The Shaving Cadre
Welcome to The Shaving Cadre, a forum dedicated to gentlemanly discourse about wet shaving and other topics of common interests. Membership is always free so register today and join in the fun
Kingfisher's open blade (straight razors and shavettes) journey
- Thread starter kingfisher
- Start date
Nice read Randall sorry about the irritation
Precisely. Nose-to-ear is a mix of XTG and slightly ATG for me, so reduction is better.
Amen, brother.
Thanks. It was pretty minor and was gone today.
193/231 today.
Stropped up the trusty Noonan last night, and lathered up the trusty Soapy Science Lollipop Citrus this morning. Got it a bit more watery than usual, but it was still a very good lather.
Also, I'm not sure why I did this, but I read a few old threads about the Pils razor yesterday afternoon, so when I got home I changed my Polsilver blade from the Hybrid Tech back into the iKon Pils copy I called the "Hammer of Vishnu."
So, I did two passes with the Noonan and then realized my time was getting short. So I did the third pass with the Hammer of Vishnu.
Both the Noonan and the DE were on point today and I got a comfortable CCS+.
On the non-shaving front, it's been a pretty rough week. Over the weekend I developed a painful otitis externa and couldn't afford medicine for it, so I waited until Monday to get some samples from the ENT clinic. On Monday morning I developed pain in one of my lower front teeth that was so bad I had to schedule an urgent dental visit. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with it, but it still hurts. On Tuesday morning I found out that a close friend of mine lost her father completely unexpectedly in the wee hours of Monday morning. He was feeling well, coaching and refereeing soccer games over the weekend and died in his sleep. On Wednesday my wife developed pain and fever, and it turns out she has a kidney infection.
It seems like it just keeps piling on. Tomorrow I will take my painful tooth and my ailing wife to the funeral of my friend's father. After that, I hope things start taking a turn toward the good.
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
Sorry life is piling on and hope things turn for the better for you!
Thanks.
I appreciate it.
Thanks, Chris. It was tough. The young lady is a close friend of mine, despite the huge difference in our ages. We are kindred spirits. Her father was only 61, and, as I said, passed quite unexpectedly. He refereed a bunch of soccer games on Saturday and was feeling fine. So the death came as quite a shock to the whole family. The funeral was tough. My friend gave an absolutely beautiful eulogy, though, and my wife and I were able to support her and her family considerably.
Thanks.
Thanks. I got the medicine I needed for my ear and it is much improved. The tooth thing comes and goes but overall is better. My wife got on the proper medication and is feeling not quite back to normal but better.
Thanks. I really appreciate it.
So, the last two days I just used the Hammer of Vishnu, for various reasons. On Friday I went with Soapy Science and this morning I used Stirling Peach. Two passes plus touch-up for both shaves, and they both went well. This razor is very mild. Two passes gets you pretty clean and you look good, but it's nowhere near a BBS. I don't mind. It just grows back anyway.
I'll use it again tomorrow, with Aos Lemon cream, as is my habit on Sundays. Tomorrow is another double-whammy for me; playing the organ for the main meeting and teaching Sunday School. Tomorrow we start Isaiah, so wish me luck!
194/232 this morning.
Yesterday's shave with the Hammer of Vishnu and Aos Lemon was great. No irritation, no problems.
This morning I jumped back on the straight razor wagon with an old reliable, the Noonan. I also used an old reliable soap for me, Soapy Science in the Doc's Special Blend scent. I mustered up a fantastically smooth and rich lather.
The Noonan went through my stubble with ease this morning, not even getting caught up in the densest spots. First-pass reduction still not as good as DE, but respectable. Second pass was smooth and easy.
I was short on time, so I did the entire third pass with the Hammer and called it a day. End result was a CCS+/DFS- without irritation. A good start to the new week.
My wife is feeling better, although not back to completely well. The medicine fixed my ear problem and my tooth problem is pretty much gone.
My friend is still mourning her father's loss, obviously, and because we are so simpatico, I am feeling it, too, but the sting of it has died down a little bit. I am still praying very hard for my sweet friend and her family. If any of you have a religious bent and feel so inclined, feel free to include her in your prayers. Her name is Andria. Thanks in advance.
Yesterday's shave with the Hammer of Vishnu and Aos Lemon was great. No irritation, no problems.
This morning I jumped back on the straight razor wagon with an old reliable, the Noonan. I also used an old reliable soap for me, Soapy Science in the Doc's Special Blend scent. I mustered up a fantastically smooth and rich lather.
The Noonan went through my stubble with ease this morning, not even getting caught up in the densest spots. First-pass reduction still not as good as DE, but respectable. Second pass was smooth and easy.
I was short on time, so I did the entire third pass with the Hammer and called it a day. End result was a CCS+/DFS- without irritation. A good start to the new week.
My wife is feeling better, although not back to completely well. The medicine fixed my ear problem and my tooth problem is pretty much gone.
My friend is still mourning her father's loss, obviously, and because we are so simpatico, I am feeling it, too, but the sting of it has died down a little bit. I am still praying very hard for my sweet friend and her family. If any of you have a religious bent and feel so inclined, feel free to include her in your prayers. Her name is Andria. Thanks in advance.
Nice Read and glad things are starting to look a bit better, continued prayers
Thanks, Chris. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.
Thanks to you, too, Chris. Prayers are awesome.
195/232 this morning.
This morning I decided if it ain't broke, don't fix it! So I went with the Noonan again and Soapy Science again (although I did change up the scent to the Lollipop Citrus).
I had a nice lather and a good edge on the Noonan, which made for a relaxing 3-pass shave. I did clean-up with the Hammer of Vishnu and I was good to go with a CCS. I got a tiny, tiny little slow weeper on the left side of my chin that stopped before the second pass was finished and couldn't be found after the shave.
I'm really enjoying the aftershave I bought from a local shop in Smithfield, Virginia. I have been using it nearly every day. I've mentioned it before. It's a splash, but it's not heavy on the alcohol. The first ingredient is aloe vera juice and the second is witchhazel. The one I got has a wonderful scent that is a mix of lime and mint, and it has a mild cooling effect that I enjoy.
Have a great day, gents!
nice shave sir
Thanks!
196/233 this morning.
Back on the Noonan, switched to Soapy Science in Doc's Special Blend. Man, do I love this soap!
Did two passes with the straight and then decided just to do the entire third pass with the Hammer of Vishnu. Got a wonderful, smooth shave. With this DE, there is always palpable stubble left over, but it is very, very short and not noticeable. I'd say in the range of CCS. On the plus side, there is little to no chance of skin irritation if you use it properly.
I feel like I might be settling in to something like what Chris from California does; i.e., mixing the open blades with the DEs on a routine basis. I know he likes to start with the Feather SS and then move to a DE like the Game Changer. I prefer an old-fashioned straight razor to the Feather SS, but I, too, enjoy finishing with a DE.
I'm just now realizing that, since it's MY shave, there is no crime in mixing and matching tools, and that if I decide to do two passes with a straight followed by one pass with a DE and make that my usual shave, it's not a problem, as long as it works for ME.
I hope you all are having a wonderful day. I am inching ever closer to 200 straight razor shaves.
GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
Good job! Get after it Randall!
https://d28lcup14p4e72.cloudfront.net/225400/4125476/62FAEAA2-6FE5-4FD8-8DB7-29C9D78589FE.gif" rel="lightbox">
https://d28lcup14p4e72.cloudfront.net/225400/4125476/62FAEAA2-6FE5-4FD8-8DB7-29C9D78589FE.gif" class="bbc_img" alt="62FAEAA2-6FE5-4FD8-8DB7-29C9D78589FE.gif">
https://d28lcup14p4e72.cloudfront.net/225400/4125476/62FAEAA2-6FE5-4FD8-8DB7-29C9D78589FE.gif" rel="lightbox">
https://d28lcup14p4e72.cloudfront.net/225400/4125476/62FAEAA2-6FE5-4FD8-8DB7-29C9D78589FE.gif" class="bbc_img" alt="62FAEAA2-6FE5-4FD8-8DB7-29C9D78589FE.gif">
Good Read Randall, and you hit the nail on the head IT IS YOUR SHAVE
Good job! Get after it Randall!
https://d28lcup14p4e72.cloudfront.net/225400/4125476/62FAEAA2-6FE5-4FD8-8DB7-29C9D78589FE.gif" rel="lightbox[1305849905]">https://d28lcup14p4e72.cloudfront.net/225400/4125476/62FAEAA2-6FE5-4FD8-8DB7-29C9D78589FE.gif" class="bbc_img" alt="62FAEAA2-6FE5-4FD8-8DB7-29C9D78589FE.gif">
197/234 this morning.
I decided to change it up a bit, so last night I stropped up the Mighty Mite (aka Sta-Sharp) in preparation for this morning's shave. I also chose Stirling Peach for the software.
I had a lovely, fragrant lather that provided for a smooth shave. I did two passes with the Sta-Sharp and then unexpectedly did a third pass on the left cheek only, XTG from ear-to-nose (which is a pass I rarely do). Instead of doing a nose-to-ear third pass on the right cheek, I went with the Hammer of Vishnu. Third pass on the neck was with the DE, as well.
End result was CCS+, comfortable and smooth. I had a tiny little weeper on the chin where I pushed it with the DE, but it stopped on its own.
I love the Sta-Sharp razor with it's skinny 4/8 blade. It has a good edge and it shaves smoothly. I have to rinse a bit more frequently, but it's not a big deal.
Oh, and after today's shave I decided to retire the Polsilver from the Hammer. Good thing I did, too, because I noticed some rusting on the blade, and some of the proverbial "tea staining" on the inside of the razor. I used a very gentle toothpaste applied with a Q-tip to polish the tea stains away. They came right off.
This is apparently the main problem with DE razor heads that are like the Pils and enclose the blade entirely. If you don't open them up and dry stuff, they are prone to tea staining. I left the blade in there the entire time I've been using it, because it is a pain to load the blade and get everything straight. Once I get it where I want it, I just want to leave it there! I'll have to remember next time that I can't do that, at least not for a week or more like I just did.
Hope you are having a great day!