October 14, 2023

• Brush: Maggard 24mm Tuxedo Synthetic
• Razor: Wolfman Guerilla (Gen 1)
• Blade: V12 Super Platinum (5)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Waves of Grain - Soap
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - The Night Before - Aftershave

Nice shave. Although I tend to prefer my Stirling Tuxedo (one of the softer versions of this style knot), this Maggard one is very nice to use sometimes. It has a tad more backbone and it works great.

October 14, 2023

• Brush: Wild West Brushworks Blue Space 26mm Cashmere

• Razor: Ralf Aust 5/8 Stainless Full Hollow Spanish Point (Straight Shave 352)

• Lather: Noble Otter - Monarch - Soap

• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Monarch - Aftershave

• Post Shave: None

2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

Travel shave. Amazingly good. Enjoying Monarch a lot.

Been feeling a bit ill and frustrated by some sort of persistent low grade coldvid. At some point I check the mail and a couple Kismet blades for my Weck from @djundjila@sub.wetshaving.social were there! Thanks again. Wasn't quite feeling up to it until last shave a couple days ago I used the blade that was in there, a Fromm according to the spine (but perhaps a decade or more older as it came with the Weck in a lot). And today I tried the Kismet.

Fromm

Really enjoyed that shave. Been a while since I'd used one of my shavettes or a pasted blade and I do enjoy the extra bump in sharpness, help me be really present with it and use a tight angle with a vanishingly light touch. However it came with a tiny weeper that sort of highlighted two pores, easly dealt with by alum but still, tsk, thats unusual with my less lasery natural edges, especially WtG. Managed AtG without adding to that and overally pretty happy with this blade. And the Weck generally, glad I didn't let it go when I was thinking pfff I have straights. It's a good benchmark and something to strive for with pasted edges.

...though I also saw why I haven't been back to this much since getting a few JNATs, definitely ended up with a bit more in the way of ingrowns.

Kismet

Today I gave the Kismet a try and had a similar result (weeper moved though and had a twin this time). Also WtG because I decided I'd leave off AtG for fewer ingrowns although the extra sharpness is definitely appreciated there so it was tempting. Overall I really enjoyed it and consider it a resounding success because that was a fresh blade with nearly the comfort of one with 3 shaves on it and I didn't even palm strop it (On that note: @DaveWave94@sub.wetshaving.social you might consider palm stropping for fresh GEM blades, I find it helps those in particular quite a bit for me).

Overall though I think I mainly like the Weck: it wasn't hugely better than the vintage(ish) Fromm so I might try the current ones when I eventually use these up as I think there are more options for me to source those. Kismet was probably my favourite new-blade-in-a-shavette though I think the Captain Titan Mild AC comes close.

Er, to make this more SoTD I guess I should point out I was using DG Darkfall and a 23mm Muhle STF.

Fourteenth Day of TabOKtoberfest - Belgian Travel Season Finale

• Brush: Mühle Travel Brush
• Razor: Thiers Issard Le Dandy
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original Stick
• Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original

I've channeled my inner SHAVE⭐DANDY in this first shave with yesterday's acquisition, the white Thiers Issard "Le Dandy". It was a nice experience to go to a real brick and mortar wetshaving store, even if their straight razor offering only includes Dovo and Thiers Issard. This dandy came in a simple cardboard box and flapless leather pouch.

I now have one more data point to add to yesterday's discussion of relative quality w.r.t. other manufacturers of Thiers Issard razors: The factory edge on this Thiers Issard is not great, certainly nowhere near what I got on my Ralf Aust razors. But you get what you pay for, I guess, and this razor wasn't pricey. I have to believe that it's a bad strategy to sell entry-price straight razors with anything other than a stellar edge, but I'm no business person. On the other hand, I really enjoy the whole maintenance aspect of using straight razors, so I'm looking forward to getting this edge to sing.

The geometry of the blade and point reminds me of a scaled-down version of the Koraat Sparschweinchen including the sharp corner in the point. It's a geometry I'm well familiar with, and I felt right at home. Good shave, albeit a tad tuggy. I think I will enjoy this razor quite a bit after I've given it a good edge.

Now I'm sitting in the Paris-bound high-speed train to meet up with @PorkButtsNTaters666. We have never met before, but I went extra heavy on the Glorious Old Man Stank® (++), so he shouldn't have any trouble finding me in the crowd 😊

Stank ++;

SOTN 14.10.2023

• Prep: warm water
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Flying Wing/Bullet Tip gold
• Blade: GEM PTFE
• Brush: Zenith Moar Boar 31 mm
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Unscented soap
• Post Shave: Thayer's Aloe Vera toner; Aloe Vera gel

Much thanks to djundjila for not only sending one, but 2 unscented soaps to me!

Today I used DG Unscented for a 2-pass head shave. I actually had the whole week off (paid leave), but didn't shave much except for a swift one with gel and the Headblade. I experimented with various beard styles but am back into beardstache territory (the stubble will go tomorrow with my Sunday shave).

Unscented soap is kinda weird - it smells a bit like wet dog (or wet bison since it's DG?). I suppose it's the tallow scent. However, I was able to do two passes with a fresh GEM blade and it didn't flare up my eczema side too badly. One tiny weeper on the other side, but that's expected after a long pause.

Went with mostly scentless post-shave too and actually... It works, but it's dull. I might have to get in the habit of alternating between unscented head shaves and scented face shaves to actually get some enjoyment out of the hobby again. Much thanks to djundjila though for the soap, I'll put it to good use!