jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
Tim, I agree, and now understand what my son means by a whisker-melting edge!
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Natterings of a Nasal Barbarian
- Thread starter jgreenepa
- Start date
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD FRIDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 2, 2020
My Monster Tuxedo Synthetic arrived yesterday from the MrEE Brush Research Design Works, and I love it! It’s my second from that elite facility and it truly lives up to its name! It generated monstrous swathes of rich, slick lather from the recently replaced tub of Baume.Be shave cream. The original was a hardened orange paste that resisted lather building. but the replacement featured a pale yellow cream that generated a very respectable slick, rich lather. I’ll have to go easy with this new brush; it’s probably the best lather builder in my limited brush rotation.
My mug shave featured one of my favorite straights, the Dubl Duck Goldedge. It performed in its usual exemplary fashion delivering an extremely close three pass (WTG, ATG, XTG) velveteen shave. My dome shave was also excellent with one of my favorite Gillette New models, the New Standard. The shave was a really luxurious two pass (ATG, ATG) that delivered that same exquisite velveteen result as the DD Goldedge did for my mug. I feel refreshed, smooth, clean and velveteen!
RAZOR: Dubl Duck Goldedge (Mug), 1928 Gillette New Standard (Dome)
BLADE: Polsilver (2)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by Argan Oil
BRUSH: MrEE Monster Tuxedo Synthetic
CREAM: Baume.be
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Royal Lyme AS/Cologne.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
LOL, Chris, I think you’re being conservative! Easily enough for a month of shaves! Great tool to work through the soap backlog!Holy moley look at the size of that brush! That’ll hold enough lather for the whole week!
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jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD SATURDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 3, 2020
Really great shave on this bright, sunny, cool morning in the Philadelphia suburbs. I’m starting to favor this old Civil War era Sheffield straight razor’s edge. The buttery smooth three pass (WTG, ATG, XTG) to “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” was a true pleasure. The new @MrEEMonster Tuxedo Synth is a joy to use. It’s become my #1 head shaving brush, but also is spectacular on my mug! It again generated huge, billowing waves of Nuavia Blu lather, easily enough for three or four shaves. It’s a real soap eater. My two pass (ATG, ATG) dome shave with the French Famex Adjustable OC was every bit as good as my face shave! I feel incredibly refreshed, clean, smooth and velveteen!
RAZOR: Manhattan Cutlery Sheffield 13/16 French Point (Mug), Famex Adjustable Head on ATT Atlas Handle (Dome)
BLADE: Suneko DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by Argan Oil
BRUSH: MrEE Aluminum Monster Tuxedo Synth
SOAP: Panncrema Nuavia Blu
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with PAA Frost Byte Peppermint AS Splash.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 4, 2020
After my great mug shave yesterday with my Manhattan Cutlery Sheffield razor, I just couldn’t help myself. I reached for an even older Sheffield, my Frederick Reynolds which I’d touched up last night on the ILR. I decided to use my TOBS Peppermint shave cream to complement the PAA Frost Byte AS’s peppermint.
Part of the benefit of having a son who’s been straight shaving for close to two decades is their user experience. Ben steered me towards both these Sheffield’s and towards a third, an early Boker arriving back from Glen Mercurio tomorrow from a restoration. Apparently, Boker used to import Sheffield steel before a German Trade Act halting such imports in the early 1890s.
I expect after Glen’s beauty treatment and honing it will shave as beautifully as it’s predecessors and the two Japanese razors Ben selected for me as well.
The lather was well-generated with my new MrEE Monster Synth, but like all TOBS creams was severely lacking in the post-shave skin feel department. Nancy Boy and MWF have set a very high bar, and I’ve yet to find a cream or soap that comes close to meeting it. Then again, I should take the crotchety curmudgeon factor into account. The three pass (WTG, ATG, XTG) mug shave with the Reynolds razor was buttery smooth and left my face clean and velveteen.
For the dome shave I pulled out my early production (1920) Gillette Big Fellow OC with the large Old Type head, I loaded a Wizamet Iridium on its second and last shave and proceeded to have an exemplary two pass (ATG, ATG) velveteen noggin shave. I really like the longer handle on this particular Big Fellow. I suspect I would enjoy the later model with the New Standard head more, but that’s an issue for another day! All in all a splendid shave to match this bright sunny day here in the Philadelphia suburbs.
RAZOR: Frederick Reynolds 5/8 Bovine Scales (Mug), Gillette Big Fellow [1920] (Dome)
BLADE: Wizamet Iridium (2)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by Argan Oil
BRUSH: MrEE Monster Aluminum Tuxedo Synth
CREAM: TOBS Peppermint
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys WH. Finished with PAA Frost Byte AS Splash.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD MONDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 5, 2020
Well, it’s Monobilt Monday at TSD this morning! And I’m glad it was. The Cooper Monobilt is just such an excellent blade holder! Loaded with a fresh Polsilver it made very short two pass (ATG, ATG) work of my 24 hour dome stubble velveteenizing my scalp beautifully! Oooh, so smooooth! Me likeee! The Alpha Shaving T-400 equipped with the two band badger fan ferrule produced a lovely, slick MWF lather for the Monobilt to ride on. But that’s not all, folks! I selected my Feather DX for my mug work this morning, and it delivered every bit as close, if not even a little closer shave. The wood handle on this razor just felt really good in hand, and with the Schick Proline AC blade really delivered the three pass (WTG, ATG, XTG) goods on this bright, beautiful sunny day in the Philadelphia suburbs! The perfect close to such a great shave was the great Aqua Velva splash ending! Enjoy your day today my shave brothers and sisters!
RAZOR: Feather DX Wood Handle (Mug), Cooper Monobilt OC (Dome)
BLADE: Schick P-30 Proline AC (Mug), Polsilver DE (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by Argan Oil.
BRUSH: Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute w/ Two Band Badger Fan Ferrule
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Aqua Velva (Spanish Version)
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD TUESDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 6, 2020
This morning’s shave featured my H. Boker & Co Cast Sheffield Steel razor, newly returned yesterday from its beauty treatment in the highly skilled hands of Glen Mercurio (@gssixgun). I can’t believe it's the same 150 yr old razor. The blackened, chipped blade with the age-oranged scales have been transformed. Glen recovered the blade etching and returned the scale color to its original ivory color. And the three pass (WTG, ATG, XTG) shave that scooped up the slick, purposefully thin MWF mug lather was extremely smooth and comfortable. I’m really developing a warm feeling for Sheffield cast steel razors. Or maybe it’s just something about the way mid 19th century straight razors were created?
The Viking Silvertip Badger whipped up a very different consistency of MWF lather for the dome shave, slick, thick and yogurty. The Christopher Bradley fitted with its OC D plate cleaned away the dome stubble in a slow and luxurious, two pass (ATG, ATG) shave knocking it off right at the skin line. Lather consistency matters a great deal, depending upon the shave tool selected. Thin, slick lathers are my preference for straight shaving my mug, whereas a thicker lather seems to work better for my noggin shaves. The post shave skin feel MWF and Nancy Boy provide can’t be beat.
Pannacrema Nuavia Blu and yes, even Tabac, provide a similar, slightly sub par post shave experience, but they stink too much for my taste. The scents I prefer in a shave soap or cream are lime and lavender, thus my affection for the two Castle Forbes creams featuring those scents. My preference is always for a nice, clean, soap smell, or an AS/balm with scent fade. This, of course, puts me at odds with probably 95% of all other wet shavers, but my response will always be, “de gustibus non disputandum”, my version of YMMV. This morning’s shave left me feeling clean, smooth and velveteen!
RAZOR: H. Boker & Co. Cast Steel 5/8 (Mug), Karve Safety Razor D-OC (Dome)
BLADE: Sharp Star DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by Argan Oil
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Alt-Innsbruck.
That is an awesome looking straight! Nice Shave!
Have you invited him to the Cadre?
That is a beast. Is it a 30mm?
What is this place you speak of? My search is coming up empty.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
Sorry, he’s a friend over at TSD who makes brushes as a hobby for his friends there! Yes it’s 30mm and an incredible lather machine! Like a Simpson Chubby on steroids!
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
Thanks, Don! Glen put an Escher edge on it and it is an incredible smooth shaver!
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD WEDNESDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 7, 2020
Great shave this morning! The jasper stone edge on this Puma never lets me down and delivered an epic velveteen mug shave. My tub of Nancy Boy Signature shave cream gave up the ghost to the depredations of my MrEE Monster Synth! Time to open a fresh tub! There was still plenty of lather for my dome shave. I realize it’s OC October, and I guess the shave Gods do as well. I decided (hubris) to use my Vector, a SB AC razor, and was punished with a set-down error. Actually, SWMBO popped in just as I was beginning the dome shave, and startled me. Quite minor, but a definite reminder to shave earlier. Despite this very minor initial mishap, the rest of the shave was stellar leaving me feeling clean, smooth and velveteen!
RAZOR: Puma Solingen 5/8 (Mug), Blackland Vector (Dome)
BLADE: Feather Super AC
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by Argan Oil.
BRUSH: MrEE Monster Tuxedo Synth
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys WH. Finished with Nancy Boy Signature Balm!
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD FRIDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 9, 2020
Our weather here in SE Pa. has been glorious over the last week or so. I've been having such great shaves lately with a few of my cast steel Sheffield English and German straight razors that I have been neglecting my two Japanese straights. For this morning’s shave I selected my Silver Steel Tanifuji Airi 11/16 and my Valet VC2. I love shaving with both razors. I touched up the Tanifuji on a pasted and then a leather strop, and stropped the Feather FAS-10 carbon steel blade in the VC2 50 strokes. The result was an amazingly smooth, velveteen shave of both mug and noggin. The straight razor shave was as whisker-meltingly glorious as the morning. The Valet Auto Strop VC2 dome shave only confirmed why I love these safety razors; it was just as close, clean and velveteen as its preceding mug shave. I do believe that the stropping capability of these razors with a carbon steel blade elevates their shaving capabilities. Have a great and enjoyable day, my shave brothers and sisters!
RAZOR: Tanifuji Airi 11/16 (Mug), Valet Auto Strop Model VC2 (Dome)
BLADE: Feather FAS-10
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by Argan Oil
BRUSH: MrEE Monster Aluminum Tuxedo Synthetic
CREAM: Castle Forbes Lime
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Royall Lyme AS Splash.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
It was great! Got to spend the afternoon with my youngest grandson!
That's some cool lime shaving. 
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020
Today’s shave was excellent. I broke out my first straight razor, the Dovo Special. This was the razor that caused me to shy away from straight razor shaving for five years. I’m glad I returned, and have really enjoyed my shaves since. The mug shave was smooth and velveteen, as was my dome shave with my Christopher Bradley razor from Karve Shaving. I didn’t get to post this because this morning I went on a long bike ride, and this afternoon played a round of pickle ball with my bride. In any case I feel cool, smooth and refreshed.
RAZOR: Dovo Special 5/8 (Mug), Karve Razor w/ Wide-body Cap D-OC Plate (Dome)
BLADE: Sharp Star (1)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by Argan Oil
BRUSH: Rooney Ebony Pure 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.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
Thanks, Bruce!That's some cool lime shaving.