The Straight Road – Part 73: Big Blades, Big Fun!
This week was supposed to be calmer, but then I got the word that I was going to be on conference booth duty for Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as several other meetings and the usual hectic schedule with SWMBO Jr’s dancing. Combine that with a pipe restoration I’ve been working on (http://straightrazorpalace.com/finer...sportsman.html) and all of a sudden, it’s Friday! That said, I had great fun this week with some really nice shaves, to it’s time to share.
Sunday Afternoon
This Dovo Bismarck Ironwood razor of mine doesn’t seem to get enough love, of late, so I decided to get it back into the rotation again. Combined with a relatively leisurely Sunday afternoon, I was all set to discover a new product: T&H Ultimate Comfort.
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The Anticipation
The shave was calling to me for most of the afternoon, but I was a bit lazy. Still, we had Sunday dinner with the family, including relatives from out of town, so there was no putting it off and I headed in for the shave.
The Prep
I went with my usual hot shower this time, before which I stropped the blade on the ‘roo strop. This blade can be a bit of a challenge to strop, as it tends to be a bit loose in the scales, not to mention the thumb notch. I was up to the task, though, so finally the blade was ready, the brush was soaking and I was scrubbed down and good to go. Taking a bit of the Ultimate Comfort pre-shave oil, I rubbed it into my whiskers and turned to the scuttle.
The Lather
I wasn’t expecting much from this product line, to be honest, since it didn’t have any of the T&H scents I love. Little did I know how great this stuff really is. The cream has a very light scent to it, reminiscent of the citrus/lavender scent of their Luxury Shaving Soap. The lather it produced, in combination with my amazing Bryce C Silvertip, was simply astonishing. A perfect combination of slickness, cushion and comfort that I suppose lives up to the name! I was almost reluctant to stop after only two passes.
The Shave
As you can imagine, after getting such great lather, the shave was a dream. This Dovo is just a great shaver. Forgiving edge, easy to handle and really well-balanced. I don’t even notice the loose scales so much when it’s shaving. I went for my standard two-pass shave, paying extra attention to the lightness of my stroke. The end result was a quick, easy and painless experience. In fact, not only was it painless, it was actually a great pleasure. I finished off the touch-ups under the chin and along the jawline and I was ready to go.
The Post
I’ve been avoiding the alum block for a while, which has helped my skin in terms of dryness. First thing I did was rinse out the brush and scuttle, getting them squared away, then I hit my face with icy cold water, followed closely by witch hazel. That done, the Ultimate Comfort ASB came out. Really, I am impressed with this stuff! It got me to thinking that a bottle of this ASB, combined with their soap and their Spanish Leather splash, would make for a pretty amazing lineup of shaving products.
The Verdict
A pleasant, very pleasant, surprise from T&H. I am quite happy with the products, the hardware and the experience from my Sunday afternoon shave. There will likely be a permanent place in my rotation for this stuff, when I can start to fuel the ADs again.
Wednesday Morning
After having been volunteered for booth duty on Tuesday, I had no time to get anything done, mainly because I was running around like a maniac at 6 AM to get to the conference and get stuff set up. Luckily, Wednesday was a bit more tame, so I was able to have a shave before heading out the door.
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The Anticipation
I always look forward to shaving with my Wade & Butcher razors, but this one in particular is a great shaver. Combine that with the beautiful bocote brush in finest badger, and you end up with quite a winning combination. So in reality, there was very little chance of me not shaving on Wednesday morning, no matter what the timing looked like for starting the conference.
The Prep
It had to be a quick shower, since most of my grooming time was allotted to the shave, but that was no issue, as I can be in and out of there in minutes when necessary. After that, it was onto the strop with the razor for 25 quick laps, then I was ready to get down to business.
The Lather
No scuttle for this one, as I find this brush doesn’t do well in the bowl. I went straight to the soap with my sample of Trumper’s Coconut. This brush picks up soap very easily and, before I knew it, I had a great amount loaded, which then went onto my face easily and quickly, building a well-cushioned Santa beard of lather. There was easily enough for two passes and touch-ups, or more, if I had so desired. One drawback is that I did feel a bit of sting from this lather on my face, which is a shame as I really like the coconut soap. Maybe the shaving cream will be better.
The Shave
This razor is...well...wow. I experimented with this one and found success! This edge is a dilucot edge (look it up on coticule.be if you’re not familiar with the process), where I set the bevel on the 1k, then took it all the way to finishing on the coticule. I haven’t had very much success with doing that, but this razor can attest to the fact that, at least once, I got it right. The shave was smooth, effortless and clean. All important qualities when shaving with a straight. But the thing that really surprised me was how easy the edge was on my face. It really felt like I was passing a butterknife over my cheeks instead of an incredibly sharp razor.
The Post
With such a smooth shave, you might think that your aftershave wouldn’t sting, but then again, Dominica Bay Rum is not just any aftershave. I started out with witch hazel, which would hopefully mitigate some of the sting, but all the same, the Dominica asserted its dominance, waking me the rest of the way up and announcing its presence in a way that brooked no argument! Still, the sting subsided quickly and my face felt great, so I was pleased. I followed that up with my Trumper’s Unscented lotion, which keeps things moisturized and soothed. It was time to get out the door and down to the conference for day two.
The Verdict
It was really a smooth shave, combined with a very reliable lineup of soft products, so I ended up in a very good mood, despite the upcoming trials of a day manning a booth with very little traffic. Overall, I was pleased and things are really moving forward with this razor!
Friday Morning
As the week comes to a close, I managed to find enough time in the morning for another shave. This morning I had a conference call, so I decided to take it at home, rather than try to rush into the office, which gave me the time I needed to enjoy my big bad Friodur.
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The Anticipation
This razor is always a treat, so I was definitely looking forward to it for the past couple of days. Combine that with the Omega Pro 49, some Trumper’s Violet shaving cream and Coral Skin Food, and you have all the makings of a very pleasant, floral morning for a spring Friday.
The Prep
A soothing hot shower brought me to full wakefulness, followed by twenty-five passes on the episaacs ‘roo strop. That done, I turned to the scuttle and brush, ready for flower power!
The Shave
What can I say? It was awesome! These big hollow-ground blades are really agreeing with me lately, so I think I might have finally found the excuse to get a Filarmonica 14. Or maybe a big Wacker, or Revisor...hmmm. Anyway, the shave was quick and easy, in part because my technique as I reach four score shaves is much improved, but also because the huge, wide blade covers more real estate. A few swipes on each cheek takes care of most of my face. In the end, two passes, touch-ups and smooth. Can’t beat that.
The Post
Cold water helped finish the job of waking me up, then I reached for the witch hazel. That out of the way, I rubbed the Coral Skin Food into my mug, paying special attention to the beard area. I followed that with some Trumper’s Milk of Flowers cologne, which isn’t the greatest, but seemed to fit the theme of the day. I was ready, it was time for work, so off I went.
The Verdict
A great way to end off the week. The more I use this razor, the more I think it’s about the perfect one for me. I am almost tempted to get another one, just in case. The stainless blade also means a bit less fussing about taking care of it, which is always a plus. With 81 shaves under my belt, I am getting closer to that century milestone that is so often bandied about. Soon, I’ll graduate from Noob to .... not sure what, but it’ll be fun, I know.
All in all, I had a happy week of shaves on the Straight Road.
This week was great, and I also got a pipe done that really turned out well, so that is doubly satisfying. New hobbies are always nice, but perfecting “old” ones is also immensely satisfying, so getting consistently good shaves for a whole week is really a plus. Now my toughest decision of the week remains which whiskey to pick up for this evening’s relaxation.
Until next time, thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Jack