This is the best news I have heard in a while!
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Kingfisher's open blade (straight razors and shavettes) journey
- Thread starter kingfisher
- Start date
This is the best news I have heard in a while!
Me, too. Thanks.
CCIV this morning. This is a late post. I'll make it quick and easy.
Switched to the ZY, and switched to a Shovelhead for clean-up, with a fresh GEM PTFE blade.
For software, I went back to the mystery soap that I am beta-testing. I wasn't that happy with it last time, but I know I loaded it too dry, so this morning I started with a wetter brush and worked more water into it. It was weird. What loaded up onto the brush looked anemic and bubbly, but as I worked it in the bowl it got thicker and thicker. I added quite a bit of water and kept at it until it made a beautiful lather with a great sheen. It was STILL slightly too thick and slightly too dry. The second pass lather was nothing short of amazing.
This soap may turn out to be a real winner, once I get the water ratio dialed in.
My son is continuing to improve.
Tomorrow is a non-open comb shave and I will use the AoS Lemon. Playing the organ, and teaching Isaiah 40-49 in Sunday School. Have a great weekend, gents.
thanks.
CCV today.
ZY, mystery beta-testing soap. Three passes on the cheeks, two on the neck, with touch-up led to a CCS. I actually did jawline touch-up with my Atra this morning. Wouldn't you know it, I got one tiny weeper during the shave and it came from the Atra, not the straight razor or the bullet-tip GEM!
More about the soap now. This morning I started the lathering with a reasonably wet brush. This made it load a lot faster. The end result was a lather that was not as ridiculously thick as it was on previous shaves, and it didn't dry out on my skin, either. The trade-off was that the lather was not as unctuous as it had been, but it was still slick and protective, so I think I was very close to the ultimate water ratio (just a tiny bit too wet this morning). Overall, though, this is a darned good soap base.
I like to guess at soap base ingredients by the soap's performance. If I had to guess, I'd say a couple of things: 1) this is definitely a tallow soap; 2) there is little to no coconut oil in it; 3) I think it probably has a fairly high percentage of castor oil; 4) there is a fair amount of glycerin, but not a ridiculous amount, 5) there is at least one of the "butters" in there (kokum butter, shea butter, cocoa butter, etc); 6) there is a reasonably high superfat content.
When the soap is underhydrated, it is almost water repellant. I could probably float a dollop of the lather in a bowl of water and come back an hour later and it would still be there. It also sticks to the blade like crazy and is very hard to rinse off. Those problems mostly disappear when you get more water into the lather.
It also leaves a film on the face that is very hard to rinse off. Some people will like this, because it feels almost moisturizing; others, however, might have a real problem with this aspect of the soap.
On the home front, my son continues to improve. He has his first follow-up appointment with the surgeon this afternoon; he's going to be getting the plastic stents removed from inside his nose. He can't wait.
My friend had a really bad day yesterday. She called me at midday and was broken down and crying. It was really sad. I supported her the best I could. I'm so happy that she feels that she can come to me in that state for support. I'm hoping today is a better day for her.
For those of you so inclined, I really appreciate your prayers, and if you wouldn't mind, could you continue praying for Andria and also for my son, Grayson? Thank you.
Thanks for sharing, wishing everyone well.
That might drive me crazy. I always rinse the lather off, and keep rinsing until all the slimy feel is gone.
That might drive me crazy. I always rinse the lather off, and keep rinsing until all the slimy feel is gone.
Thanks.
You'd be rinsing for a very long time.
First off, thanks for the continued prayers. They are much appreciated.
The soap is scented, but the scent is quite faint and I can't really describe what it smells like. It's pleasant, though. If the scent strength were doubled, it might be quite nice.
Thanks for thinking of us. I appreciate it. Stent removal went well yesterday and the doctor was pleased with his progress. When I saw my son last night after work, his mood was MUCH better than it has been. He said to me, "My nose is straight!" and actually seemed pleased. He still has a lot of swelling and bruising, but that is improving, too.
Andria had a much better day yesterday. Today I will actually be seeing her briefly before she starts her shift. I am hoping to buoy her spirits a bit right before she starts a long shift (she starts at 1 p.m. and doesn't get off until 3 a.m. tomorrow morning).
CCVI this morning.
Back to an old favorite, Soapy Science in Doc's Special Blend. Went with a razor I haven't used in a while, the Rosette Japanese shorty.
Wow, what a great lather I got this morning. I think I've decided that, for now at least, Soapy Science is my favorite shaving soap. The contrast with the beta-testing soap was pretty stark; lathered up faster and easier, more tolerant of different amounts of water, nice post-shave feel without feeling like it's leaving a layer of something on the face. Just a wonderful shave lather. And I know the scent of DSB isn't for everyone, but I like it a lot. Some of the European testers said that it smelled like some medicinal product they called "Germolene." I don't know what germolene is; I'm guessing it's some kind of salve. So, yeah, it's somewhat medicinal, I guess. It has wintergreen and mint and a nice background of vetiver. I love it, but I do understand that it's a polarizing fragrance.
I did two passes with the Rosette and then did a third with my MMOC (switched from the bullet tip to the MMOC this morning). Final result was CCS+/DFS-. I got one area of irritation on the right neck; I felt the blade catch a little when it happened. I had a slightly wrong angle just briefly there, but no biggie.
I hope you all have a great day!
Thanks!
CCVII this morning.
Back to the Japanese shorty again today; trying to get a better feel for this razor. At first it was my least favorite. It looks amazing, so I wanted to love it, and I always thought that a shorty would be such an advantage. So the first shave with it was a major disappointment.
I think I'm getting to understand it better, though, and it's actually a pretty good shaver. It requires a steeper angle than my other blades do, and the shorty aspect of it actually takes some getting used to. This morning's shave went pretty well.
Software was Soapy Science Lollipop Citrus (sorry Ga Tech Chris!). Two passes with the straight and then I did a final pass with the MMOC. The whole shave went great except that I irritated that same place on the right neck that I got yesterday. I don't know why I wasn't careful around that spot. Probably just because I'm stupid. Wasn't a big deal and it isn't bothering me at all, so it is just a small area of minor irritation. I just should've known better today. Oh, well. Overall, CCS+.
Oh, and I'll go ahead and make a bold statement: the MMOC is, in my opinion, the best GEM-style SE razor ever made. I can't imagine how any of the newer versions are ever going to be better, and I certainly prefer it to all other vintage GEM-style razors. The only problem with my MMOC is that it is so shiny the reflection of the lights over the sink practically blind me on the XTG pass!
I hope you all have a good day.
Thanks! I love your new avatar. MST3K was one of my favorite shows.
This morning I had no time, so I opted for a quick two-pass with the MMOC, GEM blade on it's 5th(?) shave, I think.
For software I reached for Mystic Waters in the Rosalimone scent. Wow. When you get the lather right, there is really nothing quite like MW. There are a lot of really good soaps, but there is something about a MW lather that is still unique, in my opinion. Today was one of those days. Oh, and I absolutely LOVE the Rosalimone scent. It's perfect for me.
Post-shave is hard to describe. It's amazing. It doesn't leave a residue like some soaps do, and yet it leaves your face feeling soft and smooth. Wonderful.
So, like I said, two passes, no touch-up, a tiny dab of Stirling aftershave balm in the lime scent, and I was good to go. CCS+/DFS-. Great start to the day.
My son's recovery is going quite well now. His mood is obviously a ton better, too. Last night he even came outside for awhile and gave out candy to the kids trick-or-treating! He still has some bruising, especially around the eyes, and a bit of swelling, but it's vastly improved.
I also had the opportunity to spend about an hour with my friend Andria over lunch. We had a really good talk. She seems to be coping better. She is also seeing a grief counselor, which I think is also a good idea.
Anyway, we are hanging in there. Thanks to everybody for their thoughts and prayers. Have a great day.
Glad your son is getting out and around more, that will help a lot. And glad your friend is seeing a counselor. If it's rough for her than some professional help will definitely be good for her.
Rosalimon is great! I recall being one of the testers when she was developing that one. It's nicely balanced. And even though I'm not a big fan of rose, I love that one!
Rosalimon is great! I recall being one of the testers when she was developing that one. It's nicely balanced. And even though I'm not a big fan of rose, I love that one!
Thanks. I feel like both my son and my friend are making good strides. Yeah, and rosalimone just makes me happy.
CCVIII this morning.
Decided to go back to the Noonan, and for soap I decided to give another try to the mystery beta-tester soap (the sample was YUUUGE). To put it in its most favorable light, I started with a wetter brush (because I remembered that the soap loves water). It loaded much more quickly this way, too.
I added water about 3 times thereafter and ended up with a really nice lather today. I think I finally got the water ratio exactly right. It was still a bit harder to rinse off the blade than most soaps, but not excessively so. Glide and cushion were on point.
I did two passes with the Noonan and a third with the MMOC, and had an excellent, comfortable shave. No irritation, weepers, or any trouble whatsoever.
Remarkable for me was the quality of the second-pass lather with this soap. Better than most soap's first pass. Probably slightly better than the first pass with this same soap, which is weird. Like the lather got better with time. Fantastic second-pass lather, equivalent to Icarus on the first pass.
The residual that I felt on my face on prior uses was not obvious today. Seems that if I get the water ratio exactly right, it becomes mostly a non-issue. This soap may become a popular choice once it is released. Not sure if the soaper is going to tweak it at all before releasing it, though.
Anyway, a good shave.
I was able to get out of work early enough yesterday to play a bit of golf. The weather was perfect. I didn't have time for 18, but we did manage to get 13 holes in. I really needed the relief/distraction; it felt really good. It helped that I was hitting my driver really well, too. I parred 5 of the final 6 holes, and the other hole was a bogey, so I ended strong. I hadn't played in a month, so it took me a few holes to get warmed up.
Have a great day, gents.
I don't smoke, so no cigar for me, but I do agree that there is not much better than hitting a solid drive.
LOL.
My first pass lather usually has great face feel, but is always a little thick. 2nd and 3rd are usually perfect though.
CCIX today.
Stirling Peach, the "mighty mite" (Sta-Sharp), clean-up with the Hammer of Vishnu. I made a fantastic lather this morning with the Stirling. Hadn't used this soap in a while; I really enjoyed it.
Overall, a great shave.
Today is a perfect autumn day. About 62 degrees, blue skies and sunshine, a light breeze. Really nice. Took a short trip to a little flea market and antique store with my wife; didn't find anything, but it was a pleasant excursion.
Hope y'all have a great day.
GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
Love rooting around through shops like that. There’s usually a million great things I find but nothing I want to actually buy. I could walk for hours if the store(s) are big enough.
Its like the lotto...maybe if I just walk around a little longer I’ll find that thing I didn’t know I needed...
Its like the lotto...maybe if I just walk around a little longer I’ll find that thing I didn’t know I needed...
I am thinking that Stirling Peach is something I might need. I absolutely love the smell of peaches. It's fall now...so maybe I need an apple scented soap also!