The Daily Double

[Ron R]

GEMonday, Jan18th 2021, Well did not feel like missing a MMMonday(A.S.E monday) So to have a little fun decided a Daily double, I picked my easy going 1st Generation Featherweight VS my new 2nd generation Razorock Lupo .72. I let the Gem Featherweight have the tough whisker side and the RR Lupo.72 the other side with 24 hrs growth. Both razors are easy to handle on the face and have become some of my many favorites.
Both are different in weight by quite a bit and my skill level is good enough to handle both issues with the RR Lupo is 3 times the weight of my Gem Feather weight(1OZ). First pass very similar in beard reduction, 2nd pass of on either side very similar again and then the pickups I was pleasantly surprized a tie on closeness. So did the feel test and I had a hard time with what side won- so out came the cottonball test and it also indicated a dead tie with no snagging of cotton. The Gem Feather had the odds against it (tough beard under chin side) but also I have used that razor many more times compared to the RR Lupo .72.
So to conclude I had a different MMMonday with a little enjoyment for this shaving enthusiast.

Razor: Gem Feather weight 1st generation- MFG 1950-52, 2nd gen 1953-54, excellent razor, fun to use with great results.
Razor: Razorock 2nd generation Lupo .72 - Mfg 2021, excellent built razor and a joy to use with just 3 shaves in.
Blade: Gem Personna SS PTFE (2) excellent blade, very sharpe, great longevity and smooths out nicely & predictable.
Blade: Gillette Astra SP (3) excellent blade Sharp & smooth with reasonable longevity.
Soap: Razorock XXX. very nice clean scent with excellent lather qualities.
Brush: Yaqi Red zebra handle 26 mm knot- excellent lather creator with heavenly cloud like soft tips with a bit of back bone + excellent lather painter IMO.
Pre shave: Brush washed my whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser + a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep: Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups on each side of face with 2 different razors.
Post shave: Razorock XXX with witch Hazel + a dollop of Nivea balm.
Results: CCS,DFS,BBs + no irritation + no weepers = excellent shave with my Gem Feather weight + Gem coated blade.
Results: CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + no weepers =excellent shave with my RR Lupo.72 + a Gillette Astra SP blade.

Have some great shaves! Stay & think safe in these times!

 

[Tanuki]

my new 2nd generation Razorock Lupo .72

Hoping to meet my Lupo Dual Comb on Wednesday. Your Lupo shave reports helped me take the plunge, but I had to get at least half an OC.

 

[Tanuki]

AutoStrop double - side-by-side using the same fresh Feather FHS stainless blade

VC2 (OC) vs VC4 (SB) was the agenda. This was my first shave with the VC4.
I put in the time for a thorough prep with mentholated Col Conk Amber and a scrubby boar. Gave the stubble and skin plenty of time to moisturize. The shaving lather was built from an Arko stick and a mistura knot in my hard to find re-knotted Mayd-well 55 brush. Pinaud Lime Sec AS to finish/test.

Shaved right side 2 pass plus clean up with the VC2, then left side with the VC4.

Comparison:

>Loading, VC4 clasps are far easier than the VC2 gated entry.
>Closeness, a tie. For me, the Feather FHS seems likely to always shave less closely than a Gem blade.
>Smoothness fine. I corked and forearm stropped the blade.

Overall a tie.

 

[Ron R]

Hoping to meet my Lupo Dual Comb on Wednesday. Your Lupo shave reports helped me take the plunge, but I had to get at least half an OC.

Looking forward to your review opinions on it.

 

[GAW9576]

Just getting around to posting Friday's shave. Turned out very close and comfortable.

 

[Tanuki]

No Lupo DC yet. It has visited Toronto, Chicago, Jacksonville, Memphis, Seattle, and is finally in Portland.

Meanwhile, today's shave:

 

[Tanuki]

Just getting around to posting Friday's shave. Turned out very close and comfortable.

View attachment 1213019

Pretty serious patina on that silver AutoStrop B!

Come by for a visit:

https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/valet-autostrop-razors-posts-and-discussions.601237/

 

[GAW9576]

Pretty serious patina on that silver AutoStrop B!

Come by for a visit:

https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/valet-autostrop-razors-posts-and-discussions.601237/

Yeah I really like the patina. Wonder what it looks like underneath it though.
Cool. I opened that in a new tab and wil look it over when I get a chance.

 

[GAW9576]

So today I was pondering weather to join @ouchyfoot in a Push Button shave or go really old school along with @Tanuki with a Lather Catcher shave. Well I just couldn't decide. Then I did decide, on both. These two razors are near opposite ends of the Gems age spectrum. At first I thought this was going to be an Odd Couple pairing of razors but I was surprised how good these two look together.
I used the Gem Junior Bar on the front of my neck and on my beard line and the Push Button on the back of my neck. This turned out to be a very close enjoyable shave.

 

[RumpleBearskin]

Kama 23
Universal Lama Intera / 7 am
Heritage Collection Merit 99-5
MWF
Pinaud Clubman

Today didn't start as a double, but the Kama just didn't do its job after three passes. And while SAS may be acceptable for some, I couldn't leave it there. The Lama Intera / 7 am combo finished things off with one easy ATG pass.

 

[GAW9576]

I went with a Gillette triple today.

 

[Tanuki]

Here is Wednesday's double, a Kai blade test. I reduced my ski beard to the minimum for an SR blind edge test that should start tomorrow.

Borrowing the Stealth head has been fun. It really is a highly effective beard mower, but is not so hot at edge detailing. That's where the Lupo DC came in.

 

[Tanuki]

...and today's double set up (Lupo DC not shown).

@Ron R woke me up to the potential for a Kai in a Superspeed, not to mention the @GAW9576 Gillette triple.

1958 D1 TV Special / Kai (4) - the shave
2021 RazoRock Lupo DC / Feather (3) - detailing with OC
Col Conk Lime menthol stick - prep lather/wash
Sanax boar re-knot - breaking in on the prep task
Tabac stick - the usual abundant slick lather
Solid Set boar re-knot - sweet and scrubby
alum, Richard's Rub, styptic(!)

It was a close, comfortable DFS+, except...
Wednesday, I shaved the small area directly below my lip for the first time in years. I was reminded what how tender skin that has been in hiding can be.

Today I decided to take that patch from an SAS to a DFS finish. A tiny classic 3-pass. No irritation, but after the ATG I had a half dozen tiny weepers from individual whisker follicles. New to me!

 

[Tanuki]

Manganese steel SR double (plus a Gem) today:

 

[GAW9576]

Well since @Electrif pointed out on another forums that today is the anniversary of the patent date of the wonderful 1912 razor I decided to join in on a celebratory shave.

 

[Tanuki]

Newest razors double up

>Dovo Carre - still on the factory edge + diamond pasted balsa strop progression, no finish honing!
>PAA polished Copper Ascension / Kai (10)
>custom boar / custom BOSC soap
>Adidas Dynamic Pulse A/S

Still surprised by the Carre factory edge (will I ever touch this blade to a hone?) and the Kai longevity. I am getting a lot of joy out of this heavy copper/silver alloy razor, much more so than from any other DE this heavy.

Very close shave today plus decent detailing performance from both razors. I'm growing in my ski beard again. The LOTH said I had shaved too much away!

 

[Tanuki]

Triple, before I send the GD home with its tail between its legs...

GD 1996 - I gave it a good 20/40 stropping on linen and shell, but it still irritates. 1/4 pass left, below jawline) was more than enough.
Rigarazor - a joy (unfair comparison)
Wunderbar on Mühle handle / Kai(12) - blade keeps ticking along, smooth pass 2 and BBS maelstrom clean up
Cella with Semogue 1250 - classic performance

The usual pre-slickening warm up with mentholated Col Conk and a cool down with Pinaud Lime Sec today.

 

[Tanuki]

Crowded basepaths, but I hit for a triple again:

Ski beard detail day:
Tony Miller roughout steerhide/cotton strop
Henckels Friodur Inox 472 1/2
Dovo 45 stainless Barbarossa
Oxblood PBOCS / Kai (15)
Col Conk & Solid Set boar prep
RazoRock Gold Label & self-built black badger/walnut chubby
Alum, Richard's Rub, B&M Terror "balm"

 

[GAW9576]

I owe a big thanks to @mayer57619 and @twhite for today's fantastic shave. These are some of the most beautiful razors. One Old one New but they share a common and uncommon beauty. Common to each other but uncommon in the razor world. I love the mixture of materials and the engraved lines in the springs. As well as the rivets holding the springs in place. The two razors have a very different feel in the hand as well as the blade feel while shaving. However both razors shaved very well. I feel very lucky to be trusted to have them on loan. They are both remarkable razors.

 

[GAW9576]

Playing around with some more of the razors on loan from @twhite and @mayer57619 today.