2018-09-24 SOTN
Another superb and simple shave tonight: DFS with no blood or irritation, and with a new Fixed Four config that challenged me to right-handed shaving with an Artist Club shavette.
........PREP: hot water sponge soak; [font=Comic Sans MS]Grooming Dept V35 preshave
........SOAP: Castle Forbes Lavender
........BRUSHES: Shavemac Custom 2B ST
....................DS Cosmetic 2B ST
........RAZORS: Feather Artict CLub DX, Schick Proline P-30 (1)
...................OneBlade Genesis, modified GEM PTFE (4)
........POST: Brief warm water rinse[/font]
I haven’t posted about every shave, but I have been getting incredible, bloodless, irritation free BBS shaves using the V35 preshave. My skin has also felt better than ever. To have a run of shaves like this is unheard of for me, so I can honestly say that V35 is still rocking my world.
A few of you may remember that I have been doing my version of “Fixed Four” (FF), meaning that I stick with the same soap base, razor, blade model, and brush for a month. My goals have been zero pressure, proper angle, and training my non-dominant right hand. I cannot recommend the “fixed four” regime too highly for people like me, who have more room for technique improvement that they might like. It can be a boring discipline, but it works!
Today I ended my last month’s fixed four and with some trepidation, started a fresh and greatly revised Fixed Four configuration. I have not seen PREP and POST included in other Fixed Four regimes, but under the circumstances, I will continue with V35 after a hot water sponge soak for PREP, and a brief warm water rinse for POST (nothing else; no witch hazel, alum, aftershave, etc.). I was curious to see how well the V35 worked for me with a greatly revised soap base, so I switched from Declaration Grooming soaps to Castle Forbes creams. I also switched from my Muhle V2 synthetic to my Shavemac 2B ST and , holding my breath, switched from my much loved Blackland Sabre to a Feather AC shavette. The shavette is a BIG jump for me, especially with the non-dominant right hand, so there is a “backup razor” for when the going gets tough. There is also a second brush, a DS Cosmetic 2B ST: If on some day I feel the need to let the Shavemac dry, I will substitute the DS.
So today, on my first go with the new FF configuration, I was a bit rushed and still got a DFS – very near BBS. As far as the V35 goes, the ghost lather seems to go on forever, and I am still amazed at how well it works. As for the (controversial) OneBlade Genesis, I must say that after two shavette passes – both using the right hand – I finished up left-handed in very quick time using the OneBlade, and with great results - no irritation, no blood, and a very nearly a BBS shave.
It was a very happy shave for me.