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Natterings of a Nasal Barbarian

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SOTD WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 26, 2020

Beautiful sunny day in Willistown this morning. This morning I shaved with my Dovo Special and my Colonial General, the head of which I placed on the Silversmith handle. The shave was lovely. My Omega Pro48 did its usual remarkable lather-building job. Two pass (WTG, ATG) face shave with neck cleanup by the Colonial General. I’ve noticed that by palm stropping my Feather Supers, I can sometimes get up to 6 dome shaves per blade. In any case the dome shave today was very enjoyable. Continual use of MWF has definitely had a very positive effect on my skin condition. I may notice blood on my razor, but when I check cannot locate the weeper! I feel refreshed, cool, clean and my scalp positively velveteen!

RAZOR: Dovo Special (Mug), Colonial General V2 head on Silversmith handle. (Dome)
BLADE: Feather Super
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: Omega Pro48 Boar
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Old Spice Fresh Lime and Pre de Provence Balm.
 
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SOTD THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST27, 2020

Another excellent shave with what have become two of my favorite razors, my Double Duck Goldedge (DDG) and my Rex Ambassador (RA). The DDG just holds a lovely smooth edge which I’ve been touching up after each shave with my jasper stone. With respect to the RA it’s hard to believe that I initially was quite unhappy with it. As it turned out the baseplate was out of alignment and the top cap had been over polished. Razor Emporium stood by their product, made the necessary repairs completely on their dime, and returned a razor that’s now a joy to use.

The @MrEE brush generated its usual slick, cooling and protective MWF lather on all shave surfaces. The DDG delivered its usual VBBS above the jawline and DFS++ below. The RA opened up all the way cleaned up the roughage around the AA and delivered another perfect dome shave. Again I was presented with blood in the lather as I was doing the top of my dome, but close inspection mysteriously revealed no evident weepers! Go figure! Alum revealed a bit of heat on top of the dome, but nowhere else. So there must have been a weeper, but the excellent lanolin conditioning of my skin from consistent use of MWF apparently took care of things! I feel refreshed, cool, clean and yes, quite velveteen!

RAZOR: Double Duck Goldedge (Mug), Rex Ambassador (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: MrEE Knurled Aluminum Hybrid Knot
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Krampert’s Frostbite AS Splash.
 
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SOTD FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 28, 2020

I’d like to thank Trigger and my son, Ben for a truly epic (trademark @Keithmax) shave this morning. My straight razor mug shaves to date with two exceptions, had been frustratingly incomplete requiring me to finish up my neck with a safety razor. After reviewing a video Trigger provided yesterday and receiving some direct coaching last night from my son while finishing a plastering job, I achieved my first perfect facial VBBS.

I carefully burnished the edge of the Dubl Duck Goldedge (DDG) last night with a series of pull strokes at Ben’s suggestion on the jasper stone until I achieved a mirror-like sheen and finished with 10 strokes on the paddle strop. The Rearden Razor synth brush whipped up a glorious wet, slick, cooling MWF lather. The shave with the DDG was nothing sort of glorious. But the best part was shearing away the recalcitrant stubble on either side of my AA with a new scissor hold that resulted in an epic three pass (WTG, ATG, XTG) VBBS straight shave!

For my dome shave, I selected my long neglected DLC coated SS RazoRock Lupo, Ruds Shaves’s pick for 2019 safety razor of the year. As I’ve said before, I own too many superb safety blade holders. Loaded with a fresh Nacet, the Lupo cleaned up the dome in one and 1/2 passes ( ATG, ATG) leaving me with a matching VBBS noggin shave! I feel refreshed, cool, clean and very smoothly velveteen!

RAZOR: Dubl Duck Goldedge (Mug), RazoRock DLC Coated SS Lupo
BLADE: Nacet DE (1)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: Rearden Razor 316L SS Synthetic
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Cremo Cooling Balm.
 
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SOTD SATURDAY MORNING, AUGUST 29, 2020

Good Saturday morning shave. When my Puma arrived, it had been stored unused for years. After resetting the bevel and removing the surface rust stains which polished off easily with my Dremel and some jeweler’s rouge, I’ve enjoyed my shaves. This morning when working under my right jawline, a very slight tremor resulted in a very slight slice, which oozed a bit but closed right up after a quick alum treatment. The shave continued with the expected result, VBBS. Every now and then the shave gods remind us of their presence. Still a great shave with a buttery smooth edge. The dome shave went beautifully with my Cooper Monobilt - one and a half pass VBBS. The Monobilt is an excellent safety razor that always delivers the goods. I feel cool, clean and velveteen!

RAZOR: Puma 5/8 (Mug), Cooper Monobilt (Dome)
BLADE: Astra DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Osage Rub. Finished with A&E Post-Shave Serum and Chatillon Lux Lavender Toner.
 
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SOTD. SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 30, 2020

Spent about an hour and a half last night burnishing the edge of my favorite CKBA Damascus straight with pull strokes on the jasper stone while watching the 1954 version of Sabrina with Humphrey Bogart, William Holden, and Audrey Hepburn with SWMBO. It certainly paid off. 10 strokes on the paddle strop followed and all was right with the world!

What a sweet, buttery edge! I realize I went a bit overboard, but the mug shave was a complete delight! I really took my time by getting up early. An absolutely wonderful three pass shave ( WTG, ATG, XTG) delivered a perfect VBBS. Did not shave the head as SWMBO and I are meeting friends for a 60 mile bike ride. Bike helmets and freshly shorn domes don’t do well together. I’ll do the dome when I return. I feel cool, clean and athletically velveteen.

RAZOR: CKBA 7/8 Damascus Koa Wood Scales
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: JR Custom Rosewood Silvertip Badger #378
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brushsqueezings followed by Humphreys WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Krampert’s Frostbite AS Splash.
 
GearNoir said:
Nicely done Jeff! Do you find that your damascus blade takes a bit longer to hone than a regular steel?
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Honestly, Chris, I really don’t at this point have all that much experience. I was literally sitting for 1 and 1/2 hrs watching a movie with the bride with a tray of water which I kept dipping the jasper stone in. I used stropping strokes that really resulted in a mirror polished edge. I would expect I’d get the same result with many razors. This one was finished on an 8k Norton stone by a knife-maker who finishes his knives on that stone. It was shaving Sharp, but still a bit too rough for my taste. The jasper stone really brought it round!
 
NurseDave said:
Heck of a handle on that brush!
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Thanks, Dave! Jim Roe builds one heck of a brush. I own four of his brushes, a 15 safety razor stand. And a straight razor stand! He’s a very talented woodworker and just a great guy! We served in SE Asia at the same time!
 
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SOTD MONDAY MORNING, AUGUST 31, 2020

I’ll also launch Single Edge September a day early! Thanks to the largesse of my son, Ben, and several safety razor for straight razor exchanges, I now possess more straight razors than I ever expected to own. The roughest looking is this Tanifuji Airi which also happens to possess a simply divine, buttery-smooth blade. Yeah, Joes (@Trigger & @JACarbone), I think I finally get it! This Japanese Silver Steel blade really holds an edge. Ben has taught me the benefits of burnishing the edge prior and after shaving. My little jasper hone and this well-used Tanifuji make beautiful music together, and the three pass (WTG, ATG, XTG) result speaks for itself, another very comfortable VBBS mug shave.

The dome shave was every bit as good. Colonial Razor builds one heck of a blade holder. I own both their Silversmith and General V2. For today’s shave, I swapped out the General handle for the Silversmith. Kyle Evans, the designer with his twin, Kirk, points to Colonial silverware embellishment as one of his design cues for this Silversmith handle which replaced the original. Although a bit tea-pot looking the knurling and weight in combination with the General head feel great in hand.

The freshly palm-stropped Feather Super obliterated the 48 hrs of noggin growth right down to the skin line in its usual effortless fashion. The Rearden Razor synth brush did a great job whipping up the two different MWF lathers I enjoy for my morning shave . I shave with DEs, Injectors, Gems, and AC razors, and can obtain a VBBS with all, but must admit that easiest and most enjoyable for me (YMMV) arrival in VBBS land has always been through my AC razors. I am refreshed, cool, clean and AC-smoothed velveteen.

RAZOR: Tanifuji Airi (Mug), Colonial General V2 with Silversmith handle (Dome)
BLADE: Feather Super AC
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: Rearden Razor 316L SS Synthetic
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Krampert’s Frostbite AS Splash.
 
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SOTD TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

In keeping with my single edge September theme I selected the Lord straight razor. That will satisfy my single edge theme despite my Supply V2 incorporating a Schick Twinjector blade. The edge on the Lord was burnished last night with pull strokes on the jasper hone after a brief chrome-ox stropping session. The Supply with the Twinjector blade delivers a shave every bit as close on the first pass as my AC razors. In any case the kickoff consisted of an uneventful three pass (WTG, ATG, XTG) VBBS Mug Shave followed by a great one and 1/2 pass (ATG, ATG) dome VBBS. I feel cool, clean and very smoothly velveteen.

RAZOR: Lord 6/8 (Mug), SS Supply V2 (Dome)
BLADE: Schick Twinjector
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: Omega Pro48 Boar
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Cremo Cooling Post Shave Balm.
 
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SOTD WEDNESDAY MORNING, September 2, 2020

Another great shave this morning with two great razors. Both my Feather SS Barber’s Razor and my Blackland Vector were both loaded with Feather Super blades, and both delivered my desired VBBS as they swept away the usual MWF lather. I feel refreshed, clean and smoothly velveteen.

RAZOR: Feather SS (Mug), Blackland Vector (Dome)
BLADE: Feather Super AC (Mug & Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: JR Rosewood Silvertip Badger #378
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Krampert’s Frostbite AS Splash and Cremo Cooling Post Shave Balm.
 
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SOTD THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

Thursday has turned out to be a good day. The Genco 35 5/8 was the first straight I acquired after my purchase of the Dovo Special 5 yrs earlier, and the second straight I shaved with. It arrived supposedly ‘shave ready’, but I found it to be a hard sharp blade, which may only have reflected my lack of skill at that point. In any case, it went on the jasper last night followed by a pasted strop, and then the paddle strop. All I can say is that the three pass (WTG, ATG, XTG) shave was buttery and the result gloriously velveteen! The dome shave followed. The Shake Sharp Model 1.5 loaded with two stacked Kai blades performed in its usual exemplary fashion delivering one and 1/2 passes (ATG, ATG) of velveteen bliss. Great way to begin the day!

RAZOR: Genco 35 5/8 (Mug), Shake Sharp Model 1.5 (Dome)
BLADES: 2 Stacked Kai DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube
BRUSH: Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute w/ 26mm Two Band Badger Ferrule
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Chiseled Face Natural AS Splash.
 
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