Share your shave of the day for Thursday!
Prep: Splash of Cool Water
Razor: Gillette - Aristocrat 16 (UK)
Blade: Gillette - Platinum (7)
Lather: Summer Break Soaps - Remote Learning
Brush: Declaration Grooming - B13 Dogwood/Briar Hybrid 28mm (21 uses)
Post Shave: Stirling - Mountain Man
䷀ General Notes
As we work with the Slurry Lather method with a high-density badger, I’m going to try a longer soap-load and a wetter brush.
䷀ Razor and Blade Notes
(Gillette - Aristocrat 16 - UK ::: Gillette - Platinum ‹7 uses›)
Wonderful pairing! A bit of blade feel, but it was smooth and controlled. Close cut.
No tugging or irritation.
Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)
䷀ Soap Notes
(Summer Break Soaps - Remote Learning)
Them: Doritos
Scent: nacho cheesy corn tortilla chips is the goal here. I imagine that’s a tough challenge. While smelling the dry tub and the wet lather, what comes to me first is a cookie sweet type scent that reminds me of some cinnamon schoolbook cookies from Trader Joes. It’s a nice scent, so I don’t mind if my brain never switches away from that.
If I know it is supposed to be corn chips, then I can definitely see that in the scent. So that’s cool.
But even if I set my brain to try to find a cheesy note in there, I really can’t.
I think it might be more realistic with a hint-of-cumin type scent in there, but of course, that could make it hard on skin maybe.
While I may not really get a Doritos scent from it, I think it’s a great attempt, and I know that I like shaving with it anyway.
Scent Strength: 4/10, present during shaving.
Lather… Today’s try was to load for twice as long as previously done … 40 swirls. also to make sure there was lots of water in the brush.
I did both of those things, but the slurry did not develop like it does with other brush types. I think the excess water inhibited the loading of the soap from the puck. This brush just has such soft tips.
I went back for another 10 swirls when the brush had less water in it and that was good. I got a more normal slurry then.
I think with this kind of soft-tipped high-density badger, you won’t be able to have it hold all the water at the outset. Load from the soap with a merely “wet” brush and not a “very wet” brush. Then add water later, either by dipping tips in a bowl or sprinking from the tap.
With the tweaks i put in on the first pass, the second and third went just fine and normal for a Slurry lather. Super slick and highly protected.
Hydration: Perfect (for me)
- 17 sec load with a Very Wet brush
- = 4 passes of lather
Bowl: No Bowl
䷀ Brush Notes
(Declaration Grooming - B13 Dogwood/Briar Hybrid 28mm ‹21 uses›)
Great brush with soft tips. Don’t get to experience it as much with this fast method, but It’s superb nonetheless.
During the Shave Feel:
Cheeks: Felt blade but comfortable
Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
Cheeks: Near BBS - About as close as I’ll ever get
Neck: Cut flush to where I just see the tips (above average for me)
Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet
Nutting
- Brush: Zenith 506U N (50/50 horse mane/tail)
- Razor: Böker Abalone
- Lather: Wholly Kaw – Noce di Cocco
- Post Shave: Abbate y La Mantia – Don Josè
- Fragrance: Abbate y La Mantia – Don Josè
Perfect day to break out the Noce di Cocco smush. I should have so sooner, because it has lost almost all scent, oops 🤦 Still, the soap still lathered like a charm, and thanks to my buddy Don Josè, this shave still smelled great, and on theme.
Like I predicted it would happen, I got complacent today and stabbed myself with the spike point of the Abalone. Luckily it was a tiny puncture, and it served a good reminder to respect this barbed beauty.
Mystery Brush Landed!
- Brush: Dogclaration LG 2022 Mystery Brush
- Razor: Wolfman WR2 (1.55 mm SB / 1.25 mm OC)
- Blade: Polsilver (3)
- Lather: Southern Witchcrafts and Chatillon Lux – La Forêt de Analingus for Excellence in Shitposting
- Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts and Chatillon Lux – La Forêt de Analingus for Excellence in Shitposting
- Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts and Chatillon Lux – La Forêt de Analingus for Excellence in Shitposting
My mystery prize from the 2022 Lather Games arrived today, and I’m interrupting Sample Straightember for a second luxury shave with only Lather Games trophies (well, and Polsilver).
The mystery brush has a beautiful Dogwood handle. I don’t know which batch the knoot is, but it lathered with incredible ease (I’ve never before been the first user of a knoot, so I didn’t really know what to expect). I’m already loving this brush.
I’m grateful to u/declarationgrooming for coming through with this wonderful prize!
September 14, 2023
- Brush: Zenith B03-A26 (B2)
- Razor: Fatip Classic Lo Storto
- Blade: Personna Lab Blue (2)
- Lather: WSP - Black Amber Vanille - Soap
- Post Shave: Pinaud - Clubman Special Reserve - Aftershave
- Post Shave: Stirling - Bergamot Lavender - Witch Hazel & Aloe
- Fragrance: Jōvan Musk - EdT
This soap base seemed to work better with a wet boar. I still think the “Rustic” soap base blows, but at least it offers some slickness. I can’t believe they charge $25 for this stuff.
September 14, 2023
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Brush: WSP Stubby 26mm Extra Dense HMW
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Razor: Ralf Aust 5/8 Stainless Full Hollow Spanish Point (Straight Shave 326)
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Lather: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Soap (49)
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Post Shave: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Aftershave
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Post Shave: Thayers - Lemon - Toner
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Fragrance: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Eau de Parfum
3 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
Okay, this was a complete surprise. Except for the brush, I used the same setup that I used yesterday where my impression was one of comfort but that the razor’s edge did not need to be as sharp. After yesterday’s shave I stropped 30 passes on flax linen and 60 passes on leather. I looked at the newly stropped edge last night under the microscope and could not detect change (but a very shallow depth of field provides little information on the effect of stropping). I expected some change in edge-feel today, but not a lot. However, today’s shave was significantly more comfortable than yesterday’s and sharpness was absolutely perfect for me. This is a terrific edge. Now, is that a result of the Black Arkansas finish, or did I just luck into this?
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