Diary (& questions) of a relative newbie

[Ligeti]

Perma-Sharp (1st) (171st blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) (43th shave) + ASB

After 10 shaves, I ditched the Gillette blade this morning. Not that the last shave was horrible or bloody. But the new blade's performance is clearly a lot better.
On Saturday, my wife confirmed how much she appreciates the fragrance of the Mirto di Sardegna. That makes two of us.
I've integrated the hamamelis water back into my routine. After shaving, I rinse my face with hot water. But instead of rubbing the alumn on my wet face, I dry my face, spray some hamamelis water on my face and rub the alumn in that moisture. It stays on while I clean my gear. Then follows the cold water rinse, drying, ASB.
I could invent a lot of stories on why, but the real reason I started doing this is: emptying that bottle so I get more room on my part of the shelf.

 

[Ligeti]

Perma-Sharp (7th) (171st blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) (50th shave) + ASB

Today I reached the 50th shave with Saponificio Varesino. Thus reaching the end of my rotation. Time for a new picture on soap levels after xxx shaves

 

[Ligeti]

Voskhod (1st) (172nd blade), De Vergulde Hand soap (tub, 126th shave) + ASB

Back to the top of my rotation with De Vergulde Hand. Plus a fresh blade. However much I like Perma-Sharp, I should remember not to keep it for a whole week. The result with this fresh blade is so much better than the last Perma-Sharp shave.
Returning to De Vergulde Hand teaches me a few things. I love the fragrance, but it's definitely not of the same sophistication as Saponificio Varesino. Plus however good the balm is, the total shaving proces leaves my skin dryer than with Saponificio. Maybe I need to use just a little more of the ASB.

 

[Ligeti]

Voskhod (5th) (172nd blade), De Vergulde Hand soap (tub, 130th shave) + Brut Original ASL

So in the mean time, the De Vergulde Hand ASB ran out. I've got a spare one, with a spare tub of soap. But I'll start using that only when the soap has run out too. In the mean time, I'm coupling this soap with good old Brut. A bottle I managed to buy at a store that's gone bankrupt. It's not my big favorite but it does the job and the fragrance scores very high on nostalgia.
Plus the past few days I've been adding the Proraso White preshave to my routine.
Result of these two modifications: feels better on my skin. Probably the preshave has the largest effect.

 

[Ligeti]

Wilkinson Blade (3rd) (173rd blade), De Vergulde Hand soap (tub, 133th shave) + Brut Original ASL

Enjoying some excellent shaves. The Wilkinson blade really suits me well, definitely a first tier blade for me.
17 more shaves to take the De Vergulde Hand tub to 150 shaves and I'm pretty sure it will still have a few shaves left after that. So the spare tub will stay in the back of my den a few months longer. Good thing I don't need to feed it in the mean time.

I must say I'm happy with all 5 soaps currently in my rotation. They might all keep a first tier position, meaning they'll get reordered when running out.

 

[thombrogan]

Hoping all is well in Belgium and that Missus Ligeti is recovering thoroughly

 

[Ligeti]

Hoping all is well in Belgium and that Missus Ligeti is recovering thoroughly

Still sessions with the physiotherapist, but she already walks without crutches. So there's some light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Ligeti]

Gillette 7o'clock SS (green) (3rd) (174th blade), De Vergulde Hand soap (tub, 140th shave) + Brut Original ASL

There's just a ring of soap left at the bottom of the De Vergulde Hand tub. And since a few days, that ring is broken. Still, I'm quite convinced there's more than 10 shaves left. I do find it more difficult to load on this ring of soap. Hard to get enough soap on the brush for my preferred snow plowing.

 

[thombrogan]

she already walks without crutches

That is excellent news for read. Thank you for the update, @Ligeti !

 

[Ligeti]

Gillette 7o'clock SS (green) (7th) (174th blade), De Vergulde Hand soap (tub, 144th shave) + Brut Original ASL

The ring of soap is getting smaller and thinner. I'm still pretty sure I'll reach the 150th shave, but not a lot more. At the 150th shave point, I'll decide to continue finishing the tub or not. Chances are I will.
The Gillette blade is kindly requesting to be replaced and retired.
And Miss Ligeti can drive the car again. That makes a big difference in my agenda.

 

[Balin]

And Miss Ligeti can drive the car again. That makes a big difference in my agenda.

Woo hoo!! You have a designated driver should you want to go out for a night at the pub!!

 

[Ligeti]

Perma-Sharp (4th) (175th blade), De Vergulde Hand soap (tub, 148th shave) + Brut Original ASL

De Vergulde Hand is finished. It just missed the 150 shaves mark, probably because in the last few days, small bits of soap broke off and landed in my brush. So lots of lather on my face.

So what to say after finishing a tub of De Vergulde Hand shaving soap (and a tube of De Vergulde Hand ASB)

• After 148 shaves, I still love the fragrance. It's barbershop, nostalgia, lavender-like with a twist. Well, I'm not good at describing fragrances.
• Loading is easy
• Lathers well
• Isn't great at hydrating my skin. But the ASB solves that easily.
• Has a horrible supercheap packaging
• Is a cheap product in absolute terms (€ 3,29 for the tub)
• At € 0,22 per 10 shaves, it definitely qualifies for my 'close to for free' tier
  (I have 3 tiers:
  • Close to 'for free': € 0,XX per 10 shaves
  • Normal: € 1,XX per 10 shaves
  • Pricy: 2,XX and higher per 10 shaves)

A fresh tub and tube are already sitting in the back of my den, ready to start the next rotation round... in a few months time.

Tomorrow, I'll start taking the Tabac tub from 175 to 200 shaves.

 

[Ligeti]

Voskhod (1st) (176th blade), Tabac (glass jar, 177th shave), Baume.be balm

Second day of Tabac. It's amazing how dense this lather is. And it's such fun to return to a fragrance that I've known for more than 40 years now. Didn't use the ASL or ASB today since I wanted to smell like my normal frangrance when seeing a customer. Boosts my confidence and is part of my personal branding once we've been working together for some time. So I still have quite some balm left in the Baume.be container. Best performance ever and hardly any fragrance. Perfect job.

 

[Ligeti]

Voskhod (4th) (176th blade), Tabac (glass jar, 180th shave), Tabac ASL

I'm pretty sure I'll see a small spot of the bottom of the jar before I reach 200 shaves. But on the wall of the glass jar itself, the soap still sits almost at the level where it started 180 shaves ago. So I guess I'm not even halfway. Which isn't a bad thing at all by the way. Not in my book.

 

[Ligeti]

Voskhod (5th) (176th blade), Tabac (glass jar, 181st shave), Tabac ASL

So today I reached the bottom of the Tabac glass jar. A little out of centre. And it opened up an air bubble that was caught at the bottom near the rim of the jar. So I cannot bloom the soap anymore, the few drops of water disappear in the air bubble under the soap's surface.

 

[Ligeti]

Voskhod (7th) (176th blade), Tabac (glass jar, 183rd shave), Tabac ASL

Still no problem at all loading, though blooming is no longer possible. The gap to the air bubble has widened, the bottom is clearly visible now. I'm beginning to think I might have no more than 1/3 left. Well, we're bound to find out so many months from now, that's what the counting is for after all. Right?
And the blade? I should have switched blades like two days ago.

 

[Ligeti]

Wilkinson blade (1st) (177th blade), Tabac (glass jar, 184th shave), Baume.be ASB

I can already fit a €2 coin on the bottom of the jar. Probably goes fast because the bottom isn't flat. Quite curious how loading will work once the bottom is clear and there's still a fat ring of soap clinging to the wall of the jar.
Used Baume.be ASB as aftershave since I planned a shower after shaving. So the fragrance of Tabac would almost disappear anyway and Baume.be does give my skin a lot of extra protection against the soap I use in the shower.
And moving from the Voskhod to Wilkinson was a good idea. Noisier than I remembered though. But a great job.

 

[Ligeti]

Wilkinson blade (2nd) (177th blade), Tabac (glass jar, 185th shave), Tabac ASL

The clear spot on the bottom of the jar is growing rapidly. Let me show you:

I hope I won't have to scrape out small bits of soap sticking to the side of the jar to bowl lather to finish the bowl. Anyone experienced in finishing a jar of Tabac?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Is it soft enough to spread around a bit in that jar? Maybe just pressing down lightly all around the remaining ring?

 

[Balin]

Is it soft enough to spread around a bit in that jar? Maybe just pressing down lightly all around the remaining ring?

That worked for me when I finished off a jar.