Milkcrate's Musings

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 276 SR: 198)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette New
Astra SP (4)
Omega boar
Gaelic Tweed soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Gaelic Tweed AS

The process -
A bit of a quick update today. So ... I was running a bit behind today and didn't want to stumble into the @GearNoir zone. Grabbed the DE for the quick shave. Stayed with the 30 second load and cranked out a really nice lather. It was a faster shave than normal, but very enjoyable.

Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. Easy peasy shave and I am BBS for the win! I'll take those any day of the week. That's 4 shaves with this blade on this new razor and it's a nice addition to the rotation. Although I still want to do a bit of cleanup and possibly seal it.

Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A double shot of the AS and everything was right as rain! Ah great stuff right there. Can't help but be ready to tackle the day with a shave like that.

Home front-
One more sleep and a wake and this work week will be done. The granddaughter will be going home tomorrow night was well. I know the dogs will be excited. The granddaughter is 8 months old and can't walk on her own yet, but put her in a walker and it's on. She is like the psycho clown ice cream truck chasing the dogs around the house with midi tunes streaming from the walker. The is having a good time keeping up with the dogs and the dogs are running for their lives. I think that's all for now. Life is good!

 

[GearNoir]

So ... I was running a bit behind today and didn't want to stumble into the @GearNoir zone.

Oh kids are a joy! What fun.

 

[MilkCrate]

Oh kids are a joy! What fun.

Indeed.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 276 SR: 199)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Omega boar
Gaelic Tweed soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Gaelic Tweed AS

The process -
The toddler decided I should wrap up the week on a positive note and woke me up 30 minutes earlier than normal. That gave me plenty of time to work some SR magic. Ran my brush wetter this morning, full on wet with a slight shake to remove excess. Hit the soap lightly for 30 seconds and got to it. I cranked out a ton of sloppy wet goodness and did it smell great!

50 laps on leather and it was go time. Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. Had an outstanding shave, just hanging in the moment. That silky smooth edge made quick work of any stubble and I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A glug of the AS and everything was right as rain! Really took my time on that shave and it was worth every minute. Still had plenty of time to sit outside for about 10 minutes and enjoy my coffee before darting into the rat race. In spite of waking up 30 minutes early, it was worth it. Would I make it a habit? Nope. But it was worth it today.

Home front-
Friday is here! The toddler will be going home tonight, so the dogs should be happy. This week has really thrown their schedules and environment for a loop. Date night tonight should be dinner and a small town rodeo ... good stuff. I have the other Torrey that should be put on the stones this weekend and who knows what else. I don’t think we have much, if anything, planned for this weekend. Just another Carpe diem weekend ... I really dig those. My dad is having surgery on Monday so if you would, please put him on your prayer lists. I think that’s all I have for you at the moment. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 276 SR: 200)

Yesterday-
Pre Shave-
Hot shower and splash and go

Shave-
Torrey SR (#1)
DSC Badger
Krokos soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash

Today-
Shave Count (DE: 277 SR: 200)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette New
Astra SP (6)
Zenith Boar
GTB soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
GRB AS

The process -
Two updates in one. Saturday I wrapped up the day with a shave. Wanted a light scent for bedtime and went with the Krokos. Went with a 20 second load and that badger cranked out a ton of lather. Enough for 3 passes and a post shave lather. I probably had enough for 2 complete shaves. Today GTB was on deck and it didn’t disappoint. That Zenith is broke in well and whipped up a really nice lather.

The Torrey I used last night I have had for awhile. I didn’t think I would get all the cancer out of it, so I bought another. Anyway, got the cancer out and honed it up yesterday. Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. My hone job sucked and so did the shave. I think I didn’t get the bevel set right. So back to the stones for this one. Third pass was with a DE to salvage the shave. The DE ATG pulled out the BBS for the win. Today was 3 pass BBS for the win!

Last night was no AS, just a rinse and towel dry. Today, wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Clean shaven and smelling great! Great way to start the day.

Home front-
So ... today we are toddler free. Things should start getting back to normal. I think the dogs are relieved too. Wicked storm line rolled through last night and spun up a tornado in the next town over. About 10 miles away. No casualties, so that’s good. So, honey do’s and what nots today to wind down the weekend. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 277 SR: 201)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Torrey SR (#1)
Zenith Boar
Mudder Focker soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Mudder Focker AS

The process -
Went with an early afternoon shave today. Had to be up at 3am to go with my dad to the hospital. There was no way I was putting a straight to my neck at 3am. So once I got home from the hospital, I had to get cleaned up and Mudder Focker is on deck this week. Kept the Zenith for this shave and it did an outstanding job. Soft bristles, nice splay and steady cranking out lather.

Took the Torrey back to the stones yesterday and reworked it from the bevel up. I think I have the bevel right this time, I used the burr method. First time around I tried circles and I guess I don’t have that technique down yet. Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. Got rid of that horrid edge and didn’t have any tugging at all this time. Shave was much better, but I don’t think my head was in it. I did score a DFS and I’ll call that a win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! I feel better now, I felt scruffy all morning. Yup, I think this scent will do just fine for the week.

Home front-
Dad should be in the hospital a few days. Surgery went well and he went from recovery to a room. Looks like we have more storms coming our way too. I think that’s all for now. Life is good!

 

[GearNoir]

Glad your dad is good and recovering! Good job re-tackling that edge!

 

[MilkCrate]

Glad your dad is good and recovering! Good job re-tackling that edge!

Thanks Chris!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 277 SR: 202)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Dovo SR
Vulfix Badger
Mudder Focker soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Mudder Focker AS

The process -
Woke up on time today and after the 3am schedule, I almost felt like I was sleeping late. Almost. The Dovo is the straight that started this journey and hasn't seen much action lately, so it's on deck the rest of the week. Really enjoyable shave this morning that was not rushed. Hit the soap for 20 seconds and got after it. Whipped up plenty of lather that was very smooth and smelled nice!

50 laps on the leather and it was go time. Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. That's what I'm talking about right there. Nice, very nice and I am BBS for the win! Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A glug of the AS and everything was right as rain! Speaking of which, hopefully the rain today is the last we will have for a bit. This soap/AS combo is kinda funny in that I didn't care much for it at first. I thought it was just kinda meh, scent wise. Put it aside and circled back to it later and it just clicked. I am really digging the scent now. Funny how that works. That was a much needed shave after winding down a rather hectic schedule from the last 10 or so days. Now I am ready to start the day.

Home front-
Dad should be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes. I have also taken off on Thursday and Friday to be nearby to give him a hand. With that said work isn't slowing down, so I may be working from home on those days. Thankfully our routine is staring to get back to normal and the dogs appear relieved too. Well, we'll just take each day as it comes. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 277 SR: 203)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Dovo SR
Vulfix Badger
Mudder Focker soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Thayers Lemon WH
Mudder Focker AS

The process -
Running the same setup again today to wind down the work week. Not sure if I will keep it for tomorrow and Friday, but we will see. Today I hit the soap for 20 seconds and whipped up a really nice lather. It was a bit wetter than normal, but that didn't hurt anything at all.

50 laps on the leather and it was time for business. Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. I did discover that if your scales bump your other hand while stretching, it can change the angle of your blade. That did cause a hard landing on my jawline, but there was no red fluid leakage so that's a good thing. In spite of that little issue, I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A splash of WH and after the dry down, a glug of the AS. You know that everything was right as rain! I've had that WH for some time now, picked it up in a PIF. Never tried it before, but thought I would give it a go today. Not bad, I may use the remainder and see how it does over time. The lemon scent was not strong and the AS was able to cover it without any trouble. I will probably look at getting an alum block in the future as well. Looks like one of those may come in handy. Once again, a nice shave this morning.

Home front-
Dad was discharged from the hospital today and on his way home. I know he's happy about that. With the rest of the week off and our office closed on Monday, it should make for a nice relaxing weekend. I am ready for it. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 277 SR: 204)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Dovo SR
Vulfix Badger
Baker Street soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Thayers Lemon WH
Baker Street AS

The process -
I’m off today and tomorrow, so mixing a late morning shave up a bit. Went with the Baker Street today for the theme shave. Loaded the badger up for 30 seconds and threw a bunch of water at it. Whipped up a really nice lather never breaking it. The scent smells great, and really projected well when lathered.

50 laps on the leather and it was go time. Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. No hard landings today, just a nice relaxing shave. Still had enough in the brush for a post shave lather and I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A splash of WH and a dry down. A glug of the AS and everything was right as rain! Clean shaven and smelling great! It really is the simple pleasures.

Home front-
No real static plans this weekend. A trip to the vet (not for me) and some errands. Hang around to give my dad a hand if he needs it. That’s all I have at the moment. Life is good

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 277 SR: 205)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Dovo SR
DSC Badger
SC Patchouli cream (sample)

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Thayers Lemon WH
Avon Clint AS

The process -
Late morning shave today and I got my dirty hippy on ... oh yeah! Have a sample of Stone Cottage Patchouli that probably has 2 shaves left on it. So I scooped that all out and loaded the Turkish copper bowl. Used the DSC to pull up just what I needed for the shave and kept the rest in the bowl. Face lathered and whipped up an awesome lather. I threw so much water at it that I was flinging it everywhere. The lather just kept building and building and oh man, it smelled great. Super squeegee shave right there!

50 laps on the leather again this morning, but I did something a bit different. Based on something I read recently, I applied just a bit more pressure than I normally do when stropping. I’ll have to try that for a bit and see what, if any, difference that makes. Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. Outstanding shave right there! Full on sloppy, nice and relaxing. Had enough lather in the brush for a post shave lather or five. Oh ... and I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A splash of WH and a dry down. A healthy glug of the AS and everything was right as rain! Hated for that Patchouli scent to be taken over, I am going to have to make a Patch AS. But not to disappoint, that Clint picked up the slack. Man that stuff smells great too. I am going to get that hand soap back out and lather it up again. I now know it works with the right brush. Just can’t say enough about this shave, it was NICE!

In addition to those changes today, I was goofing with modern Williams. I also brought the Vie Long horsehair out of the drawer and I’m going to beat on it a bit more and see if I can’t really break it in. I thought I had used it enough, but it just ain’t right. Anyway, threw the Williams in the OS shave mug I picked up from Dave. Covered it with water and let it bloom while I shaved. Once I was done with my shave, I dumped the excess water out and lathered up the horsehair. I then palm lathered that while the WH was drying. The Williams whipped up a fine lather, so I guess my water is ok for it. I’ll beat that horsehair on that for awhile and see what happens. Who knows, I might even try shaving with that Williams.

Home front-
Speaking of the OS mug above, I had a friend print me a lid for that mug. It’s available on thingyverse.com if anyone wants one. We did have to reduce the inside diameter by 2mm to fit my mug, so maybe mug sizes vary. I’ll have to attach a pic. Anyway, semi-annual AC maintenance today before Summer really cranks up. Have several errands to run and may try to mow before more rain rolls in. That’s all friends and neighbors, rock on! Life is good

 

[MilkCrate]

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 277 SR: 206)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Dovo SR
Zenith Boar
CC Venture soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
CC Venture AS

The process -
Early morning shave ... IKR? Ever have one of those days where something feels “off”, but you can’t put your finger on it? Yup, I started the day like that. Had a bit of trouble decided on a scent this morning, which is unusual. Decided to go with the Venture. Loaded for 20 seconds and got after it. For some reason the boar was hogging lather this morning, so I hit the tub again for another 10 seconds. That did the trick and it whipped up a great smelling lather.

50 laps on the leather this morning. I think the increased pressure does make a difference, but it’s still early. The razor feels like the edge is getting more keen and the pitch has changed while stropping. Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have some drama to report. Yup, Murphy showed up this morning. My lather got funky and started drying on me. I was on my last pass and on the upstroke on my neck. As I got close to my jawline, in the blink of an eye, it happened. The razor skipped. Once off my skin, the razor changed angles from shallow to steep. Came down with a hard landing and stuck for a sec. Scored a nice 2” cut, then some of the red stuff leaked out. Grabbed the DE to finish up the other 3/4 pass without incident. On the plus side, I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A healthy glug of the AS and everything was right as rain! I guess that cut wasn’t too deep because the AS stopped the blood loss. I skipped the WH today, I’m just not digging it. It makes my skin feel sticky. Well, I may look like I tried to give a cat a bath, but I smell great!

I still made time to beat that horsehair on the modern Williams too. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 278 SR: 206)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Slim
Astra SP (1)
Vulfix Badger
Proraso Green soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Proraso Green AS

The process -
Mid-morning shave today and changed up the entire kit. Haven’t used the Proraso Green in awhile, so it’s on deck today. Grabbed the badger to see if it would be easier on my new scab ... it was. Went with a 30 second load and whipped up a nice lather. The Green has an easy, pleasant scent and the slight menthol kick is nice.

Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. The DEs really are a great tool and very versatile. Comfortable blade feel on settling 5 and just an easy peasy shave. Really good shave. I am mostly BBS, but went easy around the new nick, so we’ll call it a solid DFS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Good stuff right there. Now I am ready for the day.

Beat that horsehair on the modern Williams again today. Then hit it with some hair conditioner. This brush will break in, even if it doesn’t know it yet.

Home front-
Productive day yesterday. Unloaded hundreds of pounds of horse feed, mowed the yard, ran errands and wrapped up the day cooking steaks on the grill. Oh ... my dad had some cows escape, so I had to round them up too. Today is a casual day. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 279 SR: 206)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Slim
Astra SP (2)
Vulfix Badger
SC Patchouli cream (sample)

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Avon Clint AS

The process -
Late morning shave today ... just because. Since someone recently unleashed a Glastonbury Patch bomb, I had to finish up this Patch sample. Man that is some goodness right there! Whipped that up in the copper bowl and just basked in the awesomeness. Luckily I have a few more samples from other vendors to try also. The badger whipped it up nicely and has treated my recent nick well.

Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. Shave #2 on this blade and it was so nice. Took my time and chased it. Oh yeah friends and neighbors, I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A healthy glug of the AS and everything was right as rain! I thought the Patch was awesome, but man ... the Clint is something special too. I could just drop the mic and call it a day right there. That’s what I’m talking about!

I’ll continue to beat the horsehair until it’s attitude improves. But I will say the conditioner seemed to have helped. The brush typically clumps together and doesn’t splay well when wet. Today it splayed well. Williams is cheap, but I’ll probably wind this down later this week if I see the same progression.

Home front-
Inside work today with some housework and laundry that I didn’t get done yesterday. I also have Glastonbury soap and AS, along with a sample of Executive Man in my cart. Just need to pull the trigger. I picked up something from the bay last night so I hope it gets here soon too. That’s all I’ve got at the moment. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 280 SR: 206)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Slim
Astra SP (3)
Zenith Boar
Ghost Town Barber soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Ghost Town Barber AS

The process-
Well ... back to the grind today and man 5:30a comes early. I know a lot of people may laugh at that, but I have never been a morning person. I know it's a short week having Monday off, but I thought I would put a few more days on the GTB (I can see the bottom ... really). If I pull the trigger on the Glastonbury, I will need to make a spot for it. So went with the Zenith this morning because the tips are really broken in and I'm still taking it easy for a few days with the scrubby brushes. I had also forgotten how well the GTB lathered, it just exploded this morning. Whipped up 30 seconds of awesomeness and it was shave time.

Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. I really don't know what to add to that, this razor just delivers. What am I talking about? For me, most if not all of, the vintage razors deliver. Just a nice relaxing, easy peasy shave and I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. Went with a healthy glug of the AS this morning and everything was right as rain! That's it right there ... let's kick this pig! Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 281 SR: 206)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Slim
Astra SP (4)
Zenith Boar
Ghost Town Barber soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Ghost Town Barber AS

The process-
Hump Day! Well that was quick, half way through the week already. Was a tad rushed this morning, but that wasn't an issue with the gear I had. Not sure if I will finish the GTB this week, the last bit seems to go slow. What am I saying, this whole tub has gone pretty slow for me. On the flip side, the soap lasts longer so it's a cost saving right? This boar brush has really started to splay and it is very comfortable. It can just about give the badger a run for it's money and I would imagine that it will at some point. Stayed with the same 30 second load time and cranked out a really nice, great smelling lather.

Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. Motored right along and I am BBS for the win! Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. A healthy splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Man that's good stuff! A great scent to cruise through the week with. Time to strap on the six gun and hit the streets.

Home front-
Well, I pulled the trigger on the Glastonbury soap and AS. That blew my VADER right out of the water. I also included a sample of Executive Man to try. Man, I can't wait for them to get here. In preparation, I painted a new silhouette on the wall for the tub. I then sprayed some of the wife's fu-fu juice in the bathroom to cover the paint odor. Shhhhhhhhh! Other than that, just minor odds and ends this week, nothing much else to report. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 282 SR: 206)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Slim
Astra SP (5)
Zenith Boar
Ghost Town Barber soap

Post Shave-
Warm water splash
Ghost Town Barber AS

The process-
Happy Thursday to ya! We are on the downhill side of the week and it sounded like a good day for GTB. It has been a consistent shave week so far and I have really enjoyed this Zenith boar. It has broken in really well and it is comfortable. I was surprised that it has broken in a lot faster than the Omega. Not that there is anything wrong with that. The GTB once again delivers a great smelling lather and it builds with little effort on my part. Stayed with my typical 30 second load time and then got down to business.

Went with my standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and I have no drama to report. Same consistent shave all week and I am BBS for the win! That nick from earlier is healing up pretty good, so I think I'll be back on the straights this weekend. A week off should be plenty. Wrapped everything up with a splash of water and a quick towel dry. Went with a glug of the AS today and everything was right as rain! Nothing left to say on that ...

Home front-
Speaking of rain, we got hammered yesterday. In addition to the rain, several tornadoes spun up all around us, but luckily there were no casualties. That storm headed up towards Arkansas and beyond, so you guys be careful out there. Dog was back at the vet yesterday with hives. My goodness she is a mess, but hopefully we have it sorted now. Other than that, just waiting on the weekend and mail calls. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Mail call, full of Oland.