Brandaves shave journal

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Mama Bear's "Bear Ice" soap
Latherwhip best badger brush
F2 Gillette Fatboy razor
Derby Blade (4)
Gentleman Jon Alum Block
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Today's shave was my best DE shave to date. Three passes 1 WTG, 1 XTG, 1 ATG. I think the reason my shave was so good was my skin stretching game is getting much better. I am concentrating on really stretching out my skin well to allow the razor to slide over the skin and not allow the blade any purchase beneath the hair causing irritation. The only problem areas where on my chin, which isn't usually a difficult area for me. My Mama Bear's gave me my best lather yet. I have consistantly been impressed with it and today was no exception.

Score:
.7
Still not a five...but very close. A DFS and very near to a BBS shave across the entire real estate of my face. I am extremely pleased with my shave. The only thing stopping me from a 5 spidey day was the irritation on my chin. I think this might be due more to my Derby being at the tail end of its life. Tomorrow I will try a fresh blade and see how it turns out...until next time.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD
Proraso White Pre-shave
Mama Bear's "Bear Ice" soap
Latherwhip Best Badger brush
Gillette Aristocrat razor
Feather blade (1)
Gentleman Jon Alum Block
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Great shave this afternoon, my first with the Aristocrat in a while now. 1 pass WTG, 1 pass XTG, 1 pass ATG. I did have some irritation on my neck, the usual problem area. I am working on my skin stretching especially on my neck but have yet to perfect my technique. Today was my last with Mama Bear's "Bear Ice". I got at least 7 shaves from that sample and enjoyed them all. Tomorrow I will be starting Mama Bear's "Bay Rum" sample. I like the scent, we'll see how it shaves tomorrow. First day on a new Feather today as well. My first shaves on a new Feather I tend to get more irritation then on the second shave. Tomorrow will be a good test I think. I'm almost out of my Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion I think I'll pick up a splash aftershave tonight to see how I like it. Unfortunately the selection here in Alaska is extremely limited since I can't order products with alcohol in them and get it shipped here. My brush really opened up this shave as well. I think I've finally got it good and broken in nicely...funny since I have three new knots in the mail from Whipped Dog. I can't wait to get them set in my vintage handles and try some new knots!

Score:
.8
A good shave today but the irritation leads me to score it below a 4. I'm hopeful that the cause was the first use of the Feather and not something else.

Head SOTD
Proraso White Pre-shave
VDH tallow
VDH boar brush
Merkur 34C HD razor
Derby (1)
Witch Hazel
Neutrogena Post Shave Lotion

Today's head shave was disappointing but not awful. It began with some major trouble that I just couldn't figure out. It was exceptionally harsh to begin with. I had to move very slowly and began fiddling with the razor and readjusting the blade to no avail. Finally I traded it out for a new blade...turns out I got a dud blade. I'd never encountered a dud blade before but I have no other explanation as after changing it the rest of the shave went just fine. BBS on the dome.

Score:
.9

After the initial struggle of a poor blade it turning into a decent shave...just that initial trouble caused me to waste some hot water and time to change out the blade. It was annoying more than anything.

 

[Trace]

Good stuff Bran. Enjoy the journal. Think I'll get the birthday Fatboy out tomorrow��

 

[brandaves]

SOTD:
Proraso White Pre-shave
Mama Bears "Bay Rum" soap
Latherwhip Best Badger Brush
Gillette Aristocrat razor
Feather Blade (2)
Thayer's after shave witch hazel
Old Spice Classic Aftershave

Today's shave was ehh...just ehh. Since I shaved yesterday afternoon I didn't really have much stubble to work with this morning so I just did a 1 pass ATG shave. I think yesterday's irritation carried over to today's shave. I don't look bad, but I can feel it. I did have a couple of firsts in today's routine. It was my first shave with Mama Bear's "Bay Rum" soap, Thayer's aftershave witch hazel, and Old Spice Classic aftershave. The Mama Bear's did okay this morning...I struggled with getting it to sit still in the bowl which is pretty common for my first shave on a sample. It'll do better tomorrow. The Bay Rum scent however was great and I enjoyed it. The Thayer's felt good on the face, but I found the scent to be a bit over the top. I wasn't expecting it since the brand I had been using has virtually no scent at all. I will stick with it though as it did feel great on my skin. The Old Spice surprisingly felt great on my skin. I don't know why I didn't expect it to...I just didn't think I'd be that impressed with it. The scent is decent, not my favorite but not bad by any means. I think I smell a little like an old man. The package stated, "If you grandpa hadn't worn this, you wouldn't be here." Seems legit. I'd never used a splash aftershave before and I liked it a lot...I think I'll experiment with more splashes.

Score:

Not my best this morning...again I think it was due to my left over irritation from yesterday's shave. I did have some bright spots. The Old Spice splash performed well and I was pleased. Despite the score, my face is smooth and that is the goal afterall.

 

[brandaves]

Good stuff Bran. Enjoy the journal. Think I'll get the birthday Fatboy out tomorrow��

Glad you enjoyed it...some of it is just rambling, but it makes sense to me. If you can find the time to work it into your schedule I'd highly recommend starting your own journal. I can use it as a reference for me when I want to go back and try something I've used before but can't quite remember how I liked it. I just take a peak at the SOTD list and the products I used are easily referenced. It's not for everyone, but I like to write so it helps me.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD
Burt's Bees Face Wash
Proraso White Pre-shave
Mama Bear's "Bay Rum"
Latherwhip Best Badger Brush
Gillette Aristocrat
Feather Blade (3)
Thayer's After Shave witch hazel
Old Spice Classic Aftershave

Today's shave was a breath of fresh air. I really concentrated on my technique today and it showed in the results. Three passes: 1 WTG, 1 XTG, and 1 ATG. I intently concentrated to avoid pressure throughout the shave and followed my lines to a tee. Ultimately the difference was made by my concentration on avoiding pressure of any kind. Only some light irritation on my neck, which was really from yesterday's shave and not today's so much. Mama Bear's performed exceptionally this morning. Great lather, scent, slickness...just all around excellence. My brush is also really opening up. I am also enjoying the Old Spice. It leaves my skin feeling great. My only complaint is that the scent can be a bit overpowering, that being said it does dissipate over the coarse of the day and isn't bad by the time I get to work. My shaves in general are just getting better and better. Next shave will be with a different razor and a new blade...yet to be decided.

Score:
.9

An all around great shave this morning. Virtually no irritation and a comfortable BBS was the result. Nearly a 5...nearly. The only hiccup was the left over irritation from yesterday. I can feel it this morning however I think it will have subsided by tomorrow...I'm anticipating a great shave in the morning!

 

[ignatiuswriter]

Brandaves....I've jumped in and read your journal from time to time....I love it! Like you, I do love the Old Spice aftershave. One of my favorites. Been my standard for long time. My father used it and everytime I open the bottle and sprinkle a few drops it brings me back.

 

[brandaves]

Brandaves....I've jumped in and read your journal from time to time....I love it! Like you, I do love the Old Spice aftershave. One of my favorites. Been my standard for long time. My father used it and everytime I open the bottle and sprinkle a few drops it brings me back.

Thanks for checking out my journal. It's mostly ramblings, but it helps me track my progress and I love writing so it works out. I'm very glad to hear that you enjoy it.

I'm really liking the Old Spice as well. It's the first splash I've tried and I've had problems with aftershaves with alcohol in the past however I haven't seen any ill effects recently. The scent also takes me back and reminds me of my grandfather.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD
Neutrogena Facial soap
Shave Secret pre-shave
Mama Bear's "Bay Rum" soap
Latherwhip Best Badger Brush
Gillette Fat Boy F2 razor
Astra Blade (2)
Thayer's After Shave Witch Hazel
Old Spice Classic After Shave

Great shave today. 3 passes 1 WTG, 1 XTG, 1 ATG. The only problem was two minor nics on the corners of my mouth. Despite that, an excellent shave. I really like the Neutrogena soap. The scent is fantastic, the price is right and my face felt ready for a good shave. It was my first shave with Shave Secret as a pre-shave and I liked it very much as well. The scent is subdued and pleasant and it made a noticeable difference in my shave's slickness. My face was on fire a bit on the my third pass, I think it was the OC in the Mama Bear's. I really like the soap, but if it continues to burn my skin while shaving then I'm not sure I can invest in it. I had the same problem with the "Aged Spice" but oddly not with the "Bear Ice". Hopefully it doesn't continue as I really like the scent and the lather they give. The Fat Boy is quickly becoming my go to for a great shave...I'm not surprised, but with so many razor's to chose from it's nice to have a regular great shave set up.

Score:
.7
As I said, great shave today. Where it not for the nics on the corners of my mouth it might have been a 5. Very near a BBS today.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD
Neutrogena Facial Soap
Shave Secret Pre-shave
Mama Bear's "Bay Rum" soap
Latherwhip Best Badger Brush
Gillette Fat Boy F2 Razor
Astra Blade (3)
Thayer's After Shave Witch Hazel
Old Spice Classic After Shave

Another great shave this morning. Again the Neutrogena was a great way to start my shave. I think it will become a part of my regular routine. The shave secret also preformed well as expected. I didn't really have a lot of stubble to work with this morning, a hold over from my great shave yesterday however I got a great one today nonetheless. 3 pass 1 WTG, 1 XTG, 1 ATG. I only had one slip up today, a small nic on my neck during my XTG pass. My face began to burn again during my ATG pass...again probably due to the OC in the Mama Bear's. I am almost done with this sample already and I'll be ready to move on. It really is annoying to be enjoying a great shave only to have it tail off due to irritation from the soap. I literally had to wash it off and reapply just to finish my pass. The Fat Boy gave an excellent shave once again however, which helped to save the shave.

Score:
.8
Great shave today and darn near BBS. Were it not for the burning of the soap and the nic on my neck today would have been a five. My technique is improving daily and soon I'll be logging fives on a daily basis.

 

[brandaves]

Made this brush holder last night. It's nothing special, just thrown together with reclaimed wood from an old pallet. Once I get it stained and sealed though it ought to look very nice with a vintage appeal. My only regret is that I put too many brush slots in it. As is the knots will be touching one another...not an awful thing but it could be better. I may go to Home Depot and get some decent wood and build another one that is a bit better. I do like it though...it clears some clutter from the bathroom counter.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD
Neutrogena Facial Soap
Shave Secret Pre-shave
Mama Bear's "British Leather" Soap
Ever Ready C40 handle/Whipped Dog Synthetic knot
Gillette Blue Tip Super Speed
Gillette 7 O'Clock blade (1)
Thayer's After Shave Witch Hazel
Old Spice Classic splash

Several firsts in today's shave. 2 passes: 1 WTG, 1 XTG. Firstly, I used a new soap today. I started Mama Bear's "British Leather" soap. It's a very pleasing subdued scent compared to the Mama Bear's I have been using. I liked it a lot. I did experience more burning on my skin, however I'm going to give Mama Bear the benefit of the doubt. I think it might be due to Shave Secret. Tomorrow I am going to be using my Proraso White Pre-shave just to test the theory. If I get skin burning tomorrow then I will know it's the OC in the Mama Bear's, if not then I know it is the Shave Secret. Either way I've got to get it figured out. I can't be shaving with my skin burning and irritated and I know it's one of the products I'm using. The new Mama Bear's lathered well and smelled great so I'm actually hoping its the Shave Secret and not the soap. My "new" brush was absolutely awesome! It's easily the softest brush I own but with excellent backbone which makes it a great latherer as well. I can't wait to get the Silvertip and High Mountain Badger's cleaned and shave ready as well. So far I'm very impressed with the Whipped Dog knots. My next first this shave was the Gillette Blue Tip. I've had it for several weeks but haven't used it until today. It's a great little shaver. Nice and mild as expected. The pairing of the Gillette 7 O'clock was a nice one for today since I had some irritation from the strap on my hockey helmet from last night's late game.

Score:
.3
No where near BBS today, however that was to be expected considering that I skipped my ATG pass this morning. Still a DFS and a nice comfortable shave. My new synthetic knot brush was the highlight of the morning. Its my first really nice brush and man can I feel the difference. I'm excited to get my badger knots cleaned up and put them to use as well...although it will be tough for them to compete with that synthetic. I'll get the badgers nice and broken in and reserve judgement until then.

Here is a pic of all my restores. The red and white Ever Ready C40 is the synthetic. The black and butterscotch Rubberset has a new High Mountain Badger knot and the butterscotch (can't remember the brand off hand) has a new Silvertip knot.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD
Proraso White Pre-shave
Mama Bear's "British Leather" soap
Rubberset 203 with a Whipped Dog High Mountain Badger knot
Gillette Black Beauty Adjustable Razor
Shark Super Chrome blade (1)
Thayers After Shave Witch Hazel
Old Spice Classic Splash

Today's shave was excellent. 3 passes 1 WTG, 1 XTG, 1 ATG. I took the Shave Secret out of the rotation to test if it was causing the burning I was feeling on my skin as opposed to the Mama Bear's and I did still feel a bit of burning, but not anything unbearable (no pun intended). If anything, the Shave Secret appears to exacerbate the burning from the soap if it isn't the Shave Secret itself. Today was my first shave with my Rubberset with the High Mountain Badger knot and it was decent. I didn't find the knot to be as good as the synthetic however. It soaked up so much water and the hairs stuck together so much that the end result seemed kind of floppy. That being said it didn't preform poorly and I think it will be great once broken in. I'm excited to give my silvertip knot a shot in tomorrow's shave. The Black Beauty performed excellently as expected, a nice comfortable shaver for sure. I had it set to 7 and only had one small weeper on my neck and virtually zero irritation. Today was also my first shave with the Shark blade. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with it. Surprised because you don't ever really hear anyone bringing them up as a regular use blade. I'll give it a few more shaves to see how much longevity it has to it.

Score:
.9
A simply excellent shave today. Not quite BBS, but only just shy of that mark. If I had time I would have done one more pass and probably would have been able to call this mornings shave a BBS score of 5. My face looks and feels fantastic and that's the goal!

 

[rockviper]

Try an 8-sec zap in the microwave and see if that helps ease the tingle. That should help burn off just a little of the EO/FO.

 

[brandaves]

Try an 8-sec zap in the microwave and see if that helps ease the tingle. That should help burn off just a little of the EO/FO.

Thanks rockviper, I'll give that a shot. I hope I can figure something out that works as I really like Sue's soaps. In fact, her 20% off deal this weekend was too good to pass up and I purchased several of her mug soaps...several of which you recommended . Do you think I can zap those in the same manner or would they be a bit too large for it to be very effective? Thanks in advance.

 

[rockviper]

The 8-sec zap is for a full puck. Go 3-4 secs for sample and such.

 

[brandaves]

SOTD
Neutrogena facial soap
Proraso White Pre-shave
Arko shave soap
Made Rite 177 with WD Silvertip Badger knot brush
Early Type Gillette Tech razor
Feather Blade (1)
Thayer's Witch Hazel After Shave
Old Spice Classic Aftershave

Today's shave was another great one. Did a bit of facterbating this morning as I did four passes as opposed to my usual 3. 1 pass WTG, 1 pass XTG, 2 passes ATG. Today was my first shave with the Arko. I've had it a while and just never pulled it out. I wanted to give my face a break from the burning I have gotten from Mama Bear's soaps. I was very pleased with the Arko. It lathered well and has a nice clean scent. The slickness was good and best of all zero burning on my skin. Today was also my first day using the WD Silvertip and I really liked it a lot. It has much more backbone then the High Mountain Badger. It soaked up plenty of water and the tips were remarkably soft as well, especially considering today was its very first shave. The Early Tech was one of my favorite razors from the very first time I used it and it didn't disappoint today. Great weight, glide and feel every pass. It is without a doubt one of my go to razors.

Score:

Yep...there it is. A 5 today. I can't say if it was the four passes or what but everything just clicked with my shave this morning, right down to Hank Williams playing in the background as I whipped off my beard. An extremely comfortable, close shave with absolutely no irritation whatsoever. I looked and felt fantastic after my shave today and its what I strive for every morning. I'm sure my definition of a perfect scoring shave will evolve with my technique but today's BBS was exactly what I've been working toward. Tomorrow's shave will be another opportunity at continuing today's success!

 

[rockviper]

Congrats on the Arko discovery. It's a GREAT soap.

 

[brandaves]

Congrats on the Arko discovery. It's a GREAT soap.

So I've learned Sam, surprised I hadn't used it until now...but as you well know, there are so many fantastic soaps to try!

 

[rockviper]

Indeed! Today I just received 29 oz of stuff I haven't tried before.