Brandaves shave journal

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Hot Towel
Williams Shave Soap
Gillette Old Type Razor
Derby Blade (1)
Latherwhip Best Badger Brush
Witch Hazel
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Today's shave was frankly a disappointment. There were a number of factors that played into this in my opinion. Firstly, today was my first attempt at shaving with an OC razor ever. I didn't quite no what to expect and arguably could have taken a bit more care with my technique which I'm sure was a contributing factor. Secondly, it was my first shave with Williams shave soap. I had been reading about it on the soaps forum and despite lack luster reviews I figured YMMV and decided that since it has been around since the 1800's it can't be all bad. In fact, it wasn't. I by no means think it is an excellent soap based on my one shave and I was not really happy with my lather, it did okay. Today's lather was not a thick, airy lather...it was thin and dense and seemed to actually dry on my face a bit. There were a few times I needed to add water, reload the brush and lather again during a pass. Lastly, I conducted a two pass shave, 1 WTG and 1 ATG. My first pass went okay but the second resulted in a lot of tugging and pulling, something I'm not used to during a first shave with a Derby. I'm not sure if maybe the blade is a dud, my technique was off, or the razor just preforms different than I'm used to...either way, it was pretty ugly. I had nics and weepers all over my neck, chin, and they corners of my mouth. I think I would have been much better served with a 3 pass, 1 WTG, 1 XTG, and 1 ATG and SLOWING DOWN. The problem with my shaves before work is that I feel rushed...not a good recipe for building technique and using new equipment. In conclusion, the fualt for my poor shave is shared between my technique and the use of new equipment.
Today's score: .5
I have a lot to learn and I am beginning to see why people recommend learning on a consistant set up rather than changing razors, blades, and soaps when you are a beginner. I'm not discouraged though. Despite the problems with my shave, my face is pretty darn smooth (granted, when you remove skin you are certainly removing whiskers with it ). Actually, today's shave may be my closest DE shave ever...which is a positive I can take away. It just would have been much more comfortable with 1 more pass to prep for my ATG pass.

I plan on taking a day off tomorrow to give my face a break. I will throw some moisturizer on there and give my skin some down time.

 

[brandaves]

Also had a head shave last night I forgot to mention.
Proraso White Pre-shave (yes, I pre my noggin)
Merkur 34C HD razor
Derby Blade (2)
VDH Boar brush (I like stiffer bristles on my dome)
VDH Tallow Soap
Witch Hazel
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion
Great head shave last night. DFS for sure. Small nic on the back of my neck, but nothing too serious and it cleared up with the Witch Hazel. I conducted two passes 1 WTG, 1 ATG + touch ups. It still takes a while and some care to get a good head shave with a DE but I enjoy the process. My Merkur 34C HD was almost built for my head it seems. Love it. I just wish it were built like an old Gillette (brass with nickel plating). They just don't build things like they used to I suppose...but it'll hold up a while anyway.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Pre-shave: Proraso White
Soap/Cream: Williams
Brush: Latherwhip Best Badger
Razor: Gillette Old Type
Blade: Derby (2)
Post: Gentleman Jon Alum block
Aftershave: Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Two pass shave today 1 WTG, 1 XTG. Several great things happened with my shave today. Firstly, the break I gave my face yesterday was just what my skin needed. Secondly, the Williams shave soap lathered up beautifully today as opposed to the lather from a few days ago. Thirdly, the Old Type performed amazingly. I was extra careful with my technique today and the results spoke for them self. Finally, today was the first time I've used an alum block and I really liked the results.

Lets cut the bull.

It was a great shave...not BBS, but a DFS nonetheless.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Williams Shave Soap
Latherwhip Best Badger Brush
Gillette Old Type Razor
Derby Blade (3)
Gentleman Jon's Alum Block
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Two passes: 1 WTG, 1 XTG + Touch ups. It was an excellent shave this morning. I have to say that I seem to be figuring out my technique with the old type open comb. My technique is definitely improving across the board really. Only one small weeper and some mild neck irritation. The Williams lathered well again, I don't understand all of the bad reviews on the soap forum, although my soap experience isn't the best. It begins pretty thin and airy but after a little bit of care in my face lather it silkens up nicely. Overall a DFS for sure.

Today's rating:

I'm definitely improving and getting some excellent shaves lately.

Also had a head shave last night, the first on a new Derby. I've decided to limit my head shaves to 2 per blade. I don't see a reason not to do this. I get much better head shaves on a fresh blade and its not like they are particularly expensive. BBS for sure.
Headshave details:
Proraso White Pre-shave
VDH Boar brush
VDH Tallow Soap
Merkur 34C HD Razor
Derby Blade (1)
Witch Hazel
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion
One small weeper on the top nob...other than that an all around excellent shave.

Headshave score:
.5

 

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Gillette Flare tip Super Speed H4 (1962)
Astra Blade (1)
Williams Shave Soap
Latherwhip best badger brush
Witch Hazel
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Today's shave was a three pass 1 WTG, 1 XTG, 1 ATG shave. I had two firsts in my routine this morning the first was the razor. My first trip with the H4 Flare tip was fantastic. The weight of it is great, the grip is excellent, it was all around a great shaver. The second first was the Astra. Again, a great blade with excellent glide fresh out of the wax paper. The Williams performed amazingly again this morning, light lather in the mug and much more airy than I'd like but thickened up nicely on the face. Again...I don't get all the gripes on the shave soap forum about Williams. For the price it is an excellent value and consistently gives me great shaves and lather. I was very impressed with this morning's shave all around. Not quite BBS, but very very close and definitely DFS.
Today's score:
.5
Probably the only thing that kept today's shave from being a 5 was the time limit I had to work with. I was in a bit of a rush for a pre-work shave. Were it not for that I think a BBS, 5 rated shave was absolutely possible. Either way, I am very happy with this morning's shave.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Gillette Flare tip Super Speed H4 (1962)
Astra Blade (1)
Williams Shave Soap
Latherwhip best badger brush
Witch Hazel
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Today's shave was a three pass 1 WTG, 1 XTG, 1 ATG shave. I had two firsts in my routine this morning the first was the razor. My first trip with the H4 Flare tip was fantastic. The weight of it is great, the grip is excellent, it was all around a great shaver. The second first was the Astra. Again, a great blade with excellent glide fresh out of the wax paper. The Williams performed amazingly again this morning, light lather in the mug and much more airy than I'd like but thickened up nicely on the face. Again...I don't get all the gripes on the shave soap forum about Williams. For the price it is an excellent value and consistently gives me great shaves and lather. I was very impressed with this morning's shave all around. Not quite BBS, but very very close and definitely DFS.
Today's score:
.5
Probably the only thing that kept today's shave from being a 5 was the time limit I had to work with. I was in a bit of a rush for a pre-work shave. Were it not for that I think a BBS, 5 rated shave was absolutely possible. Either way, I am very happy with this morning's shave.

 

[Nicks&Cuts]

Looks like you've found a set up that will give you a consistently good shave...that 5 spider will not be far off! Astra's are just superb in an moderate-aggressive razor, quite a forgiving blade. Great cabinet btw, did you make it yourself?

 

[brandaves]

Looks like you've found a set up that will give you a consistently good shave...that 5 spider will not be far off! Astra's are just superb in an moderate-aggressive razor, quite a forgiving blade. Great cabinet btw, did you make it yourself?

Thanks for taking a look. I did make the cabinet (the black display case, not the green one). Well...I modified it really. It was a jewelry case from Amazon that I added razor racks to and lined with felt. I really like the look of it and it cost less than $25 or so to put together. Thanks for taking a look!

 

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Mama Bears Aged Spice Soap
Latherwhip Best Badger Brush
Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed H4 (1962)
Astra Blade (2)
Witch Hazel
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Today's shave was a two pass 1 WTG, 1 ATG + touch ups. It was my first day using Mama Bears soaps and I have to say I was very impressed. It was only a sample, but it lathered very well and the scent was very pleasing...it reminded me of my grandfather so it was a very nostalgic shave this morning. My only complaint was that I felt some light irritation, not from the shave but from the soap. I'm not sure if maybe my skin didn't like one of the soaps ingredients or what but it was only mildly irritating and by no means ruined the shave. I am going to be using the same soap for tomorrows shave and I'll see if I get a similar reaction from it. I'm hoping not because I really enjoy the scent. The Astra blade performed well again on its second shave. Some minor tugging on my ATG pass but nothing major. Overall, very pleased with them so far.

I don't often do two passes with 1 WTG and 1 ATG so I was a bit worried about how that might turn out however I was pleased with the result. Not BBS, but a DFS nonetheless.

Score:

No weepers or major skin irritation and a DFS...great shave without too much to complain about.

 

[rockviper]

Sue / Mama Bear's soaps use a combination of EOs and FOs which can cause irritation or skin tingling in some folks. If you have one of the older Aged Spice pucks, that's the only one that caused some tingling on me; Sue ended up redoing her stock of it to mute it down, so you would have only gotten an older one from a resale.

In general though, if you are getting some irritation you can do one of three things if you like her soaps (I do! ):
- but milder scents like Hinoki Woods, Hydrogen, etc....
- let your pucks sit out in the opne and have some of the EO/FO evaporate off
- zap/nuke the soap for an 8-sec burst (you microwave will carry the scent then though )

 

[brandaves]

Sue / Mama Bear's soaps use a combination of EOs and FOs which can cause irritation or skin tingling in some folks. If you have one of the older Aged Spice pucks, that's the only one that caused some tingling on me; Sue ended up redoing her stock of it to mute it down, so you would have only gotten an older one from a resale.

In general though, if you are getting some irritation you can do one of three things if you like her soaps (I do! ):
- but milder scents like Hinoki Woods, Hydrogen, etc....
- let your pucks sit out in the opne and have some of the EO/FO evaporate off
- zap/nuke the soap for an 8-sec burst (you microwave will carry the scent then though )

Thanks for the tip. This morning was only my first shave with Mama Bear's so the jury is still out for me, but I was very happy with the scent as well as the lather. If this morning is any indicator of what I can expect then I am sure I will be purchasing a few pucks from her shortly. I'm hoping that I don't get the same irritation from all of the scents I ordered. Again, it wasn't unbearable but I could feel it.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Mama Bears Aged Spice Soap
Latherwhip Best Badger Brush
Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed H4 (1962)
Astra Blade (3)
Witch Hazel
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Today I was a bit rushed as I overslept a bit this morning so I conducted a two pass 1 WTG, 1 XTG shave. Mama Bears performed exceptionally well and I continue to be very impressed not only with the lather it produces, but the scent as well. I didn't experience any of the sting I got from it from my first shave (probably since it set out a few days per rockviper's suggestion). I was relieved, since I really liked the soap on my initial shave with it. I still have several Mama Bears samples to work through however I certainly think there will be some MB pucks in my near future. The Astra blade aslo performed well on its third shave I think I'll go a few more shaves on the blade and see how its longevity is.

Today's score:

An excellent shave despite being a bit rushed, not BBS but a DFS certainly. I don't see any reason why a 5 won't be in my near future, especially if I can manage to wake up on time...I had very very slight irritation on my neck area but nothing major at all. I may have to stick with this super speed for a while. Its a great shaver and I am getting excellent shaves from it on a consistent basis. I may however try out a different super speed, either a blue tip or black handle. Either way, I'm getting great shaves recently and I'm very happy about it.

 

[Nicks&Cuts]

Thanks for taking a look. I did make the cabinet (the black display case, not the green one). Well...I modified it really. It was a jewelry case from Amazon that I added razor racks to and lined with felt. I really like the look of it and it cost less than $25 or so to put together. Thanks for taking a look!

For $25 that's outstanding.

 

[brandaves]

For $25 that's outstanding.

Thank you very much!

 

[brandaves]

I didn't get a chance to login the other day so I'll post my Saturday shave today.
SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Mama Bears "Bear Ice" Soap
Latherwhip best badger brush
Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed Razor
Astra Blade (4)
Gentleman Jon's Alum block

Today's shave was a bit rushed as per usual. I thought I'd be able to take my time a bit more this morning considering that I didn't have work, unfortunately my daughter woke up and I had to fix her breakfast mid shave! Either way I conducted a 2 pass 1 WTG, 1 XTG + touch ups. It was my first shave with Mama Bears "Bear Ice" and I found the menthol scent refreshing and it lathered well beyond my expectations. I find menthol to by a nice scent to wake up to as it is kind of bracing. That being said, it was a very powerful scent...even going to far as to sting my eyes a bit. It wasn't unpleasant though, just strong. The Astra preformed well again today as did the super speed, the fault in the shave was mine and not the equipment.

Score:
.5
I got some light irritation and a weeper on my XTG pass due to carelessness and the interruption didn't help this much either...That being said, it wasn't a poor shave and the alum block took care of it nicely. I opted not to use my Neutrogena post shave lotion this morning as I've found that it can cause weepers to reopen. Overall, not bad but I wouldn't call it a DFS...

Head Shave:
Proraso White Pre-Shave
VDH tallow soap
VDH boar brush
Merkur 34C HD Razor
Derby Blade (1)
Witch Hazel

I was surprised to get some irritation and even a small nic from this mornings head shave. I hadn't done that in a while and I'm really not sure why it happened. Either way, it was a decent shave but again I opted out of the Neutrogena since it can cause weepers to open up.

Score:

I have come to expect better from my head shaves then what I got this morning...better results expected next time!

 

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Mama Bear's "Bear Ice" soap
Latherwhip Best Badger brush
Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed Razor
Astra blade (5)
Witch Hazel
Neutrogena Post Shave

Not a bad 2 pass shave today, 1 WTG, 1 XTG. I didn't want to rush an ATG pass this morning which I usually try to get done when I'm heading to work. I think it was smart not to anyway considering yesterday's neck irritation, it'll provide a nice break for my skin. Mama Bears performed well again this morning and as previously stated I like the invigorating scent of menthol in the morning. I find it to be a nice "wake up" scent and gets the day started nicely...I will have a tough choice ahead of me when I get around to ordering a Mama Bears puck after all these samples which is definitely in my near future. I think today's shave was the last for my Astra blade. I could probably get a few more shaves from it if I wanted but I don't see the point in pushing it to the breaking point. I've been very impressed with it nonetheless. Tomorrow's shave will feature a new razor and blade...yet to be determined which.

Score:
.5
Not a bad shave, I'm just at a point where I'm expecting more from my morning shaves. Still, no weepers or irritation but not what I'd consider a DFS. I'm getting there and still enjoying the process very much. Back to it in the morning!

 

[rockviper]

Hinoki Woods is a nice light scented soap. Lemon/Rose is another favorite of mine but is stronger scented. Going for the classic Ye Olde Barbershoppe is never a bad choice.

 

[brandaves]

Hinoki Woods is a nice light scented soap. Lemon/Rose is another favorite of mine but is stronger scented. Going for the classic Ye Olde Barbershoppe is never a bad choice.

I'll look into those. I am going to work through all of my samples before putting in an order so I know for sure what I want to get...however I don't have a sample of any of the scents you mentioned. Now I might have to get some more samples before ordering . Either way, I'm enjoying the journey.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Mama Bear's "Bear Ice" soap
Latherwhip best badger brush
Gillette Fatboy razor
Derby Blade (1)
Gentleman Jon's Alum Block
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Two passes this morning 1 WTG, 1 XTG/ATG + touch ups. The reason I say XTG/ATG is that I sort of combined those two passes. I wanted to ensure I got a decent shave and time was a factor this morning as I had to drop off my family at the airport prior to getting myself to work. I had my Fatboy set to 7 again, I've found it to be a good setting for me. I did get some light irritation on my neck and have considered changing the setting for shaving my neckline. I'd rather make the adjustment via better technique as opposed to adjusting the aggressiveness of the razor though. Mama Bear's did okay this morning. I don't think it was the fault of the soap but mine. I may have added a bit too much water causing a thin lather that I just couldn't get to build. The Derby performed well on day one as expected.

Today's Score:
.5
Not an awful shave, however I was rushed again this morning causing me to neglect my technique more than I'd like. The rest of the family is gone for a few weeks which means that I will finally be able to shave without interruptions on my next day off...a shave I am REALLY looking forward to. I think that is my best opportunity to get a BBS 5 spidey shave. I love my family but privacy isn't a highly valued commodity by my children...

 

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Mama Bears "Bear Ice" soap
Latherwhip Best Badger Brush
F2 Fatboy Razor set to 7
Derby Blade (3)
Gentleman Jon Alum Block
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Today's shave had ups and downs. 2 pass 1 WTG, 1 XTG on checks ATG on neck. I had trouble getting a good lather started with Mama Bear's this morning, which has been counter to all of my experience with it thus far. After I was finally able to develop a good lather the shave was good to begin with. My WTG pass great, nothing special, my XTG/ATG pass was a little different this morning. I spent a lot of extra attention to stretching my skin out on. I had a conversation with my dad last night, who is getting into the DE shaving and he mentioned stretching the skin. I had been doing it for a while, but I never really concentrated on doing throughout my shave. I was very pleased with the results however I did manage to cut my mole (on my chin) and get some irritation on my neck. Overall, a nice comfortable shave this morning.

Score:

Despite the nic and the light irritation today's shave was a great one. Still not BBS, but probably the closest I've come on a rushed shave. I would consider this a DFS and making great progress toward BBS and a score of 5.