SOTD 16-22 August 2020

[b]SOTD SATURDAY MORNING, AUGUST 22, 2020[/b]

Well, I confirmed my suspicions. The Dilucot method, originally developed as a way of honing razors using a single stone (Belgian Coticule) and a series of slurries of decreasing grit dilutions also works beautifully with my jasper stone. I used a coarse DMT plate to generate the slurries which are then successively diluted until finally one is honing with just water alone. In the case of my Double Duck, my son, Ben, had already set a great bevel. When I examined the edge he’d built with his 30k stone using a 60x jeweler’s loupe, I noticed metal feathers along its length. There was no need to go through the full process. So I very gently ran the edge over the face of the fine side of my jasper hone.

Reexamination with the loupe revealed the flattening and or elimination of the chaff I’d observed earlier along the entire length of the edge on both sides. For the next task I built a very thin slurry with the DMT plate and did 40 circles (20 clockwise & 20 counterclockwise) followed by 20 back and forth strokes. I then finished in water using back and forth strokes until the blade began to stick to the face of the stone. The blade passed the tomato slicing test and was popping hairs to beat the band at that point. I lathered up and discovered that I’d built the kind of buttery smooth edge that was a joy to shave with. I’ll admit that I really enjoyed the process of building an edge that I liked which then delivered me to VBBS land on my mug both above and below the jawline.

The Silversmith with the same Feather blade as yesterday shaved every bit as well as my new Tradere. An examination and comparison of the two head geometries revealed a very similar design. In any case my dome shave today was the usual 1 1/2 pass (ATG, ATG) VBBS. I feel cool, clean, and amazingly velveteen. My MrEE 007 brush performed in its usual superb fashion throughout the shave. The cooling MWF lather was a delight to shave with, as usual. I have four pucks of the stuff, so I’m set for the next few years. It’s a beautiful, sunny day here in the Philadelphia suburbs. I wish all my shave brothers and sisters a great day! 

Tomorrow is the actual test of the DiluJasper method from bevel set through finish. I purchased a Puma Solingen razor for virtually nothing ($5), yesterday evening from a local cutlery dealer in Adamstown, PA who complained that he was never able to get a decent edge from it. Ben was with me by phone and encouraged me to buy it. He suspected the blade may be slightly warped and that’s why it may have not yielded to a standard honing progression. Well it failed the tilt ‘n wobble test revealing that it definitely needed a bevel set. Ben, after examining it, felt that I should set the bevel on the 1000 grit Chosera stone and then complete the honing on my jasper stone using decreasing slurry dilutions. So that’s the project for tomorrow’s mug shave. My first complete honing job from bevel set to finish on a problematic straight razor.

RAZOR: Double Duck Goldedge (Mug), Colonial Silversmith (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE (2)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Rabid Banana Preshave Cube 
BRUSH: MrEE Knurled Aluminum Handle Hybrid Knot
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat w/ 6 drops of M-Bomb
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH and Osage Rub. Finished with Old Spice Fresh Lime AS Splash and Cremo Cooling Post Shave Balm.

SOTD - 8/22/2020

August 22nd
Razor: Blackland Tradere SB
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (1)
Brush: Stirling Finest
Pre-shave: PAA Rabid Banana Cube
Soap: Stirling Pharaoh's Dreamsicle
Stirling Orange Chill Witch Hazel
Stirling Glacial Balm
AS: Stirling Pharaoh's Dreamsicle

Citrus Saturday

Good morning!



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Saturday SOTD

 

Razor: Steampunk Slim Adjustable I-4 (S5)

Blade: Bolzano Superinox (D01)

Brush: Spalted Maple w 24mm Super Silvertip

Bowl: HoneycombCopper 4 ½”

Pre-Shave Scrub: MRGLO Lime

Pre-Shave Butter: Mickey Lee Lime

Shave Soap: Pyrate’s Cove Bay Rum

Balm: Stirling's Bay Rum Butter

Aftershave: Ogallala Bay Rum

Tradere OC/Kai (1). I don't get along well with long heavy handles for my head shave and find the Tradere awkward in handling for that task. My polished Sabre handle works much better and still looks pretty sharp.


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Prep: Razorock pre barba
Bowl: Fine
Brush: The Varlet Everset
Soap: Martin de Candre Original
Razor: Paradigm Javelin
Blade: Polsilver Super Iridium
Post: Alum Rub
AS: Acqua di Parma
AS Balm: Acqua di Parma


Best Regards

Saturday AM 2020-08-22
National Tooth Fairy Day


Rooney 3/3 Ivory Finest (26/60)
Art of Shaving Sandalwood shaving soap (tallow)
Wolfman WR2-SB/UFO Colibri (L-Twist)
Gillette Super Stainless 'Spoiler' (6)
Caldey Abbey aftershave

Charcoal Goods LvL2 Antique Brass // Voskhod // Yaqi // A&E L’Orange Verte // Proraso Eucalyptus AS

SOTN - Aug 21



prep - shower with Caprina Fresh Goat's Milk "Original" bar soap
rasor - Edwin Jagger DE87
blade - Shaverboy Stainless Steel (2)
brush - APShaveCo 24 mm SynBad
soap - Truefitt & Hill "Trafalgar" cream sample
post - warm water rinse, DSA "Pure & Natural" alum stick, cold water rinse
aftershave - Reuzel
music - silence, for a change

The T&F Trafalgar performed very well, but the scent is not my favourite.

“The Trafalgar scent: Spicy, light, and captivating with top notes of Cedar and Sandalwood complemented by subtle hints of Jasmine and Spice.”

I got something more like "Pine Tree Air Freshener with a pinch of Rosemary"

Reuzel Aftershave - I don't see it mentioned much, but it's in my top four faves. Vaguely soapy but not a floral or powdery scent. Low alcohol content, so I like it after using a fresh blade. I learned of it from my barber, when he gave me a scalp rub with their hair tonic that has an identical scent.

The bowl is a thin-walled stainless steel (salad?) bowl from Atlantic Superstore, for about CAD$4. Karve Shaving Co. has the identical bowl. It's just big enough to float in a basin of hot water with brush and lather. This keeps brush and lather warm, like a modern scuttle.

SOTD: Great shave today - Paladin Pirate + H&S Titanium + Ethos + Nordost = a very easy smooth shave