Damn Comfortable Shave

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thursday. Another good shave.

The Hawk (mine is the SS DLC version) is terrific!

Tube in the shower and as a preshave. Discarded the blade after today's shave; it may have aged prematurely in my recent travels to and from the beach.

This brush was a superior buy for me. It is a great three band knot.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[never-stop-learning]

When I use my AC razors I wonder why I keep any others.

That doesn't mean I'm giving up on the better DE razors, but I surely question myself.





Sorry to hear about the nerve damage, David, but I'm glad you found a great solution.

I have a couple of Doug's custom handles, too, and love them for what they are as well as because they remind me of Doug. Hard to believe he's gone.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Thank you, Jim.

I miss my conversations with Doug very much.

 

[Virgil Sollozzo]

I'm a wet shaver. In other words, I've been shaving with a Gillette Fusion, and real shaving creams, and sometimes brushes for many years (well, decades if I include other iterations of Gillette's "modern" razors with multiple blades).

My shaving career began before these razors were invented, so I, like just about everyone back in 1960 began shaving with a Gillette twist to open double edge. I cut myself all the time, and was a lot better at shaving with razors like the Fusion.

Like most people, I've tried everything, and like most people, most everything works okay or great on my face, and is lousy on my neck. The best of my neck shaves have been with the Gillette Fusion.

Through reading this forum and lots of other online material I decided to give double edged razors another try. Why? Frankly I'm not sure. Certainly it is not about the expense of the Fusion blade systems because I can use one for weeks or even months. Yeah, it will tug a bit, but it still shaves well, and doesn't irritate my sensitive neck. Maybe the DE just seems cool, and traditional, and has the promise of delivering a shave which is both BBS and comfortable.

Back in the day I used to occasionally get a real barber shop shave by a real, old time, experienced, skilled barber. Those were the shaves I dreamed of, and hoped to replicate at home with a double edged razor.

BBS sounds great, and why shouldn't it, but a damn comfortable, and pretty good shave would have to come first, and be a development milestone, and be a higher priority item. After all, who cares how you look if you're hurting, and miserable?

Old timers are going to kick me here because I don't follow every direction worth a hoot, and am prone to change variables. I don't do this professionally (being scientific in my approach), but this isn't rocket science, and I can do as I like (and suffer the consequences).

Today I got what I would consider a still not perfect but close to it damn comfortable shave. I changed several variables. I took a shower first, but I still did a hot to warm towel over first lather pre-shave preparation. I used a new and different brush, a RazoRock Plissoft Monster Synthetic instead of my Semoque SOC boar. I didn't change soaps, but used, other than the towel soak, cold water, and cold lather.

My razor is a Feather AS-D2. I changed today to a different blade. Instead of a Feather I used a Personna med blade (marked "for hospital use").

Yeah, I know this is not the way anyone should do things especially not a newbie like me, but, shoot me, I'm just reporting.

My goal this morning was not to get a good, close shave, but to get a comfortable shave. I can't say the shave is the most comfortable I've ever gotten. It certainly is not as comfortable as most shaves I got with the Fusion. However, it is the most comfortable shave I've gotten with a double edged razor.

I did only only pass with a little touch up on my chin. Still, my shave is pretty good, certainly socially acceptable, and, frankly, closer than I would have expected with one pass.

What was the difference? Was it the cold shave? Was it the blade? There's no way to be sure, but it still pleases me very much to know that a damn comfortable double edged shave is possible. I suspect it will get better as I become more experienced, and listen to my face, and learn to shave better.

Oh, I bought some Dickinson's witch hazel yesterday.

Nice detail. I learned to use a DE originally in the 70s and now I'm back to it, too. Anyway, my neck can be sensitive but I take my time. I try and not rush. One thing I do personally to get a great shave is to not obsess. I don't endlessly drag a blade over various spots until I think it is BBS. I generally do two passes now and then pick ups. If it feels ok, I don't even do more than two passes. If I am ever going over something and it begins to feel sensitive, I just stop. It's not worth it to me to create discomfort or irritation. I always do witch hazel as first step post shave - like you, I cannot tell you if this is the step I feel provides me the most benefit but I feel like it really, really helps. I now rub it on my whole face and scalp as I'm mostly bald, too. I generally use an aftershave and most days finish with an odorless balm. 10 minutes after I'm done, if I feel any of the spots that I thought might need another pass, they're fine.

My DE shaves are all much closer, better looking, than any cartridges I ever used.

Best of luck, Chan.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Nice detail. I learned to use a DE originally in the 70s and now I'm back to it, too. Anyway, my neck can be sensitive but I take my time. I try and not rush. One thing I do personally to get a great shave is to not obsess. I don't endlessly drag a blade over various spots until I think it is BBS. I generally do two passes now and then pick ups. If it feels ok, I don't even do more than two passes. If I am ever going over something and it begins to feel sensitive, I just stop. It's not worth it to me to create discomfort or irritation. I always do witch hazel as first step post shave - like you, I cannot tell you if this is the step I feel provides me the most benefit but I feel like it really, really helps. I now rub it on my whole face and scalp as I'm mostly bald, too. I generally use an aftershave and most days finish with an odorless balm. 10 minutes after I'm done, if I feel any of the spots that I thought might need another pass, they're fine.

My DE shaves are all much closer, better looking, than any cartridges I ever used.

Best of luck, Chan.

Nicely done, Virgil.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

My shaves for Friday and Saturday were both pretty good.

	←Friday's gear.​
	←Saturday's kit.​

On Friday morning I installed a new Willy's blade. On Saturday I forgot to flip the blade.

Friday morning I decided to use the Taiga. It is definitely a top tier adjustable by any standard.

My Friday morning shave began with a setting of 2 and finished with a setting of fully closed (more than 1 but less than 1.5). These were good settings for me.

Saturday afternoon I began with fully closed, by mistake, and finished with 2 once I figured it out. Saturday's shave was okay but not what Friday's was, due to my mistake. There is not a huge numerical difference between the settings used but there is a larger than I might have expected difference in the shaves delivered.

Generally I reserve fully closed Taiga settings for ATG passes in sensitive areas. Unlike the Sailor, the Taiga on its lowest setting does not deliver quite what I need. Generally I don't use the fully closed setting for a fully Sailor shave either, but I know I can if I want to. No so with the Taiga.

That said, don't hear it as a criticism of the Taiga. The Russian might be a better razor than the Turk. I'm a big fan of the Sailor so that is saying a lot.

The Tube was used prior to both shaves.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Sunday, my shave was nice. Taiga setting was 3. The Tube was used as a preshave.	Monday, the setting was the same. The Tube was used both as a face soap and preshave.

Two nice little brushes, both Shavemacs, both 22 mm, both flattops, both D01. One is two band, the other is three band.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Eric_75]

View attachment 1878405	View attachment 1878406
Sunday, my shave was nice. Taiga setting was 3. The Tube was used as a preshave.	Monday, the setting was the same. The Tube was used both as a face soap and preshave.

Two nice little brushes, both Shavemacs, both 22 mm, both flattops, both D01. One is two band, the other is three band.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Have a blessed week, Jim.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Tuesday.

Nice shave, without enough light, with excellent gear, on setting #3 throughout.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Wednesday's shave was good.

My skills as a low light shaver have continued to improve. This is by necessity due to the bathroom I usually use being down for the duration of its oh so slow remodeling. My wife and I are not happy with the pace at which the tile guy is working. So far, I'm no happy with his work either, but we're dealing with it which really means my wonderful wife is dealing with it. She and I are on the same page. It ain't the end of the world and will end up being an improvement to the house and to our lives, God willing and the Creek don't rise.

Today I used a Taiga setting of #2 which is significantly less blade forward and significant easier to use than setting #3, no that 3 is any kind of problem. Maybe I should try #2.5?

Delightful brush. Mozingo knot in a Rudy Vey "real" faux ivory PJ handle. I like it very much.

Tube.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thursday. Good kit. Good shave.

Taiga setting today was 2.5 which worked a treat. Excellent razor!

Yes, it's a transplant!​

How can a brush with this much backbone be so soft?

Trust me, it wasn't soft until it was thoroughly broken in, but now...Wow!

The Tube. A flipped blade.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Both Friday's shave and Sunday's shave were good.

On Sunday I switched razors.

The R95 is a very nice razor. With very little work it did a quite adequate job on two days growth. It has considerable blade feel, but not in an objectionable way. It is very smooth, doesn't feel dangerous, doesn't behave poorly, and is surprisingly efficient.

Friday's Taiga, set on 2.5, was a stellar performer.

The Tube was used on both days.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Monday. Continuing with the R95.

This is a excellent razor. I've not recently been loosening the handle a quarter turn for my soul patch, but might consider doing so.

Really nice gear today.

This D01 two band flattop continues to impress me. It might be breaking in and becoming even softer. No, it's not soft like some of my three bands, and it's nowhere near as soft as my amazing Zenith Manchurian (copper handle), but this Shavemac D01 is much softer than my well broken in butterscotch beehive D01.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Tuesday. Another good shave.

I've not been keeping up with the number of uses on this blade, but it is doing fine. It was flipped before today's shave.

The Tube was used today.

Love this brush.

Happy shave,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Wednesday. Trying a new soap sample.

Today's soap, Tax Man, is a soap sample from Hendrix Classics & Company.





I'll have to use it more before forming more than an initial impression, but it seems pretty good. I think I like Mike's better, but that's not knocking Tax Man. Anyway...

Same blade, a Willy's, flipped.

The Tube.

Good razor. Good brush. Good shave.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thursday's shave was good. Tax Man was used again.

Today's flipped Willy's blade was discarded post shave.

I used the Tube as usual. In the shower and as a preshave. Great stuff! I don't know yet how the Hendrix Classics soap is without the Tube.

This is a lovely brush, very soft with adequate backbone and scrub. I like it a lot.

The R95 rocks!

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Friday. Different razor. Very good shave.

New Willy's blade today.

Man, this brass Rocnel Elite razor shaves great! Like the R95 I've been using, it's a Daily Driver.

I used the Tube in the shower and as a preshave.

Tax Man by Hendrix is a very nice soap. The scent is pleasant and very light. I prefer heavier or denser lather, but there's nothing wrong with this base.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Eric_75]

Friday. Different razor. Very good shave.


View attachment 1883697


New Willy's blade today.

Man, this brass Rocnel Elite razor shaves great! Like the R95 I've been using, it's a Daily Driver.

I used the Tube in the shower and as a preshave.

Tax Man by Hendrix is a very nice soap. The scent is pleasant and very light. I prefer heavier or denser lather, but there's nothing wrong with this base.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Enjoy the weekend, Jim!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Enjoy the weekend, Jim!

Thank you, Eric. Same to you.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Sunday. A decent shave other than a nip on my upper lip. Ouch.

Perhaps this soap is not as protective as some? Perhaps it was user error? IDK.

Flipped Willy's (2) blade. The Tube in the shower and as a preshave.

This brush, a huge Mozingo HD knot in a Rudy Vey Polo 12, is beyond huge. It's also a very good brush.

Thank God for my handy, extra large, styptic pencil!

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Eric_75]

Sunday. A decent shave other than a nip on my upper lip. Ouch.



View attachment 1884808


Perhaps this soap is not as protective as some? Perhaps it was user error? IDK.

Flipped Willy's (2) blade. The Tube in the shower and as a preshave.

This brush, a huge Mozingo HD knot in a Rudy Vey Polo 12, is beyond huge. It's also a very good brush.

Thank God for my handy, extra large, styptic pencil!

Happy shaves,

Jim

Heal up quickly, Jim.