Thread: SOTD - September 10 - September 16

Hot Shower

5/8 Case spike
Vulfix 374 silvertip
Tony Miller strop
William's Mug Soap
Pinaud Lilac Vegetal


Terry

Rooney small style 1 brush
Harris Arlington soap
Bismark strop
7/8 Heljestrand square point
Taylor's Bay Rum A/S

Really good shave.

I've been honing the Heljestrand with a translucent Arkansas stone for the last few days, playing around getting a feel for this obscure native razor hone. The first day I lapped the stone on 600 grit Wet/Dry, then on the shapton, and honed using water as a lube. The shave was uncomfortable, the razor clearly wasn't sharp enough, but it still delivered an ok shave. The second day I honed using oil as a lube. The shave was less comfortable than a waterstone-honed edge at the beginning but deteriorated very little by the end (I normally have to strop 10-20 times before making the against-the-grain passes on my lower neck, but not this time).

Yesterday I lapped the translucent arkansas stone with the "B" side of my King barber hone. The arkansas stones are very very hard, and I suspected that on the first day the arkansas stone had lapped the shapton more than the other way around. The two hones were lapped dry. This took awhile since both of the hones are slow cutters. At first the hones were doing the sticking-and-releasing routine as their high spots bumped against each other, but after an hour or so they just started floating and stopped making honing sounds. The first pencilled markers had long since lapped off, but new pencil marks weren't coming off with additional lapping. These two hones are now a little wierd; when you put them together they slide around like an air hockey puck, but it takes several pounds of force to pull them apart. Keep in mind this is with both hones bone dry.

So last night I honed the razor again on the newly lapped arkansas stone, using oil, for about 20 laps.

The razor is very sharp now, comparable to the shaves I got off of the 1 micron paddle, with no pulling worth mentioning unless I go against the grain where the pulling is still moderate and comparable to other razors. The resulting shave was very smooth except in the usual spots, but even those areas were much smoother with less work than other razors have gotten them.

good hot shower

Tony Miller seconds strop
burma shave boar brush
5/8 filarmonica
proraso soap
Nivea a/s "replenishing" balm

The filly was originally probably a bigger blade, as I bought it used to restore and it had it's share of hone wear. But my good god, what an incredible blade. The filly handled like a porsche on my face. Excellent feedback and perfectly weighted for control. Easily one of the best shaves I've had yet.

Mon:

Rooney small style 1 brush
Harris Arlington soap
Bismark strop
5/8 Heljestrand #31
Harris face milk
Penhaligon Blenheim Bouquet

Different Heljestrand this morning as a QC check, this one was finished on the King fine barber's hone. Noticeably sharper and smoother than the other one (7/8 Helj. #32) that was finished on translucent arkansas, though the final results were mostly comparable the shaving process is more pleasant with the finer finish.

Monday

Shower
Proraso pre/post
Joe Chandler RL Strop
Hot Towel
Vulfix Best Badger
Floris JF Soap
Westenholm 7/8- from BE
Proraso a/s balm
Floris Sandalwood EDT


This is the best shave I've achieved so far. Almost BBS and more importantly, no irritation what so ever. Good omen for the week.

Jordan

Monday

Shower
Vetiver Shave Soap
old Unknown Silvertip Badger Brush
old Dubl Duck Strop #50
Dubl Duck Goldenedge 6/8 round point (1st pass)
F. W. Engles Special 5/8 (second Pass)
Pinaud a/s

Hot Shower

Proraso pre-shave cream

Trumpers Badger brush

Proraso shaving cream mixed to perfect consitency.

W&B 6/8 squarepoint with kauri scales. Urleebird special.

Old Spice

I use a small porcelain bowl in a silver mug for shaving cream. I've taken to filling the sink with hot water prior to the shower. The sink being porcelain takes the heat away.
After the shower I refil the sink with hot water again, half fill the silver mug and insert the porcelain bowl. This way I get nice hot lather even on the second pass.
Pure luxury and indulgence.

Gary

-2 days' growth (I make a special point of it on Taylor-days)
-hot shower with hair conditioner on the face
-CH Desert Ironwood soap (passes 1 & 2)
-C&E BB brush (passes 1 & 2)
-water (pass 3)
-Taylor's Eye Witness 6/8 round-point singer
-Moisturizing peach-mango alcohol based hand sanitizer (best of both worlds)



Even though it was FFTH, Taylor just mowed through the hair with 0 pressure. It was so gentle, I decided to go for the 3rd pass as well.



Now my face is way past BBS. It's in the "Silk on Beyonce" range.



Btw. sorry about the msg format but the shave was just TOO GOOD!

Ok Ilija,


Sounds like a good shave there my man... But let's take a quote from Dave Chapelle... is your face 'as smooth as eggs'?

lol

Only if those eggs got lacquered and polished until they're smooth as silk on Beyonce Any way I stretch it and run my hands over it, my face feels like it never grew a single hair. The funny thing is that I got this baby from Tony H for under $15 shipped lol.