A newbie’s journey into DE shaving

[Guido75]

11.03.2023

• Guido75
• Mar 10, 2023

Green Cult 2.0 Level II • PermaSharp (10) • Omega Proraso • Mike’s Natural Barbershop

Date	11.03.2023
365 days of shaving	70/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	70/365 (100%)
GRUME March	11/31 (100%) 03/12 (100%)
Other participations	Soap of the Month Club (SOTMC)

Razor	Blade	Brush
Green Cult 2.0 Level II	Gillette Perma Sharp (10)	Omega Proraso
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash	Mike’s Barbershop Proraso Green	Cold splash

Efficiency	Quality
8/10 (~20 minutes)	9/10 (tiny weepers)
Effectiveness	Comfort
8.5/10 (BBS-)	9/10 (buttery smooth)

Passes and Patterns	WXTG	XWTG	XATG
Cheek L	NW-SE (Gillette Slide)	W-E (slant up)	S-N E-W
Cheek R	NE-SW (Gillette Slide)	E-W (slant up)	S-N W-E
Neck L	N-S (slant down)	S-N	SW-NE
Neck R	N-S (slant down)	S-N	SE-NE
Upperlip L	NW-SE (Gillette Slide)	SW-NE (slant up)	SW-NE (slant up) S-N
Upperlip R	NE-SW (Gillette Slide)	SE-NW (slant up)	SE-NW (slant up) S-N
Upperlip M	N-S	-	S-N
Chin L	W-E	W-E	SW-NE S-N
Chin R	E-W	E-W	SE-NW S-N
Chin M	N-S	N-S	S-N

Notes to today’s shave:

Final run with the PermaSharp blade as far as I am concerned. Fun to bring it into double digits, but it’s been difficult to use on my neck with sensitive skin as a result. Today however not so. It was smooth and comfortable. And the shave was super close! I would say R41 close but much smoother and less raking. I am very tempted to use this razor again tomorrow. I didn’t get to full BBS because I did avoid to go ATG on the upperlip too much, but other than that very smooth bordering on marble on my cheeks and left jawline.

I paid extra attention to loading and building my lather today. Brought my timer with me to monitor times. And because the brush is kind of a hogger I let it soak overnight. Repurposed a small cup for soaking brushing going forward. I am not bringing a water measuring cup yet, but I might if I need to…BOSCing up on lathering!

And BOSCing up is still what I need to do. Speaking overnight was a good thing. Loading for 30 seconds was not long enough. I had to reload twice between passes to prevent just a film of lathering rather than slick and thick cream.

Consistent technique again and I feel I have found the pattern that works best with my growth. The neck passes could be slightly enhanced, but face passes are as good as they get at the moment. And I love my Gillette Slide.

This was a fantastic shave. Enjoy yours today!

 

[flask28]

Congratulations @Guido75!!

Here's to another year of shaving adventure with friends!

 

[Rosseforp]

Date	10.03.2023
365 days of shaving	69/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	69/365 (100%)
GRUME March	10/31 (100%) 03/12 (100%)
Other participations	Soap of the Month Club (SOTMC)

Razor	Blade	Brush
Gillette Super Adjustable (V3)	Gillette Perma Sharp (9)	Omega Roma Capitolina
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash	Mike’s Barbershop Proraso Green	Cold splash

Efficiency	Quality
8/10 (~20 minutes)	9/10 (tiny weepers)
Effectiveness	Comfort
9/10 (BBS)	9/10 (buttery smooth)

Passes and Patterns	WXTG	XWTG	XATG
Cheek L	NW-SE (Gillette Slide)	W-E (slant up)	S-N E-W
Cheek R	NE-SW (Gillette Slide)	E-W (slant up)	S-N W-E
Neck L	N-S (slant down)	S-N	SW-NE
Neck R	N-S (slant down)	S-N	SE-NE
Upperlip L	NW-SE (Gillette Slide)	SW-NE (slant up)	SW-NE (slant up) S-N
Upperlip R	NE-SW (Gillette Slide)	SE-NW (slant up)	SE-NW (slant up) S-N
Upperlip M	N-S	-	S-N
Chin L	W-E	W-E	SW-NE S-N
Chin R	E-W	E-W	SE-NW S-N
Chin M	N-S	N-S	S-N

Notes to today’s shave:

A special day calls for a special razor. Today is my first B&B anniversary and there is lots to be grateful and thankful for, including shaving with my birth quarter razor courtesy of the eminent cowboy @Curly Straight. I used settings 4-5-6 for my subsequent passes.

I am very glad to have chosen Mike’s for my soap of the month. I still am struggling with dialling this soap in for loading. Today was thinner overall even though I thought I loaded heavier than yesterday - albeit for the same 30 seconds. Still good glide and support.

The blade and me will not be the best of friends, but we have a good working relationship. It still performs very well, but my skin had trouble dealing with the harsher nature during the neck passes. No idea why my cheeks are ok. It’s actually a vaguely similar harshness I experience when using KCG blades. But being one shave away from double digits, we all know how this will play out.

A wonderful anniversary shave with a great razor.

Enjoy your shave!

Congratulations on your First Anniversary Shave and to many, many more Guido!

Have a lot of Great Shaves

~doug~

 

[Guido75]

Congratulations on your First Anniversary Shave and to many, many more Guido!

Have a lot of Great Shaves

~doug~

Thanks Doug!

Have a great weekend.

 

[Guido75]

Nice evening chore completed: I have worked out my razor rotation for the remainder of the year. I have been puzzling over SWS fixed combinations or consecutive uses, but the fact is that I enjoy variation too much and I wasn’t able to fit themed days in. At least not yet.

So I turned to a spreadsheet and set up a randomiser that takes themed days into account. I then analysed the preliminary razor distribution and based on that I made some refinements. The final outcome is that I use all my razors more equally with the exception of the Ti95 (way more prospective usage!).

I am just a BOSC CPA I guess! Either way I am looking forward to tomorrow’s shave - and that is would you believe it the same as today!

Cheers,

Guido

 

[JKaboom]

@Guido75 , congratulations on a full year!

Question, could you elaborate on this (it should be obvious I guess but I've not heard of this)?

"... And because the brush is kind of a hogger I let it soak overnight. Repurposed a small cup for soaking brushing going forward. I am not bringing a water measuring cup..."

 

[Phoenixkh]

Nice evening chore completed: I have worked out my razor rotation for the remainder of the year. I have been puzzling over SWS fixed combinations or consecutive uses, but the fact is that I enjoy variation too much and I wasn’t able to fit themed days in. At least not yet.

So I turned to a spreadsheet and set up a randomiser that takes themed days into account. I then analysed the preliminary razor distribution and based on that I made some refinements. The final outcome is that I use all my razors more equally with the exception of the Ti95 (way more prospective usage!).

I am just a BOSC CPA I guess! Either way I am looking forward to tomorrow’s shave - and that is would you believe it the same as today!

Cheers,

Guido

So far, I think I'm more of a "on a whim" shaver. I make short term usage plans but don't mind if I deviate from what I was thinking in the days or hours proceeding a shave. You have to factor in I only shave every other day at the most... Lots of time to ponder things.

 

[Guido75]

@Guido75 , congratulations on a full year!

Question, could you elaborate on this (it should be obvious I guess but I've not heard of this)?

"... And because the brush is kind of a hogger I let it soak overnight. Repurposed a small cup for soaking brushing going forward. I am not bringing a water measuring cup..."

Thanks man!

And sure I can - let’s see if I understand correctly so I will do all three parts:

• My Omega Proraso boar is now over a year old. It’s broken in, soft tips when lathering. Actually pretty good brush. With one small issue: it keeps eating away at my lather! Irrespective of the soap I use, somewhere in the first or second pass…boom…al lather gone.
• I figured it might be because I have not soaked the brush long enough - I tend to do things quickly anyway so soaking with me is usually a minute at best.
• So what would happen if I soaked it overnight? So I got a smaller cup (smaller than my bowl at least and I normally soak my brush using my lather bowl hence the ‘going forward’) in which the brush has a nice fit and put in 1/3 of water and went to bed.
• Next morning the brush was fully saturated and yet somehow not dripping wet. Gave it a shake and started loading, which I think went well.
• I think I did overdo it on the adding of water and that’s where the measuring cup might come into play one day so I would know how much water goes in. Not yet. I think I will play it by hand again tomorrow (or later today technically speaking) rather than being all scientific about it.

I hope your answer is in there somewhere.

Cheers,

Guido

 

[Guido75]

So far, I think I'm more of a "on a whim" shaver. I make short term usage plans but don't mind if I deviate from what I was thinking in the days or hours proceeding a shave. You have to factor in I only shave every other day at the most... Lots of time to ponder things.

I used to be that way too, but the herd is at a stage where it invokes Razor Rotation Anxiety when I feel that some razors are left too much out of that ‘whim’. And I am a daily shaver so there is more rotation going on.

But nothing too set in stone Kim. I mean I was just brushing my teeth when I realised the monthly themes should have been factored in too, like Vintage April or OCtober and its counterpart NOCvember. Forgive me but that might just be my OCD talking.

Guido

 

[JKaboom]

Thanks @Guido75 , that answers it perfectly. I never heard of soaking overnight etc.
Much appreciated

 

[thombrogan]

Stop leaving your lather up to chance and get seriously serious with your measurements, @Guido75

 

[Guido75]

Thanks @Guido75 , that answers it perfectly. I never heard of soaking overnight etc.
Much appreciated

I do have to add that I had never done it. Just thought let’s double down on soaking.

 

[Raven Koenes]

I do have to add that I had never done it. Just thought let’s double down on soaking.

Your brush is a year old. Soap residue build up can affect flow through. Have you tried cleaning the brush soaking it in white vinegar and water, then wash it with a good shampoo or dish soap?

 

[Guido75]

Your brush is a year old. Soap residue build up can affect flow through. Have you tried cleaning the brush soaking it in white vinegar and water, then wash it with a good shampoo or dish soap?

Everything but the vinegar. I do rinse my brushes extensively. There is no soap residue visible at least.

Guido

 

[Phoenixkh]

At the moment, the only brush I have that causes me some anguish is the Omega Jade Premium boar. It's an inexpensive brush... the handle has a nice shape but the color isn't a nice as some of the Jades I've seen posted. The knot is the issue. I think it's gone through at least 24 wet/dry cycles and I've used it a few times... I'm guessing 4 times or so. It feels much less dense than the 3 Zenith boars I used during DecemBOAR along with the Jade. It shows up in comments so many times: this is my favorite boar brush.. and I think I need more patience or at least, motivation, to get it more broken-in so I can see if it could be as good for me as it is for others. It isn't soft.... feels pokey on my face....I have too many other brushes that are a joy to use.. I think you can probably feel my lack of motivation from wherever you reside.

 

[Rosseforp]

So far, I think I'm more of a "on a whim" shaver. I make short term usage plans but don't mind if I deviate from what I was thinking in the days or hours proceeding a shave. You have to factor in I only shave every other day at the most... Lots of time to ponder things.

Yep, that's me also. Can't tell you how many times I'll change my kit before I actually shave. But then I have a dozen razors laying around too.

~doug~

 

[Phoenixkh]

Yep, that's me also. Can't tell you how many times I'll change my kit before I actually shave. But then I have a dozen razors laying around too.

~doug~

I counted up the cheap razors I have around that I haven't tried yet.... I'm embarrassed to say.. I think I counted 9. Lets see if I can name them off the top of my head. I have three PAA super slants.. the little plastic ones. The R41 and 37C HD slant. Two Schick injectors.... that's 7.

My wife just woke up so I got the two clear plastic containers with dividers I have in the master closet so I'll see which ones I missed.... The GEM @spacemonkey42 gave me the other day.... Oh... I also forgot the birth year and quarter SuperSpeed @luvmysuper gave me several months ago.... I remembered correctly.... that's 9. They are all sort of off line.. not loaded with blades. I'm going to use my regular 5 and add the Wolfman WR2 .95 bronze when it shows up Monday and pick from those on that whim we discussed. I'm sure I'll use the Wolfman for a few shaves straight just for fun.

We leave for Bali in 3 weeks... well, Wednesday will make it 3 weeks.. gone for 7 weeks.....That's a lot of days....I'm going to miss my little flock of other razors when we're gone. Neither of us have ever been gone that long from our home since we've been married. I was just going to take my ESC Claymore Evo and the ATT X1 AC Slant with me to keep the blades just AC... but then I realized, my wife will be bringing her PAA Filament along so we'll need DE blades as well. I might throw in an easily replaceable DE razor as well..... Maybe I'll throw a Green Cult 2.0 Level 2 in the suitcase as well... hmmmmm.

I forgot I have a Merkur Progress sitting out though I haven't used it.. so 10 total. That's a lot of unused razors.

 

[Guido75]

Date	12.03.2023
365 days of shaving	71/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	71/365 (100%)
GRUME March	12/31 (100%) 03/12 (100%)
Soap of the Month Club (SOTMC)	12/31 (100%) 01/12 (83%)

Razor	Blade	Brush
Green Cult 2.0 Level II	Personna Israeli (13)	Omega Proraso
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash	Mike’s Barbershop Proraso Green	Cold splash

Efficiency	Quality
7/10 (~25 minutes)	10/10 (clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort
9.5/10 (BBS+ / Marble-)	9/10 (buttery smooth)

Passes and Patterns	WXTG	XWTG	XATG
Cheek L	NW-SE (Gillette Slide)	W-E (slant up)	S-N E-W
Cheek R	NE-SW (Gillette Slide)	E-W (slant up)	S-N W-E
Neck L	N-S (slant down)	S-N	SW-NE
Neck R	N-S (slant down)	S-N	SE-NE
Upperlip L	NW-SE (Gillette Slide)	SW-NE (slant up)	SW-NE (slant up) S-N
Upperlip R	NE-SW (Gillette Slide)	SE-NW (slant up)	SE-NW (slant up) S-N
Upperlip M	N-S	-	S-N
Chin L	W-E	W-E	SW-NE S-N
Chin R	E-W	E-W	SE-NW S-N
Chin M	N-S	N-S	S-N

Notes to today’s shave:

Went for practically the same setup as yesterday, but with a fresh blade. Well fresh? Going on 13 shaves (so we’ll see how this shave goes!). Stubble was definitely less than yesterday evidencing the effectiveness of the combination of GC and PermaSharp, but I am shaving later than usual today so the razor and blade will have something to do for sure. I have noticed though that at least at face value I might be shaving too close with the PermaSharp (or the GC2 or the combination) as I see some developments pointing to potentially ingrown hair or agitated follicles. For now let’s move on.

Decided to go with the same brush and repeat some of yesterday’s lathering process minus the overnight soaking. I opened another thread to gauge what average loading and lathering times are. I am in the same ballpark, except for Mike’s and MWF. I came a lot closer to breaking the code for this brush. I soaked for some 5-10 minutes in my little brush cup, shook the brush and started loading for about 55 counts/swirls. I gave it a couple of swirls in the lather bowl and then went straight to my face. This produced a very nice thick lather. Went back to the bowl and added a tiny splash of water, couple of more swirls and back to the face to make the lather more slick. I thought it was excellent and finally I got a glimpse of what a full lather of Mike's actually looks like.

The first pass was uneventful in terms of mishaps, I had a tad more blade feel than I was expecting (i.e. the blade was slightly harsher), but that faded away as the pass continued. Very effective stubble removal as the razor and blade gave their dual performance. Second pass...and all lather was gone again! I added some water, followed by vigorous swirling in my bowl and I got a lather started again. Much thinner than the first round, but enough to provide the slickness I needed for the Green Cult. The audio feedback from the blade proved that reduction was taking place and there were also areas where I only heard the sound of silence. While rinsing I noticed the stubble in my lather as further evidence of the effective performance that was taking place. I reloaded the brush for an additional 5 count and went back to my face. A short dip in the water and I got a similar lather going as in the first round. Excellent base for the ATG pass - I hestitated to actually do a third pass and was planning on doing only my cheeks, but this lather was so nice I wanted to take full advantage of the situation.

Total bliss in the end. Everything feeling very smooth and relaxed. No irritation or redness - quite unlike the PermaSharp in that sense - and I even think the blade can do a 14th shave without much effort. I might even believe I entered the portal of marble magnificence, but maybe not everywhere equally. The Green Cult delivered without effort. I think the Razorine handle is the best fit for this head - I might be tempted to bring Razorine and Green Cult in contact with each other! - and the level II is an excellent daily driver. You get R41 effectiveness with perhaps R89 (although I only have the KCG razor as reference) smoothness and comfort. You need to pay attention obviously, but that applies to any DE razor you bring to your face. The Green Cult can be your complete shaving system at price point below the more well-known stainless systems.

Enjoy your shave today!

 

[Phoenixkh]

Date	12.03.2023
365 days of shaving	71/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	71/365 (100%)
GRUME March	12/31 (100%) 03/12 (100%)
Soap of the Month Club (SOTMC)	12/31 (100%) 01/12 (83%)

Razor	Blade	Brush
Green Cult 2.0 Level II	Personna Israeli (13)	Omega Proraso
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash	Mike’s Barbershop Proraso Green	Cold splash

Efficiency	Quality
7/10 (~25 minutes)	10/10 (clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort
9.5/10 (BBS+ / Marble-)	9/10 (buttery smooth)

Passes and Patterns	WXTG	XWTG	XATG
Cheek L	NW-SE (Gillette Slide)	W-E (slant up)	S-N E-W
Cheek R	NE-SW (Gillette Slide)	E-W (slant up)	S-N W-E
Neck L	N-S (slant down)	S-N	SW-NE
Neck R	N-S (slant down)	S-N	SE-NE
Upperlip L	NW-SE (Gillette Slide)	SW-NE (slant up)	SW-NE (slant up) S-N
Upperlip R	NE-SW (Gillette Slide)	SE-NW (slant up)	SE-NW (slant up) S-N
Upperlip M	N-S	-	S-N
Chin L	W-E	W-E	SW-NE S-N
Chin R	E-W	E-W	SE-NW S-N
Chin M	N-S	N-S	S-N

Notes to today’s shave:

Went for practically the same setup as yesterday, but with a fresh blade. Well fresh? Going on 13 shaves (so we’ll see how this shave goes!). Stubble was definitely less than yesterday evidencing the effectiveness of the combination of GC and PermaSharp, but I am shaving later than usual today so the razor and blade will have something to do for sure. I have noticed though that at least at face value I might be shaving too close with the PermaSharp (or the GC2 or the combination) as I see some developments pointing to potentially ingrown hair or agitated follicles. For now let’s move on.

Decided to go with the same brush and repeat some of yesterday’s lathering process minus the overnight soaking. I opened another thread to gauge what average loading and lathering times are. I am in the same ballpark, except for Mike’s and MWF. I came a lot closer to breaking the code for this brush. I soaked for some 5-10 minutes in my little brush cup, shook the brush and started loading for about 55 counts/swirls. I gave it a couple of swirls in the lather bowl and then went straight to my face. This produced a very nice thick lather. Went back to the bowl and added a tiny splash of water, couple of more swirls and back to the face to make the lather more slick. I thought it was excellent and finally I got a glimpse of what a full lather of Mike's actually looks like.

The first pass was uneventful in terms of mishaps, I had a tad more blade feel than I was expecting (i.e. the blade was slightly harsher), but that faded away as the pass continued. Very effective stubble removal as the razor and blade gave their dual performance. Second pass...and all lather was gone again! I added some water, followed by vigorous swirling in my bowl and I got a lather started again. Much thinner than the first round, but enough to provide the slickness I needed for the Green Cult. The audio feedback from the blade proved that reduction was taking place and there were also areas where I only heard the sound of silence. While rinsing I noticed the stubble in my lather as further evidence of the effective performance that was taking place. I reloaded the brush for an additional 5 count and went back to my face. A short dip in the water and I got a similar lather going as in the first round. Excellent base for the ATG pass - I hestitated to actually do a third pass and was planning on doing only my cheeks, but this lather was so nice I wanted to take full advantage of the situation.

Total bliss in the end. Everything feeling very smooth and relaxed. No irritation or redness - quite unlike the PermaSharp in that sense - and I even think the blade can do a 14th shave without much effort. I might even believe I entered the portal of marble magnificence, but maybe not everywhere equally. The Green Cult delivered without effort. I think the Razorine handle is the best fit for this head - I might be tempted to bring Razorine and Green Cult in contact with each other! - and the level II is an excellent daily driver. You get R41 effectiveness with perhaps R89 (although I only have the KCG razor as reference) smoothness and comfort. You need to pay attention obviously, but that applies to any DE razor you bring to your face. The Green Cult can be your complete shaving system at price point below the more well-known stainless systems.

Enjoy your shave today!

I have to agree with your assessment of the Green Cult 2.0 Level 2. It sits comfortably in my top 5 razor list. It holds its own against some pretty stiff competition... and at less than half the cost of my other top razors and in some cases way below half the cost. It is an incredible bargain.... If people can get past the name of the razor, they will have excellent results with one of the 4 plates... at least, that is my opinion. As I've mentioned, I pair the razor head with a Timeless Ti Crown handle. I love the weight reduction and the balance of the razor more toward the razor head than the handle, but this is user preference. Other people might have completely different opinions.

 

[Guido75]

I counted up the cheap razors I have around that I haven't tried yet.... I'm embarrassed to say.. I think I counted 9. Lets see if I can name them off the top of my head. I have three PAA super slants.. the little plastic ones. The R41 and 37C HD slant. Two Schick injectors.... that's 7.

My wife just woke up so I got the two clear plastic containers with dividers I have in the master closet so I'll see which ones I missed.... The GEM @spacemonkey42 gave me the other day.... Oh... I also forgot the birth year and quarter SuperSpeed @luvmysuper gave me several months ago.... I remembered correctly.... that's 9. They are all sort of off line.. not loaded with blades. I'm going to use my regular 5 and add the Wolfman WR2 .95 bronze when it shows up Monday and pick from those on that whim we discussed. I'm sure I'll use the Wolfman for a few shaves straight just for fun.

We leave for Bali in 3 weeks... well, Wednesday will make it 3 weeks.. gone for 7 weeks.....That's a lot of days....I'm going to miss my little flock of other razors when we're gone. Neither of us have ever been gone that long from our home since we've been married. I was just going to take my ESC Claymore Evo and the ATT X1 AC Slant with me to keep the blades just AC... but then I realized, my wife will be bringing her PAA Filament along so we'll need DE blades as well. I might throw in an easily replaceable DE razor as well..... Maybe I'll throw a Green Cult 2.0 Level 2 in the suitcase as well... hmmmmm.

I forgot I have a Merkur Progress sitting out though I haven't used it.. so 10 total. That's a lot of unused razors.

So you have 7 razors at hand and 10 in storage? That's about the same number of razors I have. I can send you my spreadsheet if you want .

Cheers,

Guido.