Damn Comfortable Shave

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Friday my shave was very nice.

The razor is my Dorko. It and the rest of the kit did a very nice job.

I'm assessing the impact of GD-PS on the performance of my Dragonsbeard soap. I believe the PS adds something but it's marginal. With my soaps this PS adds more relatively speaking. I think that speaks to how great this soap is but I still want Frank @Dragonsbeard to add a PS to his product line.

Already got a compliment on the scent of my splash.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Saturday's shave was okay.

Although this Herder 76 shave was okay, it wasn't as good as my recent shaves nor as good as the last of my shaves with the 76. I wonder why.

I used GD Preshave, too, but not the Serum.



It's going to be hard to not use this Dragonsbeard Skin Food Splash.

The SOC is not my favorite boar but it's still a boar I enjoy using. It performs well enough, but I prefer more densely packed knots. I noticed significant shedding, too, and this is a fully broken in SOC which I bought new. It shouldn't be shedding.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

Saturday's shave was okay.

Merely 'okay'. You didnt listen to Lemmy while using Lemmys Favorite did you lol.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Merely 'okay'. You didnt listen to Lemmy while using Lemmys Favorite did you lol.

For next time.

 

[Esox]

Thats the one. Good man!

 

[Raven Koenes]

Thats the one. Good man!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Merely 'okay?' You didnt listen to Lemmy while using Lemmys Favorite did you lol.

Only the razor sings while I shave.

I'm too dependent on tactile and audible feedback to want any competing sound.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

No head banging while using a straight! lol

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

No head banging while using a straight! lol

View attachment 1023155

That could be a problem for a real yes-man.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Sunday's shave was better than Saturday's.

Today the razor was the same as yesterday, so the difference was probably the soap.

Dragonsbeard is an excellent soap. Plus, it will improve as Frank moves it along the developmental pathway.




The Year of Straight Razor Shaves (that is 365 SR shaves) is within sight.




This Skin Food is stellar.

The Zenith Manchurian is a superior brush. You need one.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

The Year of Straight Razor Shaves (that is 365 SR shaves) is within sight.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Monday's shave was excellent.

This old Wade has a truly excellent edge. It shaves like it should.

Really nice shave today.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Tuesday's shave was much like Monday's.

I may touch this edge up on the DCA, but it's not in any great need. Excellent shave.



Great splash.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Wednesday's shave was okay.

Okay, but disappointing in that I just touched up the razor on the Norton convex stone.

I have three other razors also touched up in the same way, and will shave test them. I seriously doubt I screwed anything up in my technique as I honed.

This was not a bad shave, but okay is not what I'm seeking.

Oh, well.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Raven Koenes]

Wednesday's shave was okay.

View attachment 1024489

Okay, but disappointing in that I just touched up the razor on the Norton convex stone.

I have three other razors also touched up in the same way, and will shave test them. I seriously doubt I screwed anything up in my technique as I honed.

This was not a bad shave, but okay is not what I'm seeking.

Oh, well.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Sorry, what we are seeking is better than okay...shaving nirvana in my case. Thankfully tomorrow is always another day to shave once again!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thursday's shave was a lot closer to the mark. Might even suit Rave @Raven Koenes.

My ERN was honed on the same Norton as yesterday's Herder, but the ERN's edge is spectacular. It was great before yesterday's touch up, but today it's better.

The entire kit rocked.

This Dragonsbeard Skin Food Splash is wonderful stuff. So's the soap for that matter. My compliments to Frank @Dragonsbeard.

Notice how thin the spine of the ERN looks to be and how narrow its blade is. Razors don't have to be big to be great. An eBay razor such as this one can be made beautiful if it is fundamentally sound. What an edge!

I've gotta figure out how to get the Herder this sharp and smooth. Probably just needs more work, but perhaps it's a geometry or bevel issue (although I doubt it). Good thing I like problem solving and honing.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I am exceedingly happy about today's shave.

Yesterday's shave left me concerned I might have messed up the edges of already good blades - the Wade, the Torrey, and the ERN - today I found out that at least the ERN edge was improved which is a good sign.

I will shave test the Wade and the Torrey, too. Assuming they're also improved I have a plan.

My plan is to more or less retire for a while these three or four really sharp and comfortable razors and see if I can get another small group of razors as sharp and smooth as they are.



However, I may work on the Herder 76 and one of my other razors (the name of which I've forgotten for the moment but it's a Sheffield) first. In other words, my plan is about as firm as Jello.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I think shelving "good" razors while you get others up to the same level is a great idea, Jim. It'll help you narrow down which razors work best on which stones, and help you identify your true favourites as a result.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I think shelving "good" razors while you get others up to the same level is a great idea, Jim. It'll help you narrow down which razors work best on which stones, and help you identify your true favorites as a result.

FTFY.

My guess and belief is certain stones work better with certain razors (steels). Too many people I trust say that for it not to have something to it. The theory, as I understand it is the razors were made in ways and with metals so they could be honed with locally and easily available stones.

For instance (and I'm not giving a tutorial so don't hold me to any of this).

• Japanese razors & jnats (because that's the stones they had).
• American razors & Arks (same reason).
• Sheffield razors & all those stones readily available in the U.K. (stones I've never tried or even seen).
• German razors & coticules or Thuringians.

Obviously there's a ton of cross over. I hone everything with Arks these days. However, I also have the Zulu Grey (a great stone), a nice coticule (very versatile stone), and synthetics.

So far I've not seen a razor which can't be nicely finished on the convex Arks, but that doesn't mean I've tried all of the razors on the Ark nor does it mean some razors wouldn't be better on the Zulu Grey or even on stones I don't have.

Spoiler: Why do things like this happen?

Here I am trying to be a minimalist. Minding my own business I am, but a super minimalist guy like Al comes along to make things more complex and tempt me into buying jnats and Thuringians and all that stuff.

I'll tell you, Al, karma's a b*tch.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Not at all, old chap. I'm sure honing each of your razors on each of your stones with varying techniques, and then test shaving with them all, will easily take care of your next 365 shaves with no additional purchases required. No need to thank me, it's the least I could do for a fellow minimalist

As for me, I'm awaiting a tri-set of welsh slate hones (finally remembered to order them) Hopefully these will be all I need for my Sheffield razor and the Solingen one Doug gave me. I suspect the steels will be similar enough to yield equivalent results off the same stones, even if I have to tickle them differently.