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GIVEAWAY! Challenge PIF - In The Footsteps Of Legends

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I forgot to post my last shave! It was the time I shaved each half of my incredibly handsome face with 2 different blades: left, Kai; right, Feather. Everything you need to know is this: the Kai is too fat, so you risk razor burn. Which I got. The right side of my incredibly handsome face was Feather soft upon completion. But here's the real news: @HDSledge PIFFED me a beautiful razor, and that is what I used. And I used my new favorite balm afterwards. Here's a picture:
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Oh! The soap! It was a dollar and a quarter at the Dollar Tree! Rubbed it on my incredibly handsome face like it was Arko, and it exploded into a really nice lather. Easily a 9 outta 10.
 
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Thirty-first shave with the Mysterous Kai Stainless blade #1

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Sagrada Familia 24mm Fan-shaped Tuxedo
Soap: RazoRock Green Label

Another fine performance from the FOCS/Kai duo.

My three usual passes were all completed quickly, again. The ATG and XTG passes are still exceptionally smooth and comfortable. I had noticed a slight decline in efficiency over the last few days, but the shave quality has not been affected.

At this rate, 50 or more shaves should be easily achievable. 😁

On a side note, the Yaqi Sagrada Familia Tuxedo Fan/RR Green Label pairing produced a first-rate lather. I am a big fan of both the brush and the soap. Together, they make a superb combination.
 
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Thirty-second shave with the Mysterous Kai Stainless blade #1

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Blue Marble 26mm Timber Wolf
Soap: Tabac Shaving Soap Stick (Tallow)

A fine shave, but some signs of decline are creeping in.

The ATG and XTG passes were smooth and comfortable, but there were moments during the WTG pass that gave me pause. On my cheeks and chin, it felt fine, but on the sides of my neck and especially around the Adam's apple, it felt slightly tuggy. I guess this isn't a surprise considering how many uses are on this blade. Despite that, I received another very fine shave with no post-shave irritation.

I did not pursue a BBS today. Rather, I left it at a DFS and did not buff due to the issue described above. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. I'm interested to see if this was just an anomaly or if the blade's overall performance has dropped permanently.
 
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Feather #2, shave #4
2 days growth
Preshave: shower
Brush: PAA Starcraft (24mm synthetic)
Soap: Mama Bear dragon's blood stick
Razor: Henson Al-13
Aftershave: alum, Nivea sensitive balm

My Mama Bear order came today - 3 new shave sticks - so I'm trying one today, my first time using a Mama Bear product. I'm opening dragon's blood first, for no other reason than it's the coolest name for a scent ever invented. It's also a stronger scent than the La Toja stick or Speick cream I've already tried (or the Cremo, VDH, or canned stuff I've used previously). I'm not sure how I feel about that, it might take some getting used to, but it sure creates a great lather!

First pass, there's a bit of tugging in heavier areas. Second pass, I notice 4 weepers already - 2 on the mustache, 2 on the neck. Third pass, got more on the mustache and a ton on my neck - on the left, strangely. If I mess up on my neck it's usually the right side. Anyway, I didn't want to do much touch-up, but I had all this wonderful lather still and my jawline was pretty rough and not cut up at all, so I went over that again, but not much else.

Needless to say, the alum gave quite a sting, but at least it closed up all the weepers. (1 on the neck required a second try, but it worked, so no need for the Proraso nick gel.) I also have some new Nancy Boy balm I wanted to try, but the scent might clash with the soap. Or maybe not, I have no idea, I'm terrible with that sort of thing. But out of an abundance of caution, I stuck with the Nivea which doesn't have much scent at all.

I just finished a few minutes ago, so it's early still, but this might be the closest shave yet. Even the right side of my neck where for once I didn't draw any blood is mostly smooth! Certainly better than #1 and #3, and at least comparable to #2. So at least I didn't cut my face and leave the stubble.

While I'm not sure if I had a bad day or if the Feather is fading, I feel like 4 shaves is a pretty good run, so the blade is going in the bin and I'll start with Kai #2 on Thursday.
 
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Thirty-third shave with the Mysterous Kai Stainless blade #1

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Fine Accoutrements Stout 24mm Angel Hair
Soap: RazoRock Blue Label

Not dead, yet!

The FOCS/Kai duo provided a much better performance, today. All of my passes were trouble-free and the slight tugginess that I experienced yesterday on the WTG pass was not in evidence.

Having said that, this blade is not as good as it was. The efficiency has noticeably dropped and the comfort level is down as well. I buffed my usual trouble spots, but it took much longer than normal and there was just a hint of irritation developing.

In the end, though, I received a close shave without any lingering sensitivity. This blade might have a few more shaves in it, but it's definitely nearing the end.
 
Thirty-third shave with the Mysterous Kai Stainless blade #1

Having said that, this blade is not as good as it was. The efficiency has noticeably dropped and the comfort level is down as well. I buffed my usual trouble spots, but it took much longer than normal and there was just a hint of irritation developing.

In the end, though, I received a close shave without any lingering sensitivity. This blade might have a few more shaves in it, but it's definitely nearing the end.
33 shaves from 1 blade is AMAZING!! You have found an excellent combination with the FOCS and KAI!! This is truly the stuff of Legends!!
 
33 shaves from 1 blade is AMAZING!! You have found an excellent combination with the FOCS and KAI!! This is truly the stuff of Legends!!

The interesting thing is that I'm just past halfway to my previous record on a Kai. In the earlier Kai Participation PIF, I reached 63 uses on a single blade. 😁

I don't think that I'll reach 63 on this one, though. The shave quality took a nosedive, yesterday, and some roughness is creeping in. Still, getting more than a month's worth of uses out of one blade is phenomenal... and I have you, @AnimalCatcher, and @Space_Cadet to thank for supplying such a durable and long-lived blade! :thumbup:
 
Twenty-fifth shave, fifth Kai (6)
RazoRock Game Changer .68 w/bamboo handle, Maggard's Timberwolf Travel brush, Tabac

Just a quick two pass shave today, as there was need of urgency. The wife informed me she needed a break from the baby as I stepped out of the shower, so I had to be swift about it, hehe. As one might expect, the shave results were lackluster, plenty of remaining stubble, but no one would call me out for not having shaved. The shave itself was just as comfortable as ever, wondering if this blade will run out by the time the stars blades arrive for the next challenge!
 
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Kai #2, shave #1
2 days growth
Preshave: shower
Brush: PAA Starcraft (24mm synthetic)
Soap: La Toja stick
Razor: Henson Al-13
Aftershave: alum, Nivea sensitive balm

I'm not sure what's wrong with me, I got 2 weepers on the second pass again. There's really no excuse for that XTG at this point. I was up against the clock a bit, as I had to go into the office for a meeting, but I left myself enough time that I shouldn't have felt rushed.

When I do draw blood XTG, then ATG is usually terrible. Happily, not this time - I did get 2-3 more weepers between ATG and cleanup, but it could have been worse. The alum stung where I cut myself, but not all over. So maybe I'm mostly doing well, and just need to be sure to keep the technique up for the whole shave when using as fine a blade as this Kai.

And now that it's 3 hours later, there's a tiny bit of missed stubble here and there, but I have to say this was a DAMN fine shave! Feather had a good round 2, but the Mysterious Kai is not going to concede!
 
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Thirty-fourth shave with the Mysterous Kai Stainless blade #1

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Purple 24mm Mink
Soap: Pré de Provence No. 63

A better than expected performance from this venerable blade.

After yesterday's solid, but unspectacular outing, I was expecting more of the same, today. However, I received a surprisingly close, smooth shave without any of the ups and downs that I reported earlier.

Efficiency is still down, but the smoothness of the blade seems to have improved and a commensurate increase in comfort was noted. I did have to buff a fair bit to get to the closeness that I prefer, but not enough to incur any post-shave irritation.

So, I guess that I'll just have to keep using this blade until it finally gives up the ghost!
 
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Thirty-fifth shave with the Mysterous Kai Stainless blade #1

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Maggard 18mm Timber Wolf, Travel-Size
Soap: RazoRock Gold Label

A similar performance to yesterday's.

The FOCS/Kai duo provided another smooth, close shave with no post-shave irritation. The effort needed to get this result is steadily going up, though. If that's not a sign of dulling, then I don't know what is. However, as long as it continues to deliver a decent shave, then I'll keep using it.

Meanwhile, I received a lovely lather from the Maggard 18mm Timber Wolf/RR Gold Label combo. The superb slickness undoubtedly helped to let the blade glide effortlessly over my skin. The citrusy scent of the soap is very appealing, too.
 
I shaved with a brand new feather (2nd blade) on my Rockwell 6C. My first pass was much better than my previous attempt as I only nicked myself once. 2nd pass was just smooth and no nicks at all and I’m gonna try my 3rd pass tonight.

I really love the how fast and effortlessly I can get a good shave so I’m gonna get myself another 10 pcs of the blades and use it in rotation to my Gillette Nacet and see if feather blades can be my daily blade.

Let you guys know :)
 
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Thirty-sixth shave with the Mysterous Kai Stainless blade #1

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Black Marble 24mm Silvertip Badger
Soap: Pré de Provence Bergamot and Thyme

Another close, smooth shave.

Today's performance was similar to yesterday's except that the amount of effort needed to get to the desired result was much lower. It wasn't quite an auto-pilot shave because there was some degree of watchfulness needed. Regardless, it was a nice, trouble-free outing with the end result being a fairly easy BBS with no post-shave irritation.

On a side note, the Yaqi Black Marble Silvertip performed very well, today. During its last use, it refused to lather, at all. However, it seems to have been rehabilitated after I gave it a thorough cleansing with my DIY brush cleaner solution. With the PdP Bergamot and Thyme, I was able to generate mounds of rich, slick lather which undoubtedly elevated the performance of the old Kai blade.
 
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Kai #2, shave #2
2 days growth
Preshave: shower
Brush: PAA Starcraft (24mm synthetic)
Cream: Speick
Razor: Henson Al-13
Aftershave: Nivea sensitive balm

This was from last night. I was in a bit of a rush this time, as my wife was waiting on me to start making dinner. 17 minutes from snapping the photo to wiping the counter down. I'd like to get to where that's on the high end, but that's fast for me right now.

The Kai was, of course, still very smooth on only the second shave. Despite rushing a bit overall, I made sure not to draw any blood XTG this time. And I did slow down more for the ATG pass, though still got a couple weepers on the mustache, and a couple of spots on the neck that may have been weepers, but that was right before I rinsed, and there was no blood after the cold water. No blood, so I skipped the alum. I suspect there wouldn't have been more than mild feedback except the right side of my neck, which was slightly irritated. And the Mysterious Kai did very well getting me a smooth shave - I'd have probably cleaned up the left side of my neck a bit more if I'd had more time, but that's about it. A very good shave #2!
 
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Thirty-seventh shave with the Mysterous Kai Stainless blade #1

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Simpson Special S1 Best Badger
Soap: RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore

A good, but time-consuming, shave.

Likely because this blade is dulling at an increased rate, today's shave was very slow to complete. That was mostly due to the inordinate amount of time spent on my XTG pass which took about three times as long as normal. Although I didn't really need to get a really close shave due to this being a lazy Sunday, most of the time was spent buffing and doing touchups. I did achieve a BBS, but at the cost of a lot of time and effort.

One positive thing to come out of this experience is that the blade is still exhibiting a very high level of comfort. Despite all of the fiddling around, there was no irritation either during or after the shave. The excellent lather generated by the Simpson Special Best Badger/RR SMdF was a major factor in eliminating any irritation, but it also speaks to the inherent smoothness of the Kai blade and the forgiving nature of the FOCS.

Regardless, all aspects of today's outing were very good and I expect at least a few more decent performances out of this blade.
 
Twenty-sixth shave, fifth Kai (7)
RazoRock Game Changer .68 w/bamboo handle, Wee Scot, Tabac

I had the urge to change blades today, which I usually give in to without hesitation, but I said I was doing a longevity test with this Kai, and it's NOWHERE near done, so I stuck to it!

A nice and easy 4 pass shave, more about enjoying the process than getting results. Still came out with a nice close shave, but there's a bit of grit remaining in my trouble spots. Also, every time I use another brush for a bit and come back to the Wee Scot, I remember how just plain amazing this brush is. So glad I got one instead of the Duke 2 I had for a while.
 
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Thirty-eighth shave with the Mysterous Kai Stainless blade #1

Razor
: Fatip Lo Storto Originale (aka FOCS)
Brush: Yaqi Moka Express 26mm Two-Band Badger
Soap: Vitos Classic Eucalyptus and Lanolin

Excellent performances from all aspects of today's outing!

The FOCS/Kai duo provided a much better shave, today, than yesterday's. It was quicker and smoother on all passes and I only needed a handful of buffing strokes to reach an easy BBS.

I'm not sure what changed between then and now to facilitate this improvement, but I'm not going to question it for fear of cursing myself. 😁

Of course, this could also be the last glorious gasp of this Kai blade before it completely dies. We'll see tomorrow.
 
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Kai #2, shave #3
3 days growth
Preshave: shower
Brush: PAA Starcraft (24mm synthetic)
Soap: Mama Bear dragon's blood stick
Razor: Henson Al-13
Aftershave: alum, Nivea sensitive balm

The Mysterious Kai still feels good, no tugging detected. 3 passes all felt good. Where are the weepers? Oh, there they are. Not the mustache this time - 1 just under the right corner of my mouth, another on the left side of my neck. Damn. Then I guess I was frustrated by the first 2 and got careless cleaning up, giving myself a bunch more on the right side of my neck. Annoyingly, I didn't even clean that side up very well, while the rest of my face is pretty close to BBS. But it's not because the blade is getting old, so I'll give it another shot on Thursday.
 
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