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Natterings of a Nasal Barbarian

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SOTD 04/09/2020

Another glorious shave with the new Colonial General V2 blade holder equipped with a Feather Super (4) on its last use. Rather than bore you with continuing paeans to the latter glories, I’ll instead focus today on some of the changes in software I made for this shave. Many of us look to our milled soaps - Martin de Candre, Mitchell’s Wool Fat, Creed’s Green Irish Tweed etc - as the platform for our shaves, but doing so neglects the shave creams. In Italy shave cream is the preferred latherer, according to Sharpologist. Some of my current favorites are Palmolive, Kapo, Gillette Pure, Proraso and Cella. I’ve always enjoyed a good variety of different shave creams, but one of my favorites is Bigelow. It always generates a great thick protective lather. The beautiful Boar brush Jayaruh crafted with its great backbone did an excellent job whipping it up beautifully in the scuttle. This lather seems every bit as good as that generated using my regular MWF. One and a half passes with this razor again put the baby to bed. I really enjoyed the shave; I feel clean, cool, and refreshed. What I most enjoy about using this razor, though, is that wonderful, soft, velveteen feel to the shave surfaces, and that wonderful smell from the Chatillon Lux Post-Shave Toner.

RAZOR: 316L SS Colonial General V2
BLADE: Feather Super AC
PREP: Cold water rinse
SOAP: C.O. Bigelow salted with 6 drops of M-Bomb
BRUSH: Jayaruh Custom Boar #343
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Thayers Lavender WH and finished with Chatillon Lux Pure Lavender Post-Shave Toner
 
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SOTD 04/10/2020

Finally decided to take the eponymous “Hulk”, my aluminum RazoRock Hawk V2 for a spin with the Feather Super. I thought to make it an icy lavender shave featuring RR Oil of Lavender Cream soap salted with 6 drops of M-Bomb, my usual Thayer’s Lavender WH, and a finish with Chatillon Lux Pure Lavender Post-Shave Toner. Lavender always conjures up feelings of serenity. The ancient Romans believed it had a soothing effect on the lions and tigers being prepared for their Coliseum Christian lunch buffet. Being a bit of an olfactory idiot, this is one of the few scents that I’m able to recognize, and I do find it relaxing.

My Hawk was purchased about 8 months ago, and there’s been a continuing issue with its weight. I like the feel of a hefty blade holder in hand. In fact all of my favorite shavers are a bit weighty. I have a neurological condition that leaves me a bit shaky. Trying to manage my tremors while exerting “negative pressure” and maintaining blade angle benefits from a heavier razor. The weight of a heavy razor drives the shave. The problem with aluminum razors is that the weight of the razor, at least with a Proline blade loaded led to “positive pressure” to counteract the lighter weight and nicks. Thus although I liked the feel of the razor, it never matched up to the quality shaves delivered by my Blackland Vector, and now my new Colonial General. Knowing this, I just ordered the new 316L SS Hawk To replace this aluminum razor, which I anticipate performing like the latter two razors mentioned. The only unknown variable in the equation is the role the Feather Super will play here.

My shave prep began following my shower with a cold water rinse of face and dome. My Viking Silvertip Badger whipped up a great lather for my first pass. I always begin my shave with my face, and I’m glad I did. The Hawk, as expected, cut close, but nowhere near the closeness achieved with the General or the Vector. In addition, I discovered many superficial weepers on both cheeks as well as my neck requiring the use of my styptic after that first WTG pass. I must have unconsciously exerted some slight positive pressure due to the lightness of the razor. That was it! I completed the first pass on the noggin using the General, and that was that. Despite the treated weepers, my second ATG pass was more buffing than full pass. The dome and face remained bloodless after the second buffing pass. The result was a BBS on the noggin and a DFS++ on the face, a more than acceptable result. I feel cool, clean and refreshed. Enjoy your day out there, and stay safe and healthy.

RAZOR: RazoRock Hulk Hawk V2 (face). Colonial General V2 (dome)
BLADE: Feather Super
PREP: Cold Water rinse
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
SOAP/CREAM: RazoRock Essential Oil of Lavender
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Thayers Lavender WH finished with Chatillon Lux Pure Lavender Post-Shave Toner
 
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SOTD Saturday, 04/11/2020

I’ve really enjoyed shaving with my new blade holder, the Colonial General equipped with a Feather Super AC blade.. This isn’t going to sound like a negative, but the only drawback to the razor is that it shaves too closely. So close, in fact, that I could easily get away with shaving every other day. If I weren’t retired, and still caught up in the daily grind, this might sound like a positive. But given that I really enjoy this shaving hobby of ours, I decided to use the perfect razor for today’s shave, the Feather AS-D2 loaded with its namesake blade.

I’d forgotten how remarkably efficient this razor is. So many dismiss its shave as ‘mild’. This quick dismissal of its capability generally reflects the ignorance of the razor’s very narrow sweet spot. It does take some time to master this blade holder which was optimized to work with its namesake blade, the sharpest DE blade currently available. Using a different blade coupled with an ignorance of correct technique will only lead to frustration with its performance. My beard is dense with thick whiskers, and the AS-D2 always delivers one of the best shaves of my DE razors.

The decision to use an old favorite, Lucky Tiger Cream soap, was a good one. This liquid soap works well with or without a brush. My Rosewood handled Jayaruh Silvertip Badger #378 salted with my regular 6 drops of M-Bomb whipped up a nice thick lather after completing my preparatory cold water rinse. That pleasant icy feeling on face and dome was delightful. The AS-D2 easily removed the slight rough growth remaining after yesterday’s shave pogrom with the Colonial General in one ATG pass on both face and noggin leaving me feeling cool, clean, smooth and refreshed with my restored BBS.

RAZOR: Seki SS Feather AS-D2
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: Jayaruh Custom Rosewood Silvertip Badger #378
CREAM: Lucky Tiger Liquid Cream Shave Soap
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Thayers Lavender WH and finished with A&E Post-Shave Balm
 
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SOTD Easter Sunday 04/12/2020

Happy Easter to all! Although I wasn’t planning this shave today, I’m participating in a razor pass around featuring two adjustable razors designed and built by one of the members (@twhite) at The Shave Den, my regular wet shaving hangout. The TAR (Tom’s Adjustable Razor) package consists of two razors, a hefty brass razor and a black aluminum one with a black guncote finish. The brass razor weighs 5.5 oz or 155.9 grams. It’s not a lightweight. The aluminum version weighs in at 55 grams. The OC razor head design reminds me of French Cage Head razors while the overall design is similar to the Gibbs adjustable complete with the 6 point adjustment scale, although the handle is thicker in proportion to the head. Unlike the Gibbs the TAR accommodates modern SS blades that require no modification. I’ll be shaving with the brass razor for the next 4 or 5 days and then will switch to the aluminum for approximately the same number of days. All of my shaves will consist of both head and face shaves, and will use a Suneko DE blade.

For this first shave, I used Lucky Tiger Cream Soap salted with 6 drops of M-Bomb and my Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute brush with a 24mm Badger/Boar hybrid knot. Before lathering up for the first pass, I prepared for the shave with my usual cold water rinse. Prior reviewers commented on the weight of the brass razor, but it seemed to work quite well for shaky old me. In fact, the weight counterbalanced my tremors and allowed me to focus on shave technique. In hand the razor reminds me of my Famex and Le Coq Cage head razors. I took my time with the first WTG pass using short careful strokes with razor set on 4. That initially felt a bit much in the first few strokes, so I dialed it down to 3 which felt right to me. Although the handle felt a bit thicker than I was used to, I quickly grew used to it. Finally, the overall feel of the razor was well-balanced in hand, allowing for the easy provision of ‘negative pressure’.

After lathering up for my second XTG pass, I adjusted the razor down a full step initially to 2, and then back to 2.5 for the second face pass due to a perceived loss of efficiency. When I do a three pass shave, I only do the face on the second pass, restricting the dome shaves to the first and third passes. The razor’s weight, coupled with my new ability to focus only on shave technique, and not tremors, thanks to said weight, left me with only some selective buffing on both face and dome for the third ATG pass. Tom, you may not realize it, but you’ve designed the ideal razor for shaky oldsters. This was a great introductory shave. I never expected to achieve a face and head BBS with this first shave, but that's what happened. I feel clean, smooth, cool, refreshed, and ready for Easter dinner, albeit virtually with my family. Happy Easter to all of you sheltering in place! May God bless you all with safety and health!

RAZOR: TAR (Tom’s Adjustable Razor) in Brass
BLADE: Suneko DE (1)
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute w/ 24mm Hybrid Badger/Boar Knot
SOAP: Lucky Tiger Cream Shave w/ 6 Drops M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Thayers Lavender WH and finished with A&E Post-Shave Serum
 
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SOTD Monday, 04/13/2020

Day 2 of my time with the Brass TAR (Tom’s Adjustable Razor), and all I can say is wow! I’d always liked my Gibbs Adjustables despite the razor blade modification required. My only negative was how light they were requiring me to focus on both tremor control as well as technique. The issue was somewhat mitigated with my repaired Rex Ambassador. The additional weight helped somewhat, but the narrow sweet spot sometimes makes it difficult when doing the back of my dome.

The beauty of this razor is that it checks several boxes for me. First is that I rally like open comb razors, thus my affection for my French Le Coq Cage head and Famex razors. I love the open combs on both razors, but particularly like the slight adjustability of the Famex. The issue is that both razors are still relatively light. Second is the broader range of adjustability with the TAR, much wider than the Famex. After yesterday’s shave, I felt more confidant cranking the TAR up to 4 for today’s first pass on the face. I did readjust it to 3 for that first noggin pass.
But the final box is the beautiful 156 gram (rounded) weight, allowing me to fully concentrate on shave technique.

The shave itself was a pleasure. I used Evans’s (@MrEE) Badger/Boar hybrid brush. The knurling on the handle completely negates any handle slipperiness. It built a beautiful lather with one of my favorite mentholated cream soaps, Kapo, which is manufactured in Bulgaria. Since it already contains some slight mentholation, I only needed to add three drops of M-Bomb to get it to the appropriate level of iciness. With the TAR set on 4 it mowed down my whiskers on the first ATG pass to the skin line except for a few of the usual places - around my Adam’s Apple. After readjusting it to 3 it took care of my dome stubble with the same level of aplomb - again leaving some rough spots in the usual places on the back of the head.

My final ATG buffing pass at 3 cleared the stubble around the Adam’s Apple with the exception of a very minor weeper below it which stopped following the post shave wash with Glyce glycerin soap. I set the TAR to 2.5 for my final ATG dome buffing clean-up. The real joy for me in this shave was my ability to completely focus on shave technique. The weight of the razor eliminated any need to think about tremor control. The noggin second pass was completed bloodlessly. Thank you TAR for another beautiful BBS. I feel clean, smooth, cool and refreshed. Stay safe and healthy out there! All the best to everyone!

RAZOR: Brass Version TAR (Tom’s Adjustable Razor)
BLADE: Suneko (2)
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: MrEE’s Aluminum Handled Brush w/ Badger/Boar Hybrid Knot
CREAM: Kapo Fresh salted w/ 3 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Thayers Lavender WH and finished with Murray and Lanman Florida Water AS/Cologne Splash
 
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SOTD Tuesday, 04/14/2020

My third shave with the Brass TAR included some changes. I dialed it up to 5 for the first WTG pass face shave and swapped out the Suneko for a new blade. I never shave more than twice with any DE blade. I still did the dome at 3, which seems to be the maximum exposure I can handle for the noggin. I just received a 26mm Super High Density Two Band Badger Fan knot from Maggards and mounted it on one of my two empty ferrules for the Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute brush. For my soap I selected Declaration Grooming’s Sellout which is one of their milk steak base soaps that I really enjoy. Even this olfactory idiot can recognize the strong citrus notes in the soap, so I decided to pair it with Old Spice Fresh Lime AS Splash.

After soaking the new knot during the shower, I began my shave with my usual cold water rinse. The new knot generated a beautiful thick, yogurty lather from the soap, presalted with the usual 6 drops of M-Bomb. I find that I have much more control of my face shave than I do with the head shave. 5 on the TAR worked well for the face shave, but to avoid set-down errors on the back of the dome, I dialed down to a much more manageable 3 for the noggin scrape. In any case the TAR mowed my whiskers right down to the skin line on bothe face and dome, except for the usual problem areas in that first WTG pass. One thing I will note is the wonderful post pass skin feel provided by this milk steak soap base. After lathering up again, the second and final ATG pass consisted of little more than clean-up of the problem areas with the TAR, which remained at 3 for both passes.

5 is definitely close to the limit for my face shave. The alum picked up some heat around the Adam’s Apple, but remained cool for the head shave assessment. All in all, another great shave with the brass TAR. I finished the shave with a cold water wash of both face and noggin with the milk steak brush squeezings. Great stuff! The Thayers WH felt great and followed the cold water wash. Old Spice Fresh Lime completed a spectacular TAR DFS++ shave. Sensitivity around the front of my throat prevented achieving a full BBS, but there are no complaints from yours truly. Still another great shave from the TAR. I feel clean, smooth, cool, refreshed, and more than ready for my first sustained outing in the TR6 this morning. Take care and stay safe and healthy out there!

RAZOR: Brass TAR (5,3)
BLADE: Suneko
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute Brush w/ 26mm Super Dense 2 Band Badger Knot
SOAP: Declaration Grooming Sellout (Milk Steak Base)
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Thayers WH and finished with Old Spice Fresh Lime AS Splash
 
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SOTD Wednesday, 04/15/2020

Well today marked my first shave with the aluminum TAR. It was a less-than-illuminating experience. I have never been a fan of light razors, because they make it difficult to maintain ‘negative pressure’ for me. However, after three shaves with the brass version, which worked beautifully for me from the first shave, this shave was somewhat acceptable and bloodless. I shaved my face with the razor wide open at 6 and my dome at 4. My major complaint was that I had to concentrate on managing my tremors while also focusing on shave technique, and consequently did not end up with the level of closeness that I seek in a shave. Now don’t get me wrong, many would be happy with a good CCS. It just doesn’t ring my chimes.

The shave began with a cold water rinse. I selected Palmolive shave cream for today’s shave. The Alpha Shaving Brush with its super dense 26mm Two Band Badger again generated a thick, yogurty lather. I really like the feel of this brush on both face and dome. The first WTG pass with the Aluminum TAR didn’t clear away the whiskers like the brass version, even wide open. I also noticed that the razor didn’t feel as slippery as the brass version. Whether this is an artifact of the guncote coating, or simply reflects my attempt to balance shave technique and avoid positive pressure with this light version is open for discussion. In any case, two and a half passes later at 4 (XTG, ATG, ATG) and I was still left with numerous rough areas, some in places I normally have no problem with.

In conclusion, I’m hoping that my shaves will improve with this aluminum version. Out of frustration, an hour later, I lathered up a fifth time and tried my new SS Hawk V3, which arrived yesterday from Italian Barber. I loaded up a Feather Super blade, and you guessed it, buffed away all the roughness till I had my BBS. The new SS Hawk V3 has a slimmer head than my aluminum Hawk V2, and works much better for me. A quick application of Cremo Post Shave Cooling Balm sealed the deal! We’ll see how the aluminum TAR performs tomorrow, but now, in addition to feeling clean and refreshed, I now feel smooooth!

RAZOR: Aluminum TAR (6,4)
BLADE: Suneko(1)
PREP: Cold water rinse
BRUSH: Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute with 26mm Super Dense Two Band Badger Knot
CREAM: Palmolive Shave Cream
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with Glyce Glycerin soap followed by Thayers Lavender WH and finished with Fine Accoutrements Fresh Vetiver AS Splash
 
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