SOTD February 3 -February 9, 2020

[Mike R]

Monday

Brush: Rooney Stubby 1
Cream: Taylor - Sandalwood
Razor: '54 Z2 Super Speed
Blade: Indian Wilkinson
A/S: Afta Fresh
Cologne / Fragrance: Aramis Havana

Mike

[jgreenepa]

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SOTD 02/03/20

Today is SWMBO’s birthday and tomorrow is mine. She is 10 yrs younger - I know; I’m a cradle robber! To launch things off, I decided to shave with one of my two all-time favorite safety razors - the GE Jones Shake Sharp. I own three versions - the Mark 1.5 and the Mark 2/3 in nickel and gold plate respectively. I do not own the original Mark 1.0. This is a unique design that was launched in the mid 40s and ended in the early 50s. It is a SE that uses DE blades and was introduced at the very end of the carbon steel (CS) razor blade era. CS blades were thicker than the then newly produced stainless steel (SS) blades and did not hold an edge as long. The Shake Sharp was designed during the depression and included a built-in hone to allow one to sharpen their CS blades by literally shaking the razor back and forth. For whatever reason, the launch was delayed and they lost their marketing window. SS blades were thinner and just didn’t sharpen in the way CS did. A friend at TSD (@jmudrick) who’s probably shaved with just about every safety razor variant in existence acknowledges this razor as a favorite and introduced me to it. He uses his Mark 1.0 and loads two stacked SS blades into it. This technique works brilliantly because two stacked SS blades are roughly equivalent to a single CS blade.

We are both head and face shavers. And this razor is amazing with a very wide sweet spot! I do not use the hone function, but others have with vintage CS blades.With two stacked SS blades the shave is smooth and highly efficient. I loaded two stacked Wizamet Super Iridiums and had at it! Truly a perfect shave with my favorite soap, MWF and 5 drops of M-Bomb, complemented by PAA’s Cube Preshave Soap. This is a razor that thrives on long sweeping strokes that clear the whiskers right down to the skin line! Two passes (WTG and ATG) and that’s all she wrote - bloodless BBS all around. The alum block revealed no heat anywhere. My wife left early for work, so I broke out the Florida Water to celebrate and liberally splashed both noggin and face - lovely burn! I feel clean, smooooth, cooool, and very refreshed on this bright, sunny day in southeast PA.

RAZOR: Shake Sharp Mark 1.5
BLADE: 2 Stacked Wizamet Super Iridium
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with PAA’s Preshave Cube Soap
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Thayers Lavender WH and finished with Florida Water AS/Cologne

[John Rose]

Monday SOTN

razor - Gillette Slim
blade - Astra SP (16)
soap - TOBS Mr Taylors
brush - Stirling 2-Band Synthetic
post - warm water rinse, "Pure & Natural" Alum stick, cold water rinse
AS - Reuzel

Normally I set the Slim to 5, 6, or 7, but tonight I stayed on 4.
Much better results than I expected.

[jgreenepa]

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Birthday SOTD 02/04/20

Wonderful celebration of SWMBO’s birthday last night. Great workout shave this morning with my new SS Synthetic brush birthday present from Classic Shaving. It weighs 15.8 oz which doesn’t sound like much until you start waving it around during the lathering process. One of the pleasures of this month’s focus is the continuing use of MWF, just an incredible soap. I don’t know if it’s the regular post shave wash with brush squeezings or just the daily lathering process itself, but my skin on both noggin and face feel great after four days use. I wonder how I’ll feel at the end of 29 days continuous use?

In any case, a stellar shave for my birthday with one of my favorite razors - the GE Jones Shake Sharp Mark 2.0 in nickel. After stacking two original Polish Wizamet Super Iridium blades, I lathered up with my M-Bomb salted MWF, following my regular scrub with PAA’s Preshave Cube of my dome and face. My Shake Sharp sang as it mowed down the whiskers right to the skin line on that first WTG pass. I sometimes wonder if it’s possible to cut oneself with this razor. It hasn’t happened yet. The second ATG pass really only consisted of some scattered buffing cleanup! The Shake Sharp is highly efficient with these sharp blades, but not to the point of irritation as my alum block revealed. The only time I experienced any irritation with this razor was when I used stacked Feather blades. In any case, a stellar one and a half pass DFS shave for my birthday with one of my favorite razors! I feel clean, smooooth and refreshed.

RAZOR: GE Jones Nickel Plated Shake Sharp Mark 2.0
BLADE: 2 Stacked Wizamet Super Iridium
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with PAA’s Cube Preshave Soap
BRUSH: Rearden Razor 316L SS Synthetic
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Thayers Lavender WH and finished with Fine Accoutrements Snake Bite AS Splash

[John Rose]

... After stacking two original Polish Wizamet Super Iridium blades, ...

Wait . . . what?

[Mike R]

Tuesday

Brush: Simpson Chubby 2 Best
Soap: Arko
Razor: '54 Z2 Super Speed
Blade: Indian Wilkinson
A/S: Gillette Aftershave Gel, Sensitive Skin
Cologne / Fragrance: Zirh Ikon

Mike

[Mike R]

Wednesday

Brush: Simpson Chubby 2 Best
Soap: Arko
Razor: '54 Z2 Super Speed
Blade: Indian Wilkinson
A/S: Family Dollar Spice Scent
Cologne / Fragrance: one million

Mike

[jgreenepa]

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SOTD 02/06/20

After skipping yesterday’s shave, I realized why I need to shave every day. Here I was, needing to reduce 48 hrs of thick, dense whisker growth. Time to break out the big guns, one of my most efficient safety razors, the heralded LaResche 51 Luxe. LaResche made the 51 safety razor model from the 30’s through the 70’s when they ceased razor production. This particular razor dates from near the end of production and was NOS when I acquired it. I love the shave it delivers. The OC design is interesting with the two end bars slightly above the interior teeth. The blade is housed between the two end bars and sits slightly below and flat against the interior teeth. Riding the cap with this highly efficient design puts the blade right at the skin line.

My last shave two days ago was a very comfortable DFS. The MWF I’ve been and will continue using all month has had an incredibly positive impact on my skin which feels really well hydrated. My usual cold water prep was quite refreshing this morning. Lathering felt like a real workout with the new 316L Synthetic brush from Rearden Razor. Happily the handle inlet design provides for a firm grip on this heavy 26mm synthetic brush. Luke Webster, the owner of Classic Shaving, lauds the backbone of this brush. I like a brush with a firm backbone, and the brush does not disappoint on this score, although it is one honkin’ heavy tool. I realized that a drop to the floor would fracture tile and/or toes.

That first MWF lather supplemented by the PAA Cube Soap was thick, shiny and yogurty and stood the whiskers up for the first WTG pass. The 51 sheared through the whiskers like they weren’t there. The second ATG closed the deal all around on a complete BBS. The alum block revealed no heat anywhere. I was left with velveteen smoothness on both noggin and face which I attribute to my continued use of MWF. I could have easily gotten away without any AS, but this boy does like his menthol. The Snake Bite AS topped off a perfect shave! I feel clean, coool, smoooth, and refreshed.

RAZOR: LaResche 51 Luxe
BLADE: Wizamet Super Iridium
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with PAA’s Cube Preshave Soap
BRUSH: Rearden Razor 316L SS Synthetic
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by ThayersLavender WH and finished with Fine Accoutrements Snake Bite AS Splash

[Mike R]

Thursday

Brush: Simpson Chubby 2 Best
Soap: Tabac
Razor: '54 Z2 Super Speed
Blade: Indian Wilkinson
A/S: Family Dollar Brut clone
Cologne / Fragrance: Bvlgari Soir

Mike

[Mike R]

Friday

Brush: Rooney Stubby 1
Soap: Arko
Razor: '54 Z2 Super Speed
Blade: Indian Wilkinson
A/S: Afta Fresh
Cologne / Fragrance: Aramis New West

Mike

[John Rose]

Friday SOTN

razor - Canadian Fat-handle Pre-War Tech
blade - Astra SP (20)
soap - TOBS Mr Taylors
brush - Simpson Special 1 Best Badger
post - warm water rinse, "Pure & Natural" Alum stick, cold water rinse
AS - Old Spice Classic

I was going to toss the Astra after 20 shaves, but I think it'll go to 30 or 40.
I'll just have to switch from a D20 to Percentile dice.

[jgreenepa]

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SOTD 02/08/20

I have to admit that this razor is truly amazing! My third bloodless two pass BBS in a row! Today after cleaning up after the shave, I closely examined the baseplate! I always disassemble and clean and dry each razor after use. I’ve already commented on how the end bars sit slightly above the inner teeth on this OC design, but what I hadn’t noticed that first time was the very slight concave bowing of the baseplate. It is so subtle that it only came to my attention after careful observation. The top cap is also similarly bowed. The efficacy of the slant design is well known. Now I’m no razor designer, but I wonder if this slight bowing of only a few degrees produces a slight dual guillotine effect. I guess I’m grasping at straws trying to figure out how one razor can be so smooth and yet so incredibly efficient. My other 51 was not the Luxe model, and it was a smooth shaver, but it didn’t compare efficiency-wise. Now it was from the 30’s according to the guy I bought it from, and this one represents 40 more years of incremental improvements. So I’ll just attribute it’s efficacy to that! In any case, my third bloodless BBS with no heat anywhere! Is it possible to fall in love with an inanimate piece of metal? If so, I’m there! Hope SWMBO doesn’t sense my divided affections. I feel clean, smooth, cool and refreshed!

RAZOR: LaResche 51 Luxe
BLADE: Wizamet Super Iridium
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with PAA’s Preshave Cube Soap
BRUSH: Omega Pro48 Boar
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Thayers Lavender WH and finished with Fine Accoutrements Snake Bite AS Splash

[John Rose]

Saturday SOTN

razor - RazoRock Old Type
blade - Astra SP (21)
soap - Fendrihan Charcoal
brush - Stirling 2-Band Synthetic
post - warm water rinse, "Pure & Natural" Alum stick, cold water rinse
AS - Pinaud Clubman

... I’ve already commented on how the end bars sit slightly above the inner teeth on this OC design, but what I hadn’t noticed that first time was the very slight concave bowing of the baseplate. It is so subtle that it only came to my attention after careful observation. The top cap is also similarly bowed. The efficacy of the slant design is well known. Now I’m no razor designer, but I wonder if this slight bowing of only a few degrees produces a slight dual guillotine effect. ...

So, does the shape of the blade become a little bit like this?


I would speculate that the bending gives the edge more rigidity, so less blade chatter.

[jgreenepa]

That’s it!

[jgreenepa]

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SOTD 02/09/20

Day nine of Wool Fat February continued with a new record for me. This is my fourth bloodless BBS with no irritation or heat revealed by the alum block. I hate to say it, but I think I’ve found my Grail razor! Please don’t tell SWMBO, but I definitely have divided affections! Probably just a short term fling, but who knows?

Things proceeded as usual, with a cold water rinse followed by a good scrub with the PAA Preshave Cube soap, although it hasn’t been a cube for months, on this beautiful sunny day in the Philly suburbs. My faithful dachshund buddy, Gromit, parked himself on the stool on SWMBO’s side of the bathroom to observe. The Viking brush whipped up the initial MWF paste which was then face and head lathered to its usual thick yogurty consistency with ample application of hot water via the brush. I was on the second and final use of the second Wizamet blade in the razor. I routinely discard my blades after two shaves.

Part of me was hoping for blood, but on that first WTG pass, this incredible razor swept away those whiskers like the Romans through the Sabine women, shearing them right down to the skin line. Using the LaResche on that first pass, felt as though I was shaving without a blade. Be still my heart! It left very slight roughness around the troublesome Adam’s Apple and just a bit in the middle of the back of the head. The shave could easily pass the cotton test everywhere else. My second pass, if you could call it that, consisted of relathering those two areas and buffing away the roughness. One and a half passes and Madame LaResche delivered a complete bloodless BBS for the fourth time in a row! Fine Accoutrements Snake Bite AS Splash revealed a very slight sting in the buffed areas and left me feeling clean, cool, refreshed and in love! Please don’t tell SWMBO!

RAZOR: LaResche 51 Luxe
BLADE: Wizamet Super Iridium
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with PAA’s Cube Preshave Soap
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Thayers Lavender WH and finished with Fine Accoutrements Snake Bite AS Splash

[CMur12]

Sunday night:

Razor: Rockwell 6C (on setting/plate 2)
Blade: Treet Dura Sharp

Brush: Semogue 1305 (boar)
Soap: Tim's Soap, Prototype S6

Lather made on top of the soap
Two-and-a-half passes

Aftershave: Cold water rinse and Thayer's Peach Witch Hazel

- Murray