B.S.O.T.D

BigBoar

BigBoar

Messages
1,306
Location
Telford
OK guys, we all post about all the great shaves we have, but none of us mentions the 'bad'uns'. When I first started DE shaving all I read about was all the great shaves everybody else had, a bit disheartening when I was suffering from cuts, irritation and a not so close shave.

Anyway, I had a terrible shave this morning which brought all those memories flooding back! So I've decided to start Bad Shave Of The Day.

I'll start....

TOBs Sandalwood soap.
TOBs best badger
EJ d89
Old Spice.

Right, first off my soap just would not lather, then I went in at the wrong angle on my neck, whilst applying far too much pressure this had led to itchy irritation. I then used far too much Old Spice which felt like I was rubbing a bunch of nettles around my face. I then dropped the stopper from my old spice into the toilet.

All in all a godawful shave.
 
RE: BSOTD

Good idea boar! I am in.

My feedback:

TOBS soaps are nothing like their creams.

The EJ89 is quiet aggressive despite what many here will say ymmv on this but to me it's more aggressive and less efficient than my current favourite the Merkur 37c where skin care is the best I ever encountered in a razor.

Old Spice is lovely, ye put it over a shaving accident and it will burn.

My last BSOTD was a triple head on collision between my face, an Erasmic stick and a BIC 1.
 
2hdzi8p.jpg

Pre: Hot wash with dove soap
Brush: Omega 49 pro.
Soap: Tabac.
Razor: Kropp 6/8 followed by 1966 Gillette adj.
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue #4
Post: Nivea on the irritation old spice on best bits.


OK Lather was weak as cats pee, dont know whats happening lately I just cant lather to save my life, which in turn made me scrape the barnacles off this morning rather then cutting, taking a layer of skin with it. I loaded the brush for 30 seconds but the brush just seamed to want to hold onto the lather. Its only the second time I have used this brush but so far I am not impressed.

One almost complete pass with the Kropp but to be honest it was uncomfortable so I finished my shave with my Adjustable set on 4. I nivea balmed the raw bits and old spiced the good bits.

Jim
 
Hey Jim, I had loads of problems with my omega, I found that if I used a really wet brush, I literally just let the water run off back into the sink, no squeezing or shaking my lather improved dramatically. Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs..
 
BigBoar said:
Hey Jim, I had loads of problems with my omega, I found that if I used a really wet brush, I literally just let the water run off back into the sink, no squeezing or shaking my lather improved dramatically. Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs..
Click to expand...
Not at all, all advice is welcomed. The brush was soaking for about 10 minutes and literally took it from the mug to the tabac and swirled it for about 20 - 30 seconds, went to my bowl and began to lather, 5 minutes later and the brush still was holding onto the soap in the center of the brush. I just gave up and used the brush on my face, thin lather over my face, after first pass. I had to load some more soap onto the brush and face lathered with little improvement.

I just tried my old Vie long on the same soap and man it lathered like there was no tomorrow. I am beginning to think that boar brushes aren't for me but as they say ymmv :p.

I have just ordered a vie-long horse/badger mix brush from Shaving Station. The boar has until this brush arrives and is broken in, to perform else it gets PIF'd. Onr other thing the brush is shedding a bit but I understand thats normal for new brushes.

Jim
 
Took me 6 months to break in my omega. Well, I hated it at first, couldn't get a lather at all and it stank like a dead skunk. I gave it to my 3 year old son who used it to clean his chalk drawings off the patio. After 6 months in the garden I noticed it didn't stink, all the ends had split and it had a lovely bloom. Cleaned it up, best brush I own!

(I wouldn't recommend that method for a badger brush.........)

Greg.
 
I have not had a bad shave for sometime, but my nightmare shave would be,

Wilkinson Blue Bowl
Cheapo Plastic DE with a massive fat head
Derby blades
No Styptic Pencil or Alum
Brush - does not matter really
Aftershave with a high percentage of alcohol just to confirm that I have indeed removed layers of skin from my face.

I always have a bad shave when I try Geo Trumpers hard soaps.

D. :D
 
Prep: Hot shower
Pre: Proraso pre-shave - sensitive
Soap: MWF + grapefruit EO
Bowl: Woodhead Pedestal
Brush: MÜHLE Kosmo silvertip synthetic
Razor: Merkur 37c slant
Blade: PolSilver SI (1)
After: Aqua Velva Musk AS, Coral Skin food

The weakest link in this line-up is MWF. Sometimes get good results with this soap but today was the final judgement call. I've had this soap for over a year now. The puck had dried and split in the tub so I had previously grated it and pressed it back into the tub to allow better loading. This had resulted in it becoming "bitty" and loading picked of lots of tiny bits which was annoying. I then heated the tub to partially melt the puck which seemed to cure that problem.
When I found it yesterday it had shrunk again so I left it a little water overnight which helped it hydrate some.

On with this morning's shave. I used my trusty synthetic which always generates the best lather and loaded for much longer than I'd usually. Bowl lathered (with a few drops of grapefruit essential oil to disguise the laundry pong of MWF) for longer than usual and although I did achieve a lather it was still too airy and thin. Applying the alther to face was not very impressive so I went back to the puck and face lathered which improved the lather slightly. Overall the lather was thin and lifeless, it did the job but only just; such a joyless shave.

Post shave my skin did feel nicely moisturised but all the hassle with this soap has made me empty what remains of the puck (less than a cm thick) into the bin with the relief that I'll never have to battle with this one again.
Life's too short to fight with soaps and there are so many much better performing ones out there.

Have a great day, folks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom