A newbie’s journey into DE shaving

[Guido75]

Almost forgot.

April evaluation - Vintage April

• April saw 30 shaves with an average effectiveness score of 8.21/10 (March: 8.49) - which equates results at almost DFS+ levels. Less than March mainly as a result of using less effective razors and blades. Or better stated: I think my vintage razors are just slightly less effective when paired with less effective blades.
• No spectacular blade counts as I am testing blades together with @lasta, @Balin and @cranewarrior - usually we stick to a maximum of 7 shaves and I go with that flow. Most used a Sharp Titanium and a Lord Cool. Both nice blades, but the Lord Cool is below my par with an average effectiveness of 7.68. The Sharp Titanium scores the same as the monthly average with 8.21. Most effective blade is the one I am currently still using: the Rubie Plus with an average effectiveness of 8.60.
• Lowest score this month was a 7.75/10 on effectiveness with an Eclipse Red Ring and a NEW RFB. This months top shave(s) go(es) to the NEW Flat Bottom and New Improved.
• Razor usage was quite evenly spread as I purposely rotated as much as I could.
• Soap of the month was Mike's Natural Barbershop which I took to 103 shaves. There is a very nice soap underway from a English gentleman and so I am samples in May until it arrives. Looking very much forward to that!

Technique was very consistent throughout the month. In terms of weepers and red spots I was on par with March (9.45/10 versus 9.4). Comfort levels were less overall with 8.10/10 versus 8.63 for March.

One themes for May: Modern May. And I can always be found in the monthly GRUME thread as well as the yearly GRUYERE thread. My thread on blade experience continues as we are way from done yet. See here if you are interested.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Almost forgot.

April evaluation - Vintage April

• April saw 30 shaves with an average effectiveness score of 8.21/10 (March: 8.49) - which equates results at almost DFS+ levels. Less than March mainly as a result of using less effective razors and blades. Or better stated: I think my vintage razors are just slightly less effective when paired with less effective blades.
• No spectacular blade counts as I am testing blades together with @lasta, @Balin and @cranewarrior - usually we stick to a maximum of 7 shaves and I go with that flow. Most used a Sharp Titanium and a Lord Cool. Both nice blades, but the Lord Cool is below my par with an average effectiveness of 7.68. The Sharp Titanium scores the same as the monthly average with 8.21. Most effective blade is the one I am currently still using: the Rubie Plus with an average effectiveness of 8.60.
• Lowest score this month was a 7.75/10 on effectiveness with an Eclipse Red Ring and a NEW RFB. This months top shave(s) go(es) to the NEW Flat Bottom and New Improved.
• Razor usage was quite evenly spread as I purposely rotated as much as I could.
• Soap of the month was Mike's Natural Barbershop which I took to 103 shaves. There is a very nice soap underway from a English gentleman and so I am samples in May until it arrives. Looking very much forward to that!

Technique was very consistent throughout the month. In terms of weepers and red spots I was on par with March (9.45/10 versus 9.4). Comfort levels were less overall with 8.10/10 versus 8.63 for March.

One themes for May: Modern May. And I can always be found in the monthly GRUME thread as well as the yearly GRUYERE thread. My thread on blade experience continues as we are way from done yet. See here if you are interested.

I hope I have better results with my FBT. I think I do slightly better than less efficient razors than your preference, but I’m also sure that might not be accurate. <eg>

 

[Guido75]

I hope I have better results with my FBT. I think I do slightly better than less efficient razors than your preference, but I’m also sure that might not be accurate. <eg>

The Flat Bottom Tech is a superb razor Kim. You will be fine using the top notch blades you already have.

Guido

 

[Phoenixkh]

The Flat Bottom Tech is a superb razor Kim. You will be fine using the top notch blades you already have.

Guido

I do expect it to be fine.... I'll let you know.

 

[Guido75]

Date	04.05.2024
366 daily shaves	125/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Blackland Blackbird	Gillette Rubie Plus (9)	Simpson T3
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	TGS Savage (7)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Process Quality	Blade Sharpness
9.75/10 (Very small red spot)	6/10 (Razor sharp)
Effectiveness	Shave Comfort
9.25/10 (BBS)	9/10 (Butterysmooth)

Notes:

Summary. Extremely satisfying Saturday shave. The Blackbird did it again.

Razor and blade. Blade on 9 and performing without fail. Excellent blade so far. Pairing with the Blackbird felt slightly less comfortable compared to GlideFest, but still very smooth. I am also getting the hang of this razor and without fail it has delivered superb shaves. And yes it is better this week than my Ti95 which I still adore, but the Blackbird is the closer shaver today.

Brush and lather. The T3 has a ton of backbone but still feels sufficiently soft when splaying to face lather. Transferring the sample to a larger tub was a good decision. Also means I don’t have to bowl lather (which I am totally ok with) and break my face lathering streak. Soap is good and I think I have better ones as well.

Technique. More N-S than my regular CB Curve today. Worked really well with this razor. And another super close shave I must say / admit. Number of passes remains the same for all my razors. I missed two minor spots but otherwise close to marble and dolphinic skin. Extremely satisfying.

Other news. Today is Remembrance Day in the Netherlands. At 8:00 PM the country is silent for 2 minutes as we remember our casualties of WW2 and other veterans. Rumour has it that protesters want use those 2 minutes for their message so extra security protocols are in place in Amsterdam where the King and Queen traditionally visit the National Monument.

 

[Guido75]

Happy birthday @TDKBeloushi Enjoy your day!!

 

[PersistentlyBlunt]

The T3 has a ton of backbone but still feels sufficiently soft when splaying to face lather.

How much splay do you give the brush?

For context, when using my Mistura and boar I would usually push and what I would say 'splay' the bristles by pushing about 1-2 cm into the brush, possibly more, I probably need to BOSC it now. A few weeks ago I brought out my Razorock Big Bruce and did a similar thing and like most synthetics for me it started leaking and throwing lather, I then remembered for me it is more of a tips brush. Light pressure and only using what feels like the tips and it is great to use. It is probably still being pushed in a bit but a lot less than the natural fibres I have.

I think you have the same boar as me and maybe even the same Razorock synthetic, keen to hear how different the Simpson T3 is to these and if different what you think it is, bristle fibre compound, density, bristle pattern or some other effect?

Thanks.

 

[Guido75]

Hey great to see you again!

How much splay do you give the brush?

Almost to the base. I start light touch and then simply press down until it fans out.

like most synthetics for me it started leaking and throwing lather

I love synthetics, especially Razorock and Apshaveco. They dry quickly, are damp quickly and usually soft to my skin. I favour boars next and badgers last - but it’s all relative.

Leaking and throwing lather sounds like you like lather to be on the wet side. I start off with more dryness to the soap (I face lather nowadays) and dunk into water twice vis a vis Al’s @AimlessWanderer lathering method - although I don’t use his method to its full extent. So far it has given me very consistent and excellent results.

The T3 is much more dense than the Big Bruce or RR400. The Beehive is just huge and therefore more on par with the T3. But all Plissoft knots are softer to the skin for sure. And all three in my collection are absolute Lather Kings. That said the T3 has a nice size to it making it very handy for travel (although I prefer my Omega Rocca for that - akin a Simpson T2).

The Apshaveco G5C is also a marvellous knot by the way and I am using my STF tomorrow. Very very nice. Less backbone, but a fantastic brush nonetheless. Excellent lather maker.

Cheers,

Guido

 

[PersistentlyBlunt]

I love synthetics, especially Razorock and Apshaveco. They dry quickly, are damp quickly and usually soft to my skin. I favour boars next and badgers last - but it’s all relative.

Thank you for your comprehensive response, greatly appreciated.

When I dragged out the RazoRock Big Bruce and stopped the lather throwing, it was/is a lovely brush to use. I don't disagree that synthetics could be great brushes for all the above reasons.

I get a similar issue with my boar compared to the Mistura, I love the Mistura but I think a lot of the good things I like about it are mostly because it is a much denser knot than any of the other brushes.

In terms of knot density I would rank the brushes Mistura most dense to Big Bruce least dense and this also aligns with the amount/chance of leakage of lather, Mistura least to BigBruce most. Only other real brush being the Omega boar in the middle. There is a badger in that ranking somewhere probably around or above the Mistura, but I haven't used that since my son decided he liked using it and I haven't seen it again.

My lathering is not that different to yours, face lather, swirl damp brush in soap initially, put on face, then dip tips in water, twice per side of face. I find the first couple of dips is when the most lather leaks, once the lather proper begins to develop there is less leakage.

Thanks again for your response, the T3 does sound like a nice brush. Enjoy.

 

[Guido75]

Date	05.05.2024
366 daily shaves	126/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Lambda Athena	Gillette Rubie Plus (10)	Abe’s Brush Works Blutt STF
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	TGS Savage (8+9)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Process Quality	Blade Sharpness
9.75/10 (Very small red spot)	6/10 (Razor sharp)
Effectiveness	Shave Comfort
9.25/10 (BBS)	9/10 (Butterysmooth)

Notes:

Summary. A luxurious Sunday shave. Total bliss.

Razor and blade. Double digits! That has been quite a while ago since I ik took a blade double digits. In my view that says something about this blade. Excellent. Lots of positive things have already been said about the Athena and all that positivity is true. It is one amazing razor. I cannot readily say or explain if there was any difference between today’s and yesterday’s shave. One thing I did notice is the Blackbird actually felt smoother yesterday than the Athena today.

Brush and lather. My dad really turned a great handle for this one and I think the finish is beautiful too. I am still learning the ways of the STF knot. It hasn’t been the love at first sight I was kind of hoping or expecting when getting this knot, but it is definitely an outstanding knot. It felt soft and comfortable yet firm enough. Superb lather. Less geleous than the G5C I think - that knot has a slight greasy feel to it. The STF has nothing of the sort.

Technique. I went more N-S today with follow through from cheek to neck in a sweep stroke. Felt nice and good. My regular 3.5 passes. The end result was total bliss. Again marble cheeks and also better on the neck as I paid extra attention to the trouble spots. I cannot tell a difference between the Athena and the Blackbird at this moment.

Other news. Freedom Day in the Netherlands celebrating the end of WW2. Usually a day full of festivals and music. I personally am not a festival kind of guy, but there you go. Let’s hope the weather helps out a bit. Did the hedges in the garden yesterday. I like “cranking widgets” chores around the house. My mind in the task at hand. Work is different for sure. My dad has made some more handles. One made of purplewood. It looks absolutely beautiful. I think this will get a G5C knot.

 

[Guido75]

In terms of knot density I would rank the brushes Mistura most dense to Big Bruce least dense and this also aligns with the amount/chance of leakage of lather, Mistura least to BigBruce most.

Yes, I would concur (even though I do not have a Mistura knot, but I have a SOC Finest which is also really dense). The Big Bruce has less density than the Beehive, but is still sufficiently firm.

the T3 does sound like a nice brush

It is - and I would rate its density above the Big Bruce, but indeed less than a Mistura. A nice in-between I think.

I used my STF brush this morning which was a delight. It is not dense at all, but it is also not floppy. Soft and comfortable. Excellent lather producer too.

Abe’s Brush Works Blutt STF

• Guido75
• Mar 31, 2024

• Mühle STF knot (@apshaveco)
• Purplewood handle
• Size: 25mm
• Loft:58mm

Cheers,

Guido.

 

[thombrogan]

Happy Freedom Day, Guido!

 

[Guido75]

Mühle Rocca Set

• Guido75
• Nov 30, 2023

Date	06.05.2024
366 daily shaves	127/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Mühle Rocca R94	Gillette Rubie Plus (11)	Mühle Rocca M94
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	TGS Savage (10)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Process Quality	Blade Sharpness
9.5/10 (Very small red spot)	6/10 (Razor sharp)
Effectiveness	Shave Comfort
8.75/10 (BBS-)	9/10 (Butterysmooth)

Notes:

Summary. Mühle Mondays. I freakin’ love this razor . Blissful shave today!

Razor and blade. I am still using the Rubie, because I want to use it again in the Athena and Blackbird and there is absolutely no reason to stop using it, because it just keeps on performing (there was the slightest hint of less performance compared to yesterday). The Rocca is one fantastic razor. A staple in shaving history in my opinion and I am stoked it agrees with my skin and technique. And super grateful I get to use it forever.

Brush and lather. The badger Silvertip is soft and almost floppy, but it makes great lather and provides that gentle scrub to prepare the beard. All good. Getting more shaves than I initially thought with this sample.

Technique. Simple pattern (again) today. It feels kind of lazy using a standard pattern of N-S / E-W / S-N, but sometimes I just feel simple is wonderful if my technique is on par. Only slightly behind yesterday’s performance.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[Guido75]

07.05.2024

• Guido75
• May 6, 2024

Greencult 1.0 • Gillette Rubie (1) • Abe’s Brush Works Big Abe G5C • TGS Savage

Date	07.05.2024
366 daily shaves	128/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Greencult 1.0	Gillette Rubie (1)	Abe’s Brush Works Big Abe G5C
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	TGS Savage (11)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Process Quality	Blade Sharpness
9/10 (Couple of small red spots)	6/10 (Razor sharp)
Effectiveness	Shave Comfort
8.75/10 (BBS-)	8/10 (Smooth)

Notes:

Summary. Celebrating my dad’s birthday by using his Big Abe brush. Fantastic brush and excited he is turning more handles.

Razor and blade. Fresh blade. I would say on par or the same as the Rubie Plus. Etching rather than printing and only on one side. I would say typical Gillette style etching by the way. Good comfort and sharpness. I had no trouble pairing this blade with probably the most aggressive razor in the collection - or at least the one with the most blade feel (exposure is .25mm). Nice and gentle lead to a great performance.

Brush and lather. The G5C knot is just a wonderful knot. I really like the STF too, but this is a little firmer with less splay. Somehow it adds that little extra control I guess. Loading was easy and it ripped through the remainder of the sample as well. Handle is perfect even biased as I am. Good grip and ergonomics.

Technique. Copy of yesterday so nothing curved, skewed or slided. Works best with a razor like this because I don’t want to make too sudden movements. The exposure will simply intervene. XTG brought some red spots but nothing serious. Very pleased with the end result.

Other news. My dad turns 77 today, but we will celebrate at a later moment in time as my mom has gotten in the habit of outsourcing get togethers to outside venues - and I fully support her in that! My dad likes to work with his hands and so mumbling about in his tool shed / garage making all sorts of things keeps him on his feet. And if those things are shave related I couldn’t be more happier.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[blethenstrom]

07.05.2024

• Guido75
• May 6, 2024

Greencult 1.0 • Gillette Rubie (1) • Abe’s Brush Works Big Abe G5C • TGS Savage

Date	07.05.2024
366 daily shaves	128/366

Razor	Blade	Brush
Greencult 1.0	Gillette Rubie (1)	Abe’s Brush Works Big Abe G5C
Preshave	Soap	Postshave
Cold splash KCG Face Wash	TGS Savage (11)	Cold splash Proraso Green Balm

Passes	WTG XTG ATG and touch up
Process Quality	Blade Sharpness
9/10 (Couple of small red spots)	6/10 (Razor sharp)
Effectiveness	Shave Comfort
8.75/10 (BBS-)	8/10 (Smooth)

Notes:

Summary. Celebrating my dad’s birthday by using his Big Abe brush. Fantastic brush and excited he is turning more handles.

Razor and blade. Fresh blade. I would say on par or the same as the Rubie Plus. Etching rather than printing and only on one side. I would say typical Gillette style etching by the way. Good comfort and sharpness. I had no trouble pairing this blade with probably the most aggressive razor in the collection - or at least the one with the most blade feel (exposure is .25mm). Nice and gentle lead to a great performance.

Brush and lather. The G5C knot is just a wonderful knot. I really like the STF too, but this is a little firmer with less splay. Somehow it adds that little extra control I guess. Loading was easy and it ripped through the remainder of the sample as well. Handle is perfect even biased as I am. Good grip and ergonomics.

Technique. Copy of yesterday so nothing curved, skewed or slided. Works best with a razor like this because I don’t want to make too sudden movements. The exposure will simply intervene. XTG brought some red spots but nothing serious. Very pleased with the end result.

Other news. My dad turns 77 today, but we will celebrate at a later moment in time as my mom has gotten in the habit of outsourcing get togethers to outside venues - and I fully support her in that! My dad likes to work with his hands and so mumbling about in his tool shed / garage making all sorts of things keeps him on his feet. And if those things are shave related I couldn’t be more happier.

Enjoy your shave!

Happy birthday to @Guido75's dad!

 

[Jay21]

Happy birthday to @Guido75's dad!

Ditto. Happy birthday!

 

[Balin]

Happy Birthday Abe!!

 

[Eric_75]

Happy Birthday to your father, Guido!

 

[thombrogan]

Happy Birthday, Abe!

 

[huck1680]

Happy BD to yer dad.