FOURTEENTH ANNUAL One Blade in February Challenge 2023 Edition

[Guido75]

Date	03.02.2023
365 days of shaving	34/365 (100%)
GRUYERE	34/365 (100%)
GRUME February	03/28 (100%)
Other participations	Shave of the Week Society (SWS) Discovery Blade Adventure One Blade in February (OBiF)

Passes	3.5 and touch ups
XWTG	Cheeks: N-S Neck: N-S
WXTG (2)	Cheeks L: W-E Cheeks R: E-W Neck: S-N
XATG (0.5)	Cheeks: S-N

Razor	Blade	Brush
Green Cult 2.0 II	Tiger Platinum (3)	DVH Synthetic
Pre-shave	Soap & Bowl	Post-shave
Cold splash Proraso Green	Dutchy Bergamot Hybrid lathering	Cold splash Proraso Green (Balm)

Efficiency	Quality
7/10 (~25 minutes)	10/10 (clean as a whistle)
Effectiveness	Comfort
7/10 (DFS-)	6.5/10 (harsh bordering comfortable)

Notes to today’s shave:

Third shave with my Green Cult Flask. And also third shave with the Tiger, perhaps against better judgment but only one way to find out. And it actually turned out to be a nice shave. No BBS, no full blown DFS, but overall smooth without irritation, nicks or redness is perfectly fine in my book!

I loaded super heavy (for me) on the Fat - I think I counted to 30. It worked because I had a nice rich and creamy lather. Just what the shaving doctor ordered. Great glide for this razor and blade. I guess sufficient cushion against potential harhness.

This razor is fun (@flask28 - wonderful choice!!)! It somehow is less intuitive than any of my other razors (well the Flatboy perhaps) and therefore more sides to be explored.

More details on today's shave can be found in my journal here.

Enjoy your shave!

 

[Trollky]

OBIF day 3:

Fatip Piccolo
Gillette Perma-Sharp (3rd use)
Vulfix Mayfair (mixed knot)
Proraso Red cream

Blade & razor combo still working like a charm

 

[jason2]

OBIF'23 Astra SP (3/28)

Cream: Cremo original
Razor/Blade:
Head/Neck - High Proof w/ Astra SP
Face/Neck - Charcoal Goods Cu gen 2 Level 2 w/ Astra SP (3/28)
Alum: Omega stick
Aftershave:
Face/Neck - Speick
Head/Neck - Nivea Sensitive

8/10

As good a shave as I could expect. My neck is still irritated from yesterday's lion attack.

I picked up a new Charcoal Goods razor for the level 2 base plate. The looks are great but the handling wasn't as comfortable as the gen 3 everyday I previously purchased.

I don't like handle heavy razors and this gen 2 solid handle is very solid. With the PAA Ascension the handle felt heavy just holding it but while shaving I didn't notice the weight much at all. With the solid hammered handle I felt it the entire time I used it. It does look great. I think I will try this level 2 head with the gen 3 hollowed handle tomorrow. I'm assuming they will thread together. Some people that like heavy handles vs head will like the gen 2 solid handle setup.

The level 2 head of course was more aggressive. I could feel the blade vs the neutral exposure of the everyday. This is by design and expected. But the head design on the gen 3 baseplate to have the ends indented I think was a nice improvement. Easier to hold, twist on the handle and separate the top and bottom plates. Also seems like the lather slots are more effective on the gen3.

Overall first impressions of gen 2 vs gen 3 is I like the gen 3 better. I know people scoff at the hollow handle as an inferior thing but for me it balances the razor out better and feels great while shaving. I also like the gen 3 head design better as well. Looks and function wise.

 

[Steelerfan]

Personna Lab day 3.

 

[c__port]

Super-max Diamond Edge Super Platinum (3)

Muhle R89
Arko-Lavender
Cerave

 

[Mike M]

"D'ye want yer auld lobby washed down, Ma'am?"

The one and only Brendan Shine made that his own hope the mods don't mind me linking to it.

 

[thombrogan]

One Blade In Fruity February

Last night’s decadent Groundhog Day shave
GEM Micromatic Open Comb
Personna GEM PTFE (4)
Damp washcloth aka “shave binky”
Simpson Wee Scot 13mm badger brush
Pre-shave: warm water face wash with Irish Spring rinsed with warm water followed by a thick lather of Wickhams left on for eight minutes before being rinsed away with warm water then a drop of olive oil and more water
Lather: Wickhams 1912 Club Cola Soap, face-lathered
Aftershave: Ulm Nom
Post-shave: hot shower
Post-shave: olive oil

Tried leaving a lather product on for eight minutes after reading @BobbyB did so with his PAA mentholated cube and had great results. I’m thinking my Wickhams Lemon Pledge is no substitute for the PAA cube. Was inspired by my next day stubble from the first February shave was scratchy and awful all of the second day of February. How do you celebrate Tommy Smothers’ b-day all itchy and crabby?

Lathered up and started on my right side. With long, sweeping strokes that I have been trying to avoid! Corrected myself before reaching my upper lip, but managed to ham-hand shaving the right half and middle of my upper lip. Another clean-up pass was needed to clean off lots of stubble still on neck and jawline.

On to the dominant hand and its closest side and an illusion of lucidity enveloped me. I used skin stretching with the design-shallow angle, a light touch, and mostly kept the base of the handle against some part of my palm at most times. And it was comfortable! Missed some whiskers under the jawline, but only barely.

Dunno if a much wetter lather will “do it all” or if I’m constantly relearning a shower before shaving is needed for my asbestos results. Expecting a Neutrogena brand bar of soap next week, so I’ll keep fighting common sense until it arrives.

 

[Owen Bawn]

The one and only Brendan Shine made that his own hope the mods don't mind me linking to it.

As soon as I quoted that song last night I found it stuck in my head. I went to bed, and as soon as I woke up this morning I started singing it again. It's making me crazy. Now it's almost noon and I still can't stop it...over and over and over.

 

[Owen Bawn]

Today, shave #2 with the Shark Chrome and Arko soap.

 

[cyberdog]

So far, I'm in....

I started a day early, with the new R41 head the arrived on Monday, giving it go on the 31st, for the 1st shave.

Feb 1st: Pol-Silver SI (#2) in the R41
Feb 2nd: Pol-Silver SI (#3) in the R41
Feb 3rd: Pol-Silver SI (#4) in the R41

 

[hopper_64]

February 3rd - OBiF shave #2

Razorock SLOC
Gillette Nacet (2)
Yaqi Sagrada Familia
LEA Shave Stick
Epsilon Blue Mediterranean

 

[awk_m4]

Third shave of the month featuring Gillette Platinum.
Blade Two: Shave (1)

Friday February 3, 2023
Brush: Simpson T3 Trafalgar
Lather: Tabac
Razor: Gillette 195 E3
Blade: Gillette Platinum (1)
Post: Osma Alum Block
Post: Tabac

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

Clubman Friday

Van Der Hagen ice tempered SS (3)
Gillette ‘Black Beauty’ adjustable, set to 2
Vie Long Horse
Mitchell’s Wool Fat, face lathered
Pinaud Clubman

Quick, one-pass shave for a good-enough-for-Friday shave. Too quick, maybe. Three tiny chin weepers.

 

[Mike M]

One Blade in February Challenge

Razor: Muhle R89 Rosegold
Blade: Personna Med-Prep(3)
Brush: Muhle Kosmo STF
Soap: ZM Explorer

Tonight after a hard week I decided on an Explorer shave lathered with my favourite face lathering brush, the Kosmo. Everything about this combination just screams quality shave, throw in the R89 and Med-Prep and it has to be a great result. Between the slickness of the Explorer and the smoothness of the R89 this was a wonderful experience though to get the BBS I did have to do an extra pass on my neck but it was so enjoyable I didn't mind.

 

[FarmerTan]

Arko is a GREAT way to forget a bad week friend @Mike M !

 

[InkStainedWretch]

OBiF #3

I loaded the Gillette Goal Super Platinum (3)into my Gillette NEW. Then I face lathered Razorock The Dead Sea with my Yaqi Moka Express synthetic. This soap has a wonderful scent. The Goal was doing well, but at the end of my shave I noticed a couple of minor weepers. Minor enough that a splash of cold water was enough to stop the bleeding.

 

[ChriWilson]

One Blade in February Challenge
View attachment 1599953
Razor: Muhle R89 Rosegold
Blade: Personna Med-Prep(3)
Brush: Muhle Kosmo STF
Soap: ZM Explorer

Tonight after a hard week I decided on an Explorer shave lathered with my favourite face lathering brush, the Kosmo. Everything about this combination just screams quality shave, throw in the R89 and Med-Prep and it has to be a great result. Between the slickness of the Explorer and the smoothness of the R89 this was a wonderful experience though to get the BBS I did have to do an extra pass on my neck but it was so enjoyable I didn't mind.

Fantastic razor combo.
That’s one of my favorite blade pairings.

Minora Platinum for me all month.
Great result for a Friday evening

 

[LJBraaten]

Today I made up for yesterday’s easy early shave by shaving 32 hours growth.

Prep: hot water and moisturizer soap wash alternating with steam treatment.
Blade: Feather, shave #204
Razor: Gillette early postwar Tech.
Soap: Mike’s Natural Lime
Passes: Three and a half.
DFS+

 

[Invicta]

Gillette Silver Blue #4.

 

[luv2shave]

OBIF'23 Shave # 4
Saturday, 4th Feb'23

Razor: Rockwell Model T Chrome
Blade : Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum black (4)
Brush: Zenith boar
Soap : Cella red kilo block
After Shave: Nivea sensitive after shave balm.

A good 2 pass shave varying setting between 3.5 and 4 today. The blade on its 4th shave has mellowed in its deadly sharp edge which it is known for. But still plenty sharp equal to many middle of the line blades on first use.