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SOTD "FREE WEEK" June 1st - June 7th, 2020

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SOTD SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2020

The shave yesterday with my VC4 Valet Auto Strop (VAS) was so awesome, I just had to repeat it. The Auto Strop was designed by Henry Gaisman, and it is a surprisingly brilliant piece of work. The VAS evolved from the original 1906 model through 9 others and culminated in this razor, the VC4 which ceased production in 1946. Of all the models, only the VC4 featured a safety bar instead of the open comb of its predecessors.

During the roaring mid-1920s, Gaisman like his mentor, King C Gillette, realized that money in the shaving game was in blades, not blade-holders, despite his having designed one of the best, if not the best safety razors in the business. Customers had stopped buying Valet blades, and were substituting the cheaper Gem blades. Research indicated that customers didn’t consider the VAS a premium brand.

To counter this perception, and lock in customers, Gaisman released the Model VB2 (7th of 10 VAS models) a silver plated model with a new blade lock. The new mechanism consisted of a swinging door that secured the blade and included indents on the baseplate that prevented the use of Gem blades. In fact, all three Auto Strops that followed had indents on the baseplate. Thankfully, the six models preceding the VB2 can all be used with Gem Blades. The easiest solution, of course, is to use an original NOS Valet blade or a Feather FHS-10 in any of the models.

Yesterday’s shave featured Chel, a synthetic menthol cooling gel. The gel Contains aloe and other skin+friendly ingredients. It performed beautifully as a preshave. So after my shower and cold water rinse, I again applied the Chel and lathered over it with the Nancy Boy Signature Shave cream. The Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute’s Boar ferrule felt great against the shave surfaces. But what felt even better was the slowly escalating feeling of coolness. The VAS again delivered the goods through two slow luxurious passes (WTG, ATG). I think the feature I enjoy most about the later model Auto Strops is their adjustability. Lifting the locking lever In the back of the head increases efficiency and pressing it down decreases it, a very clever system, Mr Gaisman. And one arrived at through incremental improvements over the razor’s 40 year life (1906-1946), finding its final and best expression in this, the VC4. I really like this razor which again delivered another bloodless VBBS with no heat from the Alum. I feel clean, velveteen smooth, icy cool, and refreshed!

RAZOR: Valet Auto Strop (Model VC4)
BLADE: Feather FHS-10
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by Chel application to all shave surfaces
BRUSH: Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute w/ 26mm Boar Ferrule
CREAM: Nancy Boy Signature
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and finished with Krampert’s Frostbite AS Splash
 
View attachment 1110202

Sunday‌ ‌06.07.20 ‌SOTD‌
Valet Auto/Strop ‘27-’37 Silver VB2 Set
NOS Valet Auto/Strop Blade
APShaveCo. 24MM APLuxury Bulb w/ Summer Handle
RazoRock‌ ‌"What‌ ‌The‌ ‌Puck?!"‌ ‌Lime‌ ‌Burst‌ ‌
Italian Barber Amici After Shaving Splash

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Jim:
I have the same set! Really great shavers. My VC4 is probably my favorite vintage razor! The are so wonderfully adjustable!
 
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Wow! First shave w Ikon Tek. Shark SC blade.
I have heard this razor described as a flamethrower and that is pretty accurate! Even gave me some nicks on my first pass wtg which I have never experienced before. I knew there was no way I could do my second pass against the grain like I normally do.

I tried it on my cheek to test and way too aggressive for me. Needed a mild razor to finish that pass so put the blade in a Merkur 34c. Nice close shave at the end. That ikon Tek is scary. Definitely going to get rid of it
 
Sun 7th SOTD
Soap Colonel Conk BayRum
Brush Yaqi 26mm Moka Express
Razor RR Game Changer.84 SB / BP Handle
Blade Tiger Platinum 5th
Post & Aftershave
Ice Water + Special Thayers Mix
Hyaluronic Acid
Clubman Whisky Woods
Excellent lather! Creamily thick and slick!
Shave with GC.84 paired with blade was nice, comfortable and smooth. This is an excellent DE blade...still good on 5th shave!
3+1 multiple passes. Should have been satisfied with 3passes but it was so comfortable and on the pickup pass caught a weeper. Icy water rinse followed by artic Thayers then softened by Hyaluronic and top-off by WhiskyWoods which is terrific and lasting. Still a very good session with mostly BBS to DFS result. Rating 8.5/10
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Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Sunday Schick shave, June 7th 2020, I was reading a thread were one of the fellows when using a DE adjustable razor starts off at a low setting and then graduates up the dial. Well I have been using his method for some time and today for the first time tried it on my Schick injector M3. His thought was as the stubble gets smaller is harder to cut off so by increasing blade exposure you give the blade a better response to hitting the stubble. No science, just good old opinionated shaving theories. :001_smile

Razor: Schick adjustable injector Model or M3- Mfg 1970-72, Dialed up 3,4,5,after each pass, excellent shave.
Blade: Personna SS PTFE (10)Excellent blade- I just like to use Personna blades in my single edge razors.
Soap : Nivea cream original - I use it with other soaps sometimes in my mixing bowl, nice scent, ok lather qualities.
Brush: Yaqi brown whiskers 26mm (Mew)- very enjoyable brush to use.
Pre-shave: Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser + a small dollop of Aloe Vera gel on beard area.
Prep: cold water after each pass of 3 + any pickups.
Post shave: Nivea refreshing aftershave + witch Hazel + Nivea sensitive balm. Great products IMO.
Results: CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + no weepers=:a17: excellent shave with my Schick injector adjustable M3.
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Have some great shaves!
 

Whilliam

First Class Citizen
SUNDAY, 7 June 2020

Pre: CeraVe Bar
Gel: Elegance Plus "Jupiter" (menthol)
Razor: Oristo w/Black DLC
Blade: Dorco Prime (1)
Post: GBS alum block
Balm: CeraVe
Frag: Azzaro Chrome
Two strokes with yesterday's blade (Silver Star),
and it was time for some new steel. Now I'm
all smooth and sweet again.


Stay healthy, everyone!
 
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