Rookie's journey

[Onimaho]

Preshave proraso white
Soap niveau protect
Post shave Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r41 with tatara blade (2nd use)
Two passes
Result solid dfs+ with one minor weeper right of the chin. No discomfort.

Pleasant shave with the R41. Which does peev me a bit. I wished I could convincingly say I prefer milder or aggressive. But I don't think I could do that. Which makes coming black Friday rather difficult for me as I'm planning on splurging on a razor (tatara) but I'm not sure whether to take the mild or aggressive one.
Nivea soap is a bit of an odd one. The sickness is probably better than cella and TOBS but the hydration is very sensitive. Too little and it is an airy foam. Too much and it dissolves (fast!). Considering my bowl broke I will use this during the time I'm waiting for my new one to arrive. I will try to master this particular soap as it my most picky soap.

 

[Onimaho]

Preshave proraso white
Soap niveau protect
Post shave Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r41 with tatara blade (3nd use)
Two passes and clean up
Result solid dfs + near bbs. One tiny weeper right of my lip and general tightness on the skin but I expect that to be gone in half an hour or so.

Terrific shave today. As promised I will shave this week with this soap and razor. The blade will probably be switched out during or after next shave as it is starting to tug. This would make the Mühle blades more durable.

Whenever I use one of my razor I'm always pleased with its characteristics. The R41 is more versatile and just more effective compared to the R89. The R89 is more relaxed.
Though this shave was mighty. After this week I will shave again for a full week with the R89 to see what I will buy during black Friday but I fear I will just keep on loving both of them.

The one thing I really dislike about the R89 is its silent cutting without warning. I'm not sure what is the cause of this. Based on what I read online this could be the blade flexing against the hairs causing them to dig in. I do clearly see that the blade clamping is superior in the R41.

As for the Nivea soap. It had good cushioning and sickness I just wish it was less finicky. I had to reapply lather partway the first pass because it dried out but on the third pass it was already dissolving.

Anyway a wonderful shave with very little post shave feedback and smooth result.

 

[blethenstrom]

Preshave proraso white
Soap niveau protect
Post shave Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r41 with tatara blade (3nd use)
Two passes and clean up
Result solid dfs + near bbs. One tiny weeper right of my lip and general tightness on the skin but I expect that to be gone in half an hour or so.

Terrific shave today. As promised I will shave this week with this soap and razor. The blade will probably be switched out during or after next shave as it is starting to tug. This would make the Mühle blades more durable.

Whenever I use one of my razor I'm always pleased with its characteristics. The R41 is more versatile and just more effective compared to the R89. The R89 is more relaxed.
Though this shave was mighty. After this week I will shave again for a full week with the R89 to see what I will buy during black Friday but I fear I will just keep on loving both of them.

The one thing I really dislike about the R89 is its silent cutting without warning. I'm not sure what is the cause of this. Based on what I read online this could be the blade flexing against the hairs causing them to dig in. I do clearly see that the blade clamping is superior in the R41.

As for the Nivea soap. It had good cushioning and sickness I just wish it was less finicky. I had to reapply lather partway the first pass because it dried out but on the third pass it was already dissolving.

Anyway a wonderful shave with very little post shave feedback and smooth result.

You are really moving along very nicely on your journey. Well done!

 

[Onimaho]

You are really moving along very nicely on your journey. Well done!

Thank you! I'm really happy with my progress and with the help I got from everyone. The difference in lathering was not something I would have discovered on my own!

 

[Onimaho]

Preshave proraso white
Soap niveau protect
Post shave Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r41 with tatara blade (4th use)
Two passes
Result Ccs in the neck ccsdfs on the face.
One cut under the nose and general tightness and tenderness on the face

Should not have used that blade a fourth time. It was spent and me trying to get 'one more shave' backfired on me. Which bums me out as I was really enjoying my shaves with the R41 and now I'm doubting if the general tender feeling is due to blade or technique.

Gonna have to be careful under the nose for a while. Not sure if Sunday I'll be shaving with the R41 using a fresh blade or start the planned r89 week.

Lesson learned. When in doubt, toss the blade. They are cheap and it is not worth it to try squeeze an additional shave out of them.

 

[Onimaho]

Preshave coconut oil
Soap TOBS cedarwood
Post shave Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r41 with Mühle blade (2nd or 3rd use)
Two passes wtg xtg skipping upper lip to allow healing of the cut.
Result solid dfs

I wanted to get in at least one more shave with a tested blade in the R41 just to measure my technique. I wanted to know if I can shave every two days for a week without overly damaging my skin (get razor burn due to piled up damage). Which even with a blade that I will probably not be using again seems to be fine. Now I can compare it with shaving with my r89 next week (I'll be testing the shark super chrome) and see which of the two razors I find more enjoyable. (and probably not have decided anything)

Today I also tried coconut oil Als a preshave. I can't recommend it. It doesn't seem to add anything to the shave. Though I did underhydrate the lather on the first pass so that might also have skewed the test.
All in all enjoyable shave. The Mühle r41 with a Mühle blade is definitely one of my favorites.

 

[Onimaho]

Preshave proraso white
Soap niveau protect
Post shave Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r89 with shark super chrome blade (1)
Three passes skipping the mustache to allow the wound to heal.
Result bbs (minus 2 spots next to my larynx.
No Blood , no feedback

Really enjoyable shave. The blade gave a bad first impression as in the very first pass (first movement) tugged but starting the second touch it went really smooth. Don't know why that first touch was rough but the remaining shave was really sublime.
After shaving with the R41 I had forgotten how relaxing the R89 was. The result is the closest I have ever had with true bbs with exception of two spots next to my larynx but hell that is a valley between three planes so that is a very challenging location.
Truly enjoyable shave and I believe a will keep using the mild razor. As I see it you need to keep good pressure and angle to get a smooth and healthy shave. This is the same for aggressive and mild razors. In case of a mild razor the price of failure is that your shave isn't as smooth. For aggressive razors the price is blood. And I prefer the first one if I'm honest. I don't mind dfs smoothness.

 

[blethenstrom]

Preshave proraso white
Soap niveau protect
Post shave Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r89 with shark super chrome blade (1)
Three passes skipping the mustache to allow the wound to heal.
Result bbs (minus 2 spots next to my larynx.
No Blood , no feedback

Really enjoyable shave. The blade gave a bad first impression as in the very first pass (first movement) tugged but starting the second touch it went really smooth. Don't know why that first touch was rough but the remaining shave was really sublime.
After shaving with the R41 I had forgotten how relaxing the R89 was. The result is the closest I have ever had with true bbs with exception of two spots next to my larynx but hell that is a valley between three planes so that is a very challenging location.
Truly enjoyable shave and I believe a will keep using the mild razor. As I see it you need to keep good pressure and angle to get a smooth and healthy shave. This is the same for aggressive and mild razors. In case of a mild razor the price of failure is that your shave isn't as smooth. For aggressive razors the price is blood. And I prefer the first one if I'm honest. I don't mind dfs smoothness.

You mentioned a bit tuggy first pass. How many days worth of growth did you have? If you have a bit to much that can result in a bit of tuggy shave with a milder non-OC razor.

 

[Onimaho]

You mentioned a bit tuggy first pass. How many days worth of growth did you have? If you have a bit to much that can result in a bit of tuggy shave with a milder non-OC razor.

2 days of growth but pass is the wrong word. After using Google I now know the correct word is stroke.
So it was the very first stroke that was tuggy. It was a really wierd experience. That first stroke war rough but the second was smooth.
I'm guessing maybe some sediment or wax from the blade that was removed after the first stroke?

 

[Onimaho]

Preshave proraso white
Soap niveau protect
Post shave Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r89 with shark super chrome (2)
Two passes xtg atg (skip mustache)
Dfs+ with no drama and only little feedback on the alum in the neck

After yesterday I had to actually hold myself back so that I would not chase bbs. If anyone had told me shaving was addictive to the point of self harm I would have laughed and looked for a camera.
I laugh no longer...

The blade is still going strong providing a smooth experience on the chin. This isn't as challenging as the whiskers on my upper lips but tbf I also don't there is a blade that can comfortably shave atg on my lip. Depending on longevity it might detrone the Mühle blades.

In short a nice relaxing shave providing me a budding mustache (that will be killed off when my wife no longer holds me back and the cut has fully healed) and a nice feeling, smooth skin.

 

[Onimaho]

Preshave proraso white
Soap goodfellas smile inferno (sample)
Post shave alum followed by aftershave inferno (sample)
Razor r89 with shark super chrome (3)
Three passes skipping the mustache
Dfs+ with one weeper in the neck

Today my gfs samples arrived and I immediately used the inferno one for a morning shave. The soap is really enjoyable giving good slickness. I we't with three passes just because it was such a joy to use.

The smell is on point with wood, smoke, and leather. It is not my favourite smell and it will probably not make the cut. I would enjoy it very much as a palette cleanser from time to time.

I'm also still on the fence on the use alcohol based after shaves. I have one other sample that I can try out but currently I don't see a reason on why I would take the alcohol one over the non alcohol one.

Today was the last shave for the shark blade as it got rough on the third pass (atg) in the neck. I suspect the weeper was caused by improper control during the tug of war in my neck. All in all I'm not certain about the blade. I will revisit this blade again at a later point.

Now that my lather game has improved and sickness of the soaps are increasing I am starting to detest the Mühle handle. It is slippy like no one's business. I have been looking online but don't really find any handles I can buy separately. I found the ones from razorock, bamboo and one no name on amazon. I will probably end up buying one from razorock during black Friday but I am disappointed for the lack of options. If anyone has a good source (preferable eu) please let me know.

 

[Onimaho]

Preshave proraso white
Soap TGS abyss
Post shave alum stone followed by TGS abys alcohol aftershave
Razor r89 with Bic chrome (1)
Three passes plus cleanup (4 on the lips)
Result dfs + and no blood no discomfort

Today the mustache was uncermonialy removed. The Philip Oneblade electric razor cut is short after which I went into the shower and did three passes with some clean up.

The shave was really good and relaxing. I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxing citrus smell of the soap.

The blade was smooth. Not entirely sure where it would fit in the ranking. We'll see after a couple more shaves.

A truly divine shave.

 

[Onimaho]

Preshave proraso white
Soap TGS furiah (sample)
Post shave alum followed by Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r89 with Bic blade (2)
Three passes
Dfs with minor discomfort and 1 weeper.

The smell of the soap sample was really not to my liking. The smell was a cross between smoked bacon and leather.

Because of this I rushed a bit this combined with the blade starting to show its age caused more discomfort than I could've done. The lather itself really was top notch with more cushion than I'm used to and still very slick.

Shave was rushed so not the best I had but still more than acceptable.

 

[Onimaho]

Preshave proraso white
Soap TGS DeNero (sample)
Post shave alum followed by thayers toner coconut and Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r89 with dovo stainless steel platinum coated blades on the first pass (1) Mühle blades (1) on second and third pass
Three passes
Dfs with minor discomfort and 2 weeper.

Very odd shave. The smell of the soap and they way I lathered was fantastic and has been my favourite among the samples I have tried.
The blade however was unbearable so I tossed it after the first pass and on all accounts I should have stopped there. But as the soap is a sample and I don't think you can keep them a day, I took a Mühle blade and went for passes 2 and 3. These passes were very pleasant a'd I enjoyed them thoroughly.
After the passes I was already dreading the post shave burn. As expect the alum stone and Nivea balm burned on my lip and a couple parts in my neck.
But everything has been said and done, I have very little discomfort right now about an half hour after the shave.

The soap is definitely on my short list and I am doubtful any of the other samples will be able to top it (though I have some hope for tallow nr1)

This was a saved shave which is a very nice surprise.

 

[Onimaho]

Preshave proraso white
Soap TGS talow nr1 (sample)
Post shave thayers coconut followed by Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r89 with Mühle blade (2)
Three passes
Dfs with no drama

I really enjoyed this soap. It has a talow base so it supposedly slicker. I didn't notice it on my face but the razor did slip in my fingers so... I guess? It wasn't the paradigm shift as some people make it out to be.
No the scent is one I really enjoy. It feels very nostalgic and homey. The floral scent reminds of my grandmother.
I wouldn't buy a splash of it as I don't to smell like it the whole time but definitely enjoyable during the shave.

The Mühle blade performs as I expected. I'm curious how consistent it will remain. Next blade is feather again and then I'll circle back to the shark blades. It will be a face off between those three.

In conclusion a lovely shave. Next time will be my last sample to test (solo). After that I'll be making my black Friday purchases.

 

[Onimaho]

Full cella extra bio
Razor r89 with Mühle blade (3)
Two passes xtg and atg
Dfs with a two weepers and a slight tightness

The shave was enjoyable but the blade was rather tuggy. Tossed it after today's shave.
Not a lot to say about this shave. It was enjoyable and fine.

 

[Onimaho]

Two shaves to report
Yesterday was a full cella with r89 loaded with a feather (1)
Three passes resulting ccs+ with two weapers on the lip

Today was soap and postshave from Nivea and preshave proraso white.
R41 was used with the Feather (2). Two passes. Dfs+ No Blood, slight tension in certain places.

I got fed up with my r89. The one thing that really holds those razor back is a solid grip. I believe that flexing of the blade caused too many injuries. This is not something the R41 has any issues with.

Really glad my experience today was nice. This does put me back in team aggressive razor.

 

[Onimaho]

Black Friday shopping arrived today. I'm looking forward to my shave tomorrow. The brush is from ap shaves. It is a emerald cashmere brush and I absolutely adore it. It is super soft and absolutely stunning. Really looking forward to using it.

 

[Onimaho]

Preshave proraso white
Soap Nivea protect
Post shave Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r41 with shark extra chrome (3)
Two passes xtg and atg
Result dfs without blood and minimal irritation on the chin and left lip

Today I tried my new brush while keeping other things familiar.
I really enjoyed the use of the brush. It is a really soft brush though it does have a bit difficulty splaying. Will this improve over time? If it doesn't than it is still a wonderful brush but I would like it to splay a tad more. It also doesn't much up as much water as my other brush though I don't mind this as much as it really allows for small increments of water. Painting lather is also very much a joy with this brush.

Very enjoyable shave with the new addition of a wonderful brush.

 

[blethenstrom]

Preshave proraso white
Soap Nivea protect
Post shave Nivea sensitive balm
Razor r41 with shark extra chrome (3)
Two passes xtg and atg
Result dfs without blood and minimal irritation on the chin and left lip

Today I tried my new brush while keeping other things familiar.
I really enjoyed the use of the brush. It is a really soft brush though it does have a bit difficulty splaying. Will this improve over time? If it doesn't than it is still a wonderful brush but I would like it to splay a tad more. It also doesn't much up as much water as my other brush though I don't mind this as much as it really allows for small increments of water. Painting lather is also very much a joy with this brush.

Very enjoyable shave with the new addition of a wonderful brush.

Was the other brush you have a boar and this a synthetic? Normally boar brushes hold more water than synthetics.