Damn Comfortable Shave

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

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

Al, that would take thousands of shaves. I'm trying to simplify a bit.

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.

I eagerly await hearing about the results, etc.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Friday my shave was good.

Nice Wade edge. All is well with it.



Good kit. Great splash.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Raven Koenes]

Friday my shave was good.

View attachment 1025004

Nice Wade edge. All is well with it.

View attachment 1025005

Good kit. Great splash.

Happy shaves,

Jim

!!!All is well with the world!

 

[Esox]

I havent heard mention of water temp in your shaves since you were at the beach, Jim. Are you still cold water shaving or have you stayed with warm water?

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I havent heard mention of water temp in your shaves since you were at the beach, Jim. Are you still cold water shaving or have you stayed with warm water?

Yes...

Warm water at and since the beach around Labor Day (end of Augusta), Mike. I'm even experimenting with the nice - Dirty Bird - ceramic scuttle I bought long ago (like the vendor's photo above). Mine is their largest scuttle I think. It's very handsome in appearance but it would better serve bowl lathering. My sink area is not large. There's barely room for the scuttle. I'm a bit concerned about breaking it. It's heavy, but that's no issue.

[I play with a sledgehammer in the morning.]

The various brush scuttles have caught my eye but they seem too small for the large brushes I like.

The small Moss scuttle (I like the cobalt blue) could be an option.

There's a high grade plastic travel scuttle (photo above) with good reviews, but I'm not sure of its size.

Anyway, I'm enjoying warm water and don't seem to be suffering from it. I enjoyed the beach's hot water more than my water at home.

Cold water shaving is great, too; it reduced irritation and inflammation over the time I was exclusive cold water shaving.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Today's Saturdays shave was nice indeed.

Of the edges I recently honed I've had the better shaves with two - this Wide Torrey & the ERN - and wonder about the Wade's edge and the edge of the Herder 76. Particularly with the Wade it's possible the issue was a not as good as usual lather (user error).

Anyhow this was a very very nice edge.

These Dragonsbeard products are all the software I used today (and have usually been using). Terrific stuff.

I'm sure I want a smaller (not for bowl lathering) scuttle, but what I have is the 1.5 DB (pictured at the top of the previous post). I'm trying to dial it in and getting better with it, but it's simple too big to be the ideal brush scuttle.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

A scuttle might be luxurious through the winter...

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

A scuttle might be luxurious through the winter...

From what I know through reading you can also put ice water in the scuttle.

Yes, I agree. If warm to hot water came be tolerated (which is pretty much saying one doesn't need the benefits of cold water shaving) it can be quite luxurious.

Cold shaves can be quite the treat, too.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Very good post on the Moss scuttle and how Dr. Chris Moss said to use it.

For my brushes, large or small?

I'd previously read advice by Chris Moss to get a small Moss scuttle, but he's revised his advice (as above).

I've also asked several B&B members which to get for my mostly large brushes.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Seveneighth]

FTFY.

My guess and belief is certain stones work better with certain razors (steels).

Totally agree

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Sunday's was a shave test.

As such it was not a pass. I've really had trouble getting this edge right; it's a razor I know can be great (if memory serves). Today I took it to the Washita and both sides of the DCA. I did not think it was shave ready. I was right.

Today I used Dragonsbeard Soap and Skin Food. Also, the olive-handled Zenith Manchurian.

Back to the drawing board.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Shave Mail Has Arrived!

This 28mm Gelousy SHD Bulb w/Faux Horn Beehive Handle is a "specially treated 2 band finest badger knot." APShaveCo made only 100 in this size with this handle.

Frank @Dragonsbeard told me about the brush. Other reviews convinced me. I like big knots and have others larger than this, but it's a big knot. I expect it to open up a lot when it's wet for the first time. I'll get more photos later.

My shave this Monday morning was pretty good.

This Herder 76 was honed yesterday and is better than it was when I last used it. I'd call it shave ready or on the verge of shave ready. It is certainly not max'd out, but I can fix that.

Dragonsbeard soap may not yet be the slickest of my soaps, but I'm noticing the shave doesn't care. In other words I'm getting shaves with this soap which are better than its level of slickness would lead me to believe they'd be.

No, I'm not saying it's not slick. It's just not the slickest. My understanding is the soap's slickness will increase in future iterations of Dragonsbeard. This iteration is very good!

The Dragonsbeard Skin Food Splash is slick (but with a different meaning). Great product. I apply it to my damp but not wet skin. After everything has air dried I apply a bit more. I'm not using very much as the bottle is small, but what I'm using is helping my skin which is what matters to me.

Oh, the scent is exactly perfect.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Raven Koenes]

Yes...

View attachment 1025200


Warm water at and since the beach around Labor Day (end of Augusta), Mike. I'm even experimenting with the nice - Dirty Bird - ceramic scuttle I bought long ago (like the vendor's photo above). Mine is their largest scuttle I think. It's very handsome in appearance but it would better serve bowl lathering. My sink area is not large. There's barely room for the scuttle. I'm a bit concerned about breaking it. It's heavy, but that's no issue.

[I play with a sledgehammer in the morning.]

The various brush scuttles have caught my eye but they seem too small for the large brushes I like.

View attachment 1025202

The small Moss scuttle (I like the cobalt blue) could be an option.


View attachment 1025199

There's a high grade plastic travel scuttle (photo above) with good reviews, but I'm not sure of its size.

Anyway, I'm enjoying warm water and don't seem to be suffering from it. I enjoyed the beach's hot water more than my water at home.

Cold water shaving is great, too; it reduced irritation and inflammation over the time I was exclusive cold water shaving.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I use hot water for a 2 minute hot cloth prep, warm water for hydrating splashes, and cold water for final rinsing. I splash with cold water at the end, leave it on while doing clean up, then apply aftershave while my face is still damp.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Shave Mail Has Arrived!

View attachment 1025875

This 28mm Gelousy SHD Bulb w/Faux Horn Beehive Handle is a "specially treated 2 band finest badger knot." APShaveCo made only 100 in this size with this handle.

View attachment 1025876

Frank @Dragonsbeard told me about the brush. Other reviews convinced me. I like big knots and have others larger than this, but it's a big knot. I expect it to open up a lot when it's wet for the first time. I'll get more photos later.

My shave this Monday morning was pretty good.

View attachment 1025879

This Herder 76 was honed yesterday and is better than it was when I last used it. I'd call it shave ready or on the verge of shave ready. It is certainly not max'd out, but I can fix that.

Dragonsbeard soap may not yet be the slickest of my soaps, but I'm noticing the shave doesn't care. In other words I'm getting shaves with this soap which are better than its level of slickness would lead me to believe they'd be.

No, I'm not saying it's not slick. It's just not the slickest. My understanding is the soap's slickness will increase in future iterations of Dragonsbeard. This iteration is very good!

View attachment 1025881

The Dragonsbeard Skin Food Splash is slick (but with a different meaning). Great product. I apply it to my damp but not wet skin. After everything has air dried I apply a bit more. I'm not using very much as the bottle is small, but what I'm using is helping my skin which is what matters to me.

Oh, the scent is exactly perfect.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I have to come back to this post to look at that brush more closely. They are beautiful and you do seem to have a thing for beehive brushes? I love that it is an APShaveco Badger. I simply must here more about it. I admire your tenacity, and purpose of will, going to a vendor renowned for their synths and not picking one up.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Nice looking brush, Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have to come back to this post to look at that brush more closely. They are beautiful and you do seem to have a thing for beehive brushes? I love that it is an APShaveco Badger. I simply must here more about it. I admire your tenacity, and purpose of will, going to a vendor renowned for their synths and not picking one up.

I like beehives but haven't had one, until now, since the Thater fiasco. I do have another Thater beehive handle (a gift to me from a member) to put a knot in when I get to it.

What's a synth?

Spoiler: That's...

Not for me.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

The Zenith and the MS were dried in toilet paper tubes to simulate newness and allow size comparison with the new APShave two band.

Big enough for you, Rave @Raven Koenes? I've heard the 24 mm is plenty large. Tomorrow I'm going to put that sucker in water and find out how it blooms and feels and whether it can build a lather.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Tuesday's shave was way better than yesterday's.

However, I had a pretty bad time with this new brush. It was very hard to load. It didn't lather well. It didn't release later well. It was quite soft. I'm going to give it a few more uses before I say more, but, so far, I'm unimpressed whatever the opposite of impressed is with it.



My brush rotation includes a good many other large brushes, some larger than this new gel brush. I've had zero problems with any of them, and zero problems with any brush (other than the Thater Premium Boar) similar to the problems with the new brush on its first outing.

Maybe it will get a lot better after going through a wet-dry cycle.

It is very soft and has a big knot. I was pretty excited to have it and expected it to be great but saw right away that loading it is a bear. Even loaded it still is a poor lathering brush by my standards. As I say, maybe it will break in and become a favorite. We'll see.

The Torrey was plenty sharp and shave ready and all that good stuff.



Yummy splash.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[AimlessWanderer]

so far, I'm unimpressed whatever the opposite of impressed is with it.

Underwhelmed maybe?

I hope it improves, Jim, or you at least discover how to get the best from it.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Underwhelmed maybe?

I hope it improves, Jim, or you at least discover how to get the best from it.

Thanks, Al.