Stubble Trouble's Straight Journey

[StubbleTrouble]

Shave No: (1.60 hs) (hectoshaves)

Strop: Kanoyama № 3 - 40/60 Pre/Post (Suede/Leather)
Time Since Last Hone: 0 Shaves
Hones: Chosera: 1K, Naniwa 3K, 5K, 10K. Shapton 15K. Suehiro 20K
Prep: Shower, scrub beard with Cetaphil, rinse, repeat, hydrate well
Brush: Semogue 1250
Software: MWF
Razor: Gold Dollar 66 (Marked '1')
Growth (days): 1
Method: Two Passes - WTG, XTG
Post: WH / AV

Results: CCS+ / No irritation / No redness / No cuts / No Weepers

Remarks:

Quick shave after a day of gardening... Shave confirms my honing job was just fine. The 40 or so extra finishing strokes seemed to make a difference on the edge.

Questions: None

Work On: Honing, Angle, Stropping, Pressure, Proper Handling for other pass directions (especially on the neck).
​

 

[martym]

Well done

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Well done

Thanks Marty

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Shave No: (0.161 ks) (kiloshaves)

Strop: Kanoyama № 3 - 40/60 Pre/Post (Suede/Leather)
Time Since Last Hone: 1 Shave
Hones: Chosera: 1K, Naniwa 3K, 5K, 10K. Shapton 15K. Suehiro 20K, Shobudani Honzan + Tomo Nagura
Prep: Shower, scrub beard with Cetaphil, rinse, repeat, hydrate well
Brush: Semogue 1250
Software: Proraso Green
Razor: Gold Dollar 66 (Marked '2')
Growth (days): 2
Method: Five Passes - WTG, XTG, XTG/ATG, XTG/ATG, ATG
Post: WH / AV

Results: BBS- / No irritation / No redness / No cuts / No weepers

Remarks:

Very nice shave again with the JNat hone. I think now that this finish is keener and smoother than the other hone on numero uno, which was done on synthetics only. I guess there's a chance the bevel wasn't set as well as it could have been on that razor, but I have yet to shave more than 2 passes with it, so hard to say.

Despite the heat here today, I used the scuttle with extra hot tap water today and used cold rinses. I really like that method with Proraso Green.

Questions: None

Work On: Honing, Angle, Stropping, Pressure, Proper Handling for other pass directions (especially on the neck).

 

[buca3152]

Knocking em dead brother! I say you definitely have some old salt in you! Glad to hear things are looking up and up! Keep pluggin!

 

[McVeyMac]

Sounds like you are getting this honing business dialed in. Can't wait for your next trip to central PA.

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Sounds like you are getting this honing business dialed in. Can't wait for your next trip to central PA.

So far so good, and I have Buca to thank for showing me. Lots of practice and experimentation ahead, which will be fun!

As for a trip out, perhaps a few days will get pencilled in soon. Will definitely keep you posted!

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Knocking em dead brother! I say you definitely have some old salt in you! Glad to hear things are looking up and up! Keep pluggin!

Thanks, man! See you soon!

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Shave No: (1.62 hs) (hectoshaves)

Strop: Kanoyama № 3 - 40/60 Pre/Post (Suede/Leather)
Time Since Last Hone: 0 Shaves
Hones: Unknown - Alex Gilmore
Prep: Shower, scrub beard with Cetaphil, rinse, repeat, hydrate well
Brush: Van Der Hagen Rubberset Boar
Software: Stirling Barbershop
Razor: Boker 5/8
Growth (days): 1
Method: Two Passes - WTG, XTG
Post: WH / Clubman

Results: CCS+ / No irritation / No redness / No cuts / No Weepers

Remarks:

Another one of Alex Gilmore's great hones. Not too much time to enjoy the fullest, unfortunately, but it was good while it lasted. Off to a workweek of DE shaves. The Fatip Grande is in tow along with some redpack Personna and Dorko blades.

Questions: None

Work On: Honing, Angle, Stropping, Pressure, Proper Handling for other pass directions (especially on the neck).

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Shave No: (0.162 ks) (kiloshaves)

Strop: Kanoyama № 3 - 40/60 Pre/Post (Suede/Leather)
Time Since Last Hone: 2 Shaves
Hones: Chosera: 1K, Naniwa 3K, 5K, 10K. Shapton 15K. Suehiro 20K, Shobudani Honzan + Tomo Nagura
Prep: Shower, scrub beard with Cetaphil, rinse, repeat, hydrate well
Brush: Semogue 1250
Software: Proraso Green
Razor: Gold Dollar 66 (Marked '2')
Growth (days): 2
Method: two Passes - WTG, XTG

Results: CCS / No irritation / No redness / No cuts / No weepers

Remarks:

No scuttle today - HOT! I was dripping in sweat before I could carry on comfortably. A soupy day here in NYC!

Very busy time with my work and I hope to be back around here in earnest ASAP!

Questions: None

Work On: Honing, Angle, Stropping, Pressure, Proper Handling for other pass directions (especially on the neck).

 

[martym]

Don't you just hate it when work gets in the way with enjoying yourself?
My daughter is going nuts here in South Texas and can't wait to return to "The City". She's been gone away for school for 8 years now. I don't guess she will ever be back here to live.
marty

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Don't you just hate it when work gets in the way with enjoying yourself?
My daughter is going nuts here in South Texas and can't wait to return to "The City". She's been gone away for school for 8 years now. I don't guess she will ever be back here to live.
marty

Something tells me I'll miss work (at least this manifestation of work) dearly in a few years... and the city too.

 

[StubbleTrouble]

163 and 164 were with Alex's Bartmann and a GD, respectively.. I think I've been getting a bit lazy on the stropping lately and tonight I reincorporated the canvas into my routine. My own blade was quite keen and smooth off the jnat finish, but seems to have degraded a bit faster than usual. The AC is now switched on and the scuttle got some use tonight without fear of my lather melting off. [emoji106]🏻

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Back from Italy!

I think I'm somewhere near 190 shaves at this point...

Today was the Shubo finished GD, which as I found out simply needed a bit more love on the strops to maintain the edge. I guess about 10 or so shaves on it and gave a great shave today. MWF and Proraso AS

Tomorrow I'm going uptown for another hone meetup with the fellas

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Nice shave yesterday off of another GD I started from bevel set. Same progression: 1,2,5,10,15,20K Synth, followed by Shubo/Tomo Nagura finish. I built up a nice slurry, wiped off all but a quarter size bit, and made a ton of light strokes. Once again, the 'haze' didn't find its way all the way out to the toe, or all the way into the heel. It did hit everything in between well enough to show up on the loupe, and nice enough to give a super-smooth shave. Once I find the time I'm gonna lap the stone again and see if that fixes it. If not, then I probably have some issues with rocking on the strokes that just don't show up (at least to me) on the scratch pattern from the synths...

 

[StubbleTrouble]

A good many laps on the canvas/suede/cordovan really took the edge over the top for the second shave off the hones. Lesson learnt here is that stropping counts even more off the stones!

Mühle Silvertip along with AOS Lemon cream / AS Balm made for a super close and comfortable three-pass shave

 

[McVeyMac]

Did you get a chance to hook up with B&B member Mango while in Italy? That dude has a serious collection of NOS razors.

 

[StubbleTrouble]

No, I didn't reach out to him. I was in Milano for only one day and visited family along with going to the Expo. Once we move there permanently it will be much easier to make time for meet ups [emoji106]

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Great couple of shaves off of a new hone, incorporating the extra stropping and also with a few new tricks Buca taught me with JNats. This time I got the edge polished heel to toe and working the slurry to a tacky feel on the stone refined the edge very well.

Prep today was washing the face well at the sink, which isn't something I would have tried not too long ago, but it seems to work fine!

 

[StubbleTrouble]

Omega Pro and Napa Soap Co.'s ocean kelp (my original puck of soap which long outlasted the boar brush that came with it) provided another DFS+ with three passes on the same GD.

When I'm confident I can hone consistently without removing excess steel on the GDs I'll start taking a look at my other razors. Despite the lack of variety in the hardware department at the moment, the shaves are really amazing