Damn Comfortable Shave

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Tuesday my shave was good.

If anything I like the GC84OC better on this ultra light hollow aluminum custom made handle.

Doug @Rosseforp, this is very good razor. Perhaps not quite as efficient as my WR2 1.35 it's close enough for most days.

Good kit which included a brand spanking new Wizamet SI blade, the Cube, the Tube, and a favorite splash.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Wednesday my shave was good.

Wolfman WR2 1.35. Flipped Wizamet SI blade on its 2nd outing.

Cube/Tube.

Nice scent I think. Not my very favorite, but I like it.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thursday my shave was good.

Today I used my Hone 15 in brass with its new shorter handle.

On the right is the razor on the longer handle. Above are my two Hone handles. The shorter handle was used today.​

I am very pleased to have received from Andrew at Hone a second brass handle, a shorter brass handle.

The Hone on the longer handle is a very good razor, one I enjoyed shaving with. The shorter handle is much more to my liking.

Even with the shorter handle the Hone is a very heavy razor by any standard. It is plenty well balanced. I became interested in the Hone because I read on another forum it's a highly efficient razor with the "least blade feel."

Indeed it does have some blade feel, but very little. It seems to me to be moderately efficient, quite smooth and comfortable and easy to use, an effective razor. I like it.

Not that I like the Hone customer service more than the Hone 15 brass razor, but I am a huge fan of customer service such as Andrew and the Hone company have delivered to me.

Thank you, Andrew. Thank you, Hone.

Also used a flipped Wizamet SI blade, the Cube, and the Tube. My usual kit.

Today's brush is a large Maseto two band. Very soft. Plenty scrubby. I like it.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

It's a Fatip Friday.

The FOCS is hard to beat as a Daily Driver. It's not as efficient as the WR2 1.35 of course, but it's still a very effective razor. Here it loaded with a flipped Wizamet SI blade.

Also used were the Cube and the Tube.





All in all a very nice shave. Not perfect as I applied a bit too much pressure under my nose in one little spot and had to use the styptic pencil. (Probably didn't have to, but did.)

I do not love the SOC boar. Not at all. Most of my other boars are more pleasing to me. Still, I don't hate it. I like the handle very much of course.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

My computer has bugs bats.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Saturday. I'm in love.

Atlas handle. CM1 baseplate. SS Windsor Pro cap.

More on today's shave can be found here, but I'm in love.

Flipped Wizamet SI blade, the Cube/Tube, and a post shave splash.

Not that I have owned or used a great many three band silvertips, but I can't imagine liking one better than I like this brush. (Exactly the same but larger might be an exception.) Just perfect. It challenges all my two bands and Manchurians.




This is a great bay rum.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Today, Halloween, I had another good shave.

Today's razor was the CR1 with its 0.58 mm gap. Very similar to yesterday's CM1 as far I could tell. Maybe not as gloriously smooth. Maybe a tad more efficient. Maybe those are imaginary differences. Both razors are very very good.

I had a good shave, but I have to work for a few hours today, so I can't procrastinate any longer.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Monday my shave was good.

Today I used the same razor I used on Saturday, the ATT CM1.

Comparing it to yesterday's razor, the CR1, the CM1 is "milder." It is more smooth feeling and less efficient than the CR1. At least that's today's conclusion.

The CM1 is also quite efficient and effective for such a mild and smooth feeling razor which puts it clearly within a razor category I can use and need. I've been looking for the idea mild razor. This may be it.

That said, it is probably less efficient than razors I'd consider Daily Driver candidates.

That said, I have to appear in court today. This is the razor I picked for today which tells you it shaves nicely.

Flipped again.​

The Zenith copper handled Manchurian is a very top tier brush. It has plenty of softness and world class delicious scrub. It's not as soft as the Semogue LE 3 band I used yesterday but it has a bit more scrub and is a larger knot.

I'm blessed with some great kit.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Tuesday's shave was very close.

Up today for the first time was the ATT SSH1 baseplate. It was coupled with the ATT Atlas handle and the ATT Windsor Pro SS cap. I used a brand new Wizamet SI blade.

The SSH1 is way more close shaving than the CM1 as you might suspect. I love the CM1 because it's so smooth, mild feeling, and yet gives me a good enough for most days shave. The CR1 is more efficient than the CM1, but the SSH1 is way more efficient.

Neither the CR1 nor the SSH1 are as gloriously smooth and mild feeling as the CM1, as you'd suspect, but the SSH1 is far closer to the CM1 in feeling mild and smooth than you'd probably guess it would be especially given how efficient the SSH1 is.

These are three very good baseplates coupled with the Windsor Pro SS cap! All three are effective. All three are a joy to use.

I'm very glad to have discovered these ATT razors.

Yesterday I spent several hours waiting in the halls of justice. Fortunately I was on the clock. Unfortunately I did not have my Kindle. (I'd forgotten about the long wait which is oftentimes part of the game.)

This was a very good shave today.

I also used the Cube and the Tube in the usual ways.

Oh, love this brush. It's a wonderful, deliciously scrubby, yet soft feeling Zenith Manchurian which has just gotten better and better over time. (And it came to me third hand and well broken in. Yet it's improved.)

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Wednesday's shave was both very good and very instructive. (More on all that later today.)

1.35​

Flipped the blade. (It was new yesterday.)

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I've not reached for the 1.15 since the 1.35 arrived. That's amazing because I like the 1.15 very much indeed. I think maybe for me the 1.35 is a better razor, but I'm not 100% sure about that yet.​

What was instructive about today's shave?

1. First off, the Wolfman WR2 1.35 is an excellent, hard to beat, smooth shaving, smooth feeling, very efficient, not prone to biting, easy to use, very effective razor for me.
2. With shaves as good as today's why use anything else? The answer to that question is obvious enough. I'm a hobbyist. I like variety. However, I've also not used the 1.35 enough to know for sure that it would work for me as a daily driver.
3. I need to test that. Is it a Daily Driver category candidate? (Daily Driver category is my highest tier.)
4. Today's was the kind of close shave which leaves just enough to let me know there are remaining beard mapping improvements. I can clearly see what I need to do differently on one section of my jawline. That's really great!
5. My neck is difficult. This is not news. It is improving over time. I'm cool with it.
6. The soul patch and area under my nose are another matter entirely. The WR2 1.35 will smooth both of these areas. Yes, it takes some work, but it may very well be true they are better addressed with this razor than any of my other razors. That's a very big deal to me.
7. This is an excellent razor! I'm so glad I pulled the trigger on it.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Rosseforp]

I hope you've gotten one by now and it was to your liking.

I've put my G84OC on an especially light weight handle. Going from one extreme to the other, in preparation for its next outing.

I have, and it was a great shave, my GC84OC performing better than I had remembered. Could it be the LHF handle? I have never been a fan of the heavy handles that seem in vogue these days.
Even the hollow handles that some of the premium razor manufacturer's offer come in at 40-73 grams. By contrast, my heaviest 14mm LHF handle tipped the scales at 22 grams, and that was with bronze tips.

As a machinist I understand, it takes time to machine all of that weight away. Just like it takes a lot more time to machine titanium than it does to machine steel. It isn't the cost of the material, it is the cost of removing said material that costs money.

I'm hoping to have my Sherline miniature lathe up and running in the next few weeks, and removing said material again, the only thing holding me off right now is all of the Honey Doo's at the new address, like putting all the new furniture together, hanging pictures, getting the lighting right, making sure all of the plumbing works, trapping gophers, and making sure all of the bicycles are road-worthy.

Man I needed a shave

doug

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have, and it was a great shave, my GC84OC performing better than I had remembered. Could it be the LHF handle? I have never been a fan of the heavy handles that seem in vogue these days.
Even the hollow handles that some of the premium razor manufacturer's offer come in at 40-73 grams. By contrast, my heaviest 14mm LHF handle tipped the scales at 22 grams, and that was with bronze tips.

As a machinist I understand, it takes time to machine all of that weight away. Just like it takes a lot more time to machine titanium than it does to machine steel. It isn't the cost of the material, it is the cost of removing said material that costs money.

I'm hoping to have my Sherline miniature lathe up and running in the next few weeks, and removing said material again, the only thing holding me off right now is all of the Honey Doo's at the new address, like putting all the new furniture together, hanging pictures, getting the lighting right, making sure all of the plumbing works, trapping gophers, and making sure all of the bicycles are road-worthy.

Man I needed a shave

doug

Man, you need a handyman.

Probably a shave would help. Usually helps me I've noticed.

It's interesting though - speaking of machining and metals - how much some shops charge for their wares as compared to others. I'm not sure I understand at all what accounts for the differences. Not that I'm saying anybody is doing anything wrong or that the product costs aren't in line with the value or even in line with the work involved. I'm just saying I don't much understand how one shop can sell a very nice razor for 10% of what a somewhat similar razor costs elsewhere.

Just proves, I suppose, how little I know about it.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thursday's shave was interesting and good.

Same kit as yesterday other than the brush which is a Rudy Vey Manchurian.

Today's shave was even better than yesterday's. I incorporated some of what I needed to learn from yesterday, to my advantage.





Used one of my favorite splashes to top things off.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Rosseforp]

Handymen are expensive Jim, and I do have two teenage kids...

Not only that, but our bathroom is in need of some remodeling, which means contractors need to be hired again. I'm certainly not looking forward to that experience again.

It's interesting though - speaking of machining and metals - how much some shops charge for their wares as compared to others. I'm not sure I understand at all what accounts for the differences.

It is something called the Burden Rate. Every machine shop has a per-hour charge based on how much it costs to keep the lights on in the building. They simply calculate how long it will take to machine the parts per hour, and charge accordingly. There is usually a bidding process.

Say the owner estimates it will take 45 minutes to machine a part on his machinery and his burden rate is $110 per hour. He would multiply $110 by 75% and charge $82.50 per part.
Now the next shop might have better machinery and pay lower rent, so even though they might have the same burden rate, their machinery is more efficient and can make more parts per hour, and thus can offer a lower price.

I am sure that you can understand that a more efficient shop can charge less to do the same amount of work, just like a more efficient razor lets you get your shave done with less work. And some of those more efficient razors cost a premium amount of money because they are made in what we refer to as a one-man shop. Not to mention that some of your razors are true works of art, Jim.

Man I need a shave

doug

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Handymen are expensive Jim, and I do have two teenage kids...

Not only that, but our bathroom is in need of some remodeling, which means contractors need to be hired again. I'm certainly not looking forward to that experience again.


It is something called the Burden Rate. Every machine shop has a per-hour charge based on how much it costs to keep the lights on in the building. They simply calculate how long it will take to machine the parts per hour, and charge accordingly. There is usually a bidding process.

Say the owner estimates it will take 45 minutes to machine a part on his machinery and his burden rate is $110 per hour. He would multiply $110 by 75% and charge $82.50 per part.
Now the next shop might have better machinery and pay lower rent, so even though they might have the same burden rate, their machinery is more efficient and can make more parts per hour, and thus can offer a lower price.

I am sure that you can understand that a more efficient shop can charge less to do the same amount of work, just like a more efficient razor lets you get your shave done with less work. And some of those more efficient razors cost a premium amount of money because they are made in what we refer to as a one-man shop. Not to mention that some of your razors are true works of art, Jim.

Man I need a shave

doug

Makes perfect sense, Doug. Thanks.

What does the one-man shop aspect do to matters you just discussed in terms of Burden Rate and charges? Just in general of course. I know anybody can charge whatever they want to, assuming somebody wants what they offer enough to pay the freight.

I know, too, that art takes time beyond the usual to produce. I would call none of my razors works of art. To me, they're more like jewelry, and not one of a kind jewelry. Still hand crafted and laborious.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Rosseforp]

What does the one-man shop aspect do to matters you just discussed in terms of Burden Rate and charges?

I depends on just how clever that one man is. I have always said the best machinist is the laziest, as he forces the machinery to do all of the work. I worked in one shop where 3rd shift was lights out. The guy on 2nd shift would make sure there was enough material to last 8 hours at 50%, turn off the lights and go home. The 1st shift guy would come in the morning, empty the bucket of parts, load up a new bar, turn the machine back up to 100% and make a pot of coffee.

If the first parts coming off the machine in the morning were good, you could be pretty sure all the parts in the bucket were good also. I knew a guy with an EDM shop that had his machines set up to call him at home if a wire broke, so he could make the 10 minute drive, get the machine back up and running, and go back to sleep.

Man he needed a shave

doug

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I depends on just how clever that one man is. I have always said the best machinist is the laziest, as he forces the machinery to do all of the work. I worked in one shop where 3rd shift was lights out. The guy on 2nd shift would make sure there was enough material to last 8 hours at 50%, turn off the lights and go home. The 1st shift guy would come in the morning, empty the bucket of parts, load up a new bar, turn the machine back up to 100% and make a pot of coffee.

If the first parts coming off the machine in the morning were good, you could be pretty sure all the parts in the bucket were good also. I knew a guy with an EDM shop that had his machines set up to call him at home if a wire broke, so he could make the 10 minute drive, get the machine back up and running, and go back to sleep.

Man he needed a shave

doug

Wowser.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Friday. Another very good shave.

Essentially the same as yesterday.

I coulda skipped today's shave and been presentable.

Excellent razor the 1.35.

The good stuff.

When the jug's empty I'm refilling it with BOSC juice.

Happy shaves,

Jim,

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

The Wolfman WR2 1.35 is an excellent razor! My shaves with it are comfortable and long lasting.

Happy shaves,

Jim