Beginning to end - my DE journey and search for a RFL

[PersistentlyBlunt]

Day 17 BIC Chrome Platinum

As I write this I am a lot closer to tomorrow's shave than I am to today's so my mind is wandering on what tomorrow will bring before I can lock in what today was.

The BIC blade may be showing some initial signs of slowing with some definite loss of feel and some gaining of what may be heading toward not so sharp cutting. Having said that, with light pressure, it is still giving me a close to baby bottom smooth shave.

Today I had no nicks cuts or weepers after the BIC glided easily over my face.

I, using Tabac (new) today, gouged an almond sized kernel of soap out of the tub with an old spatula I purloined many years ago from a laboratory during my previous life as a scientist. I put the piece of soap in the bowl and squished it into the bottom. The brush of the day was an Omega boar brush which is now getting quite nicely worn in; for bowl lathering it was a monster. After swirling the brush in the bowl and adding a couple of tip dips of water, I had a bowl and brush full of lather. The brush held enough for my regular two passes and the rest went to soap heaven and freedom with the fishes.

Overall another great shave and I have to say I am surprised at how far the BIC is going. The BIC was the first blade that I purchased 100 of, not because I particulary wanted 100, I wanted to try the BIC blade and a pack of 100 on Amazon was the same price as the 10 King C Gillete blades I had just bought. So given it is probably one of the cheaper blades in the den it is giving me good value for money.

Happy shaving all.

 

[PersistentlyBlunt]

Day 18 BIC Chrome Platinum

This BIC just keeps going and going and going. Today was a similar shave to yesterday, bowl lathering practice with an almond sized chunk of Cella Red this time.

Same process, squish into bowl and lather with damp brush, still the Omega boar today.

The lather built thick and fast and as it was looking fairly thick I kept tip dipping and adding water until it looked smooth without being too runny. Lathered up the face and it all felt okay until I started shaving. Now it wasn't terrible and at first I thought it must be the blade getting old and nearing its end of life. But the further I got into the first pass the more I was concerned that it was the lather. The second pass confirmed my thoughts (I think) as I just didn't have the usual slickness on the skin that I have come to expect. Now the question is, is this an artefact of the lack of face lathering (direct application of near raw soap to face) or did I add too much water to my bowl lather making my lather too thin? Or a good helping of both?

As best as I can desribe, it felt like the lather was sitting on top of my skin and while the lathered areas were smoother than the non-lathered areas, there did not feel like there was a slick layer almost stuck to my skin for the razor to glide along.

I have noticed over the last few days while lathering in a bowl that the head of the razor sometimes grabs on the skin if I shave too shallow (in the shallows). I do not recall having this issue prior to bowl lathering. For those not sure what I mean, generally on the bottom of my neck, if I get too shallow, the head of the Rockwell 6C will make greater contact with my skin and forms almost a suction/greater friction which 'grabs' causing a bit of a stutter in the otherwise smooth flow. This grabbing is also usually on an area that has had lather on it so should be comparatively slick.

Hence, back to my wonderings, is face lathering with the initial application of almost raw soap to face giving me a soap layer on the skin that I am not getting in bowl lathering? If so, is this because I will never get it from bowl lathering (no direct soap on face) or when I am face lathering, am I not working it enough to get the same effect, almost washing the soap off/into the lather.

Anyway, these are my ponderings and I will continue to observe and report until I forget what it was I was observing and report something different.

Happy observing all.

 

[PersistentlyBlunt]

Day 19 BIC Chrome Platinum

As I sit here rubbing my hand over my face enjoying the results of a damn fine shave this morning, I also continue to be amazed that the BIC is still going.

Today was a standard shave with splash of water to face after a hot shower. Razor was Rockwell 6C on plate 6 with the BIC blade. Soap was Arko! lathered in bowl with an Omega boar brush No. 106.

After yesterday, I deliberately used less water in the bowl lather today. The resulting lather was thicker than I would normally end up with face lathering and fely quite soft and thick going on with the brush. Only using an almond sized piece of the soap and squishing it around still produced a significant amount of lather.

The lather felt a lot better than yesterday, but as it is a different soap and process is hard to compare directly. Perfectly acceptable lather but I would say still not as slick at the skin level as I remember for Arko! face lathered.

I have never done a side by side on the one face at the one time, I think I will need to face lather one side and bowl lather the other to see if I am imagining this or if it is real.

Happy shaving all.

 

[PersistentlyBlunt]

Day 20 BIC Chrome Platinum

So today was the first side by side trial of face v bowl lathering. The soap was Cella Red and the brushes were the Omega boar for the bowl and the Semogue Mistura for the face. Razor was the Rockwell 6C on plate 6 with of course the BIC Chrome Platinum blade.

Standard process was followed for bowl and face lathering, I limited the water to the bowl to ensure I wasn't over hydrating and the resulting lather was good. I hydrated with four tip dips on the other side, mainly because I loaded the brush the same amount in the bowl as I would for a full face lather and thought if I don't hydrate four tip dips, it will be less water than that volume of soap would get on a full face lather.

On the first pass both sides were okay, the face lathered side did feel a lot slicker on the skin than the bowl lathered side did though. The bowl lather was feeling better than it did the other day so there is that.

The bowl lathered lather did appear to be ever so slightly more foamy than the face lathered.

On the second pass the difference wasn't quite as much, but the face lathered side was still, in my opinion, slicker. On wash up the face lathered side also felt smoother with more residual soap slick than the bowl lathered side.

I probably require some more samples to make an accurate call but on a sample size of one and ignoring any effects of lack of technique, for me, face lathering appears to provide more soap coverage than bowl lathering and a slicker experience at this point in time.

May all your shaves be slick.

Happy shaving all.

 

[PersistentlyBlunt]

Day 21 BIC Chrome Platinum

So today was a quick late shave, had been doing chores etc during the day and needed to go out for dinner so no shave during the day and quick socially acceptable shave required. Also, leaving it too late meant time was of the essence.

Only had time for one pass but that should get me well enough shaved for the evening. But which soap to use that would be quick and effective. Only one choice when backed into a corner and that is Arko!.

Hot shower done, splash of hot water to the face done, Arko! stick rubbed around the face done, Semogue Mistura damp brush done. Face lather quickly and have a rapid lather forming, notice that the brush is much wetter than normal but no time to correct, keep face lathering, quick face lather and no further hydration seems to be required. Rockwell 6c on plate 6 ready to go and first and only pass goes by smoothly and the lather is lovely and thick.

After 21 days the BIC blade is still feeling like it is only a few days old and ready to go.

I am managing to remember to keep the pressure light and that I think is making a big difference for both the feel and the longevity.

Final result was a one pass socially acceptable leaning to damn fine shave and all I needed.

Arko! was a fantastic soap but I have known that for some time now anyway.

I did enjoy the damper brush giving me a quick well hydrated lather within a short space of time. I think I will need to explore that a bit more when back to regular face lathering.

Happy shaving all.

 

[thombrogan]

I am managing to remember to keep the pressure light and that I think is making a big difference for both the feel and the longevity.

Jamie’s part of the brain trust I’m going to for inspiration.

 

[PersistentlyBlunt]

Jamie’s part of the brain trust I’m going to for inspiration

Thank you @thombrogan for the confidence in my words, it is largely because I don't trust my brain that I am doing this journal.

 

[PersistentlyBlunt]

Day 22 BIC Chrome Platinum

Given the late shave yesterday, there was not heavy growth today but it was still required to have a shave.

Standard prep, and face lathering was the method of the day. Soap for today was Tabac (new) and the resulting lather was a lovely creamy lather.

I am still on the Rockwell 6C razor, partly because it is a great and very consistent razor. Also, because it has a significant head on it, and with the light pressure I am trying to maintain, I am thinking it is a bit easier with the stability that comes from the more significant razor head. This is probably wrong and just an excuse I am using to keep using the Rockwell.

The way the BIC blade shaved today did have me wondering if it will ever stop. It felt really good from start to end. There is no pulling or tugging of any kind. I am not sure if this is me getting used to it or if it is truly shaving so well. This is also another reason I have not changed razors, I don't want to change razor and have the blade feel bad and never come back to its best, I am keen to see just how far it can go. So keeping everything consistent for now.

Final result was a damn fine shave with no nicks cuts or weepers.

Happy shaving all.

 

[Guido75]

I don't want to change razor and have the blade feel bad and never come back to its best

That’s basically what I just read in Al’s journal @AimlessWanderer : keep the blade in the razor you started using it until it’s gone. If it works for you it works for you. That’s a winner in my book!

Guido

 

[PersistentlyBlunt]

Day 23 BIC Chrome Platinum

I was worried that after yesterday and all the praise that I put on the BIC, that the shaving gods would end the blades success. But today was another lovely shave with the now quite old (for me) BIC blade.

Shave was standard prep, hot shower, splash of water to the face and then the new lather in the bowl. Soap was Cella Red, an almond sized chunk taken from the bowl and squished into the lather bowl. Brush was the Omega Boar.

I am still struggling with the whole bowl lathering thing. I went today for less water, I feel when I add too much water that it just foams up. But today I think I was possibly an bit light on the water as it felt a bit dry.

It was alright, just not the level of slick that I have usually been able to achieve.

I am wondering if I look to change it up a bit and just use the bowl for loading the brush and then almost face lather after that. For regular shaving that seems like a waste but given the desire to save the towel day soap, this may be a better option for towel day at least.

Final result was a damn fine shave plus plus and no nicks cuts or weepers.

I don't want to awaken the shaving gods, but this BIC may out last the King C Gillette.

Happy shaving all.