WetShaving

September 29, 2023: Equine Greatest Hits Straightember

• Preshave: Proraso Green Preshave
• Brush: Semogue C3 Galahad Horse 🐎
• Razor: Thiers-Issard 188 7/8 ""Coq et Renard""
• Lather: Abbate y la Mantia Ishtar
• Post Shave: Floid The Genuine
• Post Shave: Nivea After Shave Balm

This was probably the last shave for Straightember. I found out why for me the Parker is more manoeuvrable than the TI: I hold the Parker with a 2-2 grip (two fingers before the tang, and two on the tang). Since on the TI the tang is so small, I have to grip either a 3-1 (possible, but not very comfortable), or 2-1 (which I end up doing most of the time). I guess that size matters, but that with good technique, I will be able to compensate 🤔.

On unrelated news, thanks to an anonymous and generous Swiss lender, a Sparschweinchen razor 🐽🪒 is on my way. I don't know whether that exists anywhere else in the world, but where I come from, the end of October was the time of the Weltspartag (the world holiday of economies). So having an economy pig razor for October is a nice coincidence.

Have a good day!

September 29, 2023

• Brush: Truefitt & Hill Wellington 24mm Silvertip

• Razor: Filarmonica 14 Doble Temple Gen 1 (Straight Shave 341)

• Lather: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Soap (64)

• Post Shave: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Aftershave

• Post Shave: None

• Fragrance: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Eau de Parfum
   

2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

Back home from a quick trip, and a great shave with my Fili 14. Almost as good as my shaves with the Dovo Bismarck … OK, I'm kidding about that. The Fili 14 does stand alone, especially with this refreshed Jnat edge, but the Bismarck has surprisingly similar feel and closeness.

If you're thinking about trying Saponificio Varesino 70^th^ Anniversary, don't. I'm convinced it is addictive. I'm on the home stretch towards 70 shaves on this tub and today the ring of death poked through. There could be another 40 shaves yet, and I seriously considered killing the tub before moving on.

Sep. 29, 2023

• Razor: Karve Overlander
• Blade: UK Tech Statum
• Lather: Spearhead - Black Watch - Soap
• Post Shave: Spearhead - Black Watch - Aftershave

Good shave. Smelling good with the Black watch.

September 29, 2023

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts w/Maggard SHD 30mm Fan
• Razor: Wolfman Guerilla (Gen 1)
• Blade: Personna 74 (40)
• Lather: Barrister & Mann/Zingari Man - Nocturne - Soap
• Post Shave: Chatillon Lux - Weinstrasse - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Nivea Sensitive Balm

Whereas yesterday I considered tossing the blade, today it's back to working again. The Guerilla seems to be the best razor for this blade so I'm sure that helps compared to the Red Tip yesterday.

I wonder if I've slipped into @[email protected] territory by searching out a razor that works with the blade, instead of using a new blade 😛

Friogère Friday

• Brush: Zenith 506U N (50/50 horse mane/tail)
• Razor: Zwilling J. A. Henckels Friodur 472½ (NOS 13/16″ hollow ground, stainless steel)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Fougère Gothique
• Post Shave: Mennen – Skin Bracer
• Fragrance: Terre d’Hermès – Eau Intense Vétiver

I put a new edge on the 472½ before it goes out on loan. Stellar shave 😊

Sep 29, 2023 - Sample September: Blackest Night

• Brush: Farvour Turn Craft Eye of Jupiter 27mm Motherlode Knot
• Razor: Blackland Razors Blackbird Ti
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue [4]
• Lather: Areffa Soap - The Blackest Night - Soap
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Druantia - Aftershave (Alcohol Free)
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming - Auryn - Eau de Parfum

I really love Blackest Night, a resinous, woody fougère from Arrefa Soap in the Ukraine. The soap produced a high structure lather with a wonderful sheen. Druantia pairs well with other fougères, and especially with this one, adding to the depth of the scent. Auryn is a fougère with a bright opening and a resinous dry down.

Rating: 4.5/5

Prep: Splash of Cool Water
Razor: Weck - Sextoblade
Blade: Kismet - Hair Shaper (2)
Lather: Noble Otter - Oudyood
Brush: Zenith - Horse Extra Soft (507N XS) (16 uses)
Post Shave: Stirling - Agar

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

We work with the Weck, w'again. Keeping with the horse brush, and trying Noble Otter with the Slurry Lather method. Though requiring a little more loading, it went very well.

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Weck - Sextoblade ::: Kismet - Hair Shaper ‹2 uses›)

I discovered that my daughter was naughty and used my weck and the Kismet blade to cut on one of our towels (and probably more that she's not fessing up to). I think I really felt that lack of sharpness today.

A lot of stubble was removed, but I attacked several spots from multiple angles, with little success. I'll bet she would have dulled the center of the blade, because I think the toe and heel were still pretty sharp, because they trimmed up near my ears and goatee edge quite well.

But, all in all I'm happy with my Weck shave and burgeoning technique. No weepers or cuts. No nicking near the ears or on high spots. And good comfort. A nice, conservative shave, with this risky tool.

Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 2 out of 5 (Okay)

䷀ Soap Notes

(Noble Otter - Oudyood)

Scent: To me, a light oud and woody scent. I guess that's the intention. I did enjoy it.

Scent Strength: 4/10, lightly present during shaving.

Lather... If I would have started with more loading, I think this would have been fine from the start as a Slurry Lather. The horse is also affecting things, but the lather worked out just fine.

I'll do more with Noble Otter and other brushes for sure, just to confirm that it works well with the Slurry style.

Hydration: Perfect (for me)

• 40 sec load with a Very Wet brush
• = 4 passes of lather

Bowl: No Bowl

䷀ Brush Notes

(Zenith - Horse Extra Soft - 507N XS ‹16 uses›)

So the horse brush again started out a little weak. This time, it was due to not enough soap in it. Easy enough to fix, right? I loaded for a total of 120 swirls, or roughly 40 seconds.

I think the easy splay of this brush was part of the problem, but I did switch soaps to one that hasn't been used for a while. That's what you get when you change too many variables at once! :-)

But it was easy to save the lather by revisiting the tub for that third 40 swirls.

Obviously, will need more testing with Noble Otter, just to confirm, but I'm sure it'll be fine with the Slurry Lather method.

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Felt blade but comfortable
  Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Bad Shave
  Neck: Many hairs show whisker tips with a little length to them

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet

Friday, September 29, 2023 - Last Day of Samptember

• Prep: hot shower
• Brush: Yaqi Cashmere Synthetic Shaving Brush, Dandelion Green Handle, 24mm
• Razor: Gillette Aristocrat (1948-50)
• Blade: Lord Super Chrome (2)
• Lather: Barrister & Mann - Presto Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Nivea - Moisturizing Post Shave Balm

I finally got through my sample of Presto, and just in time for the end of Sample September. (Full disclosure there was a tiny bit left after today, but I won't be shaving tomorrow and it didn't feel worth saving.) I thoroughly enjoyed this soap, but I've been using it a lot lately and I'm looking forward to not feeling obligated to using it.