DKeester's Shave Journal

[cvargo]

Nice read yesterday Doug. You all convinced me on the razor. I bought one yesterday at something like $2.86 on eBay. Worth the risk, like I mentioned there. Sounds like a nice evening of steak, cigars, and bourbon... how could it get any better?

Our strawberries are doing really good right now, just have to try and get to them before the darn birds do!

 

[dkeester]

Journal Entry #50

Razor: Ming Shi 2000s @3
Blade: GSB (16)
Brush: RazoRock BIG BRUCE
Soap/Cream: MVM Beta 1.0
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Witch Hazel
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Lucky Tiger AS & Face Tonic
Fragrance: RazoRock Emperor EdP

Yesterday when I got home there was a very nice gift in my mailbox, a sample of the MVM Beta 1.0 soap by @McVeyMac. I shaved with it today.

The scent is very good. It is light and pleasant. I am not sure what it is similar to, but I like it. It was pleasant during the shave and did not interfere with my aftershave or cologne.

It was not difficult to lather. I bloomed the puck while I showered. The bloom water went into my bowl before loading. The Big Bruce created quite a bit of protolather. Between the bloom water and the protolather, I was able to get about 6-7 passes worth of lather. The lather was at the wetter end of the water spectrum with some of it flying off the brush as I applied it to face.

The shave performance was really good. There was good slickness and good residual slickness. I was even able to do a bit of water-only cleanup on freshly shaved areas of skin with no issue.

Post shave feel is not quite as good as some of the best soaps that I have used, but it is really good. My face feels great several hours later.

Overall I would say that this soap is a winner. Considering that it is a first attempt, I would say that Walt has a promising career ahead of him as an artisan soap maker.

The GSB is still going strong. No issues there.

The 2000s on setting 3 was a bit more aggressive, but not uncomfortable at all. I am still pleased with the razor.

Now to the low point of today's shave, if I can even call it that. The RazoRock Emperor is a bit of a diasppointment. It went on really light and was unnoticable just a few minutes after application. It smelled really good going on, but I haven't been able to detect it all day. Perhaps it would work better when used with the soap and AS splash, but it doesn't hold a candle to yesterday's Armaf Club de Nuit Intense Man. I think it is a quality product, but it is too light for my nose.

Home Front:
We got rain and hail rather than snow last night. Today it is sunny and wonderful outside. Things are going well.

Thanks for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope everyone is having a great week and stellar shaves.

 

[McVeyMac]

I'm glad the soap worked for you Doug. I'm testing Beta 1.1 this weekend which was modified specifically with post shave feel in mind.

 

[Guestabc]

Nice Shave Doug

 

[cmh737]

You had hail last night? Goodness!

 

[dkeester]

Yup. It was about a 10 minute long hail storm.

 

[cvargo]

Wow Doug. Your yesterday storm sounds like all of our last week. We had hail multiple times. Today we are expected to get to 86 degrees. I think Spring is officially coming to an end for us.

Nice shave by the way I agree with everything you said about the MVM soap.

 

[Smattayu]

Great shave and review Doug. Very similar results to mine with that soap. Walt's first attempt was better than half the soaps in my den lol.

 

[sskim3]

Ahhh I haven't checked my mail yet.. UGH I am so dumb.

 

[cvargo]

Great shave and review Doug. Very similar results to mine with that soap. Walt's first attempt was better than half the soaps in my den lol.

And better than all the creams!

 

[Smattayu]

And better than all the creams!

 

[dkeester]

Journal Entry #51

Razor: Ming Shi 2000s @4
Blade: GSB (17)
Brush: RazoRock BIG BRUCE
Soap/Cream: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man sample
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Witch Hazel
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Pinaud Clubman SR
Fragrance: none

Mind the blade gap.

Rather than Fatboy Friday, today I had Futur Friday (as I continue exploring the settings on my new Futur clone).

So far I can't find anything bad to say about the Ming Shi 2000s. It is a good addition to my razor collection. Today's shave was good, but at setting 4 the blade gap is starting to get big. As I was going WTG on my bottom lip I felt my lip start to slip into the gap between blade and safety bar. I didn't get cut, but it was a bit of a surprise. Today's shave did leave me with a bit of razorburn that I can still feel this afternoon, so around 3 may be where I end up staying with this razor in the future. But for now I am going to shave with it until it is wide open.

The blade gap may have irritated me, but the blade once again got me near BBS in two passes. I am wondering just how far I can push this blade before I start getting bad shaves. I really like doing Excalibur runs on my blades, and don't do them often enough lately. It is really cool to get so many good shaves off of one blade. I think, when I get more into straights and start honing, I am going to have to do the GD shave challenge and see how many shaves I can get from a single hone of a GD100.

The BIG BRUCE appears to be a soap killer. I went for the "hate load" today because I wanted a good thick lather (and because after watching a few shaving vidoes last night it occurred to me that I may be under loading my soaps just a bit). The BB put a rather large doughnut hole in my Stirling sample. My last Stirling sample lasted me 12 shaves. This one may only last half that number.

Stirling soap leaves my face feeling soft and smooth. Definitely a Tier 1 soap. Easily Box 2, maybe even Box 1.

Happy Clubman Friday! The SR is still smelling great this afternoon. I love how well this one lingers on me.

Home Front:
Nothing much to report. I am looking forward to the weekend. The weather is great today. I am happy.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Thanks for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope everyone has a great weekend and great shaves!

 

[Guestabc]

Great narrative Doug, and sounds like a good shave, Have a nice weekend as well

 

[cmh737]

Good read, Doug. Stirling is great soap, at least IMHO. As a matter of fact, it is my favorite retail soap!

 

[clyde72]

How did I get 3 shave behind???

Good reads and shaves Doug!
Steak, Bourbon and Cigars! Hard to bet that combination!

 

[McVeyMac]

In many ways, Stirling is a one stop shop for the wet shaver that is also a frag head with all of the variety that they offer. Every Stirling soap I have tried has worked very well.

 

[Smattayu]

Great shave and read Doug. Stirling does put out an excellent product for certain.

 

[dkeester]

Journal Entry #52 -- straight shave #3

Straight: J. R. Torrey
Strop: Whipped Dog Poor Man
Razor: N-Type Schick Injector
Blade: Personna (5)
Brush: RazoRock BIG BRUCE
Soap/Cream: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man sample
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Witch Hazel
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Aqua Velva 5-in-1 Sensitive ASB
AS 4: AoS Sandalwood ASB
Fragrance: Davidoff Cool Water

... In which Doug learns not to get cocky...

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

Going into today's shave I was thinking that I would attempt multiple passes with the Torrey. Pure folly I tell you. Pure. Folly. The razor showed me that I still have much to learn.

I stropped the thing about 20 times before the shave. Next time I will go for more. I think I need to spend some time stropping with the strop laid out on a table to make sure I am doing it right. I really wish it was a three inch and not a two inch. Today's shave left me thinking that I am not doing a good job.

I started with the right cheek, which went well. The right side of my neck and chin went ok, but my angle was off leaving my skin roughed up and the razor started to dig in at one place but didn't bleed. The left cheek is where things really started to go down hill, however. I nicked the spot where my earlobe joins my cheek with the toe of the razor. That one was a bleeder. The left side of my neck and chin was rough again. Then I went to my bottom lip and chin. Three nicks on my later I decided that I would be moving to another razor for pass two. I finished my mustache area with little trouble, just a tiny pin ***** with the toe.

I then took a second pass at the bloody mess of my face with my N-Type Injector.

Lots of alum and aftershave balm later (with some witch hazel for good measure) my face was no longer bleeding and was feeling a little less like I had shaved with a paint scraper.

A straight razor will really take you down a peg if you start to get the least bit over confident.

My next go round with the straight will be better.

Home Front:
I am going to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 tomorrow. I am really looking forward to it.

Thanks for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

 

[Smattayu]

Lol I think we've all gotten overconfident and been humbled by the straight razor at one point...or two...maybe more...A nicked tragus or philtrum, or that wonderful sunburned look you get when you forget that you aren't shaving with a cartridge anymore...ahhh, good times.

I almost went to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 with a friend this evening, but I was a little too wiped out. I've really been looking forward to it, so maybe next weekend.

 

[clyde72]

Live and learn right Doug?
I've been tempted to try more than I know I should at this point with the straight too. So far I've not succumbed!