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Phoenixkh: An Old Man's Continuum....

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
I'm trying to get back into the exercise routine I'd established before we left for Bali. I was using our Concept2 rower every day for a 5K meter row. I did 3K meters the other day and today, I decided to try for 5K. I set the little monitor for 5K meters at a pace of 3 minutes per 500 meters, put on the second CD of Bob Dylan's Springtime in NY album. We did a Lot of walking in Bali but I didn't do any upper body workouts and that's what I've noticed on both rows: my arms and shoulders need work. Did I make it to 5K meters? I'm sorry to say... "no"... but I did get 3500K finished. I think I set my goals a bit too high.

I only put that in to say... I was tired but decided to shave after my shower. This was the second shave with my Blutt BR-1 .86. I wasn't wrong in my previous post. I really like this razor. I'm continuing to develop my technique, following @Cal 's advice as I understand it... lots of short strokes with the razor staying on the face. I'm making progress in that regard, I think. Two passes: WTG and ATG with a bit of extra buffing on the sides of my chin and the chin itself as is my usual custom.

In any event, it was a wonderful shave, even though I was a bit bushed. I'm sitting here, recovering... arms tired, back a bit sore but my face feels marvelous. <eg>

Pre-shave prep: Tube 2.0 (I forgot to apply the Cube 2.0 in the shower....oooops)
Bowl: Stef Baxter lipped bowl in blue
Brush: SV 2.0 Manchurian... I can't say enough good things about the SV brushes I own. For me, the perfect face feel.
Soap: Acca Kappa Barbershop croap. One of my regular rotation soaps. Luxurious lather. Just wonderful
Razor: Blutt BR-1 .86
Blade: King C. Gillette
Post shave: Metro Gel, Hyaluronic Acid, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream

As I've mentioned, I wasn't totally sure my venture into DE razor shaving was going to be successful because I enjoy the Claymore Evolution so much. You know about my 5 shaves with my British Flat Bottom Tech. I like it a lot but I wasn't certain it was quite as good as the Claymore Evo. I chalked that up to lack of experience and this might well be the case. I'll be getting back to it soon.

The Blutt BR-1 .86 has convinced me I'm going to get a lot of pleasure from DE shaving. After just two shaves, I can say: it's as good as my Claymore Evo. It has all the things I like about the Claymore Evo: mild yet efficient, smooth, easy to use because it's so intuitive for me, etc. Perhaps most of all... it is fun to use. I'll probably give it another 3 shaves at least, then I'll try the 1.20 bottom plate and see if that step up in efficiency is something I enjoy or if it's too much for me. I don't know exactly what to expect. I guess that's part of the suspense when you get a new razor.
 
I'm sorry to say... "no"... but I did get 3500K finished. I think I set my goals a bit too high.
Sorry is unnecessary Kim. You did amazing to get 3.5k and it’s like Victor Frankl said: if you aim higher you eventually get where you want to go. Aim lower and you get less than you wanted. You gave it your best shot and got a great workout.
lots of short strokes with the razor staying on the face.
Kindred souls here - I am entertaining the same technique at the moment following a number of videos by @sugardaddy. It supposedly also helps with blade longevity. I think actually I have always used short strokes.
I guess that's part of the suspense when you get a new razor.
I feel a rabbit hole coming!

Enjoy!

Guido
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
3.75km or more tomorrow?
I'm going to try to take it to 4K tomorrow, it's only 3 extra minutes, but I am adding a bike ride in the mornings starting tomorrow, so we'll see. I've lost 60 pounds since I last rode my bike. It might feel odd not hauling that extra weight around. I mean, I would think it would be but biking takes a whole different set of muscles, if you will, from rowing, so it should prove interesting.
 

rockviper

I got moves like Jagger
.....

Off to twirl poi-pois. Don’t worry — they’re plastic, not fire
1664582900776.png
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
Today was a nice day. I got my biking up to 4 miles today.... Got to 4K meters on my row in close to my personal record time per 500 meters. It was nice... Decent cool down, then off to the shower to prep for my shave.

The Blutt BR-1 continues to impress me. Third use of the KCG blade. I decided I'd ditch it after today's shave. It wasn't pulling but I figured, I'll worry about blade longevity as time goes on. After cleaning and drying the Blutt, I installed a 7 o'clock black blade. First time I've used one.... you'll be reading that a lot since I have such limited experience with DE blade types.

Pre-shave routine was the same as usual. I did use Baume.be cream today but other than that, everything was the same. I've been using a three soap/cream/croap rotation: Baume.be, Acca Kappa Barbershop and Canada Shaving soap. I think I'll add the PAA Scentsless soap next shave.

Two slight mishaps. I needed a bathroom break but decided to shave anyway. I told myself.... go slow... you'll be fine but you might know how that goes... or perhaps your levels of concentration exceed mine.. in any event, I was transitioning from shaving the sides of my face and neck to the area below my bottom lip (soul patch? is that what it's called?) and sure enough, I nicked my actual lip... not at the bottom... but the lip itself. I haven't done that since I was a teen, I don't think. A drop or two of liquid styptic and it was fine... no blood residue even after clean up, thankfully.

Now for the even stupider mishap: the 7 o'clock blades have those annoying little wax dots on them. I doubt it's necessary but I clean them off. I went into the WC to get a square of toilet paper. Now, I knew I had the razor blade in my left hand and I knew I was going to grab a square of toilet paper with my right... but the TP wasn't cooperating and I couldn't seem to find the end. I used my left hand to give me some assistance... that's right... I nicked my thumb.... this time, the liquid styptic didn't get the job done completely. It isn't a deep or wide cut... about 1/4" long. A butterfly bandage stopped the bleeding cold.

Here endeth today's confessional. Still, a great shave...... and some great exercise. I'll be back to pre Bali rows on the Rower in a couple days... and the bike ride sure felt easier after losing 60 pounds. I still think I'll end up losing another 20 to 25 pounds more before I feel like that job is complete. We'll see.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
Thx, Eric.

Almost all better now... my lip won't be a problem since it's not in the shaving area. For that, I'm grateful. My thumb is going to take a while but it isn't bothering me. I took off the butterfly bandage last night... I'll have a little scar there to go along with all the other scars I got from working with laminates during my carpentry years.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Thx, Eric.

Almost all better now... my lip won't be a problem since it's not in the shaving area. For that, I'm grateful. My thumb is going to take a while but it isn't bothering me. I took off the butterfly bandage last night... I'll have a little scar there to go along with all the other scars I got from working with laminates during my carpentry years.
I re-arraigned my fingerprints a few times working with sheet metal in my younger days.

~doug~
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
I re-arraigned my fingerprints a few times working with sheet metal in my younger days.

~doug~
We did tons of custom laminate work... like lining walk-in closets.... custom countertops and a whole host of other odd applications. I used a Stanley 118 low angle block plane to shape the pieces more times than I can count... a slip and you'd end up with a nice scar after it healed.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
View attachment 1534260
This was my Dad's, he was pretty good with wood. It's not a Stanley, but it does say Made in the USA.

~doug~
The nickname for the Stanley 118 is "Boy Proof"... it isn't cast iron.... it's some sort of steel that can't break if you drop it. I think they are the best block plane ever made... they fit into your hand perfectly and the low angle works great on all woods, esp. hard woods.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
OK.... I got my ATT X1 AC Slant single edge razor on Wednesday. I used it not long after it showed up. I used it again today to make sure the first shave wasn't a fluke.

So... how was it? Brilliant. I don't use that word lightly. The first thing I noticed was the blade feel. It's significantly more than my Claymore Evo. I was hoping that wasn't a problem after the first stroke. It turns out.... there was never any danger from it. It just shaved wonderfully.

To keep the comparison with the Claymore Evo consistent, I went back to Canada Shaving Soap. My first shave I used the PAA Scentsless for the first time. I didn't really care for it all that much. I've been comparing notes with some guys on the PAA thread. There may be some manufacturing lot differences. I'll be experimenting with it later... but decided the Canada Shaving Soap would be more appropriate.

Same brush.. one of my SV 2.0 Manchurian brushes.. this one had the Faux Turtle handle... golden crown. All three of them are now as good as the one I bought used from @SgtCrppls. It has a Bog Oak handle.

I'm still using the PAA Cube 2.0 in the shower and the Tube 2.0 as a pre-shave. They seem to work well, but I'm about to go back to the Baume.be Pre-Shave as well as the Grooming Dept. Pre-Shave just for something different. They both worked perfectly in the past.

Post shave is the same: the prescription Metro Gel, Hyaluronic Acid and Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream. It's 8:30PM here and I shaved around 6PM or so. My face is as smooth as any shaves I've had since Feb. 18th.

Is the ATT X1 better than any of my other razors? I don't think so. I'm fortunate. I'm getting amazing shaves with all the razors I have. It is equal to my Claymore Evo and that's been my standard since I started wet shaving. The head isn't quite as thin as the Claymore but it gets to all the nooks and crannies effortlessly. I did try the OEM handle today... I still prefer the Timeless Ti Crown handle.... It improves the balance for me... tilting the balance toward the head.

I couldn't be more pleased. I'm always a bit nervous when trying out a new razor as I've mentioned. I was a bit anxious when i used the Blutt BR-1 for the first time as well.. as I noted earlier.

The next venture on the horizon is the Overland I bought used on BST here. I had Chris Spencer plate it in 24K hardened God for me... Back Roads Gold does such excellent work. It's a thing of beauty now.... I thought about using it today because USPS delivered it today. But I decided the X1 should get a second run while the iron was hot. So... Sunday I'll try the Overlander for the first time. I do have high hopes for it based on the experience of seasoned regs here.

Edit: I forgot to mention I'm using my favorite AV blade in the Claymore Evo: the Kai Captain Protouch MG guarded. I have all the AC blades but one: the Pro Proshave S.
 
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OK.... I got my ATT X1 AC Slant single edge razor on Wednesday. I used it not long after it showed up. I used it again today to make sure the first shave wasn't a fluke.

So... how was it? Brilliant. I don't use that word lightly. The first thing I noticed was the blade feel. It's significantly more than my Claymore Evo. I was hoping that wasn't a problem after the first stroke. It turns out.... there was never any danger from it. It just shaved wonderfully.

To keep the comparison with the Claymore Evo consistent, I went back to Canada Shaving Soap. My first shave I used the PAA Scentsless for the first time. I didn't really care for it all that much. I've been comparing notes with some guys on the PAA thread. There may be some manufacturing lot differences. I'll be experimenting with it later... but decided the Canada Shaving Soap would be more appropriate.

Same brush.. one of my SV 2.0 Manchurian brushes.. this one had the Faux Turtle handle... golden crown. All three of them are now as good as the one I bought used from @SgtCrppls. It has a Bog Oak handle.

I'm still using the PAA Cube 2.0 in the shower and the Tube 2.0 as a pre-shave. They seem to work well, but I'm about to go back to the Baume.be Pre-Shave as well as the Grooming Dept. Pre-Shave just for something different. They both worked perfectly in the past.

Post shave is the same: the prescription Metro Gel, Hyaluronic Acid and Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream. It's 8:30PM here and I shaved around 6PM or so. My face is as smooth as any shaves I've had since Feb. 18th.

Is the ATT X1 better than any of my other razors? I don't think so. I'm fortunate. I'm getting amazing shaves with all the razors I have. It is equal to my Claymore Evo and that's been my standard since I started wet shaving. The head isn't quite as thin as the Claymore but it gets to all the nooks and crannies effortlessly. I did try the OEM handle today... I still prefer the Timeless Ti Crown handle.... It improves the balance for me... tilting the balance toward the head.

I couldn't be more pleased. I'm always a bit nervous when trying out a new razor as I've mentioned. I was a bit anxious when i used the Blutt BR-1 for the first time as well.. as I noted earlier.

The next venture on the horizon is the Overland I bought used on BST here. I had Chris Spencer plate it in 24K hardened God for me... Back Roads Gold does such excellent work. It's a thing of beauty now.... I thought about using it today because USPS delivered it today. But I decided the X1 should get a second run while the iron was hot. So... Sunday I'll try the Overlander for the first time. I do have high hopes for it based on the experience of seasoned regs here.

Edit: I forgot to mention I'm using my favorite AV blade in the Claymore Evo: the Kai Captain Protouch MG guarded. I have all the AC blades but one: the Pro Proshave S.
nicely shared Kim. Glad the ATT worked out. As for the Karve - you are going to leave me hanging here without pictures?? Especially now that Chris did his magic!

Enjoy!

Guido
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
OK... first of all, an apology for my lack of photos. I should just take some on top of our teak root table like usual but I got the light box and haven't even taken it out of the box yet. I will get that done soon. Things have been slightly hectic around here but we're getting back into a nice groove now. So.... photos to follow.

Yesterday was my regular every-other-day-shave but I didn't get to it until this morning. A challenge for the ATT X-1? I have no issues with even 4 or 5 days with my Claymore Evolution. I was expecting no less from the X1... and it delivered. Lovely shave.

Pre-shave: Phoenix Cube and Tube 2.0.... shower and before lathering
Brush: I'm still rotating my 3 new SV 2.0 Manchurian brushes.... they continue to make hmmmmmm micro improvements every time I use them. They are not quite to the level of the pretty well broken in Bog Oak handle I bought from @SgtCrppls /Doug, but are approaching it.
Bowl: Timeless blue bowl. This bowl works very well. I bought it for travel but I've been using it at home. Why? Well, I bought another Captain's Choice lathering bowl.... my third but only one I planned to use as a shaving bowl. I saw @SgtCrppls /Doug's CC bowl that he polished with Flitz. It's gorgeous. I ended up using Flitz and Simichrome several times. Lots of hand polishing with microfiber cloths. The problem? It's so beautiful.... I don't want to tarnish it setting it in hot water in our other sink to keep the lather warm between passes. It's setting next to me on the end table next to the sofa and my chair.
Razor: Above the Tie X1 AC SE Slant razor. What a treat to use. I don't exactly know how it works... how the slant is designed. I've looked at it several times and I haven't quite figured out how they are getting the slant... but the blade is definitely slanted. At this point, I'm just enjoying its use....
Blade: Kai Captain Protouch MG guarded
Post Shave: Metro Gel, Hyaluronic Acid, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream.

I was in a bit of a rush this morning. I had a late morning doctor appointment. I've mentioned it before but I fell off my mountain bike in January because I was adjusting my rear view mirror as I left our driveway and was at an angle.. hit the angled curb at the of our driveway... the front tire slipped and down I went.. at 1 MPH or something. I landed on my right shoulder and it's been refusing to heal. This was the second appointment, really just to get the PT set up and running.

I got up in plenty of time, I thought. But for some reason, our Cuisinart Coffee Maker malfunctioned. It's never done that before but it wasn't draining properly. Coffee grounds all over the inside of it. By the time I had it all clean and another pot of coffee brewed, I was a little pressed for time. I told myself: OK... you have enough time. Don't rush your shave. Relax and enjoy it. For the most part, I listened to myself. The X1 performed flawlessly even with a bit more scruff on my face. This shave lasted for 10 hours before I could feel any whiskers.... so not quite as close as my first two shaves. I remember saying to myself: this is way beyond good enough for the doctor. <eg>

I'm going to have to force myself to get busy and shave with a few of the other razors I recently purchased. The X1 is making that difficult: it's so fun and relaxing to use. But I want to try the Overlander and the Blutt BR-1 with the 1.20 base plate. Not to mention the Gillette Vintage NEW Raised Flat Bottom, the RazoRock Lupo 95OC/72SB and the Pearl Flexi. Whew....

Oooops. I just checked my razor list and I forgot the Gillette Vintage British Rocket HD 500 and the PAA Filament Open Comb Slant. I now have a total of 10, all purchased since July 27, 2022.

I don't have any other razors on my "must have" list.... I don't even have a such a list at the moment, but I know better than to pretend something won't catch my attention. So, no promises or commitments but I sort of hope I don't buy any more razors this calendar year. <eg> I do plan to buy a couple handles from @Rosseforp when he gets back up and running. At @Cal 's suggestion, I will play around with the PAA Filament handle on my Vintage Gillettes to see if I like a very light handle for those razors.

If you are still reading this long post... thx. I don't really know much about online journals. I tend to ramble on .... and ummmm on. <eg>
 
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