SOTD April 5 - April 11, 2021

[jgreenepa]

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SOTD MONDAY MORNING, APRIL 5, 2021

The Ellis and Allan 8/8 Stubtail focus continues with increasing success on this Micromatic Monday after Easter’s celebration yesterday! The mug shave is settling in as I learn the ins and outs of this 200+ year old razor. The three pass shave was excellent, giving me the opportunity to again truly appreciate master restorer, Glen Mercurio’s work.

His selection of bone scales, an amber wedge, brass pins and the beautiful custom period beehive washers by Austin Kennedy are all in keeping with that time in history. But it’s the silence of the shave that sets this old razor in good company with my H. Hobson, another old, solid Sheffield cast steel wedge. I do enjoy the shave quality of early wedge design straight razors.

The dome shave featured a superb example of Gem bladed safety razors, my Micromatic OC. These razors never fail to deliver an extremely close satisfying shave, particularly when loaded with a PTFE coated blade. This capable little safety razor and it’s successor, the ClogPruf, really deliver the goods in two very pleasant ATG passes. I feel, refreshed, cool and dolphin smooth!

RAZOR: Ellis & Allan 8/8 (Mug), Gem Micromatic OC
BLADE: Pella PTFE Gem
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: JT Sapele/Resin Handled Omega Pro48 Boar
SOAP: Fine Snake Bite
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Fine Snake Bite AS Splash.

[TRBeck]

Semogue 830 brush
Palmolive hard soap
Razorock GC-.84 DE
Gillette Platinum 1
Bigelow aftershave
Eau de Rochas EDT

[drmoss_ca]

It's been about eight weeks since my last shave, and rather than a long beard I have a bald head and cheeks, with a little soft, sparse stubble on my upper lip and chin. I'm hoping for improvement on that score, but in the meantime felt I ought to see if I remember how to do the deed. Especially as Rog Hensley (of straightrazorplace.com - a highly recommended seller of cheaper razors refinished and honed for beginners) was kind enough to send me a welcome home present of a new old stock Friodur that he has honed to very perfection:

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I don't know whether he has a better touch than me on the stones, or whether it's just I have weedy thin beard hairs at the moment (guess what? I now have female blood and bone marrow, as well as going from O+ to A+), but this razor shaves beautifully. I will treasure it.

[pausted]

Dr. Moss, great to see your post! I presume you are now home and that you are on the mend. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[TRBeck]

Chris, great to hear from you!

Edwin Jagger L synth
Palmolive soap stick
Razorock Mentor 89
Gillette Platinum #1
Thayer's witch hazel
Caron PUH Sport EDT

Not really a sport fragrance. A citrus-lavender scent with deep ambergris and a touch of vanilla in the drydown. Very nicely done, as one would expect from Caron.

[Mike R]

Tuesday

Brush: Omega 13522 Pure
Soap: Palmolive Stick
Razor: '52 Super Speed
Blade: Super-Max Platinum
A/S: Barbasol Pacific Rush
Cologne / Fragrance: Azzaro Silver Black

Mike

[Mike R]

Wednesday

Brush: Made Rite Pure Bristle #5
Soap: Tabac
Razor: '52 Super Speed
Blade: Super-Max Platinum
A/S: Barbasol Brisk
Cologne / Fragrance: Azzaro Night Time

Mike

[pausted]

Ach Brito Mogno soap
IB 2012 LE boar brush
Colonial General razor
Schick P30 blade
Dominica Bay Rum aftershave

[Mike R]

Thursday

Brush: Made Rite Pure Bristle #5
Soap: Tabac
Razor: '52 Super Speed
Blade: Super-Max Platinum
A/S: Brut
Cologne / Fragrance: Aramis

Mike

[jgreenepa]

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SOTD THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 8, 2021

Today's shave featured what is rapidly becoming my favorite straight razor, “Bone Mosaic”, a SanMai pattern-welded Damascus blade with a 1095 forge welded edge. The edge on this razor is just amazingly sharp and buttery smooth. When coupled with the 22mm blue resin handle I had laying around that my son made and gave me, mounted with a Silvertip Badger knot from the Golden Nib, there were great things in the offing. The brush paired beautifully with my regular MWF and effortlessly generated gobs of lather. The resulting leisurely three pass mug shave was a true pleasure.

I decided to return to the razor model I shaved with for almost 50 years, the Schick Krona, for my dome shave. Although the original model gave up the ghost several years ago, I’ve managed to collect multiple versions since of which this Gold Centennial Edition is my favorite. The Schick Krona is a surprisingly efficient shaver, at least for me! Whenever I shave with it, it sort of feels like coming home. The two pass ATG noggin shave felt like automatic pilot until I removed the top of a bump, easily managed with Proraso styptic gel. Despite that I feel oh-so-smooth and refreshed.

RAZOR: Victor Creazzi’s “Bone Mosaic” 7/8 (Mug), Schick Krona Gold Centennial Edition
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: BG Blue Resin Handled Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse withHumphreys Lilac WH. Finished with PAA Frost Byte After Shave & Cologne.

[brothers]

Yesterday morning's show shave star was the straight razor also known as Hess 44 stainless. It is a 6/8 full hollow but did a good job making the two-day growth disappear.

[drmoss_ca]

It's pretty hard to tell if I'm acing the honing, or that the smooth shave is just the result of sparse and soft new beard! But the Spear Wedge 4/8 was touched up on Naniwa stones today and performed very nicely. Also present a Somerset T4 Super, Trumper's Sandalwood cream and cologne.

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[TRBeck]

Semogue 830 boar
Valobra cologne ss
EJ 89 w/RR Mentor
Gillette Platinum 2
Dr. Galen Tonic a/s
Bleu de Chanel edt

[Mike R]

Friday

Brush: Made Rite Pure Bristle #5
Soap: Palmolive Stick
Razor: '52 Super Speed
Blade: Super-Max Platinum
A/S: British Sterling
Cologne / Fragrance: one million

Mike

[jgreenepa]

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SOTD FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 9, 2021

Welcome to Wool Fat Friday! There are certain razors that are classics, and without a doubt the R. Saito SK3 7/8 fits the billing! Designed by the Royal Barber, Ryuichi Saito, to the Japanese throne, it just feels great in hand. After a touch up on the Naniwa 12K followed by two pasted and a leather stropping, it obliterated my mug stubble in three slow luxurious passes floating on a carpeting of slick, MWF lather.

This was my second outing with my son’s blue resin handle fitted with a Silvertip Badger knot, and all I can say is, “me likee”! What a great lather builder. The knot is incredibly soft, but still has just the right amount of backbone. Unlike many who face lather their MWF, I prefer bowl lathering. And not all brushes are up to it, but this one certainly delivered gobs of thick, rich, slick lather. Slathering it on my mug really felt good.

After that great mug shave, I took advantage of the rich, slick lather remaining in my lather bowl. As I said above, the brush felt so good that I again spent extra time painting the lather on my dome. The Gibbs Adjustable #17 is the French razor that inspired the Rex Ambassador design. This morning, after nipping the tabs on a Polsilver, and loading it, I swept away my noggin stubble in two ATG passes. I do like the blade feel on this little razor! I feel refreshed, clean, and velveteen smooth!

RAZOR: R. Saito SK3 7/8 (Mug), Gibbs Adjustable #17
BLADE: Modified Polsilver DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: BG Blue Resin Handled Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Pre de Provence AS Balm.

[TRBeck]

Semogue SOC Mistura Taj Resin
AOS Sandalwood soap w/tallow
EJ DE89 Barley w/Mentor head
Gillette Platinum blade day #4
Grand Bay Rum w/witch hazel
AOS Sandalwood EDT (vintage)

[jgreenepa]

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SOTD SATURDAY MORNING, APRIL 10, 2021

Up early with old man issues! Peripheral neuropathy is what the doc called it! Burning shooting pains in my feet is what I call it, and it woke me up! So what better way to feel better than to have a great shave! It was time for my second favorite Japanese razor, the Diamond Hayashi Nichiri Tokusen 6/8. Two pasted linen stroppings and one on leather set the stage for another great buttery smooth, three pass, Japanese silver steel shave. The 22mm Silvertip Badger knot I set in my son’s blue resin handle is growing on me. It pairs beautifully with my favorite soap, MWF. So incredibly soft yet possessing the necessary backbone to effortlessly generate more lather than I’d ever need. I have a small collection of French safety razors, LeResche, Le Coq, Famex, L’Essor, and Spadson, the last of which is my Mayhem razor. For this morning’s shave I selected the LaResche 51. The undulating OC design never fails to deliver, and the excellent two pass, ATG noggin shave testified to its expertise. I feel refreshed, clean and porcelain smooth.

RAZOR: DH Nichiri Tokusen 6/8 (Mug), LeResche 51 (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: BG Blue Resin 22mm Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Pre de Provence AS Balm.

[jgreenepa]

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SOTD SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 11, 2021

Woke up to a dreary, overcast day. The only remedy is, of course, a great shave, as I continue to work through my favorite seven day set. Next in the rotation is the Wade & Butcher 7/8. This old razor really holds an edge. Three slow passes with the first of my LE MrEE brushes resulted in a superb mug shave. The hybrid knot on this brush laid down the expected slick, MWF lather carpet, allowing the baby to be put to bed. The Rex Ambassador wide open performed equally as well on the dome in two ATG passes. I feel refreshed, clean and velveteen smooth.

RAZOR: Wade & Butcher 7/8 (Mug), Rex Ambassador (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: MrEE LE Knurled Aluminum Handle Hybrid Knot #007
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Alt-Innsbruck AS Splash.

[pausted]

Tabac soap
Proraso boar brush
Colonial General razor
Schick P30 blade
Dominica Bay Rum aftershave

[Mike R]

Tuesday

Brush: Omega 13522 Pure
Cream: FA Oceanic
Razor: '52 Super Speed
Blade: Super-Max Platinum
A/S: Family Dollar Brut clone
Cologne / Fragrance: Brut

Mike