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Strop Dragging My Journal Around...

Nice shave Brad! Interesting sounding soap, and an artisan that has some great side projects as well!
 
Well, my word, have I fallen behind on all things shaving cadre. This is actually NOT the shave I had today, but the shave I had 4 days ago. (I haven't taken a picture for today's shave yet...) Work has been flat out exhausting, and I have barely felt like writing or reading anything...just falling into a comatose state at the end of the day and passing out. Not so fun...
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Sorry to hear things have been so busy for you. I certainly do want you to participate as much as you can. But TSC shouldn't be a chore. We all have times in our lives that takes us away for a little time. Do what you have to do and then come back and tells us how things have been. We all understand if you can't post or read everyday.

I also pulled out a soap I haven't used in quite a while. I discovered The Copper Hat in Victoria, BC when I was on tour. They have a very small shop in the market square, and the owner, another Brad, is a super great guy who seems to be in wet shaving for all the right reasons. I told this story when I first visited his shop, but he was in the process of removing styrofoam cups from the ocean and turning them into shaving brushes. In this nasty, often negative world, that is some s**t I can get behind.
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Now that is some good stuff there! I love hearing stories about things like this. I see people throw junk out the windows of their cars all the time and I get really upset. A while back me and some friends chartered some boats to do some inshore fishing. We wengt all through the marshes just on the coast of Louisiana and had a blast! Between the five of us we caught something like 140 trout, redfish, and trigger fish. Some good eating there. Anyway, the entire time, the guy who took us out kept throwing hos trash in the water. Sandwich bags, soda and beer cans, paper, plastic, all sorts of things went overboard. Here we are in this absolutely beautiful place..this guy...who makes a living off of this beauty...is actively destroying it. But I digress...it's nice to see someone making a difference. Thanks for sharing that!
 
Dagwoodz said:
Nice shave Brad! Interesting sounding soap, and an artisan that has some great side projects as well!
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Thanks, Josh. I have not yet got one of his brushes - he makes a whole series of different types - but I want to support him 'cause his stuff is great and he seems to be a righteous guy.
 
dangerousdon said:
Sorry to hear things have been so busy for you. I certainly do want you to participate as much as you can. But TSC shouldn't be a chore. We all have times in our lives that takes us away for a little time. Do what you have to do and then come back and tells us how things have been. We all understand if you can't post or read everyday.
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dangerousdon said:
Now that is some good stuff there! I love hearing stories about things like this. I see people throw junk out the windows of their cars all the time and I get really upset. A while back me and some friends chartered some boats to do some inshore fishing. We wengt all through the marshes just on the coast of Louisiana and had a blast! Between the five of us we caught something like 140 trout, redfish, and trigger fish. Some good eating there. Anyway, the entire time, the guy who took us out kept throwing hos trash in the water. Sandwich bags, soda and beer cans, paper, plastic, all sorts of things went overboard. Here we are in this absolutely beautiful place..this guy...who makes a living off of this beauty...is actively destroying it. But I digress...it's nice to see someone making a difference. Thanks for sharing that!
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Thanks for all of that, Don. Much appreciated.

And yes, the disconnect that people can have when it comes to "loving" the outdoors and being negligent with it.... it is truly baffling. I was raised have the utmost respect for the environment - the only family activity we really did was go camping - and if my dad had seen me throw a piece of plastic in a lake....oh man, would I have gotten it.
 
Shave #209

A fine old shave...


Razor - Boker King Cutter
Brush - vulfix "old original" badger
Soap - Henri et Victoria C&CC
After - same
Cologne - same

Well, with a day off and a lovely breeze blowing, this was a nice, relaxed shave. Heading out to meet some friends for a drink on a patio, I opted to go solidly with my fave scent, the Cognac & Cuban Cigars...

I decided to strop up another non-Brad honed blade, my trusty Boker King Cutter. I have not been a particularly well organized person when it comes to keeping track of what blades have received what treatment in my arsenal...but I am pretty sure I have not put this razor to stone or film at all. That means that the edge on it it from a pro honer from about 2 years ago. So with some Chrome Ox/balsa and regular stropping, this edge has maintained to where it is at now...

And, as 209 can attest, it's held up pretty well. I was, later, playing around with my lapping film and a razor I have yet to get a usable edge on (the G Johnson), and gave this Boker a few light laps on the .3 film, as the 3rd pass was a tiny bit less smooth than I wanted it to be. I might shave again with this razor next and see how it is after that...

But this was a very nice shave! I have started adding a little less water to my soaps. Somewhere, early on, I got the advice to make the soap wetter than I might think I should...but I think I have been sacrificing cushion somewhat. I sometimes end up with bubbles in my lather, which I think is an indication that it is too wet. I also will sometimes go back to the puck for the 3rd pass to get a bit more soap on the brush...so lately, I've been trying to stop adding water before it feels "right" for me. I think that's starting to be better...

In the end, I was left with a nice smooth result, albeit with a little sting from the aftersplash. But I smelled like a million, so I'm gonna take it as a win.

Onward and shaveward....
 
Nice one Brad! I'm another who likes a bit wetter lather, and have experienced the (larger) bubbles that you talk about. I've found that, when bowl lathering, some very slow, no-pressure circles in the tub will help knock them down and get the consistency much more creamy.
 
Man that sounds like a nice scent on that soap. And the activity (drinks on the patio) really match the shave!

The whole wet versus dry soap soap thing is really a weird one. I find that some soaps do better wetter and some do not! I have found (now mind you I am not an accomplished straight shaver) that using a dryer brush and building the lather so it is thick and voluminous is the way to go for me. Get it to the perfect volume. Wet my face before I lather my face and between passes, and I find that I get the perfect lather. Keeps it slick and doesn't lack the protection or cushion.

Hope you find the sweet spot fore you!
 
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