Milkcrate's Musings

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 290 SR: 233)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
DSC badger
Stirling Glastonbury soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
Stirling Glastonbury AS

The process-
Late morning shave today and it was nice. I don’t know why, but I really had to think about my scent choice today. Glastonbury got the nod and it was a good choice. A 30 second load time with the DSC was plenty and I had a ton of lather going on.

A standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. A very nice shave, but I missed a bit on the Adams Apple, so we’ll call it a sold DFS+ for the win! Wrapped up the shave with a healthy splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! I usually get a really green scent out of this set. But today I smelled the Patchouli slightly coming through and it was awesome! I hope that opens up a bit more during usage.

Home front-
Mostly manual labor going on. Working on the transmission on my 78 Silverado today. Tomorrow I will be helping family remove some trees, brush clean-up and other fun stuff. We have a health incentive program at work called vitality. You exercise and do healthy things to earn points. Those points can buy Amazon gift cards. I now have enough to buy the MWF (w/ bowl) and some Florida water to try. So I’ll probably get that ordered this weekend too. I think that’s it at the moment. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 290 SR: 234)

Pre Shave-
Shower and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Vulfix badger
SC Vetiver & Vanilla

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
Thayers Lemon WH

Quick update today. Hit the ground running so had to wrap up the day with a shower and shave. Very nice shave, but I am beat.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 290 SR: 235)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Vie Long horsehair
Williams soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
Thayers Lemon WH

Another quick update today. Didn’t have much stubble to work with after the late shave yesterday. But what was there was bugging me. Quick two pass shave WTG and ATG, no drama and I am BBS for the win! Didn’t want to waste a good scent today, so I went with the Williams. Now I’m off to finish up that transmission.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 290 SR: 237)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Torrey SR
Zenith boar
CF Sherlock soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
CF Sherlock AS

The process-
Changed a couple of bits out this morning. I changed out the razor for Torrey Tuesday. I also decided that it was time to shelf the badger for a bit and go back to boar. Went with a 20 second load again today and whipped up a really nice lather that smelled great. Have enough for a three pass shave and a post shave lather.

Hit the Torrey with 50 laps on leather and it was go time. Kept the standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. The Torrey is kinda cool in that it is very audible. The shave was good, but not most awesome. In spite of all of the feedback, it wasn't laying waste to everything in it's path. However, I am a solid DFS for the win, so I'll take it. And I guess this one goes back to the stones for a touch up.

Home front-
Same same. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 290 SR: 238)

Pre Shave-
Shower and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Zenith boar
CF Sherlock soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
CF Sherlock AS

The process-
A morning shower and shave today. A bit different than my normal. Kept the same soap/AS and will run that fir the work week. 20 second load and cranked out a lot of great smelling lather.

50 laps on leather and the J Allen is good to go. Kept the standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. An enjoyably slow shave and I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Another great start to the day.

Home front-
Same same. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 290 SR: 239)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Zenith boar
CF Sherlock soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
CF Sherlock AS

The process-
Back to the grind today with a splash and go. Just a quick update. None of the players have changed this morning and I am just working it. Kept all the variables the same and whipped up a nice lather. Kept the standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Not sure what was going on, but I didn't quite hit it today. Shave didn't feel bad, but was rather lackluster. Walked away with a DFS and I'll take it. Wrapped everything up with a splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Hey it's Thursday, the sun is shining and I smell great.

Home front-
You've got the low down. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 291 SR: 239)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Old Type
Astra SP
Zenith boar
CF Sherlock soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
CF Sherlock AS
CF Sherlock cologne

The process-
Happy Friday all! I was running a bit behind today, so I had to grab the DE. IKR? Anyway kept everything else ... same same. 20 second load time on the soap and the Zenith whipped up a really nice lather. I also really like this boar brush. I have had a great run with the Sherlock this week and I dig the scent. Alas, it will be time to move on tomorrow.

Kept the standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Awesome shave this morning! It was quick, efficient and relaxing in spite of being faster then my normal shave. And ... oh yeah friends and neighbors, I am BBS for the win! Just having that little bit of downtime to clear your mind and focus on the task at hand is very relaxing. Nice ... very nice! There is just something about this Old Type, it's the complete package.

Wrapped everything up with the usual post shave lather and a rinse. A splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Oh yeah ... you know it. But wait, there's more. I had forgotten that this set has the matching cologne. Man ... I should have remembered that earlier this week. So I followed Chris' lead and hit it for one ping only. I dig it! Not overpowering at all and that is great. I don't want to be "that guy", I just want to the scent to stay in my personal space and I'm there. Now that wrapped it up nicely. I am so ready for today.

Home front-
Expecting a few mail calls soon. One may be in today and then the Fat should be here on Monday. Winding down the work week and trying to mentally line up my weekend. Hopefully get a few of those restore razors honed and beat that diva transmission into submission. I thinks that's all I have at the moment. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave mail. A gently used tin if Mike’s Barbershop and a sample of Wickam’s Frankincense.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 291 SR: 240)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Dovo SR
Semogue 610 boar
Mike’s Barbershop soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
Florida Water AS

The process-
Nice late morning shave today and went random. Tried the Mike’s this morning and it was nice. I had a Mike’s Lavender that I picked up a long time ago in a PIF. It smelled like saddle soap, so I didn’t try it. I just re-PIF’ed it. So I was a little leery of this one, but thought I would try it. Anyway, this one has a nice light scent but not like I would expect a Barbershop to smell though. Maybe I’m smelling lanolin. Who knows? The soap may be a bit dry from storage, I ran a wet brush but it never did really explode with lather. Hit it with a 30 second load and got to it. Decent lather but it seemed thin. Hit the puck again and kept after it. Lather was plenty wet, but didn’t feel overly slick.

Kept the standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Very nice shave overall. I wet my face between passes keeping the lather rather wet. The ATG stroke was when I found the slickness. Very smooth, easy strokes and I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with the usual post shave lather and a rinse. A heavy dousing of the AS and everything was right as rain! Oh yeah ... I didn’t realize there wasn’t a restricter in the bottle. So I hit it hard. It’s a nice enough scent of maybe citrus and spice. The missus likes it too, so that’s a plus. After buying it I started reading reviews. I really should do that first. They said stuff like “great for wickans and practitioners”, “spiritual cleansing”, etc. What the crap am I splashing on? Anyway ... smells pretty good and I had a really nice shave today. I’ll hit it again.

Home front-
Just the typical honey-do’s and miscellaneous weekend things this time around. Hoping to get a little hone work in as well. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 291 SR: 241)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Henckel SR
Semogue 610 boar
Proraso Green soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
Proraso Green AS

The process-
Very nice shave this morning. I haven’t used the Green in quite some time, so it was due. Kept the Semogue because it needs some more break in. Hit the soap for the usual 30 seconds and whipped up a really nice lather.

Kept the standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Very nice cooling shave and I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a post shave lather and a rinse. A splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Very nice shave and with the cooling properties, should be just the ticket on a hot day. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 292 SR: 241)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Psycho
Astra SP
Vie Long horsehair
Avon Clint soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
Thayers WH
Avon Clint AS

The process-
So ... I grabbed a DE today. No I didn't hit snooze too many times. Ok ... maybe I did, so what. Anyway recent talk about shaving with hand soap, got me thinking about the Clint soap this morning ... so let's do it. Changed up all the gear for the rotation this week. The horsehair must have finally broken in because it is working rather nicely now. For the Clint, my badger has worked better than the boar, so I thought I would try horsehair this go. That was the right choice. I loaded the soap for 30 seconds and whipped up a great lather. Had enough for a three pass shave and a post shave lather. I think I had a better lather going on than when I used my badger. Oh ... and the scent ... that's some goodness right there.

Kept the standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Great shave that checked all the boxes and I am BBS for the win! Can't ask for anything more from a shave. Wrapped everything up with a post shave lather and rinse. A splash of WH, then the AS and everything was right as rain! Man, this stuff smells great! Taking a queue from someone else, I thought I would mix it up a bit by listening to some classical music while I shaved. That didn't work so well because the dogs wanted to get up. So ... we may skip that in the future. But I did include the video link for your enjoyment.

Home front-
Got the honey-do's done this weekend. And I have the multiple transmission leaks resolved on the truck. It is more of a cold leak so I will know more in a few days ... but I'm confident. Then onto the next project on the truck. It is a '78 so it does need some work. Didn't get anything done on honing this weekend. I did work on the Wosty just a bit with some 320 sandpaper. It still has some pitting that has not come out yet, so I'll keep sanding away until I get tired of it. The work week is just starting up and I don't have much on my radar yet. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 292 SR: 242)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Henckel SR
Vie Long horsehair
Avon Clint soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
Avon Clint AS

The process-
My goodness I had trouble getting up this morning. Anyway still had time for a shave and kept most of the kit. The only change I made was switching back to an SR. Hit the Clint soap with another 30 second load and whipped up a nice lather. It's not uber-awesome or anything like that. But you can certainly shave with it. And man it smells great.

Kept the standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Very nice shave today. I did have a few misses on the usual trouble spots, but I am DFS for the win! Wrapped everything up with a post shave lather and rinse. A splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! And did I mention that this stuff smells great.

Home front-
Same same. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 293 SR: 242)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Old Type
Astra SP
Semogue 610 boar
Mike's Natural Soap - Barbershop

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
Florida Water AS

The process-
Decided to change things up a bit today. Well in looking at my kit, I guess I changed everything this morning. It's all good. I thought I might circle back to the Mike's Natural soap that I picked up recently. It's a nice pleasant scent and can be paired with various post shave options. Hit it for 20 seconds this morning with the Semogue and whipped up a decent lather. I say decent because I didn't crank out volumes, that and the last pass was rather thin. The brush is rather new and doesn't have a lot of shaves on it, so it probably just needs a bit more break in. Still a workable lather.

Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Very, very nice shave. Even with a bit of a wonky lather, that was a good shave. The lather was workable and the razor just glided along. DE's are great the way you can just whip them around, taking care of business. With that said, I also like the way I have to focus when using a straight. It gives me an opportunity to put everything aside and clear my mind ... that or possibly fillet myself. Anyway, back to the shave today. It was an enjoyable shave, with a light scent, and I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a post shave lather and rinse. A splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! I'm kinda digging this Florida Water. The scent is nice and the projection is not obnoxious. However, I do wish it had more longevity. But we'll take what we can get. Still digging it.

Home front-
I guess it was Monday, I tweaked my back picking something up. It was a lift and twist motion. I've been taking Advil to take the edge off, but you can tell when they wear off. Especially first thing in the morning. This too shall pass. The MWF was supposed to be here this past Monday and is still MIA. Busy week at work and I'm trying to get ahead, even with the short week. Can't let anything get in the way of Cadre Friday. That's all I have today. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Mail call. The Fat has arrived.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 293 SR: 243)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Henckel SR
Zenith boar
Mike's Natural Soap - Barbershop

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
Florida Water AS

The process-
TGITHMYF! Happy Thursday to ya! This morning I mixed up the kit a bit, grabbing a different razor and brush. Went a little heavier on my load time at 30 seconds and got after it. Once again, I built a decent lather but it wasn't awesome. And once again it was thin on the last pass. But ... I think I have that figured out now. I am running my brush way too wet. I'll play with that a bit more to get it dialed in. The lather was workable for the shave, so it's all good.

Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. As I mentioned, a bit of a wonky lather but a decent shave. Today I was only able to pull out a DFS, but I'll call that ... a win? Just because. Wrapped everything up with a heavy splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Yup I'm still digging this Florida Water, so I hit it a little heavier today.

Home front-
Weekend is rapidly approaching and I am winding down the work week. Today is my Friday ... woo hoo! And ... the Fat came in yesterday, so it should be on deck this weekend. Can't wait. I do have a few things to knock out this weekend, but no concrete times set on anything. That's the way I like to roll. So ... recently I was reading that a song called "Africa" has become really popular with the Millennial crowd. Interesting since it was recorded in 1981, but who am I to judge. Here ya go young bloods ... enjoy!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 293 SR: 244)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Zenith boar
Stone Cottage Vetiver and Vanilla

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
Florida Water AS

Just a quick update. Nice DFS+ shave.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 293 SR: 245)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Henckel SR
Semogue boar
Mitchell’s Wool Fat

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
Avon Oland AS

The Process-
Giving “The Fat” a go this morning. Took the advice of @uacowboy, bloomed the puck and hit the soap for a 60 second load time. I think our water leans towards the hard side, but that technique working well. I whipped up a nice thick lather with enough for three passes and a post shave lather. The scent is light on the puck and I completely lost it during the shave. This scent doesn’t linger so it should work well with any AS or ED(x) that you follow it up with.

Hit the leather strop for 50 laps and it was go time. Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Had a good stable lather today and the shave was nice. I also walked away BBS for the win! That’s what I’m talking about right there! I have been rotating razors around, but not really doing any maintenance other than stropping. It shows because I am using more pressure during my shaves now. I need to hit most of them on the stones for a bit to freshen them up and that should be on deck this weekend.

Wrapped everything up with a splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! I dig this Oland scent. It is smoky but not heavy. There is something else there, but I can’t put my finger on it. Nice scent. After the dry down, I am left with a really good post shave feel. I am good to go!

Home front-
Yard work, honey-do’s and auto repairs on deck for the weekend. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 293 SR: 246)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Dovo SR
Semogue boar
Mitchell’s Wool Fat

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
GTB AS

The Process-
Yesterday was enjoyable and The Fat gets another go today. The blooming yesterday made all the difference. Today I cut my load time down a bit. At 30 seconds I had a lot of lather pouring over the side, so I stopped at 40 seconds. Had enough lather for my shave and a post shave lather.

Leather strop for 50 laps and it was go time. Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. This Dovo still has a good edge on it and it delivered a BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a heavy splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Haven’t used the GTB since I used up the soap and it was a nice change up. That menthol kick was welcome today as well. Man I smell great!

Home front-
Same same, just trying to wrap up unfinished business. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 293 SR: 247)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
DSC Badger
AA Bay Rum

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
AA Bay Rum AS

The Process-
Back to the grind today ... so let’s give it a run for the money. Arg! Been awhile since the Bay Rum has been rotated in and it’s been missed. Went with a 30 second load time and cranked out a ton of lather. Man this stuff smells great!

Honed up the J Allen and Boker yesterday. They didn’t pass the hair test, so I wasn’t sure what to expect today. Leather strop for 50 laps and it was go time. Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. The J Allen was buttery smooth. That was a great shave and I am BBS for the win! The razors were honed on Naniwa stones instead of film. It don’t feel as keen as film, but man it’s smooth.

Wrapped everything up with a splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! You know it was with the Bay Rum. I need to repeat that shave all week long. That was some goodness right there. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 294 SR: 247)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Psycho
Astra SP
DSC Badger
AA Bay Rum

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Warm water splash
AA Bay Rum AS

The Process-
Happy Tuesday! The second verse is as good as the first. Kept most of the kit, but grabbed a DE this morning. That was because ... it just felt like a DE day ... yeah, that's it. Haven't been keeping track of the blade count on the DE, but it is minimal. Dropped the soap load time down to 20 seconds and that didn't have a negative impact at all. I still had enough lather for my shave and post shave. It whipped up a quick lather and you know it smells great.

Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Another great shave of the easy peasy variety and I am BBS for the win! Gotta love a DE shave. I will take those all week long.

Wrapped everything up with a splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Accidentally hit it a bit hard this morning ... again. The reducer in this bottle will still deliver a sizable splash without effort. So you have to be careful not to be "that guy". Oh well, what can I say? Argh! Let's plunder!

Home front-
Not much has developed this week. It's usually quiet at home during the week. Work is same same. I need to schedule some PTO, I have a bunch to use. One of the dogs got into ants or something and she is kinda lumpy. Working on getting that resolved. I'm flying solo this evening, so I may work on chip removal on those resto razors. Uh ... that's it. Life is good!