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FOURTEENTH ANNUAL One Blade in February Challenge 2023 Edition

Decision day. I forgot to indicate which blade I would use. To make this a challenge, I went with a blade I've never used before: Gillette Goal Super Platinum (1). For the first shave of February, I played it a bit safe: UK Gillette Aristocrat, ARKO lathered with a small Omega boar brush. I've mashed the remains of an ARKO stick intoan empty soap container.

The first WTG pass was good except for around my chin. Second pass (XTG above the is line, ATG below) was very smooth. A little cleanup around the chin and I was done.

A good shave with no irritation.

One oddity: the inside of the wrapper for the blade advertised a Gillette Vector, a twin blade monstrosity.

2023-02-01 19.48.51.jpg
 
01) Mike M Personna - Med-Prep
02) hopper_64 - Gillette Nacet
03) InkStainedWretch
04) Chef455 - Arko-Sharko
05) bjm - Gillette Perma-Sharp
06) LJBraaten - Feather Hi Stainless (subject to revision)
07) Tjsgarden - Feather Artist Club
08) Owen Bawn- Arko-Sharko
09) Steelerfan - Personna Lab Blue
10) Azariphale - Kai Titan
11) jason2 - Astra SP
12) Alum Ladd - Israeli Production Personna Red
13) sjblon - Bic Chrome Platinum
14) awk_m4 - Gillette Platinum
15) wmadoty - Arko-Sharko with Gillette Blue Blades Razor
16) PLANofMAN - Gillette Super Blue
17) @c__port - Supermax Blue Diamond Platinum (2016)
18) Dog Whiskerer - Van Der Hagen Ice Tempered Stainless Steel
19) Vraad - Schick Plus Platinum from the late 80's in a trio of krona and pre-kronas
20) Guido75 - Tiger Platinum
21) FoolishMortal - Gillette Nacet
22) ChriWilson - Minora Platinum
23) luv2shave - Indian Gillette super platinum black blade .
24) Mempho - King C Gillette
25) Goby - Personna 74
26) Trollky - Gillette Perma-Sharp
27) Invicta - Gillette Silver Blue
28) thombrogan - GEM PTFE
29) Saxonbowman - Feather Hi Stainless

I think this is my eighth go round for this event. I don't have any new blades in the cabinet so I decided to revisit an old one. I didn't make it very far with a Feather before. Let's see if I can do it this year.
 
Let the challenge begin!
I’ve chosen the same old blade. I started using this Feather last March 2022, set it aside, and picked it up again the last week of May. I’ve used other blades since, but this has been the main one. I’m hoping for at least another 28 days.

Feather (202)
Early Postwar Ballend Tech
Mike’s Lime
DFS+
 
Last edited:
OBIF'23 Shave # 2
Thursday, 2nd Feb'23

Razor: Rockwell Chrome Model T (3.5)
Blade : Gillette 7 O'Clock Super Platinum (black) (2)
Brush: Zenith boar
Soap : Cella red kilo block
After Shave: Nivea sensitive after shave balm.

Tweaked the razor to 3.5 for some more blade feel. Super efficient 2 pass shave.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
One Blade In Fruity February

Last night’s decadent shave
GEM Micromatic Open Comb
Personna GEM PTFE (3)
Damp washcloth aka “shave binky”
Simpson Wee Scot 13mm badger brush
Pre-shave: cold water face wash with soft soap plus olive oil and more water
Lather: Wickhams 1912 Club Cola Soap, face-lathered
Aftershave: Ulm Nom
Post-shave: hot shower
Post-shave: olive oil

Washed my face, lathered up, shaved. Lathered up the nape of my neck, shaved again. Did everything I could to keep the razor from indenting my skin. Aftershave went “brrr.” Showered, applied balm, went unconscious. Waiting to repeat tonight.
 

Mike M

...but this one IS cracked.
Heading in for the first shave of February. Setting myself up for a fixed five.

View attachment 1598568
My one blade is a Shark platinum. Thanks to @Mike M for working out a blade trade, although I don't know if my side has shown up at his house yet. I have absolutely no idea how this journey will go. I almost exclusively use feather blades and am used to changing them out after 4-5 shaves, so this ought to be interesting. I figure the Slim Aristocrat will give me some flexibility. I don't use the Duke 3 often enough, mostly because I'm lazy and don't allow myself time to give it a soak. Lucky Tiger facial Tonic is a gimme. I don't shave without it. Finally Arko! because @Owen Bawn had some fun throwing FebArko!Sharko out there and I just had to.

Happy shaves!!!
This showed up this morning, thanks Ed
IMG_20230202_114552.jpg
 
01) Mike M Personna - Med-Prep
02) hopper_64 - Gillette Nacet
03) InkStainedWretch
04) Chef455 - Arko-Sharko
05) bjm - Gillette Perma-Sharp
06) LJBraaten - Feather Hi Stainless (subject to revision)
07) Tjsgarden - Feather Artist Club
08) Owen Bawn- Arko-Sharko
09) Steelerfan - Personna Lab Blue
10) Azariphale - Kai Titan
11) jason2 - Astra SP
12) Alum Ladd - Israeli Production Personna Red
13) sjblon - Bic Chrome Platinum
14) awk_m4 - Gillette Platinum
15) wmadoty - Arko-Sharko with Gillette Blue Blades Razor
16) PLANofMAN - Gillette Super Blue
17) @c__port - Supermax Blue Diamond Platinum (2016)
18) Dog Whiskerer - Van Der Hagen Ice Tempered Stainless Steel
19) Vraad - Schick Plus Platinum from the late 80's in a trio of krona and pre-kronas
20) Guido75 - Tiger Platinum
21) FoolishMortal - Gillette Nacet
22) ChriWilson - Minora Platinum
23) luv2shave - Indian Gillette super platinum black blade .
24) Mempho - King C Gillette
25) Goby - Personna 74
26) Trollky - Gillette Perma-Sharp
27) Invicta - Gillette Silver Blue
28) thombrogan - GEM PTFE
29) Saxonbowman - Feather Hi Stainless
30) tehnothing - Vintage Sheffield Super Stainless perma-sharp
 
Date02.02.2023
365 days of shaving33/365 (100%)
GRUYERE33/365 (100%)
GRUME February02/28 (100%)
Other participations
  • Shave of the Week Society (SWS)
  • Discovery Blade Adventure
  • One Blade in February (OBiF)

Passes2.75
XWTGCheeks: N-S
Neck: N-S
WXTGCheeks L: W-E
Cheeks R: E-W
Neck: S-N
XATGCheeks: S-N

RazorBladeBrush
Green Cult 2.0 IITiger Platinum (2)Simpson T3
Pre-shaveSoap & BowlPost-shave
Cold splashDutchy Bergamot
Hybrid lathering
Cold splash
Floïd (AS)
Nivea (Balm)

EfficiencyQuality
9.5/10 (~15 minutes)10/10 (clean as a whistle)
EffectivenessComfort
7/10 (DFS-)6/10 (tuggy)

Notes to today’s shave:

Second shave with my Green Cult Flask. Yesterday went well so I expect a similar shave. I have the razor a second hand polish and I now like how it looks. Feels smooth to the touch as well now. Second use of the Tiger blade and it already started tugging. My mind so would like to embrace this blade and I have had wonderful shaves with it in the past, but it seems to have a taste for only specific razors in my den. It seems the GC2.0 is not one of those razors. The razor itself didn’t mind and went to work anyway. A nice DFS- with smoother cheeks was the end result.

More details can be found in my journal here.

The star of the shave was the GC2.0 II. TO end in true @flask28 fashion and style:

View attachment 1598918
 
STILL IN GRUME, GRUYERE, SWS, 365 Shaves, Fruity February and OBIF...whew!

Feather DX
Feather Artist Club Pro (2)
CF Lime
Semogue 830

Hey Guys
The 830 brush is excellent and I realized it didn't "hog" the lather today.
Straight razor shaving is a great new adventure! BBS territory with no irritation.
🍻 to great shaves.

PXL_20230202_145802143.jpg

Please take care of yourself & each other.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
A day behind but I started with a new Shark Chrome. It was ok. Sharks aren't top tier blades but I have over a hundred of them. As the photo illustrates, I punted the Arko into the grandstand on the first day...please don't tell @FarmerTan .

View attachment 1599022
My second favorite soap, no. 63!

Shout out to @matwho for opening my olfactory nerves up just a bit.
 
With everything already laid out from yesterday's shave, felt no need to change anything but the post-shave splash.

Van Der Hagen ice tempered SS (2)
Gillette ‘Black Beauty’ adjustable, set to 2
TOBS badger
Mitchell’s Wool Fat
Family Dollar Spice after shave (decanted)

Pass and a half for CCS. The MWF has been out of my rotation for years and I must be crazy because its a top tier soap perfect for the season.
 
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