Learning to shave - all over again

[wazabees]

Huh. Forgot to add a shave. Oh well, here it is.

June 23rd '21

Razor: Lupo .95
Blade: Perma-sharp (1)
Brush: The "Beagle"
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Pre: Cube 2.0
Post: Alum bloc
AS: Hey Joe Acid Melon + Snake Bite
Rating: 4.75/5
Last shave: 3 days..ish ago

I know. The photo shows the Myrsol AS, but I changed my mind and I didn't feel like re-taking the photo. Especially since I broke out my fancier camera this once...

New brush day today, the (in)famous Beagle from Shavemac. I like small brushes and this one looks, and performs, great! Also new (to me), is the Perma-sharp blade. No blood, no irritation and a very close, comfortable shave. I wasn't even punished for going ATG in places, at least that's what my alum bloc told me.

 

[wazabees]

June 26th '21

Razor: Lupo .95
Blade: Perma-sharp (2)
Brush: The "Beagle"
Soap: Razorock Nomad (sample)
Pre: Cube 2.0
Post: Alum bloc
AS: Clubman Brandy Spice (super mentholated version)
Rating: 4.5/5
Last shave: 3 days..ish ago

Last shave: 2 days, 22 hours ago.. ish.

Warm water on my face, mixed lather, warm towel, then some Cube 2.0.
New soap this time; Razorock Nomad from a sample. I squished about a quarter of the sample into my lather bowl and spread it around. The scent was… weird to me. It has a relatively fresh and clean scent with some musky undertones. At least to my nose. It wasn’t offensive, but it’s not a soap I’ll buy based on the scent merit. It was just okay. The lather I mixed was somewhat thin compared to previous lathers. I think I like it though, like a soft yogurt. It certainly provided enough protection and slickness for my shave – in combination with Cube 2.0. I don’t know how it’d do on its own.

I had a very nice 3-pass shave. WTG, XTG and ATG cleanup. The Perma-sharp felt exceptional yet again. Extremely smooth. Going ATG, I’m not sure it’s sharp enough still to cut some of the whiskers, so there are some whiskers rubbing my fingers ATG on my neck. That said, there was no real irritation after the shave, as reported by my alum bloc. Both cheeks BBS and DFS on my neck. More testing needed, but it’s possible Perma-sharp will go on my list for a bulk blade purchase.

Pretty awesome shave overall. No photo today!

 

[wazabees]

What am I doing with shaving right now? I'm certainly beginning to see it as a hobby and a relaxing ritual. I like lists, and I like spreadsheets too, so I've inventoried everything I have. Last up, was a complete list of the blades I have at the moment. And that's what I'm also currently testing. I've been using the Rockwell 6S for so long, that I haven't tried any different blades for years and years. So far the last 8 shaves or so, I've tried Gillette Nacet (very nice), Wizamet Super Iridium (very nice) and Gillette Perma-sharp (very nice).

Yep, that's my rating. "Very nice". I do wish I had a better way of rating the blades for myself. I couldn't pick a favorite from the last three blades I've tried, though I'm leaning towards Perma-sharps.

How did you figure out your favorite blade? What were your criteria? And do you have different favorites for different razors?

 

[wazabees]

Reporting in some of my recent shaves!

June 29th '21

The tools
Razor: Lupo .95
Blade: Gillette Rubie (1)
Brush: Shavemac Beagle
Soap: The Goodfellas Smile Sea Citrus
Pre: Cube 2.0
Post: Hey Joe Acid Lemon mixed with some Snake Bite
Rating: 3.5/5
Last shave: 3 days-ish ago

The prep
Shower, and put some Cube 2.0 on my face afterwards. Then went to make my lather. It took a minute, so I added some warm water to my face, before applying the lather using the Beagle.

The blade
New blade day today! The Gillette Rubie. Starting off with my WTG pass, the blade felt incredibly smooth, pretty much like the Perma-Sharp. My issues began with my second pass, some sort of weird XTG/ATG hybrid pass. Now, that was a bad idea. I should’ve stuck with the normal plan, and gone XTG and an ATG-ish cleanup pass. My bad idea rewarded me with a tiny weeper on my neck. No big issue, but it was annoying. I think I got too cocky, considering how smooth the blade felt. So, at this point, I won’t blame the blade. I’ll blame my poor decision. In the end, I ended up with a DFS with some minor irritation on the left side of my neck.

The soap
Now, the soap. It’s not really a soap. It’s a very thick cream, and I wouldn’t even call it a croap. I could easily scoop it out with my finger, and smear it into my shaving bowl. The lather I got was creamy, slick and smelled pretty decent. I got more of an aquatic smell rather than citrus. Post-shave was still pretty slick.

The happily ever after
The alum bloc told me where I'd gone wrong, and there were a few places, especially my neck. Oh well, lesson learned!
The Acid Lemon still smells really, really good to me and it leaves my skin feeling pretty happy. Being another warm day, I had to mix in some Snake Bite, though I would prefer not diluting. Maybe I'll try adding some menthol crystals.

The next time
I'll try the same set-up and the same blade for my next shave.. I'll just be more careful.

 

[wazabees]

July 1st '21

Razor: Lupo .95
Blade: Gillette Rubie (2)
Brush: Shavemac Beagle
Soap: The Goodfellas Smile Sea Citrus
Pre: Cube 2.0
Post: Hey Joe Acid Lemon mixed with some Snake Bite
Rating: 3.5/5
Last shave: 2 days-ish ago

Call it a carbon copy of my previous shave, second attempt at this blade. I feel like the blade doesn’t cut my whiskers very well. I could go over the same area again and again and still hear the feedback from the razor, but the whiskers remained. Not particularly long whiskers, but still! I ended up with a SAS this time as I really didn’t want to push my luck. Today, it was WTG, XTG and a cleanup pass.

The alum bloc told me that there was minor irritation over most of my face. Ditching this blade for this razor and moving on.

The next time: I'll use a Feather blade, I've had some good shaves with that blade in my 6S

 

[wazabees]

Yesterday's shave, July 3rd '21

Razor: Lupo .95
Blade: Feather (1)
Brush: Wee Scot
Soap: ML Shaving Supplies Cool Orange
Pre: N/A
Post: Alum bloc + Hey Joe Acid Lemon mixed with some Snake Bite
Rating: 4/5
Last shave: 1 1/2 days-ish ago

Prep was a shower. I felt like a face lather with the small, yet big, Wee Scot.

Okay, so I think the Lupo .95 is considered a somewhat aggressive razor. And the Feather blades are considered somewhat sharp. I was a bit apprehensive about this shave, but went with it. I've had a go with the Muehle R41 with a Feather blade before, and there wasn't that much blood. Going WTG felt pretty good, and very smooth. No damage and the whiskers were easily mowed down. Then XTG, which was also pretty good, but I did get a tiny weeper on my neck. In my infinite wisdom, I decided to try ATG on some areas as well, and I quickly had to abort that. I got some blade skipping and it felt like I was about to get bitten any second. To avoid getting nicked, I changed to a cleanup pass instead. Overall, a decent shave and not a whole lot of sting from the alum bloc, except for my neck where I got the weeper. In the end, I got myself a DFS.

The soap from Matti still smells fantastic and it has a good amount of menthol. I did feel some tightness following my AS splash, so a few hours later I applied some moisturizer. All in all, pretty happy.

In regards to testing blades, I've had the best luck with Perma-sharp and Wizamet SI. I look forward to going back to those and testing again to see if I get the same results. Next up.. I think I want to try Astra Superior Platinum again and see how I go with a milder blade. Hopefully I won't get cocky again...!

And a happy 4th of July to everyone who's celebrating today!

 

[wazabees]

July 6th '21

Razor: Lupo .95
Blade: Astra SP (1)
Brush: Shavemac Beagle
Soap: Zingari Man Coconut Nanas
Pre: N/A
Post: Alum bloc + Zingari Man Coconut Nanas
Rating: 4.85/5
Last shave: 3 days-ish ago

I keep touching my face.

Let's start with the soap. The smell is entirely out of this world. It may very well be one of my favorite scents right about now. MdC Agrumes and Bay Rum is certainly up there, but this.. This was something else. The smell of coconut is up front, and it smells like vacation. My better half loves it as well, and she mentioned it reminded her of a cabana, near the pool, with long drinks and suntan lotion. It's really, really nice. After soaking my brush for a bit, I loaded it up directly from the soap tin. I then made up my lather in a bowl. I got rich and creamy lather which felt incredibly slick during my shave. The post shave feeling was also outstanding.

I went with a milder blade in the Lupo today, and I ended up with a fantastic shave. Three passes, WTG, XTG and some ATG cleanup. All in all, a DFS+, bordering on BBS. I suspect I slowed down a lot because I was enjoying the smell of the soap so much.

Next shave will be with the same blade, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm also curious to see how my shave will be with 2 days of stubble, rather than 3.

 

[wazabees]

July 9th ‘21

Razor: Lupo .95
Blade: Astra SP (2)
Brush: Shavemac Beagle
Soap: Zingari Man Gypsy
Pre: N/A
Post: Alum bloc + Zingari Man Gypsy
Rating: 4.8/5
Last shave: 3 days-ish ago

Another fantastic shave! Slowing down really helps me out. I’m never in a hurry so I can take my time. The soap… My better half said I smell like candy. She approves. The prominent scent is citrus, but it’s not a sharp scent like straight lemon. It’s the combination of citrus, cucumber and pineapple that just makes a fantastic blend. To me, it’s a tropical summer scent, slightly acidic. I’m still not very good at describing scents, but it’s sailing up to one of my favorites. I’m a Zingari Man fan for sure!

Second shave with the Astra SP blade. Still as smooth as my previous shave. I went WTG, XTG and XTG from the opposite direction. Then a bit of ATG cleanup. It felt like I might have overdone it and I thought I’d end up with some irritation, but no. The alum bloc reported back to me, and there was only a minor sting on the right side of my neck. That particular spot has already been declared a problem area. This does let me know that I seem to have good luck with milder blades in the Lupo.

After rinsing off the alum, I applied the Gypsy splash. The same amazing scent as the soap. I couldn’t be happier with that. It feels like there’s plenty of skin food in the splash, but I must admit I miss the sting of an alcohol splash with menthol. I have plenty more splashes to choose from though, depending on my mood!

The next shave will be different. It’ll be on the 11th, so that’ll be SHARK week. I’ll have a go with Arko as well, but .. I have such amazing smelling summer soaps now that I won’t be staying away from. Thanks for reading, and I hope you’re having a fantastic day!

 

[wazabees]

Sharko week - July 11th ‘21

Razor: Lupo .95
Blade: Shark SS (1)
Brush: Wee Scot
Soap: Arko
Pre: N/A
Post: Hey Joe Acid Melon and a dash of Snake Bite
Rating: 4/5
Last shave: < 2 days-ish ago (43 hrs)
Result: SAS

We have entered Shark week. And I don’t even have discovery! On a dare, there was a suggestion to make it ShArko week (thanks @Owen Bawn). I don’t think so. I’ve tried Arko now (and clearly before, as I recognize the scent from the soap my barber uses).

Anyway, over to the soap. Arko has been around for a very long time, since the late 1950’s. And here we are, in 2021, and I have for the first time tried Arko at home. I had a pretty old stick, from around 2012. I unwrapped it, and it’s obvious it’s dried out a little bit. I still managed to warm it up in my hands, and get it pressed into a small bowl, ready for use. I have to mention the scent. It really does smell like a public restroom. When I unpacked the soap and started the process of getting it into the bowl, one of our cats recoiled and ran away. Love it or hate it, the scent is certainly polarizing. I don’t mind it, but I wouldn’t be using it in the future for its scent.

Using my Wee Scot brush, I wanted to load it up with Arko soap, and face lather. In mere seconds, there was lather in the bowl, which was very surprising. I was ready to start my shave in less than a minute I think. It was super fast to create a lather, and it was thick, creamy and slick.

On to the blade. I have no previous experience with Shark blades. From what I understand, they’re on the milder side. I didn’t feel any tugging or blade skipping, but less time had passed between shaves this time. For my last few shaves, I’d let 3 days pass. And now, a little less than 2 days have passed. So that might be partly the reason I got a SAS today rather than a DFS. 3 passes + a bit of cleanup, WTG, XTG and XTG. My goal is to get down to a shave every 2 days. I feel pretty scruffy after 3 days!

There was no blood in the water today. No nicks, weepers, cuts or irritation. So going by that, I’m pretty happy with my shave overall! Hope everyone is having a fantastic start to shark week.

 

[wazabees]

Weeeell, back again! Sharko week was certainly short lived for me, I got two shaves in.

July 13th ‘21

Razor: Lupo .95
Blade: Shark SS (2)
Brush: Yaqi Cola
Soap: Arko
Pre: N/A
Post: Stirling Glacial Lemon
Rating: 4.2/5
Last shave: < 2 days-ish ago (53 hrs)
Result: SAS

Not a bad shave, not a great shave. A middle-of-the-road shave. WTG, XTG, XTG and cleanup. No nicks, weepers or irritation. The Shark blade felt reasonably smooth, but there is a tiny bit of rough stubble left, if I rub my fingers ATG. I’d say another SAS for this shave. The soap… Still scares the cats. I think I’ll drop it for now! It was awkward to face lather with my Yaqi Cola synthetic, so I’ll come back to Arko some other time. I have my summer soaps to use still! <3

Next up, Shark Chroma!

 

[wazabees]

July 19th ‘21

Razor: Lupo .95
Blade: Gillette 7 ‘o clock PermaSharp (the green one)
Brush: Yaqi Cola
Soap: Zingari Man Coconut Nanas
Pre: N/A
Post: Zingari Man Coconut Nanas
Rating: 4.5/5
Last shave: 6 days ago
Result: DFS+

Yikes, it’s been a while! And it’s been a bit too hot to shave, to be fair… I’m trying Gillette PermaSharp today, foregoing Shark blades for a bit.

Anywho. Somewhat troublesome shave. Not because of the blade, but there are variables that messes with consistency. The first variable, is that I had 6 days of stubble. A second variable is that I tried loading a synthetic brush from the container, then to a shaving bowl. I didn’t get the lather explosion I sometimes look for. But the lather was super slick and shiny. Third variable would be the hot weather we’re having. I was sweating a bit, which was annoying and feels uncomfortable. It’s not even that hot, but it’s fairly humid.

New blade to me this time. Initially it felt like it was scraping my beard, but my second pass was super smooth. So much so that I went for WTG, XTG and XTG with some ATG cleanup. A very nice shave without nicks, weepers or any irritation.

The soap still smells absolutely incredible. I wish I could get the stuff as a cologne.

For my next shave, I’ll try the same blade again, but it’ll be with 2 days of stubble (at least, that’s the plan). Afterwards, I’ll give the Kai blades a try.

 

[wazabees]

July 25th ‘21

Razor: Lupo .95
Blade: Gillette 7 ‘o clock PermaSharp (the green one)
Brush: The Beagle
Soap: Zingari Man Gypsy
Pre: N/A
Post: Zingari Man Gypsy
Rating: 4.8/5
Last shave: 6 days ago
Result: DFS+

Yep, I was wrong! Again, it’s been 6 days. Not sure why, but I blame the warm weather. Anyway, a very late night shave for me, getting close to midnight. For prep, I had a quick shower.

Now this was a fantastic shave. Very close, very smooth. I am liking the Gillette blade very much. It’s not been entirely fair on the blade, considering it’s had to deal with 6 days of growth both times. So hopefully I can get a third shave out of the blade, in two days. Overall, a DFS+ bordering on BBS. I had a shower and I went at it at a medium pace. It’s late and I need sleep. But I don’t have to be anywhere but bed, so I can take my time. No alumn this time. Loaded the beagle from the tub and lathered on my face. I’m not sure I’ll do that again though, lather flew everywhere. Anyway! I can go to bed happy.

No nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation. The next morning, still smooooth.