RTM's way

[RTM]

Yesterday I left Stirling on the counter above the sink, and today absent mindedly I reached for it again. Great stuff. Second use of the Derby Premium blade, and off to the blade bank it went. post was P&B Star Noir which has a nice summery feel, but doesn't replace Double Duty. Healing slowly but surely.

 

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P&B Trafalgar today - the scent is really suited for the summer. It's leafy, fresh and crisp. Reminds me of Mühle Sea Buckthorn for some reason. Lathers just as good if not better. Loading for about a minute, plus another minute to build lather on the puck and then face lather for about two minutes. The result is something I should probably take a picture of and hang it on the wall. Today I used Proraso White pre-shave, just because, there is a little bit left in the jar and I think I will try it as post shave. Someone somewhere said that originally Proraso marketed this cream as pre and post-shave, and then designated it pre to allow separate product for post. I'll see tomorrow. Fresh Derby Premium today, two point five passes. Jack Black Double Duty as a post. Healing is slow.
I attended a conference today; I was markedly standing out being clean shaven. Out of hundred plus people 50% went for "Don Johnson fuzzy look" to quote Calvin and Hobbs, and the rest were sporting full beards. One might add that the conference subject was downright yawn although absolutely necessary. Lots of work ahead. I am excited how boring it will be.

 

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Continuing with Trafalgar. No preshave today; lather was excellent. Absent minded shave though. My mind was really elsewhere and I went on muscle memory alone. No complaints after two point five passes. Ditched Derby Premium yesterday because I think it was not sharp enough. Or I got a dud. I strongly suspect dud blade is one of them urban legends. Maybe it was just one of those days yesterday. Anyway... Today I went with Bluebirds Revenge - there were two blades left in a tuck, and I decided to use them up. Proraso White preshave didn't impress me as a post yesterday. Back to my blue bottle of Double Duty. Face is healing slowly but steadily.

 

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Albion on the counter today. Proraso Red as pre-shave after washing the stubble with Rugged and Dapper slightly abrasive face soap. I decided to use the pre-shave up, and not buy anymore. So I put some before the second pass too. Two passes and a touch up resulted in pleasant shave. Second use of the blade and I think it will be alright for tomorrow too.
Dreadful weekend upon me, waiting for Sunday to hear from committee on how my life will look for the next three or four months. Lu Tze once said, everything is a test. Easy for the man to say so, he's a fictitious character from the book.
The face is mostly healed except under left cheekbone where I have close to dozen stitches spread upon last twenty years. The skin can take only that much. Still, looking good.

 

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Same set up as yesterday. Blade went to the blade bank, I suspect it could be used for longer. I've no reason to find out. Last of the tuck will be used tomorrow and then back to Personna, or Feather. I still have a tuck of Merkur, plus there was a tuck of Wilkinson somewhere. I might consider buying Bluebeard's Revenge when the time comes, if the price is right. Right now I am looking at ten quid for 30 blades, and it's definitely over the good taste limit.
The shave today was uneventful, the way I like best. Two point five passes, Proraso Red for pre-shave. Double Duty for post, and I do feel good.
My face should be ready to join the human race in a week or so, barring any unforseen events.
I've read today about a soap maker from Boston, Massachusetts. Goes by Sebum, looks as pretentious as can be. If they are still around in two years time I'll get me a jar.

 

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Yesterday I skipped shave. The world didn't stop revolving of course but I felt like a scruffy git. I prefer daily shave even if it is just quick two passes for the sake of freshening up.
Last blade from Bluebeard's Revenge tuck. Albion soap never failed me, not once. Loading for a minute if not more. Proraso Red for pre-shave and Double Duty for post. Three full passes - I had plenty of time, slow and thorough. Proraso applied before the second pass.
The blade is fine, can't say it is smooth, definitely less rough than Astra. Next I will go through the tuck of Wilkinson. I can't bring myself to use Gillette. Anything made by them.
Back in 1991, literally days before Saddam decided to shoot scuds at random all over the Middle East, I got cables. I was mostly watching MTV, but cables brought on something I wasn't exposed to until that time - TV commercials. One learned to filter out advertisement when reading newspaper, or listening to the radio. The jump from a channel and a half to forty or so weaponized with ads took longer to adjust. Skipping forward, after twenty plus years of not having it, now I own a tv set. Kids watch Netflix on weekends, soon there'll be those godawful teen movies. Personally, I think tv as we know it is so outdated in the age of the almighty internet.
OK, back to the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth: Gillette commercials were everywhere, in all languages. Massive never-ending wave of "the best a man can get" with every possible cliche there is: young executives with floppy hair, scantily clad girls purring over convertibles, deep masculine voice-over etc. The contrast between reality and this candied life was disproportionate; it always is in tv ads. Of course, in real life there were beautiful girlfriends, no convertibles though but old Citroen. Also present were Saddam's scuds, blown up civilian buses, and my life of 20-something then-soldier. Long story short, Gillette got it bad - not a penny from me until this very day.
My wife is using some sort of a pinkish Gillette cartridge, and my SJoL creams.

 

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Every night before bed I apply raw mango butter to my face. It absorbs overnight, and leaves the skin supple and moisturized. I actually feel general improvement; lots of tiny scratches and abscesses are healing at a faster than usual rate. Even the over-stitched area under my left cheekbone is showing better than average rate of closing. The shave feel is improving too.
I had time today. Proraso Red pre-shave, Trafalgar soap, second use of Bluebeard's Revenge blade. Pre-shave applied before each of three passes. Took about two minutes maybe more to whip up, then face lather. I brushed my teeth for two minutes before the shave with lather on. I am changing the direction of passes slightly playing to adjust for comfort rather than growth. Final tuning will be required. I went for alum at the end, and I felt it. Nothing out of range but light stinging was there. I think the second pass was rougher than it should've been, probably because of me not keeping the angle. There was some indication that I might've got slight irritation right above the Adam's apple; however an hour after the shave - nothing. Still, must observe the angle at all times. Jack Black saves my skin but it can do only that much. Raw mango butter helped too. I will keep the blade for tomorrow's shave.
I have two more weeks until I will be advised of the results. A little bird told me I did really good, but the decision is with the committee, and actual results are only part of their consideration. The rest is to do with factors I am even not aware of hence no need to think about it at all.

 

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I was too busy to shave yesterday, so 48 hours growth to mow down today.
For no other reason than just because I took out my Mühle badger brush for a spin. EJ Silvertip Chrome is heavy, Mühle in comparison is feather-light. The weight didn't affect quality of lather one bit, nothing did. Trafalgar soap was whipped up to perfection. Proraso Red pre-shave before each pass. Third and final use of Bluebeard's Revenge blade. I didn't wait to find out if I could extend it for a fourth shave. Overall good three passes. Alum felt a bit here and there but it wasn't something out of range. Post was matching Trafalgar balm, and I believe I should use my post shave balms more often. I do like JB Double Duty but there are several bottles sitting in my drawer and they shouldn't collect dust. They should be used the way their makers intended.
Several observations, and I think I will elaborate on them later on. I came to consider these observations while reading for a millionth time an improving book before bed. The book doesn't have title, technically it isn't even a book. These are diaries apparently written by Marcus Aurelius, the sage and the Roman emperor. Diaries or forgeries, they convey several important foods for thought. I rely on 1944 Farquharson's translation.
One may ask how did I get from shaving to stoic Roman emperor. The answer is that I favour a holistic approach, much talked about by late Douglas Adams. It involves reading a good book from the 20th century - Fahrenheit 450.

 

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New blade - Wilkinson. Can't recall ever trying it. No idea where the tuck has come from, or even when. It just materialized.
Washed my face with Rugged and Dapper using rotating brush. No pre-shave cream today. I was whipping up lather and I knew something was off. Trafalgar soap is tried and tested, means I did something wrong with the amount of water in the brush. I lathered up, didn't like it, too light and slick, no bubbles though. Brushed my teeth with lather on and washed the whole thing off. Started anew. My second attempt resulted in something recognizable as lather. Two point five passes later I think my pressure was off. I made sure I kept the angle with the new blade in the razor, probably went too steep on my upper lip. No finger pointing at this stage because one has to allow for absolutely unknown component - Wilkinson blade. I will be more observant tomorrow. Post was Trafalgar balm, and it didn't sit well because the shave was rougher than usual. Washed it off too. Ran out of SV Peacemaker and ordered new jar. Jack Black Double Duty saves the day.
Tomorrow I will put on some Proraso Red pre-shave first to see if it will make any difference. I can't wholeheartedly say that I liked my shave today. No irritation but something was off. Maybe it was just one of those days.

 

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Wilkinson blade is banished. Branded and exiled. I was judge, jury and executioner. No appeals. Anyone counseling for defense will face firing squad. That's them rules. Yes, it was that bad.

 

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Fresh Feather blade today. I had to be really careful because yesterday the blade caused some damage. Not extensive damage but enough to make me feel opposite of smiling. The chin is the least happy part of my face.
Washing face with Rugged and Dapper, felt light stinging. Put on mud mask, it does make difference. The skin feels smooth after rinsing it off.
I put Trafalgar back into the drawer so it won't remind me of this awful day. Albion was here to make things better. I really took time to whip up thickest lather on this side of the Mediterranean. Two careful passes. Shallow angle, no pressure. Pre-shave cream was on before the first. I should've put some on before the second too. Post was tons of Double Duty. I'm not suffering but still cursing under my breath. I might rethink disposing of the pre-shave cream. I blame the blade but there is a nagging feeling, what if it was me doing something wrong... Always a possibility. Still, Wilkinson is out for good.

 

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Still reeling from that exceptionally bad shave with Wilkinson.
Second use of Feather. The blade feels sharp and I am going extra careful. Albion lather is the good stuff, feels smooth and refreshing. Proraso Red pre-shave on before each of two passes. Cleaned my nape, and went atg on sideburns. Post was P&B Imperial Rum - fresh, barberry dominated scent. Half an hour later I put on JB Double Duty.
Tiny scratches and abscesses are mostly gone. More tiny scars added to my rich collection, I will try and smooth them with glycolic acid cream. Don't want to scare the children. To be frank I think direct nuclear threat is the only thing that might scare them. Maybe... They cooperate in repelling grown-ups invasion. Good!
It's getting hotter, last couple of days were paradise weather-wise. Birds were chirping, air was fresh and clean, temperature was exact right shade of blue, in short - Garden of Eden. One inclines toward philosophical frame of mind on such days. Now it is less philosophy and more of ye-gods-where's-the-ac-remote. The heat comes in waves of desert wind and suddenly the sea calls for afternoon swim.

 

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Life's back to normal. Afternoon swim is the key to everything. One does feel refreshingly sprout after spending two pleasant evening hours on the beach.
The shave today was good, unremarkable and good. Third use of the Feather blade. Albion soap is a good soap although I still use Proraso Red pre-shave before each pass. I was extra careful, there was no rush, and the goal was on the whole satisfactorily achieved. Post was P&B Imperial Rum. I think if I could repeat today's process everyday - I would stop documenting my shaves because there would be nothing I'd like to improve.
Edwin Jagger made new stainless steel razor. I am a fan but somehow I am not rushing to get one.
Here's why. It has nothing to do with actual quality of merchandise, or workmanship. It's down to being pedantic git such as myself. I read a lot, mostly professional literature. Fiction too, although I am easily bored if the book doesn't rank in my mind with the good ones I've read.
Mikluho-MacLay's diaries are highly interesting read. The man was explorer, the first one to actually befriend aboriginals in New Guinea. He described how one of his study subjects, a native man, found a large piece of glass from a broken bottle and used it to shave his head. Consider this: back in 1870's, in New Guinea, a native man who had never met anyone outside his tribe was shaving with a sharp piece of glass. It's all down to understanding the basic principle and technique.

 

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Life is definitely going back to normal.
Fourth use of the blade, I think I will keep it for tomorrow's shave too. It felt OK today, worn but definitely usable. Somehow I think that Albion soap is even better than Trafalgar, although I suspect personal preference plays its part here. About a minute to load and then continued directly on my face. The lather was textbook quality today. Two point five passes with Proraso Red pre-shave. Not much left in the jar, maybe one week worth. I am not buying replacement for now, let's see how my shaves will turn out without cream. Post was P&B Star Noir. The scent is nice but pretty generic to me. It dissipates quickly, and that's a plus in my book.
My face looks like apocalypse survivor's. Too many traces left from scratches, nicks and general disregard for safety. I think patina is the word I am looking for. I'll wait until the end of this month to let them all heal properly, and start with glycolic acid treatment - surprisingly named Line Smoother by JB. Nothing drastic but I'd like a less scary look. Providing this Smoother actually delivers.

 

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Fifth use of the Feather was just about stretching it. I think four is the magic number for Feathers. It wasn't bad or anything like that. It was borderline. I knew something was off, and I knew I could live with it. Change in direction when shaving pays off. Second pass now is done from nose to ear. Previously I used to do up-down, or ear to nose. I will have to try this set up a bit more to assess the change properly. Following the growth map on my face proved impossible, I have to go with the the most comfortable, even if not exactly aligned with across or against.
Albion doesn't disappoint - I dialed this soap to a T. Consistent lather is what I appreciate most. Three passes with Proraso Red pre-shave applied before each, and I am fairly pleased with the result. There were three tiny slices on my chin, and it was expected as tiny nicks have almost healed and produced hardened skin bits. New skin will grow overnight.
Quote from Fahrenheit 451: "The zipper displaces the button and a man lacks just that much time to think while dressing at dawn, a philosophical hour, and thus a melancholy hour." Needless to mention that the zipper (much like the shaving brush) is just a metaphor while lack of time isn't. The quote is a part of a speech delivered by a cynical disillusioned man trying to quell other's natural desire to know more.

 

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Personna blade, first use coupled with Stirling Ben Franklin is the perfect recipe for good shave. Lather was properly whipped up, no pre-shave at all, and I'm wholeheartedly agree with the result. Three passes, not rushing anywhere. Post was Star Noir followed by Double Duty half an hour later.
I think I will stick with tried and tested setup for a while. I need my mugshot to look as human as possible for the next week, there might be pictures. When face to face with a changing moment one should look good. It isn't life changer per se, more of a career adjustment. I would welcome it but I can't say I was aiming that high. More of an opportunity with real value further down the road in couple of years, if the stars are aligned certain way.
Still, one has to be civil about it.

 

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I am back to life. Well, sort of.
A man never uses "spoiled brat" as a description of himself. Kids, neighbors, neighbors' kids - I get it, they could very well be. I, on the other hand, might be the first recorded case of describing myself as such. It took ten days or so of moderate physical exercise in less than sanitary environment with no creams and lotions to sooth ambient harshness and voila - I look worse than ever. I feel great though. The balance should exist somewhere, and I am going to look for it in the next three months.
Today I took my time and my space. Morning at the gym. Toyed with the idea of shaving there but no, shower only and back home. Whipped up Trafalgar with a bit more water than usual - intentionally, used last bits of Proraso Red pre-shave, Personna blade - two passes plus nape. Blade was discarded. Double Duty as a post shave. Love the feel and the result. The skin was visibly improved once cleaned, shaved and generally pampered.
I suspect my P&B and SJoL balms do not agree with me fully. They're all aloe based. Or maybe it is my skin that doesn't agree with them. Whatever the case I will keep balms in the drawer for now. Better would be giving them away to someone who has less sensitive outer shell.

 

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Fresh Personna blade and fantastic shave. Everything was right today: tub lathered Trafalgar to perfection, added a bit of water for slickness. Two point five passes, and cleaned my nape too. Should've gone three full passes just to enjoy the process. Passes are no longer with or against the grain net. I have found the way to mow down my facial hair in somewhat intricate but logical and easy to remember and follow way. I can't even begin to describe it because it's feel-based. What is important that I am perfectly able to replicate this as many times as needed. Post was Hawkins and Brimble balm.
I do love my JB Double Duty. However I have to designate a solid runner up. Aloe based balms make my face sticky, and may cause a bit of inflammation (probably because of added perfume). SV PeaceMaker is somewhat expensive for everyday use. I remember I had H&B Elemi and Ginseng post shave couple of years ago, and it was good. I probably bought one to replace and then forgot all about it. Now the tube was dug up and cracked open today. I am impressed. Good stuff. Notch down from JB in performance compensated in price. Notch is more to do with my impartiality towards JB.

 

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Personna #2 and Trafalgar again replicating yesterday's feat. The blade was binned after shave because tomorrow I want to use the fresh one.
I get the feeling that my second pass in any given shave is somehow harsher than others. And it has nothing to do with the equipment being used. Subconsciously I probably use a bit more pressure than actually needed. I should pay more attention to the matter. First pass always feels smooth, I have to try and replicate it.
Three passes and I like what I see in the mirror. Post was H&B balm, and I maintain it ranks just a little bit below JB. Pleased with my new slash old post-shave.
Tomorrow will be the first day of the rest of my life. Today I got a phone call from a very nice HR lady. She was saying all the right things about how excited she is about everybody's excitement when I'll show up tomorrow morning at the office cooler. They do have disposable cups made of organic banana leaves.

 

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Derby Premium and Trafalgar. Three passes plus nape, fast and efficient shave. Fast as in no time to smell the roses, no time to pay attention to the morning news. Basically working on muscle memory.
I chose Derby for this morning shave because the blade is smooth and sharp enough on the first use. Don’t know about next, debating with myself whether I should take a fresh one for tomorrow.
Post was H&B and I’m delighted I’ve dug the thing up.