I'm sorry for your friend's loss. Pancreatic cancer is a mean one.
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Natterings of a Nasal Barbarian
- Thread starter jgreenepa
- Start date
JTSpartan
Shave Member
So sorry, Jeff. A difficult week to say the least. Hang in there, friend.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
Thanks, Jason! Rick and Bonnie were my next door neighbors back in the seventies. Our children grew up together. They were a great support when I lost my first wife, and Bonnie helped me after my bout with cancer. She was a dear, sweet woman, and my first wife’s best friend. Losing dear friends is the worst part of aging! Rick, Bill(another friend from the old neighborhood) and I put a bottle of Whistle Pig Rye to bed. Monica and Lauren, our wives picked us up, put Rick to bed, and took us home last night. As Bill’s wife, Monica said, “boys will be boys!” I’m a bit embarrassed, but otherwise feeling fine this morning, thanks to the five or so glasses of water SWMBO encouraged me to down last night.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
Thanks, Bruce! I’ve lost too many friends to cancer!
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
Thanks, Brian.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
You’re not kidding, Chris!
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 18, 2021
My first custom razor from Yurii Kravchenko finally arrived yesterday. I ordered a 7/8 extra hollow with a custom pinch grip just below the blade collar, back on September 17. Yurii delivered exactly to my specifications which also included blue stabilized maple burl scales solidly constructed and assembled. The blade grind is clearly an extra hollow, and paper thin, but is a bit wavy as it doesn’t appear to be a stabilizing belly grind. Yurii did warn me to go easy on the honing and stropping with this blade.
The mug shave was ok, but I do have some concerns regarding blade stability. I have a rather heavy, thick beard thanks to the Italian side of my family. This is the first straight shave where I experienced blade flex, which I was able to control by flattening the blade angle until the blade was practically flush with the shave surface. I really like the pinch grip, but believe I need a few more mug shaves with this razor to truly get the hang of it. I needed almost three and a half passes to do what I achieve in two and a half with my other custom and vintage razors.
Thankfully, my faithful Cooper Monobilt came through with flying colors for my noggin shave, after my somewhat disappointing mug shave. This little razor when loaded with a Feather blade always delivers the goods, and that was certainly the case this morning. This little OC masterpiece really felt good gliding through the slick, yogurty MWF lather this morning. Two ATG passes put the baby to bed. I feel smooth, clean and velveteen from noggin to shoulders.
RAZOR: Kravchenko Zodiac Extra Hollow 7/8 (Mug), Cooper Monobilt (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a heavy scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Rooney Ebony Pure Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Cremo Cooling Post Shave Balm.
JTSpartan
Shave Member
Congrats on the new razor, Jeff! Sounds like you need to spend a little time with it. Are you worried that it is TOO thin?
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
Thanks, Jason. Yes, I worry that it may not hold up to honing and stropping. The blade is ground incredibly thin and is a straight hollow grind without a belly like my Creazzi razors. I may be overthinking things. I plan to shave with it again tomorrow. We’ll see.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
Thanks, Bill. I plan to shave with it again tomorrow.
I really like the scales on your new razor - really pops!
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
Thanks, Brian!
wristwatchb
Shave Member
Jeff, I'm so sorry for the loss of your dear friend, Bonnie. May your heart be filled with sweet memories of her.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
Thanks, Charlie! This is the part of aging that I detest! My poor friend, Rick is just devastated! I do get it. My first wife and I would have been celebrating 48 yrs together. My children spent as much time in their house as his kids spent in mine. His daughter Lauren was my oldest boy’s best person, and his son John was best man and lifelong friends with my son Sam. The life celebration is this coming Thursday.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 19, 2021
The new Kravchenko 7/8 delivered a much closer shave than I realized yesterday. There wasn’t much facial stubble this morning. One and a half ATG passes pretty much cleared the decks. The new razor feels really good in hand. The pinch grip is just the ticket for these old arthritic fingers. The shave angle seems a smidge steeper, but I certainly can’t complain about the edge Yurii built. I could have easily gotten away without stropping after yesterday’s mug shave. The razor sailed through the styrofoam peanut test as easily after the shave as it did before, but maintenance is maintenance, so I stropped it anyway, and as my friend, Hans says, was left “smooth as a peach” afterwards.
There is one safety razor in my den that hasn’t seen any use for almost two years, my French Spadson. This razor was designed with a mild side and an aggressive side. I’ve always struggled with this razor, and discovered that the issue was its handle. This morning I switched out the Spadson handle for a Famex handle, and realized that the old handle never closed sufficiently to clamp the blade. I used to describe the razor as “assaultive”, not aggressive, but now realize I’d been shaving with an insufficiently clamped head. The two ATG noggin passes this morning were a breeze with the head properly sealed, leaving me cool, clean and velveteen from shoulders to dome.
RAZOR: Kravchenko 7/8 (Mug), French Spadson (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a heavy scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Rooney Ebony Pure Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Krampert’s Frostbite AS Splash.
jgreenepa
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD MONDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 20, 2021
My class finished yesterday, and all that remains is the grading due this Wednesday. The fun begins tomorrow when the in-laws arrive from Las Vegas. Have to pick up beer, ready the guest room and manage SWMBO’s anxiety. Why do women go crazy when guests arrive? My sister-in-law is a bit of a princess. Her husband jumps at her every beck and call. I understand why SWMBO is nervous. What will be will be! I’d like to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my shave brothers and sisters. Stay safe and healthy out there!
The shave this morning couldn’t have been better. The Filarmonica 13P Novodur was a delight. It has a magnificent 9 Ball Slate/Jasper burnished bevel that just scooped away the mug whiskers as it glided through the slick MWF lather in two and a half passes leaving my mug glassine smooth. The noggin received comparable treatment from my Le Coq Cagehead safety razor. I received this wonderfully efficient NOS safety razor in exchange for one of my two Eclipse Red Rings several years ago. Two slow, careful ATG noggin passes put the baby to bed, again leaving your happy narrator smelling limey clean and velveteen smooth.
RAZOR: Filarmonica Novodur 13P (Mug), Le Coq Cagehead (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a heavy scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: JT Sapele/Resin Handled Omega Pro48 Boar Knot
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
TSC's "Velveteen Shaver"
SOTD TUESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 21, 2021
A happy Winter Solstice to all in the northern hemisphere. I'm grateful for all the friends I’ve made in this great hobby of ours over the years. My Christmas wish to all is that you and yours remain safe and healthy in these trying times.. The pandemic is again surging here in the states. Enjoy the holidays as best you can!
We all have have these special razors that arrive in our shave dens over the years. This A. Witte Copperhead 6/8 arrived sveral years ago with a note in the accompanying coffin box that stated, “Honed by Henerey 1939”. The razor enjoyed an existing decent bevel, that I touched up on my then single jasper stone with a series of successively diluted slurries.
Since then the edge has been refined on my Naniwa 12K and 9 Ball Slate. Various trips through the constroption have only served to refine the buttery smooth edge on this razor. My mug shave this morning was a delight. Two and a half slow and pleasant passes and my mug was porcelain smooth. The Leresche 77 has always been a very smooth shaving safety razor, and two ATG noggin passes left me velveteen smooth from dome to shoulders.
RAZOR: A. Witte Copperhead 6/8 (Mug), Leresche 77 (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a heavy 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 Alt-Innsbruck AS Splash.
Great shave - love the brush! have a great day!