The Anticipation
I was nodding at my desk this afternoon when I arrived back at the office after our second event of the week. The conference yesterday and the meeting today had left me drained, but contented, but it was hard to focus on anything for the couple of hours I was in the office. Thankfully, I was able to spend a bit of time on SRP, learning more about this new hobby that I love and enjoying a wonderful article written by the eloquent Obie (
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...e-article.html). Once work was done, I treated myself to a four-pack of Guinness Draft and headed home, knowing that I would have the place to myself, given tonight was SWMBO Jr.'s ballet night and I was off the hook. After the first Guinness was down, I was relaxed enough to begin the shave.
The Prep
I heated water on the stove, filling my Robert Becker #9 scuttle full of steaming, near-boiling water. The scuttle rested on the counter while I jumped into an equally steaming-hot shower, enjoying the replenishing feeling of the hot water as it worked its magic. I scrubbed with Real Shaving Exfoliating on my face as the final touch, then I was ready for my shave. Hopping out of the shower, I picked up my Frank Shaving Richmond Silvertip 28mm and my sample of Trumper's Sandalwood shaving cream. It was time for some lather.
The Lather
The Trumper's sample pack I ordered came with 6 creams, 2 skin food samples and a plethora of EDT and colognes that are too numerous for me to name. I am also feeling a bit too lazy to walk back to the bathroom and write them down, since my legs are pretty shot after two days of constant walking and standing. Suffice it to say, I have enough samples, between my Trumper's, T&H and the ones I got from Garry, to last me well into the new year without buying another shaving product. That said, if I were a betting man, I wouldn't place odds on me not buying another before then.
My Sandalwood sample appeared to me to be a strange quantity. Not quite enough for two shaves, but more than enough for one. Given the amount of lather I got, however, it appears that, once again, my noob judgement was off. I am pretty confident that I will get two shaves out of my creams samples from Trumper's as I ended up with enough lather for at least another two passes by the time all was said and done.
My lather this evening wasn't the greatest. I ended up with too much water at the start, though it settled down later. The lather was a bit foamy and bubbly at first, but after quite some time of working the scuttle, I ended up with tons of creamy lather, more than enough for my needs. The Frank Shaving brush sure is luxurious, though I think my preference leans toward something slightly smaller, perhaps in the 24-26mm range. Overall, I think Trumper's makes a nice cream, but I'm not sure if their Sandalwood will make the cut for me.
The Shave
Tonight I chose my TI Le Canadien 6/8" in Black Horn, the one with the inclined nose. This is one of my better shavers, especially with the edge that the estimable Maxi has put on it. I have been meaning to make the effort to get a honing session in with him, under his supervision, but it's amazing how life manages to get in the way. A very great man once said: "Life is what happens to you while your busy making other plans", and I believe it. Now I also have reason to pick his brain for his considerable knowledge on restoration. That, plus I'm eager to get a chance to check out his shop, which I understand is quite nice. All in good time.
The shave tonight was a pleasure. I have reached the level where the spike point no longer gets away from me and I am pleased to say that it didn't bite me tonight, though at one point it did fire a warning shot across the bow, as I felt it start to dig into my chin. Luckily, my touch was light enough and I was paying enough attention to ensure that no cuts or nicks resulted from this. The shave was smooth, close and relatively easy, though I can say that straight shaving is far from ingrained in my muscle memory. Having not shaved with a straight in a few days made me feel a touch more awkward than usual, but I still got my three passes in without much trouble or razor burn. The only mishap was the tiniest ding on my chin, right around the scar area.
The Movember Report
The spike point is a delight for 'stache grooming, as I was able to actually put some shape into this monster on my face by using the very tip of the blade. I also shave some from the top, giving the mo' a more uniform look overall. I owe a photo after day 15, so here it is:
The Post
My shave today ended with a lukewarm water rinse, which was followed by the application of alum. That done, I rinsed another three passes worth of lather from my brush and scuttle and dried them both. The scuttle went back on the shelf while the brush was relegated to the back of the line in my little brush rotation area in the den. Seven brushes for seven days in the week should be enough, right? That AD doesn't seem to have as firm a hold on me as SRAD, though it's still pretty strong. I then applied my Life Brand Witch Hazel, which soothed my skin and hardly stung at all. That done, I rinsed with cold water and applied another of my samples, Trumper's Sandalwood Skin Food. I must say, I am not overly impressed with Trumper's rendition of sandalwood. TOBS is more what I have in mind when I think of sandalwood, while T&H isn't really a traditional sandalwood, but it still smells nice. I've read that, of all places, AOS has one of the more pure sandalwood creams and aftershaves, so some samples might be in order. Overall, despite the tiny ding on my chin and some red bumps on my neck which seem to be par for the course with my sensitive skin and noob technique, I ended up with a smooth, relaxing and rewarding shave experience.
The Straight Road isn't always smooth, but when it is, it's well worth enjoying the ride.