Prep: Splash of Cool Water
Razor: Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 Open Comb
Blade: Gillette - Nacet (Marathon) (538)
Lather: Wholly Kaw Vegan - 1776
Brush: Stirling - Finest CravingtShaving Blue Slate 26mm (42 uses)
Post Shave: Barbedeaux - Razor Bump Therapy

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

Trying the Slurry Lather again with the Stirling Finest Badger and Wholly Kaw vegan formulation. STill not quite right.

I also tried a couple of Barbedeaux products for the first time. I tried the shaving foam as a pre-shave face wash, and I hated the slime it left on my hands.

I also used the splash at the end, and did not like the nasty rubbing alcohol scent... that I've never experienced with folks like Stirling, BaM, Mammoth, Summer Break, Declaration, Proraso .. well, anyone. And the way it conditioned my skin with the food that it has in it (hey, at least there is some) didn't seem to be any better than any of these others. At full price, buying 2 bottles of Stirling is a way better deal, because no alc hit, and you can get scent choice (Barb is basically unscented).

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb ::: Gillette - Nacet - M ‹538 uses›)

Tuggy since i was shaving off two days of growth. But after the first pass, allw as comfy. Got a close shave.

Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 2 out of 5 (Okay)

䷀ Soap Notes

(Wholly Kaw Vegan - 1776)

Them: "a summer blend perfect for saluting the Fourth of July. It is a refreshing green aroma with notes of osmanthus, benzoin, labdanum, grapefruit, artemisia, tarragon, patchouli, musk, tonka bean, cedarwood."

Me: I did a blind shave with it first, not knowing the notes. I just know that i really enjoyed it.

Scent Strength: 4/10, present during shaving.

Lather... I'd guess I loaded for 80 swirls: 70 at start, and then a refresher later.

So I did have to go back and get more soap and a little more water, but with the Slurry method, that's really a small thing.

But it still is not coming together how The SL method usually does. I see two possible culprits: the brush may be so dense that it doesn't hold as much water as needed, which I think is less likely than... or that the soap just needs more product than usual. That is something I've experienced wtih WK in the past, but I can't remember whether it was vegan or tallow at the time.

I'm going to change one of those variables for next time.

Hydration: Dry End of Perfect (for me)

• 27 sec load with a Very Wet brush
• = 4 passes of lather

Bowl: No Bowl

䷀ Brush Notes

(Stirling - Finest in CravingShaving Blue Slate 26mm ‹42 uses›)

Firm backbone, but somewhat soft tips, as usual. Brush seemed to start out with enough water, but when I needed it in the second pass, not much was there.

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Tuggy
  Neck: Tuggy
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Close Shave
  Neck: Several hairs are showing some tip length (still a pretty good shave)

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet