Milkcrate's Musings

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 294 SR: 248)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Semogue boar
Mitchell's Wood Fat

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Florida AS

The Process-
Happy Hump Day! That's right, we are halfway through the work week. Or halfway into the work week. I guess that just depends on your perspective. On a whim, I changed kit this morning. I don't know, maybe it's the cold front that's having an effect on me. Anyway, decided to go back to The Fat. Hit it for about 45 seconds this morning and once again it cranked out a really nice lather. I didn't rinse between passes, just added water to the brush and that worked really well. I'm not sure what I am smelling, scent wise from this soap but it's light. I like the flexibility of that allowing for various AS options.

50 laps on leather today. Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Once again another buttery smooth shave with the J Allen and I am BBS for the win! Wrapped everything up with a splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Having a light soap, I could have really chosen any AS. But ... you know what got the nod this morning. Yup. I'm digging this Florida Water and I hope I have enough on for those around me to enjoy it also. Very nice shave this morning and I am ready for the day.

Home front-
Same same for the most part. Can't get any of these meds down the dog. So she may end up back at the vet for shots. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 294 SR: 249)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Vulfix badger
CC Venture soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
CC Venture AS

The Process-
What’s going on around here? I felt like something different today, so it looks like it may be another random week. Mixed up most of the kit and got to it. Hit the soap for 30 seconds and whipped up a nice lather. It was wet enough and had all the marks of a nice shave. With that said, I should have hit the water a bit more. I know I have accidentally got it crazy slick before. But not today.

50 laps on the TM leather. Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Nice shave this morning and I walked away with a DFS+. Wrapped everything up with a splash of the AS and everything was right as rain!

Home front-
Same same. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 294 SR: 250)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Vulfix badger
Mudder Focker soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Mudder Focker AS

The Process-
Happy Friday to ya! I only changed the soap and AS today and kept the rest of the kit. I haven't used Mudder Focker in a bit, so I thought I would round out the the week with that. Loaded the soap for 30 seconds and really cranked out a ton of lather. Had enough for the shave and post shave.

50 laps on the leather. Then went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Man that was a nice shave! I missed just a touch on the jawline, so I walked away with a DFS. But it's Friday and I'm calling that a win!

Wrapped everything up with a heavy splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! That wraps up the week pretty well and I am so glad it's Friday. Just because. I was so excited that on the way to work, I rolled down my window and yelled at a few people. "Hey! It's Mudder Focker Friday!" Judging by their reaction, they were not having a good day or they were just jealous. So .. since I'm just trying to cruise into the weekend, I thought the music choice today was appropriate. Enjoy!

Home front-
Typical weekend stuff so far. May assist with a fund raiser on Saturday, not sure how that will pan out yet. I know I have car detailing in my immediate future. Dog seems to be feeling better and she has a grooming appointment on Sunday afternoon. It's the first one, so we'll see how she does. That's all for now. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 295 SR: 250)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Old Type
Astra SP
VDH badger
TOBS Sandalwood soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Avon Clint AS

The Process-
This may be a harsh review / mini rant. Kinda random thoughts from a mental social experiment. If you are sensitive, turn back now knowing I had a really good shave.

I guess let’s talk about the soap first, TOBS Sandalwood. I had set this aside for awhile ... just because. Performance wise, it’s a decent soap. I may have got it loaded a little heavy, but I kept throwing water at it and it kept building. Produced a ton of wet lather and never broke. The problem I have is the name ... Sandalwood. I’ve read a lot of thoughts on Sandalwood and it’s supposedly buried in this soap somewhere. Apparently this is a complex scent and I am a simpleton. But I smell floral ... gaudy, heavy, grandma going to town floral. Maybe I am a simpleton, but to me Proraso Red or Fine Santal are Sandalwood. But what do I know.

I went with the Gillette Old Type. No complaints there, it delivers an awesome shave. I often wonder what my forefathers shaved with. They were poor, so it would not have been expensive.

Let’s talk about brushes. I’m sure the forefathers would have only had one boar brush and I lean that way. Bought a few inexpensive badgers so far. The Vulfix, I’m really back and forth on what I think about this one. So today I am using a VDH badger that I picked up dirt cheap. The results ... the VDH is every bit as good as this Vulfix. That’s a pisser.

On to the shave. Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Rock solid easy BBS for the win! Man I love this razor. Very nice shave except the heavy, dog choking floral scent.

Wrapped everything up with a heavy splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! It took a heavy dose of Clint to manly this mess up. But it was a very nice shave. Don’t get me wrong I am in a great mood, clean shaven and smelling great! The rest of the day lays before me. Just offering a few thoughts from a rambling milkcrate. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 295 SR: 251)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Dovo SR
DSC badger
Stirling Triumph soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Stirling Triumph AS

The Process-
From the mail call I got yesterday, I am rocking the Triumph. I can’t pick a single note out of this soap. But it’s blended well and has a light, fresh scent to my nose. Went with a 30 second load time and whipped up a really nice lather. Had enough for the shave and post shave, but I really could have gone with a 20 second load. Has the typical Stirling performance, which is great. This one is a keeper.

Today I used the DSC brush which I really like. This brush is soft, splays well and has plenty of backbone. This brush is on the inexpensive side and is a really good value. 24mm knot blah, blah, blah. The reason for my Vulfix or VDH was to have a smaller brush in the 18-20mm range. My boars run on the smaller side. But I had my little rant yesterday about BS marketing, so let’s move on.

Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. The Dovo did a fantastic job and I am BBS for the win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! There is a slightly different scent with the AS, but the dry down matches the soap and is also light. I am curious about the longevity, but I smell great! Rod is killing the scents, I will probably end up with most of my rotation being Stirling soaps. Nothing wrong with that. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 295 SR: 252)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Dovo SR
VDH badger
Stirling Piacenza soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Florida Water AS

The Process-
Had been sniffing the Piacenza since it arrived and thought I would give it a try. To my nose it was Citrus forward and I don't have anything like that yet. So it will be on deck this week. It has a nice strong Citrus scent on the puck and that carried though the shave. I went with the VDH badger again and loaded the soap for 30 seconds. It produced plenty of lather for the shave and post shave. And you know the performance of Stirling. I will also be shelving the badger tomorrow and going back to a boar.

Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. The Dovo did another fantastic job and I am BBS for the win! The razor is keen, but didn't feel as smooth as I would like. I think I'll hit that on the balsa a bit and see if I can smooth it back out.

Wrapped everything up with a splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! I hit it with the Florida Water and that was the wrong pairing. I really like the Florida Water, but it really pulled the scent in a different direction. I think I will switch to the Nivia ASB for future shaves to I can smell the dry down and see how the soap mellows. It was a really good shave and I can't wait to give it another go tomorrow.

Home front-
New week ahead and that's all I have at the moment. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 296 SR: 252)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Old Type
Astra SP
Stirling Piacenza soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Nivia ASB

The Process-
Changed a bit of the kit this morning. That alarm just came too early and I had to hit snooze. The VDH was shedding a bit and I was ready for a boar brush anyway. The Zenith has broken in really nice and is a soft touch. Hit the soap for 30 seconds again this morning and whipped up another really nice lather. I’m digging this scent.

Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Great shave ... easy peasy and I am BBS fir the win!

Wrapped everything up with a splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Great shave and I am digging the scent. I will have to pick this up, along with the matching AS.

Home front-
Same same. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 297 SR: 252)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Old Type
Astra SP
DSC badger
Wholly Kaw Padre Leone soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Nivia ASB

The Process-
Happy Hump Day! It's going to be a great day! So today I kept with the samples and used one sent to me by @cmh737. He actually sent me several and this one is Wholly Kaw. I was hesitant to use it because I might like it, but I don't like the price point. Oh well ... let's give it a go. Off the puck and while lathering, it is a light pleasant scent. Not overpowering at all. I haven't seen many reviews, but I've seen it described as a Fougere, but I don't know these things. It's a nice though. I may not have had enough in my bowl or my DSC is just a lather hog, but I didn't really crank out a ton of lather. The lather I did have was certainly workable and I found a lot remaining in the brush, so it's a hog. The lather was nice and I will definitely circle back to this one again.

Went with a standard three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Outstanding shave and I am BBS for the win! Wrapped everything up with a splash of the ASB and everything was right as rain! Great shave and I dig the scent and performance of that soap. Hm ... I was afraid that might happen. But it's nice to be able to enjoy samples. I am ready for the day. Speaking of .. here's a peppy song to get your day going.

Home front-
Same same. Life is good!

 

[cmh737]

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 297 SR: 253)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Vie Long horsehair
CBL Oud Minerale soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Nivia ASB

The Process-
TGITHMF! So ... wrapping up the last work day of the week and it's looking sketchy. Hit snooze one too many times and had to make up for lost time today ... IKR? Woke up with a headache and congestion ... I hate sinuses. But onto the shave. I scored a couple of CBL samples from GlazedBoker that I wanted to try. Had to try the Oud Minerale first, because I have no idea what an "aquatic scent" is supposed to smell like. Is it freshwater or saltwater, salt and rotting seaweed on the beach .. or what? I don't know these things, so let's give it a go. From what I could tell, the soap has a light pleasant smell. I think I could maybe dig this scent. I primarily face lather and sometimes my bowl lathering can be a bit lacking. Today was one of those days. I went with the Vie Long brush and it had held entirely too much water. I ended up with an over-saturated mess of a lather that I couldn't quite pull back. Didn't have time to goof around this morning, so I just ran with it. Very thin and dripping somewhat, the lather also started fading on me. I had put the sample up and I wasn't digging it back out. So ...

Hit the J Allen for 50 laps on leather and got after it. Went with a two pass shave of WTG and ATG with no drama to report. There was no way I could squeeze out a third pass, so I called an audible mid shave. Actually had to squeeze out what was in the brush and applied by hand on that last pass. No nicks or weepers or anything, but the shave was less than stellar. I guess I eeked out a DFS- at best. There was no win there, it was a hot mess.

Wrapped everything up with a splash of the ASB and everything was ... Nope not "right as rain", it just was. A soap base that is highly regarded and I trashed it on my first outing ... that's embarrassing. Also the Nivia I don't think is unscented, it does have a slight scent and it did mask the soap when I was done. So take away's are: throw the horsehair back in a drawer or throw an entire sample into the lather bowl and use it until finished. I'll figure something out. But I will definitely give this soap another run and get it right.

Home front-
Tons of errands and what-not this weekend. Some will be unpleasant, some won't. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 298 SR: 253)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Old Type
Astra SP
Semogue boar
Mitchells Woo Fat soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Avon Oland AS

The Process-
So it’s Friday and my weekend started yesterday at 5:00pm. Yeah me! Didn’t grab a sample, but a new to me soap. I dig The Fat, it has a light familiar smell. Can’t put my finger on it, but I have smelled something similar in the past. Anyway, the initial blooming I did on my first shave really set the stage. This soap just cranks out the lather. I loaded for 40 seconds and built a really nice lather that provided an excellent shave. As a side note, I did the same with modern Williams and it really cranks out the lather also.

The Old Type is on deck today. Went with a three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. I don’t know how many shaves are on the blade, but my gosh it’s doing an outstanding job. A solid BBS for the win! I love the ease and efficiency of this razor.

Wrapped everything up with a heavy splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Awesome shave and the vintage AS just sealed the deal. I chose this soap for that very reason. It’s light and subtle, and can be used with any AS. Clean shaven and smelling great, here I come world! Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 298 SR: 254)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Zenith boar
WSP Gaelic Tweed soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
WSP Gaelic Tweed AS

The Process-
The Gaelic Tweed sounded nice this morning. It was also time to get an SR back into the mix. Went with my normal routine and hit this soap for 30 seconds. It whipped up a nice lather and it smelled great. The scent is strong enough to linger for the entire shave.

Went with a three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. That was a nice relaxing shave and I am BBS for the win! It’s great to find and be able to enjoy the simple things in life.

Wrapped everything up with a double shot of the AS and everything was right as rain! Not sure what else I can add to that, you know this one’s a keeper.

Home front-
Moved our remaining horse into a pasture, hoping the cows will give him some company. He spent the entire day looking for and calling his buddy that didn’t come back home. Hopefully he will settle in the next few days. Have errands and honey-dos as usual and will be helping my brother make some repairs on a travel trailer. Then whatever else comes my way. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 298 SR: 255)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Zenith boar
Modern Williams soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Florida Water AS

The Process-
So tried another sample today and we’ll call is Sample X. Put a dab in the copper bowl, shook out the brush a bit and got after it. It was unstable and bubbly, then my brush ate it. Dang it! I think I’ll have to just put whole samples in the bowl and use them til gone. Anyway, dipped the brush in water and grabbed the Williams. That whipped up a ton of lather real quick that smelled like the sample.

Went with a three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. The Williams did a fine job and I am BBS for the win! Also had plenty of lather for my post shave.

Wrapped everything up with a healthy splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! The sample was a spice, so the FW worked well with it.

Home front-
Been relatively busy this weekend. Did some fence work for the horse to move between pastures. Replaced the antenna on the wife’s car, which was not a simple task. Went to a rodeo and got some repair work done on a couple of razors. It looks like I have the frown pulled out of the W&B. I also have the chips pulled out of the other. May hit them on the stones today, not sure yet. That’s all I have. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 298 SR: 256)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Boker SR
Omega 48 boar
Proraso Red soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Proraso Red AS

The Process-
A new week and new opportunities lie ahead. Woke up with plenty of time to spare this morning and thought I would break out the Proraso Red. It's been awhile. It had also been awhile since the Omega 48 had seen any action, so it got the call. Hit the soap for 30 seconds, added a ton of water and got after it. This is one soap that for me, never disappoints. Keep adding water to it and it will keep building lather. Whipped up a ton of great smelling lather and had plenty for the shave and post shave.

Went with a three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. The Proraso did a fine job, but either I was off this morning or my edge was. I'll have to give the razor another go tomorrow and see if I can narrow that down. At any rate, I walked away with a DFS and I will call that a win.

Wrapped everything up with a splash, oh and another splash, of the AS and everything was right as rain! I would have never guessed that Proraso Red might be polarizing, but I dig the scent. Performance wise, I haven't had any issues with it either it just works. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 298 SR: 257)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Boker SR
Omega 48 boar
Proraso Red soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Proraso Red AS

The Process-
Woohoo ... I hit the snooze today! So I may be back to my usual self. Kept all the gear the same and may run it for the entire week ... unless I don't. I usually keep the same setup for the work week and mix it up on the weekends. With that said, the randomness of last week was kinda cool too. Anyway, I ran the same setup today. A load time of 30 seconds with a fairly wet brush and I was cranking out lather. The Omega 48 makes quick work of creating lather and I dig this Sandalwood scent. This Omega is not quite broken in yet, but it will get there.

Went with a three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Scored another DFS today, but it was slightly better than yesterdays shave. I think I didn't get my edge quite right on this one. So back to the stones for it. It wasn't a bad shave, I have just come to expect more.

Wrapped everything up with a double tap of the AS and everything was right as rain! Man oh man, I dig the Sandalwood. This was the second soap I tried after VDH and I keep coming back to it. And so far I have not been able to throw enough water at it to break it. Yup, now I am now ready for the day. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 299 SR: 257)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Old Type
Astra SP
Omega 48 boar
Proraso Red soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Proraso Red AS

The Process-
Happy Hump Day! Well, I guess I am back to my normal self, I hit snooze twice this morning. Crap. Had to rush it a bit so I grabbed a DE. I only keep one DE loaded with a blade at one time and I usually change razors when I change blades. Surprisingly the blade in this one is still going strong. That's right the Old Type got the call. Once again I hit the soap for 30 seconds with a wet brush and cranked out a ton of lather. I guess maybe I am loading this one a bit heavy, but the more water I throw at it, it just keeps going. And it has that awesome Sandalwood scent ... gotta love it.

Went with a three pass shave of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Wait for it ... wait for it. Boom! Solid BBS for the win! Yup ... the Old Type has got it going on. A dirt simple shave in the middle of the week is a beautiful thing.

Wrapped everything up with a heavy splash of the AS and everything was right as rain! Yup ... that's some goodness right there! Outstanding shave, great scent and it has Shea Butter. Nothing but goodness right there. Man ... I'm smelling great. Time to take on the world ... watch my chair for me. Life is good.

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 299 SR: 258)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Dovo SR
Omega 48 boar
Proraso Red soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Proraso Red AS

The Process-
Quick entry with a late post but an early shave. Kept most of the setup the same to wind down the week. I simply changed out the razor. Same process as normal and I walked away BBS for the win! Life is good.

Home front-
...

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 299 SR: 259)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Dovo SR
Zenith boar
Mitchells Wool Fst soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Avon Oland AS

The Process-
Well ... I hit snooze way more than normal this morning and I am blaming it on ... something. In spite of my tardiness, it's Friday and I am wrapping the week up with a shave. Hm ... decided to mix it up a bit today and grabbed The Fat. I really dig this soap for the light scent and great performance. It allows me the option to choose whatever AS I would like to use for the day. Hit it for 40 seconds and whipped up a ton of lather. My brushes usually lean towards the wet side and The Fat keeps up with no problem.

50 laps on the leather, and the Dovo was good to go. I went with my normal shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and have no drama to report. The Dovo still has a nice edge on it from lapping film and it performs well. Really nice shave and I am BBS for the win! Awesome way to wrap of the week.

Wrapped everything up with a double shot of the Oland AS and everything was right as rain! You know it was! Post shave feel ... spot on. Totally digging it and I am good to go. I mentioned the lapping film earlier because I am still working on my edges with stones. My edges are just not as keen or have the longevity of the lapping film. That's a work in progress and I will get there. That just speaks to the ease and effectiveness of the lapping film in producing an edge.

Home front-
Crazy busy day at work today and should be a busy weekend as well. I'll have to get the lawn mowing in this evening. Rest of the weekend will mostly be spent helping others. All outside work ... should be fun. That and meet up with some of the Dallas guys tomorrow. Have a great Friday! Life is good!

Going to be a busy few days, so how about some tunes to get the blood flowing ...

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 300 SR: 259)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
Gillette Old Type
Astra SP
Vulfix badger
CBL Sir Fougere soap

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Nivia ASB

The Process-
Late morning shave today and you know it’s a random. This was one of the goodies that Ben brought me for his trip up here. I can’t say enough about the generosity of our group. I had two different samples of CBL, but I struggled with the first shave of each. Thought I loaded enough, but my brush ate it. Didn’t have that issue today. Whipped up a really nice lather and you know the performance of CBL. I had plenty of lather for the shave and post shave and it has a light pleasant scent.

The Old Type got the nod today. I went with my normal shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and have no drama to report. Outstanding shave and I am BBS for the win! I did have a bit of irritation on the neck during the shave, but that may have been the brush. I have a love/hate relationship with this brush. It has some hairs that are sharp and prickly. I’ll try again with the DSC badger and see if that happens again. The irritation did fade and that was a great shave.

Wrapped everything up with a dab of the ASB and everything was right as rain! That’s what I’m talking about right there! Man ... good stuff. The soap scent was so light that is was overtaken by the ASB. I usually go with Nivia when I don’t have a matching scent. Nothing wrong with the light scent, it gives me some latitude in AS choices. I would really dig this base in straight up, old school hippie Patchouli. I’m sure I’m in the minority on that one.

Home front-
Change of plans today due to auto issues. I’ll have to see if I can get those sorted. Life is good!

 

[MilkCrate]

Shave Count (DE: 300 SR: 260)

Pre Shave-
Splash and go

Shave-
J Allen SR
Semogue boar
Stirling Piacenza sample

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
Florida Water

The Process-
Late morning shave today ... check. Random hardware selection ... check. Random software selection ... check. Let’s hit it. The Piacenza seemed like the right call today with the light citrus scent. Whipped up a really nice lather with plenty to spare.

Started with 50 laps on the leather. I went with my normal shave of WTG, XTG and ATG and have no drama to report. Nice shave but I confirmed that this blade needs a touch up. I still walked away with a DFS+, so there is that.

Wrapped everything up with a glug of the AS and everything was right as rain! I’m digging the Florida Water.

Home front-
Plans changed again today too. Off to mow the yard. Life is good!