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Rich's Journal: Adventures with Life and Sharp things

Razor: Razo Rock GameChanger .68 Parker premium Platinum (2)
Soap: CBL Dragons Blood
Scuttle: Captains Choice
Strop:
Brush: RazoRock 400 Synthetic
AS/EdT: Thayers Aloe Witch Hazel
Talc: Clubman Raz
Sound track: None

Comments: Today pre-shave I actually did a Hot Towel! with Lather from a test lathering of Lisa's Smoked Black Tea. Very Nice! Today's soap choice Dragon's blood comes from thinking about Dungeons and Dragons and a conversation I had with myself a few days ago about if there could be a Barber player character. After consultation with my son who is quite proficient with the current iteration of D&D in common use (not AD&D as we oldsters used) Gygax was not involved in any way with this version. His thoughts were the Barbering arts could be a skill acquired by pretty much any class as a side-line or post retirement vocation. So the process continues.
I am also revisiting the Parker blade in a more stable razor platform (the RazoRock GameChanger .68) giving the blade the best chance to give a good shave without inflicting hit points of damage. The thought was the .68 is quite mild and it's very narrow angle of efficiency means the blade needs to be at near the optimum level to perform and/or inflict damage.
Shoulder therapy continues with really only two rough spots remaining. One being the external rotation (picture pinning your elbows to your sides then trying to show the size of a fish you nearly caught) and behind my back as with using a wash cloth. I remain in independent training as well as with the Therapist and have a massage therapist who comes by occasionally to rough me up and 'give me the business' and prevent anything from locking up with new scar tissue.

The Hardware: I have mentioned before the Game Changer can easily deliver a great shave with even marginal blades. With the plate I selected I feel I totally stacked the deck in favor of the blade delivering an outstanding outcome. The Brush needs no introduction or additional praise as it is a proven performer.

The Shave: Despite my best efforts, I still sustained 1-3 HP damage due to weepers using the same setup I tried out with the Assured blade. I was able to get a good to great shave DFS+ with the Parker Blade, but it was rough and still bit me several times. I am inclined to try again with a Tech, the mildest of my razors to isolate gear from the test subject before I will contradict a rating delivered by any of my peers. At this point I will say "strike two" though

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The HP damage reference was classic! I remember the old AD&D days. Spent a lot of paper route money on that stuff ... man I’m getting old.
 
Rich gettin all fancy with the towels! I agree with your assessment Rich, the GC does good with just about any blade.
 
Stunt Shave: Handleless razor. Scenario Stepped on my Bic disposible single edge
Razor: Bic Single Edge Disposible (1) Razo Rock GameChanger .84 Parker premium Platinum (3)
Soap: Clown Puke
Scuttle: Captains Choice
Strop:
Brush: Omega Boar
AS/EdT: Thayers Aloe Witch Hazel
Talc: Clubman Raz
Sound track: None

Comments: This morning I lacked confidence in my hand strength to complete a shave with a "holding onto the threads" approach to the lost handle scenario. So, I altered it to losing the handle on my travel razor by treading theron. It broke cleanly right at the base of the head and kept the blade firmly held in a safe position. The Bic single edge disposable has a design flaw that hamstrung it from giving a full shave, and that is the razor is designed to be way too mild for my tastes or needs. While the razor would be great for overnights and maintaining an already close shave, my opinion is that it would fail if one were coming off the trail from a week on the Appalachian trail. I did a pass to check my assessment of the design, and moved on to finish my reviewing of the Parker Premium Platinum blade. This time using my GameChanger with the .84 plate

The Hardware: With a stable and predictable hardware platform in place and (surprisingly) good lather from my clown puke bowl.

The Shave: The first pass with the Bic, even with no handle was underwhelming. The water in the sink enigmatically showed that whiskers were removed, and I felt a bit of evidence that I was indeed shaving ok, I was pretty sure I would have to make a dozen passes before I would get down to my face. So, I bailed on this aspect of the shave and returned to finish my assessment of the Parker blade. The blade was, as before, tuggy. But it did in the end provide me with a good shave. And that's what counts. This would not be a first line blade for me, but would do in a pinch. In my opinion there are many far better blades for me out there.

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Razor: Feather AC/SS "Limey Batman" Feather Proguard (1)
Soap: Pannacrema Nuavia Blu
Scuttle: Captains Choice
Strop:
Brush: Maggard Synthetic
AS/EdT: Thayers Aloe Witch Hazel
Talc: Clubman Raz
Sound track: None

Comments: I finally pulled the trigger on some Pannacrema having wanted some for a long time. I was quite conflicted between the Blu and Verde. Both have a citrus fragrance, but the blue said it was spicier, so I went with that. It kind of fooled me into thinking it was mentholated by the way it smelled and felt, It may yet be I don't know. This is my first use of the very razor that inspired me to enter the Feather world. Sam was on a tear and was getting shave after shave out of his, so I went and got one myself. Now I have a green and a black one.
The Pannacrema is indeed lather-sauce! I went a little dry to start this time and added water between passes and it just kept getting slicker! I like the fragrance and was shocked (SHOCKED) that this is a vegan soap! I kind of go along with @HandleBarberDave that this soap sure acts a lot like SV. Separated at birth? Hmmm?

The Hardware: I have always liked my SS 'BatMan', and his Uncle 'Limey BatMan' bears a suspicious family resemblance. The same razor? Could be!

The Shave: The resemblance in performance between Pannacrema and SV is very forward in my mind (probably because I just watched Dave's video) I really like the fragrance I blindly selected. Enablement points to the Mustachioed one for this one! Picked up a couple weepers along the way, but only in places I get them a lot. Plus I kinda revved the neck up with the Parker testing. I did the cleanup 3rd pass with the GameChanger. Still feeling the shoulder a bit. It's hard to believe it's only been 2 weeks since they "Gave me the Business"! Alum was as expected and I coasted in to an easy DFS in 2+1.

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Way to Pull the trigger on the PannaCrema! That is certainly some really good stiff there. Though my favorite out of the three is the Rosa! Oh man that is a scent worth dying for there!
 
Woohooo!! I saw the start of your post and thought I didn't remember you having a Nuavia soap. I know they won't last as long as a SV, but for that special luxurious shave it fits the bill! And gosh darn it Rich, you're worth it.
 
Razor: Aluminum Colonial General / Kai ProTouch (?)
Soap: CBL Cherry Blossom Bamboo
Scuttle: Captains Choice
Strop:
Brush: Sterling Badger Fan
AS/EdT: Alpa Fougere
Talc: Clubman Raz
Sound track: None

Comments: A nice drama free shave with no fluid leakage. Today I noted my Cherry Tree is getting ready to bud and bloom. What more inspiration to break out the CBL Cherry Blossom and Bamboo soap. I tried to find a suitable fragrance in my aftershaves and settled on the Fougere.

The Hardware: As I mentioned, this was a selection intended for low drama and high efficiency shave. Both requirements are satisfied by this selection. Also kind of scratching an itch with all the Vector shaves going about.

The Shave: As expected, this was an easy and drama free shave that ended up with a DFS+ surface and a nice scent. The Fougere overpowered the subtle Cherry Blossom fragrance in a flash, but i like both just fine.

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Razor: Dubl Duck 5/8 Golduck
Soap: Cherry City Pineapple Slush
Scuttle: Captains Choice
Strop:
Brush: Sterling Badger Fan
AS/EdT: Sterling Iced Pineapple
Talc: Clubman
Sound track: None

Comments: Continued practice as I return to using straights. This razor came to me from Josh's collection and it is still quite keen. A bit of stropping and it was ready for action. I am giving the Cherry City sample another go and found I wasn't using enough product last time. Today I was able to get a much better lather and it provided a good foundation for the shave. As my shoulder and hands get better I am pushing the envelope more and making some tentative steps back into open blade shaving

The Hardware: This razor and brush are proven performers. no problems detected

The Shave: I modified my first pass direction to account for a different stretching method. (Reaching over the top.) The shoulder gave some discomfort, but I was still able to do as planned. Three passes with admittedly a lot of rust on my technique. I need to work more on blade control so I get the whole surface of my face. Missed a couple of spots today, otherwise arrived at a CCS+. Need more work on XTG on the neck.
 
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