There and Back Again, A Wet-Shaver's Tale

Well done, Eric!

4/12 SOTD; The Soberversary shave

Razor: Max Sprecher 

Brush: Sorrentino Turquoise

Soap: Asylum Shave Works Royal Fougere

Aftershave: Asylum Shave Works Royal Fougere

It's hard to believe that it's been 7 years since my last drink of alcohol. Knowing where I was then and seeing where I am now, I am continually grateful for how far I've come in that time. A few favorites were broken out for the occasion, including the lovely unobtanium Royal Fougere. Three passes left me with a very nice DFS+, and I left the shave den a happy man. It's often the simple things that make a day great.

Back on day shift! We're on 10 hour days and will probably be working weekends for a while, but I'm really looking forward to when my body adjusts to the change in sleep schedule. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

BIG congratulations to your 7 year sobriety Eric. My father was an alcoholic and estranged from me for 30 years before getting sober for good. I know the hard steps to get right and I applaud you !!!

Congratulations Eric! That is an epic achievement.  

Congrats Eric!

Eric. This is the best thing I’ve read on DFS in a long time. Congrats my friend. I wish nothing but the best for you and your future!

-Paul

Congrats Eric I am happy for you buddy!

Well done, Eric!

Thanks so much guys! It's something I'm so used to everyone knowing that I don't really think twice about mentioning it anymore. I know I'm new around here, but you've all made me feel very welcome and I greatly appreciate that. I entered a residential program 7 years ago, and once I completed it I was asked to stay on as an intern and eventually staff. I worked there for a hair under 5 years and just moved on in March of last year. It was definitely an amicable parting and I still support them in every way I can.

4/13 SOTD

Razor: Mag T Delta
Blade: Wizamet
Brush: PAA Switchback w/Gelousy fan
Cream: Hemingway Accoutrements Supreme Shave Cream
Aftershave: Hemingway Accoutrements Aftershave Tonic

Well, gvw755  was kind enough to send me this Mag T Delta to use, and it arrived today. Let me tell you, the pics don't do it's size or appearance justice, and it is a heavy beast. I generally shower and shave after work so I was able to use it right away. I grabbed the Hemingway cream because it smells so darn good, and got to it.

Both the base and cap have magnets, and popping a blade in is about as easy as it gets. There is a LOT of gap under the blade, and the razor can give a mild or very aggressive shave based on angle. With a fresh Wizamet installed and a soaked and warm badger knot I was good to go. The shave itself ended up being pretty rough. This isn't a mindless shaver by any stretch, and I let my attention wander a bit too freely during the first pass. This resulted in some blood and some irritation that the alum block definitely let me know about afterwards. I paid more attention on the second pass and started treating it a bit more like my injector, since that is what the blade angle reminded me of the most. Kept it as parallel to my face as possible, rode the cap, and added just a bit of pressure. I think that is where the sweet spot will end up being. Two passes left me with a DFS+ and I wasn't willing to go any farther than that. I might skip tomorrow's shave to and pick it up with this razor the day after now that I have a better idea of what it is capable of. In short, not the best shave but I got a glimpse of this razors potential and I think it will be an excellent shaver once I get a bit more used to it. Many thanks to Les for sending it.



Thanks for reading and have a great day!

4/15 SOTD

Razor: Mag T Delta
Blade: Wizamet
Brush: Sorrentino Turquoise
Soap: Ethos Grooming Colonia
Aftershave: Ethos Grooming Colonia

Round 2 with this beast of a razor, and I had high hopes for it. The areas that were shaved close last time lasted a while before stubble appeared again so I knew it was capable of greatness. I grabbed a soap that I've been using a lot lately. I really need to get a couple more of Frank's offerings as they are phenomenal.

Ok, so pass one was more of the same as last time. I changed my grip up a few times but still struggled with keeping the angle shallow while still removing facial hair, and managed a couple more nicks in the trouble spots. At this point I was getting a bit frustrated, but I knew this razor would deliver if I could just figure out a way to use it that worked for me, so I decided to go full-on aggressive mode. I've never cared for aggressive razors, but I figured I was already bleeding and knew there would be some irritation so I had nothing to lose. I went in at an angle that kind of terrified me. The kind of angle that, if I allowed any of the weight of this massive razor to do the work, would have me auditioning for Face Off 2, and..



It worked like a charm. For some reason, against any and all expectation, this razor works for me at it's most aggressive angle. It required a super light touch, but there were no more incidents. One ATG pass like that and I was fantastically smooth. There was some burn from the alum block, but I'm certain that was from the first pass. It'll take another shave or two to be make sure these results can be consistently repeatable, but I think I've unlocked this monster. 



The cigar boxes I'm converting into straight razor storage are coming along well. I tried Fluffy's suggestion and ordered some flocking materials. A small kit with green and a larger bag of black, as well as the black undercoating, I tried the green with the first one and it did not come out well. One of the reasons for that is that they just sent some crappy acrylic green paint in the kit, which did not work very well. I used the black on the second one with the undercoating, and it seems to have turned out much better. Once it's dry and I can remove the excess I'll have a better idea of how it looks. I also learned that the "Adhesive Undercoat" that they sell for $15 for a very small can is just oil based enamel that you can get for a lot cheaper at any hardware or paint store. That'll be the way I go if I decide to get any other colors, which is a possibility.



Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Looking forward to photos of cigar box storage units!

And that Mag looks terrifying! I will leave it to you dare devils to play with!

Looking forward to photos of cigar box storage units!

And that Mag looks terrifying! I will leave it to you dare devils to play with!

It's actually a pretty impressive shaver once you start getting it figured out. Far more aggressive than anything I thought I would ever like, but it's working for me after today's shave with it.

4/16 SOTD

The same set up as yesterday. I used the aggressive angle of the Mag T and walked away with a fantastic two pass BBS. It took about as long as three passes would have and there was a bit of fluid loss under my nose where I let my attention wander for a second, but I'm definitely digging this razor now that I've got it pretty well figured out. The looks and heft drew me in, but the quality of the shave will insure one of these is added to the den. Many thanks again to gvw755 for letting me try it out.

4/17 SOTD

Razor: Inoue Tosuke Kamisori

Brush: Switchback w/Gelousy fan

Soap: Fine Latigo

Aftershave: Fine Latigo

It's been a while since I grabbed the kami so I put it on deck last night. Grabbed the newer soap from Fine because it's only been used a couple times and still needs to be properly tested. 

The shave was delightful. I'm not sure whether kamisoris are just what work best for me since this is the only one I've used, but I get a great shave with it every time. It helps that it has one of the best edges out of all my straights. I'm still learning grips and angles, and might need to use it exclusively for a week or two to get that nailed down, but I can knock out a leisurely two pass with a bit of clean up BBS without any trouble. I was a bit heavy handed in one of the trouble spots and the alum let me know about it, but there was no real issue when I applied the aftershave, and Fine aftershaves are notoriously unforgiving. 

All in all I'd put the new Fine soap about on par with the previous. I have yet to do a head-to-head but it performs about the same, though the post shave might not be quite as good. I love the scent, and have seriously considered pulling the trigger on a bottle of Knize Ten. 

Sitting down to peruse the forums and do a few other things online with one of my favorite coffee roasts.

Thanks for reading and have a great night!

Nice shave and looks like some good coffee !

Nice shave and looks like some good coffee !

Thanks Dave! The coffee is outstanding. A fairly dark roast, but smooth instead of bitter. I dig it.