A newbie’s journey into DE shaving

[Guido75]

02.03.2024

• Guido75
• Mar 1, 2024

Gillette Tech (Canada prewar) • GSB (2) • Semogue Cherry Finest • Mike’s Natural Barbershop

Date	02.03.2024
366 daily shaves	062/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Gillette Tech (Canada Prewar)	Gillette Silver Blue (2)	Semogue Cherry Finest Badger
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	Mike’s Natural Soaps Barbershop (43)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Consistency (details here)	Quality / My process
9.75/10 (Significantly Consistent)	9/10 (Minor weepers)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
9/10 (BBS)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes:

Summary. Hadn’t used this razor in a while and also felt the need to go a little milder after yesterday. Solid Saturday Shave.

Razor and blade. The blade on its second run is making a better impression than yesterday. It was sharp yesterday and it is today. I have the feeling smoothness is better today. I had the impression stubble appeared back sooner than usual even after using the open comb Game Changer. The razor is a monument in shaving history. Not as easy to get on this side, but a little help from yonder side can go a long way. Daily shaver and could or should be the only razor you will ever need. Even better than the razor is the handle.

Brush and lather. Although I generally prefer synthetic brushes this badger is special. The handle design is close to perfection. Lather was superb today.

Technique. I paid extra attention to pressure and going at a normal pace. Also made sure I was minding the blade overhang.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[Guido75]

February evaluation

• February saw 29 shaves with an average effectiveness score of 8.43/10 (January: 8.19) - which equates results at almost DFS++ level on the way to BBS. More than January mainly as a result of using more effective razors and blades.
• I took a Gillette Blue Stainless blade to 20 shaves. Excellent blade! A Gillette Bleue lasted 9 shaves
• Lowest score this month was a 6.5/10 on effectiveness with Swing. This months top shave(s) go(es) to the Blackbird and Game Changer .84P.
• Razor usage in February (61% of all shaves):
  • R41 (7%)
  • R89 (10%)
  • Greencult 2.0 (10%)
  • Blackland Blackbird SS (10%)
  • Game Changer SB (17%)
  • Game Changer OC (7%).
• One/Two razor(s) was added to the collection: a Game Changer .84P in both OC and SB version (compliments of @Butch Waxx)
• I received a Canadian surprise and am now the proud owner of 4 additional brushes! ( @Balin) They are all spectacular and I already see them as favourites in my rotation.
• Soap of the month was Barrister & Mann's Leviathan which I took to 80 shaves. It is gone and with +-80 shaves I think it has respectable performance, but it is less than I am used to with harder soaps. Post shave feel is good though. I find it a soap I have to work for and on, and so for me there are easier (and perhaps better) alternatives, so this one wil not see a repurchase. Thanks to @Jack Goossen for letting me try this soap.

Technique was very consistent throughout the month. In terms of weepers and red spots I was slightly behind January (9.31/10 versus 9.6). A little less comfort overall with 7.74/10 versus 8.8 for January.

One themes for March: Fixed Four For March (I will not be participating). And I can always be found in the monthly GRUME thread as well as the yearly GRUYERE thread. I have started a new thread on blade experience which you can find here if you are interested.

 

[Balin]

Lowest score this month was a 6.5/10 on effectiveness with Swing.

I think you need to try this razor with a GSB! The GSB acronym also stands for Great Swing Blade. Its a little known fact that Gillette worked with the maker of the Swing, I swear .

 

[JKaboom]

02.03.2024

• Guido75
• Mar 1, 2024

Gillette Tech (Canada prewar) • GSB (2) • Semogue Cherry Finest • Mike’s Natural Barbershop

Date	02.03.2024
366 daily shaves	062/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Gillette Tech (Canada Prewar)	Gillette Silver Blue (2)	Semogue Cherry Finest Badger
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	Mike’s Natural Soaps Barbershop (43)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Consistency (details here)	Quality / My process
9.75/10 (Significantly Consistent)	9/10 (Minor weepers)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
9/10 (BBS)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes:

Summary. Hadn’t used this razor in a while and also felt the need to go a little milder after yesterday. Solid Saturday Shave.

Razor and blade. The blade on its second run is making a better impression than yesterday. It was sharp yesterday and it is today. I have the feeling smoothness is better today. I had the impression stubble appeared back sooner than usual even after using the open comb Game Changer. The razor is a monument in shaving history. Not as easy to get on this side, but a little help from yonder side can go a long way. Daily shaver and could or should be the only razor you will ever need. Even better than the razor is the handle.

Brush and lather. Although I generally prefer synthetic brushes this badger is special. The handle design is close to perfection. Lather was superb today.

Technique. I paid extra attention to pressure and going at a normal pace. Also made sure I was minding the blade overhang.

Enjoy your shave!

That is a gorgeous handle @Guido75

 

[Guido75]

Date	03.03.2024
366 daily shaves	063/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Karve Christopher Bradley OC-C	Gillette Silver Blue (3)	Zenith 502B XSE
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	Mike’s Natural Soaps Barbershop (44)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Consistency (details here)	Quality / My process
9.75/10 (Significantly Consistent)	9.5/10 (Minor weepers)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
9/10 (BBS)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes:

Summary. Splendid Sunday Shave with the brass CB. Smoothness from start to finish.

Razor and blade. Blade on 3 and it has retained its smoothness as well as sharpness - at least during the shave. Post shave I have some increased sentations on my skin. The CB is a positive exposure (.09mm with a gap of .85mm) razor, but I don´t think the sensitivity in my skin is from the razor. Slightly on the heavier side for me and Karve has that distinct brass smell to it. I however love this razor for its design and shave qualities. Really smooth. Build quality is also top notch. I don´t think I have a razor that has smoother threading than my Karve when assembling the razor.

Brush and lather. This is one of my favourite boar brushes. It delivered a great lather today. Compared to when I first used Mike’s last year I am having no issues loading and lathering up. Yeah for progress! (although I don’t know what is actually different). Shedded 3 hairs and slight hogging on the third pass.

Technique. Solid as a rock. I vary in the order of the strokes depending on what feels right in the moment, but direction and pattern are set. I tried longer strokes today as suggested by @Raven Koenes, but more shaves are necessary to assess the benefits over shorter strokes.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[Guido75]

That is a gorgeous handle @Guido75

Thanks man! It is also great in handling too. Nice balance and weight to it.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Date	03.03.2024
366 daily shaves	063/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Karve Christopher Bradley OC-C	Gillette Silver Blue (3)	Zenith 502B XSE
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	Mike’s Natural Soaps Barbershop (44)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch-up
Consistency (details here)	Quality / My process
9.75/10 (Significantly Consistent)	9.5/10 (Minor weepers)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
9/10 (BBS)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes:

Summary. Splendid Sunday Shave with the brass CB. Smoothness from start to finish.

Razor and blade. The blade is on 3 and it has retained its smoothness as well as sharpness - at least during the shave. Post shave I have some increased sensations on my skin. The CB is a positive exposure (.09mm with a gap of .85mm) razor, but I don´t think the sensitivity in my skin is from the razor. Slightly on the heavier side for me and Karve has that distinct brass smell to it. I however love this razor for its design and shave qualities. Smooth. Build quality is also top-notch. I don´t think I have a razor that has smoother threading than my Karve when assembling the razor.

Brush and lather. This is one of my favorite boar brushes. It delivered a great lather today. Compared to when I first used Mike’s last year I am having no issues loading and lathering up. Yeah for progress! (although I don’t know what is different). Shedded 3 hairs and slight hogging on the third pass.

Technique. Solid as a rock. I vary in the order of the strokes depending on what feels right at the moment, but direction and pattern are set. I tried longer strokes today as suggested by @Raven Koenes, but more shaves are necessary to assess the benefits over shorter strokes.

Enjoy your shave!

Utilizing whatever stroke feels right in the moment is good. I'm finding a long stroke does not negatively affect the quality of the shave. It may help by minimizing the amount of time the blade contacts the skin. Throwing the Gillette slide and using the J-hook can help. A j-hook at the end of a long Gillette slide rounding the jawline can help with tough-to-get patches. I've spent a lot of time, and skin stretching, trying to get my jawline smooth. I'm working on utilizing as little skin stretching as possible. Maybe a quick pull here or there but almost zero. I'll touch up using minimal blade buffing here and there at the end of the shave. My goal is to get in and out of the bathroom as quickly as possible like our dads and grandfathers did. At the same time utilizing a three-pass shave.

 

[Guido75]

I'm working on utilizing as little skin stretching as possible.

This is what I normally do. I do funny faces though as a sort of natural stretching, but never using the fingers anymore except for one area and that’s right underneath my chin. My touch up there involves some stretching.

I love the Gillette Slide even though it doesn’t follow my beard map 100%. I definitely use the a Gillette Slide WTG in my right side neck area. Just feels natural and I can hear the razor cut through the whiskers.

 

[Balin]

I tried longer strokes today as suggested by @Raven Koenes, but more shaves are necessary to assess the benefits over shorter strokes.

I'm finding a long stroke does not negatively affect the quality of the shave.

I primarily use long strokes. I blame the Geofatboy videos I watched starting out .

I think that's why I settled on 3 shaves per blade because after 3 shaves the resistance impedes long strokes. For OBiF I had to use short strokes to get blade longevity.

 

[Guido75]

I primarily use long strokes. I blame the Geofatboy videos I watched starting out .

I think that's why I settled on 3 shaves per blade because after 3 shaves the resistance impedes long strokes. For OBiF I had to use short strokes to get blade longevity.

That’s exactly why I use short strokes. I started out with Geofatboy videos too - and also Executive Shaves. Brian was more clear than Geo about short strokes. And then I came across the videos of Excaliburist @sugardaddy who uses ultra short strokes.

I am somewhere in the middle. And it’s fun to try out new things.

Cheers,

Guido

 

[Balin]

That’s exactly why I use short strokes. I started out with Geofatboy videos too - and also Executive Shaves. Brian was more clear than Geo about short strokes. And then I came across the videos of Excaliburist @sugardaddy who uses ultra short strokes.

I am somewhere in the middle. And it’s fun to try out new things.

Cheers,

Guido

It is! I learned a lot in OBiF!

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Mine varies. A fresh blade is usually used with short strokes, but there comes a time in a blades life when its time for long strokes. That's usually when the initial keenness has abated, and the edge has smoothed out.

Later in it's life, or if the blade is ready for a clean and flip, I may need to adopt short strokes again. I don't persist with that second short stroke phase for long though, and another fresh blade is never far away.

 

[Guido75]

04.03.2024

• Guido75
• Mar 3, 2024

Gillette Red Tip • GSB (4) • Mühle Rocca Silver Tip • Mike’s Natural Barbershop

Date	04.03.2024
366 daily shaves	064/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Gillette Red Tip	Gillette Silver Blue (4)	Mühle Rocca Silver Tip
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	Mike’s Natural Soaps Barbershop (45)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Consistency (details here)	Quality / My process
9.75/10 (Significantly Consistent)	9.5/10 (Minor weepers)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
9/10 (BBS)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes:

Summary. Magnificent Monday. Top tier shave with excellent gear.

Razor and blade. 4th run with the GSB and it is still performing. Not sure if well is an adverb I would use in conjunction. I find GSB blades to be harsher on my skin than other blades I have tried recently. I just feel that my skin is somewhat agitated after a shave with a GSB blade. Of course using more effective razors is not helping that case, but I sense it is across razors that I am having this sensation. The razor is a Christmas arrival and I love it. Very effective and yet smooth. You do need to take slightly more time with this one as the Red Tip can be harsher if you put the pedal to the metal. The Red Tip can most certainly be a daily driver, but I would consider the Rocket HD500 or my black handled Super Speed more fit for that job simply because of the predictability in smoothness and comfort.

Brush and lather. The Mühle Silver Tip is an excellent brush and it takes care of business. Soft with backbone. Absolute joy to use.

Technique. Going strong.

Enjoy your shave.

 

[Guido75]

Date	05.03.2024
366 daily shaves	065/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Timeless Ti95 SCL	Gillette Silver Blue (5)	Razorock 400
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	Mike’s Natural Soaps Barbershop (46)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Consistency (details here)	Quality / My process
9.75/10 (Significantly Consistent)	10/10 (Clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
9/10 (BBS)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes:

Summary. Beautiful gear for beautiful results. A superb shave. Maybe my forever combination if pressed to choose. Compared to earlier shaves with the GSB this was the best I’ve yet.

Razor and blade. GSB going on 5 and noticeably better than during the other shaves. Interesting. Much smoother and more comfortable than I have experienced before. And also the first shave without red spots. The razor needs no introduction. My top tier and the one razor to rule them all. Despite the blade exposure and gap much softer to the skin than the Red Tip from yesterday for example. Smooth and comfortable. The only reason I am not using it more often is because I like to use the others as well, but if I would neglect that feeling the others would be gathering (more) dust.

Brush and lather. Since the other Plissoft brushes have arrived this one has seen steep competition for the top spot. I still like it very much, but I have to be honest that the Beehive and Big Bruce are making me have second thoughts. Especially the Big Bruce is a superb brush. Of course the RR400 design is almost unmatched save the ‘real’ 400. Either way - with all three at my disposal no need to start an argument. All are fantastic!!!!

Technique. Not much to report. Just consistently applying what works best which is three passes and a touch up and shaving in accordance with my beard map. Did the longer strokes which amped up efficiency somewhat. Not sure if the results increased too. Although there was less aftershave feedback post shave compared to earlier shaves with this blade. That accounts for something too.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[Guido75]

Date	06.03.2024
366 daily shaves	066/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Lambda Athena	Gillette Silver Blue (6)	FNX Barber
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	Mike’s Natural Soaps Barbershop (47)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Consistency (details here)	Quality / My process
9.75/10 (Significantly Consistent)	10/10 (Clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
9/10 (BBS)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes:

Summary. Wonderful Wednesday shave with the Lambda and GSB on duty.

Razor and blade. GSB on 6 shaves and using the Lambda’s clamping behaved very well. Smooth and comfortable. I think I will take the blade to 7 shaves before deciding if I will move on or keep moving. Longevity is middle of the road in my view. Nothing special. Smoothness starts to decrease within 2-3 hours after the initial shave. The Lambda (paired with the Razorock Barberpole handle) was a joy to use this morning. The Razorock handle is lighter than the OEM handle which gives me just a little more control, but I mostly did it to preserve the handle - it fits the RR dome stand no problem, but it is metal on metal and so I want to ensure scratches are minimised. And the RR handles are much easier to replace and therefore I feel less if no remorse when there might be a scratch on them (which there is not). Fabulous razor with just unique qualities. Like out very much!

Brush and lather. By far my biggest brush and also one of the smoothest as well. Well broken in and it lathers like a charm. Easy painting on and a nice face lather too.

Technique. Medium longer strokes while applying the same baseline mapping shave.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[Guido75]

Date	07.03.2024
366 daily shaves	067/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Gillette Tech (US prewar)	Gillette Silver Blue (7)	Omega Proraso
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	Mike’s Natural Soaps Barbershop (48)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Consistency (details here)	Quality / My process
9.75/10 (Significantly Consistent)	10/10 (Clean)
Effectiveness	Comfort / Blade condition
9/10 (BBS)	10/10 (GlideFest)

Notes:

Summary. Splendid Tech shave today with more than great results - rather excellent actually.

Razor and blade. 7th run for the GSB blade. I had decided to go to 7 shaves for the testing thread. Makes for better reading material and this way @Balin, @lasta and I are moving in the same ballpark, but the blade is just too good. This GSB blade is capable of double digits in a breeze. It performs very well across a variety of razors and each time delivered smooth results - at the onset at least. The Tech delivered as usual. Paired with my Lasta grey/red handle it is gorgeous and effective at the same time. Slightly positive blade exposure and a decent blade gap. Very capable. Not easy to find on this side of the globe, but with help of curator Mitch @mgweatherly I was able to add this to the den. I like the history aspect to it as well. This is presumably a razor that's been around for at least 80-90 years. I mean how cool is that! And it can still dance with the giants of today.

Brush and lather. My second brush bought early on in the journey. Still hogs my soap now and again, but it is so smooth. Very well broken in. Just a great brush without breaking the bank for it. Third pass required a mild reload as all the lather had been eaten away. I weighted my soap again and by my crude calculations I am using about a gram (maybe 1.5 grams max) a shave at the moment which would imply that with the current content of the tub I should be able to get at least 150 shaves with it and possibly more. A wonderful soap!

Technique. Sweet mid long strokes. Consistent application on the way to consistent results.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[lasta]

the blade is just too good.

Are you going to accept the offer of Cult CFO?

 

[blethenstrom]

Are you going to accept the offer of Cult CFO?

 

[Guido75]

Are you going to accept the offer of Cult CFO?

And steal @Balin ’s thunder?! I wouldn’t want to be accused of that!

I trust my counsellor on this one - see post above from @blethenstrom .

 

[Balin]

And steal @Balin ’s thunder?! I wouldn’t want to be accused of that!

I trust my counsellor on this one - see post above from @blethenstrom .

Dude, the positions is yours, I was just filling in! Now that you have seen the light I can move on to another role that can use my other talents!!