Shave of the Day Thread - 2017

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Gillette Rocket "Parat"
Gillette Super Stainless "Aussie Spoiler" E-2 1984 @ 6
Arko Shaving Stick
Aqua Velva Ice Blue

WTG, XTG + ATG on the moustache area.

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Razor: Vintage British Aristocrat #15
Blade: Feather 'New Hi-Stainless' (5)
Brush: Vintage butterscotch Simpson
Soap/Cream: Ogallala Bay Rum, Limes & Peppercorn shaving soap
Aftershave Splash: Ogallala Bay Rum, Limes & Peppercorn splash

Different brush, but still odd lather. The only way I can describe it is 'lumpy', not in the sense that there are lumps of solid soap through the lather, rather the lather seems to be 'clumps' of lather more than one smooth whole. Maybe I need to work at it more but I certainly did more than usual this morning and it was still like this. Odd.

Last day for the Feather. They are a great blade but simply not for me in most razors and with my usual technique. When I use them I tend to discover nicks by the resultant blood rather than feel at the time, unless I miscalculate bringing the razor to my face and get a little cut then. In some razors they are magnificent and I can get great results - but simply not consistently enough for my liking.
 
@Mark1966 surprised you got to 5 with a Feather. Due to the nature of the product I feel tugging at 4. Hate them most of the time, yes sharp but always feel bitey.

As you mentioned it really depends on the razor. A modern razor with really tight tolerances and low blade blade exposure like the @alfredus baby smooth might make them sing without the bite.
 
  • Pre-Shave: RazorGuy Pre-Shave Oil
  • Soap: Negozio Leggero Lavender Hazelnut Shaving Cream
  • Brush: Omega Bristle 48
  • Bowl: Chinese Bowl
  • Strop: Mastro Livi Travel Loom Strop and Hand Palm
  • Razor: Mastro Livi RWL34, 8/8 Full Hollow, Snake Point
  • Post-Shave: Alum Block
  • Post-Shave: Argan Oil
  • After Shave: Pinaud Clubman Classic Vanilla

hey mate great photo! just a quick question, those chrome omega brushes..are they plastic or metal.
i have a white and a black omega and i want another
 
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Occams Original Pre
SJOL 26mm SiLVERTiP
ATT R1 Colossus
Feather
Stone Cottage Soapworks Fougère Shaving Cream
Chatillon Lux TSM Fougère Salve
Chatillon Lux TSM Fougère Aftershave
Chatillon Lux Sylva EDT

Thank god it's Fougère Friday!
 
Came home to my package from @todras last night so this morning it was time to give idoru a go. I really like the scent not really sure on how to describe it but i like it anyway. So I used the Rockwell 6s on 4 with a personna red on its 3rd shave and most likely it's last. I find these blades very ordinary not being especially sharp or smooth and not particularly long lasting either. The soap OTOH was good and if anything seems slicker and more protective than my other Apr soaps. After using chiseled face Ghost town barber all week I'm amazed at how much better a performer Apr soap is. The splash is also fantastic the scent matching the soap perfectly as expected and I don't no if there has been a formula change but it has a nicer face feel than my other Apr splashes in that it doesn't go on as tacky and doesn't leave my face feeling oily at all. Overall I'm giving idoru soap and splash 10/10.
 
Razor: feather artist club
Blade: artist club pro
Soap: MWF
Splash: wahl bay rum
Well this is it, just got a perfectly clean smooth shave with the kamisori. I'm hooked.
 
Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable (5,5,7)
Blade(s): Polsilver (1)
Brush: Simpsons Super Chubby 2
Soap/Cream: B&M 42
Post: Thayers Aloe Vera Medicated
Stray Whisker Balm (sample pot I got)

No shave yesterday so took my time with this one. On the last pass tried with a more aggressive adjustment and no real issues. Still learning with the adjustable. When I first got the "42" I didn't think too much of it, but it is slowly growing on me.
 
Shouldn't hang shit on hondas bud, my buddy does 1:12s at Wakefield in his 1.8 N/A Integra. It might not make turbo noises but it grips hard and puts its power down.
About 2 years ago I swapped an integra engine into an EG civic and it holds its own perfectly well against other cars


Hey hey hey. I'm not hanging shit on Honda! Love a Honda both, two and four wheel variants. Yes, there are plenty of fast Civics, but a stocker, particularly an older variant fits my analogy just fine.
 
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Pre: Shower
Brush: Shavemac D01 2 Band 26mm custom
Razor: Bengal 7/8 Full
Soap: APR - Bay City
Post: APR - Bay City


Freezing my arse off today, in NQld terms and so desired something to invoke warm thoughts. Bay City, with it's spice notes was the ticket invoking many things such as mulled wine and cinnamon toast.

Tempted to send this brush off to TF to have the knot cut out and re-set a couple of mm lower. I had it set 2mm higher as I was scared there would be too much backbone. Now it's broken in it could use a bit less bloom. Shame to destroy the handle though so more thought required. It's whips up a quick easy lather though. Mind was a elsewhere and when I got it back to the task at hand I had enough lather for at least four passes - I only do two!
 
Thursday, June 8

Brush: Omega Synthetic Hi-Brush
Soap: Proraso Green
Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable (+3)
Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (2)
Lotion: Omega Alum Stick / Mennen Skin Bracer / Gillette Apres-Resage Gel

A DFS on day 2 with the Astra blade. It is a smooth blade if not particularly sharp. On today's second pass, I had the sensation the blade was nearly spent as it glided over the tough stubble on and below the chin. This was without incident, but it is the sort of situation that can result in a nick if one is not careful and increases the angle of attack. I wanted to see how the Astra performed, so I neither increased the setting nor altered my usual technique with the Slim. In my experience, a Silver Blue remains quite sharp on the second day of two-pass shaves, and I often lower the setting on a second pass. Not so with the Astra, which I would place in the middle ranks of DE blades and of that group significantly below the 7 O'Clock Green in both smoothness and sharpness.
 
Freezing my arse off today, in NQld terms and so desired something to invoke warm thoughts. Bay City, with it's spice notes was the ticket invoking many things such as mulled wine and cinnamon toast.

I'm guessing it dropped to 25C and 80% humidity or something 'balmy' like that :ROFLMAO:
 
Velvet soap pre shave
Feather Artist Club DX with Pro Super blade (6)
Arko stick
Omega 48
Bulldog ASB

2 pass BBS. Arko is just wonderful - I can't fault it. Fresh out of the pack the scent is too strong but let it air out in the bathroom awhile and it just makes everything smell hygienic. Then it just smells like soap. A balm today because I wasn't sweating it out on my bicycle to get to work today...

@the_shaving_sailor - the Omega pro brushes are all plastic handles. I think they are very functional and it means you get a great value brush. Apparently they can crack but that is very much the exception. They are light but you can just pull the knot out (there is a press fit "cup" that the knot sits in that just pulls out of the handle) and fill them with sand / whatever if you want more weight. I have all 3 lofts of this "pro" series knot (28/70mm - Omega 48, 27/65mm - Omega 49 and 27/60mm Proraso (by Omega) brush). For my money, there is no better knot than the Omega 48. They are all very soft when soaked but while the lower lofts mean you can press harder, the higher lofts work up a faster lather without having to press hard at all. The higher loft of the 48, combined with the boar backbone, make this my favourite brush, over badgers and synths (the latter due to the face feel) - if you want that level of backbone in a badger you need a much lower loft with requires more work to build a lather IME. The big loft of the big boar for me works up a big lather almost by itself without hardly any effort. I love it - YMMV and all that...

BTW you can buy a Zenith if you want a chrome boar with a metal handle and custom loft but (like Smogs), the knots don't look as good as Omegas to me. I just can't fault Omega knots... and then there is the price!
 
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Pre-Shave: @khun_diddy Olive Oil Soap, cold water
Razor: Colonial General Aluminium
Blade: Schick Proline (1)
Brush: Paladin Chief Strawberry Amber
Lather: Mike's Hungarian Lavender
Post-shave: Alum, Stirling Bay Laurel Witch Hazel, Australian Emu Oil​

Finally a sensible shave with the General. Just 2 tiny weepers and no irritation at the end - but the level of care I took is usually reserved for the R41 or a shavette. I am still not sure, if the last blade I used, was a dud, or if it just was my technique - but at least I can build from here. Mike's soaps never cease to amaze me - the lather was just stunning (picture here) - maybe this was needed to tame the General?

I hope you all have a fantastic Friday (y)(y)(y)
 
This self reflection is prompted because of last night and a face again tonight exhibiting a distinct lack of straight worthy stubble. I am in the midst of a genuine love hate relationship with straights. They are genuinely proving too effective at the art of wet shaving.(y) I suppose I could pretend tonight and go through the routine of a hot face towel followed by the crafting a fine lather and then the exhilaration of a finely honed 6/8" square point. A glance in the mirror though confirms beyond doubt, I would simply be going through the motions.

Well last night was 3 days growth done and dusted for a superb 1 pass with touch ups giving me a fine DFS. No pulling, no cut and no weepers. No razor burn and no irritation.
Razor : Bengall 6/8"
: honed with naturals and then finished with oil on my Coticule.
Brush : Semogue 830 Boar
Soap : Home brew with Lemon myrtle
Post shave a pH balance soap [5.5 Seba Med] to balance out the shaving soap [ about 10. Most shaving soap is in this range]

As a hobby I may start to shave my head on alternative days :chicken:
 
@bald as - I know exactly what you mean. I am sitting here post 5pm completely clean shaven after shaving this morning. It's not an experience I'm used to at all. Fortunately, with my fast growing Italian stubble, there is always enough by the next day to justify another shave...

Interesting about the pH though - I didn't know that - sounds like adding a bit of citric acid or similar to my water may help reduce irritation / drying / reactions? Will have to look into Seba Med... as I have been avoiding splashes and balms with good results but the post shave is very dependent on the soap I happen to be using in that case...
 
Interesting about the pH though - I didn't know that - sounds like adding a bit of citric acid or similar to my water may help reduce irritation / drying / reactions? Will have to look into Seba Med... as I have been avoiding splashes and balms with good results but the post shave is very dependent on the soap I happen to be using in that case...

The pH of skin products is an interesting item. Traditional hydroxide saponified hand/body/shaving soaps are usually in the 9.5 - 11.0 pH range. I had a very valuable discussion with @alfredus when I had been making soap for about 6 months on the subject of soap pH at one of our Adelaide meetings. I had a few soaps I had made plus Proraso, Mike's B&M and a couple of others and they were all correctly made with full saponification of fats with a pH around 10. As @alfredus pointed out my comparison was just that and I agree as it was by no means a scientific methodology. I loaded the same brush with the same production of lather with the same amount of water and then filled the pH meter cap with lather and took a reading. Each sample was similar to the others in the shaving soap tests I did.

"Apparently" it takes 3 - 5 hours for the skin to return to its normal pH range in many people.

"Normal healthy skin has potential of hydrogen (pH) range of 5.4-5.9 and a normal bacterial flora. Use of soap with high pH causes an increase in skin pH, which in turn causes an increase in dehydrative effect, irritability and alteration in bacterial flora. The majority of soaps and shampoos available in the market do not disclose their pH."

"The surface of the skin is slightly acidic, giving rise to the concept of the acid mantle.[1] Studies have shown that potential of hydrogen (pH) of skin increases in proportion to the pH of cleanser used. Increase in pH causes an increase in dehydrative effect, irritability and propionibacterial count.[2,3,4] Changes in the pH are reported to play a role in the pathogenesis of some skin diseases. Therefore, the use of skin cleansing agents with a pH of about 5.5 may be of relevance in the prevention and treatment of those skin diseases.[5,6] Unfortunately, pH is not mentioned in the labels of many products."

-- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4171909/

There are many other articles on this subject.

There are a few both liquid and bar 5.5 pH cleansers to use after removing your lather if you feel you need them.

Steve
 
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