A newbie’s journey into DE shaving

[Guido75]

Date	28.09.2023
365 daily shaves	271/365
GRUME September	28/30
SOTMC	28/30
Blade Biter’s Archive	05/32

Razor	Blade	Brush
Gillette Canadian Tech	Gillette Black (33)	Zenith 502B XSE
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash Proraso Green preshave	Lavanda	Cold splash Aftershave Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Efficiency (details here)	Quality / My process
8/10 (~20m)	10/10 (Clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
8.75/10 (DFS+++)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes to this shave:

Summary - This razor can push above in its weight. A very fine shave with equally fine results.

Razor and blade - I actually had binned the blade when I had second thoughts about seeing it through to its limits. So reclaimed it from the graveyard and had another fine shave with it. This razor is one of my splurging moments of August. While I disapprove of myself for splurging like I did, I do like the fact that I have this particular Tech! Super effective, blade feel that actually feels on par with my Ti95, and very nimble to handle. Of course my @lasta red/grey handle has a significant contribution to that.

Brush and lather - So far my favourite boar brush. Great lather and easy to paint on. No hogging or shedding today.

Technique - Consistency is the name of the game here. I was effective on the jaw line by forgetting two spots. ATG was mostly riding the cap as it seemed to be the most fitting (based on audio feedback)

Enjoy your shave!

 

[lasta]

 

[Guido75]

Date	29.09.2023
365 daily shaves	272/365
GRUME September	29/30
SOTMC	29/30
Blade Biter’s Archive	05/32

Razor	Blade	Brush
Lambda Athena	Gillette Black (34)	DVH Synthetic
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash Proraso Green preshave	Lavanda	Cold splash Aftershave Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Efficiency (details here)	Quality / My process
8/10 (~20m)	10/10 (Clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
8.75/10 (DFS+++)	8/10 (Smooth)

Notes to this shave:

Summary - Easy fine shave with a very fine razor. The blade was bonded afterwards.

Razor and blade - I believe 35 shaves could have been doable with this blade after a stepping in the Twinplex, but today was a bit tuggy at times. And I could continue for another shave, but I got bored. The razor never bores me. A beauty to look at and very intuitive to use. Paid attention to the audio feedback to help adjust my angle where needed.

Brush and lather - Good scrub and good lather today. The 19-20mm brush is on the (too) smaller side of my preference of late.

Technique - Consistent shave as the shave pattern starts to sink into my shaving muscle memory. If it hasn’t already.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[flask28]

Paid attention to the audio feedback to help adjust my angle where needed.

Which is one of the coolest features of the Athena!

 

[Guido75]

Which is one of the coolest features of the Athena!

Absolutely!!

 

[Guido75]

Date	30.09.2023
365 daily shaves	273/365
GRUME September	30/30
SOTMC	30/30
Blade Biter’s Archive	05/32

Razor	Blade	Brush
F: GEM Featherweight H: Schick G1	GEM (4) Schick Plus (13?)	Razorock 400
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash Proraso Green preshave	Lavanda	Cold splash Aftershave Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Efficiency (details here)	Quality / My process
8/10 (~20m)	9/10 (One user error)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
8/10 (DFS+)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes to this shave:

Summary - Finishing SEptember with this very fine GEM. I love it! The Schick is the best razor for my head. Absolutely amazing.

Razor and blade - Just a really nice and remarkable razor (both are actually). Talking about easy loading this is the apex of easy loading. Very manoeuvrable. And the results are fantastic. All I need now is to buy a truck load of GEM blades that’s all. Same goes for the Schick. And I may need to pick up a modern injector, because they is no way I am taking this with me while travelling.

Brush and lather - Nothing to say here except

Technique - Consistently following my beard map.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[Guido75]

01.10.2023

• Guido75
• Sep 30, 2023

Gillette Aristocrat OC #15 • Silver Star (1) • FNX Barber Boar • Tabac

Date	01.10.2023
365 daily shaves	274/365
OCtober	01/31
Tabactober	01/31

Razor	Blade	Brush
Gillette Aristocrat #15 H: Schick G1	Silver Star (1) Schick Platinum (1)	FNX Barber Boar
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash Proraso Green preshave	Tabac (tallow)	Cold splash Aftershave Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Efficiency (details here)	Quality / My process
8/10 (~20m)	9/10 (One user error)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
9/10 (BBS)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes to this shave:

Summary - I thought of starting OCtober in aristocratic fashion. Still a mild shave even for an OC, but the results were superb. The Schick shined as always.

Razor and blade - I have looked for this razor a couple of months when finally the opportunity presented itself too buy it. And I bought for a special occasion which coincidentally is today. It shaves much milder than I anticipated (I honestly think the solid bar version is more effective), but it is a dream to use. Finally continuing my @lasta blade stash with a new to me Silver Star (by Lord I believe). Not the sharpest blade at least not in this razor, but it got the job done. Slightly less effective on the neck.

Brush and lather - I am using my cheapest boar and potentially for the whole month as I don’t want all of my brushes smelling like Tabac. Apart from the scent Tabac is actually a magnificent soap. It lathers almost instantly, is thick and slick with super post shave feel. Definitely understand why this is a staple in shaving history.

Technique - Consistently following my beard map.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[Guido75]

Another month has passed and so the September evaluation is here.

• September was Single Edge September or SEptember for short. This year I was able to participate thanks to the always generous Mitch @mgweatherly the High Judge of Shaving . September saw 30 shaves with an average effectiveness score of 8.8 (July: 8.2) - which equates results at mostly DFS+++ level nearing BBS. Significantly more effective than August therefore. I think in large part because of rediscovering the shaving pattern that works best for me in combination with some of the most close shaves I have ever had while using a Schick Type G1 and a GEM Featherweight.
• I took a Gillette Black well into the double digits with 34 shaves. Excellent blade! The Schick blades were alright as well but harsher. GEM blades are amazing too. I have had 4 GEM shaves, but the blade is showing no signs of wear whatsoever.
• Lowest score this month was a 5.5 on effectiveness with the Schick G1 which was due to the blade, because I also had one of the best shaves with the Schick at 9.25. This months top shave goes to the Ti95 paired with a Rapira blade. Amazing.
• Razor usage in July:
  • Timeless Ti95 (17%)
  • Schick G1 (17%)
  • Lambda Athena (13%)
  • GEM Featherweight (13%)
  • R41 and Gillette Canadian Tech (both 7%)
• I enjoyed my razor rotation this month and feel pretty relaxed about it. The razor stand is fully packed and provides a good overview to choose from.
• Soap of the month was Lavanda which I took to 56 shaves. Excellent cream. Great for travel as it comes in a tube. It lathers fantastically (also showing the streak of GlideFest and Butterysmooth shaves I have had) and has a super nice post-shave feel to it. I estimate there is still a good 20-30 shaves left inside.
• No new additions to the den after the acquisition spree last month, but I have my eyes on brushes now. My dad has made some beautiful handles so I already reached out to Andrew from @apshaveco to get some amazing synths to add to my collection. Andrew has done some great suggestions next to the Mühle STF XL I will be getting.

Technique was comfortable, relaxed, very nice results-wise and I enjoyed again discovering my gear, thinking about lathering techniques, about razor angles, and thinking about which razors I would really like to add or not. In short: FUN!

Themes for October are OCtober and Tabactober. And I can always be found in the monthly GRUME thread - whether I am in or out.

 

[Guido75]

02.10.2023

• Guido75
• Oct 1, 2023

Gillette Old Type and Lasta Red Handle • Silver Star (2) • Omega Proraso • Tabac

Date	02.10.2023
365 daily shaves	275/365
OCtober	02/31
Tabactober	02/31

Razor	Blade	Brush
Gillette Old Type H: Schick G1	Silver Star (2) Schick Platinum (1)	Omega Proraso
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash Proraso Green preshave	Tabac (tallow)	Cold splash Aftershave Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Efficiency (details here)	Quality / My process
8/10 (~20m)	9.5/10 (One small user error)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
8.75/10 (DFS+++)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes to this shave:

Summary - Nice and close. Excellent shave.

Razor and Blade - Today the open comb of open combs is on bat. Excellent shave. Comfortable and easy to use. It can still compete with the most modern razors in terms of results. I can only think of one downside - blade overhang is huge so extra attention around the ears and nose is necessary. Blade was still working ok. I think I like my blades on the sharper side, but this is by no means the tug I was expecting actually. So it is sharp enough and smooth enough.

Brush and lather - I love you but I hate you Omega boar. Softer than my badger and very on par with my synths. It just hogs my lather. But today was a good day. About 10 swirls in Tabac and away we went face lathering. Tabac is excellent for that. It lathers instantly.

Technique - I changed the XTG on the neck from S-N back to N-S. It felt more comfortable that way. I am working on finding the best direction from there (so N-S or NE-SW or NW-SE).

Enjoy your shave!

 

[Guido75]

- I did it...I actually did it. I have posted here before that Tabac is a very strong scent for me, potentially too strong. And more importantly I have had feedback from the LOTH that she is still rapping her head around the fact I actually bought this soap (that is a nice way of saying - what is wrong with you?! why buy a soap that is more of a Guido sr-scent than a Guido-scent). I actually think she is right. Tabac can be polarizing and scentwise I am on the wrong side of the equation. The thing is I absolutely love its performance! It is simply amazing. If it were available unscented I would probably use nothing else.

And then there is that other polarizing scent of the shaving world called Arko. Feedback here was that it reminds her of her trip to Turkey and other than that it's a soap scent with a fresh lemony smell. Go figure. I admit again that I like the scent as well. In fact I bought three extra sticks in the Turkish supermarket today, because I see great usage as a preshave (don't ask). The thing here is that it leaves my skin dry. Good performance, but post shave less so.

So here I am - both great soaps but the scent of the one should be combined with the performance of the other. Maybe you can guess where this is going by now: I mashed them together. Ratio of 1:0.6 in favour of Tabac. Said differently one Tabac puck with 27 shaves (which is like nothing) minus a sample I gave to a fellow B&B brother meets an Arko stick (made to fit an empty Proraso tub) with 3-4 shaves (which is like nothing). I spend a good couple of minutes mixing them together and then I took an empty Mike's tub in which it perfectly fits. So I have about 200 grams - slightly less - of Tabarko on the ready for Tabactober. It is still pretty much Tabac, but the scent is less polarizing. To me at least. I have not had the courage to let the LOTH smell the tub.

I am only expecting great things from this soap as both soaps are amazing in creating full and rich lathers. Tomorrow's shave will confirm if I am right or not.

 

[thombrogan]

I wish you the best of luck with your experiment.

 

[Osyri]

- I did it...I actually did it. I have posted here before that Tabac is a very strong scent for me, potentially too strong. And more importantly I have had feedback from the LOTH that she is still rapping her head around the fact I actually bought this soap (that is a nice way of saying - what is wrong with you?! why buy a soap that is more of a Guido sr-scent than a Guido-scent). I actually think she is right. Tabac can be polarizing and scentwise I am on the wrong side of the equation. The thing is I absolutely love its performance! It is simply amazing. If it were available unscented I would probably use nothing else.

And then there is that other polarizing scent of the shaving world called Arko. Feedback here was that it reminds her of her trip to Turkey and other than that it's a soap scent with a fresh lemony smell. Go figure. I admit again that I like the scent as well. In fact I bought three extra sticks in the Turkish supermarket today, because I see great usage as a preshave (don't ask). The thing here is that it leaves my skin dry. Good performance, but post shave less so.

So here I am - both great soaps but the scent of the one should be combined with the performance of the other. Maybe you can guess where this is going by now: I mashed them together. Ratio of 1:0.6 in favour of Tabac. Said differently one Tabac puck with 27 shaves (which is like nothing) minus a sample I gave to a fellow B&B brother meets an Arko stick (made to fit an empty Proraso tub) with 3-4 shaves (which is like nothing). I spend a good couple of minutes mixing them together and then I took an empty Mike's tub in which it perfectly fits. So I have about 200 grams - slightly less - of Tabarko on the ready for Tabactober. It is still pretty much Tabac, but the scent is less polarizing. To me at least. I have not had the courage to let the LOTH smell the tub.

I am only expecting great things from this soap as both soaps are amazing in creating full and rich lathers. Tomorrow's shave will confirm if I am right or not.

I must resist the temptation of ordering Tabac!

Exactly how polar opposite is it compare to Arko!

Curiousity kills the cat and my wallet!

 

[flask28]

So here I am - both great soaps but the scent of the one should be combined with the performance of the other. Maybe you can guess where this is going by now: I mashed them together. Ratio of 1:0.6 in favour of Tabac. Said differently one Tabac puck with 27 shaves (which is like nothing) minus a sample I gave to a fellow B&B brother meets an Arko stick (made to fit an empty Proraso tub) with 3-4 shaves (which is like nothing). I spend a good couple of minutes mixing them together and then I took an empty Mike's tub in which it perfectly fits. So I have about 200 grams - slightly less - of Tabarko on the ready for Tabactober. It is still pretty much Tabac, but the scent is less polarizing. To me at least. I have not had the courage to let the LOTH smell the tub.

Woha!! Tabarko. I worry you might have manufactured dark matter by accident there, Carl Sagan. You should keep that tub in a status field of some sort!

Don't drop it once it's wet, it'll likely burn through all the decks of the ship.

 

[Rosseforp]

Well I didn't order any Tabac, but needing to get above the free postage limit I added Puros to my Last IB order, as it is supposedly the scent of Premium Cured Cigar Leaf.

All I can say is that if Tabac smells anything like Puros, I'm keeping my distance, anybody need any samples of Puros?

~doug~

 

[Guido75]

I wish you the best of luck with your experiment.

I feel like you’re ghosting me. Is it because of the way I smell?

 

[Guido75]

Well I didn't order any Tabac, but needing to get above the free postage limit I added Puros to my Last IB order, as it is supposedly the scent of Premium Cured Cigar Leaf.
View attachment 1726575
All I can say is that if Tabac smells anything like Puros, I'm keeping my distance, anybody need any samples of Puros?

~doug~

It’s a very complex scent Doug. Doesn’t really smell like tabacco at all in my nose any way. But the total bouquet of scents is too much for me.

 

[Guido75]

I must resist the temptation of ordering Tabac!

Exactly how polar opposite is it compare to Arko!

Curiousity kills the cat and my wallet!

There is truly only one way to find out. I had to buy the puck myself to experience it too. My dad really likes it which should have made my spidersense tingle, but against better judgement I went ahead anyway.

 

[Osyri]

There is truly only one way to find out. I had to buy the puck myself to experience it too. My dad really likes it which should have made my spidersense tingle, but against better judgement I went ahead anyway.

Just so we are clear : If i like Arko!, i will not like Tabac, or I like Tabac, I will not like Arko! Is that that kinda of "Polar Opposites"

or is it the kind of opposites that goes, woooo far out of left field or far out out right field kinda scent?

 

[Osyri]

Well I didn't order any Tabac, but needing to get above the free postage limit I added Puros to my Last IB order, as it is supposedly the scent of Premium Cured Cigar Leaf.
View attachment 1726575
All I can say is that if Tabac smells anything like Puros, I'm keeping my distance, anybody need any samples of Puros?

~doug~

My good man! I'll take a sample of Puros if you still have some! I have conquered Arko!, what other soap can stop me!

Please let me know how the GC 1.05P shaves! I wanna poke fun at Boris! for his .84P

 

[Guido75]

Just so we are clear : If i like Arko!, i will not like Tabac, or I like Tabac, I will not like Arko! Is that that kinda of "Polar Opposites"

or is it the kind of opposites that goes, woooo far out of left field or far out out right field kinda scent?

Ah! Doesn’t have to rule each other out, but seeing how we discuss both in various threads usually you are either for one or the other.