The Quest: DFS + 0 Irritation or Ingrown Hairs

[Johnnynroy]

If I remember correctly we both joined the forums around the same time, it’s cool to see the progress you have made and everything you have learned along the way( and the friends you made). You mentioned injectors work well for you, which ones or one is your favorite and what blades do you use? My favorite injector is the I-2 hydromagic(right name?) with a Chinese Schick blade. Goes through several days growth like a lightsaber and always a DFS for me.

That sounds about right. I joined just over one year ago.

Favorite injector is difficult for me right now. I really like the Chick blades and the Japanese Twin blades. My I-2s feel more aggressive than I’d like, but that could be blade selection or something else. If I had to pick one it’d be either the I-1 or probably the Type O clone.

I get very solid DFS shaves from all the injectors. I really enjoy them, but definitely need to get better technique-wise as I do tend towards a couple weepers every few shaves. It just depends on how my skin is doing (random acne and such) at the time.

 

[Cal]

That sounds about right. I joined just over one year ago.

Do you guys never click on peoples avatars?

@Sharp&Shiny joined Sep 4, 2017
@Johnnynroy joined Jun 16, 2017

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thanks, Joel. Lots of trials. Few successful (except for ruling out razors).

I'm so glad you have the injectors!

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Johnnynroy]

Do you guys never click on peoples avatars?

@Sharp&Shiny joined Sep 4, 2017
@Johnnynroy joined Jun 16, 2017

Nope, I don't lol! I didn't post much until about the time Jim started his DCS thread.

 

[Sharp&Shiny]

Do you guys never click on peoples avatars?

@Sharp&Shiny joined Sep 4, 2017
@Johnnynroy joined Jun 16, 2017

Lol, never knew that.

 

[Esox]

I guess the few gray whiskers I've seen might mean the beard is just going to get tougher? Oh goodie...

Thats one reason I shave, so I dont have to see all the grey now hahaha.

Yep, the whiskers just get tougher. Yours are only mild steel now, wait until they enter the carbon fiber stage lol.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Hydration becomes more and more important. There's a reason I invest heavily in building a super hydrated face lather.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Johnnynroy]

I’ve been using a nice kit this week, except one day when I was running late and used Nivea Sensitive shave cream in a can (not as bad as you’d expect).

Razor/blade: Personna Floating Head (PFH) with vintage Personna Twin blade (5-7 shaves in? Maybe?)
Brush: Semogue Owner’s Club Boar
Soap and aftershave: SV 70th anniversary

Also used Thayers before the SV aftershave and to dilute it slightly.

The SOC is getting to be well broken in. Very soft. I had a bad lather with the SV and SOC when I tried s bowl lather. Rescued it with a face lather and been doing that since with great success. Really like this combo with a face lather.

The PFH is a fantastic razor. Might end up preferring it with the Japanese Schick TWINs but I gotta get this one to give out first. Very few weepers with this setup and I’m loving it.

Stirling arkadia is going to be upcoming this weekend. Here’s hoping no allergic reaction to it! Very excited as the scent seems decent to me. Enjoy the shaves all!


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[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I’ve been using a nice kit this week, except one day when I was running late and used Nivea Sensitive shave cream in a can (not as bad as you’d expect).

Razor/blade: Personna Floating Head (PFH) with vintage Personna Twin blade (5-7 shaves in? Maybe?)
Brush: Semogue Owner’s Club Boar
Soap and aftershave: SV 70th anniversary

Also used Thayers before the SV aftershave and to dilute it slightly.

The SOC is getting to be well broken in. Very soft. I had a bad lather with the SV and SOC when I tried s bowl lather. Rescued it with a face lather and been doing that since with great success. Really like this combo with a face lather.

The PFH is a fantastic razor. Might end up preferring it with the Japanese Schick TWINs but I gotta get this one to give out first. Very few weepers with this setup and I’m loving it.

Stirling arkadia is going to be upcoming this weekend. Here’s hoping no allergic reaction to it! Very excited as the scent seems decent to me. Enjoy the shaves all!


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Drooling, I am. PFH.

 

[Johnnynroy]

Drooling, I am. PFH.

I’m not certain that the PFH truly shaves me any better than any of my other injectors with a Twin blade.

Is it a great razor? Yes. Would I pay more than I did for it? No. It’s a rare razor, but the shave doesn’t really justify a premium price over the other Schick Injectors. The Floating Head design seems to be more of a marketing gimmick than a truly valuable aspect of the razor. I get the same number of weepers with it, or more, than my M-1 or M-3 with a Twin blade. I get very few weepers with my Schicks. My last post was more in comparison to the NEW SC which gave me loads of weepers. I don’t think the PFH shaves any closer than the Schicks either.

I’ve thought about applying a bit more pressure with it to engage the Floating Head, but I’ve been getting one or more weepers every shave using very little pressure anyway. I think more pressure would be ill advised.

 

[Johnnynroy]

I kept with the PFH and SOC today, but used Stirling Arkadia soap and aftershave. It is supposed to smell like Terres D’Hermes (same as fine L’Orange Noir). I rather enjoy the scent after and during the shave. Straight from the puck and bottle I didn’t really care for it. It really opens up as you lather. I got a little itchy on the second pass, but barely any, and no redness. It could have been from the SOC and how I lathered. I’ll use a synthetic tomorrow to get rid of that variable.

Arkadia has really nice orange note that is underscored by a somewhat “dark/rich” smelling base. Kinda like a darker wood note without any spice. It’s very interesting and enjoyable to me. It seems like a darker version of AdP Colonia or RazoRock XXX. Those are a much brighter scent.

If my skin cooperates, this one seems to be a good candidate to stay in the den. Oddly enough, I found I enjoyed the lather as much as the SV I’ve been using lately. So slick and great post shave feeling. Maybe a slight bit less cushion than SV, but I’m not really certain on that. Just reminds me how truly great Stirling’s soaps are.


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[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I’m not certain that the PFH truly shaves me any better than any of my other injectors with a Twin blade.

Is it a great razor? Yes. Would I pay more than I did for it? No. It’s a rare razor, but the shave doesn’t really justify a premium price over the other Schick Injectors. The Floating Head design seems to be more of a marketing gimmick than a truly valuable aspect of the razor. I get the same number of weepers with it, or more, than my M-1 or M-3 with a Twin blade. I get very few weepers with my Schicks. My last post was more in comparison to the NEW SC which gave me loads of weepers. I don’t think the PFH shaves any closer than the Schicks either.

I’ve thought about applying a bit more pressure with it to engage the Floating Head, but I’ve been getting one or more weepers every shave using very little pressure anyway. I think more pressure would be ill advised.

I'll quit drooling, Joel, thanks for your review. If one shows up at a great price I might buy it, but they don't seem to show up at all, and I've been looking.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Johnnynroy]

Very quick update since I've been a bit MIA lately:

Work has been crazy busy and likely will continue to be for the next few years. I've been using the I-2 hydro magic with a Schick Proline B-2 blade. Fantastic shaves. Very close (maybe closer than with a twin blade) and quite comfy as of late. Stirling Bay rum shave soap, Stirling badger brush, and a quick face lather have gotten my mornings off to great starts. Finish off with Captain's Choice sandalwood aftershave and thayer's and my face has been feeling amazing. I also haven't been forced to shave daily with this job so I'm sure that's helped my skin out some.

Likely going to do some aftershave experimenting soon here, than the software part of the den is going to get a large reduction. SV, WK, Stirling, and Cella. That is going to be my soap collection. CF lavender and B&M lavanille will also stick around. Everything else is going to take up residence elsewhere. I wont be buying more SV likely either, just use up what I have. WK might get another tub out of me but it's also doubtful. Cella is going to be a brick and my daily driver after this final reduction, and a Bay rum aftershave of some kind more than likely. It's a scent my wife and I can agree upon.

A few razors are also going to find new homes. My injectors will be around, but I'm not reaching for any DEs lately. I'm even favoring the single blade injectors. Oh well.

I haven't felt any ADs clawing at me lately, and my daily shaves recently have been so good I don't feel like I need anything better than what I'm using now. My skin feels good, I'm very happy shaving with this kit for the foreseeable future. I'll keep a few other items around so I dont get too bored, but I'm feeling like I want less shaving stuff around. Most of it sits unused right now. It's freeing and exciting. Hope everything is well with everyone!

Jim, @Chan Eil Whiskers, I'll be watching your ikon tech experiments with interest. Not the buying kind, but the kind where I hope you find your barbershop quality shave soon. Enjoy the shaves all!

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[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thanks, Joel.

I'm glad things are going well for you, and busy is good. I know it's a very exciting and satisfying time for you.

Seems to me the injectors are amazingly easy to use and good shavers. If you want a very, very easy to use and quite effective DE I'd suggest a RR SLOC (out of stock at the moment). Excellent razor and as easy as the injectors I think.

I should get some injector Prolines down the road.

I look forward to your bay rum experiments. I love my Stirling bay rum splash and balm.

Oh, I hope I don't need an ER visit after I use the iKon Tech. Serious gap and serious blade exposure. It will be a real test for me.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Johnnynroy]

I've been enjoying my shaves lately, especially my aftershaves. I've been on a Bay Rum kick. I've tried three mixes of various Bay Rum and other aftershaves so far: Bootlegger's Bay Rum, a variation on Bootlegger's, and a citrus version on that variation.

Bootlegger's Bay Rum was created by a member here at B&B, OkieStubble. The specific recipe to qualify as Bootlegger's is 1 part Pinaud VI Bay Rum, 1 part Master Bay Rum, 1 part Superior 70 alcoholado. Bootlegger's Lime Bay Rum is an additional 1 part Pinaud Citrus Musk added to original Bootlegger's. With that out of the way, I'll give a quick overview of the ones I've used so far.

Bootlegger's Bay Rum: I thought it would be way too high in alcohol content with the Superior 70. I tried this one last of these three mixes, but I mention it first as this was the reason for buying all of the ingredients. Face feel is fantastic, and I haven't needed a balm with it. I actually don't even necessarily need to use my normal Thayer's witch hazel with it. Scent has a slight off smell on the very initial application that goes away within seconds. Dry down has the clove of the VIBR in the forefront, but it is well balanced by the bay oil in the other two. It is a fantastic mixture and I'm glad I gave it a shot. Little to no burn at all, which surprised me with the VIBR's reputation for burn. This lasts about an hour with a pretty good potency, then is whiffs only for the rest of the day at most, I didn't detect it at all after my 10 hour shift had ended.

VIBR, Stephan's Bay Rum, and Master Bay Rum: Out of deference for OkieStubble who requested nothing be labeled Bootlegger's besides his officially tested mixtures, I don't have a name for this one. I didn't have Superior 70 yet, so I substituted Stephan's for it. I thoroughly enjoyed it for my first attempt at a mixture. It wasn't sticky like I was concerned it would be without the Superior 70. I noted the same off smell here as in the Bootlegger's, although it seemed to last longer. My wife thought the dry down was more of a soap scent here instead of the clove. The face feel was good, no discernible alcohol burn at all. Scent lasted a couple hours somewhat potently (not very potent, but more than my normal) and I caught whiffs for about half the workday.

VIBR, Stephan's, Master, Pinaud Citrus Musk: Here we have an excellent one. The lime scent carried through pretty well for most of the day. Face feel was good with Thayer's underneath. I haven't tried this one without Thayer's yet, but will tomorrow. Not as much Bay Rum scent from this mixture, but it underlies the lime scent well. So far, this might be my favorite of the three based on scent. It is my wife's favorite of the three. I will try out Bootlegger's Lime soon(ish) to compare.

I will be trying out each component individually to see what I think of each component, but I so far really like each of the mixtures. Hopefully I'll have more to report on soon. I also will be making another purchase or two of some straight bay rum aftershaves to compare. My current stock likely will last for some time, but having some artisan bay rums would also be nice.

 

[Johnnynroy]

Answering a question Jim @Chan Eil Whiskers had about my bay rum experiments. Specifically, do I like the scent of each component individually? Also, "which commercially available, but inexpensive, bay rums are you going to purchase?

I do like each component of Bootlegger's, in different ways. I haven't used each one individually. The Superior 70 I will likely not use as I think the 70 is the percent alcohol in it. It has a really pure bay scent. I also really like the scent of Master Bay Rum. I'm pretty sure it is what provides the excellent face feel to Bootlegger's. Lots of Bay, more pungent than Superior 70, but I think it is likely fairly fleeting. The VIBR has a lot of clove scent out of the bottle. I'm going to decant it into the 5 ounce glass bottles I purchased, as I think this is where I'm getting the off plastic scent from in my mixes. Stephan's is reputed to have very good face feel, and a good but fleeting scent. I like the scent, bay is prominent, maybe something else underlying it. I really like the mix with Stephan's and citrus musk. It is fantastic, great face feel, scent, and longevity of scent. Maybe I'm just a sucker for citrus aftershaves/scents.

For purchases, I'm going to buy the "new" dominica bay rum. It's called Grand Bay, Bay Rum. Reputed to be very similar to the original Dominica Bay Rum, it is being imported by the same company that used to import Dominica Bay Rum. Dominica (the country/island) was hit by a hurricane last fall and completely devastated. This is the closest we will have to true Dominica Bay Rum for awhile. Also going to be getting Cat O'Nine Tails from Captain's Choice, maybe their Bay Rum too. Very tempted to pick up some Ogallala Bay Rum in one of their many varieties. Perhaps the Cedar so I can pair it with my wonderful Soap Commander (Courage? I think?) cedar scented soap. Krampert's Finest Acadian Spice is also on the list. WSP makes a Bay Rum soap that Jim recently used, but I can't find the aftershave at Maggard. Finally, I've looked into Royall Bay Rhum and St. John's Bay Rum, but these are definitely on the pricier side of things. My wife didn't care for Stirling's interpretation. She likened the scent to "Juicy Fruit" gum, which I can kinda smell still in my soap. I won't give up that soap as it is heavenly in performance and the scent, while Juicy Fruit-like, is still close enough to Bay Rum for me to thoroughly enjoy it.

I'm looking mainly at Maggard link and West Coast Shaving link as Amazon's prices are ridiculous for some things. I'll just lump my purchases or pay the $5-8 in shipping and support these fantastic shaving stores. I bought most of my ingredients for Bootlegger's, except Superior 70, from a barber supply store in the far north of Wisconsin. Pleasure to deal with. Shipping price was a bit high, but it came rapidly and packed well. Their prices on the aftershaves was way under Amazon or anywhere else, so I ended up saving money even with shipping included.

A few B&B review links to wet your whistle on: #1, #2, less organized free for alls - #3, #4, and #5.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Answering a question Jim @Chan Eil Whiskers had about my bay rum experiments. Specifically, do I like the scent of each component individually? Also, "which commercially available, but inexpensive, bay rums are you going to purchase?

I do like each component of Bootlegger's, in different ways. I haven't used each one individually. The Superior 70 I will likely not use as I think the 70 is the percent alcohol in it. It has a really pure bay scent. I also really like the scent of Master Bay Rum. I'm pretty sure it is what provides the excellent face feel to Bootlegger's. Lots of Bay, more pungent than Superior 70, but I think it is likely fairly fleeting. The VIBR has a lot of clove scent out of the bottle. I'm going to decant it into the 5 ounce glass bottles I purchased, as I think this is where I'm getting the off plastic scent from in my mixes. Stephan's is reputed to have very good face feel, and a good but fleeting scent. I like the scent, bay is prominent, maybe something else underlying it. I really like the mix with Stephan's and citrus musk. It is fantastic, great face feel, scent, and longevity of scent. Maybe I'm just a sucker for citrus aftershaves/scents.

For purchases, I'm going to buy the "new" dominica bay rum. It's called Grand Bay, Bay Rum. Reputed to be very similar to the original Dominica Bay Rum, it is being imported by the same company that used to import Dominica Bay Rum. Dominica (the country/island) was hit by a hurricane last fall and completely devastated. This is the closest we will have to true Dominica Bay Rum for awhile. Also going to be getting Cat O'Nine Tails from Captain's Choice, maybe their Bay Rum too. Very tempted to pick up some Ogallala Bay Rum in one of their many varieties. Perhaps the Cedar so I can pair it with my wonderful Soap Commander (Courage? I think?) cedar scented soap. Krampert's Finest Acadian Spice is also on the list. WSP makes a Bay Rum soap that Jim recently used, but I can't find the aftershave at Maggard. Finally, I've looked into Royall Bay Rhum and St. John's Bay Rum, but these are definitely on the pricier side of things. My wife didn't care for Stirling's interpretation. She likened the scent to "Juicy Fruit" gum, which I can kinda smell still in my soap. I won't give up that soap as it is heavenly in performance and the scent, while Juicy Fruit-like, is still close enough to Bay Rum for me to thoroughly enjoy it.

I'm looking mainly at Maggard link and West Coast Shaving link as Amazon's prices are ridiculous for some things. I'll just lump my purchases or pay the $5-8 in shipping and support these fantastic shaving stores. I bought most of my ingredients for Bootlegger's, except Superior 70, from a barber supply store in the far north of Wisconsin. Pleasure to deal with. Shipping price was a bit high, but it came rapidly and packed well. Their prices on the aftershaves was way under Amazon or anywhere else, so I ended up saving money even with shipping included.

A few B&B review links to wet your whistle on: #1, #2, less organized free for alls - #3, #4, and #5.

I thought this was a post I'd missed and was so happy to have finally found it. Turns out to be an excellent ten minute old post.

Just what I was looking for, Joel.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have the other Stirling with witch hazel and aloe (I think) but this is my favorite right recently. This burns so good! The witch hazel and aloe product is okay, but I'm very into this one bay rum right now. All others are on the bottom shelf compared to this. Not saying anything about a permanent condition or choice.

I wondered if maybe your wife didn't like it.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Johnnynroy]

My shave today was fantastic. The S.I.S.S.I.E.S. thread was lighting up a little bit yesterday because eBarbershop is going out of business due to health problems. It inspired me to use their Type O clone today. I have only used it previously with a Twin blade. Today I used it with a fresh Chick. Soap was Sudsy Soapery's Citrus and Bay (vegan base), Stirling synthetic brush, and my VIBR/Stephan's/Master/Citrus Musk mixture.

Citrus and Bay off the puck is very spicy. It mellows out and I barely detect the bay when lathering. The grapefruit really amps up when you lather it. Very nice mix of subtle bay and the citrusy grapefruit. Really great slickness, residual slickness, cushion, and post-shave were fantastic like usual. The shave this razor and blade combo gave was surprisingly great. I'd heard the O clone was too mild with a Chick. If you want a BBS, maybe it is. For me seeking a solid DFS, it managed to deliver in 2 passes plus very minor touchups. Quite close, two weepers from the damage I incurred yesterday.

The aftershave was fantastic. Great Bay Rum scent underlying the lime from the Citrus Musk. Face feel is absolutely fantastic. My skin rarely looks this good, and it almost never feels this good. Scent is one of my favorites, and I definitely think this will be a den staple for many years to come.

 

[Johnnynroy]

View attachment 902486

I have the other Stirling with witch hazel and aloe (I think) but this is my favorite right recently. This burns so good! The witch hazel and aloe product is okay, but I'm very into this one bay rum right now. All others are on the bottom shelf compared to this. Not saying anything about a permanent condition or choice.

I wondered if maybe your wife didn't like it.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Yes, I enjoy all of Stirling's products (soap, aftershave, balm) so I was sad when she said it reminded her exactly of Juicy Fruit gum. I must have looked crestfallen as she immediately followed it up with "Not that it's a bad thing... it would just take some getting used to..." I read between the lines, and it found its way to you. I'll look through the pile bound for the BST and see if there is anything you'd like.