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thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Tonight’s shave
RazoRock BBS
Personna Platinum (3)
30mm Maggards Synthetic Brush
Damp washcloth aka “shave binky”
Pre-shave: hot shower
Lather: Southern Witchcrafts Incorporeal
Post-shave face wash with shave binky
Post-shave alum block

There was more of the usual brush-mashing I usually use for lathering instead of all painting strokes. With this soap, at least, that may have been a mistake.

The shave itself was comfortable and no nicks or weepers this time. A little cleanup under the jawline and all seemed well until the alum. It didn’t sting hard, but I wasn’t expecting sting at all.

Since I stopped my post-shave lather, my irritation had reduced a little and moving to painting the Southern Witchcrafts Incorporeal instead of applying it like I was late for my entry to the Arko Man contest reduced it further. I think. More attempts needed.

Happy shaves, everyone!
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Last night’s shave
RazoRock BBS
Personna Platinum (4)
Right hand
Damp washcloth aka “shave binky”
Pre-shave: hot shower
Lather: ARKO!
Post-shave face wash with shave binky
Post-shave alum block

Hand-lathered and did my whole shave holding the razor in my left hand.

Since I was trying a new method of lathering and my razor wasn’t switching sides, I decided on a traditional, three-pass shave. Just skipped the WTG and XTG passes is all. Was finished before realizing I didn’t zig-zag or do anything in the way of keeping most strokes small, either.

The hand-lathered ARKO! was both slicker than I’ve ever experienced and too thick. Too thick means extra pressure. Extra pressure means what appears shallow is rendered steep by changing the angle the razor meets the stubble and skin. The slickness made ignoring this bad circumstance I created really easy.

No weepers.

Alum sting. Since my face doesn’t sting when I apply alum when not shaving (had to find out), alum sting means any closeness is a prize forfeited. Curlbacks on the sporadic stragglers.

Will have another chance to resist the temptations of excessive force and long passes next time.

Happy shaves, everyone!
 
The hand-lathered ARKO! was both slicker than I’ve ever experienced and too thick. Too thick means extra pressure. Extra pressure means what appears shallow is rendered steep by changing the angle the razor meets the stubble and skin. The slickness made ignoring this bad circumstance I created really easy.

Could Arko be your only soap? Could any Soap?
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Last night’s shave
RazoRock BBS
Personna Platinum (5)
Hands
Damp washcloth aka “shave binky”
Pre-shave: hot shower
Lather: Southern Witchcrafts Incorporeal
Post-shave face wash with shave binky
Post-shave alum block

Wrang out my binky into my lather bowl. Much more water than I suspected was released. Swirled it by hand and applied the soap-water to my face with my left hand until I assumed I had enough.

Shaved the right half of my whiskers with my right hand using short strokes and a slight zig-zag. My left felt for stubble and reapplied soap-water as desired.

Thoroughly washed hands and used right hand to put more soap-water on left half of my whiskers before repeating shave using left hand.

Like the previous shave’s hand-lather, the slickness was off the charts. Instead of being too thick, it just felt perfect. The small weepers, the large alum sting, and the missed and curled back whiskers were a surprise.

What did I learn? Painted-on soap followed by painted-on water is slicker than when I mash the soap on my face and mash the water into the soap (at least with Southern Witchcrafts Incorporeal and ARKO!) and hand-applied soap and water is slicker than that. And my brain currently perceives that added slickness as an excuse to ignore the dangers of excessive pressure and that the line between acceptable and excessive is a razor’s edge.

Happy shaves, everyone!
 
Last night’s shave
RazoRock BBS
Personna Platinum (5)
Hands
Damp washcloth aka “shave binky”
Pre-shave: hot shower
Lather: Southern Witchcrafts Incorporeal
Post-shave face wash with shave binky
Post-shave alum block

Wrang out my binky into my lather bowl. Much more water than I suspected was released. Swirled it by hand and applied the soap-water to my face with my left hand until I assumed I had enough.

Shaved the right half of my whiskers with my right hand using short strokes and a slight zig-zag. My left felt for stubble and reapplied soap-water as desired.

Thoroughly washed hands and used right hand to put more soap-water on left half of my whiskers before repeating shave using left hand.

Like the previous shave’s hand-lather, the slickness was off the charts. Instead of being too thick, it just felt perfect. The small weepers, the large alum sting, and the missed and curled back whiskers were a surprise.

What did I learn? Painted-on soap followed by painted-on water is slicker than when I mash the soap on my face and mash the water into the soap (at least with Southern Witchcrafts Incorporeal and ARKO!) and hand-applied soap and water is slicker than that. And my brain currently perceives that added slickness as an excuse to ignore the dangers of excessive pressure and that the line between acceptable and excessive is a razor’s edge.

Happy shaves, everyone!

IMHO excessive splaying and swirling is just for the fun of face lathering. Painting and mild splaying helps control the air intake more and the lather gets slicker and less thick. Some soaps allow you to thicken them up via swirling and then bring them to maximum slickness by painting on water (e.g. Tabac). But not every soap.
 
Some soaps allow you to thicken them up via swirling and then bring them to maximum slickness by painting on water (e.g. Tabac).

That's how I always do it. It's worked with every soap I've tried (so far) but some better than others. Might be that's just because some soaps are better than others.
 
That's how I always do it. It's worked with every soap I've tried (so far) but some better than others. Might be that's just because some soaps are better than others.

It's a matter of preference. I have a couple of soaps that require a more progressive introduction of water and air in the mix, but when they approach maximum hydration, they outperform soaps that lather more easily. Mind you, I do splay the brush moderately and use painting motion, so do get my daily "scrub-fix".
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Tonight’s shave
RazoRock BBS
Personna Platinum (6)
30mm Maggards Synthetic Brush
Damp washcloth aka “shave binky”
Pre-shave: hot shower
Lather: ARKO!
Post-shave face wash with shave binky
Post-shave alum block

Rubbed the ARKO! into my whiskers and used a damp brush to raise the initial lather in all its scrubby glory. Painted on water until lather had thinness and slickness.

More blade feel! My lighter touch returned. Every zig and most zags were remembered.

One red dot on the upper lip and much less alum sting than the last time. Less curlbacks, too.

Happy shaves, everyone!
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Tonight’s shave
RazoRock BBS
Personna Platinum (6)
30mm Maggards Synthetic Brush
Damp washcloth aka “shave binky”
Pre-shave: hot shower
Lather: ARKO!
Post-shave face wash with shave binky
Post-shave alum block

Rubbed the ARKO! into my whiskers and used a damp brush to raise the initial lather in all its scrubby glory. Painted on water until lather had thinness and slickness.

More blade feel! My lighter touch returned. Every zig and most zags were remembered.

One red dot on the upper lip and much less alum sting than the last time. Less curlbacks, too.

Happy shaves, everyone!

Excellent!

Yes-Data-Star-Trek-TNG.gif
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Tonight’s shave
RazoRock BBS
Personna Platinum (6)
30mm Maggards Synthetic Brush
Damp washcloth aka “shave binky”
Pre-shave: hot shower
Lather: ARKO!
Post-shave face wash with shave binky
Post-shave alum block

Rubbed the ARKO! into my whiskers and used a damp brush to raise the initial lather in all its scrubby glory. Painted on water until lather had thinness and slickness.

More blade feel! My lighter touch returned. Every zig and most zags were remembered.

One red dot on the upper lip and much less alum sting than the last time. Less curlbacks, too.

Happy shaves, everyone!


Interesting how some of the very inexpensive soaps like Arko and Vitos and such are so good. I've only used Arko once. The scent was not to my nose horrible but it also wasn't something I loved smelling. However, the performance of the soap was really very good.

Vitos Red is my daily driver soap not that I use it 100% of the time. Most days it's what I grab not because it's inexpensive but because it performs so well and has for me zero downsides. I like using a soap I've long ago totally figured out, too.

Sometimes I think maybe I should try a shaving stick (maybe a homemade shaving stick made by refilling an empty stick container like you can sometimes buy), but, then I think why bother. It's just so easy to face lather like I always do.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Thanks. It was a great ending to a harrowing day.

My blushing Bride needed a final procedure to remove an arterial filter from last year’s terrifying issues. The hospital has a ”no visitors” policy, so I chilled in a parking garage and got some reading done.

About four hours in (the procedure was 10 minutes; the due-diligence CT scan was another 10; but life happens so it took just over 5 from drop off to Wifey’s surprise appearance at the garage), a booming, angry, and raspy voice was shouting profanity-laced threats in the parking lot. A quick alertness check confirmed it was not my inner monologue. Back to same reading while furtively glancing at all the mirrors I had done prior to hearing the emotionally disturbed person wandering the parking garage.

Got the Get-Your-Wifey text and headed out to retrieve the love of my life. The ticket I fed into the exit gate didn’t let me follow up a method of payment. I called the number next to the ticket reader and a gentleman instructed me to park near the gate and go bring my ticket to a cashier.

At this time, my Bride materialized at the entrance of the garage. Nothing says “too slow” like a post-op person popping into the garage to find you. A custodian informed us I could pay my fee at the hospital’s other garage if the cashier office was closed in this one. It was.

Off I went; ticket in pocket; to go use the hospital’s lavatory (it’d been over six hours since leaving home) and pay the parking fee. On the way to the hospital, I saw the source of the violent voice: a disheveled man who was directing his hate towards a woman with whom he was struggling. He threw her over his hip onto the corner of the hospital sidewalk!

Holy $#¡+! An assault!

They were between me and the hospital and it’s bladder-saving washroom. The man lurched a bit towards me as he walked in an opposite direction to me and I awkwardly repositioned, but no physical contact occurred.

The woman made some sarcastic remark to the small group of shocked onlookers I joined. We all meekly approached her when another woman helped her up.

At the hospital entrance, I received a disposable mask (handmade one from my Bride now safely pocketed) and directions to the lav. Yay! No, wait, what?! A couple were finishing a liaison in the bathroom stall next to mine. Argh!

Quickly washed my hands, left the hospital, and went to the cashier office at the other garage. The physically violent man was still on the pathway I previously used screaming vitriol to his heart’s content while security guards stood by and did nothing. Paid my fee, got an exit, ticket, and returned to Bride and vehicle. A car in front of us drove in manners suggesting its operator was a fan of the movie Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang and catatonic fits. Miraculously, the gate of the garage didn’t close on our vehicle whilst we made prayers for the motorist blocking our egress to regain enough lucidity to drive forward a few feet.

Out of Boston, bound for home! We left using the majestic Zakim Bridge.
1611926375840.jpeg

Not my photo. Didn’t drive on the sidewalks. Honest.

We procured a feast from a restaurant that sold both Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell and returned home to share the magic of tacos with our daughter.

Later, had the mostly pleasant shave.

Interesting how some of the very inexpensive soaps like Arko and Vitos and such are so good.

True. There’s so much absolute luxury at prices affordable to most people. Despite much of the fine feel from the PAA shave stick and Southern Witchcrafts, I’m more tempted by stuff like Harris, Jagger, Linha, and Mühle.

I guess you could say I’m a croapless romantic…
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Some people are allergic to Arko’s ingredients, so using another soap isn’t really a decline
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Thanks. It was a great ending to a harrowing day.

My blushing Bride needed a final procedure to remove an arterial filter from last year’s terrifying issues. The hospital has a ”no visitors” policy, so I chilled in a parking garage and got some reading done.

About four hours in (the procedure was 10 minutes; the due-diligence CT scan was another 10; but life happens so it took just over 5 from drop off to Wifey’s surprise appearance at the garage), a booming, angry, and raspy voice was shouting profanity-laced threats in the parking lot. A quick alertness check confirmed it was not my inner monologue. Back to same reading while furtively glancing at all the mirrors I had done prior to hearing the emotionally disturbed person wandering the parking garage.

Got the Get-Your-Wifey text and headed out to retrieve the love of my life. The ticket I fed into the exit gate didn’t let me follow up a method of payment. I called the number next to the ticket reader and a gentleman instructed me to park near the gate and go bring my ticket to a cashier.

At this time, my Bride materialized at the entrance of the garage. Nothing says “too slow” like a post-op person popping into the garage to find you. A custodian informed us I could pay my fee at the hospital’s other garage if the cashier office was closed in this one. It was.

Off I went; ticket in pocket; to go use the hospital’s lavatory (it’d been over six hours since leaving home) and pay the parking fee. On the way to the hospital, I saw the source of the violent voice: a disheveled man who was directing his hate towards a woman with whom he was struggling. He threw her over his hip onto the corner of the hospital sidewalk!

Holy $#¡+! An assault!

They were between me and the hospital and it’s bladder-saving washroom. The man lurched a bit towards me as he walked in an opposite direction to me and I awkwardly repositioned, but no physical contact occurred.

The woman made some sarcastic remark to the small group of shocked onlookers I joined. We all meekly approached her when another woman helped her up.

At the hospital entrance, I received a disposable mask (handmade one from my Bride now safely pocketed) and directions to the lav. Yay! No, wait, what?! A couple were finishing a liaison in the bathroom stall next to mine. Argh!

Quickly washed my hands, left the hospital, and went to the cashier office at the other garage. The physically violent man was still on the pathway I previously used screaming vitriol to his heart’s content while security guards stood by and did nothing. Paid my fee, got an exit, ticket, and returned to Bride and vehicle. A car in front of us drove in manners suggesting its operator was a fan of the movie Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang and catatonic fits. Miraculously, the gate of the garage didn’t close on our vehicle whilst we made prayers for the motorist blocking our egress to regain enough lucidity to drive forward a few feet.

Out of Boston, bound for home! We left using the majestic Zakim Bridge.
View attachment 1215076
Not my photo. Didn’t drive on the sidewalks. Honest.

We procured a feast from a restaurant that sold both Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell and returned home to share the magic of tacos with our daughter.

Later, had the mostly pleasant shave.



True. There’s so much absolute luxury at prices affordable to most people. Despite much of the fine feel from the PAA shave stick and Southern Witchcrafts, I’m more tempted by stuff like Harris, Jagger, Linha, and Mühle.

I guess you could say I’m a croapless romantic…

I guess he hasnt figured out yet that in hospital areas an up close, softer more menacing tone is more effective and less attention grabbing lol.

Glad to hear everything went well with the wife!
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
I guess he hasnt figured out yet that in hospital areas an up close, softer more menacing tone is more effective and less attention grabbing lol.

In major, metropolitan parts of America, there’s been a public outcry against the existence of police. It makes it easier for people to self-soothe through interpersonal conflict with strangers.

Oh! That’s what Jim meant! He wasn’t feeling down on himself for not being an Arko fanboi, he was lamenting some schlub’s ability to drop others on the least friendly part of a sidewalk without getting stopped. Oh!
 
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