FFFMM (Fixed Four For March Madness) 2021 Edition

[nicked78]

March 30 [+] Shave 30 [+] Night Shave [+] Cold Water

Loaded a fresh blade today. Another really nice shave with one tiny weeper that closed fast. It took a month but things are coming together. Face BBS, neck DFS.

I broke through the soap again in its new, smaller container. Not long now!

One last Fixed Four shave tomorrow night.

It's been fun. I'll see you all again at the next one of these!

I can only ditto that, and thanks @RookieGuy for your encouragement to jump in when I wasn't sure in very late February.

 

[thombrogan]

FFFMM SSOTD

Razor
GEM Micromatic Open Comb
Blade
Personna GEM PTFE
Brush
30mm Maggards Synthetic
Soap
ARKO!

Two ATG passes and a little under jawline cleanup. More smoov and less oof.

Achievement Unlocked: Bon Vivant

 

[Rosseforp]

Tuesday, March 30
FFFMM (14)

Razor: Executive set on #9
Blade: Feather (2)
Brush: Semogue Mistura #33
Soap: Stirling Bay Rum
ASL: Aqua Velva

I decided to see how my new Earthshoes felt sans socks for today's walk, as it was a nice warm and sunny day, so I only went 3 1/2 miles.
The kids were hungry when I got home so I threw a rib-eye on the Fields cast iron skillet and heated up some broccoli with butter and garlic, while the LOTH played Mahjong at her friend's house. She also works in the meat department at the local Asian Market, so we always have nice cuts of meat on hand.

I could hardly believe how easily the Executive drove through 5 days of stubble last night, so I took it easy and didn't chase the baby. The shave was great, but could have been closer. Tonight I chased the baby and got it.

First pass was all WTG using long deliberate strokes. The next was XTG face and ATG neck, then a lot of freestyle with stretching.
While I was acutely aware of the blade with the Executive set on #9, it never felt like it wanted to jump up and bite, it just let me know that if I wanted to get serious, this was the way to do it.
I'm pretty sure that I will settle on a lower setting, such as #6 or #7 for daily shaving, but #9 is not to be shied away from.

I fully expected to feel the Witch hazel burn but it only tingled, the Aqua Velva had a momentary burn followed instantly by a cooling blast with the Nivea balm sealing the deal.

I keep talking about what a great razor the Executive is while the Semogue Mistura has been quietly doing a great job also.
Tonight the Mistura just needed a few trips to the water mug, holding enough lather for 3-5 passes. I'm really glad that I chose my Semogue Mistura for the FFFMM as it really is a lather monster, but needed more breaking in. I have it totally dialed in with the Stirling soap and it treats my face kindly, but I have some other badgers that have been badgering me.

This might be my last FFFMM shave, but it certainly won't be the last time I use this kit again.

 

[Invicta]

SOTD; FFfMM
Razor: Merkur Progress
Blade: Astra SS #13
Brush: Maseto Silvertip 27mm knot
Soap: Tabac

 

[cryhavoc]

FFFMM SOTD

Schick Injector L2 - Stick Schick
Schick injector (10)
Mike's Orange, Cedarwood & Black Pepper
Omega 10290 Boar


I finished off the soap today but I had enough to get in a good last FFFMM shave.

 

[byDoms]

FFFMM 13 - 15, 26.-31.03

Blade: Astra
DE: R41
Soap: SV Dolomiti

I am feeling a bit silly right at the moment... I wanted to use this FFFMM to « tame » the R41 which I mainly use when shaving only once a week as it is pretty harsh. I wanted to find out if it can provide more comfortable shaves when used more often. So, I sticked to the same setup through the whole month and experimented on my technique. The preparation was really key to make shaves with the R41 less harsh, as well as a perfect wet, protecting lather from the SV Dolomiti, but it still remained on the harsher side, not a DE I would want on a daily basis.

But then, for the last three shaves in this FFFMM, I changed the last thing I did not consider earlier, I changed the Astra blade for a new one... Combined with the improved technique learned through the month, the new blade definitely provided much more comfortable shaves...

So for me, while I could improve the technique using the R41, when the shave gets too harsh, it might be time for a new blade.

 

[luv2shave]

FFFMM : Wednesday, March 31, 2021​

Blade # 4
Shave # 6
FFFMM Shave # 21

The Last FFFMM Shave !!​

A month's come to a close with the same setup - shave after shave for 21 days. Wow - a feat I have never done in 10 years or so of my wet shaving journey.

Had a 6th shave on the same blade and cranked up the setting to 4.5 and got a super close DFS shave. Some alum feedback on the neck, but nothing to worry about. The last FFFMM shave taught me that the this blade can go a full 6 shaves at the right setting. It was Shave Nirvana.

Doubts at the beginning of FFFMM

1. Doubts about the Gillette Wilkinson Sword saloon pack blades as being harsh and crappy blades. I had decided to either buy more or bin my stock by the end of the FFFMM challenge.
2. The Razorock Monster brush seemed truly to be a monster brush which ate lather with many of my croaps, soaps and creams and was mostly in disuse.
3. Tabac was a good soap, however there were times it seemed to lack slickness and seemed finicky. I couldn't get the loading right many a times and after a few such bad lathers it back it went in to the shelf to be picked up a few weeks later again.
4. The Pearl Flexi V2 a new razor and after my terrible experience with the $$$ Rex Ambassador, I really wanted the Pearl to fill in the gap which the Rex was supposed to fill in.

The learnings :

1. The Gillette Wilkinson sword blade works ! Shaves 1 through 6 give a nice smooth BBS shave with the right setting on the Pearl Flexi V2. It is no longer a first harsh shave blade for me, I have ordered 500 of them with 50 free blades !
   1. There are better blades like the Gillette 7OC Permasharp and 7OC Siper Platinum black, but the charm of Wilkinson sword has been with me since my childhood as I have seen my dad shave with them.
2. Razorock Monster is an amazing plissoft knot. I have it dialed in perfectly with Tabac and know how much to load for consistently great lather each time for a wonderful shave !
3. The Tabac soap, well its Tabac and has become my top favorite soap as I have now discovered its secret to loading right each time with a monster synthetic brush !
4. The Pearl Flexi V2 - outstanding razor. It has filled in the gap for the Rex Ambassador and has given me awesome shaves all through the 21 shave. I intend to load other blades in it some time post April and make it my top razor. I have also requested Pearl if they can make a naked raw Brass razor without any coating for me - they are considering it for a future run !
   1. It is a heavy razor, however 21 shaves with this razor has so fine tuned my muscle memory to use this razor, I can now take on any razor. My technique has been so well refined especially some new moves for getting BBS with lesser strokes.
5. A fifth unsung hero which I discovered along the way was Thayer's Rose scented Witch Hazel. Tabac and Rose Thayers go absolutely fine together and I love the combo

I am so very grateful for having joined this gang of FFFMM enthusiasts and shared shaves, life stories and so much more. I wish I would have the full 31 shaves but there were times when other stuff priority over shaving - however I was very fascinated to read all you gentlemen posting your FFFMM SOTDs and the stories accompanying them.

Tomorrow I move on to the Frugal April challenge and hope to meet some of you fine folks there for another month of fixed madness !!

Happy shaves gentlemen as I sign off from FFFMM with a lot of good memories !!

-The Shave Maharaja from India !
-Manish

 

[2bit_collie]

FFFMM March 31st - Shave #29
LAST SHAVE FOR FFFMM!

One final time...
Razor: C.V. Heljestrand MK 31 from Eskilstuna, Sweden.
Brush: Muhle Rein Dachs (pure badger) from Germany
Soap: Maggard’s Mango Sage Tea from Michigan, USA

Great Shave to end the month! 3 passes from a single loading and face lathering only - 1st time all month (ever?). Used all my techniques honed this month - Angled (up and in) passes on the neck, Fool’s pass on the upper lip - 80% of the way from DFS to BBS. A few days ago I stated that I had had my best shave ever and this one surpassed that.

It’s been a pleasure reading all the posts from the participants the last month. In particular I’ve mostly hung out in the straight razor section of B&B since joining and I enjoyed reading the posts from all the safety razor people who were mostly new to me. Makes me want to spend a little more time with my 34C.

I actually entered this contest on March 1st after my shave of that day. So it was entirely by whim that I locked into this particular set of equipment. I will definitely be changing up my gear more in the coming months, but I plan on doing another fixed challenge at some point in the future - though hopefully with more forethought put into the choice of gear!

In the meantime I look forward to seeing posts from the members of this thread in other forums! Happy Shaving!

 

[hopper_64]

FFFMM shave #24 - Last shave of the month

Razorock SLOC
Polsilver (12)
Yaqi High Mountain Badger 24mm
RR Irish Countryside Soap & Aftershave

 

[luv2shave]

FFFMM shave #24 - Last shave of the month

Razorock SLOC
Polsilver (12)
Yaqi High Mountain Badger 24mm
RR Irish Countryside Soap & Aftershave

View attachment 1244441

I've envied this shave setup along with some of the others here during the month.

I have the Razor, the handle, the Blade, the soap, the aftershave and the brush !!

One of these days (mostly post the Frugal April challenge) I will be emulating this setup and tagging you in it for the inspiration ! A few others too who I have really enjoyed following

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Last day of Fixed Four and last shave of the month: The best shave for sure of the Fixed Four.

I finally got it right (or lucked out). No blood. Very good shave indeed.

More later.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Schnitzel52]

Gillette New SC
Personna Platinum (4)
Colonel X2L
Schafmilch
It’s been a good month.
I’m getting DFS with the Gillette New SC and my xtg passes have improved.
My technique has improved and I’m grateful. Thanks!

 

[thombrogan]

No blood.

Achievement Unlocked: Flawless Victory

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Now that the Fixed Four has ended for me (and for most of you) it's time...

It's an accomplishment to complete a Fixed Four.

• Some people simply quit.
• Millions more never begun.
• Some pick a kit that's too easy which makes the Fixed boring and hard.
• Some people pick kit which is too hard which make a Fixed very difficult indeed.
• Few finishers fail to notice that their first Fixed was harder than they expected.
• Even after several Fixed Fours most finishers realize completing a Fixed is a project, and not an easy project.

Did you learn anything?

My only target was mastering the Wunderbar. In that regard I failed. However, I'm a whole month further along the learning curve. In addition, I broke in much more completely the brush I used - the wonderful Semogue SOC Mistura - to the point it's now "deliciously scrubby without a hint of bad scritch" which is mighty high praise for an otherwise perfect albeit not large enough for my tastes brush.

I enjoyed my soap selection and my blades selection, but I'm an old hand with both, and learned nothing except perhaps that my choices were perfect.

• Vitos Red Cocco rocks (once the almond scent is allowed to evaporate).
• Wizamet SI/Polsilver SI blades are the very best for me. Perfectly smooth. Plenty sharp. Easy to live with and long lasting.
• I have many soaps and many blades but I picked and enjoyed the best.

Today's shave, my very last shave of this Fixed Four, was the very best of my 2021 FF shaves, and also the best shave I've ever had with the Wunderbar.

That's terrific in my opinion!

Congratulations to every finisher and Big Thanks to my friend, Cal @Cal, for inventing and promoting the Fixed (and for making me do my first Fixed years ago).

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Did you learn anything?

Plenty.

• Honing sucks.
• Berry Fields O' Blair soap is ok for me to use occasionally, but not consecutively.
• I like cake.
• My shaves are more enjoyable when I'm free to pick and choose between a few options.
• Honing really sucks.
• The IKon SBS is not a razor that I would want as a sole option.
• Any razor that requires honing, stropping, or other maintenance is not a razor I would want to have to use daily.
• I like chocolate.
• Kippers are nice too.
• Honing is not nice.

 

[bjm]

Last shave of the FFFMM. Has it been a whole month already? Why is it the last shave with a particular setup seems to be the best?

Razor: Goodwill #160
Blade: GSB
Brush: Zenith B17
Cream: Cella



The Goodwill #160 is an absolute winner. I have other razors that provide great shaves, but I can't think of any that are noticeably better. For a razor that has been around for 90 years, it performed admirably. I really like this razor and this one is a keeper.

I have other blades, but I'm glad I am nowhere close to my last GSB tuck. I have two (maybe three) shaves remaining of the Cella. The color was more gold than a white when I received it (I actually bought it for the OG container) so I decided to try to use it before it went bad. It still performs well, but I'm glad it's almost gone. I will frankensoap it with a few other bits and use it for my head shaves until it is no more. And now to the brush...

Well, I don't dislike it as much as I did when I started this journey. I guess one learns to use whatever is available when resources are limited. The Zenith B17 is a good brush, it's just not my favorite boar. I will keep it in the rotation because it is not my least favorite brush either. I like the knot diameter, but I've found I prefer a 52-57mm loft and that's not the brush's fault.

Overall, a great month with some fantastic shaves. I declare the FFFMM a success for me and I'm glad to have participated. I enjoyed reading the posts from all of the participants and the sharing of experiences. This is just one of the many reasons I enjoy the B&B community. Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for putting up with me. Be well and stay safe...

 

[RumpleBearskin]

• Honing sucks.
• ...
• Honing really sucks.
• ...
• Any razor that requires honing, stropping, or other maintenance is not a razor I would want to have to use daily.
• ...
• Honing is not nice.

I like honing. If you want, send me your blades and I'll see what I can do for you.

 

[Rosseforp]

Did you learn anything?

I learned that even though I was tempted to use another razor during the Fixed, I was still looking forward to shaving with my new to me Executive every shave. Shipment was delayed because of major winter storms and my Executive only showed up on my doorstep February 28, and needed a minor disassembly, cleaning, and inspection before the Fixed.
I'm glad that I stuck with it for 15 shaves in a row, no matter what the setting it delivered a great shave, and it has now become the razor I will compare all others to.

My other choice for the Fixed was my new Rose Gold R41 that I still haven't used yet. It will have to wait until after AFFCC, that I still haven't committed to because it exceeds the $30 cut-off.


I learned that I really do love Feather Hi Stainless blades, and they will remain my go-to-blade when trying out new to me razors.

The Semogue Mistura is a really nice brush and continues to get better each time I use it. Mine still has a little scritch and my badgers are getting restless.

Stirling Bay Rum soap is the kind.

Congratulations to every finisher and Big Thanks to my friend, Cal @Cal, for inventing and promoting the Fixed (and for making ME do my first Fixed, last March).

 

[RumpleBearskin]

March 31, FFFMM Shave #29
Final 2021 FFFMM Shave

Joseph Rodgers, Celebrated India Steel
Heritage Collection Merit 99-5
Martin de Candre, Fougere

As expected, just another great shave from this setup.

Learnings from this month:

• The Merit has too much scritch for me to face lather on a regular basis. Occasional face lathering is fine.
• I really like face lathering MdC
• The Diamond Pasted Balsa component of The Method is not the only way to get and maintain a great edge.
• Confirmed that a high quality barber hone provides a very serviceable edge
• Confirmed that the hybrid side of a Les Lateneuses coticule provides a stellar edge, once lapped to be truly flat and polished.
• A touch up every 2-3 weeks is more than frequent enough (and satisfies my OCD and boredom requirements)
• I do not need to use a completely different setup every day, but I do like some variety within a month

Overall, a great experience! And in retrospect, I learned more than I thought I did while in the midst of it all.

Thanks to all for the support and sense of community throughout, and a special thanks to @Cal for the opportunity to play.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I like honing. If you want, send me your blades and I'll see what I can do for you.

Thanks Alan, but I'm determined to get there on my own, no matter how much I despise it. I just need to be in the right frame of mind, which doing so much honing earlier in the month has knocked me out of for a while. Besides which, I'm on the wrong side of the pond, which makes logistics an issue.

Thanks again.