Thread: Righty Tighty; Lefty Loosey

Shave #71.6 - By George, I Think I've Got It

Well, with the Astra blade in my DE razor, I seem to be able to count on a quick comfortable 3-pass shave that'll land me in DFS/BBS territory.

Proraso (Green Tubed) Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
Edwin Jagger DE89L + Astra (Blue) - Stainless Blade
Baxter of California AS Balm.

A quick DFS++/BBS, and I'm off and running. Heading to Nanaimo to try to buy the rest of the supplies I'll need to make it another couple years in Asia. Big boys like me do not find it easy to buy clothes, shoes, underwear, etc., etc. in Asia. The internet is making it easier, but still every couple years I fly half way around the world on a shopping trip.

Shave #72 - One Angry Shavette

Klar Heidelberg Classic Shave Soap
TOBS Badger Brush
Don Jae Chopper + Astra (Blue) - Stainless Blade
Alum/Styptic
Captain's Choice Bay Rum
Baxter of California AS Balm

I guess I've been giving my new DE too much attention lately. The shavette has obviously been feeling neglected, and let me know its feelings. I did a 3-pass shave today with the shavette and am DFS/BBS. That's the good news. But, I managed to nick myself 4 times. One slice, right under the nose, required multiple applications of styptic. It happened while going XTG under the nose. I accidentally made a bit of a slicing motion. I also gave myself a good cut on the chin when I lopped off a blemish. The shavette is really unforgiving when it hits a bump. The other 2 nicks were just minor weepers that I didn't even notice.

While on holidays, I've been face lathering, I usually bowl lather. With the shave cream it works fine for me, but I had some problems initially face lathering the soap. I didn't load the brush enough and didn't have enough water in the brush. I got the issues worked out and the second and third passes were better.

Shave #72.3 - 新年快樂

Proraso (Green Tubed) Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
Edwin Jagger DE89L + Astra (Blue) - Stainless Blade
Alum
Baxter of California AS Balm

Three passes and I'm smooth with barely a squeak out of the alum. I was very satisfied, until I had a look at my face an hour later or so. I have a bunch of little nicks. I guess I knocked the scabs off some of yesterday's nicks and maybe did a bit more damage today, although they didn't bleed and I didn't feel them when I hit them with the alum. So, I'm a bit confused, but it doesn't look too good. Might have to take a day or so to heal.

Shave #72.6 - A Sampler Shave

Going to burn up some samples with this shave.

Baxter of California Super Close Shave Formula (Shave Cream Sampler)
TOBS Badger Brush
Edwin Jagger DE89L + Derby Extra Blade (Free Sample Pack With Razor)
Alum
Aveda AS Balm (Also a Sample)

After chewing my face up last shave, I decided to change the blade, reasoning that part of the problem might be that I had done one too many shaves on the Astra blade. If that is correct, then the Astra Stainless blade is good for 3 DE shaves on my face. That surprises me since I got 4 shaves off the Gillette Super Blue, and I understand from my father who shaved with them, way back in the day when they were widely available in Canada, that they are a notoriously short lived blade.

Anyway, I decided to try one of the Derby Extra blades that came with my DE. I got a very good 3-pass shave - DFS everywhere. I would prefer a bit closer shave, but I have to say the alum was amazingly silent and my skin feels nice, so...that's a good shave.

In straight razor news, two days ago I stopped at a local antique store and they had about a dozen straight razors. Most of them were in surprisingly good condition, and after a bit of haggling, reasonably priced. So, I picked up three, an ERN with carved scales, a Boker King Cutter, and a Geo Wostenholm & Sons. All have good scales, minimal surface rust on the blades, along with minimal and even hone wear. So, I'm looking forward to restoring them to a more pristine condition and getting some stones and sharpening them. It should be quite a learning experience. Plus now I can justify acquiring some hones. I was having a hard time justifying it earlier when my edges just kept on ticking. So, I'll likely pick up a Norton combo stone at Lee Valley while I'm here. Save some shipping.

Shave #73 - After Our Trip to Victoria

The folks drove me down to Victoria. We drove around Victoria, my mom is immobile so walking wasn't an option, besides it was cold. Had lunch together at an Irish pub. Then I wandered around downtown for a short time on my own. I looked for some of the sites from when I was stationed here in the navy (long ago). But, they gentrified everything, so it was really hard to find where the dilapidated waterfront dives - bars and strip clubs - that I used to hang out in even were. Also, stopped at the cigar store, one of the oldest in Canada. They have a pretty neat selection of straights, brushes and soaps now.

On the way out of town, we stopped at Lee Valley Tools and I did pick up a Norton combi stone, plus a lapping plate. The DMT and Atoma were virtually the same price. So, on the spur of the moment I went with an Atoma. I don't know why. Looked cuter I guess. Hopefully it'll work okay.

Got home and needed a shave...

Proraso (Green Tubed) Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
Don Jae Chopper + (New) Astra Blue - Stainless Blade
Alum
Baxter of California AS Balm

I did 2 passes today, N-S then S-N, no touch ups and called it good enough. I didn't chase a BBS. (Maturity??? Not too likely). I ended up BBS on the face and left side of the neck, and DFS on the right side of my neck.

My evening shaves really seem much better. I'm more focused and calm. In the mornings I seem to be jittery and anxious - even on holidays when I'm not rushing anywhere.

A pod of Orca Killer Whales came through Nanaimo, about 40 minutes south of here, hunting a school (pod?) of dolphins. I missed that, but some locals caught it on video. What an amazing show!

Shave #73.3 - A Quickie

Proraso (Green Tubed) Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
Edwin Jagger DE89L + Derby Extra Blade
Styptic

A very quick 3-passer. I'm DFS+. I nicked myself on the chin when I accidentally went laterally on a S-N stroke. Nothing the styptic couldn't handle. I'm flying to Singapore in a couple days to meet SWMBO who will be there on business. So I want to use up my blades before I go, but the Derby was already beginning to pull on this shave, only it's second shave, so I shouldn't have a problem. I prefer to fly with both my shaving implements empty.

Shave #73.6 - I Hate Flying...

...and my flight today will be so long - more than 24 hours of travel time. So, just getting ready for it...

Proraso (Green Tubed) Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
Edwin Jagger DE89L + Derby Extra Blades

A quick 3-passer and I'm about DFS. I guess the Derby blades are not my favorite. They don't seem to last very long for me and are not as close as I'd like. I'll use them in my shavette, where they seem to perform fine. I still have three more blades to try out, Astra Platinum, Personna, and Feather.

Ok, got to continue packing.

Shave #73.7 - I'm Too Old For This

Made it to Singapore. It was almost exactly 31 hours of travel time, from door-to-door. That's hard on a body! Had a shave once I got to the hotel, part of a futile attempt to feel human again.

Proraso (Green Tubed) Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
Edwin Jagger DE89L + Personna Precision Blades
Captain's Choice Bay Rum
Baxter of California AS Balm

Didn't trust my hands with the Don Jae Chopper, so out came the DE. I did a 3-passer. I got kind of shoddy results, DFS- or lower. But, that's on me, not the blades or equipment, I'm just barely present.

Shave #73.8 - Personna Perfecto

My wife has been conducting business associated with the large air show that is happening in Singapore right now. So I've basically been left to mozie around Singapore on my own.














I've sorta been walking myself ragged and not feeling much like shaving, but today, the jet lag eased and I had an easier day; spent lots of time lounging around Raffles, that bastion of 19th century British colonialism, pretending to be a Victorian gentleman terribly upset with the state of the colony while sucking back my pint in the courtyard.

So a shave just seemed to fit with the mood of the day, though it should have been a straight:

Proraso (Green Tubed) Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
Edwin Jagger DE89L + Personna Precision Blades
Aveda AS Balm

A cold water shave as it is rather warm here. Three passes with a bit of touch up got me BBS everywhere, except for about a half dozen hairs I missed on the jawline just in front of my right ear.

The Personna blades feel rather different than any of the other blades I've tried. They feel thicker. Undecided whether I like the feel or not, but today's shave was good.

Shave #74 - Thunk: Back Down to Earth

Well, I'm back in Taipei and back to work tomorrow bright and early. The trip was great, and my travel set up performed admirably. I had a minor hitch flying from Vancouver to Canada. My travel containers of cologne and Captain's Choice Bay Rum were smashed. Luckily I had the foresight to have them inside a plastic bag in my dopp bag, so it wasn't a huge problem. They must have treated my bags incredibly roughly, as the exterior of the hard shell suitcase the dopp bag was in was also smashed.

Anyway, I had a good 4 or so days of growth that needed to be wiped away before work tomorrow, so my much missed straights got a little love, starting with the most loved:

Crabtree & Evelyn West Indian Lime Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
DOVO Palisander 6/8" (32)
Alum
Crabtree & Evelyn West Indian Lime Balm

Since this was my first real straight razor shave in over a month, I wasn't expecting great results, and I wasn't disappointed. I lathered up the C&E (love the smell) and did my first, WTG, pass. Not great! It was tuggy and I just felt awkward. At the end of the pass I had large swaths of whiskers remaining essentially unpruned. Things did, slowly, get better with each subsequent pass. I did a total of four passes.

The good news is I didn't cut myself. I'm genuinely surprised as the blade did not feel natural in my hand. Also, the alum was remarkably silent. I was sure that I was really using too much pressure, but apparently not as bad as I thought. My upper lip burned. I had a hard time getting it clean and knew I was scrapping it a bit.

The overall result was fairly mediocre compared to what I would usually expect from a 4-passer. Let's call it DFS--, good enough for work tomorrow, but not as smooth as I'd like. Still happy to be back among the straights.