Thread: Sun July 08th - Sat July 14th

Lecollier 6/8 :: Semogue SOC badger :: Plisson SS :: Borsari di Parma EdT

Tuesday: Griffon Blood Bath

Had a close shave Monday with the Torrey 146 that I would've skipped shaving Tuesday, but for an afternoon speaking engagement. Didn't want to have five o'clock shadow, so I pulled out a 5/8 square Griffon that I bought last year that shipped to me with an extremely keen edge. It shaves buttery smooth, but it (in my hands, anyway) has a tendency to bite. Hard.

And it did.

Not three strokes into the shave, I was making an east-west ATG pass from my right ear to my cheekbone and without warning, the Griffon bit deep and turned my shave crimson. Styptic was useless. Finished my shave as carefully and quickly as possible (my first trial of Tabac, too, which was rather spoiled by the unexpected incision).

Is it possible for a razor to be TOO sharp? I don't think my technique was any different than usual, but where I'd get very satisfying shaves with other razors, this Griffon gives me scars.

Glen, if you're reading, do you think I should kill the edge and rehone it?

Incidentally, no shave today. (Wednesday)

Cheers!

Warm Shower, Stephan's rubbed into whiskers, warm oil
Dirty Bird Scuttle
Badger Brush
Truefitt and Hill Almond Shave Cream
Corvette, 6/8 Full hollow
SRDP1 Strop, 100 laps
Razorock Aluminum
Thayer's Lavender AS
Vaseline for men

I must have hit the shave cream just right because the lather just kept coming. Normally it is a really nice shave cream, but this time is was amazing. The razor has a nice edge and knocked off the whiskers easily.





Cool makers mark on this razor. Does not say where it was made, Only CORVETTE 1965 on the other side and this:



Time to go shave. Enjoy

Last Night's Shave
Prep: Hard 25 minute run, two Amberbocks in the shower
Razor: 1910 Gem Lather Catcher (with a fresh blade)
Brush: VDH Boar
Soap: Arko Shavestick
AS: Skin Bracer
Result: After a really good shave Tuesday morning I was in the mood to shave after PT so I just went with a touch up of the dome. Now you guys know me, I'm straight razor through and through but I know of nothing made before or since that can run with this lather catcher and a fresh blade. Jeepers what a shave! Had a quick shave with it again this morning (this time with Arko, and Clubman.) Just a fantastic shaver.

Last nights shave! Custom BB with my favorite Uber. Eucris and TOBS St James!

Sorry not the best picture.

Razor: Concord
Blade: red pack Personna
Prep: Bald Frog Eucalyptus Balm
Brush: VDH boar
Soap: Bald Frog Arabian Hooka
A/S: Joop Homme
Result: DFS

Prep:	None really, just a splash of cold water.
Razor:	5/8 Wedgewood & Cornhill full Wedge
Hones:	King 1.2k, Norton 4/8k, Naniwa 12k, CrOx Balsa Paddle, .25 Diamond felt Paddle, 100 clean felt, 300 leather
Brush:	24mm Silvertip in American Ash
Uber:	Godrej & Glycerine in my 6" mixing bowl
AS:	Lucky Tiger Splash
Edc:	Stetson
Result:	I call this razor the Ruffian. It was my first attempt ever at regrinding a blade. My only regret is that I don't have a belt sander yet (getting one soon I hope, for my birthday). I did such a rough job grinding it that there was no way that I could hand sand out all the scarring that was left on her. I did the best I could, and polished her up the best I could. It looks horribly rough, but man did she hone up nice. It was so good that I couldn't wait until tomorrow to test her out. I finished stropping it, and filled the sink with cold water, washed my face, rubbed on some Rise Baby Face Gel, covered it with Godrej shave cream that practically filled my giant mixing bowl and proceeded to have one of the best shaves of my life. It is such a stiff blade with almost zero feedback that I wasn't even sure it was cutting anything until I felt the clean spot it left behind. I had a small ingrown hair on my neck and it shaved it off painlessly. It was the spot of blood in the lather on the blade that gave it away. Talk about a smooth shave!! I got this blade from sharptonn in a trade a few months ago, one of several wedges. I took my time working on them, and this one has been in the works for about a month. She looks like heck, but shaves like heaven. It is a real treat. I'm keeping this one... I love the Ruffian

Happy Hump Day!


Mike

Thursday

I think it’s Thursday. My life is a mess. One whole day without Straight Razor Place being accessible and all sense of space and time is gone; I am floating in the ether.

I consoled myself with honing all my razors, and with purchasing new boots. The boots are all leather, even the sole. They make a beautiful sound on the wooden floorboards as I walk. They say “look at me! I am a well heeled gentleman, get me a table by the window immediately, my good Sir!”. They cost way too much but are made in Portugal, which seems better than China; not that there’s anything wrong with China, it’s just that I’m, oh, well, over it.

Today’s holiday shave was with the newly refreshed De Pews. The honing journal says (in J Herbin Café des Illes ink applied with a dip pen) ‘about 15 laps’ and then (in quotes) ‘until it felt good’. I don’t know what I mean by that. 'Until it felt good'. Anyway, the resulting shave didn’t feel all that good at all, a bit ‘tuggy’, with an undercurrent of obnoxious laziness.


Razor: De Pews| Soap: Madame Scodioli’s Boheme| After Shave: Dominica Bay Rum | Eau de Toilet: ‘Whisky’ by Evaflor

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

...

That De Pews looks to be out of my league as far as honing, so I can't blame you for the result. I hope you get it dialed in.

Any decent pair of leather boots are murder for me to break in for the first week, or unpleasant if worn occasionally for the first month. After that, they are a delight for years. Those look a bit stiff, so I hope they don't pain you much at first and last you quite a while when broken in.

Originally Posted by DFriedl

That De Pews looks to be out of my league as far as honing, so I can't blame you for the result. I hope you get it dialed in.

Any decent pair of leather boots are murder for me to break in for the first week, or unpleasant if worn occasionally for the first month. After that, they are a delight for years. Those look a bit stiff, so I hope they don't pain you much at first and last you quite a while when broken in.

Yeah, the De Pews is 'learning me'. It also has a slightly warped blade, so for each stroke I do on one side, I do three on the other; to make up for the fact that not all the blade is in contact with the hone for the length of the stroke. I need to rock the blade during the stroke on one side. Plus is has a slight smile. It's also quite tricky to strop and even a bit weird to hold. I'm not sure why it was marketed as the 'perfect' razor. I think maybe it was quite brave advertising.

The boots are the opposite of stiff, they are beautifully soft. In the army, when I was a Recruit Instructor, we used to fill the recruits' boots up with hot water and stand them in a bath overnight, then empty them and have the recruits wear them still wet in the building. The army issue boots were rubbish, though; these are much better; and softer even than Doc Martins. These really are the most comfortable pair of boots or shoes I've ever worn.