A newbie’s journey into DE shaving

[Guido75]

Date	11.02.2023
365 days of shaving	42/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	42/365 (100%)
GRUME February	11/28 (100%) 02/12 (100%)
Other participations	Shave of the Week Society (SWS) Discovery Blade Adventure One Blade in February (OBiF)

Passes	2.5
XWTG	Cheeks: N-S Neck: N-S
WXTG	Cheeks L: W-E Cheeks R: E-W Neck: S-N
XATG	Cheeks: S-N

Razor	Blade	Brush
Green Cult 2.0 II	Eddison (8)	Kox Blue Synthetic
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash	Dutchy Bergamot Hybrid lathering	Cold splash

Efficiency	Quality
8/10 (~20 minutes)	7/10 (Nick on the chin and left of the upper lip)
Effectiveness	Comfort
8.5/10 (DFS+)	9/10 (buttery smooth)

Notes to today’s shave:

Cheat day from OBiF with an Eddison loaded in the GC2 II as I wanted to know how the GC shaves with a more effective blade. And this blade is definitely a step up from the Tiger used in OBiF. The weepers are a good reminder for me that I need to pay attention to my technique as the much milder Tiger may have installed a little more pressure in my razor handling - and more pressure with this current razor and blade is a recipe for nicks and weepers.

The GC2 is super effective when given a performance blade like the Eddison. Today’s shave also proves that the level II is my sweet spot with sufficient blade gap and exposure. I don’t think the level III will be up my alley even though my daily driver is a .95 razor as the III has more blade exposure than my Ti95.

Pass one was very effective and if i would have been in a rush I could have walked out the door. Second pass was DFS and areas with DFS+. Third ATG on the cheeks was BBS in those areas. I forgot a touch up on my probleem neck area - tomorrow is another day.

An excellent shave as far as I am concerned. Renewed acquaintance with the GC and it is good.

Enjoy your shave today!

 

[Guido75]

Date	12.02.2023
365 days of shaving	43/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	43/365 (100%)
GRUME February	12/28 (100%) 02/12 (100%)
Other participations	Shave of the Week Society (SWS) Discovery Blade Adventure One Blade in February (OBiF)

Passes	3
XWTG	Cheeks: N-S Neck: N-S
WXTG	Cheeks L: W-E Cheeks R: E-W Neck: S-N
XATG	Cheeks: S-N Neck: S-N (slanted)

Razor	Blade	Brush
Timeless Ti95SCL	Tiger Platinum (5)	Razorock Plissoft 400
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash	Dutchy Bergamot Hybrid lathering	Cold splash

Efficiency	Quality
8/10 (~20 minutes)	10/10 (clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort
8.5/10 (DFS+)	9/10 (buttery smooth)

Notes to today’s shave:

Back in the game again with my Tiger and Ti95. The blade performed and behaved thanks to the Ti95. Smooth and comfortable as well which was not the case with the other blade and other razors - so happy with that finding. The 7 shaves per blade I can only achieve with my Fatip and I am now guessing with my Old Type perhaps as well. Next week will be mostly shaving with the Matador Deluxe so curious to learn how that will go. In all I think this blade averages on 4-5 shaves for me.

A three pass shave today. I found two neck parts does the trick and smoothness is just not that long lasting with two passes. And I have come to the point that it doesn’t require enormous amounts of extra time to do it. The Tiger is mild to allow for a third neck pass without irritation.

Technique-wise more buffing strokes today which I normally only do or only have to do in my problem areas. But I did it to maintain blade performance. Remaining stubble on my chin tells me that buffing with this blade has limits too.

A fine Sunday shave. Enjoy yours today!

 

[Guido75]

I broke my brush by using it (I didn’t do cycles or anything)

That came out wrong. I have broken my brush in by using it! Brush is still intact and working accordingly!

#mybad.

 

[Guido75]

Date	13.02.2023
365 days of shaving	44/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	44/365 (100%)
GRUME February	13/28 (100%) 02/12 (100%)
Other participations	Shave of the Week Society (SWS) Discovery Blade Adventure One Blade in February (OBiF)

Passes	3
XWTG	Cheeks: N-S Neck: N-S
WXTG	Cheeks L: W-E Cheeks R: E-W Neck: S-N
XATG	Cheeks: S-N Neck: S-N (slanted)

Razor	Blade	Brush
Mühle R41 Timeless Ti95SCL	Tiger Platinum (1) Tiger Platinum (6)	Omega Super Badger
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash	Dutchy Bergamot Hybrid lathering	Cold splash

Efficiency	Quality
8/10 (~20 minutes)	10/10 (clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort
8/10 (DFS+)	9/10 (buttery smooth)

Notes to today’s shave:

Doing a daily double today. The R41 with a fresh blade and the Ti95 with the current blade. After this shave the fresh blade will migrate to the razor for the week - the Matador Deluxe.

First pass was for the Ti95 which sufficiently paved the way for the R41 on passes two and three. The R41 was comfortable and moderately effective. I am appreciating this blade now and now for what it is - an easy no fuzz, no pain blade for a quick and comfortable shave. I think on average it is about 4-5 shaves max and that’s ok too. And OBiF is not over yet so I have more razors to explore with the Tiger.

Other actors behaved accordingly. Nice brush action today as I pressed down less on the brush to prevent too much splaying. The soap is excellent. Nice glide and slickness. And it lathers instantly almost as well.

Great shave! Enjoy yours today!

 

[Butch Waxx]

Date	13.02.2023
365 days of shaving	44/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	44/365 (100%)
GRUME February	13/28 (100%) 02/12 (100%)
Other participations	Shave of the Week Society (SWS) Discovery Blade Adventure One Blade in February (OBiF)

Passes	3
XWTG	Cheeks: N-S Neck: N-S
WXTG	Cheeks L: W-E Cheeks R: E-W Neck: S-N
XATG	Cheeks: S-N Neck: S-N (slanted)

Razor	Blade	Brush
Mühle R41 Timeless Ti95SCL	Tiger Platinum (1) Tiger Platinum (6)	Omega Super Badger
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash	Dutchy Bergamot Hybrid lathering	Cold splash

Efficiency	Quality
8/10 (~20 minutes)	10/10 (clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort
8/10 (DFS+)	9/10 (buttery smooth)

Notes to today’s shave:

Doing a daily double today. The R41 with a fresh blade and the Ti95 with the current blade. After this shave the fresh blade will migrate to the razor for the week - the Matador Deluxe.

First pass was for the Ti95 which sufficiently paved the way for the R41 on passes two and three. The R41 was comfortable and moderately effective. I am appreciating this blade now and now for what it is - an easy no fuzz, no pain blade for a quick and comfortable shave. I think on average it is about 4-5 shaves max and that’s ok too. And OBiF is not over yet so I have more razors to explore with the Tiger.

Other actors behaved accordingly. Nice brush action today as I pressed down less on the brush to prevent too much splaying. The soap is excellent. Nice glide and slickness. And it lathers instantly almost as well.

Great shave! Enjoy yours today!

Wow Guido!!!! You may not need to shave again for 3 days after the daily double.

 

[Guido75]

Wow Guido!!!! You may not need to shave again for 3 days after the daily double.

Haha! You think?! It’s in the afternoon now here and I can feel first but of stubble growing already! I don’t have necessary coarse or thick beard growth, but it definitely is growing at a steady pace - I think I might be a daily shaver out of necessity (but it is no burden and a true joy!).

Cheers,

Guido

 

[Phoenixkh]

I shaved every day for years.... i sort of like the every other day pattern now that I'm retired. It does cut down on that bit of Zen peace I could have every day.... but joy deferred is also nice.

 

[Guido75]

I shaved every day for years.... i sort of like the every other day pattern now that I'm retired. It does cut down on that bit of Zen peace I could have every day.... but joy deferred is also nice.

Yep, in that sense too you are in front of me Kim. Still in active duty and while my employer is flexible towards beards (and all kinds of beard growth - not necessary to my liking), I find clean shave too for my professional bill the best. And far more importantly than that: the LOTH is more or less against beards or one day of growth for that matter. So I kill two birds with one stone…ehh…shave.

With two days of growth there is more satisfaction I guess from that first pass as you take the house down!

Guido

 

[Guido75]

Date	14.02.2023
365 days of shaving	45/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	45/365 (100%)
GRUME February	14/28 (100%) 02/12 (100%)
Other participations	Shave of the Week Society (SWS) Discovery Blade Adventure One Blade in February (OBiF)

Passes	3
XWTG	Cheeks: N-S Neck: N-S
WXTG	Cheeks L: W-E Cheeks R: E-W Neck: S-N
XATG	Cheeks: S-N Neck: S-N (slanted)

Razor	Blade	Brush
Timeless Ti95SCL	Tiger Platinum (7)	Omega Roma Capitolina
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash	Dutchy Bergamot Hybrid lathering	Cold splash

Efficiency	Quality
8/10 (~20 minutes)	10/10 (clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort
7/10 (DFS)	8/10 (smooth)

Notes to today’s shave:

I had planned to start shaving with the Matador when I realised that it’s Timeless Tuesdays. And seeing that @desertcat has joined the Timeless’ ranks I just had to bring out the big guns! Well my Ti95 literally stands front and centre in my den so she is actually hard to miss.

The blade still performed albeit slightly less effective than yesterday. But I must say it sort of surprised me. And comfortable too. Yes there was some tugging on the upper lip and cleft parts but nothing too harsh.

I used a more buffing kind of stroke today following the usual directions. Three passes were needed to get a good result and I missed areas on the jaw line.

A fine shave with my finest razor

Enjoy your shave today!

 

[lasta]

Quality and comfort had gone up considerably!

I guess even the Tiger can be tamed with enough persistence.

 

[Guido75]

Quality and comfort had gone up considerably!

I guess even the Tiger can be tamed with enough persistence.

With the right razor most certainly! Fatip and Timeless for the win in this case. Happy about that discovery. And given the Fatip's performance with this blade, I imagine the Gillette Old Type (thick cap) to deliver similar performance. I have the Old Type lined up for next month and will use a Tiger to find out.

Cheers,

Guido.

 

[Guido75]

Shout out to @APBinNCA !! Congratulations on your birthday Ned!!

Enjoy your day!

Guido.

 

[thombrogan]

Happy birthday, @APBinNCA !

 

[APBinNCA]

Shout out to @APBinNCA !! Congratulations on your birthday Ned!!

Enjoy your day!

Guido.

Happy birthday, @APBinNCA !

Wow guys, thanks so much for thinking of me! I will make sure to get a big head about it.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Happy birthday, Aaron

 

[APBinNCA]

Happy birthday, Aaron

Thanks Kim

 

[Guido75]

Date	15.02.2023
365 days of shaving	46/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	46/365 (100%)
GRUME February	15/28 (100%) 02/12 (100%)
Other participations	Shave of the Week Society (SWS) Discovery Blade Adventure One Blade in February (OBiF)

Passes	3
XWTG	Cheeks: N-S Neck: N-S
WXTG	Cheeks L: W-E Cheeks R: E-W Neck: S-N
XATG	Cheeks: S-N Neck: S-N (slanted)

Razor	Blade	Brush
Matador Deluxe on Lasta Red Handle	Tiger Platinum (2)	DVH Synthetic
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash	Dutchy Bergamot Hybrid lathering	Cold splash

Efficiency	Quality
8/10 (~20 minutes)	10/10 (Clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort
8.5/10 (DFS++)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes to today’s shave:

First shave with the Matador and the Tiger (something different than a bull!) and also the first shave with this resort in quite a longer time. The Matador is a deceptive razor in that it is a closed comb razor and appears to be mild by the looks of it. Judging by the results however, this is one effective shaver! Comfortable, nimble and super smooth. The blade on its second run and feeling very nice and sharp which is unlike the blade's behaviour to date with other razors. Looking forward to more shaves with this Swedish gem. They are rarer to find, but if you can this is definitely a consideration.

Enjoy your shave today!

 

[Guido75]

16.02.2023

• Guido75
• Feb 15, 2023

Matador Deluxe (with Lasta Blue handle) • Tiger Platinum (3) • Simpson T3 • Dutchy Bergamot

Date	16.02.2023
365 days of shaving	47/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	47/365 (100%)
GRUME February	16/28 (100%) 02/12 (100%)
Other participations	Shave of the Week Society (SWS) Discovery Blade Adventure One Blade in February (OBiF)

Passes	3
XWTG	Cheeks: N-S Neck: N-S
WXTG	Cheeks L: W-E Cheeks R: E-W Neck: S-N
XATG	Cheeks: S-N Neck: S-N (slanted)

Razor	Blade	Brush
Matador Deluxe on Lasta Red Handle	Tiger Platinum (3)	Simpson T3
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash	Dutchy Bergamot Hybrid lathering	Cold splash

Efficiency	Quality
8/10 (~20 minutes)	10/10 (Clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort
8.5/10 (DFS++)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes to today’s shave:

Second shave with the Matador and the Tiger. I am impressed with the Matador - it can tame a Tiger and discipline it into performance. Best shave so far this month.

It must be the curvature of the cap, because the baseplate is completely flat. This was the third run with this Tiger blade and it does not show signs of fatigue. Even though the blade gets uneven stress because the exposure appears to be slightly off between left and right on the baseplate. During the shave one side has more blade feel than the other.

Splendid shave. And you are absolutely right @Jack Goossen - this razor is awesome! Thank you for introducing me to this brand with the head you send me last year. I cannot wait to use my Swing next week to see how that Swede will take care of this blade.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[lasta]

That Matador looks like a shallow shaving razor, beautiful one at that!

I'm guessing shallow slicing can squeeze out every last bit of performance from a duller blade. (IMO) Steep scraping with a Tiger is akin to self flagellation!

 

[Guido75]

That Matador looks like a shallow shaving razor, beautiful one at that!

I'm guessing shallow slicing can squeeze out every last bit of performance from a duller blade. (IMO) Steep scraping with a Tiger is akin to self flagellation!

In appearance yes. I think I use my usual steep angle or maybe neutral. Will pay more attention to that tomorrow. Scraping is indeed no fun with this blade.

Guido