Tuck at a Time (TaaT)

[blethenstrom]

Morning shave - 5/23/24
Razor: RazoRock Quick-Change TTO
Blade: Ladas Stainless Steel (2/5) (4)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock RR400
Aftershave: Stetson Cooling Moisture
Rating: 9/10, DFS+
I brought back a trouble maker razor this morning, but I actually had quite a nice shave with it. This razors sports quite the feedback, which many times is a sign of a poorly supported blade and maybe that is why this razor has not been the best for me. I did end up with just a little bit of post shave skin sensitivity. Close enough for it's intended purpose though.

 

[m949]

Pre-Shave: cold water splash / YBN Glycerin
Razor: DSC V92, brass, scalloped cap
Blade: Suneko Amorphous Diamond (7/7)
Brush: Arno Brush, 26mm Classic #12, Gen5 synthetic
Bowl: DSC scuttle
Soap: Smoking Monster - Red Dragon (tallow)
A/S: POLA - Galantom II after shave lotion
Aftercare: Aloe Vera Gel
EdT: Fées Beauté - Reims Vetiver

This razor and this blade rock. This was truly one of the best BBS in two WTG passes ever. I guess the soap helped too.

Partial tuck completed.

As I have another four tucks of Suneko blades, I will revisit them soon and will at that time revert to my usual routine of three shaves per blade. This tuck was a one and done exercise for me but I'm confident that each blade can go for three shaves and will be better on the second and third.

In the meantime I will start with a new tuck of Nacet blades on Monday. This will be three shaves per blade and the tuck will probably last five weeks, given that I shave only three times per week. I've read good things about Nacet blades and I am looking forward to this experience and trying this blade in the small variety of razors I have. I'll establish a baseline with this blade in my Mühle R89 on Monday, arguably my most mild razor and the one I started my DE shaving journey with.

 

[m949]

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Pre-shave: cold water splash/YBN glycerin
Razor: Mühle R89 Traditional Rosegold
Blade: Nacet (1/10) (1)
Brush: Arno Classic #12, Gen5 synthetic
Bowl: DSC scuttle
Soap: House of Mammoth-Indigo/Speick
A/S: Two Girls - Florida Water
Aftercare: Aloe Vera Gel
EdP: Creed - Himalaya

Starting with a new tuck of Nacet’s. I just realized before my shave that the “Golden shave” Nacet is a 10 blade tuck unlike the “normal” Nacet tuck which holds 5 blades. As this is my first try of Nacet blades, I will use this first blade 3-4 times in various razors to see how it performs. This will help me to decide whether Nacets are suitable for multiple shaves or whether it is more of a “one and done” blade for me.

First impressions: it’s smoother than a Suneko. The Suneko tends to be a bit rough and biting on a first shave, the Nacet is less rough and not a biter. The Nacet is a sharp blade. Not on the same level as a Suneko, but sharper than the GSB. The blade for today’s shave was very good but it was used in my mildest razor; the R89 so only CCS for me today.

It will be interesting how this particular first blade performs in more aggressive razors during the next week. It will see action in the DSC V92 (.92 mm), DSC AX Ti (1.55 mm) and the Mühle Rocca (.8 mm). Blade gaps in brackets; if I recall correctly the blade gap of the R89 is .51 mm.

By the end of the week, I’ll know if I use a blade for multiple shaves or just for one.

 

[m949]

Monday, May 27, 2024

Pre-shave: Cold water splash / YBN Glycerin
Razor: DSC V92 brass, parallel cap with Yaqi brass handle
Blade: Nacet (1/10) (2)
Brush: Mühle Purist Silvertip Badger, Ebonite
Bowl: DSC scuttle
Soap: Mühle Sandalwood
A/S: TOBS - Royal Forest (sample)
Aftercare: Thayers Witch Hazel Unscented / Aloe Vera Gel
EdP: Terre d'Hermes - Eau Intense Vetiver

This was the second shave with this Nacet blade. Overall, just a DFS- today, but that could be due to a number of factors. This razor comes with two different caps, parallel as shown above, and scalloped. I tend to have better shaves with the scalloped cap. I also had a few instances where the razor "skipped" today, that could be due to the lather being a bit dry. Finally, this handle from Yaqi is a bit short for my taste, but I probably can get used to it.

Apart from the above small issues, the Nacet performed quite well. It is definitely very smooth, however whether sharpness declined considerably between shave 1 and shave 2 is a bit more difficult to judge. There wasn't any blade tugging today, so I would say the blade is still okay. Given the previous experience I have with this cap, I'd say that another shave with a different razor would certainly be warranted.

Shave No.3 will be a true test for the Nacet, as it will have to show its true character in the DSC AX Titanium. It's the most efficient razor I have with a very large blade gap of 1.55 mm; a true, consistent 18 hour BBS razor, at least with Suneko blades. Let's see if the Nacet can match that performance.

 

[blethenstrom]

Morning shave - 5/24/24
Razor: RazoRock Quick-Change TTO
Blade: Ladas Stainless Steel (2/5) (5)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock Hive 24
Aftershave: Stetson Cooling Moisture
Rating: 9.75/10, DFS++
Very pleasant shave and I am starting to learn this razor. It does have a fair amount of blade feel, but it seems to be tamed. Very close and comfortable shave.

Morning shave - 5/25/24
Razor: Lord L6
Blade: Ladas Stainless Steel (3/5) (1)
Soap: Arko!
Brush: Maggard Timberwolf 18mm
Aftershave: Clubman Citrus Musk
Rating: 9.5/10, DFS+
Solid shave from a solid and safe razor. No issues what so ever. The name of the game is smooth. I had a few short stubble patches left, but it was not much.

Evening shave - 5/27/24
Razor: RazoRock Quick-Change TTO
Blade: Ladas Stainless Steel (3/5) (2)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock Hive 24
Aftershave: Stetson Cooling Moisture
Rating: 10/10, BBS
What a nice shave to come back to at home after travelling! Super efficient shave and very smooth. No issues what so ever even with 60 hours worth of stubble.

 

[m949]

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Pre-shave: cold water splash / YBN Glycerin
Razor: DSC AX Ti (1.55mm), DSC Destroyer Ti handle
Blade: Nacet (1/10) (3)
Brush: Arno Brush, 26mm Classic #12, Gen5 synthetic
Bowl: DSC scuttle
Soap: Barrister and Mann - Seville (sample)
A/S: 4711 Original Eau de Cologne
Aftercare: Thayers Witch Hazel Unscented / Aloe Vera Gel
EdP: Creed - Himalaya

Third use of the Nacet in a third razor after the R89 and the DSC V92 parallel. I can say with the confidence that the blade wasn't to blame for the DFS- I had on Monday. The AX Ti delivered a DFS+ today, which was very, very close to a BBS. There are still some areas where ever so light stubble is felt. I never chase BBS; I resolutely stop shaving after two passes and some touchups and let the dice fall where they may.

The Nacet is very smooth now after three shaves, but not as sharp as right out of the tuck. Today's shave was good though, aside from slight irritation on the neck it was uneventful. A totally acceptable shave and one I am quite content with.

I'm still undecided on how I will proceed with this tuck, but I'm leaning more towards "one and done-ing" it, rather than trying to get three shaves out of a blade. In any case this first Nacet blade will have a fourth performance in the Mühle Rocca on Friday and maybe by then I'll be more sure on whether I'd like to spend a bit more time with the Nacet or not.

 

[blethenstrom]

Morning shave - 5/29/24
Razor: RazoRock Quick-Change TTO
Blade: Ladas Stainless Steel (3/5) (3)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock Hive 24
Aftershave: Stetson Cooling Moisture
Rating: 9.75/10, DFS++
Another solid smooth shave from this combination. As long as I do my part this razor surely delivers. Comfortable and close have was the result. No complaints.

 

[blethenstrom]

Morning shave - 5/30/24
Razor: RazoRock Quick-Change TTO
Blade: Ladas Stainless Steel (3/5) (4)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock Hive 24
Aftershave: Stetson Cooling Moisture
Rating: 9.5/10, DFS+
Trying to speed up my morning shaves so I only did a 2.5 pass shave. Still a very nice and close shave. It would be great to get down to a 2 pass for morning shaves. Totally presentable and no issues.

 

[Hawkweber]

Finish Partial Tuck (4 blades) - Personna Platinum
These would be the German made Personna blades, theoretically what once were Israeli Reds. At least, that's what I was able to find out... I think. Personna is difficult to follow the dots on.

Nice blades. 3 shaves per blade with the comfort level starting to drop off on the last shave. I might have been able to eke out an additional shave with the Progress, but not worth testing it. DFS+ each time though.

While good, and I wouldn't pass up a substantial deal on them, I can't justify the price over many other blades that give me equal or better shaves at 2-3x lower cost.

 

[m949]

Friday, May 31, 2024

Pre-shave: cold water splash / YBN Glycerin
Razor: Mühle Rocca R95
Blade: Nacet (1/10) (4)
Brush: Arno Brush, 26 mm Classic #12, Gen5 synthetic
Bowl: DSC scuttle
Soap: Barrister and Mann - Spice
A/S: Old Spice Original
Aftercare: Thayers Witch Hazel Unscented / Aloe Vera Gel
Scent: Afnan - Supremacy in Oud, Extrait de Parfum

This hobby of ours has surprises in store at every turn. While this Nacet blade performed okay for the first shave, shave 2 and 3 were slightly better, and the 4th shave in the Rocca was pretty good: DFS++

Here's the performance of this Nacet blade for each shave:
1. Mühle R89 Traditional - CCS
2. DSC V92 parallel cap - DFS-
3. DSC AX Ti (1.55mm) - DFS+
4. Mühle Rocca R95 - DFS++

Seems that the Nacet is giving progressively better shaves with each use, or the efficiency of the razors had something to do with it, though I have to add that the DSC AX Ti should have given me DFS++ or BBS, as it is way more efficient than the Rocca.

Next week, I'll try the "one and done" approach with the Nacets in progressively more efficient razors. It'll be three shaves, maybe four if I'm in the mood on the weekend, with R89, DSC V92 and DSC AX Ti (1.55 mm) in that order of progression.

 

[blethenstrom]

Morning Shave - 05/31/24
Razor: RazoRock Quick-Change TTO
Blade: Ladas Super Stainless (5)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock Hive 24
Aftershave: Clubman VIBR
Rating: 8.5/10
A slightly more challenging shave this moring. It felt slightly rough and maybe I am accumulating some irritation, but we will see. Just a little bit skin sensitivity post shave. Missed a few more stubble areas than yesterday, but still a very presentable and good shave. DFS

 

[blethenstrom]

Seems that the Nacet is giving progressively better shaves with each use, or the efficiency of the razors had something to do with it, though I have to add that the DSC AX Ti should have given me DFS++ or BBS, as it is way more efficient than the Rocca.

This is something that I have found as well. With many of the blades that I use I get one of the best shaves on the last use of the blade before I bin it. For me that is usually my 6th shave. Now I do tend to "upgrade" my razor to a more efficient razor at the half point through the week so that may have something to do with it. I have plotted my shave ratings across the week of use and I really have not found one blade yet that degrades much, if any, during the full week of shaves.

It will be interesting to see if you start seeing the same behavior across more blades as well.

 

[Hawkweber]

Start Partial Tuck (3 blades) - Astra Superior Stainless

This is the last of the partial tucks.

 

[m949]

Saturday, June 1, 2024

Pre-shave: cold water splash/YBN glycerin
Razor: Mühle R89 Traditional Rosegold
Blade: Nacet (2/10)
Brush: Arno Brush, 26mm Classic #12
Bowl: DSC scuttle
Soap: Grooming Department- Sandalwood, Fig, Musk (sample)
A/S: POLA - Galantom II
Aftercare: Aloe Vera Gel
EdT: Zino Davidoff

Second Nacet blade of this tuck. This shave was atrocious. SAS. I could have just saved my time here. However, I’m reluctant to put the blame on the razor or the blade. It’s more likely a combination of poor preparation, poor technique and maybe just a tad bit of too much lather on the face; the razor might just have removed lather rather than cutting whiskers.

Sticking with one tuck at a time is quite insightful as each shave is a bit different, but committing to a tuck for longer reveals quite a lot about a particular blade brand. It’s easy to blame the equipment when a shave doesn’t go as planned, but if the shaver has a bit of experience with one blade a less than stellar result offers quite some new perspectives. To paraphrase a fictional high-school football coach: “You learn as much from failure as you learn from success, maybe even more.”

 

[m949]

Monday, June 3, 2024

Pre-shave: cold water splash / YBN Glycerin
Razor: DSC V92 brass, scalloped cap
Blade: Nacet (3/10)
Brush: Mühle Purist Silvertip Badger Ebonite
Bowl: DSC scuttle
Soap: Smoking Monster- Golden Dragon (unscented tallow) / Speick shaving cream / YBN Glycerin
A/S: Two Girls - Florida Water
Aftercare: Aloe Vera Gel
EdP: Byredo - Oud Immortel

I'm astonished, stunned and amazed. BBS in two passes WTG with some touchups ATG. What a difference from Saturday's SAS with the R89. I used a brand new Nacet, just like on Saturday. This shave was effortless and I wasn't even trying for BBS. I would've been just as content with a decent DFS, but this was really something else. Of course there may be a couple of reasons for this stark contrast:

This razor is waaaay more efficient than the R89, it's also more aggressive. Blade gap is almost double at 0.92mm and exposure should be around 0.06 mm. Despite this higher aggressiveness, I feel that shaving with the V92 is easier than with the R89. I also feel that I'm more in control with this razor.

Unlike for Saturday's shave, today I made Uberlather (soap+cream+glycerin). The lather was much more slick, cushiony and well hydrated, whereas on Saturday my lather felt a bit dry.

The blade was the factor which didn't change. On both shaves a freshly loaded Nacet blade was used, yet the results were on opposite ends of the shaving result spectrum. The Nacet is sharp and yet smooth, never rough or biting. It's probably one of the best blades I have tried so far, probably in my top three blades.

 

[blethenstrom]

Morning Shave - 06/01/24
Razor: RazoRock Quick-Change TTO
Blade: Ladas Super Stainless (6)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock Hive 24
Aftershave: AV Classic
Shave Comfort: 10/10 (Smooth)
Shave Quality: 5/10 (SAS+)
Shave Rating: 7.5/10
A quick one pass shave to look presentable through the day. I normally wait until Saturday evenings for my shave, but I needed to go somewhere so I wanted to look decent. Single pass shaves are usually not my cup of tea and yeah it shortens whiskers, but it is not satisfying. Anyways, it was an easy shave and it served it's purpose. SAS+

Evening Shave - 06/01/24
Razor: RazoRock Quick-Change TTO
Blade: Ladas Super Stainless (7)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock Hive 24
Aftershave: AV Classic
Shave Comfort: 10/10 (Smooth)
Shave Quality: 9.5/10 (DFS++)
Shave Rating: 9.75/10
Daily Double! I had a very nice shave this evening after a day on the road. Another great end to a great shave week with a great blade. The Ladas has been quite the consistent performer with sharp enough and comfortable shaves. Still have a couple of blades in my tuck to enjoy. Solid smooth and plenty close shave. No complaints. DFS++

Evening Shave - 06/02/24
Razor: Assured For Men 3-piece
Blade: Assured For Men Blade (1)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock Hive 24
Aftershave: AV Musk
Shave Comfort: 10/10 (Smooth)
Shave Quality: 9/10 (DFS+)
Shave Rating: 9.5/10
I cannot lie and say that I was not a bit intimidated and fearful of this razor and blade, but you know it goes to show that we can overcome a lot of different situations. We just have to take it slow and easy and it will be fine. Slow and steady did it and I escaped without weepers and no irritation. Actually quite a nice shave. DFS+

I have a disclaimer. I have put my tuck elimination of the Ladas on hold for a week or so due to foolish me entering a "Assured For Men" challenge. I have to use this razor and the supplied blades for a week to complete it. I had my first shave on Sunday evening and it was surprisingly good. I will return to regular programming once the challenge is over.

 

[Spartan76]

One tuck down a few to go.

 

[blethenstrom]

Morning Shave - 06/04/24
Razor: Assured For Men 3-piece
Blade: Assured For Men Blade (2)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock Hive 24
Aftershave: Skin Bracer
Shave Comfort: 8/10 (Weeper)
Shave Quality: 9/10 (DFS+)
Shave Rating: 8.5/10
Well that was a very quick lived blade! Super tuggy, but I managed to still get a very respectable shave from it. I really do not have any irritation, but the shave was so rough that I downgraded the shave comfort. Razor is bouncing all over the place while shaving. I think it calls for a new blade next shave. DFS+

 

[m949]

Pre-shave: cold water splash / YBN Glycerin
Razor: DSC AX Ti 1.55 mm, DSC Pioneer Ti handle
Blade: Nacet (4/10)
Brush: Arno Brush, 26 mm Classic #12, Gen5 synthetic
Bowl: DSC scuttle
Soap: PAA - Cherry & Sandalwood (sample)
A/S: TOBS - Royal Forest (sample)
Aftercare: Thayers Witch Hazel Unscented / Aloe Vera Gel
ExdP: Afnan - Supremacy in Oud

I received a new Titanium handle for my DSC AX Ti 1.55 mm head. I ordered the Pioneer Ti (PVT) handle from DSC. The handle fits perfectly to this head and in combination with a fresh Nacet blade this razor provided a great BBS shave.

With Friday's shave the fifth blade of this tuck will be completed, leaving another 5 blades in the tuck. I'll change it up again for the remaining blades and will use each blade for three shaves. That's probably as far as I can push the Nacet blades since the first blade lost quite in performance during shave No.4. Interestingly, the Golden Shave tucks contain 10 blades, while the usual Nacet tuck only contains five.

 

[blethenstrom]

Morning Shave - 06/05/24
Razor: Assured For Men 3-piece
Blade: Assured For Men Blade (3)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock Hive 24
Aftershave: Clubman Whiskey Woods
Shave Comfort: 8/10 (Weeper)
Shave Quality: 9/10 (DFS+)
Shave Rating: 8.5/10
I broke what I said and used the same blade again. I did get a super close shave, but still it feels quite rough while shaving. I did end up with skin tenderness and a couple of small weepers. I definitely need to bin this blade.