Rolling the Bones

[4and20blackbirds]

Sunday shave

Prep: Noxzema
Soap: K Shave Works Frozen
Brush: Simpson Astor A1 in Best
Razor: Merkur 34c HD
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue, #2
Post: alum -> Gillette Cool Wave

Two passes and one small touch up for an all over DFS. I'd skipped Saturday so this was on two days' growth. Really impressed with the GSB today--no tugging in the slightest and smooth as it could be.

 

[4and20blackbirds]

Monday shave

Prep: Cleansing Story White Clay foam
Soap: Chiseled Face Midnight Stag
Brush: La Maison du Barbier synthetic
Razor: '68 Gillette Slim on 2
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue, #3
Post: alum -> My Nik is Sealed -> Aqua Velva

Whew, rough shave tonight--one small weeper on my chin and a larger one on my neck. Needless to say, definite feedback and a really irritated patch on my neck. Unfortunately, I couldn't find The Cool Fix, but my Nik is Sealed took care of the bleeding. Still, a two-pass DFS just not comfortable. Not sure where I went wrong--maybe moving too fast? The blade remains wicked sharp.

 

[4and20blackbirds]

Wednesday shave

Prep: Cleansing Story White Clay foam
Soap: Noble Otter Hamami
Brush: Omega 10290 boar
Razor: RazoRock Mamba
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue, #4 and binned
Post: alum -> NO Hamami and witch hazel mix

Skipped yesterday and shave today was only so-so: two passes for CCS on my face and a mix of CCS + SAS on my neck. Some feedback from the alum, and--if you can believe it from such a mild razor--a small weeper, too, but only because I hit a bump. The GSB was still sharp, but noticeably rougher today. Not sure I'd buy 100 of them given my mixed results so far, but will happily continue to try the 19 that are left.

 

[4and20blackbirds]

And that is it for the long and winding journey through my initial RAD, SBAD, and SAD and I've finally found the bottom of the rabbit hole--there is nothing in the den that hasn't been tried. It's been a really fun process and thank you @thombrogan and @Rosseforp for staying for the whole ride--I really appreciate it! And thanks to the others who have checked in along the way, too, especially @JoWolf who had some incredibly really helpful advice early on which helped me to clarify what it was I was seeking, which turned out to be simply a comfortable shave on a consistent basis. I think I've more or less found that in the 10 razors I'll be keeping. I didn't set out to end up with an even number like that, but it works for now. I won't rule out continuing to refine the list as I go along and may even try other DEs at some point--I still think a titanium Timeless .95 would be a great fit. But I am content for now.

For the immediate future I'm going to continue with the DEs and SEs I'm keeping and then at some point in 2022 I'll pull out the Feather Artist Club SS and take a shot at straight razor shaving. If that goes well, I've got a couple of fixed-blade straights to try, too. I'll continue to roll for shaves, but less consistently as I want to have some flexibility to call an audible based on things like DecemBoar and the other themed days/months (which reminds me I need to see if there's a comprehensive list of them all on B&B). I also want the flexibility to explore things as they occur to me, e.g., if I'm enjoying a blade and I'm curious how it might perform in a specific, different razor. I also plan to--mostly--rotate through my brushes rather than roll because I really like them all and want to use them more consistently. And I plan to rotate in a couple from the den clearing box occasionally to see if I might want to keep them around. For example, I want to try the Certifyd again because if I like the bristles then it might be worth adding some weight to the handle.

As for soaps, I'm going to continue to whittle down the list. I still have far too many. That's one area where things have really changed. I used to be all about the variety and the stronger the scent the better; however, while I still like the occasional out-there, powerful scent, I find I am preferring those that are subtler. In particular, I've decided I'm not into the cologne-style scents at all as I prefer my cologne to take on that duty. And the list of ones I'm not only keeping, but would re-order is smaller yet. I don't have a set number I'd like to get to, but certainly less than the 30-something that I still have at the moment. There are a few I'd still like to try, but I'm in no rush. I'll probably also rotate or pick soaps on a whim most of the time rather than roll, both for a change of pace and so I can use them on a more consistent basis: I've yet to use the Fine Fresh Vetiver more than once, for example.

As far as future purchases, I am definitely into the refining stage at this point and there is nothing I need (or particularly want) right now. I might even do the 2022 year-long shave sabbatical if it happens.

I'll continue to post occasionally in this journal, but I also want to expand out into the larger forums again and more consistently check in on others like @thombrogan and @Rosseforp.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2022, everyone!