SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Top of the morning to ya! Post pics and descriptions of your daily shaving gear and accessories!
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Mike R
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Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:48 pm
Location: Twin Cities

SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by Mike R »

Monday

Brush: Omega 13522 Pure
Cream: J.M. Fraser's
Razor: '52 Super Speed
Blade: Dorco ST300
A/S: Barbasol Pacific Rush
Cologne / Fragrance: Belcam's version of Drakkar Noir

Mike
jgreenepa
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Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:32 am

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by jgreenepa »

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SOTD MONDAY MORNING, MARCH 15, 2021

It’s great to be home and have access to my entire razor collection. After a 13 hour drive, and spending Saturday night on an air mattress, it was a real pleasure to get home to my favorite mattress. Back when I worked, I used to spend a lot of time in San Francisco. The St Francis Hotel on Union Square was my favorite hotel, and I never failed to have a glorious sleep there. The secret was their own custom designed mattress. When I retired, I purchased that mattress. I have that same one in our condo in Philly and at my wife’s family’s summer place on Tybee Island. Since we’re now both vaccinated, we plan on visiting both places again after a year of quarantine. In any case, it sure paid off last night, seven great hours of rest. I must have been tired because I normally sleep for only five.

Waking up to a 29°F, bright sunny day certainly set the right tone. This morning’s mug shave featured my Frederick Reynolds 5/8 and a luxurious three pass Castle Forbes lather, whipped up with my favorite Viking Silvertip Badger brush. I decided to spoil myself with a face lather, and I’m glad I did. That little shoulderless Reynolds never lets me down, and it certainly didn’t this morning, easily putting the baby to bed! The dome shave with the Rex Ambassador was a slow and careful two pass ATG shave wide open with that wonderful blade feel I love. The Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle With Care” playing in the background set the perfect tone for a great start to the day! I feel clean, refreshed and porcelain smooth!

RAZOR: Frederick Reynolds 5/8 (Mug), Rex Ambassador (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
CREAM: Castle Forbes Lime
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Royall Lyme AS/Cologne.
De Gustibus Non Disputandum
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TRBeck
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Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by TRBeck »

Semogue Mistura Taj resin
Cyril Salter hard shave soap
Fatip Piccolo open-comb DE
Personna Med Prep shave 4
Grand Bay Rum & w. hazel
Old Spice cologne (current)

Vintage is good stuff, but the current Old Spice is marvelous. A brilliant bit of perfumery.
Regards,
Tim

Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
jgreenepa
Posts: 541
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:32 am

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by jgreenepa »

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SOTD TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 16, 2021

Thanks to a friend at TSD, I was able to secure a F. Herder 49 15/16. It is one big honkin’ blade. The weight and heft feels very good in hand, and the bone scales are in good shape. This straight razor will definitely be a keeper. Given the size of the blade, it will take some getting used to. The mug shave was my usual three passer. The shave was smooth and clean, but just a touch too harsh for my liking. I’ll refinish it on the Naniwa 12k and jasper stones today until I get the edge the way I like it. The dome shave featured my little reliable Ronson safety razor which easily held up its end. Two ATG passes put the baby to bed and left me clean, refreshed and velveteen smooth.

RAZOR: F. Herder 49 15/16 (Mug), Ronson Safety Razor (Dome)
BLADE: Schick B-20 Proline Injector
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute with 24mm Hybrid Knot Ferrule
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 Bergamot & Thyme AS Balm.
De Gustibus Non Disputandum
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Mike R
Posts: 3946
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:48 pm
Location: Twin Cities

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by Mike R »

Tuesday

Brush: Made Rite Pure Bristle #5
Soap: Palmolive Stick
Razor: '52 Super Speed
Blade: Dorco ST300
A/S: Afta Fresh
Cologne / Fragrance: Belcam's version of Drakkar Noir

Mike
brothers
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Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by brothers »

I love the shave experience more than ever - now that it's always a 2 day growth.
The face has an extra day to recover from any skin thinning that may exist as a result of shaving.

Fine Green Vetiver soap in a stick
SilkSmoke synthetic brush
The lather was legendary - thanks to the first two listed items :D
General SE razor from Colonial
Kai Captain Original blade
The scruffy 2-day whiskers disappeared, and the generous splash of
Superior 70 Mentolado aftershave was a pleasant finish to a most comfortable shave.
I'm a very happy camper.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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TRBeck
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Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by TRBeck »

Semogue SOC Taj Mistura
AOS Sandalwood (tallow)
RR Gamechanger .84P DE
7 O'Clock Black shave #2
Bigelow Dr. Galen Herbal
Paco Rabanne EDT spray
Regards,
Tim

Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
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Mike R
Posts: 3946
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:48 pm
Location: Twin Cities

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by Mike R »

Wednesday

Brush: Made Rite Pure Bristle #5
Soap: Palmolive Stick
Razor: '52 Super Speed
Blade: Dorco ST300
A/S: Old Spice Leather
Cologne / Fragrance: Woods of Windsor

Mike
jgreenepa
Posts: 541
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:32 am

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by jgreenepa »

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SOTD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MARCH 17, 2021

This morning’s shave featured what was originally a razor shaped object (RSO) that my son retempered and oil quenched in his forge. The bevel was reset and then polished on a Shapton progression to 30k and rescaled in Koa Wood. The resulting three pass mug shave was excellent. The question remains as to how long the edge will hold. We’ll see, but thus far, me likee! The two pass ATG dome shave with my Valet Autostrop VC4 easily swept the noggin stubble away. Another great shave to remember. I feel clean, refreshed and velveteen smooth.

RAZOR: BG(Ben Greene) 6/8 Damascus (Mug), Valet Autostrop VC4
BLADE: Feather FHS-10
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: JT Sapele/Resin Handled Omega Pro48 Boar
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse withHumphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Pre de Provence Bergamot & Thyme Balm.
De Gustibus Non Disputandum
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TRBeck
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Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by TRBeck »

Omega Premium boar
Homemade fern soap
RR Gamechanger .84
7 O'Clock black day 3
Dr. Galen Tonic splash
Lanvin L'Homme Sport
Regards,
Tim

Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
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Mike R
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Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:48 pm
Location: Twin Cities

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by Mike R »

Thursday

Brush: Omega 10049
Soap: Arko
Razor: '52 Super Speed
Blade: Dorco ST300
A/S: Family Dollar Spice Scent
Cologne / Fragrance: Lagerfeld Classic

Mike
pausted
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Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 5:07 pm
Location: Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by pausted »

Boellis Panama soap
Savile Row Best badger brush
Colonial General razor
Schick P30 blade
Barbasol Pacific Rush aftershave
Best regards,

Basil
jgreenepa
Posts: 541
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:32 am

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by jgreenepa »

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SOTD THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH 18, 2021

The new-to-me F. Herder 49 15/16 spent some time on the Naniwa 12k with a final polish on the jasper stone yesterday afternoon, which removed the harshness I’d experienced with the first shave. All I can say is I now understand why these bone handled “Ace of Spades” razors are held in such high regard. You would think that such a chunky blade might be awkward, but the balance in hand feels just right. With the newly refined edge, it sailed through my regular three pass shave with aplomb leaving behind a porcelain smooth surface, and in the process hooked me! I really like this razor.

I selected my favorite Gem safety razor for this morning’s noggin shave. I consider the Streamline to be the BEST single edge Gem razor (YMMV). The build, production quality, and style is very sleek and well balanced, but a lot heavier than most other Ever Ready and GEM razors at 45g. They were produced between the early 30's and up to the late 50's. My set includes the Streamline Razor, a Streamline Auto-Strop and the leather strop. Some consider the Streamline to be aggressive. I prefer to think of it as highly efficient. It swept away the dome stubble in two very smooth ATG passes and left me refreshed, clean, cool and velveteen smooth.

RAZOR: F. Herder 49 15/16 (Mug), Ever Ready Streamline (Dome)
BLADE: Pella PTFE Gem
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: JT Sapele/Resin Handled Omega Pro48 Boar Knot
SOAP: Fine Snake Bite
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Snake Bite AS Splash.
De Gustibus Non Disputandum
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TRBeck
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Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by TRBeck »

Semogue SOC Taj Mistura
Martin de Candre fougere
RR Gamechanger .84-P DE
Gillette 7 O'Clock shave 4
CO Bigelow Dr. Galen a/s
Lanvin L'Homme EDT 8)
Regards,
Tim

Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
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Mike R
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Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:48 pm
Location: Twin Cities

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by Mike R »

Friday

Brush: Made Rite Pure Bristle #5
Soap: RazoRock XXX
Razor: '52 Super Speed
Blade: Indian Wilkinson
A/S: Dollar Store Splash - Blue / "Fresh Scent"

Mike
jgreenepa
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Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:32 am

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by jgreenepa »

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SOTD FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 19, 2021

Today’s shave featured my R. Saito SK3 7/8 and the silver plated Valet Autostrop Model VB2. Unlike many in this hobby, I don’t own all that many brushes. In fact the only makers of whom I own more than one brush are TSD’s @Jayaruh and @MrEE. I no longer own any horsehair brushes, and of late am beginning to move from my preferred boars to synthetics which have improved remarkably in recent years. The little low end Rooney badger brush used in today’s shave is one of only two badgers that I use regularly. It possesses awesome backbone and just enough scritch for the kind of face lathering I enjoy. The three pass mug shave itself was uneventfully great! The little R. Saito with its smiling silver steel blade holds a great edge and seems perfectly designed for those hollows and crevices under the jaw. This morning it effortlessly whisked away my mug stubble. The following two pass ATG dome shave was excellent as well. The Valet Autostrop VB2, while not quite as good as my preferred VC4 with its safety bar, still delivered a noggin shave that put the baby to bed. I feel clean, refreshed and velveteen smooth.

RAZOR: R. Saito SK3 7/8 (Mug), Valet Autostrop Model VB2
BLADE: Feather FAS-10
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Rooney Ebony Pure Badger
CREAM: Castle Forbes Lime
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Royall Lyme AS/Cologne.
De Gustibus Non Disputandum
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TRBeck
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Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by TRBeck »

2013 Semogue Barbear Classico Mistura
Martin de Candre Fougere shaving soap
Razorock Gamechanger .84-P DE razor
Gillette 7 O'Clock black blade shave #6
CO Bigelow Dr. Galen Herbal Tonic a/s
Bleu de Chanel Eau de Toilette spray :)

I tried the original Martin de Candre many years ago. I got hold of a sample of the fougere version recently and have used it for the last two days. It is superb soap. It doesn't irritate my skin as the original did, but it does have some of the underlying medicinal scent (which I don't mind). It's a really balanced and refreshing scent.
Regards,
Tim

Why should we not meet, not always as dyspeptics, to tell our bad dreams, but sometimes as eupeptics, to congratulate each other on the ever-glorious morning? - Henry David Thoreau
jgreenepa
Posts: 541
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:32 am

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by jgreenepa »

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SOTD SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 20, 2021

Today I’m taking delivery of my second modern artisan razor. I’ll have more to say tomorrow morning after my shave with it. This morning I decided on a vintage - modern artisan pairing for my shave. The 1920s vintage Le Coq Cagehead, a safety razor again required constant attention as it sheared away my noggin stubble, but did leave me bloodless, and oh-so-smooth. For the mug shave, I selected my Rigarazor 15/16. I had confessed in some earlier posts to not being a particular fan of this razor, but remembered that I had repaired a chip on the edge. When I examined it under the USB microscope yesterday after stropping it, I noticed that the area around the repair appeared grainier than the rest of the edge. So I took it to the Naniwa 12k for a refresh, taking particular care to ensure a mirror bright bevel surface throughout the length of the edge, finishing with a final polish on the UF side of my jasper stone with just water until the blade was sticking nicely. And lo and behold, what a difference in the mug shave this morning! Three slow passes left me with a velveteen smooth mug. I feel clean, smooth and refreshed!

RAZOR: Rigarazor 15/16 (Mug), Le Coq Cagehead
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: MrEE Monster Aluminum Tuxedo Synth
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 Bergamot & Thyme Balm.
De Gustibus Non Disputandum
pausted
Posts: 2535
Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 5:07 pm
Location: Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by pausted »

Ach Brito Mogno soap
E. Jagger Super badger brush
Colonial General razor
Schick P30 blade
Barbasol Pacific Rush aftershave
Best regards,

Basil
jgreenepa
Posts: 541
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:32 am

Re: SOTD: March 15 - March 21, 2021

Post by jgreenepa »

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SOTD SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 21, 2021

I have a relatively small straight razor collection compared to some of my friends which consists primarily of vintage straights. Until yesterday I owned one modern artisan straight, a Rigarazor 15/16. As a long time custom knife collector I’ve been a fan of pattern-welded Damascus and Wootz steel blades, and when I started hanging out on some of the FB straight razor sites I began to notice the work of Victor Creazzi. What particularly caught my eye was the manner in which he built his “Fancy” razors with a monosteel edge welded to the Damascus billets he builds from scratch. My son, who has his own forge, and hopes to become a full-time bladesmith when he retires in 15 years, tells me that building a razor in the manner of Mr. Creazzi’s self developed SanMai method is not a trivial undertaking and reflects true razorsmithing mastery! I concur! Being retired since 2012 and on a fixed income I have lusted after one of Victor’s blades, a razor he named “Bone Mosaic”.

As the months passed, I began to accumulate the funds for my down payment, all the time hoping it wouldn’t sell. Since retiring I have joined the faculty of a small business college in Philly. After agreeing to teach a recent senior seminar, I knew I would be able finally acquire my dream razor which was still available. I contacted Victor, explained my situation, and he graciously agreed to accept payment in two parts. The razor arrived a few days early from Colorado yesterday. I will admit, I’ve handled quite a few pattern-welded Damascus knife blades over the years, but never a razor crafted so exquisitely! The attention to detail and the absolute perfection of the edge which I examined under a USB microscope blew me away! But the shave was in a class by itself. Victor’s razors apparently have a reputation for singing, and it’s well-deserved. “Bone Mosaic” belted out the ‘Buttering Toast’ refrain through each of the three passes leaving me with the kind of mug shave I’ll keep touching throughout the day.

As it turned out, the entire shave turned out to be epic, as @Keithmax of TSD is wont to say when referencing a memorable shave. My new MrEE (@MrEE) blue aluminum handled brush fitted with a SynBad knot performed brilliantly with my regular MWF. It’s my third brush from Evan all of which are great performers. The dome shave featured my Barbasol Floating Head safety razor which dates to the third decade of the 20th century. These 90 some odd year old safety razors have developed a reputation for extreme shaving efficiency; one that’s well deserved and should be respected. When I first acquired the razor a few years ago I learned early on that if my attention wandered, she’d bite like a jealous woman! Having been properly schooled by Madame Barbasol, I paid her the attention she desires, and was rewarded me with a two pass ATG porcelain smooth result that was in keeping with the fantastic mug shave that preceded it. I feel refreshed, clean, and oh-so-smooth!

RAZOR: Bone Mosaic 7/8 (Mug), Barbasol Floating Head (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: MrEE Blue Anodized Aluminum LE #5 fitted with a SynBad Knot
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Osage Rub and Cremo Cooling Post Shave Balm.​​​​
De Gustibus Non Disputandum
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