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Damn Comfortable Shave

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
And then you add information to the information in each individual block?
Jim, I leave a copy of the log page on my desktop, and just update and save the what I have changed or added. I cut-and-paste when I add new razors......
Besides the 2 Geneva's and Henckels, I have 3 GD's and a Martin I have honed, and a 6/8 Geneva, that I haven't used yet. It is a slow progression getting the edges agreeable to my face. I can get them wicked sharp, but getting them to feel like an AC Pro-Guard blade is another thing altogether.........

My Google Calendar notes look like this--------->
#30 Geneva/SLOC-Gillette Platinum(24)
Tuesday, September 10


Description:The Horsey and Wilko, with just a dab of Cremo. Not as much water, built it slowly, very nice, and CHEAP! The newly refined edge on the Geneva has it in the rotation. It felt smooth, is still sharp as hell, but the harshness is gone. I did 2 passes on my cheeks and 1 under my nose. The SLOC began to show it's aggressiveness with a 24 shave old blade. Nothing like the Merkur. When I shaved under my nose I could not feel the blade as the Geneva had done it's job with 1 pass. 2 passes on my neck and chin, no ATG, not going there with the way it felt. WH felt nice, AV gave me a nice fresh close shave feel, that chill, not really a sting........ Nice close SR, OK DE.........


The nice thing about Google Calendar is I have it on my cell phone, so I can update it any time. Plus, since I am not SR shaving everyday, I can color code the entry, Red=SR, Blue=DE.......

prof
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
I did similar with notes on prep, razor, and soap with colour codes in Excel when I was blade testing, even before I was a member here. The darker the green the better the blade.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Friday my shave was great.

9-20-19.Herder(white).M&M.Kit.640.JPG


Today I used this Herder which had been honed (by me) and was sharp (unlike yesterday's razor). Oh, my, what a difference! Very nice indeed. Lovely razor. Great edge.

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Counting my shaves I am.

Also used...
  • GD Preshave.
  • GD Serum.
  • Cremo Moisturizer.
Really nice Yaqi two band brush. I am digging this M&M soap's performance. The scent is okay, but I won't be likely to order it again in this scent. Not that I dislike it, but the incense smell is not my favorite. The performance - the main thing - is really very very outstanding, including post shave. I can't imagine anyone not liking this base.

CaribeanHoliday.Splash.Mine.480.9-20-19.JPG


This new to me splash is very good. It's similar to PAA's Beach. I like Beach better, but I like this one, too. Caribbean Holiday is less long lasting than Beach, and has a sweet coconut and pineapple scent (I have to try hard to smell the pineapple but it is there). It's way too sweet on initial application, but soon settles down to a more subtle and very pleasant scent.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
It's amazing all the things I don't know how to do on the computer!

I've been exploring the possibilities with Numbers, etc. and various commercial template add-ons. My head is spinning.

But, I can still smell a bit of my aftershave if I try.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
There's some shaving music! lol

The music, which is new to me, is very enjoyable. Thanks for it. Sure fits the razor.

Do you shave to music?

I enjoy and use the audible feedback from the razor. That's all the shaving music I want and need (and, yes, I need it).

Great music on the video though. I like it.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
The music, which is new to me, is very enjoyable. Thanks for it. Sure fits the razor.

Do you shave to music?

I enjoy and use the audible feedback from the razor. That's all the shaving music I want and need (and, yes, I need it).

Great music on the video though. I like it.

Happy shaves,

Jim

How is that song new to you?!?! Been one of my favorites for 15 years lol (half of my life give or take). Just joking with ya, Jim. I've been into rock of all varieties for a very long time, and we had several good radio stations that would play all of the major rock songs from most bands (even fairly unknown bands) regularly. No good rock stations where I live now, sadly. I have to discover new music on my own...

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
How is that song new to you?!?! Been one of my favorites for 15 years lol (half of my life give or take). Just joking with ya, Jim. I've been into rock of all varieties for a very long time, and we had several good radio stations that would play all of the major rock songs from most bands (even fairly unknown bands) regularly. No good rock stations where I live now, sadly. I have to discover new music on my own...

It is pretty sad.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Saturday's shave was good except for a couple of cuts.

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This H. Diamond honed by the vendor is sharp, but I was sloppy and got a tiny cut and also a larger bleeder. Neither were much of a problem but the bleeder took the styptic pencil. Both on my chin. Still, it was a good, mostly one pass shave.

GD Preshave & Serum.

This brush is so nice to use. The soap is a good one, but I might have needed a heavier application today for a bit more protection.

I'll pick a splash later I think.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Sunday's shave was good.

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Decent to better than decent edge on this Robeson. I do think I can get it sharper if I feel like it. Not today I don't.

GD Preshave & Serum. Probably a splash later and maybe moisturizer.

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I did not attend Yale, but borrowed the number. Counting shaves.

This M&M soap continues to perform well. It's an easy soap to use and an easy soap to like (and I'm picky and hard to please). You might not like the scent, but they make several in this base I think.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Monday's shave was excellent.

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This old Wade has a truly great edge. It makes the shave.

No flies on the brush, soap, or the GD Preshave & Serum either.

Cremo + Bay Rum (favorites). 480:Small..JPG


Everybody should have a bottle of this bay rum! It's great stuff. Cremo Moisturizer rocks, too.

This was an easy and very very good shave. Not much work was necessary with this Wade.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Raven Koenes

My precious!
Monday's shave was excellent.

View attachment 1019356

This old Wade has a truly great edge. It makes the shave.

No flies on the brush, soap, or the GD Preshave & Serum either.

View attachment 1019357

Everybody should have a bottle of this bay rum! It's great stuff. Cremo Moisturizer rocks, too.

This was an easy and very very good shave. Not much work was necessary with this Wade.

Happy shaves,

Jim
I'm still considering Atomic Age Bay Rum.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Tuesday my shave was very good.

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This razor is my Wide Torrey. It's sharp. I think I could get it even sharper if I decide to.

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Today was SR shave #324 and counting.

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My Preshave was a different scent from the one in the picture, but who cares.

The brush is fabulous. It's a MS 30 mm silvertip which is actually a big wide wall of badger. As such it is somewhat of a lather hog, but not too much of one. I like it a lot. It is soft as a cloud but has loads of backbone.

I'm pretty pleased with today's shave.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Shave Mail Has Arrived!

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Dragonsbeard! By our very own member, Frank @Dragonsbeard. I am very excited to be giving this new soap - the hottest new soap on the planet if the reviews are correct - a spin around the block.

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Not according to my wife.

Just kidding of course (about my wife's stated opinion of me; she actually think's I'm handsome).

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Just kidding again. Enough.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
My shave today was pretty good.

9-25-19.Dragonsbeard.1st-Shave.Dorko.640.Kit.JPG


Today's razor was my excellent Dorko, but the featured item is the new shave soap.

Dragonsbeard got its first outing today. I decided to try it on its own without using the preshave I've been using every shave for months. Frankly I'm not sure that's fair to the soap, but I really want to test this soap on its merits and know how much GD Preshave improves any and all soaps (in my experience).

I am by no means willing to say much yet beyond some preliminary comments. Keep in mind I am a face-latherer and a guy with dry skin shaving with a straight razor. Prior to shaving I showered during which I washed my face as usual with a green olive oil based soap I've used many times and like.

Too Early Impressions of this Dragonsbeard Soap
  • The scent is pleasant and not very strong. It's a dark, masculine scent. Not too dark. Absolutely okay. I'm not one to have any idea what anything smells like, but I like the scent just fine.
  • My puck is large. I think its 6.5 oz. The jar feels heavy.
  • The puck is hard. Not as hard as triple milled soaps but much harder than many artisan soaps.
  • The container is fine. I was able to load my brush in the jar without making a big mess.
  • I found the soap fairly hard to load in that it took a bit of time. Not quite in the "load it like you hate it" category but definitely hard to load. This is not a criticism as I'm only talking about a bit more time and a matter of dialing it in. I did not bloom the puck.
  • The lather was not at all hard to build, but I wouldn't call it easy either. I had to reload my brush during my first lather as I didn't have enough soap.
  • I found the soap less thirty than Grooming Dept soaps I've used and less thirsty than the one M&M soap I've used recently. Again, this was the first time I've used the soap and I'm dialing it in.
  • The slickness was good but not as good as some soaps. Still, perfectly acceptable. Again, I'm not saying I had it dialed in so this is not a criticism, just an early impression which may speak to my skills and not the soap.
  • Residual slickness or what I call ghost lather was good enough. Not stellar but okay.
  • Cushion was also good enough.
  • I found the soap easy enough to use.
  • I liked shaving with it and felt like I got a good shave using it.
  • The remaining lather rinsed off easily leaving my skin feeling clean.
Pretending I have the soap dialed in yet would be ridiculous.

I kinda felt like I was missing the preshave.

What's Important To Me About Soaps | Going Beyond

In my view, pretty much all good soaps are good enough in the ways described and/or mentioned above.

To me, the distinguishing qualities involve post shave and what some call post-post shave. To me, post-post shave is all about how my dry skin does if I use the soap for a week or longer.


In other words just about everything I consider important about this soap will take a while to determine. I've got to get it dialed in. I've got to see how my skin likes the soap over at least a week or so.

It definitely has a different feel from the Grooming Dept soaps I've used and the M&M soap I've used, but how much would using GD Preshave equalize that distinction? I have no idea, but it can be tested.

I've only used Dragonsbeard Soap and the Dragonsbeard Skin Food Splash once but I like it so far. We'll see how it goes.

What About the Splash?

It's a small bottle. I used just a small amount, about a nickel sized puddle in my palm. It felt nice and smelled good. Not a strong scent, but very pleasant.

Later I used a "regular" splash and my usual Cremo Moisturizer.

I believe the point of the DB Splash is as a Skin Food. I'll see how it goes, but it's way too early to have much to say other than I liked the first application.

DragonsbeardSoap.New&Unused.640.9-25-19JPG.JPG


The Bottom Line Is I've Just Begun Finding Out If I Like This Soap As Much As Others (or More)...

All in all, I was pleased with this soap's first shave. I'm glad to have it, and really looking forward to finding out if the benefits for me are like the benefits other guys have reported.

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I know this is a way too early to tell impression, but my impression about six or eight hours after shaving with Dragonsbeard and using the Skin Food Splash is my skin feels really good!

I'm still counting my shaves with the straight razor.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Thursday's shave was pretty good.

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Something was significantly better about today's shave. I'm pretty sure adding the preshave to the mix was that something.

Better slickness and better ghost lather and just an all around better shave.

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DB Skin Food was my immediate post shave splash. Just a little bit, spread around. Excellent stuff.

326 SR shaves.jpg


About four hours after I shaved I realize my skin was a bit dry (not uncomfortable) so I used a couple of other products.

Beach.NewBottle.480.7-13-19.JPGCremo.480.cropped.1-19..jpeg

That's better.

I've a ways to go in dialing in Dragonsbeard Soap, but I like using it so far. Will I be able to dial it in to my satisfaction without using GD Preshave?

Happy shaves to you,

Jim
 
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