Yes. Either by me in post 1915 of your journal or in a rough translation of the Prose Etta.
The Wanderer's Journey
- Thread starter AimlessWanderer
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- #1,922
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
English Wilkinson Sword shave 2
Today's shave felt a little more normal, as in recent normal, rather than normal for 20 years ago. Two passes and a little touch up. Usual soap, usual brush, usual razor. Very pleasant shave. Didn't tug, but likes to let you know it's working. Hard to describe. Almost as if it has a slightly wider bevel, despite being extremely sharp, and the cross grain pass felt like it had the resistance of an against the grain pass, despite cutting cleanly.
Great closeness and comfort though. A light application of 4711 finished it off. A post shave seemed more fitting in today's simpler shave.
Today's shave felt a little more normal, as in recent normal, rather than normal for 20 years ago. Two passes and a little touch up. Usual soap, usual brush, usual razor. Very pleasant shave. Didn't tug, but likes to let you know it's working. Hard to describe. Almost as if it has a slightly wider bevel, despite being extremely sharp, and the cross grain pass felt like it had the resistance of an against the grain pass, despite cutting cleanly.
Great closeness and comfort though. A light application of 4711 finished it off. A post shave seemed more fitting in today's simpler shave.
- Thread starter
- #1,923
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
English Wilkinson Sword shave 3
A slow moving two passes, plus a little seek and destroy. Very nice indeed.
It's very nice using these blades again, but aside from that remarkable first shave, the shaves aren't sufficiently improved to be worth tracking down more of these at £1/blade, which is what I paid for them. Still cheaper than cartridges, and will give way more shaves, in way more comfort, but all the other blades I own are good enough for this to just be an occasional treat. The first of 20 such luxurious nostalgic treats.
On the topic of nostalgia, I'll take this blade to the point I'd normally discard blades, then try to push through, and see how long I can make it last, the way I had to in the blade droughts of yesteryear.
A slow moving two passes, plus a little seek and destroy. Very nice indeed.
It's very nice using these blades again, but aside from that remarkable first shave, the shaves aren't sufficiently improved to be worth tracking down more of these at £1/blade, which is what I paid for them. Still cheaper than cartridges, and will give way more shaves, in way more comfort, but all the other blades I own are good enough for this to just be an occasional treat. The first of 20 such luxurious nostalgic treats.
On the topic of nostalgia, I'll take this blade to the point I'd normally discard blades, then try to push through, and see how long I can make it last, the way I had to in the blade droughts of yesteryear.
- Thread starter
- #1,924
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
English Wilkinson Sword shave 4
While the blade is still fresh, I decided to try it in other razors, to see if it's universally good, or just a good match for some of my kit. The first one I reached for, was the Razorine shavette.
Ouch!
The Razorine is the DE razor of mine that I am least competent with, due to the inline handle, and the different handling required. It's also the DE razor that's hardest to find the angle on, and easy to tug, or even just strum the stubble with. Today, I got close. Too close.
Focussing too heavily on angle, and not heavily enough on pressure, today's shave was exfoliating to say the least. The Wilkie impressed though. As there's a "tugging but not tugging" sensation with it in the Jagger, cutting cleanly but with a very tactile resistance, I wasn't sure how it would cope with the areas I get the angle wrong with the Razorine. It sailed through, only plucking at hairs near my Adams apple, and only due to operator error.
Like the black plastic Wilkinson Sword Classic razor, the Razorine is a very rigid clamper, clamping above and below, almost right to the edge, much like an open comb three piece razor. However, this razor feels more aggressive than that original Wilkinson razor that I used to use these blades in. Also, being straight format, the pass sequence is more aggressive too, bypassing the WTG, and attacking cross grain, and against grain, for most of the shave. There was no blood leakage though, but my epidermis may be slightly thinner and smoother than it was an hour ago. Alum was needed, and it chastised me for my incompetence.
This gave me a good excuse to try out a Gillette Series moisturiser with Aloe Vera sample that came free with a Shavedash order. OK, but nothing special. I'd rather use the Phoenix and Beau gel, or Nivea Sensitive balm. There's another four balm samples lurking in the box, all by St James of London, in case I decide to stick with the Razorine for another shave or two. If I have any sense, it won't be tomorrow. The face needs a rest.
While the blade is still fresh, I decided to try it in other razors, to see if it's universally good, or just a good match for some of my kit. The first one I reached for, was the Razorine shavette.
Ouch!
The Razorine is the DE razor of mine that I am least competent with, due to the inline handle, and the different handling required. It's also the DE razor that's hardest to find the angle on, and easy to tug, or even just strum the stubble with. Today, I got close. Too close.
Focussing too heavily on angle, and not heavily enough on pressure, today's shave was exfoliating to say the least. The Wilkie impressed though. As there's a "tugging but not tugging" sensation with it in the Jagger, cutting cleanly but with a very tactile resistance, I wasn't sure how it would cope with the areas I get the angle wrong with the Razorine. It sailed through, only plucking at hairs near my Adams apple, and only due to operator error.
Like the black plastic Wilkinson Sword Classic razor, the Razorine is a very rigid clamper, clamping above and below, almost right to the edge, much like an open comb three piece razor. However, this razor feels more aggressive than that original Wilkinson razor that I used to use these blades in. Also, being straight format, the pass sequence is more aggressive too, bypassing the WTG, and attacking cross grain, and against grain, for most of the shave. There was no blood leakage though, but my epidermis may be slightly thinner and smoother than it was an hour ago. Alum was needed, and it chastised me for my incompetence.
This gave me a good excuse to try out a Gillette Series moisturiser with Aloe Vera sample that came free with a Shavedash order. OK, but nothing special. I'd rather use the Phoenix and Beau gel, or Nivea Sensitive balm. There's another four balm samples lurking in the box, all by St James of London, in case I decide to stick with the Razorine for another shave or two. If I have any sense, it won't be tomorrow. The face needs a rest.
- Thread starter
- #1,925
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
8 hours after the Razorine shave, the areas where I shaved too close and made the skin a little tender, have more stubble returning than areas where there's no irritation. The areas I didn't damage are still smooth. That means the damage was done across the grain, rather than against. I guess I need to stick to the smoother blades for that razor, or at least blades that are well broken in.
I'll transfer the blade over to my mildest razor instead. The black plastic Wilkinson Sword Classic that started this journey 30 years ago.
I'll transfer the blade over to my mildest razor instead. The black plastic Wilkinson Sword Classic that started this journey 30 years ago.
- Thread starter
- #1,926
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
@thombrogan
@comis
I'll mention this here, as both of you seem to be considering grips at the moment. Apologies if the pics are poor, I can't always see if a pic is in focus or not.
So, grips, and controlling angles and pressure. I've mentioned to you both that lightly gripping means only lightly controlling the razor. I prefer a secure grip, and light touch. Here's a few pics of my approach. This isn't rigid, and varies between razors, but will hopefully be helpful.
First, find the balance point of the razor. That's where you're going to have most control. I've heard/read many people saying the weight of the razor is enough pressure. That gives me the shivers! Are these people holding the end of the handle, and letting the razor just lean on the face?
I then put my thumb around that balance point, index finger above, middle finger below.
The grip isn't tight, but it is secure. This picture isn't entirely accurate, as I tend to put my ring finger behind the handle. This lets me pull with the middle finger, or push with the ring finger, and control the angle.
I still raise and lower the elbow as well, and would encourage favouring the elbow over digital dexterity for newer shavers. However, this is what I personally do, so feel free to pick and choose whatever works best for you.
For upstrokes, I use a reverse, pen type grip. This again gives me scope for angle control
For detail work, such as edging up a beard, or setting sideburn height. I don't want variables. I want the razor set. I get a proper grip on it.
If I'm shaving heavier stubble with a closed comb razor, I'll use I firmer grip like this too (or somewhere between this, and those shown above). With a closed comb razor (my daily preference), the comb will be riding on stubble, and the height and direction of that stubble will try to deflect the razor head. On that first "weed whacking" pass, I need to ship to a more secure grip to control blade height, stop the stubble kicking the razor head off kilter, and therefore stop it tugging. Once the density of stubble has been knocked down, I can switch to the more nimble grips again.
This secure control is essential for shaving with a light touch, yet is still gentle enough to be able to read the tactile feedback, and adjust things as required. That includes putting on the brakes when the razor head hits a speedbump, like the start of a deep spot, or a bit of a shaving bump, without just ploughing the top off. Same if I happen to snag on skin in a moment of fleeting ineptitude, feeling the change in the blade action, and stopping before causing leakage.
This is also, I believe, why I had issue with the hexagonal handle of the Merkur 41C. With a blade in, I'm gripping on the points of the hexagon, instead of the flat. So if I ever have to fall back on that handle, I'll need to completely rethink my grip/control. None of this helps with the Razorine either, although putting a leather wrap on it has helped get a more secure purchase on it.
Hopefully, something in this post may be helpful to one or both of you.
@comis
I'll mention this here, as both of you seem to be considering grips at the moment. Apologies if the pics are poor, I can't always see if a pic is in focus or not.
So, grips, and controlling angles and pressure. I've mentioned to you both that lightly gripping means only lightly controlling the razor. I prefer a secure grip, and light touch. Here's a few pics of my approach. This isn't rigid, and varies between razors, but will hopefully be helpful.
First, find the balance point of the razor. That's where you're going to have most control. I've heard/read many people saying the weight of the razor is enough pressure. That gives me the shivers! Are these people holding the end of the handle, and letting the razor just lean on the face?
I then put my thumb around that balance point, index finger above, middle finger below.
The grip isn't tight, but it is secure. This picture isn't entirely accurate, as I tend to put my ring finger behind the handle. This lets me pull with the middle finger, or push with the ring finger, and control the angle.
I still raise and lower the elbow as well, and would encourage favouring the elbow over digital dexterity for newer shavers. However, this is what I personally do, so feel free to pick and choose whatever works best for you.
For upstrokes, I use a reverse, pen type grip. This again gives me scope for angle control
For detail work, such as edging up a beard, or setting sideburn height. I don't want variables. I want the razor set. I get a proper grip on it.
If I'm shaving heavier stubble with a closed comb razor, I'll use I firmer grip like this too (or somewhere between this, and those shown above). With a closed comb razor (my daily preference), the comb will be riding on stubble, and the height and direction of that stubble will try to deflect the razor head. On that first "weed whacking" pass, I need to ship to a more secure grip to control blade height, stop the stubble kicking the razor head off kilter, and therefore stop it tugging. Once the density of stubble has been knocked down, I can switch to the more nimble grips again.
This secure control is essential for shaving with a light touch, yet is still gentle enough to be able to read the tactile feedback, and adjust things as required. That includes putting on the brakes when the razor head hits a speedbump, like the start of a deep spot, or a bit of a shaving bump, without just ploughing the top off. Same if I happen to snag on skin in a moment of fleeting ineptitude, feeling the change in the blade action, and stopping before causing leakage.
This is also, I believe, why I had issue with the hexagonal handle of the Merkur 41C. With a blade in, I'm gripping on the points of the hexagon, instead of the flat. So if I ever have to fall back on that handle, I'll need to completely rethink my grip/control. None of this helps with the Razorine either, although putting a leather wrap on it has helped get a more secure purchase on it.
Hopefully, something in this post may be helpful to one or both of you.
Thanks, AimlessWanderer! That’s a lot of information to digest and integrate.
- Thread starter
- #1,928
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Face recovered enough from yesterday, for a simple two pass DFS shave.
English Wilkinson Sword shave 5, and black plastic Wilkinson Sword Classic razor that I used these blades in the first time around. Bliss! A truly wonderful shave. Anyone would think these two items were made for each other
I also used something else different. My traditional scuttle.
My boiler has gone on the blink (just as the temperatures have plummeted
). It's no good for rinsing the razor in, but good enough for fetching water from the kettle to take the chill off what's coming out of the tap. My nocturnal tendencies arising from my broken body clock, will probably see me doing some batch cooking through the night, to give the house some frost protection. I've got a shopping order arriving tomorrow, so will have more batch cooking and dehydrating to do after that.
English Wilkinson Sword shave 5, and black plastic Wilkinson Sword Classic razor that I used these blades in the first time around. Bliss! A truly wonderful shave. Anyone would think these two items were made for each other
I also used something else different. My traditional scuttle.
My boiler has gone on the blink (just as the temperatures have plummeted
). It's no good for rinsing the razor in, but good enough for fetching water from the kettle to take the chill off what's coming out of the tap. My nocturnal tendencies arising from my broken body clock, will probably see me doing some batch cooking through the night, to give the house some frost protection. I've got a shopping order arriving tomorrow, so will have more batch cooking and dehydrating to do after that.- Thread starter
- #1,929
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Wilkinson Sword Classic razor
English Wilkinson Sword blade, shave 6
Kent Infinity, with Mitchell's Wool Fat
Bliss! Chased perfection with a cold water "seek and destroy" third pass, found said perfection, and finished off with D R Harris Bay Rum aftershave.
English Wilkinson Sword blade, shave 6
Kent Infinity, with Mitchell's Wool Fat
Bliss! Chased perfection with a cold water "seek and destroy" third pass, found said perfection, and finished off with D R Harris Bay Rum aftershave.
- Thread starter
- #1,930
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
As per shaves of old, 45 mins after the shave, I did a second seek and destroy with cold water only. No soap. A small patch had emerged near the right ear as the skin normalised, and just below the goatee to the right of the Adams apple too. Hydrating the beard can hydrate the skin too and fine tweaking like this after the skin has settled back down, is an old trick of mine for an all night BBS with zero irritation.
- Thread starter
- #1,931
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Shave 7 and all's well.
- Thread starter
- #1,932
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
I don't think my face has had a day off since starting this blade. It could probably do with one. My face can start grumbling if I shave it too often. So no shave today, and I'll load the blade into something else for the next shave.
- Thread starter
- #1,933
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Eng. Wilk. Shave 8
Gillette Super Slim Twist (T4)
Kent Infinity with Mitchell's Wool Fat
Change of blade holder today. Hadn't used the birth quarter razor for a few months, and that showed in the shave. Two passes, north to south, then right ear to left ear. That second against the grain pass was a bit tuggy, but I think that was due to my lack of familiarity with what I was using, not the kit itself. I then took a third pass lather free, with just residual slickness, so I could see what I was doing. The Superdrug Forest Fresh I finished with, tingled a little more than it should. Still a decent shave though, considering changing the razor always messes thing up.
Gillette Super Slim Twist (T4)
Kent Infinity with Mitchell's Wool Fat
Change of blade holder today. Hadn't used the birth quarter razor for a few months, and that showed in the shave. Two passes, north to south, then right ear to left ear. That second against the grain pass was a bit tuggy, but I think that was due to my lack of familiarity with what I was using, not the kit itself. I then took a third pass lather free, with just residual slickness, so I could see what I was doing. The Superdrug Forest Fresh I finished with, tingled a little more than it should. Still a decent shave though, considering changing the razor always messes thing up.
- Thread starter
- #1,934
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Four hours later, and I would have been very content with this as a "special occasion" shave. Very close, very comfortable. I wasn't chasing this level of shave when I did that last lather free pass, but I got it anyway.
I've put a sample of Wickhams 1912 Irish Fern out in the bathroom, though I've still left it in the packet for now. That will be the first Wickhams I've tried, though there are a couple more in the samples box. I don't want to be faffing around with samples until I'm fully comfortable with the razor though. I need another shave or two on Mitchell's to get back into the swing of using this razor first. I think I was running a little too shallow in that last shave, and need to correct myself to the natural angle before trying anything new.
How some people use a different DE razor for every shave bewilders me. My shaves would be truly awful that way, and I'd probably be going through blades faster too with the edge snatching and pinging from cutting high. I've used four different razors in the last six shaves, and just about got away with it, through corrective action at the end. Today's shave would have been much better though, if I had done those last six shaves with any one of those four.
Hopefully I haven't messed the edge up too much on this blade. I don't think so, as there's still a bit of "fresh" sharpness to be felt.
I've put a sample of Wickhams 1912 Irish Fern out in the bathroom, though I've still left it in the packet for now. That will be the first Wickhams I've tried, though there are a couple more in the samples box. I don't want to be faffing around with samples until I'm fully comfortable with the razor though. I need another shave or two on Mitchell's to get back into the swing of using this razor first. I think I was running a little too shallow in that last shave, and need to correct myself to the natural angle before trying anything new.
How some people use a different DE razor for every shave bewilders me. My shaves would be truly awful that way, and I'd probably be going through blades faster too with the edge snatching and pinging from cutting high. I've used four different razors in the last six shaves, and just about got away with it, through corrective action at the end. Today's shave would have been much better though, if I had done those last six shaves with any one of those four.
Hopefully I haven't messed the edge up too much on this blade. I don't think so, as there's still a bit of "fresh" sharpness to be felt.
I hope you like it Al. When I first tried Irish Fern I wasn't all that keen on the smell, either from the bowl or when it was on my face. I found it a bit sharp and cologne-y for me. Three or four shaves in and I loved it. There's a moreish, savoury aroma that starts off in the background but becomes more pronounced as the top notes settle over time. It's a kind of biscuity, oaty smell. The performance for me was very good, the best I've used so far.
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- #1,936
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Cheers Wes. I know Mike is a fan of Wickhams too. It's still wrapped up, but I had a sniff inside the ziploc bag if came in, and all I really get is a talcum powder type scent. As you say, it might need some air to it, to settle in.
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- #1,937
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
English Wilkie shave 9
Super Slim Twist
Maggards synth with Mitchell's
Simple two pass shave today. Two vertical passes, one each way. Angle management was much better today, but the longer I spend calibrating to this razor, the longer I'll need to spend recalibrating back again.
I'm going back to the Jagger. I'll get settled back in with it before opening up the Wickhams sample.
Finished off with a quick squirt of cheap EdT. Pascal Morabito Pure Essence, for those who care about such matters. Now that I'm back on Mitchell's as a primary soap, I'm drifting back to thinking that EdTs probably suit my needs better than aftershaves. Maybe keep one cheap-ish aftershave and one balm long term, as they might be a better fit for the sample soaps I use for a bit of variety.
Super Slim Twist
Maggards synth with Mitchell's
Simple two pass shave today. Two vertical passes, one each way. Angle management was much better today, but the longer I spend calibrating to this razor, the longer I'll need to spend recalibrating back again.
I'm going back to the Jagger. I'll get settled back in with it before opening up the Wickhams sample.
Finished off with a quick squirt of cheap EdT. Pascal Morabito Pure Essence, for those who care about such matters. Now that I'm back on Mitchell's as a primary soap, I'm drifting back to thinking that EdTs probably suit my needs better than aftershaves. Maybe keep one cheap-ish aftershave and one balm long term, as they might be a better fit for the sample soaps I use for a bit of variety.
Thank you for the post.
I think there is some merit in letting the razor's weight do the job--depending on the weight of the razor. I had been using heavier razor with full Stainless solid construction, and the weight is very noticeably more than that of DE89 or some of the Gillettes. While I just recently start using the Merkur Progress, which is a lighter adjustable than Rockwell 6S, I do find myself needing to adjust to the new lighter weight.
I totally agree with the balance point and like knives, I always felt that's the best holding point for agility/nimbleness. Maybe that's the reason why I always favor fixed blade where the balance point is right at the index finger.
I gonna take some pictures on how I hold onto the razor. Similar, but slightly modified grip for minimizing any potential pressure I'd put onto the razor.
- Thread starter
- #1,939
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
English Wilkie shave 10
Edwin Jagger DE3D14
Maggards synth with Mitchell's
FANTASTIC shave!
Two passes or four? You choose!
Another straight up and down shave today, but with a difference. I lathered up, and then realised that I hadn't swapped the blade over to the Jagger. The lather was left on face and brush, while I went back to the bedroom, fetched the Jagger, swapped the blade over, and then wiped all the soap residue lanolin off the Super Slim Twist.
Starting at the right sideburn as normal, and shaved vertically downwards to the jawline over the whole right cheek. I then rinsed the razor and immediately went back over that area in the same direction, using just the residual slickness and lanolin film. I then repeated this on the left cheek, below jawbone left side, beneath the goatee, and reversed the direction to upwards for below jawbone on the right hand side.
I then repeated the same procedure in the opposite direction over all five zones. Very close (DFS+) and very comfortable indeed. I finished with a squirt of EdT and there was just the faintest briefest tingle on the Adams apple area.
The Jagger performed wonderfully, and I dropped right back into the swing of it, despite having veered off with other razors for a while. The blade was perfect in terms of feel. Barely discernible with not a hint of harshness.
Magnificent!
Edwin Jagger DE3D14
Maggards synth with Mitchell's
FANTASTIC shave!
Two passes or four? You choose!
Another straight up and down shave today, but with a difference. I lathered up, and then realised that I hadn't swapped the blade over to the Jagger. The lather was left on face and brush, while I went back to the bedroom, fetched the Jagger, swapped the blade over, and then wiped all the soap residue lanolin off the Super Slim Twist.
Starting at the right sideburn as normal, and shaved vertically downwards to the jawline over the whole right cheek. I then rinsed the razor and immediately went back over that area in the same direction, using just the residual slickness and lanolin film. I then repeated this on the left cheek, below jawbone left side, beneath the goatee, and reversed the direction to upwards for below jawbone on the right hand side.
I then repeated the same procedure in the opposite direction over all five zones. Very close (DFS+) and very comfortable indeed. I finished with a squirt of EdT and there was just the faintest briefest tingle on the Adams apple area.
The Jagger performed wonderfully, and I dropped right back into the swing of it, despite having veered off with other razors for a while. The blade was perfect in terms of feel. Barely discernible with not a hint of harshness.
Magnificent!
- Thread starter
- #1,940
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
I do think there's a difference in control from the heft and inertia of a razor, but the weight of the razor doesn't (in and of itself) affect the contact "weight" on the skin for me. I do certainly feel more in control of the heavier Jagger than my other DE razors though.
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