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Natterings of a Nasal Barbarian

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SOTD FRIDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 15, 2021

Unlike some of you, I started my open edge journey with straight razors, and then began using barber’s razors/shavettes. Now I realize that the term shavette is properly attributed to Dovo who originated it, but it has become common parlance for any replaceable blade open edge shaving device. After a brief fling with DE and injector based shavettes which I found too light, I moved to AC Barber’s razors, starting with the SS model which never felt like a true straight, probably because of the pronounced lip around the edge. The DX was a different story. The only issue I ever had with it was its size. The edge shaved and felt much more like a true straight.

However, it wasn’t until a good friend began talking up this new straight being designed in Switzerland that I began to pay attention. So I bit the bullet and ordered one which was priced comparable to a custom straight out of Ukraine or Latvia. Since I’d held off, I wasn’t eligible for the 30% off deal for the first 100 buyers, which my friend, Bill, participated in, but I do not regret the purchase. Far from it, this is the only shavette/barber’s razor that actually feels like I’m shaving with a well-honed straight, particularly after being fitted with a Feather Super blade. Two mug passes with some final buffing and flatblading on those troublesome neck whiskers, and I was as smooth as I like to be. The Tedalus Essence is just a superbly designed shaver.

Although I wasn’t part of the initial 100 buyers of the Tedalus, I was one of the initial buyers of Fine Shaving’s all SS safety razor entitled the “World’s Finest Razor”. This SS safety razor was, according to Fine Shaving, intended as an homage to the Gillette New LC. The New LC is an awesome OC safety razor. This particular razor was not an OC and is no longer sold by Fine Accoutrements, and that pretty much says it all. It’s a decent razor, but isn’t in the same category as the New LC. Honestly, Fine really had nothing to prove! Their little $40 “Marvel” was already an aptly named incredible little shaver. In any case it took three ATG noggin passes this morning to leave me oh-so-smooth from dome to shoulders.

RAZOR: Tedalus Essence (Mug), Fine SS Safety Razor (Dome)
BLADE: Feather Super (Mug), Feather DE (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: MrEE LE Aluminum Handle SynBad Knot
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Pre de Provence Bergamot & Thyme AS Balm.
 
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SOTD SATURDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 16, 2021

SWMBO has left for a quilting seminar, so yours truly decided to go lavender in a big way. My poor bride suffers migraines from this particular scent, but it’s one I’ve always been partial to. My first wife, rest her soul, loved this combination. And since today would have been my 51st anniversary, I dug out the Castle Forbes lavender and the Chatillon Lux Lavender toner! Go big or go home!

The little Klas Tornblom 4/8 punches way above its weight class. It swept away my mug stubble effortlessly. I could have stopped after two passes, but the Castle Forbes lavender just smelled so good that I went for an additional pass which really only consisted of some buffing and flatblading, which I've learned always requires a trip back to the Naniwa 12k for about 10 to 12 strokes to restore the edge.

My trusty Famex easily pulled its weight on the dome, despite an initial bit of over enthusiasm on your narrator’s part during the first pass in unknowingly removing the top of a bump on the right side of my dome resulting in a bit of red fluid. This was my first nick in quite some time, easily dealt with through the Proraso styptic gel. Nevertheless, the rest of the shave went swimmingly, leaving me smelling great and amazingly smooth from dome to shoulders.

RAZOR: Klas Tornblom 4/8 (Mug), Famex Adjustable (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: RR Rubberset Replica with Synth Knot
CREAM: Castle Forbes Lavender
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Chatillon Lux Lavender Toner.
 
jgreenepa said:
View attachment 63895
SOTD SATURDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 16, 2021

SWMBO has left for a quilting seminar, so yours truly decided to go lavender in a big way. My poor bride suffers migraines from this particular scent, but it’s one I’ve always been partial to. My first wife, rest her soul, loved this combination. And since today would have been my 51st anniversary, I dug out the Castle Forbes lavender and the Chatillon Lux Lavender toner! Go big or go home!

The little Klas Tornblom 4/8 punches way above its weight class. It swept away my mug stubble effortlessly. I could have stopped after two passes, but the Castle Forbes lavender just smelled so good that I went for an additional pass which really only consisted of some buffing and flatblading, which I've learned always requires a trip back to the Naniwa 12k for about 10 to 12 strokes to restore the edge.

My trusty Famex easily pulled its weight on the dome, despite an initial bit of over enthusiasm on your narrator’s part during the first pass in unknowingly removing the top of a bump on the right side of my dome resulting in a bit of red fluid. This was my first nick in quite some time, easily dealt with through the Proraso styptic gel. Nevertheless, the rest of the shave went swimmingly, leaving me smelling great and amazingly smooth from dome to shoulders.

RAZOR: Klas Tornblom 4/8 (Mug), Famex Adjustable (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: RR Rubberset Replica with Synth Knot
CREAM: Castle Forbes Lavender
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Chatillon Lux Lavender Toner.
Click to expand...
Great way to honor this special day.
 
Happy Saturday to ya Jeff! I was fortunate to be able to try Chatillion Lux Lavande Poivre sample…scrumptious scent! What a treat to have a whole bottle of one of their products!
 
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SOTD SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 17, 2021

There are many in our community who downplay Chinese Gold Dollar razors. I admit that quality control has been an issue along with the quality of the steel. But this Gold Dollar was purchased from Slash McCoy over a year ago, who honed it using the “Method” he writes about on his Crescent City Razor site. It arrived shave ready, and while a bit harsher than I liked initially, was easily remedied with a few successively diluted slurries on my jasper stone. I really enjoyed the mug shave it delivered this morning. Three passes with some final flatblading, and I’m dolphin smooth.

I really like adjustable safety razors and own several. My Rex Ambassador is my favorite, and I have the new Supply Adjustable on order. My shave this morning featured the new Parker Adjustable purchased for me by my grandson as a get well present following a recent health blip. It appears to be modeled after the Pal, but is much milder, even on its most extreme setting, which I‘d equate to about a 2 on the Rex Ambassador 6 point scale. It took an extra noggin pass this morning to achieve the level of smoothness I like on my dome, but I finally got there.

RAZOR: Gold Monkey 666 (Mug), Parker Adjustable (Dome)
BLADE: Schick Proline B-20 Injector
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Royall Lyme AS/Cologne.
 
jgreenepa said:
View attachment 64016
SOTD SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 17, 2021

There are many in our community who downplay Chinese Gold Dollar razors. I admit that quality control has been an issue along with the quality of the steel. But this Gold Dollar was purchased from Slash McCoy over a year ago, who honed it using the “Method” he writes about on his Crescent City Razor site. It arrived shave ready, and while a bit harsher than I liked initially, was easily remedied with a few successively diluted slurries on my jasper stone. I really enjoyed the mug shave it delivered this morning. Three passes with some final flatblading, and I’m dolphin smooth.

I really like adjustable safety razors and own several. My Rex Ambassador is my favorite, and I have the new Supply Adjustable on order. My shave this morning featured the new Parker Adjustable purchased for me by my grandson as a get well present following a recent health blip. It appears to be modeled after the Pal, but is much milder, even on its most extreme setting, which I‘d equate to about a 2 on the Rex Ambassador 6 point scale. It took an extra noggin pass this morning to achieve the level of smoothness I like on my dome, but I finally got there.

RAZOR: Gold Monkey 666 (Mug), Parker Adjustable (Dome)
BLADE: Schick Proline B-20 Injector
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Royall Lyme AS/Cologne.
Click to expand...
Good post, Jeff.
 
jgreenepa said:
View attachment 63895
SOTD SATURDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 16, 2021

SWMBO has left for a quilting seminar, so yours truly decided to go lavender in a big way. My poor bride suffers migraines from this particular scent, but it’s one I’ve always been partial to. My first wife, rest her soul, loved this combination. And since today would have been my 51st anniversary, I dug out the Castle Forbes lavender and the Chatillon Lux Lavender toner! Go big or go home!

The little Klas Tornblom 4/8 punches way above its weight class. It swept away my mug stubble effortlessly. I could have stopped after two passes, but the Castle Forbes lavender just smelled so good that I went for an additional pass which really only consisted of some buffing and flatblading, which I've learned always requires a trip back to the Naniwa 12k for about 10 to 12 strokes to restore the edge.

My trusty Famex easily pulled its weight on the dome, despite an initial bit of over enthusiasm on your narrator’s part during the first pass in unknowingly removing the top of a bump on the right side of my dome resulting in a bit of red fluid. This was my first nick in quite some time, easily dealt with through the Proraso styptic gel. Nevertheless, the rest of the shave went swimmingly, leaving me smelling great and amazingly smooth from dome to shoulders.

RAZOR: Klas Tornblom 4/8 (Mug), Famex Adjustable (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: RR Rubberset Replica with Synth Knot
CREAM: Castle Forbes Lavender
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Chatillon Lux Lavender Toner.
Click to expand...

Great way to honor a special day. [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
jgreenepa said:
View attachment 64016
SOTD SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 17, 2021

There are many in our community who downplay Chinese Gold Dollar razors. I admit that quality control has been an issue along with the quality of the steel. But this Gold Dollar was purchased from Slash McCoy over a year ago, who honed it using the “Method” he writes about on his Crescent City Razor site. It arrived shave ready, and while a bit harsher than I liked initially, was easily remedied with a few successively diluted slurries on my jasper stone. I really enjoyed the mug shave it delivered this morning. Three passes with some final flatblading, and I’m dolphin smooth.

I really like adjustable safety razors and own several. My Rex Ambassador is my favorite, and I have the new Supply Adjustable on order. My shave this morning featured the new Parker Adjustable purchased for me by my grandson as a get well present following a recent health blip. It appears to be modeled after the Pal, but is much milder, even on its most extreme setting, which I‘d equate to about a 2 on the Rex Ambassador 6 point scale. It took an extra noggin pass this morning to achieve the level of smoothness I like on my dome, but I finally got there.

RAZOR: Gold Monkey 666 (Mug), Parker Adjustable (Dome)
BLADE: Schick Proline B-20 Injector
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Royall Lyme AS/Cologne.
Click to expand...

Very nice shave report Jeff. I had the Parker razor and like you I found it to be very mild.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Clint64 said:
Very nice shave report Jeff. I had the Parker razor and like you I found it to be very mild.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Clint64 said:
Very nice shave report Jeff. I had the Parker razor and like you I found it to be very mild.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
My grandson bought it for me, Clint or I would have sold it. I’m on the list for the new Supply Adjustable on Kickstarter. I’m sure that’ll not be as mild.
 
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SOTD MONDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 18, 2021

Welcome to Monobilt Mitchell Monday, my friends! Just a wonderful shave this morning with the new-to-me Filarmonica 13 Novodur. For a brisk change of pace I added six drops of M-Bomb (liquified menthol crystals) to my regular MWF for a great cooling lather. The MrEE Hybrid Knot churned up a lovely, slick lather. My son touched up the edge on the razor on his jnat progression a few days ago, and the resulting shave this morning was silky smooth. Three passes left yours truly very smooth.

The Cooper Monobilt is a great shaving one piece hinged OC safety razor that seems perfect for very sharp DE blades like the Feather, Nacet or Bic. The cooling lather felt great on my noggin this morning. This little hinged 1930’s razor is solidly built and a very efficient shaver. The OC felt really good on my dome as it channeled the lather through to the cutting edge of the blade. Two ATG passes put the baby to bed, and left your happy narrator velveteen smooth from dome to shoulders.

RAZOR: Filarmonica 13 Novodur (Mug), Cooper Monobilt (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: MrEE LE Knurled Aluminum Handle Hybrid Knot #007
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 Drops M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse withHumphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Pre de Provence Bergamot & Thyme AS Balm.
 
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