looking up to them from the afterlife (I’m not the only one in the gang burning in Hades when it’s time, am I?).
Jay21
Collecting wife bonus parts
I’m already on the ballot to be president of the place.
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