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Strop Dragging My Journal Around...
- Thread starter Strop Dragging
- Start date
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
I hear the frustration loud and clear but by my count and looking back to your 2 shave post this is number 212. Chalk it up to a bad day and move ahead. Like you said previously, you ain't a quitter.
First of all...that is an excellent pic!
Concerning your shave...Like others said, I am sure it is a bad day. Just move on. If you continue to have bad shaves...change something up. Just like batting in baseball...we all go through ruts sometimes!
Enjoy your day!
Concerning your shave...Like others said, I am sure it is a bad day. Just move on. If you continue to have bad shaves...change something up. Just like batting in baseball...we all go through ruts sometimes!
Enjoy your day!
Shave #213
Visitor Shave....
Razor - Parker safety (w/ Shark blade)
Brush - vulfix badger
Soap - Urbar 1416
After - Pinaud Lime Sec
Well, after a bit of a disappointing 212 (mislabeled as 211 - thank you, Dave) this shave was a real change'm up. Hardware and software!
I may be the only cadre member who shaves with a safety only when his lady is in town visiting...because she has one and I don't! It is a fun thing for me to take advantage of when she visits....I got her a safety for Christmas, and she loves it (and travels with it). It is a novelty for me to shave with it, as I am a guy who went right from a Mach 3/canned goo situation right to a straight. Do not pass Go, do not collect a Merkur...
The new software is also due to her...a gift from her recent travels through Austria. I have never heard of this soap before! It has a very pleasant, straightforward clean smell...and I love the inset logo stamped into it.
The soap lathered up nicely, and had good cushion, as well as a very nice post-shave feel. (She also brought me a bar of their regular body soap, which is also very nice...)
This is only my....3rd shave with a safety, I believe...and I had a similar sensation to the last time I used it, which is that it is very easy to use, and gives a good result, but it doesn't feel as "long lasting" as a straight shave. Now granted, I was shaving a LOT of stubble off, so it might not be the best shave to judge it by...but it feels like it doesn't get as close for me. This was a no weeper, no nick, no irritation affair, and right after the shave, my face felt great and smooth. In other words, a really nice one! And maybe with more safety practice I would get to a more long lasting result, I'm not sure...but it was a fun change up from the last shave, and perhaps a reset to make 214 a superior straight experience. Here's hoping!
Onward and shaveward....
Visitor Shave....
Razor - Parker safety (w/ Shark blade)
Brush - vulfix badger
Soap - Urbar 1416
After - Pinaud Lime Sec
Well, after a bit of a disappointing 212 (mislabeled as 211 - thank you, Dave) this shave was a real change'm up. Hardware and software!
I may be the only cadre member who shaves with a safety only when his lady is in town visiting...because she has one and I don't! It is a fun thing for me to take advantage of when she visits....I got her a safety for Christmas, and she loves it (and travels with it). It is a novelty for me to shave with it, as I am a guy who went right from a Mach 3/canned goo situation right to a straight. Do not pass Go, do not collect a Merkur...
The new software is also due to her...a gift from her recent travels through Austria. I have never heard of this soap before! It has a very pleasant, straightforward clean smell...and I love the inset logo stamped into it.
The soap lathered up nicely, and had good cushion, as well as a very nice post-shave feel. (She also brought me a bar of their regular body soap, which is also very nice...)
This is only my....3rd shave with a safety, I believe...and I had a similar sensation to the last time I used it, which is that it is very easy to use, and gives a good result, but it doesn't feel as "long lasting" as a straight shave. Now granted, I was shaving a LOT of stubble off, so it might not be the best shave to judge it by...but it feels like it doesn't get as close for me. This was a no weeper, no nick, no irritation affair, and right after the shave, my face felt great and smooth. In other words, a really nice one! And maybe with more safety practice I would get to a more long lasting result, I'm not sure...but it was a fun change up from the last shave, and perhaps a reset to make 214 a superior straight experience. Here's hoping!
Onward and shaveward....
Nice shave Brad! I haven't heard of that soap either, but sounds like it did a great job! DE's, at least for me, have slightly lower longevity than straights, as a general rule. But a superior DE shave is just as good as a routine straight shave, both from a smoothness and a longevity standpoint.
Love the way that soap looks! Great shave Brad!
Shave #214
A battleship shave....
Razor - Imperial US Battleship Indianna
Brush - vulfix badger
Soap - Stirling Bergamot Lavender
After - Pinaud Lime Sec
Well, with my lady back in another time zone, her Parker Safety in tow, it was back to the SR for me. That one safety shave did seem to be a nice "reset" shave, as 214 was a wonderful affair!
As some of you know, I have been struggling with honing lately. I have a few razors that will not cooperate...and I am in a constant quandary as to whether it is my technique or my gear or a combination or what. Believe me - I exhaust myself just bringing it up. ? The strange thing is, I think I've either gotten worse at it or I got lucky early on or had more agreeable razors when I started...because I DO have some self honed blades that have great edges on them. The Imperial "Indianna" is one of them. After giving it a balsa/linen/leather stropping, I tested the edge and found it passing the HHT with flying colours. No need to strop up the TI or another, non-Brad honed blade. Good to sail!
This was my first shave with Stirling's Bergamot Lavender (see the mail call entry below), and it was lovely! Such a delightful, summery scent...
And this shave was a great one. The Imperial felt great on my face, and after 3 passes I was left with a smooth, irritation free result. Even the slight smell of the old bakelite scales couldn't dampen this experience. After a splash of the Lime Sec I was feeling and smelling great!
The Bergamot Lavender came to me in a mail call -
- along with 3 other new (to me) Stirling soaps! These come from a Canadian wet shaver getting rid of them and are almost unused. Got a good deal (especially the inner country shipping!) and they also came with 3 probably half used Stirling aftershave balms as well. (Matching, except for the Lavender.) Very excited to try the other three in coming shaves!
Onward and shaveward....
A battleship shave....
Razor - Imperial US Battleship Indianna
Brush - vulfix badger
Soap - Stirling Bergamot Lavender
After - Pinaud Lime Sec
Well, with my lady back in another time zone, her Parker Safety in tow, it was back to the SR for me. That one safety shave did seem to be a nice "reset" shave, as 214 was a wonderful affair!
As some of you know, I have been struggling with honing lately. I have a few razors that will not cooperate...and I am in a constant quandary as to whether it is my technique or my gear or a combination or what. Believe me - I exhaust myself just bringing it up. ? The strange thing is, I think I've either gotten worse at it or I got lucky early on or had more agreeable razors when I started...because I DO have some self honed blades that have great edges on them. The Imperial "Indianna" is one of them. After giving it a balsa/linen/leather stropping, I tested the edge and found it passing the HHT with flying colours. No need to strop up the TI or another, non-Brad honed blade. Good to sail!
This was my first shave with Stirling's Bergamot Lavender (see the mail call entry below), and it was lovely! Such a delightful, summery scent...
And this shave was a great one. The Imperial felt great on my face, and after 3 passes I was left with a smooth, irritation free result. Even the slight smell of the old bakelite scales couldn't dampen this experience. After a splash of the Lime Sec I was feeling and smelling great!
The Bergamot Lavender came to me in a mail call -
- along with 3 other new (to me) Stirling soaps! These come from a Canadian wet shaver getting rid of them and are almost unused. Got a good deal (especially the inner country shipping!) and they also came with 3 probably half used Stirling aftershave balms as well. (Matching, except for the Lavender.) Very excited to try the other three in coming shaves!
Onward and shaveward....
Thanks, Chris!
I've never been able to find much info about the razor. I did see another online where someone was saying it was probably made around 1890...which strikes me as odd seeing as the USS Indiana launched in 1941! ?
Would you like one? I’ve got vintage Gillettes practically spilling out of my den. Be happy to send you one!