Shave of the Day 2015

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It's a cold processed soap and if you're used to using HP soaps then it proly just needs a lil more work loading vs water in brush/added ratio etc - Filo's advice is on the money. Stearic acid based HP soaps lather very easily can thus going back to a CP soap can require a technique adjustment. :)
 
Preshave: Proraso Red
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89L
Blade: Permasharp Super
Brush: Shavemac 177
Soap: Geo F Trumper's Limes Shaving Cream
Post Shave: Geo F Trumper's Limes Skin Food
This soap was my first soap after using canned goop for many years. It came with the kit from Mens Biz. This is an excellent soap and for a newbie, as I still am, it is so easy to lather and provides great protection while you wet shave. The skin food is also excellent leaving the skin soft and non greasy.
20150723_231930 by Osman Mehmed, on Flickr
20150724_082406 by Osman Mehmed, on Flickr
 
First go of the GSB. I found nice and smooth and sharp enough to get a good enough 2 pass shave for work.

ZNhkdInl.jpg
 
Brush: Ploccitane
Soap: Tiki Bar soap Neroli & Cabernet
Razor: Dovo Special 6/8
After-shave: Aqua Velva Original
After-shave: @shavetheman Aftershave balm

The Dovo has been honed to a high sharpness that I could feel on the face. Two passes and all but the chin is super smooth. A small cut under the ear reminded me of how sharp this blade is...

Today's str8 shave gave me a very smooth neck without any irritation at all. I can see that as my technique and skills improve over time, the str8 shave will be equal and -perhaps- superior to a DE shave.
 
Pre-Shave Prep Derma Protective Cream
Brush The Grooming Co Synthetic
Soap Shaver Heaven Toffee Caramel
Razor Gillette Slim H4
Blade Voskhod (1)
Post Shave êShave Orange Sandlewood After Shave Soother
Aftershave Pinaud Clubman Special Reserve

Quick two pass this morning. Damn the Voskhod are smoooooth. After the first stroke I had to stop and double check that I actually had a blade in - zero tugging. Think this will be a top contender for favorite blade.

Had lunch with @Lifes a Peach and @Draco Noir today. @Draco Noir was kind enough to lend me his Ikon #102 to try out - wishing I had passed on the shave this morning or used a duller blade so that I don't have to wait till tomorrow to take it for a spin.
 
razorguy said:
I guess you are talking about Floid Shave Oil, right? If this is the case, this oil is meant to be used as a shave oil and not a pre-shave oil. As such, it should be used alone and not with a soap.
A pre-shave oil is different from a shave oil. There are many oils which can be used as a pre-shave oil, and it basically depends on your skin and the soap you are going to use. In my opinion, good pre-shave oils include castor oil and olive oil.
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Thanks @razorguy - that explains it perfectly. I don't read Spanish so I assumed (wrongly) that the Floid was a pre-shave. I tried just some plain Jojoba Oil that I had this morning, and there was a noticeable improvement. This weekend's project will be to make up some pre-shave with a blend of oils including Castor and EV Olive, but with some lighter oils to balance out the viscosity (y)
 
Razor: Micromatic Clog Prof
Blade: Personna Gem
Brush: Omega S10108
Soap: Haslinger Schafmilch
Aftershave: Proraso Green

A nice shave to finish the week. Interesting to experience the Clog Pruf after a solid week with the 1912. There are pros and cons of each but on balance, I prefer the 1912. It feels more 'free' for want of a better word. So my SE preference is settling into place: MMOC > 1912 > MMCP.

I managed to finish off the Haslinger @alfredus kindly brought me back from the Motherland. It's one of the best I've used.
 
Brush: shavemac 177
Lather: MWF
Razor: AS-D2
Blade: Feather (2)
Aftershave: Antesol

Feel like I'm on a winner with this combination. The 177 isn't my favourite brush with the MWF, it seems better suited to softer soaps or creams. The Smogs (1305 and 620) are much better and the Simpsons (Commodore X2) better again whipping the Fat.
 
Brush: Semogue 1305
Lather: MWF
Razor: George Butler KEEN
Aftershave: Antesol

Saturday is StraightDay.
After the successes of MWF for most the week, I couldn't help but notice the reflection of that grinning idiot in my scuttle. The lather in there was a thing of beautiful richness. Bettered only by the feeling of it on the face. I'm really becoming a big fan of the Fat.

So lesson of last weekend's StraightDay was the power of committing to a straight only shave with no DE clean-ups.

The short of today's shave was "Ouch"...and riding further into the centre of Ouch Town as we get further from the shave. Sure I got closer than I normally do with a straight and my ATG and XTG are improving...and it sure is nice not having tufts around the place. But this week's ATG attempt under the chin and neck was horrendous (NB: I cannot see an XTG option on the neck, just WTG and ATG...but please correct me if my yoga is wrong). Lather was plenty slick enough for the WTG and even in the limited XTG strokes but going ATG the blade stuck to each and every follicle of mown stubble. I was super-focussed so I could feel the blade dragging and kicking every hair under foot. I pushed through it for half the neck and then backed out (with some excuse that I can't quite recall but glad it convinced the reptilian side of my mind). Yes so visually that half of my neck looks the better of the two - nice, clean and close. But physically...well that side feels like accidentally rubbing Dencorub below the belt, man does it BURN!

Antesol took away some of the edge, but now my face feels thirsty. Thankfully I can add:

Postshave: Weleda Aftershave Balm..lots of Weleda Aftershave Balm
 
stillshunter said:
The short of today's shave was "Ouch"...and riding further into the centre of Ouch Town as we get further from the shave. Sure I got closer than I normally do with a straight and my ATG and XTG are improving...and it sure is nice not having tufts around the place. But this week's ATG attempt under the chin and neck was horrendous (NB: I cannot see an XTG option on the neck, just WTG and ATG...but please correct me if my yoga is wrong). Lather was plenty slick enough for the WTG and even in the limited XTG strokes but going ATG the blade stuck to each and every follicle of mown stubble. I was super-focussed so I could feel the blade dragging and kicking every hair under foot. I pushed through it for half the neck and then backed out (with some excuse that I can't quite recall but glad it convinced the reptilian side of my mind). Yes so visually that half of my neck looks the better of the two - nice, clean and close. But physically...well that side feels like accidentally rubbing Dencorub below the belt, man does it BURN!
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I've been down that street with the Kamisori - with every whisker in ATG you wonder whether the razor is suddenly going to "set the controls for the heart of the sun" rather than slicing it cleanly.

Then I stumbled across a little gem somewhere (can't remember where so I can't attribute it) explaining that the optimum razor angle is different depending on the direction of shave. The figures the author quoted were :
  • WTG - 30 degrees
  • XTG - 15 degrees
  • ATG - 5 degrees
In other words, decrease the blade to face angle considerably for the more sensitive passes. Worked like a charm for me - much smoother and more comfortable, and none of that awful feeling that the razor is suddenly going to go agricultural. Hopefully it will help you get past this difficult spot....
 
Draco Noir said:
I've been down that street with the Kamisori - with every whisker in ATG you wonder whether the razor is suddenly going to "set the controls for the heart of the sun" rather than slicing it cleanly.

Then I stumbled across a little gem somewhere (can't remember where so I can't attribute it) explaining that the optimum razor angle is different depending on the direction of shave. The figures the author quoted were :
  • WTG - 30 degrees
  • XTG - 15 degrees
  • ATG - 5 degrees
In other words, decrease the blade to face angle considerably for the more sensitive passes. Worked like a charm for me - much smoother and more comfortable, and none of that awful feeling that the razor is suddenly going to go agricultural. Hopefully it will help you get past this difficult spot....
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Good man. Very much appreciated (y)
Makes sense, I'll try this next shave mate - face should be ready and recovered by April 2018 I think....
 
StueyB said:
Quick two pass this morning. Damn the Voskhod are smoooooth. After the first stroke I had to stop and double check that I actually had a blade in - zero tugging. Think this will be a top contender for favorite blade.

Had lunch with @Lifes a Peach and @Draco Noir today. @Draco Noir was kind enough to lend me his Ikon #102 to try out - wishing I had passed on the shave this morning or used a duller blade so that I don't have to wait till tomorrow to take it for a spin.
Click to expand...

@StueyB - glad to hear the Voskhods are a hit with you. They are my go-to blade, and the first blade I try in a new (to me) razor. I know @alfredus regards them as his general purpose blade of preference. The other nice thing is that even with the Aussie dollar sinking, you can still buy them from Russia incredibly cheaply :)

Did you unleash the #102 this morning? If so, hope you had a great Saturday shave with it (y)
 
Draco Noir said:
I've been down that street with the Kamisori - with every whisker in ATG you wonder whether the razor is suddenly going to "set the controls for the heart of the sun" rather than slicing it cleanly.

Then I stumbled across a little gem somewhere (can't remember where so I can't attribute it) explaining that the optimum razor angle is different depending on the direction of shave. The figures the author quoted were :
  • WTG - 30 degrees
  • XTG - 15 degrees
  • ATG - 5 degrees
In other words, decrease the blade to face angle considerably for the more sensitive passes. Worked like a charm for me - much smoother and more comfortable, and none of that awful feeling that the razor is suddenly going to go agricultural. Hopefully it will help you get past this difficult spot....
Click to expand...
If this is what you're referring to then I couldn't agree more
10329045_1062813077079993_3999218141413907747_n_zpsllbfzcaw.jpg
 
Thanks for the graphic @Mark .
Overlooked reading this on the straight packet before I started. I think I go 5-15 degree WTG...so leaving a fair bit of growth for the successive passes to deal with, which might add to things.
Hmmmm...Going to be interesting going 5 degrees up the neck towards the chin too.
 
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