SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Top of the morning to ya! Post pics and descriptions of your daily shaving gear and accessories!
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John Rose
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by John Rose »

⤜Wednesday SOTN➝

razor - Gillette Long-Comb New
blade - Shaverboy Stainless Steel (20 and done)
soap - Stirling Sharp Dressed Man
brush - Stirling 2-Band Synthetic
post - warm water rinse, DSA "Pure & Natural" Alum stick, cold water rinse
AS - Italian Barber GIT
music - silence tonight
HbA1c - 7.0 (not at all related to shaving, but not bad. It did not increase as a result of decreased activity due to the pandemic isolation)

A BBS, but I arbitrarily decided to toss the Shaverboy blade. Otherwise, I might not use them all up before all the iron in them decays to chromium or manganese or whatever.
I was getting a wee bit of irritation mid-shave, but I'm not sure if it was the blade or something in the soap. Or both. It was gone by the time I rinsed and applied alum.
"If this isn't nice, then what is?" - Kurt Vonnegut's Uncle Alex
jgreenepa
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by jgreenepa »

SOTD THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 20, 2020

it’s a bright, sunny morning here in the Philadelphia suburbs. No better time for a stellar shave! For some reason, I just can’t bring myself to shave with any of my safety razors more than twice in a row! I really like the new Tradere, but this morning my SS Supply called out to me. And boy am I glad I listened. I loaded my Supply razor with Schick twinjector blades on the three dot plate, and really luxuriated in the dome shave it delivered. For a change this morning, I did the noggin first. The Supply glided right through that slick MWF lather shearing away the 24 hrs of stubble effortlessly. The result was the desired state of velveteen splendor (VBBS). Although I expected to use it again to clean up my neck, there Was no need.

Last night I grabbed the favorite of my two Damascus CKBA Koa Wood scaled straight razors, the one with the half hollow 7/8 blade. I built a nice slurry on the jasper stone with the 320 grit DMT plate, and after three slurry sessions hairs were a poppin’. I flipped the stone over, removed the chaff from the edge and finished on the fine side with two water sessions until the edge was polished and gleaming. The mug shave this morning (WTG, ATG, XTG) was amazing, my first VBBS both above and below the jawline. It was as good as any of my AC safety razor shaves with a Feather Super. I feel cool, clean and velveteen smooth. The straight razor shave has me in a very good mood! I wish all my shave brothers and sisters out there a great day! Mine has certainly started out that way!

RAZOR: CKBA Koa Wood 7/8 Damascus (Mug), SS Supply V2 3 Dot Plate (Dome)
BLADE: Schick Twinjector
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute with 26mm Two Band Badger Ferrule
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Old Spice Fresh Lime and A&E Post-Shave Serum.
De Gustibus Non Disputandum
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drmoss_ca
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by drmoss_ca »

TI 1937 Special Coiffeur, homemade soap, Simpson PL8, Pecksniff's Aromatic Chypre:

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"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
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Actor07
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by Actor07 »

Razor: original Tradere 1st Gen OC

Blade: Wilkinson "The Blade" (16)

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John Rose
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by John Rose »

Thursday SOTD - late afternoon for a change, because of yard work which necessitated an early shower.
Image
razor - Gillette L4 Slim Adjustable @4
blade - Shaverboy Stainless Steel (1)
soap - RazoRock "For Chicago" soap
brush - Fendrihan Classic Pure Grey Badger
post - styptic pencil, warm water rinse, DSA "Pure & Natural" Alum stick, cold water rinse
AS - Clubman Pinaud Classic Vanilla Aftershave Lotion
music - none today

A BBS, but with a few weepers under my lower lip. I always forget to take it easy with new blades.
I decided to break out a Shaverboy blade from the new batch, to see if they were any different from the who-knows-how-old tuck in the PIF. This one was just as good, and no sign of the oily film reported in some early reviews. Just a few small thin dots of wax.

The brush is starting to lose its scent after the 3rd time using it, but it's still a bit scritchy. I am beginning to see the appeal of using a larger (22 mm) badger brush, compared to the Simpson Special 1 (20 mm) or Wee Scot (13 mm).
"If this isn't nice, then what is?" - Kurt Vonnegut's Uncle Alex
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John Rose
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by John Rose »

Actor07 wrote: Thu Aug 20, 2020 3:51 pm Razor: original Tradere 1st Gen OC

Blade: Wilkinson "The Blade" (16)

Image
Is that a new-old-stock package?
I've never seen that before (very eye-catching), and the price seems ...uh... vintage.
"If this isn't nice, then what is?" - Kurt Vonnegut's Uncle Alex
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drmoss_ca
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by drmoss_ca »

That's pretty much what they looked like in late 60's UK.

Frederick Reynolds chopper, homemade soap, Shavemac DO1 prototype, Penhaligon's Douro:

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"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Actor07
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by Actor07 »

John Rose wrote: Thu Aug 20, 2020 4:36 pm Thursday SOTD - late afternoon for a change, because of yard work which necessitated an early shower.
Image
razor - Gillette L4 Slim Adjustable @4
blade - Shaverboy Stainless Steel (1)
soap - RazoRock "For Chicago" soap
brush - Fendrihan Classic Pure Grey Badger
post - styptic pencil, warm water rinse, DSA "Pure & Natural" Alum stick, cold water rinse
AS - Clubman Pinaud Classic Vanilla Aftershave Lotion
music - none today

A BBS, but with a few weepers under my lower lip. I always forget to take it easy with new blades.
I decided to break out a Shaverboy blade from the new batch, to see if they were any different from the who-knows-how-old tuck in the PIF. This one was just as good, and no sign of the oily film reported in some early reviews. Just a few small thin dots of wax.

The brush is starting to lose its scent after the 3rd time using it, but it's still a bit scritchy. I am beginning to see the appeal of using a larger (22 mm) badger brush, compared to the Simpson Special 1 (20 mm) or Wee Scot (13 mm).
Yes, it's New Old Stock of the legendary Wilkinson's "Light Brigade" blades
jgreenepa
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by jgreenepa »

SOTD FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 21, 2020

I enjoyed two excellent dome shaves from my new Blackland Tradere blade holder. Prior to it’s arrival, my favorite DE safety razor was my Colonial Silversmith, which I haven’t shaved with in the last two months, one of the drawbacks of having too large a collection of excellent blade holders. The question in my mind was how do they compare? Since I no longer shave my face with a safety razor, the comparison will have to be my dome shaves. Although both Tradere shaves were excellent, my most recent was with a Feather blade. So I loaded a fresh Feather blade into the Colonial Silversmith. In keeping with my new regimen, I began my shave after my shower and shaved the dome first. The JR Rosewood Silvertip Badger whipped up its usual thick, yogurty MWF lather carpet. The noggin shave was magnificent. One and a 1/2 passes was all it took for my usual VBBS dome result. Although 12 grams lighter than the Tradere, the Silversmith felt great in hand and every bit as efficient, if not a trifle more so. The difference in utility is trifling, but in my estimation, I’ll still go with the Silversmith. The Silversmith‘s bead blasted finish is beautiful, and it is made from 316L SS which is from a utility perspective superior to the Tradere’s 303 stainless. Again, the difference, if any, between the two blade holders is trifling in my experience.

My son, Ben, had sharpened my Double Duck Goldedge on his Naniwa progression finishing on his ridiculously expensive Shapton Glass 30k grit, and it is quite sharp, but didn’t feel as buttery smooth as my shave yesterday with the CKBA Damascus straight razor. So for tomorrow’s shave, I’m going to kill his edge, and then refinish it to the same level of shiny polish in water on my single jasper stone. I’m betting that a slightly more rounded edge will shave better for me, but more importantly, will feel better. After all, I still have my filial honemeister to fall back on, if necessary. Back to my face shave! The Goldedge with its current honing did not achieve the level of comfort I experienced yesterday, requiring me to again clean up my neck with my faithful Silversmith. Tomorrow will be the test. Is there such a thing as too sharp? I’m betting there is, and that my refinished edge on my jasper stone will feel just as good on the Double Duck as it did on the CKBA Damascus straight yesterday. In any case I feel clean and velveteen smooth with a fair bit of heat on my neck from the Double Duck. Looking forward to tomorrow’s shave with this same refinished Double Duck!

RAZOR: Double Duck Goldedge 6/8 (Mug), Colonial Silversmith (Dome)
BLADE: Feather (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: JR Rosewood Silvertip Badger #378
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Aqua Velva (Spanish Version) and Pre de Provence Balm.
De Gustibus Non Disputandum
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drmoss_ca
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by drmoss_ca »

jgreenepa wrote: Fri Aug 21, 2020 6:44 am My son, Ben, had sharpened my Double Duck Goldedge on his Naniwa progression finishing on his ridiculously expensive Shapton Glass 30k grit...
Even the Shapton Pro 30k, which costs a lot more, is a bargain compared to some JNats. Though these days I find it is more important to have a good basis from which to proceed - I just received a Chosera 1k to replace a Naniwa Superstone 1k, for a mere $90CDN.

A word of wisdom for all straight honers: get the bevel just right on the first hone, and after that it won't matter very much what you use, as the razor will shave.* Then you confirm and build the edge with your mid-range hone or stone** - I find a coticule foolproof here, but no doubt I could do the same with my Naniwas or Shaptons, or Nortons. Small differences will come from finishing with an Escher, a Shapton 30k, a Suehiro gokumyo 20k, a translucent Arkansas, a black Arkansas, or a lapped Spyderco UF***.

*a razor will shave closely here WTG if you did it right
**now it shaves comfortably XTG
*** and now it shaves luxuriously ATG

This is not rocket science. You can do it. I have and use all of the above - and more - but to go back to basics, just set the bevel well and then refine it, and then polish it, and you're a honing star!
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by drmoss_ca »

Dovo EnVogue 5/8 faux-damasus stainless steel, homemade soap, Grosvenor brush, Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet:

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This razor was honed on a coticule alone, and the shave was really nice!
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
jgreenepa
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by jgreenepa »

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SOTD SATURDAY MORNING, AUGUST 22, 2020

Well, I confirmed my suspicions. The Dilucot method, originally developed as a way of honing razors using a single stone (Belgian Coticule) and a series of slurries of decreasing grit dilutions also works beautifully with my jasper stone. I used a coarse DMT plate to generate the slurries which are then successively diluted until finally one is honing with just water alone. In the case of my Double Duck, my son, Ben, had already set a great bevel. When I examined the edge he’d built with his 30k stone using a 60x jeweler’s loupe, I noticed metal feathers along its length. There was no need to go through the full process. So I very gently ran the edge over the face of the fine side of my jasper hone.

Reexamination with the loupe revealed the flattening and or elimination of the chaff I’d observed earlier along the entire length of the edge on both sides. For the next task I built a very thin slurry with the DMT plate and did 40 circles (20 clockwise & 20 counterclockwise) followed by 20 back and forth strokes. I then finished in water using back and forth strokes until the blade began to stick to the face of the stone. The blade passed the tomato slicing test and was popping hairs to beat the band at that point. I lathered up and discovered that I’d built the kind of buttery smooth edge that was a joy to shave with. I’ll admit that I really enjoyed the process of building an edge that I liked which then delivered me to VBBS land on my mug both above and below the jawline.

The Silversmith with the same Feather blade as yesterday shaved every bit as well as my new Tradere. An examination and comparison of the two head geometries revealed a very similar design. In any case my dome shave today was the usual 1 1/2 pass (ATG, ATG) VBBS. I feel cool, clean, and amazingly velveteen. My MrEE 007 brush performed in its usual superb fashion throughout the shave. The cooling MWF lather was a delight to shave with, as usual. I have four pucks of the stuff, so I’m set for the next few years. It’s a beautiful, sunny day here in the Philadelphia suburbs. I wish all my shave brothers and sisters a great day!

Tomorrow is the actual test of the DiluJasper method from bevel set through finish. I purchased a Puma Solingen razor for virtually nothing ($5), yesterday evening from a local cutlery dealer in Adamstown, PA who complained that he was never able to get a decent edge from it. Ben was with me by phone and encouraged me to buy it. He suspected the blade may be slightly warped and that’s why it may have not yielded to a standard honing progression. Well it failed the tilt ‘n wobble test revealing that it definitely needed a bevel set. Ben, after examining it, felt that I should set the bevel on the 1000 grit Chosera stone and then complete the honing on my jasper stone using decreasing slurry dilutions. So that’s the project for tomorrow’s mug shave. My first complete honing job from bevel set to finish on a problematic straight razor.

RAZOR: Double Duck Goldedge (Mug), Colonial Silversmith (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE (2)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: MrEE Knurled Aluminum Handle Hybrid Knot
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Old Spice Fresh Lime AS Splash and Cremo Cooling Post Shave Balm.
De Gustibus Non Disputandum
jgreenepa
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by jgreenepa »

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SOTD SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 23, 2020

Setting the bevel on the Puma was an excellent learning experience. Using the Schechter finger positioning method with the White Chosera stone worked just the way it’s supposed to. Ben lapped the stone before first use. Schechter uses 60 diagonal stroke on each side.

It was clear from the resulting slurry created during the bevel setting process that the heel of the blade was not getting the same exposure to the stone as the rest of the blade. Applying pressure in this area with Schechter’s finger positioning approach resulted in a clean bevel along most of the blade. After Ben examined the edge with the 60x jeweler’s loupe, he recommended another 40 strokes on each side.

With the bevel set, the action moved to the jasper stone where I built a slurry on the rough side with a smooth coarse DMT plate. I began with 80 circles, 40 on each side until the slurry was dark gray. I then rinsed the stone and built a second slurry, this time using back and forth strokes. Three slurries later, I began to notice resistance in the stone.

I then flipped the stone to the fine side, removed the steel feather buildup from the edge by running it gently at 90 degrees across the face of the stone.and began regular back and forth strokes under clear running water (about 20 minutes) until it felt like the blade was beginning to stick to the stone. I finished with 10 strops on Chromox infused linen and 10 strops on leather. At that point the blade was popping hairs and slicing a tomato evenly along its length.

The shave went very well, VBBS above the jawline and DFS++ below. The Puma blade was a bit longer than I’m used to, and I found the XTG challenging on my neck leading to a minor set down error under my left ear. That being the case, I opted to use my twinjector loaded Supply razor to finish the job on my neck. The dome shave with the Supply was a breeze, and again I finished the shave feeling cool, clean, slightly wounded, but still velveteen!

RAZOR: Puma Solingen 5/8 (Mug), SS Supply V2 (Dome)
BLADE: Schick Twinjector
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube.
BRUSH: Rooney Ebony Pure Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Chiseled Face Natural AS Splash with menthol and A&E Post-Shave Serum.
De Gustibus Non Disputandum
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by drmoss_ca »

Dovo EnVogue stainless faux damascus 5/8 #2, homemade soap, Apothecary Shop brush, Penhaligon's Quercus:

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"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
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CMur12
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Re: SOTD August 17 - August 23, 2020

Post by CMur12 »

Sunday night:

Razor: Rockwell 6C (on setting/plate 2)
Blade: Tíz (excellent blade from Iran)

Brush: Semogue 1305
Soap: Mystic Water Lime

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

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

- Murray
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