As of: 12/06/2007
I primarily am a double edged (DE) shave person so I'll concentrate on that but I do use straight razors in my shave rotation including a disposable blade straight razor. I have to say I'm partial to Merkur Razors but I have a number of older Gillette Razors that I'm acquiring and trying out and will create a list of them once I have a good feel for them.
#1) Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Adjustable and predictable. Good heft and feel. Handles all blades. The one flaw I find in this razor is when you tighten down a blade you don't always end up around setting 1. You have to adjust it to the base number you end up with plus a 3-4 increment from there which is my normal adjustment up from base. It comes with a plastic adjustment knob but I bought a second one of these razors and had it custom fitted with a stainless steel knob instead. The gold plated version of this razor is very hard to find and considered collectible.
#2) Merkur 34C Classic HD* Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
If all else fails, this is my goto razor. If I use this exclusively for 2-3 days you know I blew a shave and my face looks like a Martian landscape until I heal up. This is a very forgiving razor and the one I recommend to any person new to wet shaving. I recently donated this razor to a worthy cause and can't wait to get another one. Note: I replaced this razor, so I'm back in business.
#3) Merkur 37C Slant Bar HD* Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
This is an odd type of razor where the bar is slanted at and angle to give a closer shave while following the angles on your face a little better. The one caveat is this razor can be a little unforgiving in the wrong hands. I suggest a less aggressive blade such as a Derby or Israeli Personna Super + be used. A Feather blade in the is razor is nicknamed a "Ninja" combination.
#4) Merkur 12C Classic HD* Long Handled Open Comb Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome
Experienced users only. This will get you a very close shave due to the open comb design and is very reminiscent of the older Gillette open comb razors. Gillette moved away from this style of razor in favor of the less aggressive TTO (turn to open) style. I like the long handle and heft of this razor. I use this razor standalone because using it in combination with a straight razor would be overkill.
#5) Merkur 38C Classic HD* Long Handled Doubled Edged Safety Razor Chrome
The geometries of the 34C razor I like so much with a longer handle. Since I'm comfortable with a heavier razor, this just suits me fine. It's the razor I will use at home most often on the weekends when I tend to do quick shaves.
So, that's it. On a final note, a very strange razor I use is the Merkur Futur. It was my first razor when I converted to wet shaving. I've moved away from this razor only because it is so different in head geometry and feel than my other razors. If I don't use it for a few weeks, I have to "relearn" it and that can cause some problems. It's adjustable like the Merkur Progress but that is where all similarities end. Not a bad razor at all but a different duck altogether.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
2007.12.06 Shave of the Day
| Cat | Manufacturer | Item Name | Blog Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moisturizer: | Epicurean Shea Butter Co | Shea Butter Vanilla & Sandalwood Body Moisturizer | |
| Aftershave Balm: | Thayer's | Witch Hazel Moisturizing Lotion | |
| 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: | Merkur | 34G Classic HD Double Edged Safety Razor Gold | |
| Razor Blades: | 7am | Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2 | |
| 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: | Crabtree & Evelyn | Sandalwood Shave Cream | |
| Shave Cream/Soap: | Tryphon | Medici Glycerin Shave Soap | |
| Technique: | (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup) | ||
| Aftershave: | Em's Place | Minty Menthol Aftershave and Body Splash | |
| Aftershave: | Proraso | Pre Post Shave Cream | |
| Aftershave Talc: | Pinaud Clubman | Aftershave Talc |
Result: ... from yesterday's shave. It wasn't the ACD-N blade. Sharp as ever. I don't know what the problem was but the only thing different was the cream. Prep and everything else was the same for the shave. Today I got a 4.7/5.0 BBS shave with razors that had blades another day older. No technique changes. I used the Thayer's Moisturizer as an aftershave balm base. The Epicurean Shea Butter was used on my shins. I mixed the Em's Minty Aftershave with some Proraso Pre Post to give me an extra post shave kick. Needless to say, the blades were back to mowing whiskers with ease. The Omega brush was fine as a glycerin soap brush but I wouldn't use it for hard soaps. It's a hungry beast and likes to get fed. The Tryphon Medici soap has a very pleasant citrus smell to it.
Posted to: The Shave Den
2007.12.05 Shave of the Day
| Cat | Manufacturer | Item Name | Blog Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aftershave Balm: | Thayer's | Witch Hazel Moisturizing Lotion | |
| 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: | Merkur | 34G Classic HD Double Edged Safety Razor Gold | |
| Razor Blades: | 7am | Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2 | |
| 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: | Mama Bear | Irish Glen Shave Cream | |
| Technique: | (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup) | ||
| Aftershave: | Em's Place | Minty Menthol Aftershave and Body Splash | |
| Aftershave Talc: | Pinaud Clubman | Aftershave Talc |
Result: 4.0/5.0 I was able to save the shave. It wasn't bad on the result. I got close to BBS and all that but the cream just didn't perform that well. I thought the blade on the Feather ACD-N needed to be changed after only a couple of shaves. I checked my angles to make sure I wasn't cringing or something after Monday's shave. BTW, the ear is looking great. Can't say the same for my horse's hoof. He now has a steel band with some screws drilled into his hoof to keep it from splitting more. That's another story. Back to the shave. It just didn't seem like I was cutting anything. I used the DE to do a lot more work than usual. Very weird. Since I'm writing this at the same time as today's SOS it's to be continued...
Post to: The Shave Den
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
2007.12.04 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: | Merkur | 34G Classic HD Double Edged Safety Razor Gold | |
| Razor Blades: | 7am | Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2 | |
| 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: | Cremo Cream | Cremo Cream Shave Cream | |
| Technique: | (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup) | ||
| Aftershave: | Em's Place | Minty Menthol Aftershave and Body Splash | |
| Aftershave Talc: | Pinaud Clubman | Aftershave Talc |
Result: Much better 4.6/5.0 with BBS. Recovered from the disaster I had yesterday which, is healing nicely with some triple anti-biotic ointment on it. The Cremo Cream is a water activated brushless cream. I use a brush anyway. I'm stubborn that way. Thin layer with drops of water added does the trick. I tend to use this cream for special cleanup passes or pre shave lather base rather than a main shave product. Very good product to bring with you on travel and you want to travel light but like I said, not my choice of main shave product. Hopefully, I can get a few more good shaves back under my belt. Today was a good start.
Posted to: The Shave Den
The Shave Den - 4000th Post
OK, no surprise that I got to 4000th post. It was going to happen eventually although, I got here a little slower this time. JoAnna blew right by me without even waving.
So, where am I? Well, I'm in a sort of limbo stage right now. A little bit of everything is going on. The Pyramid of Knowledge is coming together nicely, my shave journey is continuing along but, at a much slower pace mind you. Carrying this shave locker around on my back is giving me great exercise but it sure is heavy. No, you can't lighten the load for me. Not yet at least. I'm getting a little more selective in what I acquire along the way instead of the shotgun approach that I was using in the past. Now, I'm using a sniper rifle to bag those elusive, most sought after, game. I'm also documenting my experiences a little more. It takes time away from doing some other things but I think it will be worth it.
One of the things I learned a lot about is the true meaning of a couple of terms. YMMV, IMHO and SWMBO.
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary
IMHO = In my Humble Opinion
SWMBO = She Who Must be Obeyed (Significant Other)
YMMV: In my humble opinion (IMHO), YMMV has turned out to be one of the most important things I've learned other than shaving prep and technique. I can read all the reviews, comments, marketing hype and ask 50 people what they think of a product or a piece of equipment. It does not change one simple fact. If I don't try it myself, then I don't really know how it is for me personally. Time and again, I have very different experiences then what I expected. Some for the good and some for the not so good. I've also found that something that may not have worked for me in the past now works because I have a much better understanding of the whole process or maybe I just wasn't using it in the right piece of equipment or situation. You hear things like, too much this or too little that or I didn't like the smell or I'm sensitive to an ingredient and you all would be right. There is no wrong. Now, grant you, there are some pieces of equipment or products that seem to be total garbage for most people and that's probably true. Maybe they work for some people. I don't know. I do know it only matters how it works for me. There are some products that most people rave about and they must have and will pay dearly for. Again, they're right. It doesn't mean I'll get the same results. That's why it's YMMV. Which brings me to the next term.
IMHO: It's very hard to understand what this really means. In my humble opinion. It it very closely tied to YMMV. When I talk about my experiences with a shaving product or piece of equipment, I am giving my personal, experienced opinion. If I haven't used it then I really shouldn't be giving my opinion. I might give an educated guess but I'll tell you it's an educated guess and not a personal experience IMHO. My opinion may vary tremendously from your opinion. My review may be vary from your review. But, you know what? That's OK. Why? Because YMMV rules. You are very much entitled to your opinion as long as it is not just repeating a bunch of other people's opinions. Then, it is no longer IMHO. It's OPHO (Other Peoples Humble Opinions). So, all my IMHOs are based on YMMV experiences. I am never going to trash your IMHO simply because your YMMV may have been very different from mine. If you declare Jihad on me though because you didn't like my IMHO well, that's OK too. Everyone have there own IMHO. Now go away and leave me to my IMHO in peace. Finally, there is the following:
SWMBO: OK, I admit it. I was one of those guys who was hiding his shaving ADs all over the house, car, garage and work to avoid the SWMBO from finding out how bad it really was. Kind of like a smoker or drug addict. It had to do with how much the SWMBO was making fun of my new "obsession." It didn't help that daughter was standing right there next to her doing the same thing. OK, daughter still makes fun but I just remind her of her Hannah Montana obsession. It took a while for me to explain all this in a way the SWMBO could understand. I had to relate it to how she is with horses. I love horses too but not like she does. She's "obsessed." The point is, I needed to make her understand what this was all about. What wet shaving really meant to me and what it meant participating on this forum with such a great bunch of people. And yes, you are a great bunch of people. Why was I spending money and time on something so mundane and simple as shaving. To her, a bar of soap and a disposable plastic razor was all that is ever needed. What's the big deal. In the end, all the work that went into communicating to the SWMBO has paid off. She now understands it. We still have an occasional issue when a couple of packages show up in one week but that is more about her not getting something in the mail than me getting something. If you don't have a ton of money to burn, then things get said. I spend $20 here and $30 there. I won't begin to tell you what she has spent on horse show equipment, clothing, show fees, horse purchases and training fees. It's a quality versus quantity thing. I get lots of little inexpensive things. She gets a few hugely expensive things. It's a perception issue. The real point to all this about SWMBO is to keep communicating to SWMBO about what you find so attractive about wet shaving, how much this is costing, I suggest you make a budget and stick to it, how much space this is going to take and any other issue that might require a compromise on your SWMBO's part. Let's face it. Very few women "get it." At least through my communication efforts, I can say that my SWMBO is now supportive and that what counts. I can keep on pursuing the perfect piece of equipment or the perfect product according to YMMV and give my IMHO just as long as I keep the SWMBO in the loop and not blow my budget. That's my IMHO and I'm sticking to it.
Posted to: The Shave Den
So, where am I? Well, I'm in a sort of limbo stage right now. A little bit of everything is going on. The Pyramid of Knowledge is coming together nicely, my shave journey is continuing along but, at a much slower pace mind you. Carrying this shave locker around on my back is giving me great exercise but it sure is heavy. No, you can't lighten the load for me. Not yet at least. I'm getting a little more selective in what I acquire along the way instead of the shotgun approach that I was using in the past. Now, I'm using a sniper rifle to bag those elusive, most sought after, game. I'm also documenting my experiences a little more. It takes time away from doing some other things but I think it will be worth it.
One of the things I learned a lot about is the true meaning of a couple of terms. YMMV, IMHO and SWMBO.
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary
IMHO = In my Humble Opinion
SWMBO = She Who Must be Obeyed (Significant Other)
YMMV: In my humble opinion (IMHO), YMMV has turned out to be one of the most important things I've learned other than shaving prep and technique. I can read all the reviews, comments, marketing hype and ask 50 people what they think of a product or a piece of equipment. It does not change one simple fact. If I don't try it myself, then I don't really know how it is for me personally. Time and again, I have very different experiences then what I expected. Some for the good and some for the not so good. I've also found that something that may not have worked for me in the past now works because I have a much better understanding of the whole process or maybe I just wasn't using it in the right piece of equipment or situation. You hear things like, too much this or too little that or I didn't like the smell or I'm sensitive to an ingredient and you all would be right. There is no wrong. Now, grant you, there are some pieces of equipment or products that seem to be total garbage for most people and that's probably true. Maybe they work for some people. I don't know. I do know it only matters how it works for me. There are some products that most people rave about and they must have and will pay dearly for. Again, they're right. It doesn't mean I'll get the same results. That's why it's YMMV. Which brings me to the next term.
IMHO: It's very hard to understand what this really means. In my humble opinion. It it very closely tied to YMMV. When I talk about my experiences with a shaving product or piece of equipment, I am giving my personal, experienced opinion. If I haven't used it then I really shouldn't be giving my opinion. I might give an educated guess but I'll tell you it's an educated guess and not a personal experience IMHO. My opinion may vary tremendously from your opinion. My review may be vary from your review. But, you know what? That's OK. Why? Because YMMV rules. You are very much entitled to your opinion as long as it is not just repeating a bunch of other people's opinions. Then, it is no longer IMHO. It's OPHO (Other Peoples Humble Opinions). So, all my IMHOs are based on YMMV experiences. I am never going to trash your IMHO simply because your YMMV may have been very different from mine. If you declare Jihad on me though because you didn't like my IMHO well, that's OK too. Everyone have there own IMHO. Now go away and leave me to my IMHO in peace. Finally, there is the following:
SWMBO: OK, I admit it. I was one of those guys who was hiding his shaving ADs all over the house, car, garage and work to avoid the SWMBO from finding out how bad it really was. Kind of like a smoker or drug addict. It had to do with how much the SWMBO was making fun of my new "obsession." It didn't help that daughter was standing right there next to her doing the same thing. OK, daughter still makes fun but I just remind her of her Hannah Montana obsession. It took a while for me to explain all this in a way the SWMBO could understand. I had to relate it to how she is with horses. I love horses too but not like she does. She's "obsessed." The point is, I needed to make her understand what this was all about. What wet shaving really meant to me and what it meant participating on this forum with such a great bunch of people. And yes, you are a great bunch of people. Why was I spending money and time on something so mundane and simple as shaving. To her, a bar of soap and a disposable plastic razor was all that is ever needed. What's the big deal. In the end, all the work that went into communicating to the SWMBO has paid off. She now understands it. We still have an occasional issue when a couple of packages show up in one week but that is more about her not getting something in the mail than me getting something. If you don't have a ton of money to burn, then things get said. I spend $20 here and $30 there. I won't begin to tell you what she has spent on horse show equipment, clothing, show fees, horse purchases and training fees. It's a quality versus quantity thing. I get lots of little inexpensive things. She gets a few hugely expensive things. It's a perception issue. The real point to all this about SWMBO is to keep communicating to SWMBO about what you find so attractive about wet shaving, how much this is costing, I suggest you make a budget and stick to it, how much space this is going to take and any other issue that might require a compromise on your SWMBO's part. Let's face it. Very few women "get it." At least through my communication efforts, I can say that my SWMBO is now supportive and that what counts. I can keep on pursuing the perfect piece of equipment or the perfect product according to YMMV and give my IMHO just as long as I keep the SWMBO in the loop and not blow my budget. That's my IMHO and I'm sticking to it.
Posted to: The Shave Den
Monday, December 3, 2007
eBay Purchase - J.A. Henkels Manicure Set
The case has had it and the straight razor it came with is all rusted to hell. The tools are in really nice shape though.
2007.12.03 Shave of the Day
Saturday: No Shave
Sunday: No Shave
Sunday: No Shave
| 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: | Merkur | 34G Classic HD Double Edged Safety Razor Gold | |
| Razor Blades: | 7am | Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2 | |
| 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: | Mama Bear | Doc's Northern Dragon Glycerin Shave Soap | |
| Technique: | (Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup) | ||
| Aftershave: | Em's Place | Minty Menthol Aftershave and Body Splash | |
| Aftershave Talc: | Pinaud Clubman | Aftershave Talc |
Result: 1.0/5.0 Grooved my left earlobe. I don't know how I did it but I did. About 1/2 inch groove near the bottom. Thought I had just nicked in front or something and then I saw the groove. That was an "oh sh**" moment. Everything else about the shave was great but I did the groove early and I must say it made me nervous. Good thing this was the ACD-N and not a Irish Point or Spike Point straight. I would have split the earlobe. It's not deep at all but it may scar. Damn.
I noticed on the Em's Place Aftershave, it's lost it's mintiness. I'll use it up. Doc's Northern Dragon Soap was very nice. The Omega Brush sucked the soap up big time. I had to recharge the brush after pass 2. Some of that was due to me having to take time out to stem the blood flow with a cold compress and styptic. I need to bring in my Nik is Sealed just in case it ever happens again. What a mess.
Posted to: The Shave Den
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