The Journal of a Backwards Professor

[Esox]

Is this the ultimate fate for all of us?

Yes. Embrace the future.

BASEPLATE is one word!!!!!

LOL. That drives me nuts too lol.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Yes. Embrace the future.

View attachment 1079151

LOL. That drives me nuts too lol.

Spellcheck is definitely a frenemy.

 

[Esox]

Spellcheck is definitely a frenemy.

Things are becoming far more prevalent. A friend signed up for a new TV service last month. Its voice activated and he has Amazon Prime. He now talks to the...whatever it is thats listening, and he said "Amazon Prime" to no effect. "Am a zon priiime". "Did you want to watch Amazon Primitive?" it asked him lol. "No! AM A ZON PRIME" "Did you want to watch Amazon Glories?" and so on down the list lol.

So much for changing channels on the tv while you're on the phone haha. Its hilarious.

 

[Rosseforp]

Friday, March 27
GC84-P Super-Max BD(7)
Omega Silver Tip
MdC Agrumes
Skin Bracer

Wonderful shave.

2nd day face lathering, still using too much product, but at least I shook enough water out of the brush so it didn't run down my arm.....
I can't believe how fast the MdC builds lather on my face, the first couple strokes it looks thin, then I give it a couple swirls and BAM, instant thick and in need of more water....
I am also used to using the bowl to shape the brush tips, I guess I could still use it for that, for now I will try to just get the water ratio figured out.
The lather was great, and a 1st pass WTG face and neck was in order for tonight. I took my time and let the razor do the work, it was much quieter and so smooth I could barely feel the blade. When I got to the trouble spot on my left jawline I instinctively started to shave ATG, then changed direction and buffed it out WTG.

After rinsing and making sure to leave my face wet I lathered up and made a 2nd XTG face and N-S on my neck. I still felt some stubble on my neck so I made another WTG touch-up pass on my neck, listening to it clip random stubble and go quiet.

The Witch hazel went on uneventful, I let it dry and tighten up my face before I splashed on the Menen Skin Bracer. Wow, I don't remember how it just keeps cooling my face off after the initial sting.
It felt so nice I almost didn't use the Nivea balm.

This kit just keeps getting better, it might be a while before the Piccolo gets an edge in.

Tonight's shave was the closest Non-ATG shave I have ever had.
And it was DFS close.
My face is happy.

 

[Esox]

I am also used to using the bowl to shape the brush tips

I do that by painting on my neck and along my jawline while rotating the brush in my fingers. Then I do my upper lip and cheeks so I dont get lather on my nose or glasses.

 

[Rosseforp]

Saturday, March 28
Razor: GC84-P
Blade: Super-Max BD(8)
Brush: Omega Silver Tip
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer
Additional Care: Alum,Witch hazel,Nivea

GC84 shave #16

3rd time face lathering only, I shook the brush out a bit more than usual, wet the tips and loaded about 30 swirls, just to the point where the brush started to look like it had some soap.
Applying the brush to my face the lather was thinner and more runny than the 2 previous days.
The brush also started to drip water down my arm again, so I just squeezed the not to push the water into the tips and lathered away.


I found a use for my bowl, I lay my brush in it so the water drains toward the tips!

I also used the 37 gram bronze/titanium handle, the bead blasted finish gives a slightly better grip, and I just like it better.

I might make a trip to Harbor Freight and get a small home bead blaster, as the one I used at work is now in Largo, with all the rest of the shop. I retired, they moved 3 months later. Who knew?

With a really good lather I proceeded to start my shave above and around my lips, mostly WTG using short buffing strokes, keeping the angle steep to neutral. Then I shaved both sides of my face WTG using long sweeping strokes, starting to increase the pressure I have been using seems to really smooth it out.

I was gonna stretch my skin as I went around my jawline and WTG down my neck, but the residual MdC was too slick and my fingers kept slipping. Instead I just used a bit more pressure, and slowed down the speed of my strokes to let the guard do it's job.
I can feel the razor cutting, but as I increase the pressure stretches the skin ahead of the razor and I don't feel the blade at all.

After rinsing I felt my neck and face and there was still plenty of stubble, I could have finished up and had a nice SAS, but I wasn't planning on being social anyway.

Squeezing the knot again and a ton of lather gushed out like WMS, light, a bit foamy, and slick as snot on a doorknob.

As I started the WTG pass on the left side of my jawline I felt the usual resistance and scraping, and instead of the usual light buffing passes, You Guess It, I increased the pressure and BAM, it smoothed right out and I couldn't feel any drag anymore.
I guess I have been using more pressure on the right side, and just didn't know it.
So when I started the ATG pass on my neck, I used way more pressure than usual and I could feel it slide through the remaining stubble like it wasn't there. And it wasn't.......

The keratosis on my right cheek has been acting up again so I used the alum on it, then rubbed it all over my face. There was no alum sting anywhere, it felt nice and slick.
I let my face dry before I splashed on the Witch hazel, and put everything away.


The Mennen Skin Bracer had an almost an instant cooling effect, I could have skipped the Nivea balm, but only used a few drops.

My face feels wonderful..........

 

[Esox]

I found a use for my bowl, I lay my brush in it so the water drains toward the tips!

I do the same!

I can feel the razor cutting, but as I increase the pressure stretches the skin ahead of the razor and I don't feel the blade at all.

As I started the WTG pass on the left side of my jawline I felt the usual resistance and scraping, and instead of the usual light buffing passes, You Guess It, I increased the pressure and BAM, it smoothed right out and I couldn't feel any drag anymore.

You found the sweet spot.

Its in the Fatip too.

 

[Rosseforp]

You found the sweet spot.

Its in the Fatip too.

I am definitely getting more comfortable with the GC84-P. However I am finding it hard to resist swapping in the OC84 baseplate......
Must repeat to myself, Fixed Four, Fixed Four, Fixed Four, Fixed Four.

 

[Rosseforp]

Oh, the dilemma, after Friday's Super-Max BD(7) shave, I thought about binning the blade, and trying a new one, or a Gillette Platinum. I thought "Fixed Four" and used the Super-Max BD(8) Saturday. Great shave.
Now I'm trying to decide if I should try and string another weeks worth of shaves from it, or level out the playing field with another blade.

 

[Rosseforp]

As I was looking through my toolbox I came across some interesting items, I just hope these are extra's!!!!!!!!

 

[Rosseforp]

Sunday, March 29
Razor: GC84-P Shave #17(7 fixed 4)
Blade: Super-Max BD(9)
Brush: Omega Silver Tip
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer


I squeezed the brush out, and then just dipped the tips in the water before loading, It looked like I got a bit too much water and not enough soap, but after a minute the lather bloomed nicely. The badger had soaked up enough water that I never needed to dip the brush again.

Tonight's shave could have been better.

I started out using pressure above my lip and when I went around the corner I made a divot next to my lip on the left side. Too much pressure, not enough stretching, and out came the alum block.


The rest of the shave was rather uneventful, the 1st pass was mostly WTG. I did up the pressure again as I got to my cheeks and neck, keeping the angle neutral to steep, listening and feeling the stubble disappear.

The divot needed more attention after rinsing, and the 1st pass was very close, but I lathered up again, squeezing the knot as it was dripping again, and a ton of lather appeared for the 2nd pass.

After shaving above my lip and chin XTG, I shaved my neck S-N, which is mostly ATG. Shaving my face XTG it felt smooth, but I could start to feel the blade pulling a bit and binned it, since it had already drawn blood.

I let my face dry before applying the Witch hazel and Skin Bracer. There was very little, if any burn from the ASL and I finished with Nivea balm.0

Still a nice shave, my face feels nice and smooth, only a few patchy areas.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Brush: Omega Silver Tip
Soap: MdC Agrumes

It looked like I got a bit too much water and not enough soap, but after a minute the lather bloomed nicely.

Is it possible to get too little soap if that soap is MdC?

Asking for a friend (and that friend would be Rave @Raven Koenes).

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Raven Koenes]

Is it possible to get too little soap if that soap is MdC?

Asking for a friend (and that friend would be Rave @Raven Koenes).

Happy shaves,

Jim

I'm going to use MdC this week with my new Fatip Slant. I'm going for a three second load time down from ten. You said ten was way too long, and I'd just end up using it up faster lol. I have to admit I could probably paint the house with ten seconds worth.

 

[Rosseforp]

Is it possible to get too little soap if that soap is MdC?

Asking for a friend (and that friend would be Rave @Raven Koenes).

Happy shaves,

Jim

Possibly if I just opened the lid and sniffed, but that might still be enough.......

 

[Rosseforp]

Last week I decided to take the advice of @Cal and start a Fixed Four with my GC84-P. Super-Max BD, MdC Agrumes, and my Omega Silver Tip make up the kit.

I have been mostly bowl lathering since I started wet-shaving last year, and snagged this one out of the kitchen when my wife wasn't looking.

I works great, I love it. After the first one got knocked on the floor and shattered to bits, I won't say how that happened as I wasn't there at the time, I have been trying to find another bowl that works for me, and is unbreakable.

This one $7.99 from Bed Bath and Beyond, works nice with my Omega 49, but it is breakable.

I have tried baby food bowls, puppy food bowls, these asian market buys.

This one will be great for trips!

Ah, the Timeless that gets such rave reviews.

Lucky for me they stack well, as none of them work any better for me than the one that somehow fell off the bathroom sink and broke.

Then I thought, I haven't really given FACE LATHERING much thought. I have face lathered with Arko, but that doesn't count.
The first thing I noticed was I was using way too much product, and now the water that was in the bowl now drips down my arm. It is called wet-shaving for a reason. Is it possible to use too much MdC?
It is becoming very apparent that a 3 second load is sufficient, and 12 seconds is enough to paint the room......

I really want to try face lathering with this kit now...... but, Fixed Four,Fixed Four,Fixed Four,Fixed Four.

Anybody need a lathering bowl?

 

[Rosseforp]

Given enough time even I can get a Gold Dollar to pass a hanging hair test.

I dropped the arkie on concrete while burnishing it and only the corner broke off, I thought for sure it was history. It is a Surgical Black Arkansas from Best Sharpening Stones, I have flat lapped it on sandpaper, used a DMT on it, and most recently lapped it on a glass plate with SC powder and water. It is flat. With the DMT it left a rough finish on my SR's and didn't seem to remove much material. After lapping on glass with SC powder it doesn't leave the scratches.......
I have used a variety of oils, balistol and water, maybe I just don't know how to use it, but I'm not impressed.

The coticule also came from Best Sharpening Stones, and I have had a slightly better time with it, but the corner just flaked off and I see another crack forming on the other corner. I didn't even drop this one!!! At least now I have a small coticule stone to dress it with.
The finish it leaves isn't bad, but seems to be closer to a 5k finish than an 8k. Once again, maybe it is just me, but I think there are better coticule and arkie's out there. Maybe I needed 8" x 3" instead of 6" x 2".

While I just got some really nice edges on the GD's with these 2 stones, for the rest of my small collection of vintage and Solingen SR's, I have much better luck with an 800 chosera, a 4k/8k norton, and a 12k naniwaw, they are all 8" x 3". I am not entirely thrilled with the naniwaw, but it does leave a nice finish.

Yes, I am on a temporary sabbatical from SR shaving, but that should end soon, and I am on the hunt for a finishing stone I can be happy with.

 

[Rosseforp]

Monday, March 30
Razor: GC84-P Shave #18
Blade: Super-Max BD(1)
Brush: Omega Silver Tip
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer
Additional Care: Witch hazel
Additional Care: Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm


Great shave tonight. #8th shave in a row with this kit. But who's counting, @Cal

Instead of giving the badger a few minutes to soak, I just dipped it in the water mug, gave it a quick shake, dipped it again, just the tips and proceeded to load the MdC heavily for almost 3 seconds. Maybe 3 and 1/2 seconds, who's counting.
The badger painted a nice dry thin layer, and I thought, maybe I should have spent another 1/2 second, that is until I dipped the brush in the water and got a "Are you kidding ME" ridiculous full slick lather, worthy of the fresh BD in the razor.

The 1st pass was mostly WTG face and chin, N-S on my neck, paying special attention to avoid the divot from yesterday, I also eased up on the pressure around my lips to avoid any further blood loss.

I am finding that I have to pay more attention around the corners of my lips with this razor, maybe change directions a bit. Just like with my New SC, or my Slim on #7, if I forget to stretch in that area it does bite. Not so with the Fatip.
The WTG/N-S pass on my neck was about as smooth as it gets, nice long sweeping passes. This razor sure gives a lot of audible feedback when it is performing at it's peak, going silent like a door slamming shut after clipping the last hair.

My face felt nice and smooth after rinsing, but there were patches of stubborn bristles on my neck.

A 2nd ATG pass on my neck, and XTG plus a lot of freestyle on my face was in order. Once again the auditory notes notified me that there indeed was stubble I missed on the first pass. Instead of long sweeping passes, I used dusting strokes ATG about 1/2 inch long. Very smooth with no drag at all, the fresh blade comfortable on it's 1st use.

I said freestyle, thanks for that phrase @thombrogan .

After rinsing I could still feel some light stubble at the base of my neck, a quick brush of wet lather and a few sweeping WTG passes and my face and neck feel smooth.

Surprisingly the Witch hazel stung at first, and so did the Skin Bracer, the Nivea balm cooled everything down.

My face is happy.

 

[Esox]

I am finding that I have to pay more attention around the corners of my lips with this razor, maybe change directions a bit. Just like with my New SC, or my Slim on #7, if I forget to stretch in that area it does bite. Not so with the Fatip.

Gap vs no gap. Gap in a razor can bite if the skin bunches up in the gap. The same can happen with no gap, but instead of being bitten because of the gap, the razor acts more like a planer leveling off a high spot.

 

[Rosseforp]

Tuesday, March 31
Razor: GC84-P
Blade: Super-Max BD(2)
Brush: Omega Silver Tip
Soap: MdC Agrumes
Aftershave: Aqua Velva
Additional Care: Witch hazel
Additional Care: Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm

What can I say abut tonight's shave?

It was a long day, got up at 3:00 am and drove 45 miles to take my Father-in-Law in for Angioplasty. And 45 miles back, 5 hours later.
The procedure went well, he feels great!

Knowing I was getting up earlier than usual, I shaved earlier than usual last night, so I had a fair amount of stubble tonight, but I really wasn't in the mood for a detail job.
SAS will have to do.

I just dipped the brush in the water mug for about 5 seconds, gave it a couple shakes and started loading my badger.
After about 5 swirls I remembered to count the seconds that I spent loading the MdC. Actually I just said one-one-thousand and stopped.
If I had been counting the swirls, maybe 9, but most certainly not 11.

Knowing that I wasn't using the bowl, I soaked my face with a hot towel, loaded the brush and applied to a still moist face.
Once again, as soon as I added a little water to the tips of the brush and started to face lather, well, let's just say that 2 seconds might just be enough time spent loading the brush........

And then I decided that a 1 pass shave would do, I was looking for comfort, and that is all I got.

Actually not bad an hour after shaving, I can barely feel any stubble on my face and neck, but my jawline and left corner is pretty rough. I can even feel light stubble over my lips.

The Witch hazel was nice and cool, as was the Aqua Velva. Nivea balm left my face very comfortable feeling.

So it was a good shave.

An OK shave. A git 'er done shave. A GED

 

[Esox]

It was a long day, got up at 3:00 am and drove 45 miles to take my Father-in-Law in for Angioplasty. And 45 miles back, 5 hours later.
The procedure went well, he feels great!

Happy to hear it went well Doug.

I felt great immediately after too, but they kept me for four days.