Saturday 19th December to Friday 25th December 2020

Mon 21st December

Jayaruh Syn No67
Vitos Super Red
Occams Oren 3dot
Feather Proguard ( 1 )
Pitralon Classic A/S Lotion

We all make silly mistakes as I did yesterday, trying to Shave 3 days of growth with a blade at its optimum is not a good idea. Today with a fresh blade and aided by the Vitos was a pleasant affair, and I was pleased to have got a decent finish without any post Shave problems.

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TobyC said:
Me too! Swirly plastic looks like cheap dime store toys from the '60's and '70's, definitely not expensive products for adults!
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I have a few cheap resin handled brushes (Yaqi synths) which are fine but a bit charmless, but I find them a bit cumbersome. I may well be in the minority but I prefer the ergonomics of the classic 10066/65 style light handle Omega boar brushes instead.
I think it's the issues of ergonomics which applies to razor handles as well, I have no problems with small razor handles (and find larger ones cumbersome) as with brushes I hold them between my index finger and thumb opposed to in my palm, but like with anything in this hobby it's about finding what suits your needs the most.

A great looking brush though, I like the natural oil/wax finish look.
 
donnie_arko said:
I have a few cheap resin handled brushes (Yaqi synths) which are fine but a bit charmless, but I find them a bit cumbersome. I may well be in the minority but I prefer the ergonomics of the classic 10066/65 style light handle Omega boar brushes instead.
I think it's the issues of ergonomics which applies to razor handles as well, I have no problems with small razor handles (and find larger ones cumbersome) as with brushes I hold them between my index finger and thumb opposed to in my palm, but like with anything in this hobby it's about finding what suits your needs the most.

A great looking brush though, I like the natural oil/wax finish look.
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Solid color plastics and translucents are great, especially vintage, but how it feels and performs is really what matters.
 
Monday AM 2020-12-21
National Flashlight Day
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Rooney 1/3 Ebony Finest (26/52)
Crabtree & Evelyn Sweet Almond Oil shaving cream (vintage)
Paradigm 17-4
Wilkinson London Bridge (11)
RazoRock R-160 Sweet Almond aftershave balm

For its combination of scent and lather qualities, I think the C&E cream is a candidate for best ever made. And it is complemented perfectly by the soothing balm.
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Evening all

Soap-Signature Soaps Britania
Razor- EJ 89
Blade- Gillette 7 O'clock Permasharp #1
Brush- Maseto 24 mm 2 Band Badger
Post- Boots Balm
Splash- Boots Freshwood

A passable effort but after 2 1/2 passes I'm still a bit rough on parts of my neck . I'll put it down to operators error.
Other than that my face is super smooth so just a little more effort required on the next shave.

Have a great evening gents, stay safe.
 
Monday 21st December

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Wash with L'Oreal Men Expert Hydra Entergetic Ice Cool Face Wash
Lather up with Hampshire Wool Fat & RazoRock 400 Limited Edition w/Black Fibre 24mm
Two pass (2 day) shave with 1960s Gillette Tech w/Aluminium baseplate & Big Ben Super Stainless (1)
Hot rinse, cold rinse, alum wash & Pashana Original Aftershave​

There's a school of thought that all the blades of a particular type (so, Super Stainless or Chrome or Platinum) from the Lord stable are the same blades recycled into different brands but after running through a good wedge of these, I am inclined to disagree. I think I have commented before that I found the Big Ben Super Stainless to be more like a chrome blade - this time, not so much ...

While the shave was close, smooth and comfortable enough it did have a touch of harshness that I'd associate with middle tier stainless blades. Experience so far would have me put this blade somewhere between the Shark Super Stainless and the ASCO Super Stainless - and on that, you can see that I regard those three from the same house as quite different from each other. The Shark, I'd concede that some might find it tuggy while I find it an exhilarating shave with a really primitive profile an so award that an 8/10; the ASCO, I rate also as 8/10 for quite a different reason and that's because I find it really smooth and it's in an orange package which appeals to me. Shallow, I know ...

So, while both outliers are rated at 8/10 and I put the Big Ben in the middle, I actually rate the Big Ben Super Stainless as a 6/10 and the reason for that is because the shave itself was by no means uncomfortable or problematic, it was quite unexceptional ... and that's really my criteria. If it's a straight-up smooth, comfortable and efficient shave I'm after then I have better blades - the Treet Platinum or PermaSharp Super; a characterful shave, well, again I have other favourites. It's certainly not up to the standard of the chrome offerings from Lord but 6/10 is right as it puts it amongst such peers as the Rapira Swedish Supersteel, the Rapira Super Stainless and the Ladas Super Stainless, all 6/10 in my ratings as well ...

Perfectly acceptable, but absolutely unremarkable.

I have some comments about the Hampshire Wool Fat now that I've used it a few times. My initial thoughts were that it is indeed a really nice, slick soap that pulls up a good, thick lather but not quite to the yogurt-thick density that I can with MWF. I do think it's slicker than MWF and I prefer the cedar and patchouli scent, which goes perfectly with my favourite aftershave: Pashana Original. The slickness puts me very much in mind of Wickham's 1912, which is high praise indeed. Yes, after using it a few more times I think I am inclined to consider it a better soap than my reigning favourite: MWF!!!
 
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