The Voyage of the Argos

Saturday, 25 May 2024
Argos (Eufros): Shave 10 ・ 108 g left ・ $2.00 / shave

“The way I see it, you can never use too much product (especially when you have tons of it at your disposal).”

Wise words. Following FaceScraper’s sage advice, I’ve decided to use my entrenching tools to scrape off a portion of the puck for each shave. My brush is too soft to dig a proper divot in this dense soap, but these stainless steel spatulas are sturdy enough to chip away at even the hardest pucks. The tide is turning – we may see this soap finished by the end of September.
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Brush Vielong American (24) ・ Razor Karve Bison (11) ・ Blade 7 O’Clock Yellow (3) ・ 623 consecutive shaves

I’ve seen these are TRC.  

Do let me know how they work!

Sunday, 26 May 2024
Argos (Eufros): Shave 11 ・ 106 g left ・ $1.82 / shave

Two months, give or take a few days, is the ideal lifespan for a tub of artisanal shaving soap. I started Argos on May 16, and I plan to finish it by July 18. To achieve this, I’ll need to use about two grams of soap each day. That may sound profligate, but I have a lot of soap under foot. I see heavy loading as a form of mercy, both for me, the resigned shaver, and for you, the patient reader.

Yesterday was my first attempt at using a two-gram wad of soap. That much product would yield a mountain of lather I thought, but in fact the volume remained the same as in prior shaves. However, the cream was much richer and slicker. Tommy would call it ‘okra snot’.

Several times this week I heard the song of the sirens beckoning me to abandon this journey in favor of another soap. So far I’ve been able to resist the temptation, though I admit I sniffed a few pucks from time to time. This dalliance only confirmed that I’m happy with Argos.

Today’s weigh-in shows my puck is as heavy now as it was when I first set out on this odyssey. Not much to cheer about yet. And the plateau from May 21 to May 24 was demoralizing. But ever since I started using the steel spatula to excavate a hearty load of soap, my spirits have been lifted. We should see bona fide shrinkage tomorrow, and I predict that the attrition will trend steadily downward.
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Brush Vielong American (25) ・ Razor Karve Bison (12) ・ Blade Derby Extra (1) ・ 624 consecutive shaves

Monday, 27 May 2024
Argos (Eufros): Shave 12 ・ 105 g left ・ $1.67 / shave

Light, maneuverable, and long lasting, a plastic razor suits my patchy beard well. In fact, that’s the only type of razor I used for over thirty years, and I got along fine. Today I found a pack of Bic ‘Metal’ razors in a dusty box, and I thought I’d try one again for old time’s sake. Don’t be fooled by the name. These razors aren’t metal. They’re mostly plastic. Only the safety bar and blade are metal. But they shave me as well as an all-metal scraper. After only one pass, the muscle memories returned, and I enjoyed a BBS without irritation. I realize I’m treading close to heresy when I write this, but the Bic ‘Metal’ razor rivals any razor in my stable. Granted, the Bic is sticky, but with a slick soap it’s also close, comfortable, a delight to use.

The lemon note in Argos grows stronger with each shave. The fragrance seems to have become concentrated in the bottom of the puck. The deeper I delve, the fresher it smells. That's encouragement to carry on with this puck. I finished with D.R. Harris' No. 14 cologne, a simple but satisfying mix of vetiver and lemon. Very nice.
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Brush Vielong American (26) ・ Razor Bic Metal (3) ・ Blade Bic Disposable (1) ・ 625 consecutive shaves

Bouki, love that brush and kudos for sticking with one puck. Glad you are getting comfortable shaves again. Enjoying the journey with you.

Sent from my SM-G990U2 using Tapatalk

Monday, 27 May 2024
Argos (Eufros): Shave 12 ・ 105 g left ・ $1.67 / shave

Light, maneuverable, and long lasting, a plastic razor suits my patchy beard well. In fact, that’s the only type of razor I used for over thirty years, and I got along fine. Today I found a pack of Bic ‘Metal’ razors in a dusty box, and I thought I’d try one again for old time’s sake. Don’t be fooled by the name. These razors aren’t metal. They’re mostly plastic. Only the safety bar and blade are metal. But they shave me as well as an all-metal scraper. After only one pass, the muscle memories returned, and I enjoyed a BBS without irritation. I realize I’m treading close to heresy when I write this, but the Bic ‘Metal’ razor rivals any razor in my stable. Granted, the Bic is sticky, but with a slick soap it’s also close, comfortable, a delight to use.

The lemon note in Argos grows stronger with each shave. The fragrance seems to have become concentrated in the bottom of the puck. The deeper I delve, the fresher it smells. That's encouragement to carry on with this puck. I finished with D.R. Harris' No. 14 cologne, a simple but satisfying mix of vetiver and lemon. Very nice.
__________
Brush Vielong American (26) ・ Razor Bic Metal (3) ・ Blade Bic Disposable (1) ・ 625 consecutive shaves

Nothing wrong with a cart. I use the sensor 2 blades for travel, since losing one won't bother me in the least. I never got along with the BIC metals, but I know many folks swear by them for a cheap, efficient disposable shave (and agile, considering how slim the head is) .

Tuesday, 28 May 2024

Time to give Argos a rest. As much as I've enjoyed the painless shaves it's given me, the fun of using just one soap day after day is slipping away. Instead of enjoying the fragrance and the shave, I'm focusing solely on consumption. Boring. 

So I'm going back to using a variety of soaps and creams and posting my notes on the Soap of the Day thread. But I'm sure that at some point my skin will give out again, and I'll come back here to Argos for healing.

Tuesday, 28 May 2024

Time to give Argos a rest. As much as I've enjoyed the painless shaves it's given me, the fun of using just one soap day after day is slipping away. Instead of enjoying the fragrance and the shave, I'm focusing solely on consumption. Boring. 

So I'm going back to using a variety of soaps and creams and posting my notes on the Soap of the Day thread. But I'm sure that at some point my skin will give out again, and I'll come back here to Argos for healing.

I was just getting ready to call you out over on the Soap of the Day thread for abandoning your 3017 or Argos.   
Enjoy your shaves the way you want Bouki - and use the products that bring you enjoyment. Life is too short.

Tuesday, 28 May 2024

Time to give Argos a rest. As much as I've enjoyed the painless shaves it's given me, the fun of using just one soap day after day is slipping away. Instead of enjoying the fragrance and the shave, I'm focusing solely on consumption. Boring. 

So I'm going back to using a variety of soaps and creams and posting my notes on the Soap of the Day thread. But I'm sure that at some point my skin will give out again, and I'll come back here to Argos for healing.

I was just getting ready to call you out over on the Soap of the Day thread for abandoning your 3017 or Argos.   
Enjoy your shaves the way you want Bouki - and use the products that bring you enjoyment. Life is too short.

I thought the same but refrained as I assumed he hit a wall as I have before. Breaks can help us conclude the task at future time of our choosing. Hat off to ya Bouki