The Wanderer's Journey

[AimlessWanderer]

60 hour growth, foggy brained shave.

Brush: Kent BLK4S Silvertex
Soap: Phoenix and Beau Sanskrit
Method: Layered

Low brain function today. Layering was safest choice.

Razor: Game Changer 84-P
Blade: New Lord Platinum (8th shave)

The brain functioned well enough to realise it wasn't functioning well. Not my closest shave, but nobody other than me would know. A bit of a token gesture shave, but it was very comfortable.

 

[Balin]

I hope the fog passes quickly.

 

[Guido75]

I hope the fog passes quickly.

Me too Al. I hope it’s light fogginess rather than dark clouds up ahead.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I hope the fog passes quickly.

Me too Al. I hope it’s light fogginess rather than dark clouds up ahead.

Thanks. It's been a pea souper, and has me on two sleeps per day, but no serious pain or vision problems, and still walking ok etc.

 

[Phoenixkh]

After doing a lot of reading on B&B about DE razor blades for months now, I still prefer to see tigers and sharks in their natural habitat rather than on my face. I do love reading the posts about their use, however...... It's entertaining but I'm left wondering... why would you torture yourself like that? <eg>

 

[AimlessWanderer]

After doing a lot of reading on B&B about DE razor blades for months now, I still prefer to see tigers and sharks in their natural habitat rather than on my face. I do love reading the posts about their use, however...... It's entertaining but I'm left wondering... why would you torture yourself like that? <eg>

I haven't tried the Tigers yet, and still have one more pack of Sharks to suffer try. I'm taking a month off from the blade trials though, and going back to the old faithful German Wilkinson Sword blades for March.

Which reminds me, I ought to get the bathroom kit configured today, so I don't stroll in there on autopilot tomorrow, and use the wrong stuff...

 

[thombrogan]

Tomorrow’s the 29th this year. Calendar worked it in just for you, Al

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Tomorrow’s the 29th this year. Calendar worked it in just for you, Al

Yup. Noted. I just thought it was the 29th already, because I'd been having multiple sleeps per day, and got ahead of myself.

The kit has all been set up anyway though.



I might even use this kit tomorrow (which gives me a last minute chance to ensure they're all compatible for the month) as I'm supposed to be going to a bite to eat with an old friend tomorrow. I don't expect any last minute changes though.

 

[thombrogan]

The kit looks like victory. I doubt my skin would tolerate Phoenix and Beau Iceni, but bet my nose would find it heavenly.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

44 hour growth. Testing the shave array for next month.

Brush: Edwin Jagger 19mm best badger
Soap: Phoenix and Beau Iceni
Method: Layered

After using the Kent synthetic for a couple of shaves, the Jagger brush felt particularly scritchy. Not uncomfortable, just unrefined. The two worked together well though, and yielded a good lather.

Razor: Game Changer 84-P
Blade: Wilkinson Sword Classic (1st shave)

Immediately something felt wrong with this shave.

Although this razor has a wider mouth than the 68-P, everything else should be largely unchanged. However, it felt (obviously incorrectly) that the blade was stuck out too far forwards of the clamp, and was chattering. I checked the razor, and the cap was seated correctly, and the handle was tight. Yet the whole of the first pass felt this way.

I figured I was probably overcompensating for the greater gap, and possibly hovering a little higher than I should have been. I still couldn't find the right touch though, and bounced back and forth between too much blade feel, and not enough contact. I have used this razor enough now on other blades, to know it's not going to chew my face off with sensible handling. It should just need using like the 68-P, but with perhaps a modicum of extra care. So why the sudden lack of competence?

Come the second pass, it still felt like it was about to bite, or like the edge was plucking away from the face as each hair was cut. I obviously was cutting high though, based on what stubble remnants remained after pass two. I took the ambitious step of doing a water only touch up, and that felt better than either of the two lathered passes.

It seems unjustified and illogical for a 0.16mm difference in gap to have such a profound change of feel. Yet it caused me to "back off" far more than is practicable for efficient shaving. I appear to have underestimated the differences between the two Game Changers, now that a "proper" blade is in play. Yes, there is definitely the potential to do myself a mischief with this razor if I inadvertently get heavy handed, but today's handling was still ridiculously over cautious.

With the final water only touch up, the finish was impeccable. I just need to get more comfortable/competent with the initial passes. Still, I'd rather have that than overshaving, or suffering a failed skin durability test and letting the red stuff out.

Conclusion:
Next month's kit did nothing wrong. I just realised I have more to learn next month than I thought I did.

 

[Phoenixkh]

My laptop still shows East Coast States time... my phone is Bali time.... It gets a bit confusing, as it's 10:45AM on Friday morning, March 1st here at the moment. <eg>

 

[thombrogan]

Since you’re writing from the future, will you please tell me Saturday’s winning Powerball?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

March has arrived, and so this journal might be a bit quiet over the next few weeks. As I'm not a big fan of cross posting, any logged shaves will just be posted in the fixed four thread, here...

FFFMM (Fixed Four For March Madness) 2024 Edition

1. Do you want to play a shaving game? 2. Do you want to dial a particular piece of hardware or software in? 3. Are you on a restraint? If you answered YES to any of the above, “Fixed Four” may be for you. IT’S SIMPLE (Rule 1) You just pick one BRUSH, one SOAP/CREAM, one RAZOR, and one...

www.badgerandblade.com

I may of course post some additional thoughts or peripheral life stuff here, but won't be copying and pasting every shave entry.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

No shave today. All my efforts were in travelling and facing medical staff.

I've been in need of a dentist for some time. However, I can't use a regular dentist due to my Neuro issues. As such I've been on a long quest to get referred to the main dental hospital in Sheffield, which has all the fancy gizmos, operating procedures, and specialist clinicians, that the regular enamel butchers don't have. Plus, being part of the hospital network, if they melt my brain and send me into a 3 to 5 day crash, they're far better resourced/connected to deal with it.

My neurologist getting them to see me, with the proviso that she'd take me off their hands as an inpatient if they sent my brain wonky, was a major victory. Today was assessment day. See how bad the pie munching tackle is, and figure out what can be done to fix they guy, without breaking him.

It was a long day, with 2.1/2 hours travel each way. Two busses, a tram system, and four 10 to 15 minutes walks, either side of the medical episode itself. For me, that's quite an ordeal. It was a success though. They identified the problems, took x-rays, and did a thorough assessment of my Neuro baggage and complications. Then they threw in a total curveball.

They said they weren't going to treat me there.

Turns out, there's a (unbeknownst to me) special care dentistry facility about a mile and a half from my house! They said they (the second place) have all the facilities and specialities that we do, they'll still be able to handle the Neuro contingency plan, but with your local hospital instead of this one, hours away. It's also going to be less frenetic in that clinic than this hospital setting, so less chance of sensory overload addling the brain, and after the ordeal, I'll be 10 to 15 minutes from my own bed, with a £5 taxi ride.

I can't tell you how relieved I am to ...

A) Have a plan to fix the dental probs.
B) Have a contingency for the Neuro probs, and
C) Have all this within walking distance (on a good health day).

I don't think I would have discovered the other clinic (or gotten the required clinical referrals to it), without going this long winded route. So there's no feeling of time wasted, just relief that it is all being worthwhile, and will be far less challenging from here on.

I'm still not at the stage of getting fixed up, but I am a HUGE step closer.

 

[thombrogan]

I‘m sorry about the time-sink, but it ended in a coup. To your health, Al!

 

[JKaboom]

What a huge benefit! I’m glad all your work paid off. 1.5 miles away is amazing!

Wishing you well when you get the work done

 

[Guido75]

I'm still not at the stage of getting fixed up, but I am a HUGE step closer.

I feel a complete sense of joy reading that story Al!! I am glad there is a solution to this challenge and it’s even nearby. Also very helpful from the staff that they pointed this out to you.

Have a great relaxing Friday, because I can imagine you have to recoup from this quest.

Cheers mate,

Guido

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I‘m sorry about the time-sink, but it ended in a coup. To your health, Al!

What a huge benefit! I’m glad all your work paid off. 1.5 miles away is amazing!

Wishing you well when you get the work done

I feel a complete sense of joy reading that story Al!! I am glad there is a solution to this challenge and it’s even nearby. Also very helpful from the staff that they pointed this out to you.

Thanks Gents. I'm pleased to have gotten the journey underway, even if the destination isn't quite in sight yet.

Have a great relaxing Friday, because I can imagine you have to recoup from this quest.

Cheers mate,

Are you wishing the week away, my friend? There's all of Thursday to recuperate through first But yes, I always keep the following days free as recovery days

 

[Guido75]

Are you wishing the week away, my friend? There's all of Thursday to recuperate through first

O crap! Yes it’s only Thursday today. Thank God I didn’t bring out the Fatip just yet .

So maybe I am wishing the week away!

 

[AimlessWanderer]

To avoid cluttering up the Fixed Four thread, with stuff that isn't a shave...

The 84-P hasn't "clicked" with me (so far) in the same way the 68-P did. The 68-P and the old Jagger feel like daily use razors. The 84-P feels more like my open combed Merkur, in that it's a nice razor to have around when needed, but wouldn't be first choice for daily use. I'm now getting to the point of thinking it would be really nice to have a relaxing couple of easy care free shaves with the 68-P, before continuing on with the 84-P again.

I'm DEFINITELY at the stage of thinking it would be nice to be using a different brush for a few shaves, before continuing on taming the Jagger best badger. I didn't shave today purely because I didn't feel like facing that brush today. Other brushes have gone through that phase, to become very enjoyable brushes. This will too. However forcing myself to endure peak scritch through a fixed four month, might not have been the smartest move. Or at least it doesn't feel like that at this moment in time.

I'm perfectly happy to sail through the rest of the month with the 84-P, even though I prefer the 68-P. But enduring the rest of the month with the Jagger brush is certainly going to make this month a challenge.

The razor is still fun, even though a brief interval would be nice.
The brush is not fun at the moment.

I just have to keep focussed on the fact that the brush will be enjoyable again at some point, and hope it doesn't get too much worse before it gets better. The two Beaufort brushes did get worse first.