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Damn Comfortable Shave

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Hi Jim!

Two things:

1. Your butterscotch handled brushes seem to treat you better than the others. Your butterscotch SOC Mistura wants me to steal it away to New England even though synthetic knots are my speed. It must want to sit at the back of the sink and listen to my exotic accent while I shave.

2. Given smoov and ruff may involve the absence or presence of cumulative damage, would using either plate for an extended time before switching give you better feedback for, like, science?
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
This is intriguing to me as I plan on ordering a Timeless bronze once the border opens.
It took me a few shaves to get into the Karve, but once I did I moved up to the SB D plate and with a med prep blade it is the best thing I have in my collection. Good luck!

Cool. Sounds like we're learning similar razors (and the same).

I initially ordered the Karve with the F OC and the D SB plates. Today I ordered the B OC plate, too. I think that will give me plenty of range to learn the razor and determine if I need, for example, an A SB or a C SB, or, hopefully, nothing else.

I believe the Timeless razors are being shipped (although mine came from the BST).

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Hi Jim!

Two things:

1. Your butterscotch handled brushes seem to treat you better than the others. Your butterscotch SOC Mistura wants me to steal it away to New England even though synthetic knots are my speed. It must want to sit at the back of the sink and listen to my exotic accent while I shave.

2. Given smoov and ruff may involve the absence or presence of cumulative damage, would using either plate for an extended time before switching give you better feedback for, like, science?

Good points, both of them.

I hate butterscotch as a flavor, but love it as a handle.

That said, I have a few non-butterscotch brushes which treat me very well.


5-3-21.CH3.Manchurian.TimelessBronzeSB.Vitos.640.JPG

These two come to mind.​
4-7-21.Shavemac.FOCS.Vitos.640.JPG


Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
BOSC2Anything for science.jpg


My Karve order which includes the razor with F OC, D SB, and B OC is awaiting shipment. It is packaged and labeled. No idea how long shipping takes from there to here, but it will arrive when it arrives.

Karve has been very good about notifications (and they combined two orders thus saving me $9 in shipping which was appreciated).


1620146813411.png


My brass Pearl adjustable, the V4 version, has been shipped from Maggard, and should arrive tomorrow according to the tracking. We'll see. Not that it matters. It will get here when it arrives. The reviews are stellar (for the ones without problems; the V4 has "fixed all the problems.")


1620146934763.png


There is also in transit a borrowed GC 68 and a super expensive Yuma. I expect the Yuma will take a good while (they say two weeks) as it's coming from Turkey. The review (Cal's, singular) is stellar.

In other words lots of upcoming experiments are in my near future.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
There is also in transit a borrowed GC 68 and a super expensive Yuma. I expect the Yuma will take a good while (they say two weeks) as it's coming from Turkey. The review (Cal's, singular) is stellar.

Impressive razors all, but I'm most surprised that you were able to get your hands on a Yuma. Not just because of the expense and the waiting list, but because I've heard you have to send them a die-cast Matchbox car for them to melt down to make it. I'm sending a 1978 Trans-Am I found in a box of my old baseball cards. I think it really captures the zeitgeist of the razor I'm hoping for.

What car will you send them?

proxy.php
 
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Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Impressive razors all, but I'm most surprised that you were able to get your hands on a Yuma. Not just because of the expense and the waiting list, but because I've heard you have to send them a die-cast Matchbox car for them to melt down to make it. I'm sending a 1978 Trans-Am I found in a box of my old baseball cards. I think it really captures the zeitgeist of the razor I'm hoping for.

What car will you send them?

proxy.php



I had to do a trade in...but they didn't require one of my precious Matchbox cars, just the trade in...


1620156632022.png



I will miss the car, but it's going to be worth it, don't you know.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Notice the date on the post below.



Perhaps, that will also be added to the try list?

View attachment 1262226

You're right, Mike.

Unlike a lot of guys I know I can get a good shave with the cartridge razors, but that doesn't mean I want to. I also know I can use the cartridges for a long time and still get a good shave even though they tug, but that doesn't mean I want to.

I can also save money with cartridges which is one thing I've learned for sure as a B&B and BOSC member, but that doesn't mean I want to.

Doesn't mean I won't ever use the cartridge razor. I know I will sometime, but I also already know it will be a good shave. Not a fun shave perhaps, but cheap.

I also have not done anywhere near enough with the GEM/E-R razors.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Wednesday, my shave was good, but I forgot to post it, so here it is.


5:5:21.RudyVeyBrushes(5).Mine.640.JPG



First, here is a photo of my Rudy Vey brushes.

Left to right these are the knots.
  1. Shavemac 2 band (not D01)
  2. Shavemac Pure
  3. Rudy Vey Manchurian
  4. Shavemac D01 2 band
  5. Rudy Vey Manchurian

I have another Shavemac 2 band (not D01) knot, too, but it's in a blue Shavemac handle.


5-5-21.RV.D01.Vitos.Timelless38Bronnze.640.JPG



Used one of them on Thursday along with the Timeless Bronze SB 38. Good shave.

Wizamet blade, flipped.


Yummy scent, too.​
12-20.CoconutBayRum.HyaluronicAcid.Brickell.640.JPG


Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Thursday's shave was terrific.


5-6-21.TimelessBronze.38.Mistura.Vitos.640.JPG



Today's was my best shave so far with the Timeless Bronze SB 38. I did a bit of extra work, going in atypical directions some, not chasing baby, not catching baby, but it was still a very nice shave.


Today's splash was grabbed by mistake but I went with it. It's not my favorite, but it's still a right nice scent.​
12-20.PAA.Sandalwood.HyaluronicAcid.Brickell.640.JPG


I believe I've gotten comfortable with, and "mastered" the Timeless Bronze SB 38 (in very deliberate quotation marks). It is a very smooth-shaving bit of kit, and, surprisingly efficient albeit requiring some buffing in the soul patch, lower lip, and chin (but that's the case with every razor I've ever used).

Happy shaves to you,

Jim
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Friday's shave was terrific.

Caveat: One shave is not adequate as a razor review, but...


5-7-21.Pearl-V4.(on4).Z-Man.Vitos.640.JPG



Today was the first outing of a new razor, the Pearl Flexi Adjustable Safety Razor V4. I used a not new, but flipped Wizamet SI blade. On first impressions this is an absolutely terrific razor!

The Pearl V4 is a tank. Meaning an extremely heavy razor. I didn't weigh it but I'd guess it weighs about seven pounds! General George S Patton would appreciate it. Don't misunderstand, it's certainly not too heavy for me. Better, the shave was smooth feeling on my skin. There was very very little, but some, a tiny amount, of blade feel; an enjoyable amount.

The razor was very easy to use. I used, of course, as always, a steep angle.

This was, according to my way of thinking about shaves, a 2.5 shave (two and a half lathered passes), but certainly didn't have to be. The razor is efficient on setting #4.

The Zenith Copper Manchurian is a terrific brush. At present it has very strong backbone, and what I call "delicious scrub" (my highest compliment for scrub). It is stiff (in a good way), but it is also nicely soft on my skin.


12-20.ClasicoBayRum.HyaluronicAcid.Brickell.640JPG.JPG



The post shave products were like the icing on the cake.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Friday's shave was terrific.

Caveat: One shave is not adequate as a razor review, but...


View attachment 1263216


Today was the first outing of a new razor, the Pearl Flexi Adjustable Safety Razor V4. I used a not new, but flipped Wizamet SI blade. On first impressions this is an absolutely terrific razor!

The Pearl V4 is a tank. Meaning an extremely heavy razor. I didn't weigh it but I'd guess it weighs about seven pounds! General George S Patton would appreciate it. Don't misunderstand, it's certainly not too heavy for me. Better, the shave was smooth feeling on my skin. There was very very little, but some, a tiny amount, of blade feel; an enjoyable amount.

The razor was very easy to use. I used, of course, as always, a steep angle.

This was, according to my way of thinking about shaves, a 2.5 shave (two and a half lathered passes), but certainly didn't have to be. The razor is efficient on setting #4.

The Zenith Copper Manchurian is a terrific brush. At present it has very strong backbone, and what I call "delicious scrub" (my highest compliment for scrub). It is stiff (in a good way), but it is also nicely soft on my skin.


View attachment 1263223


The post shave products were like the icing on the cake.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Excellent commentary on the Pearl Flexi v2. :thumbup:
 
Friday's shave was terrific.

Caveat: One shave is not adequate as a razor review, but...


View attachment 1263216


Today was the first outing of a new razor, the Pearl Flexi Adjustable Safety Razor V4. I used a not new, but flipped Wizamet SI blade. On first impressions this is an absolutely terrific razor!

The Pearl V4 is a tank. Meaning an extremely heavy razor. I didn't weigh it but I'd guess it weighs about seven pounds! General George S Patton would appreciate it. Don't misunderstand, it's certainly not too heavy for me. Better, the shave was smooth feeling on my skin. There was very very little, but some, a tiny amount, of blade feel; an enjoyable amount.

The razor was very easy to use. I used, of course, as always, a steep angle.

This was, according to my way of thinking about shaves, a 2.5 shave (two and a half lathered passes), but certainly didn't have to be. The razor is efficient on setting #4.

The Zenith Copper Manchurian is a terrific brush. At present it has very strong backbone, and what I call "delicious scrub" (my highest compliment for scrub). It is stiff (in a good way), but it is also nicely soft on my skin.


View attachment 1263223


The post shave products were like the icing on the cake.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I had to chuckle at the mild hyperbole about the weight. And it sure is a beautiful razor.
 
Friday's shave was terrific.

Caveat: One shave is not adequate as a razor review, but...


View attachment 1263216


Today was the first outing of a new razor, the Pearl Flexi Adjustable Safety Razor V4. I used a not new, but flipped Wizamet SI blade. On first impressions this is an absolutely terrific razor!

The Pearl V4 is a tank. Meaning an extremely heavy razor. I didn't weigh it but I'd guess it weighs about seven pounds! General George S Patton would appreciate it. Don't misunderstand, it's certainly not too heavy for me. Better, the shave was smooth feeling on my skin. There was very very little, but some, a tiny amount, of blade feel; an enjoyable amount.

The razor was very easy to use. I used, of course, as always, a steep angle.

This was, according to my way of thinking about shaves, a 2.5 shave (two and a half lathered passes), but certainly didn't have to be. The razor is efficient on setting #4.

The Zenith Copper Manchurian is a terrific brush. At present it has very strong backbone, and what I call "delicious scrub" (my highest compliment for scrub). It is stiff (in a good way), but it is also nicely soft on my skin.


View attachment 1263223


The post shave products were like the icing on the cake.

Happy shaves,

Jim
Great review.

It is indeed a tank. I used this razor exclusively in March and developed good muscle memory to maneuver this tank over my facial battle field with ease.

The razor helped me fine tune and develop a few more moves which allows me to get to BBS with lesser strokes.

Love the razor!

Sent from my SM-A705GM using Tapatalk
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Saturday's shave. Another very good shave.


Today's razor is yet another brand new razor.

Obviously, it's a Karve.

The baseplate is the F.

OC, obviously. I like the feel of these combs and don't see them as being too wide.

This is a good photo in terms of how well it shows off the considerable gap.

The handle is 3.25 inches in length which seems about right. I think 3.0 would also suit me, but I'm of the opinion I choose correctly.​


5-8-21.Karve.F plate.New.Stand.640.JPG


It's possible I may have had a recent relapse of my formerly well enough controlled RAD. Just guessing!

What about the shave?


5-8-21.Karve-F(brand new).Sem-LE-3 band.Vitos.640.JPG



It would be impossible to say this was the smoothest feeling shave I've ever had, but it certainly was not rough nor did the razor feel scary as I used it. There was definitely a considerable amount of blade feel but not so much that it was terribly noticeable or bothersome. Considering the gap and the blade exposure and how efficient the razor seemed to be I'd call it a decently smooth feeling razor with the F OC baseplate on its first outing. Certainly not uncomfortable.

How efficient? Interesting question, but the short answer is very efficient. I did only one lathered pass, what I call a 1.0 shave. Not a whole lot of strokes, perhaps less than I usually do during the first lathered pass, but only some less, not a lot less. No buffing. Some ATG work, but less than usual in the first pass; generally I save most of that for the second pass (the 0.5 pass in a 1.5 pass shave) and for the third lathered pass. Today, I did only the one lathered pass and it seemed like enough.

I wasn't chasing baby and didn't catch him. Still, it's a close shave.


1620485418245.png
The baseplate I used today is a big gun. Yes, it's the OC F plate. The largest gap and blade exposure of any of the Karve OC baseplates.


Should I get the G plate? The F OC is supposed to be the OC equivalent of the SB G. All things being equal (which is rarely the case) I prefer OC to SB, but the SB G might feel smoother? I don't know.

I've not used any post shave products other than hyaluronic acid. Maybe I won't use 'em today. Maybe I will.

Good shave, I'd say. Good razor. Also a pretty good looking razor with a beautiful handle and a wonderfully well designed razor stand (it sets a high bar in that respect for sure).

Glad I ordered the F OC baseplate, too. I have the D SB and the B OC to try and can't imagine they won't be to my liking having used the big gun first. How this razor will fit into my rotation is yet to be determined but I like it so far.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Saturday's shave. Another very good shave.


Today's razor is yet another brand new razor.

Obviously, it's a Karve.

The baseplate is the F.

OC, obviously. I like the feel of these combs and don't see them as being too wide.

This is a good photo in terms of how well it shows off the considerable gap.

The handle is 3.25 inches in length which seems about right. I think 3.0 would also suit me, but I'm of the opinion I choose correctly.​


View attachment 1263697


It's possible I may have had a recent relapse of my formerly well enough controlled RAD. Just guessing!

What about the shave?


View attachment 1263698


It would be impossible to say this was the smoothest feeling shave I've ever had, but it certainly was not rough nor did the razor feel scary as I used it. There was definitely a considerable amount of blade feel but not so much that it was terribly noticeable or bothersome. Considering the gap and the blade exposure and how efficient the razor seemed to be I'd call it a decently smooth feeling razor with the F OC baseplate on its first outing. Certainly not uncomfortable.

How efficient? Interesting question, but the short answer is very efficient. I did only one lathered pass, what I call a 1.0 shave. Not a whole lot of strokes, perhaps less than I usually do during the first lathered pass, but only some less, not a lot less. No buffing. Some ATG work, but less than usual in the first pass; generally I save most of that for the second pass (the 0.5 pass in a 1.5 pass shave) and for the third lathered pass. Today, I did only the one lathered pass and it seemed like enough.

I wasn't chasing baby and didn't catch him. Still, it's a close shave.


View attachment 1263703The baseplate I used today is a big gun. Yes, it's the OC F plate. The largest gap and blade exposure of any of the Karve OC baseplates.


Should I get the G plate? The F OC is supposed to be the OC equivalent of the SB G. All things being equal (which is rarely the case) I prefer OC to SB, but the SB G might feel smoother? I don't know.

I've not used any post shave products other than hyaluronic acid. Maybe I won't use 'em today. Maybe I will.

Good shave, I'd say. Good razor. Also a pretty good looking razor with a beautiful handle and a wonderfully well designed razor stand (it sets a high bar in that respect for sure).

Glad I ordered the F OC baseplate, too. I have the D SB and the B OC to try and can't imagine they won't be to my liking having used the big gun first. How this razor will fit into my rotation is yet to be determined but I like it so far.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

As always, great commentary! :thumbup:

In my opinion, Karve offers excellent flexibility and easily runs with the "Big Dogs" - all at a very reasonable price.

I like the SB-D plate as a regular "go to" plate. The SB-F is also quite good. Might have to get an SB-G plate and check it out. :cool:
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
As always, great commentary! :thumbup:

In my opinion, Karve offers excellent flexibility and easily runs with the "Big Dogs" - all at a very reasonable price.

I like the SB-D plate as a regular "go to" plate. The SB-F is also quite good. Might have to get an SB-G plate and check it out. :cool:


I will enjoy your report of the G SB, David.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
Impressive razors all, but I'm most surprised that you were able to get your hands on a Yuma. Not just because of the expense and the waiting list, but because I've heard you have to send them a die-cast Matchbox car for them to melt down to make it. I'm sending a 1978 Trans-Am I found in a box of my old baseball cards. I think it really captures the zeitgeist of the razor I'm hoping for.

What car will you send them?

proxy.php

Which car do I have to send them to get the mirror finish version?:lol:
 
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