Damn Comfortable Shave

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Sunday afternoon. Time for another shave.

Felt like some scent for today's shave and Oud looked good. The puck was a bit dried out but we managed and the lather was good as was the scent. It made me wish I had the splash.

This is not my favorite brush. The handle's ergonomics are fine. The color is better than it looks in any photo I've taken of it. The knot is okay. It's certainly an okay brush, but I like my other RV Manchurian better.

Don't mistake. This is far from a bad brush.

For today's shave I picked the Yaqi adjustable called The Final Cut. Ordered from Yaqi it arrived faster than expected. It's a nice looking razor. I didn't examine it closely for flaws. Some folks question the quality controls, but I just grabbed it and shaved.

This first shave went okay.

My right check and neck were shaved on setting #3. Then I bumped it down to setting #2 for my left cheek and neck and for most of the rest of the shave. I'd say it might have been a tad smoother on #2, but #3 wasn't bad.

The all important ATG sine qua non for me is my upper lip. Even on setting #1 there was more blade feel than I like. I'd say there was a good bit more than I like. I want my adjustables to allow a gloriously smooth upper lip ATG experience. TFC failed to do so. Admittedly my standards there are very high.

That said, the rest of the shave was good. I suspect a lot of gentlemen will really like this inexpensive adjustable. The Final Cut is a remarkable value for a pretty good adjustable razor.

Flipped blade. Usual preshave.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Monday my shave was pretty good.

The Muramasa, and the Sailor, and the Taiga have reset my expectations for ATG shaving of my upper lip with an adjustable.

The Denali on settings #3, #6, and #1 is an effective razor, but it's not in the big three of my adjustables.

Note that's not a knock on the Denali. I'm just very sensitive in that area, and picky.

Today's soap was an effort to compare this Oud with yesterday's. This soap has a little bit of scent when I stick my nose in the jar. Its scent is beyond my appreciation when lathered.

Flipped Wizamet. Usual preshave stuff.

Pretty good shave. The only knock at all would be ATG under my nose. Otherwise very good shave.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

March has suddenly arrived.

Sailor settings today were 4, 6, and 1.

Flipped blade. Usual preshave.

Mysterium Balm.

Very good shave.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Rosseforp]

March has suddenly arrived.

It has a way of doing that.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

It is Wednesday. The experiment continues.

Today's Sailor settings were 2.5, 7, and the Zero Dot. Very good shave.

Flipped blade. Usual of late preshave.

It would be very hard to not like a shave this good.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

It's Thursday. Another good shave.

My Sailor settings today were 3, 8, and the Zero Dot. Flipped blade. Usual preshave routine.

Very interesting to use a setting as high as setting #8. It was used S-N on my neck and jawline, and N-S on my soul patch, and my upper lip. Setting #8 has a huge gap, but it still feels very smooth. (Not that I'd try it ATG.)

For the record, the razor's numbered I, II, III, IV, & V. The adjustment dial goes way beyond that. It can be turned more than 720º.

(I will use settings higher than 8 for sure.)

I'm trying to figure out how to reliably and consistently use the Sailor to get a smooth and close shave of my soul patch. The soul patch is certainly my most difficult to smooth area. Overall, I've found smoothing it rather hit or miss with most razors. I'm not sure whether I should say or shouldn't say all razors.

It's not like the Sailor fails to deliver big time. It's just that my soul patch is so incredibly difficult. Plus I have very high expectations and standards.

With the hysteresis effect my soul patch is pretty darn smooth albeit not BBS.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Friday. Same results. Very good.

Flipped blade.

Today's Sailor settings - 1.5, 10, Zero Dot - did the trick. Caused no problems.

Yes, #10 for my S-N neck and my N-S soul patch and upper lip. (Not first pass for either.)

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Just a little off the reservation experiment. Not a shave of course as I'm doing the Fixed.

This brush is my (brand new, never wet on the right) DSC butterscotch. Its knot is very unusual and unique in my experience - mixed synthetic and badger - and science was, as always, impatient. The knot is a 26 mm nominal size. Measured at its exit by me with my calipers it's more than 28 mm. It's a big knot. The loft is 56 mm. I would not call it a dense knot but it is not sparse either.

On the left the brush is damp.

Also new is a puck of Mystic Waters Unscented soap.

This morning I washed the brush in Dawn. There was no stink to remove but I washed it anyway. Then I lathered up with the brand new soap.

I liked the brush well enough. It loaded and lathered nicely using my usual method. Face lathering felt good. There was plenty of softness and enough scrub to get the job done. I noticed no pokiness or scritch at all. I'd say the lather produced was more like what I expect with a synthetic than what I usually get with a badger.

No attention was paid to matters such as lather hogging or flow through but I noticed no issues.

Of course, the soap was new to me, too, so I have no basis of comparison with this soap and a badger nor with this brush and another soap.

After admiring my beautiful, handsome Santa Claus face I washed the lather right down the drain having seen nothing to dislike about the brush or the soap.

The brush and soap won't be messed with again until April, but my curiosity and scientific needs have been somewhat alleviated. A better test - waiting for April - will be a shave with this gear.

Now...back to my usual Saturday.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

My Saturday shave continued the experiment.

Sailor settings for today were 1, 12, and the Zero Dot.

Setting #12 is what?

• Insanity on steroids?
• On setting #12 the Zero Dot has been rotated 720º.
• The gap should give most people pause.
• Setting #12 might be the max to which the gap on this razor can be opening before the cap becomes a bit loose. (I'm not 100% sure as I checked after removing the blade which changes adjustment parameters.)
• Even on setting #12 the Sailor is surprisingly smooth.
• Any reasonable person would have no business this deep into the overclocked Sailor settings, other than for science.

Today's flipped blade was discarded after the shave.

Most products used today were nothing new. My splash was the exception.

Boomtown Bay Rum is interesting. It is neither a strong leather scent nor a strong bay rum scent. The jury is still out on it, but I like it so far better than some bay rums and bay rum variations I've tried.

The Sailor is a remarkable razor.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Sunday's shave was simple, easy, and effective.

New Wizamet SI blade. The Sailor was set on the Zero Dot throughout an otherwise ordinary shave. That is to say an otherwise ordinary Sailor shave. Not to be confused with a Sailor shave using the high settings, but plenty good for today.

These, plus shea butter, were my preshave and post shave products. Used as usual.​

I am very satisfied with my preshave products and routine.

This afternoon I tried a new aftershave & cologne. The vendor's write up says it's a night time scent. I do always enjoy reading Douglas's advertising copy, but I'm not sure I always agree with him. The patchouli scent is recognizable to my nose. It might smell vaguely of leather, too. I think I like it. We'll see what SWMBO has to say.

On the Zero Dot/lowest setting the Sailor still delivers.

My Semogue 2021 Spanish Shavers LE Mixed knot is beginning to seem more broken in. If there was any pokiness or scritch today I failed to notice it. It has plenty of delicious scrub!

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Monday's shave was good.

Sailor settings today were 2.5, 5, and the Zero Dot.

I'd call the shave yummy, but not perfect. Were my soul patch smoother and more closely shaven it still wouldn't be perfect by most people's BBS standards, but I don't shoot for BBS. My neck just doesn't cooperate there.

All that said, my shaves are generally very comfortable by my super high standards, and are frankly damn good shaves.

My blade was a flipped Wizamet SI.​

In addition, it's been several weeks since I was even a tad concerned about the now totally healed "areas" near my mouth. That skin stuff was a recurrent, intermittent, and very aggravating problem for way longer than it perhaps should have been, but it seems to be history now. I'm not at all babying the area.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Tuesday. Another good one.

Settings on the Sailor were 2, 4, and the Zero Dot. Flipped Wizamet SI blade.

Usual kit.

Happy shaves to you,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Wednesday. Good shave.

Sailor settings today: 1 & 9 & the Zero Dot.

Obviously I'm playing around with doing some serious experimentation with the Sailor's settings.

The Sailor is a seriously great razor.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thursday. Wonder if I damaged my blade?

Sailor settings were 2.5, 6, and the Zero Dot.

I nicked my lower lip & chin area ~4 times. Never done that before with the Sailor. Something was wrong. I think maybe I was noticing a "funny" place in the flipped Wizamet SI blade. Perhaps I damaged it somehow?

Not a big deal. Not painful. An otherwise very good shave.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[thombrogan]

Hoping your skin’s okay and that you have enough Wizamet super duper iridiums to get by.

 

[RobD57]

You can't use a DE the same way as a cart, especially on your neck. Multiple no-pressure passes is the key. Reduce, reduce, reduce, then eliminate. I have sensitive and very fair skin and getting close to a BBS without irritation is a non-issue. Let the razor do the work and keep your skin lathered for each pass, no cheating.

I would add that when you find a good combo of gear for you, and your skill level get's comfortable, you'll decrease the number of strokes needed for the level of shave your looking for. Less strokes = more comfort. IMHO.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Hoping your skin’s okay and that you have enough Wizamet super duper iridiums to get by.

Thom,

Thanks for your kind thoughts.

My skin's great & I have several hundred Wizamet SI + several hundred Polsilver SI blades. At least a thousand combined I think.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I would add that when you find a good combo of gear for you, and your skill level get's comfortable, you'll decrease the number of strokes needed for the level of shave your looking for. Less strokes = more comfort. IMHO.

This is definitely true to a degree, but not entirely. There's no end to the strokes required by my soul patch to say nothing of my neck.

That's not to say I don't plan to improve after a few more minutes.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[thombrogan]

My skin's great & I have several hundred Wizamet SI + several hundred Polsilver SI blades. At least a thousand combined I think.

Your skin doing great is the best news. You have enough Wizamets to finish off March is the icing on the cake.

 

[RobD57]

This is definitely true to a degree, but not entirely. There's no end to the strokes required by my soul patch to say nothing of my neck.

That's not to say I don't plan to improve after a few more minutes.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I wouldn't call mine a soul patch, it's more of a gate to hell.