Shaving notes of the MaineYooper

My ebay ad

That should be it.

Wow! Very nice. I can’t believe you’ve had no bids. Even the buy it now price is a bargain.

My ebay ad

That should be it.

Wow! Very nice. I can’t believe you’ve had no bids. Even the buy it now price is a bargain.

Thanks, I appreciate that. I was stressing over what I would like to get versus what would make the sale.

My ebay ad

That should be it.

Wow! Very nice. I can’t believe you’ve had no bids. Even the buy it now price is a bargain.

Thanks, I appreciate that. I was stressing over what I would like to get versus what would make the sale.

I’ve had some razors restored and re-plated by Chris Evatt at RazorPlate and I know that the fatboy I had replated in black rhodium cost me around the buy it now for the whole shebang.  You should put it up on the bst here. I’m sure there would be interest particularly among the newer converts.

DecemBoar 11



A winning combination today! 

I boldly upped the Osprey to 4, girded my loins, and started the shave. But first, the lather. I have been loading my boars this month with a hybrid of the Marco Method (not dripping wet, but more than my usual starting damp and slowly adding water drops) and having my first 2 fingers in the bristles, and loading with the brush sort of on its side. This was shown in a video of an Italian master barber preparing to give a straight razor shave. This guy kept going back, loading more and working his fingers through the knot as he loaded and lathered in a bowl. Granted, he had one of those big Omega Pros, but I thought I'd try it. So far, I like it. Whether or not it is loading better than swirling on the puck, I don't know, as when I lather, I use combinations of swirling and painting on my face. In a bowl, lather builds up quick and it is easy to load up the brush. Working my fingers through the knot though, I can feel the consistency, and it is pleasing. So I have been doing that all month.

Now for the shave. As I mentioned yesterday, I used Shane's descriptions on the Blackland Razors website. I found the descriptions of other razors fairly accurate for my face. Having used the Vector (SS and Ti), both versions of the Sabre, and a Blackbird way back in time, I found the comparisons valuable. Levels 4-6 are getting into the realm of efficiency that also could cause me irritation. This is why the joke earlier about bracing myself.

At first, I think I did notice a bit more blade feel, but it quickly faded. Another fantastic shave! Adding to the pleasure of this razor removing whiskers while leaving me refreshed feeling (my goal; probably everyone's goal, for who sets out for a close shave with irritation?!) was how comfortable the Osprey is ATG under my nose! This is what wowed me today. I noticed it yesterday and figured it was Level 3. But today, given the initial blade forward feel, I expected an uncomfortable time. It was exactly opposite that expectation!! Why am I banging on about ATG under my nose? Because it is a sensitive area for me and even some of my preferred razors can make me wince. Off the top of my head, I have 4 razors that are perfect for me. Half shave ATG under the nose great, the other half not so much. 

I will bump the Osprey up to 5 soon. I expect more blade feel but I also will expect a nice ATG pass. 

Many, many thanks to Ken Fluffy for letting me try this out. I followed the build videos Shane posted with interest and really enjoyed that time. I was saving my money. And I let the high price (worth it for such a piece of functional art now that I hold one in hand and have used it) stop me. I look forward to a few more shaves and then do some continued reflection on what gear I use and why.

The eBay auction was a bust. Four watchers and I hoped one would make a bid in the waning minutes, but no such luck. I am going to list the items here in groups rather than 1 big lot. Our BST rules don't mandate username and date in each or any photo, making it easy for me to list the items here very soon. The other BST needs name and date, which means I have to retake all the photos.

Oh. It's Wednesday. During the holiday season. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OXHQP3Ualq...BpdA%3D%3D 

Almost as good as hump day!!

Oh. It's Wednesday. During the holiday season. 

DecemBoar 12th



A late morning shave (day off and the cats let me sleep in!) so there was actually sunshine coming in through the window. But within an hour we had snow falling. Then sun, followed by some rain. December is always fun!

A razor new for me and new to the market arrived yesterday and had its first use today. I am more than pleased. But I'll keep you all in suspense for a bit, as I don't have any good photos yet. On top of that, I have Ken's Osprey to use some more. I am up to level 4 and will venture higher over the next few days. Back in 2016 I bought a birth-quarter Slim off of eBay, and had Jay at Delta Echo Razor Works do up a steam punk look for it. That razor was great for me and still is. While lately I am a "set it and forget it" sort of shaver, back then I'd worked out a scheme of starting high and dropping lower for additional passes. I remember trying low and going higher and memory says it wasn't as good as the reverse. Any way, the Osprey would make me go back to changing settings, just because I could and because it is doing a banging job whacking whiskers. Maybe I should try and sell more stuff so I can make a purchase early in 2025!

I set the Osprey to 5 and anticipated that I would need to drop back to 4. But no! Another outstanding shave. This is really surprising me, as past experiences with Blackland razors hasn't always been as comfortable when entering the higher efficiency levels.