BassPlayerBoz's Straight Razor Shaving Journal

[BassPlayerBoz]

103rd outing (95th full SR shave).... another decent result

This shave was last night. Closeness was again reasonable - not my best, but still decent results. I had some irritation that was highlighted by the alum, but it resided quickly after post-shave balm application. Overall, it was another solid result.

Still 3017ing the Haslinger & using the Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip. Haslinger lather & post-shave were great as usual.

Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.)

Cheeks, upper/ lower lips were again - mostly DFS w/ a few spots that were BBS. Neck area was OK (mostly CCS or slightly better.) There was a spot or two along my jawlines where my touch was just awful. I had no irritation in those spots, but I think it was because I didn't effectively get the razor's edge on the skin there at all. In those spots, it felt like I hadn't even shaved there. Fortunately, they were only a couple of small spots & I could get away with it, but it was a little frustrating. My irritation levels were elevated all over (so even though I was concentrating on using a light touch, my angles must have been a little off.) But they were still moderate at most & subsided quickly.

Distraction level was pretty mild.

So.... a decent shave shave with manageable irritation ==> another success. That's 28 acceptable/ decent/ good SR shaves in a row. But still chasing the consistent DFS/BBS results I get w/ the DE.

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

104th outing (96th full SR shave).... another decent result

This shave was Saturday night. This one was about like last time, but maybe with slightly more irritation. Closeness was again reasonable - not the greatest, but decent. Irritation was mostly on my neck (as usual) and was highlighted by the alum. But everything resided after the post-shave balm.

Still 3017ing the Haslinger & using the Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip. Haslinger lather & post-shave were great as usual.

Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.)

Cheeks, upper/ lower lips were again - mostly DFS w/ a few spots that were BBS. Neck area was - well, nearly as "OK" as last time (mostly CCS.) Jawlines were better this time - mostly CCS with little irritation. My irritation levels on the rest of my neck were elevated, however. They still resided post-shave, but the alum stung more than on the last shave. The next day's stubble again arrived a little earlier highlighting that my SR shaves are still not to the level of my DE shaves

Distraction level was again pretty mild.

So.... in spite of it not being quite as good as the last one, I'll still count it as another decent shave shave with manageable irritation ==> another success. That's 29 acceptable/ decent/ good SR shaves in a row. Still frustrated w/ the results that don't seem to getting any closer to matching the DE though. But keeping at it.

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

105th outing (97th full SR shave).... streak ends....

This shave was last night. My SR shaves lately seemed to be getting slightly worse, but still acceptable - until last night.

Managed to use up most of the Haslinger earlier in the week & put the little that was left into my scraps/ Franken-soap container. This shave, I went back to the TOBS Coconut Cream. And still using the Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip. Lather was nice, but post-shave isn't as good as with the Haslinger (consistent w/ previous experiences.)

Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.)

Cheeks, upper/ lower lips were again - mostly DFS w/ a few spots that were BBS. Neck area was - well, pretty mediocre (SAS at best; most places weren't as good as I can get w/ an electric razor.) Jawlines were no better. And I had more irritation everywhere - even on my face/ cheeks (though not as bad as on my neck/ jawline.) And it is still very noticeable the next day (==> more irritation than I've had in a long time.) I thought I was doing OK with good angles and light pressure after the first pass, & didn't seem to be doing too badly on my subesquent passes, but I was obviously mistaken as I ended up with a pretty awful result. It was one of those shaves I can sum up as "well - it was not very close at all, but at least I had loads of irritation."

Distraction level was fairly high as the 2 youngest grand-kids (4 & 3 yrs old) were underfoot for the first pass and there was a lot of noise/ yelling/ laughing thoughout the rest of the shave. But don't think I can blame my poor results on them - I thought I was doing OK during the shave. I thought the shave was pretty close... until I re-lathered my face after the last pass & felt all the stubble left over. And I thought the irritation wouldn't be too bad... until I applied the alum & felt more stinging than I've felt in quite a while.

So.... overall - pretty poor result this time. Very discouraging for shave number 97...

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

106th outing (98th full SR shave).... well... still awful, but better than last time.... barely...

This shave was last night. Shave was about as close as last time - overall, barely passable. (IOTW - not close at all anywhere except the relatively easy areas.) Only difference was there was a bit less irritation. (This shave, it was back down to a moderate level.)

I used the TOBS Coconut Cream, Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip. Lather was nice & quick to generate. I think I'm also getting the hang of using the Crown King scuttle without sloshing lather all over the sink.

My scuttle technique has evolved to keeping the brush mostly on the bottom & in the center of the scuttle only raising it up the sides occasionally to bring the lather back down into the container. When using the mug, I could really whip the brush along the sides & their straight vertical orientation kept the lather in the mug. The slanted & grooved sides of the scuttle allow for better lather generation (IMHO), but require a little more attention to keep that lather from flying all over the place. Still - I like the warmer lather afforded by the scuttle without needing to leave it in the warm water of the sink.

Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.)

Cheeks, upper/ lower lips were mostly CCS/DFS ==> pretty reasonable. Neck area was - well, again pretty mediocre (SAS at best; most places weren't as good as I can get w/ an electric razor.) Jawlines were again no better ==> I was very frustrated with this during my post-shave routine. One saving grace was that I had less irritation than last shave. (I still had some, but alum burn was manageable and it's not that noticeable the next day - unlike last time.)

Distraction level was moderate as the 2 youngest grand-kids (4 & 3 yrs old) came bounding into the bedroon/ bathroom playing as I was finishing the first pass. (I actually had to stop shaving for a few minutes & get them out of the room as they walked through the freshly wet shower & then proceeded to start jumping on our bed with their dirty - & now wet... and muddy - feet.) But I'm still not sure I can blame my poor results on them. I was pretty agitated for the rest of the shave, but I again I thought I was doing OK during the shave.

I thought the shave was pretty close... even when I re-lathered my face after the last pass. It wasn't until I applied the post-shave balm that I felt all the left over stubble & got kind of ticked off that I'm still getting such awful results nearly 100 shaves into this adventure. The only improvement was that the irritation level wasn't as bad as last time. But I'm getting even more frustrated that after doing this for a little more than a year & this many shaves in, I can still get a much faster & closer shave with much less prep, mess, & irritation with my Norelco electric than I can with the SR.

So.... overall - another pretty poor result. And even more discouraging for shave number 98. ==> starting to wonder if this adventure is long term or if my patience is going to wear out the SRs are going to get retired. We shall see. but in the mean time

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

107th outing (99th full SR shave).... well... maybe a bit better than the last couple of shaves...

This shave was Saturday night. Shave was maybe a little closer than last time - so maybe CCS in the easy areas & SAS along the jawlines & on the neck. There was still some irritation, but maybe a little less than last time (on the milder side of moderate.... maybe?)

I again used the TOBS Coconut Cream, Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle.

Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.)

Cheeks, upper/ lower lips were again mostly CCS (DFS in a couple of small spots). Neck area was - well, OK (mostly SAS, but I can still get closer w/ an electric razor and with less irritation.) Jawlines were better than last time, but still marginally SAS.

Distraction level was mild/moderate. The grand-kids weren't underfoot, but pretty loud in the other room (could hear the occcasional yell, but overall not too bad.)

I again thought the shave was much better than it ended up being. Post-shave lather & the post-shave balm stages again revealed the disappointing results. ==> again frustrated that I'm not getting better results on SR shave #99.

So.... overall - another pretty "meh" result. ==> still wondering if this adventure is long term or if my patience is going to wear out the SRs are going to get retired. I'm wondering if shaving with the SR more often would give me more consistent practice & facilitate skill development. But I'm also not sure if that's feasible given the time it generally takes and if I could handle the elevated irritation levels (compared to my DE shaves) night after night. But perhaps it's a tactic I might need to try eventually. We'll see....

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

108th outing (100th full SR shave).... well... meh...

This shave was last night. Shave was not very close at all - SAS on my face areas, but barely SAS - if that good - on my jawlines & neck. On the plus side, irritation was relatively mild. Then again... considering how much stubble was left, no irritation at all would have been what I'd consider an acceptable level.

I again used the TOBS Coconut Cream, Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle. Btu this time I also gave the SR 40 laps each on the CrOx & FeOx balsa strop from WD in the hopes I'd get better results. During the shave, I felt like I was getting closer easier & with less pressure than previous shaves & attributed it to the extra laps on the balsa strop. But after my post-shave evaluation, I'm forced to conclude that might have been just some wishful thinking.

Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.)

Cheeks, upper/ lower lips were mostly SAS. Neck/ jawlines were barely SAS - at best. Mostly, I felt like my neck was much less close than I can get w/ my Norelco electric ==> a little frustrating on SR shave #100.

Distraction level was mild. Maybe that aided at least in the low irritation level, but who knows?

As usual, I again thought the shave was much better during the process than it ended up being. Post-shave lather & the post-shave balm stages again revealed the disappointing results. ==> I was getting better results 25 shaves ago. ==> have I inadvertently rolled/ dulled my edge while stropping (since I was/am still in the early stages of doing that as well?) And the resulting "not-quite-sharp-enough" SR could be at least a factor? Maybe? Perhaps I'll take advantage of one of the offers I've had here on B&B to hone my edge(s) & see if a fresh edge makes a difference after 100 shaves worth of practice. Maybe I can appreciate a fresh edge more now than I could earlier.

So.... overall - another pretty "meh" to poor result. ==> Still wondering if this is something I want to do long-term. But for now, I'm still pressing in spite of my lack of success lately...

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

109th outing (101st full SR shave).... definite improvement... not great, but not too bad at all this time...

This shave was last night. I again used the TOBS Coconut Cream, Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle.

Shave was not super close, but was overall pretty decent - definitely an improvement over my efforts in the last few weeks. Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.) My face areas were DFS w/ BBS in a few small spots. Neck was still not as good, but was generally CCS/SAS. There were a few spots along my right jawline that were barely tolerable, but my left jawline results were actually pretty decent this time. On average though, the neck/ jawline areas were much better than usual. Irritation was also relatively mild. So.... mild irritation & closer results ==> I must have been "feeling" the angles better this time out.

Distraction level was low. (The 4- & 3-yr old were with their dad & the 7-year old was watching her tablet/ visiting w/ her Uncle Rob.) I guess that contributed somewhat to the better results this time, but who knows?

I still felt like the shave was closer than it ended up being (as usual), but I was very pleased with the way it felt when lathering up post-shave (where I usually feel how not-very-close the results actually are.) But this time, I felt a lot less stubble than usual ==> closer shave than usual.... and there was less irritation. DE results are still much closer, but this shave was at least a little better than I can get w/ the electric... in most places

So.... overall - solid result ==> will keep pressing forward in hopes of unlocking the key to success.

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

110th outing (102nd full SR shave).... actually... pretty good this time...

This shave was Saturday night. I again used the TOBS Coconut Cream, Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle.

Shave was actually pretty good this time. I would say that overall it was a DFS. Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.) Cheeks & face had some BBS spots, but were mostly DFS. Jawlines (upper & lower) on both side are typical trouble areas but turned out also mostly DFS w/ a few spots that were CCS. Neck areas are another typical trouble area, but those actually turned out to be CCS/DFS. And all with very mild irritation and no cuts or weepers. Lather was pretty good this time. I seem to remember the last time having not really bad - but less than ideal - lather (a little thin & not as much cushion/slickness. ==> might have made the shave a little challenging. This time, I was conscious of starting w/ just a little water & adding small amounts as needed ==> lather was much better. Was that a factor? Maybe....

Distraction level was low as the grandkids were all out w/ their mom. Another factor? Maybe...

Good result this time ==> obviously felt the angles better ==> it was some needed encouragement. I still didn't think it was as good as I can get w/ the DE, but it was very comparable. And definitely better than I can get with the electric - which was also encouraging.

So.... overall - good result this time out.

The journey continues....

 

[MilkCrate]

I just stumbled across your journal and I’m headed down the same path. I picked up the sight unseen and poorman’s stop from Larry also.

I am 8 shaves in, so I have a way to go. I hope I am as patient as you seem to be.

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

I just stumbled across your journal and I’m headed down the same path. I picked up the sight unseen and poorman’s stop from Larry also.

I am 8 shaves in, so I have a way to go. I hope I am as patient as you seem to be.

Best of luck to you. I don't know if "patient" is the right word... maybe "stubborn" is better. Only advice I can give is take your time, try to arrange to have as few distractions as possible, concentrate on angle/ light touch, and don't be afraid to pass up a scheduled SR shave if you feel the need to do so. For me, trying to shave with an SR at my rudimentary (at best) skill level when I'm in a hurry, tired, or have tons of distractions (i.e. screaming/ playing grandkids in close proximity) is a recipe for disaster.

I've been a little frustrated lately. It seemed like my SR shaves when I was closing on on 100 of them were no better than some I had when I first started. That was frustrating, but I'm still at it. Some suggested it might be due to my edge needing to be re-sharpened. I'm really hoping that's not it. I don't want to make SR honing/ sharpening another $$-pit hobby. And if I need to have a blade professionally re-honed after every 50 shaves or so, this activity might not be for me. But.... the last couple of SR shaves have given me re-newed optimism & I'm continuing to press forward.

Good luck in your SR adventure...

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

111th outing (103rd full SR shave).... again... pretty good this time...

This shave was last night (Wed). I again used the TOBS Coconut Cream, Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle.

I got pretty good results again this time. I had some places that were better than last time & others that were not as good. But overall, I would still call it a DFS. Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.) Cheeks & face again were mostly DFS with some BBS spots. I did have slightly more irritation there than usual. It was not bad at all, but I could feel it as I shaved & it made me think the rest of my shave would be just awful. As I continued, the jawlines (upper & lower) on both sides also turned out CCS/DFS (about the same as last time; maybe a little closer). Neck areas (another typical trouble area) were again CCS/DFS... and with much less irritation than usual... and that I was expecting. (I usually have trouble with neck irritation. And since I was feeling more on my cheeks/face than usual, I thought my neck would feel like it was on fire post-shave. But it was actually one of my best results there.) So overall very mild irritation levels with no cuts or weepers & good lather. (I was again conscious of starting w/ just a little water & adding small amounts as needed to ensure a nice, thick, & rich lather. I made it pretty thin a couple of shaves ago w/ the DE & paid the price that day with a pretty mediocre shave.)

Distraction level was moderate. I didn't have grandkids underfoot, but everyone was playing/ yelling as they were getting corralled from their rooms/ TVs into the tub, pajamas, & bed. And I ended up with a good result anyway. Am I getting better at focusing through the distractions, actually gaining some skill with the SR, or maybe both? Whatever it is, I hope I can keep it up.

So... another good result this time. Still not as good as I can get w/ the DE, but it was again very comparable & better than I can get with the electric ==> encouraging.

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

112th outing (104th full SR shave).... solid... not quite as good as last time, but still solid....

This shave was Saturday ngiht. I again used the TOBS Coconut Cream, Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle.

Overall - DFS/CCS, but with a few small spots that didn't quite measure up & I was only able to get to SAS-level. Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.) Cheeks & face again were mostly DFS. I again had slightly more irritation there than usual, but it was a little less than the last outing. Jawlines (upper & lower) on both sides also turned out mostly CCS/DFS, but there was one specific spot on my lower right jawline that only got to SAS. But I had the self-discipline this time to not chase the closer result & saved myself a bit of irritation. Neck areas (another typical trouble area) were again CCS/DFS with about the same irritation levels as last time (which is less than usual), but I did have another small spot just to the right of my Adam's apple that just got to SAS. So again - overall mild irritation with no cuts or weepers & good lather. Not quite as close as last time, but close enough.

Distraction level was pretty light. Byt the time I got aorund to showering & shaving that night, the cacophony had died down & the kids were in bed already.

So... another good result.

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

113th outing (105th full SR shave).... another decent result...

This shave was last night (Wed). I again used the TOBS Coconut Cream (actually finished up the container), Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle.

Overall result was pretty similar to/ consistent with my previous effort - DFS/CCS, but with a few small spots that I was only able to get to SAS-level. Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.) Cheeks & face were actually a little closer this time - mostly BBS/ DFS. Irritation was about the same as last outing - more than usual, but still not too bad. Jawlines (upper & lower) on both sides were again mostly CCS/DFS, but there was one specific spot on my lower right jawline that only got to SAS (the same spot as last time). And again, I exercised some restraint & didn't chase the closer result so as not to risk more irritation. Neck areas (another typical trouble area) were again CCS/DFS with maybe a little less irritation than usual and less than I was expecting based on how I felt during the shave. (Alum block treatment there still burned, but less than I anticipated.) So again - a pretty solid shave (DFS/CCS with overall mild irritation). I did have one small weeper on my neck, but it had stopped bleeding by the time the next pass was over.

Distraction level was moderate. I started with the house pretty quiet & got through 1.5 passes before the grandkids got home. After that it was a bit loud & hectic in the house, but they stayed out of the Master bed/bath room for the most part. So I was able to finish up before things got too crazy.

So... another good result. Not quite as good as I consistently get w/ the DE, but still good.

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

114th outing (106th full SR shave).... OK... not good, but not bad either...

This shave was Saturday night. This was my first SR shave w/ the Pre de Provence. I lather was pretty good (thick enough, but not sticky), but I don't feel it's as slick as other soaps I've used (specifically, the tallow-based soaps.) Still, it was decent. I am finding out during the multi-day use of it on the normal DE shaves, that the Pre-de Provence is easy to make too thin. Need to take care not to add too much water. (This seems to be a consistent observation w/ the non-tallow soaps I've used lately; it seems - at least to me - that the tallow soaps are much more tolerant of to being too thin; they seem to be slick, even when a little thin.) I got started a little late & felt a little rushed, but took care not to chase areas that weren't quite as good as I hoped. So... even though I was rushing a little, I took care not to try to get "too close", just settled for "good enough", & didn't chase the closer shave. I again used the Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle.

Overall result was a little less close than the prior effort - ended up at mostly CCS with a few areas on my face that were a little better, & my neck/ jawline areas that ended up being a little worse (SAS). Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostlyATG; no real focus on grain direction.) Cheeks & face were not quite as close this time, but were still DFS/CCS. Jawlines (upper & lower) on both sides were also a step down in closeness - SAS/CCS. Neck areas were ~ SAS. Irritation levels were overall fairly mild (I'm betting mostly because i didn't chase a better/ closer shave; Alum block treatment there still burned, but less than I anticipated.) Not exactly an improvment, but still a decent result.

Distraction level was mild. Most of the grandkids were out of the house for the evening. I only felt rushed because my weekend chores went long & caused me to get started on my shower/ shave routine a little late

So... another decent result.

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

115th outing (107th full SR shave).... about the same... not good, but not bad either...

This shave was Saturday night. This was my 2nd SR shave w/ the Pre de Provence. I think I made the error I highlighted in my last entry about making it slightly too thin. It wasn't bad, but thinner than I usually prefer. That might have added to a few of the difficulties... maybe. But I again took care not to chase areas that weren't quite as good as I hoped. So... even though the shave wasn't as close as I'd hoped, it ended up being SAS/CCS for the most part w/ some DFS spots in the easy places and a manageable amount of irritation. I again used the Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle.

As I wrote above, the overall result was similar to last time - ended up at mostly SAS/CCS with a few areas on my face that were a little better (DFS in places), Jawlines were CCS/SAS, & my neck areas were ~ SAS. Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostlyATG; no real focus on grain direction.) No nicks/ weepers and irritation levels were manageable (better than I thought they were going to be when I was in the middle of the shave & trying to work w/ lather that was a little thin.) I thought about trying to chase a closer shave on my neck as I was frustrated there, but... I resisted the urge. Between the concave surves making it a trouble spot anyway and my lather that was originally a little thin, getting thinner, and running out towards the end of my shave... I figured I'd be really pressing my luck. So I settled for the SAS-level on my neck (again). (Really hoping I can one day get consistent DFS on my neck, but am wondering if I'll ever get there.) Anyway... Because I didn't chase the closeness on my neck, my irritation level there remained manageable (better than I thought it might be.) Alum block treatment still burned, but less than I anticipated. All in all - a reasonable result

Distraction level was mild as the grandkids were out with their mom & dad.

So... another decent/ reasonable result.

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

116th outing (108th full SR shave).... mediocre, at best ... lots of distractions, though.. and a major lather issue....

This shave was Wedneday night. I again used the Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle. But I had just terrible lather and I think it might be related to an experiment I tried a few nights previously when using the DE. I decided to try a "pre-shave", but couldn't find the Noxzema stuff I originally intended. I did run across my bottle of glycerin & thought, "well, that should add some slickness" and forgot about things I read when I first joined B&B about a little glycerin being OK... but too much will destroy lather. As I used it all over my face, I think that was way too much. And for the last few nights - including my SR shave on Wed - I've had a lather that foams up when I apply it, fades quickly during the pass, and doesn't go as far. My brush and/or soap must still have a lot of excess "lather killing" glycerin in it & I guess I'm just going to have to work through it (maybe a thorough cleaning/ rinsing of both is in order.) I can get away with it (sort of) on my DE shaves as I'm much quicker than with the SR.

So... Since hurrying with the SR is a recipe for disaster for me, my lather was a bit thin on most passes and barely existent on the 3rd/ last one. Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.) Cheeks/ face areas were CCS (maybe) and jawline/ neck areas were SAS at best with most areas feeling like I'd gotten no closer than a realy poor shave with an electric razor (==> wondered if I'd even shaved at all in quite a few places.) And on top of that, irritation levels were elevated w/ a couple of nice weepers. Distraction levels were pretty bad with lots of noise & all three grandkids bounding in & about. One was even using my increasingly thinning lather to "shave" w/ her blade-less DE... which didn't help my concentration... or my frustration level over the thinning lather issue.

Overall - a very disappointing effort.

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

117th outing (109th full SR shave).... meh... more lather issues...

This shave was Saturday night. I again used the Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle. Lather was again awful and this time it dissolved completely by the time I was ready for the third pass (ATG). I pulled out some Noxzema to use for the third pass & managed to get some reasonable results.

Lather trouble shooting...
The next day I tried an experiment using the this same set-up but also used the Maggard synthetic & VDH mug. Didn't have any problems with the synthetic brush. But the lather I generated with the WD brush & scuttle disappeared entirely after 2 minutes of whipping (with 1 minutes loading the soap.) Being very frustrated with that, I immediately & vigorously loaded the WD brush again w/ out rinsing off anything. This time, I got lots of "proto-lather" generated off the soap (which I then added to the scuttle after I stopped loading the brush.) Then, I whipped lather for another 2 minutes adding water very sparingly. And lo & behold... I got good/ persistent lather ==> I think my problem was that I'd allowed myself to get in the habit of adding too much water (too much bloom water on the soap, not shaking/ squeezing enough out of the brush, too many drops while building the lather, etc.) Later that night, I used the relatively "dry" method (at least, in comparison to my habits of late) and was able to build a pretty good lather base. (In fact, it was one of a best efforts.) So... I think I might have solved the lather problem. I doubt the glycerin was the major issue. I just happened to try it on the same day I noticed the severely thinning lather issue & originally thought that might have been the key.

So... back to the SR shave....
My lather was again a bit thin on the first 2 passes and I had to get out the Noxzema brushless cream in a tube for the third pass. Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.) Cheeks/ face areas were generally CCS. Jawline/ neck areas were a little better than last time - SAS for the most part, but less areas feeling like I'd gotten a terrible electric razor shave and with generally less irritation than the previous outing. It was shaping up to be even worse than the prior SR shave, but the Noxzema cream made the last (ATG) pass much more comfortable and I think that's what made the difference. I'm hoping my next SR shave will be with the Pre de Provence lather I was successful in generating during my trouble-shooting session noted above.

Overall - still a disappointing effort. But still managed to get a decent shave & I think it prompted me to tune up my lather generation technique... which I'm hoping will facilitate some more improvement next time.

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

118th outing (110th full SR shave).... barely adequate... and still... more lather issues...

This shave was Saturday night. I again used the Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle. Apparently, I still haven't quite resolved the lather issue w/ the Pre de Provence as it was again awful - though this time, it didn't dissolve completely until during the third pass (ATG). I managed to make it last enough, but just barely.

The next night (during a DE shave last night), I loaded for a minute (as usual), but then squeezed as much soap out of the brush & into the scuttle as I could. Then I grabbed the brush at the base of the bristles to give them a little more stiffness/ backbone, and loaded vigorously again for another minute. That seemed to give me good lather. (So... I seem to have figured out that loading more soap/ longer was the answer. Imagine that - the solution to thin lather is either less water or more soap. What a concept, huh?) I'll try this technique next SR shave (as well as my DE shave until then; hopefully, this will solve it; I think I got in the habit of only loading for a minute as the soaps/ creams I've used lately didn't seem to require me to load for that long.)

Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.) Cheeks/ face areas were actually pretty decent - DFS/ CCS w/ a few BBS spots. But the trouble areas - Jawline/ neck - were barely SAS - at best. The one saving grace was that I had very little irritation. This was likley due to the fact that my lather was dissipating almost completely during the third pass, I had none left to chase closer results, I remembered lessons from trying to do that on previous shaves, and opted not to risk it this time.

Overall - another disappointing effort. But it was still SAS (barely) and IMHO was mostly caused by some recurring lather issues I've yet to resolve (rather than my still novice SR skills.)

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

119th outing (111th full SR shave).... frustrating... again, barely adequate... and still... more lather issues...

This shave was last night (Wed). I again used the Stirling Executive Man post-shave balm, 40 laps on the WD Poor Man's strop, and the WD Silvertip with the Crown King Scuttle. I'm still plagued by thinning lather using the Pre De Provence. For the last few DE shaves, I switched back to my Omega Pro 48 boar brush thinking that its bigger knot would hold more soap. I figured the bigger knot & loading for 2 minutes would enable me to get better lather. I even added less water than I was adding before - just enough to get that sheen as the lather develops. The lather seemed a little thicker, but wasn't "pasty". Still, it seemed to thin out as I shaved... just as it does when I inadvertently use too much water & it turns out thin. And unlike the tallow-based soaps I've used, once the PdP lather dissipates, slickness really isn't there. Been using the PdP for a while & have consistently had these issues for the past few weeks ==> getting frustrated & impatient.

Used my normal strategy (as best I could) - 3 passes (mostly WTG, mostly XTG, mostly ATG; no real focus on grain direction.) Cheeks/ face areas were OK - CCS w/ a few DFS spots. But the more challenging areas - Jawline/ neck - were SAS - at best. (Again, I felt like I get as good or nearly as good results in those areas with the electric razor... with less mess, hassle, and time.) But right after the shave was done, I actually thought I'd done pretty well & had no temptation to chase a closer shave. It wasn't until I put what little remaining lather I had on my face that I felt how "not-so-close" a result I had on my neck/ jawlines. I again had very little irritation (I'll take the victories where I can get them, at this point.) So, maybe it's a good thing I wasn't tempted to chase the closer shave.

Overall - another frustrating effort.

The journey continues....

 

[BassPlayerBoz]

120th outing (112th full SR shave).... nearly identical results as last time...

This shave was last night (Wed). It's been a few weeks since my last SR shave due to crazy schedules. Results were nearly identical to the last SR shave w/ one exception - this time instad of very little lather left after the third (ATG) pass, I had none at all.

Same mediocre result, but w/ little irritation. And even more fed up w/ the PdP.

Overall - another frustrating effort.

The journey continues....