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- #701
Thanks for the comments everyone!
Ya like Dags? My foray into wet shaving and the honorable order of aquisition
- Thread starter Dagwoodz
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- #702
Sunday, 27 November, 2016 Fine Platinum
Honing notes
I finished both the Genco and ERN yesterday with all of the nagura progressions, though Im not sold that the ERN is 100% there. The shave will be the telling story, so Ill let it be and if its not there, I have others that I can turn to. The Genco on the other hand, Im very confident will shave great. A very easy HHT5 and popping hairs off of my leg like mexican jumping beans. Now I have two Jerns to finish working on. With the Swedish steel, Im not expecting this to be a very quick honing process.
Nightly Lather
I felt rather indecisive last night regarding what product to use for the nightly lather, so I got lazy and went with the Pinaud Clubman soap with the matching AS. Great lather, and the clubman topped it off quite well.
Prep: Hot Shower | Stirling Honey and Oats bath soap for the face wash
Pre-shave: CBLindsays Rosemary Preshave soap | hot towel
DE Razor: 55 Gillette SuperSpeed Blue Tip
DE Blade: Personna Lab Blue (4)
Brush: Stirling 24mm Finest
Soap: Fine Platinum
Bowl: The Shaving Place Mountain Blue Glazed Lather Bowl
Post-shave: Alum | Cold towel | Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel | Nivea Men Facial Cream
Aftershave: Fine Platinum
Fragrance: Club de Nuit Intense Man by Armaf
Album of the Day: The Doors - The Best of the Doors
Song of the Day: Strange Days
The morning shave
So I was woken up and needed at work before I could get my shower and shave in. As soon as I quelled the fires of panic and answered the questions that needed answering, I broke away and got my shave thang on. I had already laid out my stuff last night, so there was no addle brained decisions to be made. Fine Platinum soap, AS and the matching frag Club de Nuit Intense Man by Armaf got the call-up. After yesterdays slick city experience, I wanted to carry on with another great performing soap. I actually over hydrated the lather from the get go, but with a very quick reload, it turned into that slick goodness that is Fine Shaving Soap. Three hybrid passes again, with a touch up from the injector since I already had removed the blade from the SS. BBS, with a little irritation/feedback from the alum. I really enjoy this scent and the CdNIM compliments it perfectly. The reviews on this scent paint it as the best of the Aventus clones, with a bit more spicy tone, so different enough to be its own.
The Music
Didnt want contemporary music, so clicked on the first classic rock group that I could find, and that was The Doors. With the early wake up, and disjointed routine this morning, Strange Days has to get the nod for song of the day. Have a great Sunday everyone!
Honing notes
I finished both the Genco and ERN yesterday with all of the nagura progressions, though Im not sold that the ERN is 100% there. The shave will be the telling story, so Ill let it be and if its not there, I have others that I can turn to. The Genco on the other hand, Im very confident will shave great. A very easy HHT5 and popping hairs off of my leg like mexican jumping beans. Now I have two Jerns to finish working on. With the Swedish steel, Im not expecting this to be a very quick honing process.
Nightly Lather
I felt rather indecisive last night regarding what product to use for the nightly lather, so I got lazy and went with the Pinaud Clubman soap with the matching AS. Great lather, and the clubman topped it off quite well.
Prep: Hot Shower | Stirling Honey and Oats bath soap for the face wash
Pre-shave: CBLindsays Rosemary Preshave soap | hot towel
DE Razor: 55 Gillette SuperSpeed Blue Tip
DE Blade: Personna Lab Blue (4)
Brush: Stirling 24mm Finest
Soap: Fine Platinum
Bowl: The Shaving Place Mountain Blue Glazed Lather Bowl
Post-shave: Alum | Cold towel | Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel | Nivea Men Facial Cream
Aftershave: Fine Platinum
Fragrance: Club de Nuit Intense Man by Armaf
Album of the Day: The Doors - The Best of the Doors
Song of the Day: Strange Days
The morning shave
So I was woken up and needed at work before I could get my shower and shave in. As soon as I quelled the fires of panic and answered the questions that needed answering, I broke away and got my shave thang on. I had already laid out my stuff last night, so there was no addle brained decisions to be made. Fine Platinum soap, AS and the matching frag Club de Nuit Intense Man by Armaf got the call-up. After yesterdays slick city experience, I wanted to carry on with another great performing soap. I actually over hydrated the lather from the get go, but with a very quick reload, it turned into that slick goodness that is Fine Shaving Soap. Three hybrid passes again, with a touch up from the injector since I already had removed the blade from the SS. BBS, with a little irritation/feedback from the alum. I really enjoy this scent and the CdNIM compliments it perfectly. The reviews on this scent paint it as the best of the Aventus clones, with a bit more spicy tone, so different enough to be its own.
The Music
Didnt want contemporary music, so clicked on the first classic rock group that I could find, and that was The Doors. With the early wake up, and disjointed routine this morning, Strange Days has to get the nod for song of the day. Have a great Sunday everyone!
Very nice shave and choice of software Josh. It sounds like you nailed the edge on the genco, and I'm sure if the ERN isn't there yet it will be soon.
Nice shave Josh! Would you recommend the Amarf fragrance? They make a Bleu de Channel clone that gets good reviews too, which may be something I pick up down the road if the longevity and projection is pretty good..
LOL "Shave Thang" Excellent! 
- Thread starter
- #707
Thanks Pete! The silage and longevity are decent on it, I would say both are 3/5...slightly less silage than the Sung Homme, but better longevity. It's much better in both categories than Cool Water, and has more silage than TdH, with about the same longevity, at least on me.
I have yet to experience Aventus, so I can't speak to how good of a clone it is. But it does pair up very well with the Fine Platinum, which is based off of CA. CdNIM is very similar in scent profile, so it pairs well, but has its own thing going on, maybe a bit more of a spicy note, than the Fine products.
- Thread starter
- #708
LOL "Shave Thang" Excellent!
Thanks Rich!
Thank you Dan...was a mixed bag kind of day. Today's another day, though, and has started out much better! I'm looking forward to giving the ERN a test drive!
Thanks Dave!
Danke Schoen Eric...We'll find out in a couple of days, as those are going to be the first two in the chute for the shaves. My only concern with the Genco is how smooth/harsh it will be.
- Thread starter
- #709
Monday, 28 November, 2016 Dapper Dragon Arctic Wyrm
Nightly Lather
I waffled back and forth on which Stirling soap to use last night, bouncing from Autumn Glory to Stirling Gentleman to Bergamot Lavender. I ended up going with the BL for the simple fact that it was an early morning, late night, and I wanted to maximize the sleep time. I wanted to try using my Excalibur Rustics Silver Tip with it to see if I could get this brush to load off of a croap consistency soap yeah not so much. Even after reloading, I only had enough for about half a face worth of lather. No big deal that brush has been resigned to creams anyways. Topped off with the Bergamot Lavender AS and drifted off pretty quickly.
Prep: Hot Shower | Stirling Honey and Oats bath soap for the face wash (RIP)
Pre-shave: CBLindsays Rosemary Preshave soap | hot towel
DE Razor: 55 Gillette SuperSpeed Flare Tip
DE Blade: Personna Lab Blue (5)
Brush: Semogue 830
Soap: Dapper Dragon Arctic Wyrm
Bowl: The Shaving Place Mountain Blue Glazed Lather Bowl
Post-shave: Alum | Cold towel | Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel | Nivea Men Facial Cream
Aftershave: Dapper Dragon Ice Wyrm Scale Polish | Aqua Velva Ice Blue
Fragrance: Cool Water by Davidoff
Album of the Day: James Taylor - Miscellaneous grab bag of songs
Song of the Day: Youve Got a Friend
View attachment 705389
The morning shave
Im writing this about an hour after finishing the shave, which is unusual for me. First, the shave was a DFS, no irritation whatsoever, even after 2 clean up passes. I think the blade is starting to go, which is normal for me after 5 shaves. Itll get ditched for a new one tomorrow. I was a little pressed for time, since I slept in a little, (still got to work on time though!) Normally I like using the scuttle with this soap, but went with the lather bowl instead. The lather was on the thinner side, but still very good; slick and cushioned. There is next to no residual slickness with this soap, or at least there wasnt this morning. Of course, the post shave feel is absolutely dominated by the menthol which was enhanced with the cold towel after the alum. A refreshing morning altogether, and while I didnt get the BBS I was wanting, a DFS is still a good result for a failing blade. Topped off with the almost matching ASB, Ice Wyrm Scale Polish by DD and some AVIB. Cool Water completed the scent package this morning.
The Music
Again wasnt feeling like anything contemporary, and I was a little pressed for time, so I chose an artist that I only have a few songs from, James Taylor. Out of all of the 60s and 70s individual artists, he is probably the one I would want to see live the most. Great song writer, great singer, and from what I understand a great performer. Ive been lucky enough to see his son perform live, Ben Taylor, who looks very much like the perfect amalgamation between his Mother (Carly Simon) and Father. The truly scary thing is, his singing voice is eerily identical to his fathers. ANYWAYS A really enjoyable soundtrack, and the last song that was playing was Youve Got A Friend a good, uplifting song to start the day.
Nightly Lather
I waffled back and forth on which Stirling soap to use last night, bouncing from Autumn Glory to Stirling Gentleman to Bergamot Lavender. I ended up going with the BL for the simple fact that it was an early morning, late night, and I wanted to maximize the sleep time. I wanted to try using my Excalibur Rustics Silver Tip with it to see if I could get this brush to load off of a croap consistency soap yeah not so much. Even after reloading, I only had enough for about half a face worth of lather. No big deal that brush has been resigned to creams anyways. Topped off with the Bergamot Lavender AS and drifted off pretty quickly.
Prep: Hot Shower | Stirling Honey and Oats bath soap for the face wash (RIP)
Pre-shave: CBLindsays Rosemary Preshave soap | hot towel
DE Razor: 55 Gillette SuperSpeed Flare Tip
DE Blade: Personna Lab Blue (5)
Brush: Semogue 830
Soap: Dapper Dragon Arctic Wyrm
Bowl: The Shaving Place Mountain Blue Glazed Lather Bowl
Post-shave: Alum | Cold towel | Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel | Nivea Men Facial Cream
Aftershave: Dapper Dragon Ice Wyrm Scale Polish | Aqua Velva Ice Blue
Fragrance: Cool Water by Davidoff
Album of the Day: James Taylor - Miscellaneous grab bag of songs
Song of the Day: Youve Got a Friend
View attachment 705389
The morning shave
Im writing this about an hour after finishing the shave, which is unusual for me. First, the shave was a DFS, no irritation whatsoever, even after 2 clean up passes. I think the blade is starting to go, which is normal for me after 5 shaves. Itll get ditched for a new one tomorrow. I was a little pressed for time, since I slept in a little, (still got to work on time though!) Normally I like using the scuttle with this soap, but went with the lather bowl instead. The lather was on the thinner side, but still very good; slick and cushioned. There is next to no residual slickness with this soap, or at least there wasnt this morning. Of course, the post shave feel is absolutely dominated by the menthol which was enhanced with the cold towel after the alum. A refreshing morning altogether, and while I didnt get the BBS I was wanting, a DFS is still a good result for a failing blade. Topped off with the almost matching ASB, Ice Wyrm Scale Polish by DD and some AVIB. Cool Water completed the scent package this morning.
The Music
Again wasnt feeling like anything contemporary, and I was a little pressed for time, so I chose an artist that I only have a few songs from, James Taylor. Out of all of the 60s and 70s individual artists, he is probably the one I would want to see live the most. Great song writer, great singer, and from what I understand a great performer. Ive been lucky enough to see his son perform live, Ben Taylor, who looks very much like the perfect amalgamation between his Mother (Carly Simon) and Father. The truly scary thing is, his singing voice is eerily identical to his fathers. ANYWAYS A really enjoyable soundtrack, and the last song that was playing was Youve Got A Friend a good, uplifting song to start the day.
- Thread starter
- #710
Well, I put in a couple of bids yesterday on the 'Bay. It was for a pair of matching ERN's that had a very interesting tang shape. A thumb notch with the tang cut narrow after the thumb notch. I was hoping to pick them up for a cheeky low bid, but someone wanted them a little bit more than I did. Hopefully someone here was able to pick them up, as they looked to be in great shape, very little to no spine wear. A little disappointed, but not so much that I was going to bid more than I was comfortable with. I've come to appreciate the ERN's and how they shave, so they will be a welcome addition to anyone's shave den.
Great shave and read Josh. It'll probably be a while before I break out any real mentholated stuff here lol. Too bad about the ERN's, but hopefully they went to a home where they will get some use.
Never tried the DD soap but sounds intriguing. I think I need to stop with the soaps though. Need to get rid of inventory before I stock up on more. I am truly thinking about the yearly restraint club for 2017. We shall see though. 
- Thread starter
- #715
Uh oh...he used the "R" word... C.E.C. ALERT!!!!!!
- Thread starter
- #716
Thanks Eric...it's definitely not the weather for the mentholated stuff, but it WAS Monday, so I broke it out anyways. lol
I can't speak to any other of their soaps, but the Arctic Wyrm lathers up well and gives good cushion and glide. It also plays very well with a scuttle, something Stirling Soaps won't do. The only drawback to the soap is the lack of residual slickness...you definitely need lather on the face to do some buffing.
Thanks Dave!
Never tried the DD soap but sounds intriguing. I think I need to stop with the soaps though. Need to get rid of inventory before I stock up on more. I am truly thinking about the yearly restraint club for 2017. We shall see though.
If nothing else you, and Chad, can pick up a sample of some of the DD soaps from Maggards...that's what turned me on to the Arctic Wyrm.
I'm sure he intended PIF instead of the "r" word!Nice shave, photo and music today. I hope you have an easier day than the last couple!
Thanks Dan...yesterday was a decent day. Hopefully today follows suit. I'm sure he did mean PIF...what else could he mean? lol
- Thread starter
- #717
Tuesday, 29 November, 2016 Mystic Water Barbershop
Honing Notes
So I started working on the first of the Jernbolagets yesterday, without tape. After moving through bevel setting, 5k and the first Nagura progression, I think that was a mistake. So today, if given the chance, Ill butter knife the edge, and start over with 2 layers of tape. It looks like Im going to have to take quite a bit of metal off to hit the blade evenly across the length, and I dont want to take that much off of the spine. Not a big deal, but was frustrating to work partially to a honed blade to know I have to start over. Cest la Vie, just another opportunity to learn.
Nightly Lather
As November comes to a close, I grabbed Autumn Glory to celebrate. The more I use this soap, the more I enjoy its scent, though come the end of December, Im not going to want to use it any more until next fall, so the sample size is perfect. Typically great lather from Stirling topped off with Pinaud Special Reserve had my whiskers a little more prominent than before, ready for the morning shave.
Prep: Hot Shower | Stirling Hot Apple Cider
Pre-shave: CBLindsays Rosemary Preshave soap | hot towel
DE Razor: 55 Gillette SuperSpeed Red Tip
DE Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux (1)
Brush: Razorock Big Bruce 26mm Synthetic
Soap: Mystic Water Barbershop
Bowl: The Shaving Place Mountain Blue Glazed Lather Bowl
Post-shave: Alum | Cold towel | Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel | Nivea Men Facial Cream
Aftershave: Nivea Sensitive Aftershave Balm | Myrsol F/ Extra
Fragrance: 4711 Classic EdC
Album of the Day: Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Song of the Day: Ocean Breathes Salty
View attachment 705654
The morning shave
The fourth day in a row with a SuperSpeed, third with one of my 55 models, and if you asked me which one were my favorite, I would be hard pressed to give you an answer. Theyre all great shavers, with different attributes which make them good in their own way. Today I grabbed the Red Tip and threw a new Rapira Platinum Lux blade in it. Ive not used one of these blades yet, so it was a new experience for me. The blade gave a good shave, not quite a sharp as the Personnas I normally use, but just as smooth. Mystic Water Barbershop was the soap of choice and I got a great, wet, slick lather for the RT to glide over. Three passes and Im BBS, with next to no irritation. Im not calling it a grail shave for the simple fact that there was a couple of spots of extremely minor irritation, and using a bit of pressure ATG, you can feel some micro stubble that is not detectable otherwise. The alum engaged in friendly chatter, only getting animated in one spot. The aftershave, Myrsol F/ Extra, was agreeable in its own way, not giving too much feedback. A very healthy does of 4711 rounded out the shave, and I started the work day feeling great.
The Music
Modest Mouse is one of those bands that, when this album was released, I wasnt crazy about. It sounded quirky, niche, and wasnt something I could get into. Good News for People Who Love Bad News was released in 2004 and subsequently won a Grammy nomination for best Alternative Album. Over the years, its slowly grown on me, and is one that I enjoy listening to now. You hear the hooks from the popular songs on the album all over the place. Float On is the most widely recognized song from the album, but for the song of the day, Im choosing the second single released, Ocean Breathes Salty.
Honing Notes
So I started working on the first of the Jernbolagets yesterday, without tape. After moving through bevel setting, 5k and the first Nagura progression, I think that was a mistake. So today, if given the chance, Ill butter knife the edge, and start over with 2 layers of tape. It looks like Im going to have to take quite a bit of metal off to hit the blade evenly across the length, and I dont want to take that much off of the spine. Not a big deal, but was frustrating to work partially to a honed blade to know I have to start over. Cest la Vie, just another opportunity to learn.
Nightly Lather
As November comes to a close, I grabbed Autumn Glory to celebrate. The more I use this soap, the more I enjoy its scent, though come the end of December, Im not going to want to use it any more until next fall, so the sample size is perfect. Typically great lather from Stirling topped off with Pinaud Special Reserve had my whiskers a little more prominent than before, ready for the morning shave.
Prep: Hot Shower | Stirling Hot Apple Cider
Pre-shave: CBLindsays Rosemary Preshave soap | hot towel
DE Razor: 55 Gillette SuperSpeed Red Tip
DE Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux (1)
Brush: Razorock Big Bruce 26mm Synthetic
Soap: Mystic Water Barbershop
Bowl: The Shaving Place Mountain Blue Glazed Lather Bowl
Post-shave: Alum | Cold towel | Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel | Nivea Men Facial Cream
Aftershave: Nivea Sensitive Aftershave Balm | Myrsol F/ Extra
Fragrance: 4711 Classic EdC
Album of the Day: Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Song of the Day: Ocean Breathes Salty
View attachment 705654
The morning shave
The fourth day in a row with a SuperSpeed, third with one of my 55 models, and if you asked me which one were my favorite, I would be hard pressed to give you an answer. Theyre all great shavers, with different attributes which make them good in their own way. Today I grabbed the Red Tip and threw a new Rapira Platinum Lux blade in it. Ive not used one of these blades yet, so it was a new experience for me. The blade gave a good shave, not quite a sharp as the Personnas I normally use, but just as smooth. Mystic Water Barbershop was the soap of choice and I got a great, wet, slick lather for the RT to glide over. Three passes and Im BBS, with next to no irritation. Im not calling it a grail shave for the simple fact that there was a couple of spots of extremely minor irritation, and using a bit of pressure ATG, you can feel some micro stubble that is not detectable otherwise. The alum engaged in friendly chatter, only getting animated in one spot. The aftershave, Myrsol F/ Extra, was agreeable in its own way, not giving too much feedback. A very healthy does of 4711 rounded out the shave, and I started the work day feeling great.
The Music
Modest Mouse is one of those bands that, when this album was released, I wasnt crazy about. It sounded quirky, niche, and wasnt something I could get into. Good News for People Who Love Bad News was released in 2004 and subsequently won a Grammy nomination for best Alternative Album. Over the years, its slowly grown on me, and is one that I enjoy listening to now. You hear the hooks from the popular songs on the album all over the place. Float On is the most widely recognized song from the album, but for the song of the day, Im choosing the second single released, Ocean Breathes Salty.
Great stuff Josh. Sorry to hear about the troubles with the Jernbolaget. I've had the same thing happen with a few of my straights while honing and it's always frustrating. but it will come out great when you're done.
Hey Josh,
Sorry to hear that you did not get the ERN's. Great shave with the SS today - 3 passes and near Grail quality is very very nice!
Never heard of that band, but will have to check them out.
Have a good afternoon!
Sorry to hear that you did not get the ERN's. Great shave with the SS today - 3 passes and near Grail quality is very very nice!
Never heard of that band, but will have to check them out.
Have a good afternoon!
Special reserve as a night time splash...intense. I am wearing the special reserve this morning, definitely one that has some kick.
I really dislike honing with tape but I'm finding it useful at times. I've played with go no tape, followed by tape then back to no tape (all starting with 1k or 5k). My thinking was that I could coax a new geometry at the very edge and avoid the need for tape in the future. Some blades are more forgiving of my experimentation than others ...and my wedge STILL sucks.
I got so angry at my wedge I taped the edge and went to the diamond plate. When I was done the old spine was gone and nice clean flat spot was in its place. I can't say what I was thinking or if I've made things better or worse we will have to see how it turns out.
I really dislike honing with tape but I'm finding it useful at times. I've played with go no tape, followed by tape then back to no tape (all starting with 1k or 5k). My thinking was that I could coax a new geometry at the very edge and avoid the need for tape in the future. Some blades are more forgiving of my experimentation than others ...and my wedge STILL sucks.
I got so angry at my wedge I taped the edge and went to the diamond plate. When I was done the old spine was gone and nice clean flat spot was in its place. I can't say what I was thinking or if I've made things better or worse we will have to see how it turns out.
