Shave of the Day 2014

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Brush: Omega big piggie (#48)
Pre-Shave: Trumper's Skin food (Sandalwood)
Soap/Cream: Nanny's soap (scent used to be sandalwood)
Razor: 38C
Blade: Personna Super 'Lab Blue' [1]
After-shave: Myrsol Antesol

It seems to me that the Personna Supers (aka "Lab Blues") are the same as the "Med Preps". At least they have the same feel and give the same shave. It's only my first shave with the Supers but on first impressions are just as good to my skin.
 
filobiblic said:
Brush: Omega big piggie (#48)
Pre-Shave: Trumper's Skin food (Sandalwood)
Soap/Cream: Nanny's soap (scent used to be sandalwood)
Razor: 38C
Blade: Personna Super 'Lab Blue' [1]
After-shave: Myrsol Antesol

It seems to me that the Personna Supers (aka "Lab Blues") are the same as the "Med Preps". At least they have the same feel and give the same shave. It's only my first shave with the Supers but on first impressions are just as good to my skin.
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NIce one @filobiblic , where did you score the blades - as these are ones I'm keen to try (hear they are even better than their sister IP Reds)?
 
stillshunter said:
NIce one @filobiblic , where did you score the blades - as these are ones I'm keen to try (hear they are even better than their sister IP Reds)?
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I'll pop some into the post for you.
I bought via Fleabay in US. About $16-17 inc postage. They don't have the blue wrappers but plain white. Apparently they recently changed but are still the same blade.
I personally think they shave the same as the Med Preps. There are some in the Travelling Box. I like them more than the IP's. A lot smoother.
 
stillshunter said:
NIce one @filobiblic , where did you score the blades - as these are ones I'm keen to try (hear they are even better than their sister IP Reds)?
Click to expand...
I'll pop some into the post for you.
I bought via Fleabay in US. About $16-17 inc postage. They don't have the blue wrappers but plain white. Apparently they recently changed but are still the same blade.
I personally think they shave the same as the Med Preps. There are some in the Travelling Box. I like them more than the IP's. A lot smoother.
 
First shave with a P74. That's a Personna 74. The 74 being the atomic number of Tungsten which is somehow used in the manufacture. Not sure how but that's the background. They're meant to be the beez neez of blades and @eggbert sent one to me for a try out. Not much to report after one shave other than it was just as good as the first shave with a top of the range blade such as the Schick Plus Platinum (platinum's got atomic number 78 so the SPP should be approximately 3.5% better) or the Gillette Spoiler. If it shaves like this after 6 shaves, it's winner, 10 shaves and it's as good the aforementioned, 15 shaves or more and I'll join the chorus. Oh and I used my butterscotch re-knot and Tabac cream (getting hot here in WA).
 
I thought you went to Tabac when it was winter, not when the weather is warming up?
 
Pjotr said:
First shave with a P74. That's a Personna 74. The 74 being the atomic number of Tungsten which is somehow used in the manufacture. Not sure how but that's the background. They're meant to be the beez neez of blades and @eggbert sent one to me for a try out. Not much to report after one shave other than it was just as good as the first shave with a top of the range blade such as the Schick Plus Platinum (platinum's got atomic number 78 so the SPP should be approximately 3.5% better) or the Gillette Spoiler. If it shaves like this after 6 shaves, it's winner, 10 shaves and it's as good the aforementioned, 15 shaves or more and I'll join the chorus. Oh and I used my butterscotch re-knot and Tabac cream (getting hot here in WA).
Click to expand...
http://tinyurl.com/nqf4hy4
Yay, Tungsten blades are available again :D
 
Pjotr has shamed me into trying out the P74. I was going to wait until the weekend, and see how far into November a blade could take me - now the maths will just have to be that little bit harder.

Blade: Personna 74*
Razor: Eclipse red ring
Soap: Speick Stick
Brush: Horse - piffed by @SmallYetDeadly
AS: Aqua Velva

Poor Eclipse red ring - the previous Schick had been in there so long a thick residue had built up on the blade and in the head. I had to shake the blade out into the sink, then using the handy magnet on the bottom of the razor was able to safey pick up and dispose of the old Schick.

I think most of the Speick soap smell is still lingering in my desk drawer, as the soap itself seemed quite mild when applied to the face.

The smell of the horse hair brush being used for the first time was much stronger, and not very pleasant at first.

Decent enough lather but as I had a weeks worth of growth on my face, I wasn't expecting the best of first passes.

Now I won't make my final judgement on this blade based on this first shave, but I have never had a a first pass scythe through a weeks worth of growth as effortlessly as tonight - no tugging whatsoever. A second pass cleared everything else up, and I didn't even need any touch ups.

I can't believe that a blade can make this much difference, so can only presume that all of the planets had aligned in some way to make my shave as nice as it was.

The Aqua Velva gave a little bit of sting around the neck as I was so confident with the blade that I went against the grain there on the 2nd pass (something I rarely ever do when shaving).

I'll be interested to see if the planets align for me again the next shave.

Proraso, Omega and the Fatboy are lined up for that shave.

I have secretly been scoffing at the P74 fanboys, but if it shaves as well, and lasts at least as long as one of the other good vintage blades I will be a very happy man.

/edit One change from the norm I forgot to mention (that could have a large impact on the quality of the shave) was that instead of a shower shave, I honoured the new combo with a proper shave at the basin with hot water and a mirror.
 
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Good stuff Eggy! Nothing like a great shave to feel on top of the world.

I need to get me a razor with a magnet...
 
The beluga may have already swum away for your grasp.
Not sure if that kickstarter had finished.

Shame I'm on tapatalk, linking to other threads is just too difficult
 
eggbert said:
The beluga may have already swum away for your grasp.
Not sure if that kickstarter had finished.

Shame I'm on tapatalk, linking to other threads is just too difficult
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My tongue is firmly in my cheek...[emoji14]
 
So was mine in the original post. Italics and bold is as close as I try to get to smiley faces.
 
eggbert said:
So was mine in the original post. Italics and bold is as close as I try to get to smiley faces.
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Oh I know... I was up and running with that one... Magnets are so cool.
 
Brush: Simpsons Duke 2
Soap/Cream: GFT Limes
Razor: Gillette Super (7)
Blade: Gillette Super Stainless (1)
After-shave: Speick AS lotion

Thought I'd try something completely different. First run with the birth year Super Adjustable gifted to me - for my b'day by @filobiblic [emoji106] - and I thought it best mated with something else vintage and Super so loaded up the the Gillette Super Stainless - PIFed by @Monsta_AU [emoji106] . No sure on the precise nomenclature for this blade but she looks like:

1967%20(M2)%203%20Gillette%20Super%20Stainless%20Steel%20Blade%20Australian.jpg

They're most like the blade bottom left, with the Gillette arrow motif, but say "Made in Australia", so Aussie Spoilers maybe?

Anywho, overcharged the Duke 2 with the GFT Limes - gifted to me by @garethm [emoji106] (jeez, I am a charity case aren't I?) I'd forgotten how Simpsons Best eats up creams. Anyway easily generated enough yoghurty lather to remedy an all-body
yeast infection. Got to say the GFT Limes is a top cream that gives great glide and nice moisturising but to me it redefines 'cushioning', it is so protective. Top shelf. Though Limes sounds a little gay, I feel man enough to admit I love the scent, fitting for this time of year.

Anyway first (WTG) and second (XTG - inside out) passes were impeccable. Was loving this combination and on a high. Third pass (XTG - outside in) was also smooth, still riding the good ship. Didn't feel much difference between the Gillettes Super and the Slim, and I am still struggling to really understand what divides them as I look at them side-by-side. However the whole combination came undone at the ATG fourth pass. This fourth pass is a must under my schnoz and usually not an issue, but on this occasion, "pop, pop, POP" and three decent weepers on the philtrum. Not bled this substantially for quite some time. Unsure if it was down to the blade, the razor, my technique or simply karma. Not pleasant. Not pleasant at all. So I passed on the Proraso Green I'd taken out for the post-shave and used the restorative goodness of Speick. Fucking ouch, but 15 minutes on I'm feeling better….albeit my top lip is looking like the docking station for the Mothership Herpes Zoster virus.

Hmmmm…..
 
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Pjotr said:
First shave with a P74. That's a Personna 74. The 74 being the atomic number of Tungsten which is somehow used in the manufacture. Not sure how but that's the background. They're meant to be the beez neez of blades and @eggbert sent one to me for a try out.
Click to expand...

The stainless steel is doped with a large amount of tungsten which is a hard and abrasion resistant material. That's why most of the power tools in your shed come with tungsten carbide tipped blades.

The biggest feature of the P74s is the life of the blade. There is an annual event over YKW where they shave for the entire month of February with just one blade. The P74 is the weapon of choice for that.
If you are happy getting 8-10 shaves from a Spoiler or Schicksta, then you will be getting double that on the P74.

Personna stopped making them after a couple of years because the blades were so good that their sales dropped by over half. The company almost went bankrupt over this blade.

For those that tried the Personna super stainless ultra chrome in the last Travelling vintage blades, the P74 is pretty much the same, but just lasts 2-3 times as long.
 
stillshunter said:
Thought I'd try something completely different. First run with the birth year Super Adjustable gifted to me - for my b'day by @filobiblic [emoji106] - and I thought it best mated with something else vintage and Super so loaded up the the Gillette Super Stainless - PIFed by @Monsta_AU [emoji106] . No sure on the precise nomenclature for this blade but she looks like:

1967%20(M2)%203%20Gillette%20Super%20Stainless%20Steel%20Blade%20Australian.jpg

They're most like the blade bottom left, with the Gillette arrow motif, but say "Made in Australia", so Aussie Spoilers maybe?
Click to expand...

Correct, Gillette Super Stainless which is made in Australia = Aussie Spoilers.

They are for all intents and purposes the same blade. They stopped making them in 1985 when they closed the local factory.

EDIT: They may have stopped making them in '84 - the factory was shuttered in '85 but the blades may have ceased prior to and the machinery moved or sold. One of the last big orders was from the Australian Army for a large number of these blades.
 
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