Your thoughts and approach are pretty much the same as mine, brother.
Head Shaver's Check-In
- Thread starter DDH
- Start date
Head shave 104/366
Friday April 12, 2024
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper Bowl
Brush: SOC Mistura
Lather: Tabac
Razor: Henson +++
Blade: Feather (1)
Post: Tabac
A small bite behind my ear going WTG. User error... Slow down!
Friday April 12, 2024
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper Bowl
Brush: SOC Mistura
Lather: Tabac
Razor: Henson +++
Blade: Feather (1)
Post: Tabac
A small bite behind my ear going WTG. User error... Slow down!
Heal up quickly, my friend.
Thank you Eric! It's a minor bite thankfully. I'll be good to go with another shave on Saturday.
Not like the chomp that my Gillette 195 gave me in that area three years ago. It took about two weeks to get over that one. For a few weeks there I was using a clipper and was contemplating not shaving my head completely ever again.
I never aim for BBS, there would be too much irritation if I tried. Usually I do two passes, occasionally three, and I get the closeness I get. My goal is comfort more than a certain closeness, whether that's BBS or DFS or whatever.
For a 2-pass shave I go WTG-XTG on the sides and WTG-ATG on top (it's basically permanently BBS up there already lol)
When I do a 3-passer, I go WTG-XTG-XTG the other way on the sides and WTG-ATG-ATG on top.
It works for me and I rarely end up with irritation.
Henson (mild) / Personna Red
Simpson Chubby 2 synthetic
Proraso Blue
Proraso after shave balm
Simpson Chubby 2 synthetic
Proraso Blue
Proraso after shave balm
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Friday, April 12, 2024
Hardware
Software
Rating
Notes
*********************
Friday, April 12, 2024
Hardware
| Razor | Henson AL13+ |
| Blade | Astra SP [3] |
| Brush | Semogue SOC Boar (Cherry) |
Software
| Pre | PAA Cube |
| Lather | Colonel Conk Bay Rum [2] |
| Post | Lustray Blue Spice |
Rating
| 7 / 10 |
Notes
| Back to easy shaving with the Henson. Knocking off a few points, here, for the Conk — the aggressive scenting was really showing up on my somewhat torn-up scalp (still recovering from that unhappy encounter with the Yates earlier this week). Blue Spice came through with a nice finish. |
*********************
#14 in 2024 GRUYERE shave sebaticle - Still in
#31 GRUME April 2024 - Still in
Date: 04.12.24
Days growth: 5
Head and face shave
Razor: Gillette Tech 1940’s
Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (2)
Brush: Simpson trafalgar T3
Pre-shave: Hot shower using Johnson and Johnson on face and head with facial scrubber
Lather: Ethos Dragonsbeard
Passes: 2 plus pickups WTG ATG
Post Shave Routine and products:
1 - Hot rinse with microfiber towel X2
2 - Cold rinse
3 - Alum block
4 - Cold rinse with microfiber towel X1
5 - Aftershave: None
6 - Balm: Nivea sensitive skin for men
Notes: Today was a close comfortable shave CCS. The Tech came up in the rotation and did great as usual. It handled 5 days of growth no problem. I just learned it’s a 1931 2nd quarter (code is B2) I’m not sure why I didn’t look it up before. When I bought it over a year ago it was advertised as 1940’s and I guess I never questioned it. I guess that makes it a pre-war ball end tech. Pretty neat.
Quality: 9
Comfort: 9
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 9.3
#31 GRUME April 2024 - Still in
Date: 04.12.24
Days growth: 5
Head and face shave
Razor: Gillette Tech 1940’s
Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (2)
Brush: Simpson trafalgar T3
Pre-shave: Hot shower using Johnson and Johnson on face and head with facial scrubber
Lather: Ethos Dragonsbeard
Passes: 2 plus pickups WTG ATG
Post Shave Routine and products:
1 - Hot rinse with microfiber towel X2
2 - Cold rinse
3 - Alum block
4 - Cold rinse with microfiber towel X1
5 - Aftershave: None
6 - Balm: Nivea sensitive skin for men
Notes: Today was a close comfortable shave CCS. The Tech came up in the rotation and did great as usual. It handled 5 days of growth no problem. I just learned it’s a 1931 2nd quarter (code is B2) I’m not sure why I didn’t look it up before. When I bought it over a year ago it was advertised as 1940’s and I guess I never questioned it. I guess that makes it a pre-war ball end tech. Pretty neat.
Quality: 9
Comfort: 9
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 9.3
I can completely appreciate not going for BBS on one's dome, especially if you're shaving everyday or even every other day. I've become less concerned about growing my hair, rather what's left of the coverage up top, often going 5-7 days between shaves, unless i've something important going on. Given the work I do and perhaps coupled with the number of revolutions around the sun I've accumulated at this point, I'm significantly less concerned with my "look" and more concerned about the health of my skin and the quality of the results I get when shaving.
That said when I do shave I want to be uber slick, clean and shiny and for these shaves I definitely pursue BBS: most of the time not having an issue.
Razor: Leaf with all 3 blades installed.
Blades: The Leaf blades get very mixed reviews though I've had good results with theirs (at least the sample pack that came with the razor. I got on average, 4-5 very solid shaves with these. I've been experimenting with others DE blades and thus far I rather like and enjoy using: Wizamet, Perma-Sharp, Voskhod, Persona Red & Blue. I've recently loaded up with Rapira and these seem to be okay as well. Even blades that are draggish/dullish for me as a DE blade can be somewhat redeemed for use in a triple configuration (something like Treet Carbon for instance.) That said, I don't get as many shaves out of the Treet Carbon (maybe 3 comfortable shaves tops.) Gratefully it's not terribly expensive to dial in the right blades.
Pre-Shave: 1. A nylon scrubbing mit with Dr. Bronner's soap and then wipe off with a cloth. 2. PAA Cube 2.0 Preshave worked in with damp hands to raise a bit of very slick opaque lather.
Soap: PAA, Sudsy Soapery (their Rose variants are my favorite) and Stirling.
Brush: PAA (Doppler 26mm or Amber Aerolite 24mm). Really would love it if the Amber Aerolite had the larger knot size.
Post: PAA Alum
Of note: I've tried using a regular DE to shave my head over the years and simply do not enjoy the experience. Using a regular DE (I've 2 GE Techs, 2 GE New Comb (long and short), and PAA's Filament (did a lengthy review of this here:
www.badgerandblade.com
And here:
www.badgerandblade.com
I find I'm not maintaining the best angle for removal, irrespective of how much growth I have; end up with nothing but razor burn, weepers and very spotty removal: overall a poor experience.
Contrary to this, using a DE to trim my cheeks and neck and clean up the line of my beard: NO issues generally speaking and a very enjoyable experience overall.
For my head shaves I was tired of spending $$ on cartridge disposables and landed on the Leaf multiblade experience. There was a bit of a learning curve as I can't fly through my shaves like I could and did with a cartridge multi, but the overall experience and quality of the shave is superior across the board.
Thanks for reading.
That said when I do shave I want to be uber slick, clean and shiny and for these shaves I definitely pursue BBS: most of the time not having an issue.
Razor: Leaf with all 3 blades installed.
Blades: The Leaf blades get very mixed reviews though I've had good results with theirs (at least the sample pack that came with the razor. I got on average, 4-5 very solid shaves with these. I've been experimenting with others DE blades and thus far I rather like and enjoy using: Wizamet, Perma-Sharp, Voskhod, Persona Red & Blue. I've recently loaded up with Rapira and these seem to be okay as well. Even blades that are draggish/dullish for me as a DE blade can be somewhat redeemed for use in a triple configuration (something like Treet Carbon for instance.) That said, I don't get as many shaves out of the Treet Carbon (maybe 3 comfortable shaves tops.) Gratefully it's not terribly expensive to dial in the right blades.
Pre-Shave: 1. A nylon scrubbing mit with Dr. Bronner's soap and then wipe off with a cloth. 2. PAA Cube 2.0 Preshave worked in with damp hands to raise a bit of very slick opaque lather.
Soap: PAA, Sudsy Soapery (their Rose variants are my favorite) and Stirling.
Brush: PAA (Doppler 26mm or Amber Aerolite 24mm). Really would love it if the Amber Aerolite had the larger knot size.
Post: PAA Alum
Of note: I've tried using a regular DE to shave my head over the years and simply do not enjoy the experience. Using a regular DE (I've 2 GE Techs, 2 GE New Comb (long and short), and PAA's Filament (did a lengthy review of this here:
A Noob’s First Experience with Open Comb and Slant Razors: A Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements’ Filament
Kit Used Exfoliating Glove Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap PAA Cube 2.0 (non-menthol): first use PAA Cane Shave Soap: first use PAA Doppler Shave Brush PAA Intergalactic Shave Scuttle PAA Filament: first use PAA Platinum Strangelet Super Sharp DE Blade: first use PAA Alum w/dock: first use My...
www.badgerandblade.com
And here:
Review of the Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Filament, Part 2: Return of the Weepers…
Review of the Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Filament, Part 2: Return of the Weepers… Kit Used (Differences from First Shave) Wizamet Super Iridium DE Blade PAA Planet Phoenix Shave Soap (Special Edition only available as a sample size with purchase of the Intergalactic Travel Scuttle) PAA...
www.badgerandblade.com
I find I'm not maintaining the best angle for removal, irrespective of how much growth I have; end up with nothing but razor burn, weepers and very spotty removal: overall a poor experience.
Contrary to this, using a DE to trim my cheeks and neck and clean up the line of my beard: NO issues generally speaking and a very enjoyable experience overall.
For my head shaves I was tired of spending $$ on cartridge disposables and landed on the Leaf multiblade experience. There was a bit of a learning curve as I can't fly through my shaves like I could and did with a cartridge multi, but the overall experience and quality of the shave is superior across the board.
Thanks for reading.
Head shave 105/366
Saturday April 13, 2024
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper Bowl
Brush: Simpson CH2
Lather: MdC Rose
Razor: Henson +
Blade: Kai (1)
Post: Tabac
Back to the Henson Mild. An excellent shave with no irritation, no drama.
Saturday April 13, 2024
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper Bowl
Brush: Simpson CH2
Lather: MdC Rose
Razor: Henson +
Blade: Kai (1)
Post: Tabac
Back to the Henson Mild. An excellent shave with no irritation, no drama.
Second Head shave 106/366
Saturday April 13, 2024
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper Bowl
Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts
Lather: Tabac
Razor: Henson +
Blade: Feather (1)
Post: Tabac
A quick two pass head shave before heading out for the evening with no drama or irritation.
Saturday April 13, 2024
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper Bowl
Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts
Lather: Tabac
Razor: Henson +
Blade: Feather (1)
Post: Tabac
A quick two pass head shave before heading out for the evening with no drama or irritation.
I can completely appreciate not going for BBS on one's dome, especially if you're shaving everyday or even every other day. I've become less concerned about growing my hair, rather what's left of the coverage up top, often going 5-7 days between shaves, unless i've something important going on. Given the work I do and perhaps coupled with the number of revolutions around the sun I've accumulated at this point, I'm significantly less concerned with my "look" and more concerned about the health of my skin and the quality of the results I get when shaving.
That said when I do shave I want to be uber slick, clean and shiny and for these shaves I definitely pursue BBS: most of the time not having an issue.
Razor: Leaf with all 3 blades installed.
Blades: The Leaf blades get very mixed reviews though I've had good results with theirs (at least the sample pack that came with the razor. I got on average, 4-5 very solid shaves with these. I've been experimenting with others DE blades and thus far I rather like and enjoy using: Wizamet, Perma-Sharp, Voskhod, Persona Red & Blue. I've recently loaded up with Rapira and these seem to be okay as well. Even blades that are draggish/dullish for me as a DE blade can be somewhat redeemed for use in a triple configuration (something like Treet Carbon for instance.) That said, I don't get as many shaves out of the Treet Carbon (maybe 3 comfortable shaves tops.) Gratefully it's not terribly expensive to dial in the right blades.
Pre-Shave: 1. A nylon scrubbing mit with Dr. Bronner's soap and then wipe off with a cloth. 2. PAA Cube 2.0 Preshave worked in with damp hands to raise a bit of very slick opaque lather.
Soap: PAA, Sudsy Soapery (their Rose variants are my favorite) and Stirling.
Brush: PAA (Doppler 26mm or Amber Aerolite 24mm). Really would love it if the Amber Aerolite had the larger knot size.
Post: PAA Alum
Of note: I've tried using a regular DE to shave my head over the years and simply do not enjoy the experience. Using a regular DE (I've 2 GE Techs, 2 GE New Comb (long and short), and PAA's Filament (did a lengthy review of this here:
A Noob’s First Experience with Open Comb and Slant Razors: A Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements’ Filament
Kit Used Exfoliating Glove Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap PAA Cube 2.0 (non-menthol): first use PAA Cane Shave Soap: first use PAA Doppler Shave Brush PAA Intergalactic Shave Scuttle PAA Filament: first use PAA Platinum Strangelet Super Sharp DE Blade: first use PAA Alum w/dock: first use My...
And here:
Review of the Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Filament, Part 2: Return of the Weepers…
Review of the Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Filament, Part 2: Return of the Weepers… Kit Used (Differences from First Shave) Wizamet Super Iridium DE Blade PAA Planet Phoenix Shave Soap (Special Edition only available as a sample size with purchase of the Intergalactic Travel Scuttle) PAA...
I find I'm not maintaining the best angle for removal, irrespective of how much growth I have; end up with nothing but razor burn, weepers and very spotty removal: overall a poor experience.
Contrary to this, using a DE to trim my cheeks and neck and clean up the line of my beard: NO issues generally speaking and a very enjoyable experience overall.
For my head shaves I was tired of spending $$ on cartridge disposables and landed on the Leaf multiblade experience. There was a bit of a learning curve as I can't fly through my shaves like I could and did with a cartridge multi, but the overall experience and quality of the shave is superior across the board.
Thanks for reading.
I used to be a big fan of the Leaf razor, especially with Feather blades. But when it broke on me about 8 months ago after having it for less than a year I decided to try out some other razors.
That led me to the Henson razor. It is hands down the best razor that I have used, and it’s not even close.
So if you do decide to try out a DE again for your head shaves I highly recommend giving the Henson a try. Even the mild version is very effective as a head shaver.
Today I went with the Henson ++ and a Wizamet Super Iridium blade. I took the advice given to my earlier question and did a 3 pass shave (WTG/XTG/ATG) with some clean up and achieved a DFS borderline BBS shave.
I rarely ever do WTG as my first pass because I think it’s a waste of time for me at least…and today basically confirmed it. When I go WTG it barely removes any growth at all. Usually I do XTG and one or two ATG with clean up in problem spots.
Todays shave wasn’t any more comfortable than any of my previous shaves and it probably took a bit more time than usual. I think I just need to stick to what I’ve been doing but just not be so picky on the clean up as that’s what I really think causes some irritation when there is irritation.
I rarely ever do WTG as my first pass because I think it’s a waste of time for me at least…and today basically confirmed it. When I go WTG it barely removes any growth at all. Usually I do XTG and one or two ATG with clean up in problem spots.
Todays shave wasn’t any more comfortable than any of my previous shaves and it probably took a bit more time than usual. I think I just need to stick to what I’ve been doing but just not be so picky on the clean up as that’s what I really think causes some irritation when there is irritation.
Thanks for the feedback. Which aggression level of Henson are you using? If you don't mind, what exactly broke on the Leaf and did they stand behind their product? Replace it?
Thanks...
It was the female end of where you screw the head back together after putting in the blades. Not sure if that makes sense but basically the threaded part just gave up when I was tightening it to get ready for a shave.
I didn’t bother with trying to get them to warranty it or anything. I needed to shave the next day so I ordered another one on Amazon so it would get there in time.
And that’s also when I decided to go down the rabbit hole of trying different razors to find the one for me.
As far as the Henson goes…I have all three aggression levels and they are all amazing razors. Even the mild can easily achieve a BBS shave. The aggressive version can be quite spicy but it gets BBS pretty quickly.
@1e4 passed along to me a Yates Winning v2 and also included a Stirling soap which I look forward to using soon, thank you. This shave was with Tabac soap and a new GSB blade, since I know how both perform for me.
Compared to my Henson + the Yates feels more aggressive and efficient. The shave angle was easy to find and after the first pass the closeness felt similar to what it does after two passes with the Henson.
Final results were a subpar shave and not on the comfort level of the Henson. Where the Henson glides smoothly over the skin, the Yates felt like it is plowing. And yes, I used only enough pressure to keep the blade in contact with the skin.
I could tell my scalp wasn’t happy so I skipped the aftershave and applied some Thayers witch hazel.
As the saying goes, life is too short for bad shaves so I will pass it on to anyone who wants to give it a try.
Compared to my Henson + the Yates feels more aggressive and efficient. The shave angle was easy to find and after the first pass the closeness felt similar to what it does after two passes with the Henson.
Final results were a subpar shave and not on the comfort level of the Henson. Where the Henson glides smoothly over the skin, the Yates felt like it is plowing. And yes, I used only enough pressure to keep the blade in contact with the skin.
I could tell my scalp wasn’t happy so I skipped the aftershave and applied some Thayers witch hazel.
As the saying goes, life is too short for bad shaves so I will pass it on to anyone who wants to give it a try.
This is three people using the same Winning v2 with the same results. You’re the forth person who used it for a grand total of 7 shaves with it and both of you after me to use it have said the same thing.
How does this razor have such a following? It’s awful to grind yourself through a shave with it. I think I could might be able to make it work for a face shave (I used to use a cart razor with just water back when I was in the Navy) but for a head shave….absolutely not.
@Chris47 has claimed the Yates.
@Largefarva if I didn’t have a beard I would give the Winning a try with a face shave. It is a head scratcher (no pun intended) as to why this razor has issues when it comes to head shaves.
@Largefarva if I didn’t have a beard I would give the Winning a try with a face shave. It is a head scratcher (no pun intended) as to why this razor has issues when it comes to head shaves.
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Henson AL13 Medium with a fresh Dorco Prime.
CRS Indian Sandalwood Cream (1st use.. wow.. good cream and scent) with the Thater Badger Brush.
Finished with RE Nordic Balm.
FYI, I use a regular non toxic bar of soap (Pre de Prevonce, right now) as part of my pre shave routine. I rub the soap into my head and then rub rub rub in all directions. Rinse and then apply the cream.
Net result: BBS - No Drama
CRS Indian Sandalwood Cream (1st use.. wow.. good cream and scent) with the Thater Badger Brush.
Finished with RE Nordic Balm.
FYI, I use a regular non toxic bar of soap (Pre de Prevonce, right now) as part of my pre shave routine. I rub the soap into my head and then rub rub rub in all directions. Rinse and then apply the cream.
Net result: BBS - No Drama
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