Nivea Extra Soothing Sensitive Skin Balm

Short and simple this is a very good over the counter after shave balm. Put a little in your hand and a few drops of water and smooth it on. Can be used as a base for adding other ingredients like witch hazel and aloe vera gel for even better healing and toning properties. Can be found at most drug stores and major department stores.

Feather High Stainless Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades

This blade is a love or hate thing. It's considered aggressive and unforgiving. In my opinion, it is. It's very sharp. Consequently, if I respect it, I get great, mow the whiskers down, very close shaves. Disrespect it and I get a bloodbath. It's one of my top three blades if not the top. This blade combined with a Merkur Slant Bar Razor is known as a "Ninja Shave." Use with caution. It's getting hard to find these blades in bulk in the U.S. ClassicShaving.com seems to have scored a monopoly on distribution in the U.S. Get them when you can.

Lucky Tiger Special Formula Hair Tonic

I started using this product about a month ago. I have to say I was a little skeptical about using a hair tonic product since I have used shampoo and conditioning products exclusively since I can remember and even then, it was usually just a shampoo. OK, now I'm a believer. Shampoo and condition as usual and a splash of this on the scalp feels just fine. The alcohol evaporating dries the hair faster too. I don't find that it dries out my hair and it's keeps my scalp feeling nice. There is the added benefit that if I work up a sweat, the hair tonic warms up and makes my hair smell good even 24 hours later. I'm not noticing any dandruff either.

Common Acronymns I Use

45XTG = 45 degree across the grain. See XTG

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

ATG = Against the grain whisker shaving growth pattern. Not for people new to wet shaving. Toughest direction to shave and easiest to not get right.

BBS = Baby butt smooth. It means you did it right and got a close shave with no nicks, cuts, weepers, shave bumps or in grown hairs. Chances are though you probably got a little irritation since it's so hard to achieve perfect BBS. I'm not that perfect.

IMHO = In My Humble Opinion. My personal experienced opinion . Not yours, not somebody else's. Usually works closely with YMMV.

SWMBO = She who must be obeyed or any other significant other for that matter.

WTG = With the grain whisker growth shaving pattern. The easiest shaving direction to use and best for just starting out.

XTG = Across the grain. In between WTG and ATG. Next step up from WTG on your path to ATG achievment. There is also 45XTG. This is halfway between WTG and XTG or 45 degrees to the grain versus ATG which is 90 degrees to the grain. I prefer to use this technique instead of ATG.

YMMV = Your mileage may vary. All products and techniques are subject to how they work for you personally. Each person is different and chances are your results will be different.

2007.12.12 Shave of the Day

Shave of the Day Post

Category	Mfg	Item Name	Blog Link
	Shower
Hair Tonic:	Lucky Tiger	Special Formula Hair Tonic
	Shave
Razor:	Feather	Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N	[Link]
Razor Blades:	Feather	Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N	[Link]
Razor:	Merkur	37C Slant Bar HD Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome	[Link}
Razor Blades:	Feather	High Stainless Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades
Bowl:	Mitsuwa	6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest	[Link]
Brush:	Crabtree & Evelyn	Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush	[Link]
Shave Cream/Soap:	Kent	Lanolin Triple Milled Shave Soap
Technique:		(Feather WTG)/(DE 45XTG/45XTG/ATG Cleanup
	Post Shave
Aftershave Balm:	Nivea	Extra Soothing Sensitive Skin Balm
Aftershave:	Em's Place	Minty Menthol Aftershave and Body Splash
Facial Toner:	Thayer's	Lavender Witch Hazel & Aloe Toner
Aftershave Talc:	Pinaud Clubman	Aftershave Talc

Result: 4.6/5.0 BBS and didn't cause any more damage. That's a good thing. Kent Milled Shave Soap is very hard and needs softening up with a little bit of water beforehand and use lots of water when making lather. This soap will dry you out so don't skimp on hydration. When it's properly wet, it makes everything glide with ease. The ACD-N loved this soap. The Merkur Slant almost had nothing to do.

Posted to: The Shave Den

Crabtree & Evelyn Small Best Badger Brush

This brush is made by Edwin Jagger for Crabtree & Evelyn. It has a about a 21mm knot size with medium firmness. I consider this an excellent all around brush for both soap and creams. It's a great brush for the new wet shaver and is used by many experienced wet shavers as well. I have this brush in my rotation at all times. The next step up in the same category of brush for me would be a Kent BK4.

Manufacturer's Information:

Edwin Jagger Cream Best Badger Small Shave Brush

The ‘Best Badger’ is our most popular brush, and the benchmark standard for premium natural shaving brushes. The precision-balanced durable resin handle is filled with fine grade, hand-selected badger hair bristles. This brush is much fuller and holds more water (and lather) than the Pure Badger. Its softer bristles are excellent for use with shaving creams.

• Benchmark standard
• Fine grade badger hair
• Hand-selected bristles
• Precision balanced handle
• Use with shave cream or soap
• Made in England

Manufacturer's Link

Feather Artist Club Replacement Razor Blades

Feather "Professional" blades will fit any of the "Artist Club" series razors.

Can be found on Classic Shaving.com

The "Pro Guard" blades are designed specifically for comfort and safety.

Blade Thickness: 0.150mm

Total thickness w/guard:0.350mm

Blade Exposure: 1.2mm

The "Professional Super" blades are designed for a heavy or coarse beard.

• Blade Thickness: 0.31mm
• Blade Exposure: 1.45mm

The "Professional" blades are designed for an average beard.

• Blade Thickness: 0.254mm
• Blade Exposure: 1.2mm