FFFMM (Fixed Four For March Madness) 2021 Edition

[nicked78]

March 8th, 8th Shave:

I have some pre- and post-shave products on the way very soon, but until they get here, it's "same stuff, different day"

Except:

I'm well acquainted with "stand your spoon up in the sink" hard water. For shaving (and many other things) I'm now a Citric Acid convert. (Check THIS THREAD.)

I don't have any citric acid, but I recalled @Benzadmiral talking about adding baking soda to his shave water, so I tried that as a test last night and also for the shave today. 1/4 tsp of baking soda went into my little container of water (maybe 12oz?) which is for soaking the brush, rewetting the tips, and rinsing the razor.

Results?

With the baking soda added, I seemed to get more volume and also a slicker lather from the same "recipe" when bowl lathering. The shave was easier all around, including some unusually comfortable buffing. This blade on its 4th use was acting more comfortable than the previous one. Results are 75/25 DFS/BBS.

I declare a small-sample-sized victory.

 

[wmadoty]

Still In!

SOTD
Razor: Baili 176
Brush: unnamed inexpensive synthetic
Soap: Homemade Lemon Eucalyptus
Blade: Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge(8)

DFS today. I did not spend enough time making sure I was getting a quality shave. My lather was a little week, too much water. The initial sharpness of the blade is now gone but it is still shaving well.

I am really liking this razor. The weight and balance are very nice and it is a very smooth shaver, but I still find it a touch too mild for my preference. Just starting out, this would have been the perfect razor for me. I will enjoy using it for the rest of the month.

 

[TinyT]

My lather was a little week

Just Monday to Thursday then.

 

[thombrogan]

By the way @Tomo, who started that thread, is also the previous owner of the MK 31 that I‘ve been using for FFFMM!

Don’t suppose either of youse guys have a CV Heljestrand MK 24 around and needing a new home do you? I keep pretending one of those would let me move from razor gear acquisition, develop a perfected shaving style, and let me move on to Raspberry Pi components acquisition disorder instead.

too much water.

That’s a tough one to do. Unfortunately, the disappointment follows so close after the surprise. My birth was also described thusly even though I’m triple-milled on my father’s side.

 

[Smooth and Sharp]

Day 8
Satisfaction

 

[wmadoty]

Just Monday to Thursday then.

Weak better?

 

[SpannerX]

Check out the Excalibur Club, SpannerX.

Oh, I've read that thread, I've got many blades to go through, though I do have to say of the ones I have, Dorco Primes are going to be re purchased. Much like MWF soap. It works with my water quite well.

 

[BubblesUK]

Shave 8

Ds Cosmetics T7
Treet DuraSharp Blue (10)
MWF
Oumo/custom brush

A surprising milestone - ten shaves on a carbon steel blade, and it still feels as good as the day it was unwrapped, madness
I can't imagine it'll see twenty, but then I wasn't really expecting it to see out ten...

Blade has been patted dry daily and palm stropped - that's all, no mineral oil or alcohol, just two minutes of care before going back in the bathroom cabinet.

 

[TinyT]

Merkur 34C
Astra SP (5)
Omega 10066
Proraso Green preshave
MWF

3 Passes. WTG, WTG, XTG and a clean-up. DFS+

The nice thing about a mild razor is that it's gentle enough on the skin that I can push things by overshaving and using pressure without getting in trouble, a bit like using a two stroke that won't go faster than the speed limit; there's not a lot there but you can use all of it. It's a great learning tool.

Michells Wool Fat is leaving my skin slightly dry post shave.

 

[TinyT]

Weak better?

Strong when I've got the cards (or have I?). I'm all in!

 

[RumpleBearskin]

March 8, 7th Shave

By golly the razor is still screaming sharp. Today's shave was only 13 hours after the last. Not much to remove and I could feel the edge on my skin with every stroke. Nonetheless, no blood and another BBS result.

And the MdC is just awesome. Consistently awesome.

 

[T.Orso]

Day 7
Looked at blades. Looked at hones. Walked away. Had cake.

Day 8
More cake.

You getting any crumbs stuck in that beard?

 

[T.Orso]

Bic #36 in New SC
SOC Boar
MWF
Paradise Lost, Book 3, 80-134

I loaded until “If I foreknew, foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, which had no less prov’d certain unforeknown” and it worked out pretty much like that, faulty. Brush was slightly too wet, so the extra loading time did not help.

Back to the precincts of light tomorrow though. Bloom the soap, squeeze the brush.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

You getting any crumbs stuck in that beard?

Lots!

I might need more cake too.

The infernal honing torture is now on hold till at least Thursday. It was being done on the kitchen table, which is now piled up with kitchen stuff while I have some work done on my hot water system. That means no honing till Day 11, and at this rate the month may be over before I have a serviceable razor.

Seriously considering veering this project into a ditch, and reverting to Plan A

Before I had the ridiculous notion of using the Darwin Universal, I was going to use an IKon SBS for the month. Having nearly 9 days growth, the open comb side would come in very handy right now! I know this would put me out, but with three more days before I can resume honing, no clear picture of how much longer I need to keep going, whether the razor will be any good on first use, or if I need to start all over again, the enthusiasm to keep going has pretty much evaporated. I just want a shave!

I may still strive to get the razor functional this month, and endeavour to get at least one half decent shave with it. I just don't want to be wrestling the irritation of both the honing fiasco, and this incredibly itchy facial fuzz, both at the same time.

 

[T.Orso]

If you haven’t actually shaved yet in March, perhaps you have just been procrastinating on selecting your fixed four.

Authorities, any comment?

 

[nicked78]

I know this would put me out

If you mean it would put you out of the Fixed Four, but you haven't shaved in March at all yet, why would it? Whoops, looks like @T.Orso beat me to the punch...but I'll post anyway in support of a ruling. Call it a "friend of the court" briefing.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

@Cal would be the one for an official verdict...

 

[GMUK]

FFFMM Shave#7
Razor: Timeless .95 scalloped ss
Blade: Gillette 7 o'clock Black(9)
Brush: Omega 10098
Soap: Signature Soaps Capra

The blade is still going strong and today’s shave was very close and comfortable. I’m getting excellent lathers from the soap and the brush is breaking in nicely.

 

[Raven Koenes]

SOTD:
Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Piccolo
Blade: New Gillette Platinum (5)
Brush: Omega Evo Ovale
Soap: Proraso Green (Tub)
Post Shave: InstaSkincare Hyularonic Acid
Aftershave: Proraso Green (Splash)

I had a nice shave, and I'm am enjoying this fixed four this year. It beats my first FFFMM with a slant. It was a Merkur 37c. It took me until the end of the month to get used to it. I'm an old pro with slants in an SWB kind of way now. I think I'll swap out my blade at five shaves. I'm still getting used to using a blade in the razor and not on the side (of the sink by my soap).

 

[RookieGuy]

Tonight's shave went pretty good. Best of the month so far. I learned something about my soap. PdP likes getting beaten up in my mug. I wasn't whipping near long enough.