My foray into straight razor shaving

[cmh737]

I so wish that I could use La Toja - I totally dig the scent. But alas, it does not like my ugly mug!

 

[ciderguy]

Enjoy the Pipe! It looks like a nice one. A Missouri Meerschaum is always a good buy. I'd recommend a few. They don't need to break in like briar and you can keep loading them without resting them in-between use if you smoke slow enough. (I used to get about 90min smokes out of my Missouri Meerschaum Pony Express). It is a serious rabbit hole. I'd recommend seeing if there is any kind of local meet up that you can go to. Pipe guys tend to be a friendly bunch, and they are always willing to talk about the hobby and let you try new things. I remember trying a 50 yr old blend at a meeting once.

 

[Smattayu]

Great stuff Pete. +1 on La Toja. Great soap.

 

[Dagwoodz]

Nice shave Pete! I'm glad the Pats won last night too, though I'm disappointed Gostkowski didn't do better from a fantasy football perspective.

 

[McVeyMac]

Hey Walt - my Dad smoked a pipe when I was young mixed in with cigarettes. He stopped probably 38 years ago now, but I remember the pipes and the pipe rack with the assortment of pipes. He used to buy me corn cob pipes as I used to mimic him. He has a funny story of getting a woman back then tearing into him about buying me the pipe at the checkout line of the Capitol Department store in Dorchester back in the early 70's and him lighting her up about minding her own business.

That is a funny story Pete. I was smoking a corn cob pipe in the late sixties and early 70's because cigarette smoking was unsustainable before I could drive. But I could always steal some of my dad's Granger pipe tobacco. He bought big tins and filled his leather tobacco pouch. Pipe cleaners and filters were always in good supply around the house as well.

 

[Guestabc]

Great Shave Pete, good set up as well

 

[labrax]

Very nice shave today. I love La Toja. But I don't use it nearly enough.

Love the smell and wonderful performance. However, it may be drying and lead to a little irritation for me, still trying to work that out though....

Very nicely done. How do you like the YSL L'Homme clone? I find it to be a nice scent but not too complex.

Hi Tom! I like it, it is not huge on the longevity or sillage, but the smell is subtle but very nice. I have only sprayed a shot of the tester at Macys - and it is similar. I can still smell it on my arm 8 hours later, but it is a skin scent at that point. Can't beat it for $9 as the scent itself is something that is enjoyable to my nose. The real thing or the YLS La Nuit L'Homme may be better if looking for a bit more longevity. If you get the La Nuit version it can match with Stirling Sandpiper soap and AS - as that is what it is based on.

I so wish that I could use La Toja - I totally dig the scent. But alas, it does not like my ugly mug!

Interesting. Do you get irritation from it, as I have had a few shaves like yesterday where my face was a bit irritated. I am wondering if it is the soap contributing to the irritation.

Enjoy the Pipe! It looks like a nice one. A Missouri Meerschaum is always a good buy. I'd recommend a few. They don't need to break in like briar and you can keep loading them without resting them in-between use if you smoke slow enough. (I used to get about 90min smokes out of my Missouri Meerschaum Pony Express). It is a serious rabbit hole. I'd recommend seeing if there is any kind of local meet up that you can go to. Pipe guys tend to be a friendly bunch, and they are always willing to talk about the hobby and let you try new things. I remember trying a 50 yr old blend at a meeting once.

Hey Nick! I picked one up at Walgreens yesterday along with a pouch of Captain Black white. I have had two bowls of it already - last night on an errand and this morning on the way to work. I liked stronger cigars, so I think this CB white is a little light, but may go online and buy some stronger stuff from Pipes & Cigars or some other site. I used to buy a lot from Cigars International/Cigarbid.com I should see if they have pipe tobacco at good prices too.

Great stuff Pete. +1 on La Toja. Great soap.

Hi Eric - it is good stuff and I like the way it lathers and smells - I need to determine if I am sensitive to something in it, or maybe I will need to use it when my skin is not so dry (non-winter months).

Nice shave Pete! I'm glad the Pats won last night too, though I'm disappointed Gostkowski didn't do better from a fantasy football perspective.

They made it closer than it needed to be, but they did seem to have the game in hand. Gostkowski as a FFL kicker would have been money in the bank in most years, but this year he has been inconsistent up until 2 weeks ago. I hope he has turned the corner as they will need him in Denver and then as they go to the playoffs. Hopefully he has regained his confidence.

And yet as I watched the game, it never felt as thought the Pats were really being challenged. To think that Blount singed a 1-year deal in April, what a coup for the Pats. Nice shave.

Hey Dan - I agree that they did seem to have it in control and I do have a lot of confidence in the offense led by Brady, but last year still sticks in my mind as they sputtered down the stretch and got too cute and it cost them home field in the playoffs. Having the playoff game in Denver last year vs. New England may have been the difference maker to getting to another Super Bowl. Was thinking of this when the ball was picked off in the endzone when Brady was pressured and should have thrown it away or accepted the sack - rather than throwing it off balance into double coverage. Or when Cyrus Jones got too close to the kick and had it touch him resulting in a turnover near the Pats goal line. BTW when Slater coughed it up - Cyrus Jones should have been out front blocking for him - rather than acting as a spectator.

That is a funny story Pete. I was smoking a corn cob pipe in the late sixties and early 70's because cigarette smoking was unsustainable before I could drive. But I could always steal some of my dad's Granger pipe tobacco. He bought big tins and filled his leather tobacco pouch. Pipe cleaners and filters were always in good supply around the house as well.

I do remember the 1lb tins from back then too as well as pipe cleaners. Imagine how many pipes, razors, brushes, etc. got tossed out over the years. My Dad had a little pipe rack carousel with a number of them in it - long ago tossed out even though he has a bit of Fred Sanford in him.

Great Shave Pete, good set up as well

Thank you Dave! I will have to get some Lane 1Q to try with the new pipe!!

 

[ciderguy]

Hey Nick! I picked one up at Walgreens yesterday along with a pouch of Captain Black white. I have had two bowls of it already - last night on an errand and this morning on the way to work. I liked stronger cigars, so I think this CB white is a little light, but may go online and buy some stronger stuff from Pipes & Cigars or some other site. I used to buy a lot from Cigars International/Cigarbid.com I should see if they have pipe tobacco at good prices too.

There are some blends that have cigar leaf in them. I've never tried them, but if you enjoy cigars they could be worth looking into. I was always picky about Cigars. I smoked Padron Maduro (the regular Padron line) almost exclusively. In pipe tobacco, I tended mostly towards Carter Hall, straight VAs (like McClelland - No. 5100 Red Cake), and VA heavy blends with a bit of Oriental leaf in them for seasoning. You have to be careful with VAs. They only taste best if smoked slowly the link will describe the basics of the best technique I know of with them. I was never one for the most of the flavored stuff.

 

[cmh737]

....Interesting. Do you get irritation from it, as I have had a few shaves like yesterday where my face was a bit irritated. I am wondering if it is the soap contributing to the irritation....

Yepper. It burned bad enough that I didn't even finish the first pass. I couldn't rinse it off fast enough.

 

[labrax]

Shave 323 - straight shave #292

Razor - Weck Sextoblade
Blade - Fromm hair shaper (2)
Brush - Custom brown horsehair 24/52
Soap - WSP Formula T Barbershop
Aftershave - Family Dollar Brut
EdT - Belcam's Classic Match Drakkar Noir - 5 Vasilys

Some good news on the minor medical issue front - youngest is out of her boot and should be fine if she takes it easy for another week. I also got back some news that the histology reports from the colonoscopy confirmed pre-cancerous polyps - so good that I got it a few years early and they were removed. If you have a family history of colon cancer or other medical issues (e.g., prostate) - get a referral and get it checked out.

Well today was just a 2 pass shave with the Weck Sextoblade with the Fromm blade on its second go round. The grade of the shave is a C today - I needed that third pass as there is stubble ATG on right and left jawline. I removed the stuff on the right jawline with the Black Hawk with just water on the razor - not a smart move on a dry face - note for next time. I missed finding the stuff on the corner of my jaw and did not notice it until I got to work.

The WSP performed and the brown horsehair did its job. The star of the shave is the Family Dollar Brut aftershave splash. I am still catching whiffs of it 4+ hours later. The Classic Match Drakkar Noir has settled down nicely from a big presence when you spray it on and it going well also 4+ hours later.

I think I may have some sensitivity to the La Toja soap, which is a bummer. Chris [MENTION=82524]cmh737[/MENTION] gets lit up from it and I think my face may be sensitive to it too - as yesterday's shave was not the first time that I thought there might have been some irritation post-shave. It is a shame as it is a great performing soap. I will try it when the weather is less drying to the skin and see if that helps.

Have a good day everyone. Thank you for reading - I am going to have to catch up on a lot of the other journals as I have been a bit busy at work and with some stuff at home

 

[labrax]

Just a note from your Frugal Fragrance Guy.

I was in Walmart last night and they had a bunch of the fragrance gift sets - one that was interesting and worthwhile for a casual cheap fragrance is a 3 pack of Designer Imposters EdT's - all 2.5 ounces. The one I picked up had clones of Aqua d'Gio, Armani Code Black and Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce. The AdG is more of a light summertime scent that is very common. The Armani Code Black clone is why I got it, as I like the scent of the real deal, the Belcam clone - and this clone. The A&F Fierce is really for a younger person than myself, but it actually dried down into something that was not too bad, but it really is not my style. Designer Imposters is one that I have had in their clone of Mount Blanc Legend already and the longevity was good with that one. The Armani Code Black can still be sniffed off the back of my hand from last night, a shower and some hand washing - so pretty good ability to stick around and it smells good!!!

We were just over at Kmart to pick up office Christmas decorations and they had a number of clone gift sets, but I passed as I have enough clones to last a while and need to save up the pennies to buy some real Terres d'Hermes EdP and maybe Guerlain HR EdP or EdT. Just thought I would let anyone know that has a rabbit pothole for fragrances rather than the true rabbit hole.

 

[cvargo]

Nice shave today. And sounds like your daughter is recovering nicely. Glad to hear they got those polyps early. My dad when getting colonoscopy a few months back they removed 2 pre-cancerous. Thankful for the technology we have to catch and remove these things before they turn deadly.

 

[cmh737]

Good read, Pete. Bummer about the La Toja, for sure.

Thanks for the frag updates. And I didn't know that Kmart was even still around.

 

[Dagwoodz]

Nice write up Pete...glad they were able to get the pre-cancerous polyps out when they did. Good job getting checked early. Good to hear the little one is out of the boot finally...

 

[Guestabc]

Thank you Dave! I will have to get some Lane 1Q to try with the new pipe!!

It is wonderful Stuff

 

[CBLindsay]

Good to hear the positive news on the medical front. I trust SWMBO is also doing well?
I wanted to like pipes (I don't dislike them, just not all that into them) but it didn't happen. I sold my briar a month or so ago so it wouldn't just be sitting around. I like a cigar now and then, usually a long lunch type of thing. Maybe I'll make sure you and Chad have one on hand to celebrate his babies birthday next year.

Your package has not yet arrived, looks like tomorrow or Friday before I will get a chance to smell as good as the east coast fragrance master.

You've had a few short shaves that have left you disappointed, maybe this weekend you'll be able to give yourself a nice long time to enjoy the shave.

 

[Guestabc]

Good Stuff Pete

 

[macdad]

I am glad you were able to catch the polyps early. It is a good reminder for me. I am not quite of age yet, per insurance standards. However, my dad had prostate cancer, so I am thinking some early checks would be worthwhile. Tell your daughter to take it easy for the next week. I know it is hard for an active child to just sit still!

 

[labrax]

There are some blends that have cigar leaf in them. I've never tried them, but if you enjoy cigars they could be worth looking into. I was always picky about Cigars. I smoked Padron Maduro (the regular Padron line) almost exclusively. In pipe tobacco, I tended mostly towards Carter Hall, straight VAs (like McClelland - No. 5100 Red Cake), and VA heavy blends with a bit of Oriental leaf in them for seasoning. You have to be careful with VAs. They only taste best if smoked slowly the link will describe the basics of the best technique I know of with them. I was never one for the most of the flavored stuff.

Thanks for the link to the article Nick and the comments. I was looking at some blends with some Dominican cigar leaf in there yesterday and almost bought a tin of Lane Andullo, but did not get that one. I went last night and purchased 8oz of pipe tobacco from P&C - mostly English blends of different strengths - Peter Stokkebye 17 English Luxury and 52 Proper English and Lane Crown Achievement and Lane 1-Q to give a few different tobacco blends a try. The Captain Black Regular (White) is not that flavorfull, so was hoping to step it up a bit in the strength and flavor. I may hate it, but figured these might be safe choices to start out with.

Yepper. It burned bad enough that I didn't even finish the first pass. I couldn't rinse it off fast enough.

Hi Chris - yes, that is unfortunate. It is just a barely perceptible tingle when on, but it is post shave where it seems to be a little irritating.

Nice shave today. And sounds like your daughter is recovering nicely. Glad to hear they got those polyps early. My dad when getting colonoscopy a few months back they removed 2 pre-cancerous. Thankful for the technology we have to catch and remove these things before they turn deadly.

Thanks Chad! Glad your Dad got his taken care of. That means you likely will want to have them starting in mid-thirties just to check things out. In the grand scheme of things it is not fun to do the prep for it, but it is not a big deal and the benefits far outweigh the prep issues.

Good read, Pete. Bummer about the La Toja, for sure.
Thanks for the frag updates. And I didn't know that Kmart was even still around.

Yup, I think Sears bought them out and closed a number of locations, but kept some of them open. Walmart and Target have crushed the rest of the general retail store market for sure. There used to be a number of competitors here in the NE, but they have all gone away. It was nice to have a bit of variety. With the uptick of online shopping - the brick and mortar stores will continue to decline, or at least the variety of what they stock will - with only items that move quickly stocked in the physical stores (like Staples).

Nice write up Pete...glad they were able to get the pre-cancerous polyps out when they did. Good job getting checked early. Good to hear the little one is out of the boot finally...

Thanks Josh! Yup, she is now wearing both of her sneakers and boots. She will be itching to play basketball this Saturday.

Good to hear the positive news on the medical front. I trust SWMBO is also doing well?
I wanted to like pipes (I don't dislike them, just not all that into them) but it didn't happen. I sold my briar a month or so ago so it wouldn't just be sitting around. I like a cigar now and then, usually a long lunch type of thing. Maybe I'll make sure you and Chad have one on hand to celebrate his babies birthday next year.

Your package has not yet arrived, looks like tomorrow or Friday before I will get a chance to smell as good as the east coast fragrance master.

You've had a few short shaves that have left you disappointed, maybe this weekend you'll be able to give yourself a nice long time to enjoy the shave.

Hey there - welcome back Capt Stubbing (Love Boat reference for Chad). Thanks for the words! The wife will hopefully hear soon on her biopsy results, but I hope it is good. I definitely used to enjoy the cigars and had a coolerdor and number of smaller humidors filled with tasty cigar treats. I turned that vice and time on Cigarbid to chasing razors on ebay....lol! I'll give this a try and see how it goes. I came out to the living room the other day with a number of sample sprays of EdT on me and the pipe. After questioning me about the pipe and having my 7 year old do her best mini-wife impression about the dangers of smoking - my wife asked me what was next, first it was the razors, then the straights, then the colognes and aftershaves, now cigars - she asked when I was going to start wearing an ascot and if I was going to ask for a smoking jacket and some Hugh Hefner pajamas. When I told her that those might be nice to have - she told me to go back to the back room.

Nicely done Pete, I'll be pulling out my new WSP Barbershop for tomorrow's shave! Congratulations on your daughter getting out of her boot, I hope you can keep her from over stressing the foot as active as she seems to be. The polyp wars stared for me some time ago and while it may not be a fun procedure, it is lifesaving. Enjoy your health!

Thank you for the comments Dan! Glad that you have been winning those polyp wars and continue to do so! I will be popping on over and reading your journal to see how you like the WSP barbershop.

Good Stuff Pete

Thank you Dave!

I am glad you were able to catch the polyps early. It is a good reminder for me. I am not quite of age yet, per insurance standards. However, my dad had prostate cancer, so I am thinking some early checks would be worthwhile. Tell your daughter to take it easy for the next week. I know it is hard for an active child to just sit still!

Your Doctor may very well deem them worthwhile checks and give you a recommendation to go if you speak to him/her about itand your insurance may cover them - worth it to check. I was really trying to sneak in the colonoscopy this year as we long ago went passed the deductible level.

 

[labrax]

Shave 324 - straight shave #292

Razor - Ikon Slant X3 head
Blade - Gillette Nacet (1)
Brush - Semogue 1470
Soap - Tabac
Aftershave - Aqua Velva Ice Sport
EdT - Belcam's Electric Blue

Well I received a very nice gift of a Ikon X3 slant razor head and Maggard MR5 handle. The aluminum head with the 82Gram handle felt very very nice. The head is very well finished and it looks good mounted on the handle. The blade was a brand new Gillette Nacet blade, which is nice and sharp and it fit in the head nicely - as the ends of the blade are not exposed, so no fear of getting bit. Thank you Josh [MENTION=111038]Dagwoodz[/MENTION] for the razor - you made my day!

I used the Tabac today, something that I have not used since Tabactober, but wanted to test out the razor with a soap that will perform without question and the Tabac is just that soap. The little Semogue worked OK today, but I was a little thin on the third pass. Probably could have loaded a bit longer.

I did three passes in the end and was rewarded with a BBS shave. The angle that you use with the razor does matter and I think the razor performs better with the razor cap touching the face a little more than some of my other razors. I did get a touchdown mark on the lower left neck when I touched down pretty heavily before starting the stroke S2N - a crimson mark is the result. That red mark was my fault and no fault of the razor. The shape of the handle surprised me - if I was selecting a handle - this was one that I previously would not have chosen, but it fits so darn good in my hand that it just feels right. The scalloped out areas are where my index finger and thumb goes and they rest up against the upper knurled area. My handhold feels very secure.

I did a number of pumps of the Electric Blue today, which is Belcam's version of Bleu de Chanel. The stuff smells good - I get citrus after spraying and then a smokey pleasant fruity scent. It does not last too long though - this one was pretty much gone 5 hours later, which is too bad. I would have went a little heavier, but I had a physical at the doctor's office today, so did not want to overdue it that early in the morning. Did not know what to pair it with for an AS - so went with a splash of the Aqua Velva Ice Sport.

Have a good day everyone!