2007.11.30 Shave of the Day

Shave of the Day

Cat	Manufacturer	Item Name	Blog Link
Hair Tonic:	Lucky Tiger	Special Formula Hair Tonic
Razor:	Feather	Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N	[Link]
Razor:	Feather	Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor:	Gillette	TTO 1970 Gold Plated, Long Black Handled Super Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor	[Link]
Razor Blades:	7am	Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2
Brush:	Concord Shear	Cobalt Long Handle Bulb Badger Shave Brush
Bowl:	Mitsuwa	6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap:	Proraso	Wheat Germ Shave Cream
Technique:		(Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
Aftershave:	Proraso	Pre Post Shave Cream
Aftershave:	Thayer's	Witch Hazel Aftershave
Aftershave Talc:	Pinaud Clubman	Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.5/5.0 Nice shave but kind of dicey to execute. I'm expanding how much I use the ACD-N as part of the shave and I was doing all the WTG and today was 2/3 ATG. Still need to work on the tough spots. This razor can give you 2 or 3 nicks and you wouldn't even know it until it was way too late. I learned that the hard way when I first started using it. I need to order some of the Super Pro Blades for tougher beards.

Posted to: The Shave Den

2007.11.29 Shave of the Day

Hair Tonic: Lucky Tiger Special Formula Hair Tonic
Shave
Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Gillette TTO 1970 Gold Plated, Long Black Handled Super Adjustable
Razor Blades: 7am Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Brass & Faux Ebony Best Badger Shave Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Ogallala Bay Rum Glycerin Shave Soap - New Formula
Technique: (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
Post Shave
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.6/5.0 No weeps or otherwise. Very close. Got two passes out of the Ogallala Shave Soap before I had to recharge the brush. Nice scent, slick and cushion though for the ACD-N to do it's job.

Posted to: The Shave Den

Gillette TTO 1970 Gold Plated, Long Black Handled Super Adjustable

This is a nice razor I picked up on eBay. It's a later model Gillette adjustable razor. I like it because it has good balance, the longer handle and the adjustment feature. I consider this a mild shaving razor and a good razor for a beginner. I like to use it as a finishing razor since I need something more agrressive for my first pass.

2007.11.28 Shave of the Day

Moisturizer: Epicurean Shea Butter Co Shea Butter Vanilla & Sandalwood Body Moisturizer (Shins)
Hair Tonic: Lucky Tiger Special Formula Hair Tonic
Shave
Razor: Dovo Ebenholz 5/8 Silver Steel Straight Razor w/Ebony Scales
Sharpening: The Well Shaved Gentleman Horsehide Heirloom #1 BEST Wide 3" Premium Strop
Razor: Gillette TTO 1970 Gold Plated, Long Black Handled Super Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor
Razor Blades: 7am Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Brass & Faux Ebony Best Badger Shave Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Wars Shave Cream (pre shave lather)
Shave Cream/Soap: The Gentlemen's Quarter Gentleman's Oak & Moss Glycerin Shave Soap
Technique: (STR8 WTG)/(DE 45XTG/45XTG/ATG Cleanup
Post Shave
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman Citris Musk Aftershave
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.2/5.0 One tiny tiny weeper. It's that time of year again where I need to start moisturizing my shins from the dry air, car heater and wearing jeans. I'm using up some old soaps right now so I'm not getting the benefits of using an Issy or Epicurean Soap. My stropping is not the best so the str8 was not as sharp as I'd like. Worked fine but I know it can do much better. Practice, practice, practice. I probably should invest in a paddle/box strop at some point. The TGQ soaps never fail me. The Clubman is way too strong and I need to remember to cut it back with some Thayer's Witch Hazel. I brought the Tiger Hair Tonic into work since I liked it so much. Good thing I have another bottle at home. I need to try the Jeris Osage Rub next.

Posted to: The Shave Den

Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades

Sorry for the picture. It was my last blade and I had just finished using it. Like a lot of shaving equipment, the Panda Blade is no different. It works well in some razors and not so well in others. It's tough to find a blade that works in everything. I did find it worked best in my Merkur Progress or one of the less aggressive Gillette razors such as the Super Adjustable. I would not buy this blade again even though I did find some success with it.

2007.11.27 Shave of the Day

Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor: Gillette TTO 1970 Gold Plated, Long Black Handled Super Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor
Razor Blades: 7am Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Brush: Concord Shear Cobalt Long Handle Bulb Badger Shave Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Florena Shave Cream with Chamomile and Vitamin Complex
Technique: (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
Post Shave
Aftershave Balm: Nivea Extra Soothing Sensitive Skin Balm
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman Classic Virgin Island Bay Rum Aftershave
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.6/5.0 I could get used to these extra close shaves. I know I am borderline though. A little bit sloppy and I could have a major problem. Keeps me on my toes. The Super Adjustable is proving to be a mild razor even at a setting of 5. Florena Cream was nice, fresh smelling and feeling. Tiny sting from the Clubman Bay Rum. I must have done something right.

Posted to: The Shave Den

eBay Purchase - Merkur Razor

Merkur 50's Triangle Head Chrome Mustache and Sideburn Razor

2007.11.26 Shave of the Day

Wednesday 11/21 - 4.5/5.0
Hair Tonic: Lucky Tiger Special Formula Hair Tonic
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Derby Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Shavemac 23mm Handmade Nickel Ivory Pure Badger Shave Brush
Shave Cream/Soap: The Shave Den Bergamot Glycerin Shave Soap
Bowl: Mitsuwa 5" Blue swirl hand thrown Japanese Rice Bowl
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave

Thanksgiving 11/22 - 4.6/5.0
Hair Tonic: Lucky Tiger Special Formula Hair Tonic
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Derby Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Shavemac 23mm Handmade Nickel Ivory Pure Badger Shave Brush
Shave Cream/Soap: The Shave Den Bergamot Glycerin Shave Soap
Bowl: Mitsuwa 5" Blue swirl hand thrown Japanese Rice Bowl
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave

Friday 11/23 - 4.5/5.0
Hair Tonic: Lucky Tiger Special Formula Hair Tonic
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Derby Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Shavemac 23mm Handmade Nickel Ivory Pure Badger Shave Brush
Shave Cream/Soap: The Shave Den Bergamot Glycerin Shave Soap
Bowl: Mitsuwa 5" Blue swirl hand thrown Japanese Rice Bowl
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave

Saturday 11/24 - 4.6/5.0 (Practice for the Big Day)
Hair Tonic: Lucky Tiger Special Formula Hair Tonic
Sharpening: The Well Shaved Gentleman Horsehide Heirloom #1 BEST Wide 3" Premium Strop
Razor: Dovo INOX 4/8 SS Straight Razor w/White Plastic Scales
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Derby Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Shavemac 23mm Handmade Nickel Ivory Pure Badger Shave Brush
Shave Cream/Soap: Crabtree & Evelyn Sweet Almond Oil Shave Cream
Bowl: Mitsuwa 5" Blue swirl hand thrown Japanese Rice Bowl
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave

Sunday 11/25 - 4.6/5.0 (The Big Day)
Hair Tonic: Lucky Tiger Special Formula Hair Tonic
Sharpening: The Well Shaved Gentleman Horsehide Heirloom #1 BEST Wide 3" Premium Strop
Razor: Bill Ellis Custom 1/4 Hollow 7/8 Irish Point Straight Razor w/Yellow Heart Scales
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Derby Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Shavemac 23mm Handmade Nickel Ivory Pure Badger Shave Brush
Shave Cream/Soap: Crabtree & Evelyn Sweet Almond Oil Shave Cream
Shave Cream/Soap: Crabtree & Evelyn Sweet Almond Oil Triple Milled Shave Soap
Bowl: Mitsuwa 5" Blue swirl hand thrown Japanese Rice Bowl
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave

Comments: I am considered a Newbie when it comes to straight razor shaving. I normally use a Feather ACD-N for straight shaving. Today, I used the Bill Ellis custom razor, Bill was so generous in donating to The Shave Den prize drawing. It is a true work of art. I won't kid you. It is both gorgeous and scary. It's a big blade at 7/8 and has the Irish Point. I have never used a straight razor anything near as quality as this razor. I had to do some breathing exercises because I was so excited about trying it and not wanting to blow the shave due to my lack of experience with such a blade. All I can say is WOW! Now I know what a quality blade can do even in the hands of a str8 Newbie like me. I got close but didn't push it. The length, balance and geometry of the blade is not what I'm used to so I didn't have the confidence. This razor is all that and more. I know I need to practice stropping and honing better because this is 44o steel but it's worth it. Thank you Bill. I am so glad I won this razor.

Monday 11/26
Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor: Gillette TTO 1970 Gold Plated, Long Black Handled Super Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor
Razor Blades: 7am Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2
Brush: Concord Shear Cobalt Long Handle Bulb Badger Shave Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: D R Harris Marlborough Shave Cream
Technique: (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
Post Shave
Aftershave Balm: Nivea Extra Soothing Sensitive Skin Balm
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave

Result: 4.6/5.0 Smooth, smooth, smooth. It was still knocked down from using Bill's razor yesterday and the ACD-N just killed the whiskers today. I actually got away with just a tiny touch up with the Gillette to finish off the shave. Balm then AS does work. A lot of faceturbating going on.

Posted to: The Shave Den 2007.11.26

Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave

Thayer's famous witch hazel products include a 20% alcohol based witch hazel and aloe vera aftershave splash. It's pure, it's simple and there is no scent which makes it perfect as an aftershave and does not interfere with your cologne. I use this product at least 3 out of 5 times when I shave. Can be used in combination with other aftershaves if maybe your trying to tone a strong one down.

Mfg Link

Ingredients:
Natural Witch Hazel Extract and fragrance, Aloe Vera, Purified Water and natural grain alcohol (20% as a preservative).

2007.11.20 Shave of the Day

Shave
Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor: Merkur 38C Classic HD Long Handled Doubled Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Derby Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Omega 6212 Elegant Silvertip Badger Natural Handle Shave Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: D R Harris Marlborough Shave Cream
Technique: (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
Post Shave
Aftershave: Proraso Pre Post Shave Cream
Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.7/5.0 Day 2 of a great shave. Can't get any closer. If I keep this up, I'll be ready for that oh so wonderful str8 that Bill made for The Shave Den. Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted to: The Shave Den

Ebay Purchase 2007.11.17

Gillette 1940s TTO Gold "Milord" Double Edged No Date Code Safety Razor (Bad Plating Loss)


Posted to: The Shave Den

2007.11.19 Shave of the Day

Saturday - 4.5/5.0
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn XSmall Badger Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 5" Blue swirl hand thrown Japanese Rice Bowl
Shave Cream/Soap: Floris London J.F. Conditioning Shave Cream (Citrus Scent)
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave

Sunday - 4.5/5.0
Razor: Merkur 700 Futur Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Satin
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Target Caldo Badger Chrome and Plastic Shave Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 5" Blue swirl hand thrown Japanese Rice Bowl
Shave Cream/Soap: Floris London J.F. Conditioning Shave Cream (Citrus Scent) (Gone)
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave

Monday
Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor: Merkur 38C Classic HD Long Handled Doubled Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Derby Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Omega 6212 Elegant Silvertip Badger Natural Handle Shave Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Wars Shave Cream (pre shave lather)
Shave Cream/Soap: Floris London Santal Conditioning Shave Cream (Santal Scent) (Gone)
Technique: (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
Post Shave
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave
Aftershave: Proraso Pre Post Shave Cream
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.7/5.0 Really BBS. One touch red and it went away in minutes. I'm out of Floris creams. I had to use them up since they went hard on me. No issues when re-hydrated. They were all samples and now I'll be looking for full product purchases. I put them close on par with Crabtree & Evelyn creams.

Posted to: The Shave Den

2007.11.16 Shave of the Day

Shave
Razor: Merkur 700 Futur Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Satin
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Floris London J.F. Conditioning Shave Cream (Citrus Scent)
Technique: (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
Post Shave
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.2/5.0 A little rough with the Panda in the Futur. No bad though. The Futur requires a slightly different angle and very light pressure so the blade needs to be able to cut cleanly. No tugging allowed with such a heavy razor.

Posted to: The Shave Den

Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N

I find that using the ACD-N on the first pass gives me a big advantage in my shave. I moved up from the Pro Guard blades to the Professional Standard Blades. Eventually, I'll get the Pro Super Blades since I have a tough beard. Once you get the technique down for this razor, it leaves almost nothing behind after the first pass. I have even started doing to ATG with it. I still need to be careful though because there is one word for these razors, "SHARP." You do not take these razors for granted. Ever. I also like them though because they work like a DE for me. It has the same "feel" to it as a DE. Once. I'm done with the Feather first pass and a little touch up, I then use a DE of choice to finish off an pesky whiskers that dare to show themselves. Usually, in the neck hollows or the really tight spots that everyone else says they have trouble with. What this does though is give me a 3 pass, very very close shave with almost no irritation unless I got complacent. That's no different than any other sharp instrument to face experience though.

In conclusion, I will be using this razor for a very long time and mix it up with other str8s and a DE. It's YMMV all the way and this is the way for me.

2007.11.15 Shave of the Day

Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor: Merkur 700 Futur Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Satin
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Wars Shave Cream (pre shave lather)
Shave Cream/Soap: Floris London Elite Conditioning Shave Cream (Woody Scent) Gone
Technique: (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
Post Shave
Styptic: Tulumba Alum Block
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.5/5.0 Wasn't going to take chances with this one and used an alum block. Putting together the Feather ACD-N with the Merkur Futur would either kill me or plane my face to the smoothness of glass. I had the Futur dialed to 4. Not too aggressive. After I used the ACD-N though it was kind of anti-climatic. The Futur didn't have much to cut. I thought I heard a tiny little voice whining in frustration. "Where's the whiskers!" So, by using light glides, I was able to dispense with any stubborn stubble post haste. Cleanup was a breeze and learning how to do no pressure with the ACD-N has helped with the no pressure that the Futur requires.

Posted to The Shave Den

My Top 5 Shave Creams

As of 11/30/2007:

I'm going to list the company and not the individual scent since I seem to like all the scents offered by them.

#1 Crabtree & Evelyn
#2 Floris London
#3 Truefitt & Hill or Taylor of Old Bond Street (Made by same company. Geo F. Trumper is the other one of the three "T" shaving soap/cream companies)
#4 Tabac
#5 Musgo Real

Creams are generally easier to lather and more geared to shaving with DE razors. That's not to say that any of these creams would not do well with a straight razor. I'm used them quite often with a straight razor or the Feather ACD-N razor with excellent results. There is one cream I left out that should have a special note. Kiss My Face unscented shave cream should be a household item. It can be paired up with anything and has saved many a shave due to a poor performing cream or soap. Any of the above matched up with a soap for a "super lather" is just plain decadent. I'm sure this list will change since there are many more creams that I haven't tried.

(Revised 2007.11.14)

2007.11.14 Shave of the Day

Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor: Gillette TTO 1970 Gold Plated, Long Black Handled Super Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Kiss My Face Unscented Shave Cream (pre shave lather)
Shave Cream/Soap: Floris London J.F. Conditioning Shave Cream (Citrus Scent)
Technique: (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
Post Shave
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave w/2 drops Pen Herb Olbas Oil
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.5/4.6 The Floris J.F. cream is a sample I got from Vintage Blades LLC when I bought something else. I opened up the container and the cream had dried out. No worries mate. Dug some out, put it into the bowl, add water and good as new. Maybe even better. Almost like it had been cured. I put a couple of drops of water into the container to soften it up a bit for next time. There is a reason why I like the Floris creams almost as much as the C&E creams and have them on my wish list. I put a couple of drops of Olbas Oil with the Thayers WH aftershave in my hand before splashing on. Froze my face is what it did. A little goes a long way. I'm thinking of buying a bottle of Thayers WH aftershave and adding some Olbas Oil right to the bottle to make a minty version for myself.

2007.11.13 Shave of the Day

Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor: Gillette TTO 1970 Gold Plated, Long Black Handled Super Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Mäurer & Wirtz Tabac Original Shave Cream
Technique: WTG (Feather)/WTG (DE)/Cleanup (ATG)
Post Shave
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc
Cologne: Mäurer & Wirtz Tabac Original Men's Cologne

Result: 4.6/5.0 Went ATG with the Feather ACD-N under the chin line. Risky because it's a good way to get an ingrown it shaves so close. So far, so good. BBS all the way. The Tabac cream as you know is strong smelling but very good performer. I like the smell so it's not an issue. I changed the pre shave prep a little by doing a full lather on my face with a brush. Before, I was just putting it on with my wetted hands. It seemed to work better that way. I made the mistake of putting a little oil on my face in the shower yesterday and it clogged a pore badly. Now I remember why I don't put oil on my face.

2007.11.12 Shave of the Day

Friday - No Shave

Saturday - 4.5/5.0
Razor: Merkur 37C Slant Bar HD Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Shavemac 23mm Handmade Nickel Ivory Pure Badger Shave Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 5" Blue swirl hand thrown Japanese Rice Bowl
Shave Cream/Soap: QED QEDman Sandalwood Glycerin Shave Soap

Sunday - No Shave

Monday
Toothpaste: Rembrandt Complete Mint Toothepaste
Mouthwash: Scope Orginal Mint Mouthwash
Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N Razor
Razor: Gillette TTO 1970 Gold Plated, Long Black Handled Super Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor
Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Tom's of Maine Natural Conditioning Shave Cream, Mint
Technique: WTG (Feather)/WTG (DE)/Cleanup (ATG)
Post Shave
Aftershave Balm: Nivea Extra Soothing Sensitve Skin Balm
Aftershave: Em's Place Minty Menthol Aftershave and Body Splash
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.2/5.0 One weeper. BBS. It was a minty day. The Tom's of Maine works very well. I did find however that it is hardening up in the tube which I didn't expect. I'll have to use it more before it gets too hard. The cream gave nice lather, glide and cushion and has decent moisturizing. The one weeper was on a neck hollow. Always a tough place to shave. The super adjustable was on 4 and gave a mild shave. I could probably dial it up to 7-9 without too much trouble. With the long handle, it has a pretty good balance.

2007.11.08 Shave of the Day

Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor: Merkur 37C Slant Bar HD Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Soap Shave Cream/Soap: Wars Shave Cream (pre shave lather)
Shave Cream/Soap: The Gentlemen's Quarter Gentleman's Oak & Moss Glycerin
Technique:WTG (Feather)/WTG (DE)/Cleanup (ATG)
Post Shave
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave

Result: 4.5/5.0 Had to work around a slight razor bump from the other day. Switched to the Merkur Slant Bar as the cleanup razor. I'm going to start using a different DE per week in combination with a str8 or the Feather ACD-N or just by itself. I'll also start using up the blade samples and write my opinions on each. So far, the Pandas have worked well with the Progress and the Slant Bar Razors. You'll notice I didn't use talc today or a cologne. I might use some later in the day.

2007.11.07 Shave of the Day

Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Kiss My Face Unscented Shave Cream (pre shave lather)
Shave Cream/Soap: Ogallala Bay Rum Glycerin Shave Soap - New Formula
Technique: WTG (Feather)/WTG (DE)/Cleanup (ATG)
Post Shave
Aftershave: Ogallala Bay Rum Aftershave
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc
Cologne: Ogallala Bay Rum Cologne
Result: 4.6/5.0 Lovely shave with some great products. It was an Ogallala Bay Rum Day. I experimented with my new AT&T 8525 Cell Phone/PDA's camera and took a picture. Not the best in the word but not too shabby either. The Ogallala products are some of my favorite when it comes to Bay Rum. You can't beat the scent. The cologne and aftershave will last me a long time during the day. The new formula soap has improved dramatically. Lot's of lather and fade time is much much better. If you want even better results, squirt some of the Kiss My Face Unscented cream into the bowl and watch the explosion.

2007.11.06 Shave of the Day

Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Wars Shave Cream (pre shave lather)
Shave Cream/Soap: L'Occitane Cade Shave Cream
Technique: WTG (Feather)/WTG (DE)/Cleanup (ATG)
Post Shave
Aftershave Balm: L'Occitane Cade Aftershave Balm
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.6/5.0 Doing more ATG with the Feather. Also, I used the Feather to shave my armpits. Wow! that worked well. Scary as hell but it cleared out the hair in a hurry and didn't clog anything. I just wiped down the blade after each swipe. I'll be doing that again. Much easier than using a DE or disposable. No irritation.

Thank You for My Major Award!

To all, and especially to Rene, who makes me drool and envy his razor, which somehow gave me some karma, which I thought I had lost out of my back pocket long ago, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Bill, I don't know what to say. You once gave me something to advance my learning and experience in the world of straight razors and I was eternally grateful. It was very generous of you and I then payed that kindness forward to another forum member here who was in the same situation. You do wonderful work and some people might think it is no big deal given the number of razors you have, but I know better. Each razor you work on, each masterpiece you make, has a little bit of you in it. Your knowledge, your skill, your experience and your artistic side all contribute to the final masterpieces you create. I am deeply honored that I have won such a masterpiece. It will have a loving home and will be cherished for all time. I have a lighted china cabinet that it will go in with some other family treasures. I need to find or have someone build a little stand for it. I thought I once remember you know someone who makes such stands for you. Thank you for the bottom of my heart that you offered such a treasure.

To everyone else, congratulations to all the other winners in the contest. Although, you may not have gotten the prize you hoped for, I know the other prizes are excellent too and much appreciated by the forum members. Each of you to me are little prizes that pop up now and then to give me something that no one can buy. Friendship, camaraderie, a sense of family, laughter, and sometimes a little family argument to make the feelings complete. You add to my learning, you contribute to my ADs, not sure if that is a good thing, and you give me a sense of belonging. Rest assured, this razor is going to a good home and I'll will share my experiences with it to you all. Not to rub your noses in it but, to add back to the forum, that we call home. I have learned much and now with such a razor, I will learn much more and hopefully, I can give something back.

A very very hearty thank you to all the other contest contributors. Thank you, thank you. Your generosity is very much appreciated. Your contributions added so much more to the contest and I know how good the items are because I have personally used every one of them. We all appreciate what you've done.

Again, Thank YOU! Bill, the members of this forum and those I call friends.

Your humble, OK maybe not so humble but, very happy shave forum servant,
QHsdoitall, a.k.a. Rich, a.k.a Wilbur, a.k.a Skidmark.

My Major Award

Little did I know, when I went to bed on Saturday night that I would be the recipient of a major award via a contest held on The Shave Den Forum. This contest was open to forum members who posted at least 10 posts with 50+ words. They had to be posts that contributed to the forum and not just some gimmick to get into the contest. I was unable to attend the actual drawing on chat Saturday night. It was Sunday morning when I finally got around to checking the contest results and was in total shock to learn that I had won the grand prize.

Here are the results:

Our drawing is now complete, and a big congratulations are in order for qhsdoitall, our grand prize winner.

I also want to give a special thanks to Bill for putting this entire thing together. The concept, and entire drawing was organized by no other than him. I also want to thank all the other vendors who contributed. All of you should know, that they all volunteered without being asked, and I want to list them all and their stores below.

Bill- www.billysblades.com
Queen of Blades- www.theshaveden.com/store
Issy- www.issysoriginals.com
Tony Miller- www.thewellshavedgentleman.com
Damon- (contact via pm or email)
Susie- www.stores.ebay.com/SusiesBubblesNSqueak
Rene- http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2077

This was the list of prizes and results:

Bill's razor...*qhsdoitall*

Queen of Blades soap
Hawkeye5
OldSaw
denmason
msandoval858
crackstar

Issy's soap
Edcculus
coolsimon
C utz
owen
CatMan

Tony Miller strop TraderJoe
Damon strop bg42

Bath soaps from Susie
Racso MS
JP
mrcleanhead
IsaacRn

Four goodies from Rene
james
Sejanus
Amyn
TstebinsB

And here is the grand prize!

Bill Ellis Custom Razor
It's a quarter-hollow 7/8 Irish point with yellow heart scales and a couple tiny embellishments.

2007.11.05 Shave of the Day

Saturday - 4.5/5.0
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Shavemac 23mm Handmade Nickel Blue Silvertip Badger Fan Shaped Shave Brush
Shave Cream/Soap: Crabtree & Evelyn Sweet Almond Oil Shave Cream

Sunday - No Shave

Monday - 4.1/5.0 (One Weeper)
Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Feather Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: D R Harris Marlborough Shave Cream
Shave Cream/Soap: Wars Shave Cream (pre shave lather)
Technique: WTG (Feather)/WTG (DE)/Cleanup (ATG)
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman Musk Aftershave
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc

Comments on my Glycerin Shave Soaps

There a re a number of glycerin based shave soaps in my shave locker. I'm going to comment on the major ones I have used.

Col. Conk - found at various places.
Col. Conk has been around a very long time and a mainstay of the shaving world. I used a number of them and they performed OK but I was not enamored by any of the scents. They are relatively cheap. I ended up trading them to another member of The Shave Den because I felt I had a much better assortment of shave soaps already.

Honey Bee Spa
Honey Bee Spa soaps are made by an independent soap manufacturer named Sue. Her soaps are good quality, with adequate cushion and glide. The soaps scents offered are varied and pleasing. Although you can melt these soaps. They seem to lose something when you do. I don't shave with these very often but I am not disappointed when I do. Quality and consistency have been right on.

Mama Bear
Mama soaps are what I started out with. They are made by another independent soap maker named Sue. These are a typical melt and pour soap made with essential or fragrance oils. I would suggest staying with the soaps that use essential oils. There are many many great scents to choose from. The performance of the soaps as I use more and more soaps from various manufacturers show me that they are not the best when it comes to performance. Although they are adequate, they lack some key ingredients for moisture and skin care. Batch consistency has also been an issue. Quality control needs to be addressed a little better. I will probably choose 3-4 really nice scents and release the rest back into the wild.

Ogallala Bay Rum
Ogallala has been a love hate relationship for me. I love the scents. I hate the lather. It's slick but lather quickly faded to nothing and dried out your skin. It was a disaster. I ended up using the soaps I had as bath soaps. John, at Ogallala, had the soaps reformulated. They are much much better now but the lather still tends to fade quicker than many other soaps and requires replication in a couple of spots during a pass and the lather in the bowl needs refreshing after the second pass. I still love the scents and have found that adding some Kiss my Face Unscented Shave Cream or something similar to the mix dramatically improves the soap's qualities. They did a nice job in retaining the wonderful scents but a little more work needs to be done on the lather before mass marketing. I'm not definitely not unhappy though with the current formulation.

QEDUSA
Charles over at QEDUSA has great soaps. The scents, the consistency and the shave quality are well above average. I consider these soaps to be ones I don't use enough since I like to savor them. The ease of lather, cushion and glide make for a great shave experience. I would definitely recommend these soaps to others and I really need to use them more often.

The Gentlemen's Quarter
Of all the glycerin based shave soaps that I have, not including the really high end ones, these soaps I consider the best for me. The scents, the lather, the glide, cushion and skin care are all well above average. Once I trim down my shave soap collection I will be buying much more of these soaps. I made the mistake of getting sample pucks and I use them a lot so, I'm sure I will need to get more soon. There are some very unique scents and the product consistency is always there. I use these soaps more often on the weekends than any other shave cream r soap.

General Note on Glycerin Soaps: I'm commenting on melt and pour soaps. I shave with 3 different kinds of razors. Double edged razors, Feather ACD-N non folding razor and straight razors. Glycerin soaps are great for DE razors but I find very few work well with a straight razor. Triple milled soaps work better for me when using a straight razor. Since I use a DE razor most of the time, this is not an issue. The Feather razor works like a cross between a straight razor and a DE razor. It will do OK with a good glycerin based shave soap but will do as well or better with a triple milled soap. QED and TGQ soaps work across the spectrum of razors I use.

Special Note: I have a couple of The Shave Den soaps but I do not have enough experience with them yet to give an accurate opinion. I will update my comments after I have used them 6-7 more times at least. The same goes for the Tryphon Soaps. The C & E Soaps are glycerin based but I treat them as a triple milled/hard soap.

2007.11.02 Shave of the Day

Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Feather Pro Guard Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: De Vergulde Hand Triple Milled Shave Soap
Shave Cream/Soap: Kiss My Face Unscented Shave Cream (pre shave lather)
Technique: WTG (Feather)/WTG (DE)/Cleanup (ATG)
Post Shave
Aftershave: De Vergulde Hand After Shave Spray
Aftershave Talc: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave Talc
Cologne: Em's Place Lime Citrus Cologne

Result: 4.5/5.0

2007.11.01 Shave of the Day

Shave
Razor: Feather Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N
Razor: Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Razor Blades: Feather Pro Guard Blades for Feather ACD-N
Razor Blades: Panda Stainless Steel Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush: Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush
Bowl: Mitsuwa 6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest
Shave Cream/Soap: Kiss My Face Unscented Shave Cream (pre shave lather)
Shave Cream/Soap: The Gentlemen's Quarter Gentleman's Oak & Moss Glycerin Shave Soap
Technique: WTG (Feather)/WTG (DE)/Cleanup (ATG)
Post Shave
Styptic: Tulumba Alum Block
Aftershave: Thayer's Witch Hazel Aftershave
Moisturizer: Epicurean Shea Butter Co Shea Butter Vanilla & Sandalwood Body Moisturizer

Result: 3.8/4.0 Just a rough patch on right side neck hollow due to ATG Pass with Feather ACD-N. Nothing serious. Only had to do minor cleanup with Merkur Progress. TGQ Soap was ver nice as usual.