Thread: Righty Tighty; Lefty Loosey

Shave #88 - Fried Chicken & Porn

Enjoying my last day as a bachelor before my wife's return from Japan.

Synergy Lime Shave Soap
TOBS Badger Brush
Don Jae Chopper + Derby Extra Blade (1)
Alum
C&E West Indian Lime As Balm

I received two Synergy shave soaps in the mail today. So I tried out the Lime scented one on a cold water shave. Refreshing. (After I've shaved with them a bit, I'll do a little review). I did 3 passes. I'm BBS face/DFS+ neck. Good enough for government work.

Oh Jeez, I totally forgot. It's Easterish for some of you. As you can tell from the title, I'm not having a very traditional celebration, but for those that are - Happy Easter!

I must be weird because I use only one hand to do both sides.

...Well, hygiene issues aside, do what works for you (YMMV).

Shave #88.5 - A Pipe Shave

Synergy Cavendish Shave Soap
TOBS Badger Brush
Edwin Jagger DE89L + Personna Precision Blade (3)
Alum
Captain's Choice Bay Rum

I received my small shipment of soaps from the Queen Charlotte Island soap works, so I have lots of new stuff in the shave den - exciting times. Reviews to follow in a few weeks.

Meantime, I did a quick 3-pass DE shave with excellent results. I went with a hot water shave, as in my imagination the Cavendish pipe tobacco scent lent itself to a hot shave. I think it did.

Shave #88.6 - Cooling

Queen Charlotte Soaps Vostok Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
Edwin Jagger DE89L + Feather Blade (1)
Alum
Baxter of California AS Balm

BBS-ish.

Shave #89 - Repurpose or Not

I love the scent of my Ogallala soap, but I'm not totally thrilled with it's performance. For me, YMMV, I find the lather lacks cushion and glide, and there is no residual slickness. The post shave properties are not there. Plus, if I use it too much, I get skin irritation. The perfume/essential oils I'm guessing. So, I'm contemplating pulling it out of it's jar, so that I can repurpose the jar for a puck of Queen Charlotte Soaps Celestial Woods. But, before doing that, I thought one more shave was in order, to make sure.

Ogallala Bay Rum, Lime & Peppercorns Shave Soap
TOBS Badger Brush
WISS 9/16" Ugly Duckling (21)
Alum
L'Occitane Cedre & Oranger AS Balm

I did a 3-pass cold water shave, with a bit of touch up on the neck. I'm all over DFS, with my face a bit more DFS than my neck. Not a great result for a 3-passer. Unfortunately, I'm going to blame the soap a bit. (The razor was nice and keen after the mega stropping and I think my technique was not so bad). It just doesn't seem to have the slickness and cushion I like for straight razor shaving. But, at least it didn't cause skin irritation.

I think it is out of my straight razor soap rotation, since I now have a good collection of soaps and creams that really work well for me. I'm just wondering if I should try it again with the DE and Mach III, since I adore the scent. Or, maybe I should just give it up and use it as a body bar.

Shave #90 - What a Lather!

So I did decide to pull the Ogallala out of the mug and insert my new Celestial Woods puck into the container.

Queen Charlotte Soaps (QCS) Celestial Woods Shave Soap
TOBS Badger Brush
Don Jae Chopper + Derby Extra Blade (2)
Alum
Nivea AS Balm

I can't believe the lather I got off this puck, first try, with my rather hard water. It was the best lather I've ever made in terms of peakiness and thick yoghurty goodness. It was awesome, everything a lather ought to be. (Review to follow in the next few weeks).

I did a 3-passer and it was my best shave in a good longtime. I'm BBS everywhere, and I didn't have to struggle to achieve it. Plus, my skin just feels great, very comfortable.

Shave #91 - Motel Break

When work and life beat me down, sometimes I head to a motel for a night. Motels in Taiwan are fascinating. For about $70-$80US/night you can get a basic room that includes a fairly luxurious bathroom, the basic level usually includes a two-person jacuzzi, multi-head spa shower and a steam bath. They get fancier from there. So yesterday I headed to a motel to sit in the jacuzz drinking beer, smoking Cubans and reading a good book. But, after my shower and before hitting the jacuzzi, I had a shave:

QCS Vostok Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
WISS 9/16" Ugly Duckling (22)
Alum

I did what, at the moment, is my standard three passes: 1). Straight N-S, I start with my mustache, lower lip and chin. After thinking about it, it makes most sense for me to do this area first. Do the slow and difficult parts while the lather is at its best. 2). Nose-to-ears on my face, with a bit of a scything stroke on my cheeks. After doing the mustache and chin, I first clear a small area at the top of my cheeks so I can reach over and pull my skin up as I scythe the cheeks. For the neck, I go N-S again, this time guillotining from the right ear to the left. 3). Straight S-N with a buffing action, using a very light touch and almost no angle on the blade. I'm finally beginning to be able to go S-N from the neck, around the chin and up to the lower lip. I've found this very hard to learn. 4). Transcribing a bit of an n-shape on my neck. I start by going S-N on the right side of my neck and scything towards my nose, the blade is about perpendicular to the floor as it passes the center of my neck, then on the left side of the neck I continue the perpendicular stroke, with a bit of downward scything motion.

Everywhere was BBS except a narrow strip from the bottom of my chin to the top of my Adam's Apple that was DFS++.

Shave #91.5 - Trying to Titanic the T&H

T&H 1805 Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
Edwin Jagger DE89L + Feather Blade (2)
Alum/Styptic
Captain's Choice Bay Rum
Gentlemen's Tonic AS Balm

Face lathered the T&H cream for a 3-passer with a bit extra on the neck. I just have maybe a couple more shaves left in this tube, so I'd like to get her done and reduce some of the clutter. It was a nice shave, I'm BBS everywhere, but I did give myself a pretty good nick at the corner of the mouth going ATG.

Shave #91.6 - Move Along, Nothin' to See Here

Did a quick post-workout shave in the shower.

Proraso (Green Tubed) Shave Cream
TOBS Badger Brush
Mach III
Thayer's Extra Cool Witch Hazel
L'Occitane Cedre & Oranger AS Balm

Shave #92 - A Quick Straight Shave

Synergy Cavendish Shave Soap
TOBS Badger Brush
J. A. Henckels 64 - 9/16" (13/4)
Alum
C&E Cedre & Oranger AS Balm

A quick 2-passer, N-S and S-N, and I'm around DFS-. It is a good enough result for such a quick comfortable shave, but I must admit I prefer to chase a bit more closeness. It doesn't always need to be BBS, but I'd prefer a tad less stubbliness.