The Journal of a Backwards Professor

[Rosseforp]

Monday, December 9
54 Flare Tip
Gillette Platinum(6)
Acca Kappa badger
MdC Agrumes
Clubman


Tonight's shave was very nice.

I didn't soak the badger at all, just dipped the tips in warm water and loaded the brush right away. At first it was runny, just needed a little time. With plenty of lather in the bowl I face lathered a bit and could feel a bit of scritch, the lather was very nice, but the brush needs to soften up more.

The Flare Tip went right to work and only needed 2 easy passes, WTG and XTG. I just love the nice swishing sound that comes from this razor. There is nice feedback and not a hint of chatter. I could shave ATG easily, but I don't need the aggravation.
I noticed the Clubman is much nicer to my face than the Arko aftershave is, the Arko balm is ok.

My face feels better today than yesterday's shave. I'm really liking the MdC, the Agrumes has a light scent, kind of a musky citrus........

DFS


I was hoping that UPS would show up today with my Semogue 620, as their tracking system sucks compared to FedEx and USPS. At least when they are no-shows they send you a notice. UPS hasn't even updated for a week, and I paid extra. I remember when UPS had better service.......

 

[Rosseforp]

Tuesday, December 10
54 Flare Tip
Gillette Platinum(7)
Koh-I-Noor
MdC Agrumes
Essential Oil of Lime


Tonight's shave was a little rushed, I wanted to shower early, before we went to my daughter's concert.

Just a quick, for me, 2 pass shave, the little boar did a nice job. My brother got it for my son, but I think I'm gonna keep it. I got him a new Razorock Bruce because he likes mine.

My face felt nice after the shave and Witch hazel, but the new Lime after splash sure made it's presence known on my face. The wife likes the scent though. The Arko balm calmed things down.

Not a DFS, but close...

 

[Rosseforp]

Wednesday, December 11
GC84OC
Gillette Platinum(8)
Semogue 620
MdC Agrumes
Eau Sauvage

Tonight's shave was a close one.

My new Semogue 620 and Game Changer 84 Open Comb finally made their 14 day trip from Canada. Even though I could have used the Free shipping, I mistakenly thought if I checked the UPS Priority option for an extra $6.99 it might arrive a little sooner.

IB customer service basically told me "Take Off, 'eh".

Even after I pointed out that I had ordered shaving products from The Superior Shave and West Coast Shaving on the same day and had received them before IB had even shipped my stuff!!!
And that I was a repeat customer.

My bad.

Oh yeah, the Superior Shave and West Coast Shaving shipped my stuff for free.

I just ordered the rest of what I want for the rest of the year from Maggard's, I will see how they treat me. Well, there are a few things that are out of stock I want to get, and I am pretty sure I will not be ordering them from north of the border again.

OK, end of rant.

I had already test lathered twice with the Semogue, the first test with MdC was a complete flop, as expected it just soaked up everything. The 2nd test with RR Amici looked really nice, so I tried it with the MdC tonight with superb results.
The first time on my face felt pretty nice for a new brush, it is already starting to split hairs and getting soft.

How do I like the GC84OC after all of this? Well first off, when I put a blade in and took a look, it got my respect right away. This razor means business.

For the 1st pass I used a very light and no-pressure pass. It felt very smooth, solid, I didn't really hear it like the Flare Tip, but the blade is just, so, uhhhh, in your face there, more so than the GC84-P.

After it gave me a weeper on my right cheek I really lightened up and rode the cap for most of the shave. There wasn't much left for a 2nd pass, but I had plenty of lather and a new brush to use. I probably was a little to conservative as there are some spots I could have easily gotten closer, but also some pretty damn close areas.

I decided to pamper my face so I used the Eau Sauvage, hyaluronic acid and Nivea Sensitive post balm and my face feels nice.

Much closer to a SAS than a DFS.

 

[Rosseforp]

Thursday, December 12
GC68-P
Gillette Platinum(9)
Semogue 620
Black Label Fougere
Black Label Fougere aftershave


The Semogue is breaking in nicely, I almost added too much water, the brush still needs more time.

I find the Black Label Fougere scent is closest to Proraso shall I say, faint, less eucalyptus, more citrus.
The performance is pretty much the same as What the Puck, with the ingredients list reading the same.

It felt nice using the GC68, it has been getting lonely and gave me a nice 2 pass shave. Nice and smooth with a sweeping sound like the Flare Tip.

I finished up with Witch hazel, hyaluronic acid, Black Label Fougere splash, and Nivea balm.

DNS-Damn Nice Shave

 

[Rosseforp]

Friday, December 13
GC68-P Gillette
Platinum(10)
Acca Kappa
Wholly Kaw La Fougere Parfaite
Black Label Fougere splash


I didn't get much lather with the Acca Kappa, it worked great with MdC, but the Wholly Kaw needs to be loaded like you hate it. The Semogue didn't have any trouble with it, as I lathered up a nice bowl after I finished shaving.

What lather the badger made was just enough for 2 passes, but it did provide enough protection that I barely felt any sting from the Fougere splash.
The scent was stronger than the Black Label, but not much. Along the same notes as the Adqua di Parma, but not as intoxicating.
I finished up with Nivea balm and my face feels nice after the shave.

DFS

 

[Rosseforp]

Sunday, December 15
M4 Tech
Gillette Platinum(12)
PJ2 badger
Acqua di Parma
RR Lime


I had the lather just about right, then decided that it needed more water and got it too foamy. It still smells great and provided plenty of slickness.
After the 1st pass I probably should have stopped there for a SAS....... The 2nd pass got almost everything, and I mean a really close WTG shave.

Ahhh, but the lack of efficiency in a mild razor means razor burn and the Witch hazel let me know that the Lime splash was gonna sting.
I used the hyaluronic acid and Nivea balm to finish up and my face feels OK.

Close and OK.........

 

[Rosseforp]

Monday, December 16
J3 Slim
Nacet(1)
PJ2 badger
Wholly Kaw Fougere
Black Label Fougere


The new badger is still a bit finicky with anything but MdC, but it is very soft already. It also seems to have more backbone than my other brushes it is packed so dense.

I did get a nice creamy lather and the Slim on #5 did OK.

The 1st WTG pass I didn't really have much blade feel, I could barely feel it cutting. The 2nd XTG pass was much of the same, I didn't feel it cutting much. I could have changed the setting higher, but my experience with this razor is to leave it on #5 or risk it biting me.
I got a pretty close shave with almost no irritation, but the Slim just isn't comfortable for me.

I let my face dry before putting on the Witch hazel and the Fougere splash barely stung. I finished up with Nivea balm and my face feels nice.

I'll put the Slim in a safe place until next year.


SAS

 

[Rosseforp]

Wednesday, December 18
GC68-P
GC84-P
Nacet(3)
Acca Kappa badger
Wholly Kaw Fougere Parfaite
Black Label Fougere


Tonight's shave was nice.

The Acca Kappa whipped up a nice creamy lather, it is starting to earn it's keep in the rotation.

With so many new brushes in various states of breaking-in, it isn't like I really have a set rotation, but it is rising to the top.
Now, if the PJ2 wants to start earning it's keep, I will be happy. It did whip up an extremely luxurious lather after finishing up with my shave tonight.

With a really nice lather the GC68 just glided over my face. I did feel a couple of bumps but no snags. I might get the GC84 in later this week.

I waited until I felt my face start to tighten up before splashing on the Witch hazel and Black Label. I finished up with Nivea balm and my face feels good.

DFS

 

[Rosseforp]

Thursday, December 19
Merkur15C
Nacet(4)
Simpson PJ2
MdC Agrumes
Pinaud Clubman

Tonight's shave was very nice.

Well I loaded the PJ2 like I hated it, and it turns out I didn't need to. I got enough lather for 5 passes. And with such a rich lather I was able to really use the tips to brush it on my face. It is very dense but also velvety soft on my face.

I'm really starting to like this brush. I'm suddenly not in such a hurry to get the Omega 622 Silver Tip Badger.

Because the Merkur is so mild I had a nice 3 pass shave, the last pass ATG, it is my only razor that is actually comfortable to shave ATG on my neck.
When I splashed on the Witch hazel I knew the Clubman was gonna light my face up, and it did. I used the hyaluranic acid and Nivea balm and my face feels nice.

After finishing up I got out the Omega 49 and whipped up a ridiculous amount of lather with a 10 second load. I then tried the PJ2 again, barely getting enough soap on the tips to see, like 10 swirls, and again got a ridiculous amount of lather..........

DFS

 

[Rosseforp]

Friday, December 20
Schöne
Nacet(5)
Acca Kappa
Acqua Di Parma
Pinaud Clubman

The Acca Kappa held enough lather for my whole face now that it is breaking in. It is very soft, but I could feel a little scritch when brushing my face.
The scent of the Parma is intoxicating and the lather provided plenty of cushion. I could feel the blade a bit and rode the cap for a nice comfortable close 2 pass shave.
My face was still a little sensitive from all of the ATG yesterday, so I didn't do any buffing or stretching. The efficiency of the Schöne was all that I needed.

The Witch hazel and Clubman only warmed up my face a bit with a mild sting, and the Nivea balm left my face feeling nice.

DFS

 

[Rosseforp]

Saturday, December 21
Schöne
Nacet(6)
Simpson PJ2
Acqua Di Parma
Eau Sauvage

Tonight's shave was wonderful.
Some days I just want to spoil my face.

The Acqua Di Parma my brother got me from Italy is just wonderful. The scent is intoxicating as I build a lather that lets the razor do it's job with ease. Post shave feel is supple.

I wasn't so sure if I made a sensible choice with the Simpson PJ2, the first few shaves were pretty disappointing. I couldn't seem to build a decent lather with such a dense brush, even with as much backbone it has, but it's softness and price gave me reason to be patient before making comments.

The last two shaves with it have been wonderful now, building lather and brushing my face like only a Silver Tip can do. It still has a ton of backbone and I don't know if it will get floppy with more use. I think that would be a plus.

When my brother sent me the shaving kit from Italy, his wife included some samples of some very nice fragrances. My wife's favorite aftershave was the Eau Sauvage, a citrus aroma that also goes well with MdC Agrumes, and a price that matches. It also leaves my face feeling wonderful, and that is a plus.
I finished up with Nivea balm.


DFS

The pic is post shave so the brush is still damp.

 

[Rosseforp]

Monday, December 23
GameChanger84
GSB(2)
Omega 49
Wholly Kaw Fougere Parfaite
Pinaud Clubman



The Omega 49 is finally coming around, as long as I don't soak it too long it builds a great lather and is really getting soft. Yeah, I think it is ready to fit into the weekly rotation.

The Wholly Kaw is so slick I could barely feel the blade on most of the 1st pass. I did feel it catch a spot on the middle of my neck that did get a little red. I slowed down after that but kept the angle the same.

Once again after the 1st pass there wasn't much left, but I could feel the usual spots on my neck with some stubble. The 2nd pass I was pretty deliberate with my strokes as I could barely feel the blade touching my skin, but I really wanted to see if I could get those 2 spots clean without irritation, and I did.

I'm still not sure if I get a closer shave with the GC 68 as I don't worry so much about it catching a loose corner if I don't stretch. I didn't do any stretching for tonight's shave at all. I finished up with the Witch hazel and the Clubman barely stung, just felt nice. I did use the HA and then Nivea balm.

My face feels pretty good

DFS

 

[Rosseforp]

Tuesday, December 24
GameChanger68
GSB(3)
Simpson PJ2
Wholly Kaw Fougere Parfaite
Eau Sauvage


The lather was looking a little saucy in the bowl, so I decided to load the brush again and face lather. I'm glad I did, because that is where this brush really shines.
I was able to get a very nice lather and got carried away on the 1st pass, a tiny weeper just above my lip on the left side. I did a little stretching around my jawline and I think I tilted my neck just right to get the spot.

For the 2nd pass I swirled the brush in the lather bowl a bit and covered my face with a nice creamy lather. I did the usual XTG on my face and only ATG the bottom of my neck.

All in all, a very nice close shave. The Witch hazel was refreshing, and the Eau Sauvage really felt nice. I used a couple drops of HA and Nivea balm to finish up.

DFS

 

[Rosseforp]

Wednesday, December 25
GameChanger68
GSB(4)
Omega 10066
Wholly Kaw Fougere Parfaite
Amici splash


Still not getting the greatest lather, but the cushion is nice, it could use a little move slickness.

The 1st pass I took it nice and slow, lost my concentration for a second and almost paid for it, gotta stretch those wrinkles...
I added a bit of water for the 2nd pass, and that is what it needed. The razor just glided down my neck, I could just barely feel it cutting.

The Witch hazel felt smooth, and the Amici had not sting at all, it leaves a moist feeling so I skipped the HA and just used the Nivea balm to finish. The shave didn't seem like anything to write home about, but my face feels nice and clean and soft.

DFS

 

[Rosseforp]

Thursday, December 26
GameChanger68
GSB(5)
Simpson PJ2
Wholly Kaw Fougere Parfaite
Arko cologne aftershave

Tonight's shave was delightfully close.

The PJ2 is still giving me fits bowl lathering, maybe I should just use it to face lather, that seemed to work.

Regardless, the Wholly Kaw still delivers a nice slick shave.

I really took my time on the 1st pass, just going halfway down my neck, then up from the bottom. This is supposed to eliminate irritation in that area, but it isn't really a trouble spot for me. I could hear and feel the blade cutting, but barely touching my face.
Smooth and no tugging at all.

The 2nd pass was mostly XTG on my face, and the same pattern on my neck as the 1st pass. I also did a 3rd pass ear to nose on my face, and ATG my neck. I payed a lot of attention to ride the cap and mostly buff my neck, nice gentle and slow.

The Witch hazel gave no hint of irritation at all, and neither did the Arko cologne aftershave.
No sting at all.
As the Arko goes on very dry, I used the HA and Nivea balm and my face feels wonderful.

Pretty much a BBS..........

 

[Rosseforp]

Friday, December 27
GameChanger68
GSB(6)
Semogue 620
Wholly Kaw Fougere Parfaite
Arko cologne aftershave


Tonight's shave was excellent.

I loaded the Semogue fairly heavy, added water slowly, and got a really nice lather with a little patience. The 620 looked a little small when I first got it, but I have liked this brush right from the start. It had almost no smell and didn't need any time to break-in at all.

And it payed off with a very comfortable shave and more than enough for 3 passes, the 1st pass was mostly WTG with a little stretching around my mouth and jawline. The 2nd pass was mostly XTG on my face, and ATG on my neck. I rode the cap for most of my neck and barely felt the blade.
I did pay close attention to keeping the strokes short.

The Wholly Kaw has taken me some time to get the water ratio down, but has always left my face feeling great.

I used the Witch hazel and the Arko did give me a slight sting at first, but I skipped the HA and just used the Nivea balm as my face felt pretty nice after the Arko splash.


Oh yeah, DFS baby

 

[Rosseforp]

Saturday, December 28
Game Changer 68
GSB (7)
Acca Kappa
Wholly Kaw Fougere Parfaite
Arko aftershave cologne




The Acca Kappa really performed and dished up a great creamy lather.
Once again the Wholly Kaw did a great job of providing all of the cushion and slickness I needed for a comfortable 3 pass shave.

The Witch hazel was refreshing and the Arko stung at first but felt nice and cool afterwards. I finished up with just the Nivea balm for a really nice shave.

DFS

 

[Rosseforp]

Sunday, December 29
SLOC
GSB(1)
Acca Kappa
Wholly Kaw Fougere Parfaite
Arko aftershave cologne


I thought I had loaded the brush sufficiently, but I went back to the puck anyway and got a magnificent lather.

The SLOC has been on the back burner for a month or two so I put a new blade in to see how it compares to the GC 68.
Right away I noticed much more blade feel on my face, and I also could feel the blade vibrating through the handle as it cut. It is not nearly as smooth as the GC 68 and I could feel the blade is not clamped as tightly.

I still got a nice 3 pass shave with little to no irritation.

The Witch hazel seemed more refreshing than usual, but the Arko did sting a touch, no more than usual. I finished up with Nivea balm.

Just an OK shave.

 

[Rosseforp]

Monday, December 30, 2019
SLOC
GSB(2)
Omega 10066
Wholly Kaw Fougere Parfaite
Arko aftershave cologne

 

[Rosseforp]

Tuesday, December 31, 2019
SLOC
GSB(3)
Semogue 620
Wholly Kaw Fougere Parfaite
Arko aftershave cologne


I showered late and after lathering up I decided to put a blade in the razor. After all, the Semogue did whip up a nice bowl of lather. I pretty much did a rinse and repeat of yesterday, 3 passes, but I did shave fairly fast. Kind of a get it done shave. Still shaving halfway down and halfway up my neck. I took the picture after the shave, so the brush is damp.

SAS