My Search For Smooth

[TinyT]

Would adding the pre-shave also increase water requirements? Even though it doesn’t really lather on its own, most of its ingredients are soap ingredients.

Could be. I've always enjoyed using it in the past. The dodgy shave the other day had me thinking it got in the way somehow. Maybe it does but the generally poor lather and Gillette Platinum didn't help. If i'd used the now binned Rapira Swedish Supersteel and lathered with my normal Wardaddy method I might be sitting here praising Proraso preshave to the hilt. It will all be resolved in time.

 

[thombrogan]

I hear there’s going to be a Saturday this week. No better day of the week to do things with the name “War Daddy” than Saturday.

 

[TinyT]

I hear there’s going to be a Saturday this week. No better day of the week to do things with the name “War Daddy” than Saturday.

 

[Rosseforp]

Could be. I've always enjoyed using it in the past. The dodgy shave the other day had me thinking it got in the way somehow. Maybe it does but the generally poor lather and Gillette Platinum didn't help. If i'd used the now binned Rapira Swedish Supersteel and lathered with my normal Wardaddy method I might be sitting here praising Proraso preshave to the hilt. It will all be resolved in time.

This has me wondering if I had used the Gillette Platinum with my Super Speeds instead of the Gillette Yellow I would have been giving them the same accolades as I have been giving my Slim.

Blades are so fickle. You and I like GSB, Mike hates them. You and Mike like Derby, I hate them. The Gillette Yellow I tried was fantastic only the 1st shave.
The Gillette Platinum(9) is going back in the Slim for my next shave, as it was stellar last night after I binned the Yellow halfway through the shave.
If the Gillette Platinum is as smooth as the last time it was in my Slim, the Red Tip might get another shot, I just dug it out of the garage.
Then I want to give another Yellow a try to see if it was just one duffer in the tuck.

Gillette Platinum (5)

I did a Fixed Four with my GC84-P and a Super-Max Blue Diamond.

 

[TinyT]

This has me wondering if I had used the Gillette Platinum with my Super Speeds instead of the Gillette Yellow I would have been giving them the same accolades as I have been giving my Slim.

Blades are so fickle. You and I like GSB, Mike hates them. You and Mike like Derby, I hate them. The Gillette Yellow I tried was fantastic only the 1st shave.
The Gillette Platinum(9) is going back in the Slim for my next shave, as it was stellar last night after I binned the Yellow halfway through the shave.
If the Gillette Platinum is as smooth as the last time it was in my Slim, the Red Tip might get another shot, I just dug it out of the garage.
Then I want to give another Yellow a try to see if it was just one duffer in the tuck.

Totally agree. I think the blade has the most impact on a shave, more than soap or the razor even. Finding the right blade for your best razor(s) is the main thing. The soap fine tunes it. The brush, the icing on the cake. My first few shaves with a Shark Super Stainless in a 34C were atrocious. First shave with a Gillette 7 O'Clock Green in the same razor and I joined B&B to tell everyone about it.

 

[Tirvine]

This thread title caught my attention and today's post on what I used today bears repeating here. It was an incredibly smooth shave at every step...hot water, ten second lather of MdC Fougere with a Kent BK4, three passes with a Crystal in a Feather AS-D2, shower, and 4711 cologne as aftershave. After the first shave I think Crystals are just amazing.

 

[TinyT]

After the first shave I think Crystals are just amazing.

That's when you know you've found a blade that's right for your skin, hair and shaving style. Many of my favourite blades, I've known from the first stroke. Occasionally it's fun to see of things can be 'made' to work, to test technique or even just for fun.

 

[Tirvine]

That's when you know you've found a blade that's right for your skin, hair and shaving style. Many of my favourite blades, I've known from the first stroke. Occasionally it's fun to see of things can be 'made' to work, to test technique or even just for fun.

Crystals and PIRs are ok for me on shave number one, but they sharpen up, smooth out, and really shine on number two and thereafter.

 

[TinyT]

RR Lupo
Omega 10051
Proraso Green
Rapira Super Stainless (3)

2 passes, WTG

Another shave, another blade fail. I took a leaf out of Jim's book tonight and spent a few extra minutes face lathering. Very enjoyable it was too. Sadly, that was as good as it got.

First pass was less than smooth to start with, then tuggy under the lower lip, then tuggy for the rest of the pass. Scratchy feeling as well. Second pass was better but tugged again under my lower lip, a big no no for me. There'll be no second chances for this blade. I rinsed off and didn't bother with a clean-up. I've still got half a dozen ingrowns kindly given to me by the Gillette Platinum from the shave before. "Thanks a lot, Gillette Platinum." "Why, you're welcome my good man." At least it was polite about it, heh.

Amazingly my skin's not too bad post shave and apart from a few areas on my neck, no redness and just mild irritation. Steadily increasing as I finish this sentence. Bah. Not even a DFS either.

 

[thombrogan]

Rough stuff, Wes.

I was looking back and you’ve had a lot of success with a Permasharp in your Gentilé. Is that something you could entertain or are you so close to mastering nigh-BBS with a Lupo and WTG-only passes it would be unforgivable to change course?

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

RR Lupo
Omega 10051
Proraso Green
Rapira Super Stainless (3)

2 passes, WTG

Another shave, another blade fail. I took a leaf out of Jim's book tonight and spent a few extra minutes face lathering. Very enjoyable it was too. Sadly, that was as good as it got.

First pass was less than smooth to start with, then tuggy under the lower lip, then tuggy for the rest of the pass. Scratchy feeling as well. Second pass was better but tugged again under my lower lip, a big no no for me. There'll be no second chances for this blade. I rinsed off and didn't bother with a clean-up. I've still got half a dozen ingrowns kindly given to me by the Gillette Platinum from the shave before. "Thanks a lot, Gillette Platinum." "Why, you're welcome my good man." At least it was polite about it, heh.

Amazingly my skin's not too bad post shave and apart from a few areas on my neck, no redness and just mild irritation. Steadily increasing as I finish this sentence. Bah. Not even a DFS either.

At least the face lathering was great. Can't take that away from the experience.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[TinyT]

Rough stuff, Wes.

I was looking back and you’ve had a lot of success with a Permasharp in your Gentilé. Is that something you could entertain or are you so close to mastering nigh-BBS with a Lupo and WTG-only passes it would be unforgivable to change course?

It's never unforgivable to change course in my book. Actually, the Lupo WTG BBS has already been slightly sidetracked. I'm eliminating the blades I thought I might like but over the long haul maybe not so much. So far Perma-Sharp, Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow and Rapira Swedish Supersteel are alll nailed on. The next 5 blades will be: Feather; Voskhod; Personna Lab Blue; Super-Max Super Stainless; and Rapira Platinum Lux. I'm prepared for each one to give me a bad shave but remain hopeful of a pleasant surprise. After that it should all be gravy.

 

[TinyT]

At least the face lathering was great. Can't take that away from the experience.

Absolutely. And I can't say I didn't give the blade every chance of performing well, something that mightn't've been the case in the past.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Wes, have you tried either the Polsilver SI or the Wizamet SI? They are the same blade, Wizamet and Polsilver.

When I first tried a Polsilver I was done with all the others. It was clearly in a league of its own. Now, obviously I'm not saying that should be anyone else's experience or choice or conclusiom, but a lot of guys think the Polsilver is the bee's knees of blades, for a reason. The Polsilver curtailed my search for the perfect blade.

Polsilvers have become nearly extinct but Wizamet blades are available and not too expensive. I have a huge number, thousands, of other DE blades but doubt I'll ever use any of them.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[TinyT]

Wes, have you tried either the Polsilver SI or the Wizamet SI? They are the same blade, Wizamet and Polsilver.

I have and I found it to be so so. Possibly good enough to try a tuck and see how they go for a run of shaves, until I saw the price and how difficult they were to get hold of, that was. Plenty more fish in the sea, I thought and didn't love it at first stroke anyhow.

Since the Wizamet is the same blade in different dress I might give it another shot but I expect there to be at least half a dozen blades ahead of it for me.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have and I found it to be so so. Possibly good enough to try a tuck and see how they go for a run of shaves, until I saw the price and how difficult they were to get hold of, that was. Plenty more fish in the sea, I thought and didn't love it at first stroke anyhow.

Since the Wizamet is the same blade in different dress I might give it another shot but I expect there to be at least half a dozen blades ahead of it for me.

Fair enough.

Other blades I liked pretty well include the 7 O'Clock Russian Greens and the Blue Diamond. I have a good many blades I've yet to try even once, some of which I've heard great things about. As the say, blades are very individual!

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[TinyT]

As the say, blades are very individual!

They are! This is an area where YMMV surely does apply. It's kind of a mystery. Logically speaking, sharper should always be better and a sharper blade should always do a better job of cutting hair. After all, human hair is all more or less the same, if we was to compare for example, say, my hair and the hair of a completely different species of animal. And if a blade is capable of cutting the hardest of human hair effectively it should be able to cope with the softest of human hair in at least as competent a manner. But it just doesn't work that way. I understand the arguments for subjectivity but logically speaking, sharper should always be sharper. Yet it isn't.

 

[TinyT]

Just dug out my Polsilver and added it to the pile.

 

[TinyT]

RR Lupo
Omega 10051
La Toja - grated
Feather (4)

2 passes, WTG

A better blade, a better shave. My skin was still a little bit tender around the top of my neck where I still have two or three ingrown hairs working their way out. First pass I was careful not to go over the same areas multiple times and used little to no pressure. Tugging beneath my lower lip but no where else, this was a better pass. I had to remind myself halfway through to concentrate on following the grain rather than just vertical strokes. Some mild irritation second pass but very smooth, no tugging this time and no issues, not even shaving over and around the ingrowns.

I used warm water at every stage until the cold water splash at the end. Not entirely without irritation but a close shave. My left and right jawlines are borderline BBS, despite the fact that I shaved strictly WTG there, ear to nose but still with skin stretching. A solid DFS overall and a half decent postshave. I really like La Toja, it's a good soap. My skin feels a little tight and a touch dry but there's no redness other than the few places where I have the ingrowns. I put a little Sudocrem on them right after the shave.

 

[thombrogan]

The Escape From Scraped-Face City! Congratulations!