SMF

Monday

Brush: Omega 13522 Pure
Soap: Palmolive Stick
Razor: '62 H2 Slim Adjustable
Blade: Indian Wilkinson
A/S: None
Cologne / Fragrance: Quorum Silver

Mike

A historic shave - my first oil-honed razor. A TI 5/8 with horn scales and bolsters (model name long forgotten), homemade soap, Simpson PJ2, L'Artisan Parfumeur Vetiver:

AOS Sandalwood cream
SilkSmoke synthetic brush
Colonial General razor
Kai Captain Original blade
Proraso Sandalwood aftershave

SOTD MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020

Well here I am on my third shave with this remarkable shaving tool, the Valet Auto Strop (VAS) VC4! The only other razors in my collection that compare are my Shake Sharps and AC razors. @twhite Tom White’s brass TAR is also in the same category! Feather FHS-10 just don’t last like my Gems or Proline blades. It appears that 2 1/2 shaves is the best I can expect from them. I face and head shave daily. So it’s probably about the equivalent of 4-5 face shaves.

Nancy Boy Shave cream has become my face and head crack! The Jayaruh #374 Boar brush delivered the wonderfully thick, yogurty lather that I’ve come to expect. This shave cream has spoiled me for other soaps and creams. After my shower and cold water rinse, I lathered up and really took my time. I started with the aggressive setting for the first WTG pass, and really took my time. The VC4 is such a great razor. It mowed through the stubble right down to the skin line. Tha second slow and easy ATG buffing pass put the baby to bed and eased yours truly into another VBBS. I feel clean, velveteen smooth and refreshed.

RAZOR: Valet Auto Strop VC4
BLADE: Feather FHS-10
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: Jayaruh Custom Boar #374
CREAM: Nancy Boy Signature
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Lisa’s Naturals Tobacco & Bay Post Shave Elixir.

Tuesday

Brush: Made Rite Pure Bristle #5
Soap: Williams + leftovers
Razor: '62 H2 Slim Adjustable
Blade: Indian Wilkinson
A/S: Vintage Avon Spicy
Cologne / Fragrance: Yatagan

Mike

TI 5/8, homemade gardenia soap, Simpson Chubby 2, Trumper Marlborough:

SOTD TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2020

As the intro to certain Monty Python skits used to go, “now for something completely different!” As I was reorganizing my razors, I rediscovered where I had stowed away my 1959 Gold Plated British Gillette Rocket. An authority on British Gillette’s at TSD has assured me that I own the Presentation Set razor, minus all the goodies (case, instructions etc). I picked it up off EBay UK about 10 months ago and have only shaved with it a few times. So time to give it another run! It’s in excellent condition.

Nancy Boy Signature Shave cream with M-Bomb enhancement has become my focus this month! Another tub is on the way! In addition, their Cooling After-Shave Gel with matching Signature Scent along with Krampert’s Frostbite AS Splash were selected for today’s shave. The razor deserved another chance. I’ll state my position here; I don’t enjoy shaving with any Gillette razor after 1940. I have Fat Boys, Slims, and Black Beauties which belonged to family, but I rarely shave with them. My Rex Ambassador and Gibbs adjustables are preferred.

So, back to the shave. In a nutshell, “meh”! I loaded a Nacet, which according to Refined Shavings’ metrics is the second sharpest razor blade after Feather. Didn’t matter! I’m just not a fan of any Gillettes manufactured after the New Deluxe. It’s the head geometry. Three pass shave (WTG, XTG, ATG), but that rounded head TTO geometry shared by the Super Speeds and adjustables just don’t do it for me! Besides, I prefer more exotic shave technology. I had a decent DFS shave, but I know this geometry leads to skin irritation if I push it. At least I feel clean and refreshed! The razor’s going back in the drawer with all the Gillette TTO razors.

RAZOR: British Gillette Gold Rocket
BLADE: Nacet
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
CREAM: Nancy Boy Signature
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Krampert’s Frostbite AS Splash. Finished with Nancy Boy Signature Scrnt After-Shave Gel.

Wednesday

Brush: Omega 13522 Pure
Soap: RazoRock XXX
Razor: '62 H2 Slim Adjustable
Blade: Indian Wilkinson
A/S: Afta Fresh
Cologne / Fragrance: Quorum

Mike

TI Pierre Thiers Historic Limited Edition, Homemade soap, Simpson Major, Trumper Eucris:

SOTD WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2020

As I mentioned a few shaves ago, there remains only one razor in my collection that I haven’t shaved with, my Le Coq Cage Head. I have two of these, but had never shaved with my NOS, complete with the 100 yr old display tag. The user that I have is a very efficient shaver, but like my R41 requires requires one attend to the shaving process, as it can bite. The trade off is that if one maintains focus, the shave is always incredibly close. I expected the same to hold true for this razor, and it did.

Great shave! Two passes (WTG, ATG) and I was delivered right back to VBBS land. The Nancy Boy shave cream enhanced with 6 drops of M-Bomb is seriously wonderful! It won’t appeal to those of you who revel in strong soap stinks, but if you are looking for an incredibly thick, slick protective lather you won’t be disappointed. The beauty of the stuff is that one doesn’t have to worry whether it’s water hungry or not. It just works every time to deliver a great lather. The razor has a very wide sweet spot and shaved smoothly and very efficiently. That first pass cut through the stubble right down to the skin line. The final pass just consisted of some selected buffing. I feel clean, cool, smooth and refreshed.

RAZOR: NOS Le Coq Cage Head
BLADE: Sharp Star
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: Omega Pro48 Boar
SOAP: Nancy Boy Signature
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Chiseled Face Natural AS Splash. Finished with Nancy Boy Signature Scent Cooling After-Shave Gel

Thursday

Brush: Omega 13522 Pure
Soap: T&H Rose
Razor: '62 H2 Slim Adjustable
Blade: Indian Wilkinson
A/S: Afta Fresh
Cologne / Fragrance: Halston Z-14

Mike

TI Eagle 7/8, homemade soap, Simpson Major, Trumper Ajaccio Violets:

SOTD THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020

Great shave yesterday with my century old NOS Le Coq Display Queen. Since I was in the mood for another great shave, I grabbed my Cooper Monobilt fliptop razor. Our @jmudrick puts the release around 1934 given patent information. The razor can be shaved in two configurations. See the photo courtesy of @jmudrick. Totally tightened down, the shave is extremely mild and somewhat inefficient - top shot. However, when loosened up, the resulting shave is quite efficient - bottom shot.

This razor is capable of delivering extremely close shaves, particularly to the dome which is why I enjoy using it so much. In use it bellows the “buttering toast” song, one of my favorites. The problem is there aren’t a lot of them available. A long time member at TSD picked one up, but it suffered from the major failing of these razors, a bent base plate which throws the entire shave off leading to its resale shortly after acquisition. Mine, thank goodness, works just fine, and has always delivered a great shave.

After my shower and cold water rinse, it was time for a workout. The 316L SS Synth brush from Rearden Razor weighs 15.8 oz. It has great heft at almost a lb., and always makes me feel like I’m exercising in use. The enhanced Nancy Boy shave cream felt cool and wonderful on mug and noggin as it was painted on with my barbell brush. The first WTG pass sheared through the prior day’s stubble right down to the skin line leaving only my two trouble spots for further attention. A little selective buffing around the Adam’s Apple and in the slight valley at the top of the back of the dome left me with the desired VBBS. I feel clean, cool, velveteen smooth and refreshed.

RAZOR: Cooper Monobilt
BLADE: Sharp Star
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: 316L SS Rearden Razor Synthetic
CREAM: Nancy Boy Signature enhanced w/ 6 drops M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Nancy Boy Cooling After-Shave Gel.

AOS Sandalwood cream
WCS Tuxedo synthetic brush
Colonial General razor
Kai Captain Original blade
Royall Mandarin all purpose lotion

Friday

Brush: Made Rite Pure Bristle #5
Soap: Williams
Razor: '62 H2 Slim Adjustable
Blade: Indian Wilkinson
A/S: Afta Fresh
Cologne / Fragrance: Halston Z-14

Mike

Mappin & Webb wedge, homemade soap, Simpson Major, Penhaligon's Opus 1870:

SOTD FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2020

Day two with the Cooper Monobilt! The shave yesterday was spectacular, and today’s was just more of the same! Really not much to report other than my continuing focus on this incredible shaving cream, Nancy Boy Signature. @b1hart has jumped on the bandwagon, and reported a great shave with it, and added to its luster by sharing his educated olfactory appreciation of the various scent components that this bumbling nasal barbarian could never hope to do. I suspect that @jluc may be joining us shortly as well, giving his vast, modern artisan, razor armamentarium the opportunity to sport in it. The shave was the same one and 1/2 pass (WTG, ATG) masterpiece as yesterday’s shave. Mr. Cooper delivered the expected VBBS leaving your happy narrator feeling clean, velveteen smooth, cool and refreshed.

RAZOR: Cooper Monobilt
BLADE: Sharp Star (2)
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute w/ 26mm Boar Ferrule
CREAM: Nancy Boy Signature enhanced with 6 Drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Nancy Boy Signature Scent Cooling After-Shave Gel.

SOTD SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2020

One of the issues with having too many great-shaving safety razors is deciding which razor to shave with each day. I've had some incredible shaves with my Auto Strop razors this month. My VB2 display model delivered an incredible shave, but the VC4, the last and only model with a safety bar, delivered one of the closest shaves I’ve ever had from any safety razor, modern or vintage, which I reported on last week. A FB shave brother from nearby Delaware, and Auto Strop collector of many years, contacted me on messenger. He asked for my mailing address, as he wanted me to try a shave with the model he felt was the best, the VC1

The nickel plated VC1 arrived two days ago and was an extra from a lot he’d recently purchased on EBay. He’d examined it and pronounced it mechanically sound, but neglected (read ‘dirty’). After a good scrub with Dawn, whitening toothpaste, and an aluminum foil boiling water baking soda soak, it cleaned up nicely. Following an overnight Barbicide soak, it was ready for a shave this morning. According to the Waits Compendium, the VC1 was released in 1922, a year after the VB1 and continued to be produced through 1929. It was the last true Auto Strop model before Gaisman acquired Gillette and blade protection measures became a regular part of the Auto Strop models that followed under Gillette auspices (VB2, VC2, VC3, VC4).

My benefactor insisted on the use of a despined Gem blade. Thanks to an excellent video by Jim Roe of Jayaruh Shaving (@Jayaruh), preparing the Gem blade for use in the Auto Strop VC1 was easy. After an early morning shower and cold water rinse, I lathered up with the Jayaruh Custom Boar #374 and Nancy Boy Signature shave cream enhanced with the usual 6 drops of M-Bomb. The razor is about 5 grams lighter than my VB2 and VC4, which made no appreciable difference in the shave which was very good, although not quite as close as my VC4 shave. It was still an excellent BBS, but fell a bit shy of the velveteen level. I’m not sure whether to attribute it to the blade. I’ve noticed that the first shave with a Feather FHS-10 was always closer than subsequent shaves, which is also true for their DE blades. Two passes (WTG, ATG) produced a very acceptable mug and noggin BBS. Tomorrow I’ll repeat the shave with a Feather blade. But today I do feel clean, smooth, cool and refreshed. Alum revealed very slight heat around the Adam’s Apple.

RAZOR: Valet Auto Strop (Model VC1)
BLADE: Despined Pella PTFE Gem
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: Jayaruh Custom Boar #374
CREAM: Nancy Boy Signature
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Nancy Boy Signature Scent Cooling After-Shave Gel.

Big Daddy (a W&B FBU chopper), homemade soap, Vulfix 2-band, Taylor's Lavender Water:

Razor: iKon Original brass SBS
Blade: Personna Super Stainless (8)