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First SR shave

Shave #110 (276 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: Supply Injector (1-dot plate), Supply blade, TSC 1st Anniversary badger brush, DRH Sandalwood soap, Bay & Aloe witch hazel blend, Old Spice AS (modern), and Stirling Glastonbury EdT to finish!


Already at church the last 2 hours, doing the work before work.
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This morning is our annual Easter Egg hunt, where hundreds of kids and their families come to enjoy crafts, food, bounce houses, and of course...egg hunts!


Nice, quick shave this morning after a refreshing shower. Old Spice day!


Couple more hours to go here, a quick jaunt home, then right back to get everything ready for the multiple Easter services happening tomorrow.


I’ll be quite ready for a dram of bourbon come quitting time!


Have a great Saturday all!
 
Shave #111 (276 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: RR Game Changer .68, Rapira blade, TSC 1st Anniversary badger brush, CBL Barbershop soap, Bay & Aloe witch hazel blend, Fine American Blend AS, and Fine AB EdT to finish!


Up early again, sore as all heck, and bleary eyed. Chose just to take the GC .68 as my superhighway to BBS nirvana. A nice hot shower and three easy passes, aided by CBL, with some cleanup. I’m 100% BBS. Made the statement and finished the shave with a nice dose of Fine AB AS and a few spritzes of the EdT.


Yesterday’s shift was a body killer, but we managed to get everything done, with minutes to spare.


Missus has to work the coffee bar today, so we’re out the door. Over to one of our friends’/pastor’s house for a early dinner/late lunch. Then back home for the evening for chillin and chores. Hoping to knock out the yard before dark so I don’t have to worry about it tomorrow.


Blessings on you all this Easter Sunday morning!


He is risen!
 
Shave #112 (276 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: RR Game Changer .68, Rapira blade, RR Big Bruce Synth brush, Proraso Green soap, Bay & Aloe witch hazel blend, and Skin Bracer AS (modern) to finish!


First off, apologies to my constituents, but there was no video recorded today. I woke up, got my morning going with chores and yard work, and just felt done for the day. Been sore from the weekend shift and allergies are acting up since the winds yesterday. Perhaps tomorrow.


Did have my first Proraso Green shave of the season though, that certainly injected a little pep...felt great! I’m bemoaning the fact that I don’t have the regular AS to go with it, but I do have the balm which is nice, and I have Skin Bracer and Osage for when the mood strikes, so I’m probably not missing much!


The rest of the day is laundry and some RDO.


Have a great Monday all!
 
Shave #113 (276 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: Top Secret


Video has been recorded today. Now to find the time to get it published. Was the shave great? You’ll have to wait and see!


Back to work today. Going to be a warm week...not looking forward to summer, weather-wise that is.


Have a great Tuesday all!
 
Shave #114 (277 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: Feather AC SS folding, Feather Pro blade, RR Game Changer .68, Rapira blade, RR Big Bruce synth brush, Catie’s Bubbles Un Jour Gris soap, witch hazel/aloe home blend, and CC “Blue” tester AS to finish.


I will reveal a little of my shave yesterday, since the missus is still hogging the computer. It involved a first use of a developing Captain’s Choice AS, termed “Blue” for now. Here’s my initial thoughts:

I also received my sample vial yesterday and used it for the first time today.


My rating for where it’s at now would likely be around a 6-7.


Having never used any of the Floid line before, I can not compare it in that way. I would compare and place this AS along the lines of Aqua Velva and Barbasol Pacific Rush instead.


In terms of face feel and application, I think this is always where Captain’s Choice aftershaves excel. Application is ultra smooth. The product glides on easily, absorbs very well, and leaves the face feeling fresh. There is also very little bite to the product, so I’m guessing it is not a primarily alcohol based AS, which would make it still a good choice on a day when the shave might have been sub par.


The menthol level is very pleasant. I would not say it’s minimal, nor would I say it’s overpowering, though I like menthol. It begins subtle and builds a bit to a refreshing level, but never reaches a level where it feels like a sub zero north wind has slapped you across the face. Initially, I smell the menthol more than I feel it. I like the level it’s at...good for the coming summer months.


Now when it comes to scent, for the most part I like aftershaves that are strongly scented and that have some longevity to them. Captain’s Choice Blue (Sea Breeze? Wind? I don’t know what you’re going to name it lol). The aftershaves I’ve tried from Captain’s Choice, I feel, cater to those shavers that like lighter scents, who to finish with a fragrance rather than stop at the aftershave. The Blue scent is very light and fresh; the level of powder is perfect, just a hint. I do smell the menthol mostly on the opening. The scent dries down very quickly. Within 30 minutes I could not smell it without needing to put my hand right up to my face.


Compared to Barbasol PR (one of my current favorites in fresh barbershop scents), Blue definitely feels much more high quality but the scent is just too light and doesn’t last long enough.


In its current state, I do not think I would buy it instead of scavenging for more bottles of Barbasol. Now, if one could match that Barbasol scent with the feel of this CC Blue, that would be a winner!


Today’s shave was a second use, using a bit more product. My thoughts remain pretty much unchanged though.


Did my old normal (which seems to not be so normal anymore) of 2 Feather passes and DE final pass/clean up. All went pretty smoothly, only one bad touch down on the second pass, but I literally just nicked a follicle. Thankfully I hadn’t begun to put momentum into my stroke, so I aborted the stroke immediately, with just a pinprick’s worth of damage.


Out for coffee with the missus while she tap tap taps away on her presentation a bit. Work later. Still feeling it from the weekend.


Have a great Wednesday all!
 
Shave #115 (277 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: Supply Injector (1-dot plate), Supply blade, TSC 1st Anniversary badger brush, SS Citrus & Bay soap, Thayers Medicated, and Bootlegger’s Bay Rum AS to finish.


Decent shave today, tad bit of roughness. It was a good day to have the first testing of Thayers Med.


Thought I’d join in one the Bay Rum theme at least once...who am I kidding, I do Bay Rum at least once a week anyway lol.


So, Thayers Med...I did say that if there was a Thayers I’d try, it would only be the Medicated formulation. So here we are! First impressions:

- Great scent! If Thayers has a bay rum scent...this might be it! Starts out with a nice peppermint off the top, slight Osage/Proraso Green scent, then the clove comes out to play and smooths things over.

- Application was fine. It goes on fairly easily but dries fairly quickly...almost too quickly.

- Feel was good. Nice cooling effect. Definitely helped with my irritation a bit. However the difference from generic, genuine witch hazel is very noticeable. Generic witch hazel might not smell nice to everyone, but it feels very fresh and clean on the face, like you’re actually applying something. The skin conditioning did not feel quite as nice with the Thayers. It felt like I was applying something less than water.


Overall, off first impressions, I would not buy Thayers again over generic. Even my aloe blend felt more moisturizing honestly. I will use up this bottle though and do prolonged thoughts later, after extensive use.


Today at work, I show a new hire the ropes a bit. Myself and the day lead are a bit worried about the person’s limited schedule. Our supervisor didn’t really consult the day lead (who organizes the schedules) as to what we needed for better coverage. At this point we’d still be in kind of a bind if someone called in sick. We’ll see how things progress though, the new hire is at least ready and willing.


Have a great Thursday all!
 
Shave #116 (278 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: Feather AC SS folding, Feather Pro blade, RR Game Changer .68, Rapira blade, RR Big Bruce synth brush, JoHS Turkish Bath (Barbershop) soap, Thayers Medicated, and CC Venture AS to finish.


Nice shave today. No nicks, cuts, or irritation. Might be time to swap a blade or two though.


Thayers use was a bit nicer today. The only difference in post shave routine was that I did not use alum block today like I did yesterday. Maybe the alum had just made my skin too grippy? I don’t know. The scent I continue to love! Peppermint and clove could be a thing!


Going to have busy weekend shifts today and tomorrow. A couple big events going on. Definitely no early closes sadly.


Have a great Friday all!
 
Shave #117 (278 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: iKon El Jefe, Feather Pro blade, TSC 1 Anniversary badger brush, SV 70th soap, Thayers Medicated, and Pitralon Classic AS to finish.


Slept in a little later than normal today. Pitched the Rapira from yesterday and transferred the Feather Pro to see if I could get some more mileage out of it.


Everyone talking about the Vector...I’ll be over here talking about the El Hector.
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:001_tt2:


Nice shave though. Didn’t push it too hard. Everything is feeling good!


Good news for work is that I won’t have to solo it. We’ll still be down a person in general, but at least we’ll be able to get most things done.


Hope you all are off to a great Saturday!
 
Shave #118 (278 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: iKon El Jefe, Feather Pro blade, TSC 1 Anniversary badger brush, Elite Puke Puck soap, Thayers Medicated, Fine Platinum AS, and Fine Platinum EdT to finish!


Great shave this morning after a soothing shower. Still pretty darn tired, but onward!


Time to figure out what soap(s) to add next to the Puke Puck. I’m afraid that the next items might drop it out of elite status, but you never know until you try! I do have plenty of samples to help fill it up a bit more. This week, I’m trying the Cherry City Pineapple Slush, MW Coconut Sandalwood, and whatever else I can find.


Off to services, then maybe a chore or two, then celebrating most of the middle son’s birthday (tomorrow night we are going to go see Endgame as the last bit).


Have a blessed Sunday all!
 
Shave #119 (278 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: iKon El Jefe, Feather Pro blade, RR Big Bruce synth brush, MW Coconut Sandalwood soap, Thayers Medicated, and CC Venture AS to finish!


Nice shave today. MW is definitely good stuff! Video is up!

GearNoir’s Shave Log - on the Tube!
 
Shave #120 (278 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: iKon El Jefe, Feather Pro blade, Yaqi SF synth brush, Cherry City’s Pineapple Slush soap, Thayers Medicated, and CC “Blue v2” tester AS to finish!


Nice shave today for what was a fairly lightly scented theme.


El Hector with the well used Feather Pro performed admirably, though the blade is likely nearing its end.


I have never used Cherry City products before, but I think this was a fair introduction. In general I do hate samples, this is nothing at all to do with Jim or our other vendors, who were very gracious to support the 1st Anniversary brush...sample lathering is just a peeve of mine.


Anyway, the soap matched the name near perfectly. The synthetic sweet pineapple probably could have been upped a tad more, but I definitely got the whole “slush”! It was actually a pretty nice lather once I got it well worked. It felt nice and thick. In shave slickness was good, though maybe lacking a bit in the residual. More use needed to really confirm. The menthol level was great! A step or two under Proraso Green I think, so on the stronger side of middling. I don’t think I’ll add this to my clown puke tub, just because I didn’t want to add menthol to it just yet. I definitely look forward to using the rest of the sample though!


The v2 of CC “Blue” was a slight improvement in scent. The powder was definitely upped and I got more aquatic-type hints. Still, overall, a very light scent with quick dry down, little projection, and low longevity. It remains a very pleasant AS, suitable for hot days or a refreshing finish, could easily be followed up by any frag...but it’s just not for me. I vastly prefer Barbasol PR, though CC for best it hands down for face feel.


Back to work today. Not quite sure what’s in store for the week yet. The weather is holding to the 80s though with cool nights. I’m definitely not ready for summer.


Finished up my middle son’s birthday celebrations yesterday with some of his favorites: a movie - Avengers: Endgame, a dinner out - Panda Express, and his favorite dessert - homemade pumpkin pie. A fun evening for him and the whole family.


Still processing Endgame. I think it was a great movie, many interesting choices made, though it does leave a lot of questions about the next Phase and who will rise to the forefront. In some ways it was a fond farewell and in others it kind of resets the stage. I need to see it again.


Have a great Tuesday all!
 
Shave #121 (278 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: iKon El Jefe, Feather Pro blade, Yaqi SF synth brush, MW Coconut Sandalwood soap, Thayers Medicated, and CC “Blue v2” tester AS w/ Proraso Red AS to finish!


Just a quick entry today before heading out the door for date morning with the missus.


Got up early and hurried the kids along to school. Had a nice shave upon my return home. Continue to be impressed with MW. It almost feels like I did not load enough again, yet again I was rewarded with just enough lather for 3 passes and a lather soak. There seems to be two phases to lathering this soap to me. The first one, the lather is weak and feels like it’s going to break, but it’s still a bit pasty. The second you just go against instincts and add more water, then the lather just slickens up and becomes nice and yogurty. I think that tallow/clay/silk trifecta makes a big difference. Just great soap.

Side note: the CC “Blue” pairs excellently with Proraso Red AS!

No major issues to report, though I did feel it was time to ditch all my current in-use blades and wipe down the razors for the next round, so I did.


And that’s the way the cookie crumbles!


Have a great Wednesday all!
 
Shave #122 (278 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: Supply Injector (1-dot plate), Supply blade, RR Big Bruce synth brush, MW Coconut Sandalwood soap, Thayers Medicated, and Bootlegger’s Bay Rum AS to finish!


Rough shave today with the fresh Supply blade. Decent irritation and a couple nicks. Will probably take a couple applications of witch hazel and some moisturizer to calm the skin totally. The results are good at least, otherwise.


Last use of the MW Coconut Sandalwood before it went into the puke puck tub. Still a bit of oddity to how the lather builds, yet still a nice lathering result. This should augment the tub well though!


Finished off with a full lineup of post shave, including alum block. My face is still a bit tender though. Thankfully I’m not off to work right away and can continue post shave treatment. It’s gotta be the blades.


Headed into an average weekend shift. A few events going on; certainly enough to keep the team busy. Good news from the coworker who had medical issues toward the end of last week - he should be clear to return to work Saturday! Always nice to be back to a full team. The new worker is also doing pretty well adjusting to the process and was very helpful in covering for the guy that was out on medical issues. Promising!


Have a happy Thursday all!
 
Shave #123 (279 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: Feather AC SS folding, Feather Pro blade, RR Game Changer .68, Voskhod blade, Yaqi SF synth brush, Cherry City Pineapple Slush soap, Thayers Medicated, and Barbasol PR AS to finish!


Let’s see if I can breach that 300 open blade mark soon!


Loaded up brand new blades in the Feather SS and GC .68, and went to town! Always hyper alert and mindful on fresh Feather Pro days and the following handful of shaves, especially rounding pronounced facial contours. Don’t want to flay myself or loo anything off!


Nice shave today though, no mishaps, thankfully. Mushed in the remainder of my Slush sample into a bowl. Lather came out a little airy, but the menthol felt good. I can probably use the sample another 2 times before I have to clean it out. Good shave results. Followed up with Thayers and Barbasol. My face was nice and ice cold for almost 20 minutes. So nice.


Two days left in the work week! Let’s do this thing! Happy Friday all!
 
Shave #124 (280 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: Feather AC SS folding, Feather Pro blade, RR Game Changer .68, Voskhod blade, Yaqi SF synth brush, CBL 50 SoV soap, Thayers Medicated, and Pitralon Classic AS to finish!


Just a quick update today. I get to go in early and close up early for work, woohoo!


Just a solid shave today, no incidents to report. Smelling fresh and clean, and feeling it too!


Going to be a fairly normal weekend otherwise I think.


Have a great Saturday all!
 
Shave #125 (280 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: RR Game Changer .68, Voskhod blade, TSC 1st Anniversary badger brush, SV 70th Anniversary soap, Thayers Medicated, Fine AB AS, and Fine AB EdT to finish!


Quick entry as I head out the door for services. Excellent shave this morning! All top quality stuff!


Services this morning, kids have a music production this afternoon, bible study later, and somewhere in the middle of that I have to squeeze in some yard work and laundry!


Here we go!

Have a blessed Sunday all!
 
Shave #126 (281 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:

Gear: Feather AC SS folding, Feather Pro blade, RR Game Changer .68, Voskhod blade, Yaqi SF synth brush, CBL Oud Minerale soap, Thayers Medicated, Speick AS, and YSL Ultime frag to finish!

Excellent shave with CBL Oud Minerale! Video is up on the Tube- GearNoir’s Shave Log!
 
Shave #127 (282 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: Feather AC SS folding, Feather Pro blade, RR Game Changer .68, Voskhod blade, RR Big Bruce synth brush, Cella soap, Thayers Medicated, and Fine Platinum AS to finish!


Quick entry as I head out to the church for a staff get-together.


Very nice shave this morning as I revisited Cella. The Voskhod was a little rough today; surprising since it only has a handful of shaves on it. Otherwise, great results, very minimal irritation.


The church staff are all going to a meet/eat/meeting/activity place called Punch Bowl. Normally this time of year is the annual staff retreat out of town, they decided to do it in town this year instead, which is nice as it allows more staff to attend, who normally stay behind to man the fort.


Have a great Tuesday all!
 
Shave #128 (283 Open Blade Shaves) of 2019:


Gear: Feather AC SS folding, Feather Pro blade, RR Game Changer .68, Voskhod blade, RR Big Bruce synth brush, Cherry City Pineapple Slush soap, Thayers Medicated, and Pinaud Citrus Musk AS/cologne to finish!


Nice shave today, as is becoming the norm (*knock on wood*). Couldn’t quite get a full load off the sample, it had hardened quite a bit and wasn’t cooperating, but I managed well enough anyway.


Was considering some of the soaps on Josh’s BST to check off a few “must try” boxes, but like my videos I just move too slowly lol. Noble Otter and A&E will have to wait for another time. There’s also a good Vector deal on another BST I saw if anyone was looking.


Off to date morning coffee with the missus soon!


Have a great Wednesday all!
 
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