Sliding Down the Razor Blade of Life with Smattayu

I'm about 25 shaves in with my straight, and figured I'm overdue to start my journal. I took a brief break from it in order to explore my Fine Superlite, which I love, but it's time to get back to my straight.
I'm not likely to be able to get a shave in today, so I'll document yesterdays.

Razor: Ralf Aust 5/8 Spanish point(currently my only shave ready straight)
Brush: Vintage Blades 22mm Finest
Soap: RazoRock XXX
Aftershave: Thayers Cucumber and RazoRock XXX

I've gotten to the point where I can get a BBS on my cheeks down to just under my jawline. The jawline takes a little work and there may be some irritation, but it is doable. My main issue is my neck. My neck hair grows like a cane field in a hurricane and it's still difficult to map it out properly, especially since in the same direction patches there always seem to be a hairs that go against the flow. I usually end up doing a clean up pass with my DE, and my goal is for that to no longer be a requirement for a decent shave.

So, fresh out of the shower, razor stropped and brush loaded. I'm loving this brush. I've only recently switched from bowl and hybrid lathering to face lathering, and this is a really good combination of very soft scrubby tips and backbone. not the best flow through, as it is pretty dense, but still easy to whip up and apply a good lather.
A word about lather. I've read posts from a lot of people who seems to swear by whipping up the lather until they get stiff peaks and leaving it there, but when I do that my lather is not as slick and dries on my face faster, even when I do quick passes with DEs. I always add water when I get to that point, so the lather is creamier, and the peaks droop. I seem to get the best results from that.

Back to the shave: WTG on the first pass and it goes fine. No surprises, angle seems good and it's cutting through the hair nicely without scraping my skin.
XTG on the 2nd pass, and the blade is singing. This is where i usually start having trouble with my neck. I can see and feel that some hair is being removed, but compared to what is left on my cheeks the hair on my neck seems to be longer than it should at this point. I've fussed with the angle a little bit and still don't have it down. I've seen people that have the blade almost flush with the skin and some that have a couple blades width worth of space between the spine and the skin. Neither seems to give me the desired result and I've done the too-much-angle post shave pain dance with the alum bar enough to not want to repeat it. So I try to content myself with the fact that I'm still removing hair and finish the pass.
ATG pass: Cheeks done in a flash, jawline a little slower but still in good shape. I'm ready to tackle the hardest portion of my shave. The main problem I seem to have with my neck is that most of the hair grows parallel to my jawline, making it impossible for me to position the blade in a way that actually goes against the grain. I've tried, and will continue to try, various ways of holding the blade, blade buffing, light scything motions, and switching hands. Today I'm changing the direction I stretch my skin. I usually stretch straight down, with my fingertips under the razor. Today I'm attempting to stretch to the side, with my left thumb positioned under my right ear. Finding a grip on the blade is tough, and my hands are getting in the way of each other, but this seems to remove more hair than previous attempts.
Still not great, but better, I do a quick clean up with my DE and call it acceptable.
I end up with a couple small nicks on the right side of my neck, along with some irritation. My biggest problem area is the hollow of my neck on the right side. I have yet to get a close shave(with any razor, even cartridges back when I used them) without irritation. I always seem to have to sacrifice one for the other.

So that was shave journal entry #1. I'm always looking forward to the next shave, even if I'm not where I want to be result-wise. It is the most relaxing part of my day; a combination of face massage, aromatherapy, and overcoming challenges, not to mention the faceturbating for the next several hours
The next shave will probably be tomorrow afternoon, as my schedule until then is jam-packed. Always more to do than there is time to do it.

Thanks for joining me,
Eric

Welcome to the Journal & Diary section of the B&B Forums. Good read and nice detail.

I too find my most challenging spot my neck - as my ATG pass is parallel with the angle of my jaw. I have been stretching from above - actually the sideburn area and cranking up the skin a bit to make it taught. I am lefty, but on right jawline - I actually am holding the razor and my right palm is at a 45 degree angle to my right ear when I start - the palm is facing upward. I then carefully move the blade flat against my cheek from ear to corner of mouth direction - and then go along the jawline below on my neck. The angle changes slightly and I then pull the skin from below with my right thumb. I think the pulling from above and then below on the different strokes allows me to catch the whiskers that would normally be on the jawline edge.

Hope this makes sense, but this helps me get this problem area. On my dominant hand side - I am able to get it as the direction is a little bit different on the neck - so it is easier to get the pass ATG and clean up that area.

Ralph Aust razors are very nice and the Vintage Blades brushes have good reputations.

Have a good day,

Pete

labrax said:

Welcome to the Journal & Diary section of the B&B Forums. Good read and nice detail.

I too find my most challenging spot my neck - as my ATG pass is parallel with the angle of my jaw. I have been stretching from above - actually the sideburn area and cranking up the skin a bit to make it taught. I am lefty, but on right jawline - I actually am holding the razor and my right palm is at a 45 degree angle to my right ear when I start - the palm is facing upward. I then carefully move the blade flat against my cheek from ear to corner of mouth direction - and then go along the jawline below on my neck. The angle changes slightly and I then pull the skin from below with my right thumb. I think the pulling from above and then below on the different strokes allows me to catch the whiskers that would normally be on the jawline edge.

Hope this makes sense, but this helps me get this problem area. On my dominant hand side - I am able to get it as the direction is a little bit different on the neck - so it is easier to get the pass ATG and clean up that area.

Ralph Aust razors are very nice and the Vintage Blades brushes have good reputations.

Have a good day,

Pete

Click to expand...

It does make sense, and thanks for the advice. Been a crazy couple of days, and only had time for a quickie yesterday, and since the blades came in for the GEM 1912 I picked up last week, I figured I'd give it a test run.
Great shave. Very easy, almost no irritation, and surprisingly close for a quick 2 passes. Quick splash with some Fine Platinum and I was ready to go.

Today's shave:
Razor: Ralf Aust
Soap: Haslinger Schafmilch
Brush: Semogue 830
AS: Thayers and Fine Santal Absolute

Haslinger is a crazy thirsty soap and pairs well with my 830, which has broken in beautifully over the past few months and has very soft tips and excellent backbone. Loaded up and face lathered. Overloaded, as I always do with Haslinger, and after adding water I ended up with enough lather for about 5 passes.
First pass went great. I'm adjusting the angle of the blade on my neck for the first pass, still trying to find that sweet spot that gives me maximum cutting edge with minimum irritation. Ended up doing pretty well with it, no scrape to speak of and the blade was just short of singing Ave Maria.
Only did a 2 pass today, and the 2nd went well also. I did crank the skin up a bit farther from my sideburn, and made a fantastically ridiculous face by opening my jaw wide, but that allowed me to pull more of my neck skin up over my jawline, and I had an easier time getting a close cut about an inch farther down my neck than usual.
The hollow to each side of my throat is still the trouble area, and I had stubble there at the end of the shave, but a couple of quick swipes with my DE took care of most of it, and all was well with the world.
A quick dose of Thayer's cucumber and a splash of Fine Santal Absolut and I was feeling and smelling great. Mr Fine has done an outstanding job, and the Santal is very close to AoS sandalwood. It has just a hint of spiciness added in, making it a sensual and intriguing scent.
Making progress and happy with it.
Have a great night all,
Eric

Very good shave tonight. Sounds like the Fine AS scents are right on what they are looking to emulate.

Sent via Tapatalk from phone

Ok, 2 and a half days without a shave and I was ready to go this morning.

Razor: Ralf Aust
Soap: Phoenix and Beau Citra Royale
Brush: Omega 49
AS: Thayers cucumber and Fine L'Orange Noir

Just got this soap yesterday and was looking forward to trying it out, especially after the initial smell and test lather. Outstanding scent, great for spring and summer, a bright citrus with a little woodsy lurking underneath.
Just got the Omega 49 as well, and even with just doing my initial break in ceremony yesterday(soak in Oxy Clean followed by a shampoo/conditioner) it worked great. Largest brush I've gotten yet and I'm really looking forward to future shaves with it.
Loaded the brush and face lathered. This is some really nice soap. Great scent, easy to get some really nice lather and it didn't dry out at all.
Not a lot of time to write this today so I'll hit the highlights: Closest shave I've gotten on my neck with the straight yet. I didn't need to clean up with my DE for a DFS, but I tend to chase BBS so I went the extra mile anyway. I'm still adjusting the angle of the blade on my neck so there was irritation today, but I'm narrowing down that sweet spot. Adjusted my grip on the razor for the 2nd pass on the neck and that helped also.
More irritation than I really liked, but after a splash with Thayers and L'Orange Noir I got a nice burn and it cooled down to a nice refreshing feeling very quickly.
Phoenix and Beau really impressed me. Love the scent and the lather was very slick and cushiony. Post shave was fantastic. Easily in my top 5 with regards to moisturizing.
Progress was made and all is well with my face and the world.
Time to face the day!

Nice job with the razor - getting a better job on the neck and finding better hand position. Continued progress is always good.

Sent via Tapatalk from phone

OK, took a step back today. Impatience while shaving with a straight razor ends with some blood.
Razor: Ralf Aust
Brush: Omega pro 49
Soap: Barrister and Mann 42
Aftershave: styptic pencil, Thayer's cucumber and Fine Clean Vetiver
Next time I'm in a hurry but still want to get my shave in I'll use a DE or SE.
It's not as dramatic as I may have initially made it sound, but I've done very well at being nick free for some time, and the few that I've gotten usually haven't required a styptic. Got a nice one right on the adams apple and a couple on my trouble spots as well, all of them needed the pencil. Alas, no progress to speak of today, but an early lesson relearned. Take your time, stupid!
Whether learned or relearned, no lesson is a waste, so I'll be thankful that it wasn't worse and still look forward to the next shave.
BTW, still loving the Omega 49. Not loving the handle and thinking it might be worth the extra coin to get the B&B Omega, but the knot is great. Splays well and covers half my face but very easy to paint with.
A note on Barrister & Mann's 42. Outstanding! First of the glissant based soaps from Will that I've used and I was really impressed. Slickness was through the roof(I can safely say that the weepers were totally user error), and rivals or beats any other soap I've used for post shave. I could have skipped the Thayer's, but I love the stuff. The scent is downright strange, but in a very pleasant way. Much like reading Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for the first time.
Until next time,
Eric

Hey Eric,

It happens, and as you said a lesson learned - which will have a positive impact down the road.

Take a look at the Omega 10005 - nice Omega bristles and nicer wooden handle. Knot diameter and loft nice for the face lathering. I just picked up a Proraso brush, which is an Omega that has a 27mm knot set at approximately 57mm - the handle is chrome painted plastic though.

I am going to have to read up on the B&M 42 - that cover drawing/picture looks pretty wacky... what is the scent like? Italian Barber carries it, but no description and I have not looked around.

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Thanks for the tip on the 10005. Looks like a nice brush, and the price is right, so I'll likely be adding one to my next Maggard's order.
The scent of 42 is tough to describe. I get an initial burst of petunia, and that seems the dominant scent to my nose. It is floral, but a darker floral, not cloying or sweet. The tea and lemon are almost unnoticeable until I start loading the brush and lathering. That is when the scent seems to balance out and become more than the sum of its parts. That's the best way I can describe it. I like it very much, but I struggled a bit to find an aftershave to pair with it. The clean vetiver worked OK, but I saw TSE use Reef Point Earl Grey and Ginger. Oddly enough, I have that Reef Point soap and love it. Might have to get the AS.

I let it grow for a few days. I could have done a speedy DE shave, but wanted to hold out for the straight, so this is for last nights shave.
Razor:Ralf Aust
Soap: RazoRock Mudder Focker
Brush: Omega pro 49
Aftershave: Thayer's cucumber and Chiseled Face Ghost Town Barber

Took a nice long shower to get the grime of the day off, and up until the shave that was the best part of my day. Nice and refreshed, facial hair hydrated, razor stropped, I start loading. I love the scent of Mudder Focker, and it is a great performing soap. I don't give it enough attention and need to use it more often. loaded the crap out of that Omega, and needed to add quite a bit of water. Suds were exploding all over the place; good stuff.
First pass goes great, as usual. I'm getting the neck area down a little more. Or should I say that I'm getting more of the neck area down? I still have trouble areas on it, but they are shrinking as I'm getting better with blade angle and direction, and skin stretching.

2nd pass: I'm still spending more time on it than I need to, I think. Trying to get the neck a little smoother than it needs to be for a 2nd pass. Still got it all in without the lather drying on me, but did get a weeper on my left jawline. Moment of inattention and the blade caught. Not deep at all, but it could have been a lot worse, and another lesson learned: Just because you've had success consistently in one area doesn't mean you can daydream while shaving it.

3rd pass: After rinsing from the 2nd pass I'm noticing that I've done a pretty good job on my neck. I can certainly pass it off as a SAS shave by this point, but I always shoot for at least DFS. I do a quick 3rd pass, spending less time on my neck than I did on the 2nd, and since there are still some rough spots I do a clean up with my GEM 1912 SE. If I were to pick any razor that gives me the easiest shave it would be the 1912. Great shaver, and I look forward to getting some more vintage GEMS and Ever Ready SE's.

I splash on some Thayer's cucumber(great product)and look through my AS collection. I do have the Mudder Focker AS, but the scent was a little sweeter than I felt like having on, so I dirty it up with Ghost Town Barber. Paired well, and it was just what I needed.

A relaxing shave, more progress made, and had plenty of time to chill out and bask in the AS scent while faceturbating and watching a movie.

Razor: GD 208
Brush: Omega Pro 49
Soap: WSP Formula T Gaelic Tweed
Aftershave: Thayer's cucumber/Fine Fresh Vetiver

So I bought a GD 208 from Anthony Esposito a couple weeks ago, and decided to give the Aust a rest and test drive the GD. First off, it is an ugly, heavy-spined straight. First thing I notice when I pick it up is that my Aust seems dainty and frail in comparison. Cheap scales, which I will probably be replacing, though it doesn't catch when it closes. However, since I can put function over form without to much trouble, it was time to put it through its paces.
Lathered up the Omega and let the suds fly. I've had this soap since WSP first introduced their Formula T. I loved the performance of it, but the scent put me off for a while. Seems as though it's an acquired taste, since I now really like it, and it does stay on my skin far longer than most soaps I own.
Quick summary of the shave: I'm still improving on my neck area. My cheeks are almost BBS after 2 passes at this point, and I'm making very slow, but sure, progress on my neck. I tried folding the scales all the way back and gripping the razor and scales together in an attempt to get as sideways as I could on my neck, and it works great for a couple areas, and was no worse than anything else I've tried on the other spots. I still did a cleanup pass with my Fine slant to finish up the neck, but it was a pretty easy cleanup.
One other thing to note about this shave in particular. It took less time. I didn't spend any more time on the 2nd pass than on the first, instead using the 3rd pass to try to refine my technique on my neck, and it went well.
A rinse, a splash of Thayer's, and into the aftershave cabinet. The only full bottles of Fine I have are Platinum and Santal Absolut. I have every other scent in samples, with the exception of Snake Bite, and will absolutely be purchasing most of them in full size. I'm almost out of the Fresh Vetiver sample now, and it seems to complement the Gaelic Tweed well. It's a great go-to scent, and seem to pair well with almost any of the cologne-type soaps that I have.
Good shave, progress made, time to relax.
Eric

Way to go Eric!

I like Stirling's take on Green Irish Tweed and am interested in Gaelic Tweed in Formula T. TSE did a review today on it in fact. So thank you for providing your thoughts on it.

Making good progress on the entire shave. I think I was into about 60 shaves when I began to feel a lot more comfortable. I think over time you get in a routine, there is less thinking and the shaves take less time, but results are still good.

Have a good weekend!

Sent via Tapatalk from phone

labrax said:

Way to go Eric!

I like Stirling's take on Green Irish Tweed and am interested in Gaelic Tweed in Formula T. TSE did a review today on it in fact. So thank you for providing your thoughts on it.

Making good progress on the entire shave. I think I was into about 60 shaves when I began to feel a lot more comfortable. I think over time you get in a routine, there is less thinking and the shaves take less time, but results are still good.

Have a good weekend!

Sent via Tapatalk from phone

Click to expand...

Thanks Pete!
I saw the TSE review, that's what put that soap in my head when I hit the shave den lol. I've been thinking about picking up a few more pucks of Stirling(price to quality ratio beats almost anything out there IMO), but I don't want too many similar scents across various brands, so Sharp Dressed Man probably won't make the cut. I already have Stirling Executive Man and Fine Platinum soaps, which are pretty darn close in scent.

See you next shave!

Eric

Pre-shave: Ach Brita glyce lime soap
Razor: Ralf Aust
Soap: Saponificio Varesino Manna di Sicilia
Brush: VB 22mm finest
Aftershave: Styptic, Thayer's cucumber, Fine Santal Absolut

So my order from Bullgoose shaving came in today. First order from Bullgoose, and I'd give them a favorable review. In that order was an Ach Brita pre shave soap and the previously mentioned Manna di Sicilia, my first soap from SV.
I added the lime glyce to my preshave ritual and loaded the brush. I didn't get very far into my face lather before my face started burning a bit. The burning increased as I continued, and I thought it might be the preshave so I rinsed off and started over. It didn't get any worse, so I went into the first pass.
This is where I made my first mistake. I used the much heavier Gold Dollar 208 yesterday, and when I was almost done with the first pass I realized that I had been pressing down on the razor a bit the entire time in order to compensate for the lighter feel of the Aust. Gave me a couple weepers on my neck and lower jawline.
Went into the second pass, which went well, but my face was pretty irritated from the first pass, so I put the Aust away and grabbed my Fine slant for the final pass.
Finished the shave and grabbed the styptic. Slapped a generous splash of Thayer's and popped open the aftershave collection. I hadn't used the Santal yet, and it smelled like it would go well with the soap, so I went with it. Sweet mother of all that does not suck! It felt like I was scrubbing my face with alcohol-soaked sandpaper. Now I'm really hoping that the initial burning was caused by the preshave and not the SV, because that shaving soap smells and performs amazing.
So here I sit with a face that looks slightly sunburned. Not a great shave, but one of the great things about wet shaving is that every day can be a do-over.
Looking forward to tomorrows shave, and still going back to sniff the puck of SV every now and then.

See you tomorrow!

Eric

Razor: Ralf Aust
Brush: Omega pro 49
Soap: I Coloniai
Aftershave: Thayer's cucumber/Speick

After the other day I figured I'd give my face some time to heal up. Latest shipment had some I Coloniali and Arko in it, and after a sniff test I went with the I Coloniali. I really like the smell of Arko, very fresh and clean, but I immediately fell in love with the I Coloniali. I don't know how to describe the scent, except to say amazing!
Loaded up the omega and went to it. Ended up with some great lather and hopped into the first pass.
After the last painful edged adventure I was very careful to put no pressure on the blade. First pass went great, no pressure, good angle, no problems.
I did something different on the second pass. I've been going east to west on the right side of my face and neck, and west to east on the left side. That is actually more of an ATG pass with the way my hair grows. So my XTG pass is actually south to north, which I did this time. Went pretty well, I did get a small nick under my chin, but aside from that it was good.
Third pass was from ear to chin. I'm noticing some tugging, and think it may be time to send the Aust in for my free honing. Pass went well overall, and I decided against my usual DE cleanup. I've noticed that even if it feels a little rough right after the shave, it feels smoother 15 minutes later.
A little Thayer's and a splash of Speick(one of the best feeling aftershaves I've used, it leaves my face feeling amazing), and it's time to relax. I pulled off a DFS without a DE cleanup.
Side note: I've been hearing a lot about Swedish steel for a while, so I pulled the trigger on a Heljestrand from the bay. The pictures were well taken, and showed a little corrosion, but none near the edge. I'll probably have it honed, since my skills on the stone require some polishing(see what I did there? Har har). I've got a set of Norton combination stones, a 220/1k and a 4k/8k plus some lapping film, and a ZY razor to practice on, but I've still got a ways to go.
A good day, a good shave, day off tomorrow, and I'll do some work on the J.R. Torrey that I'm restoring. Got the buffalo horn scales rough cut today, and if I didn't screw that up I should be able to get them shaped shaped and drill the holes for the pins tomorrow.

Until next time!

Eric

Razor: GD 208
Brush: Semogue 830
Soap: TTFFC Play it Again Sam
Aftershave: Thayer's cucumber/TTFFC Play it Again Sam

Another evening shave, I've gotta take em when I can get em. Pulled out the Stallion GD 208. Great shaver, very heavy, and a really nice edge on it. very smooth, while sharp enough to plow through pretty much anything. First run with this soap as well. Love the smell, a very cologne-like scent that has a nice bite to it, and a really nice performer. Generated some very thick, slick lather that stayed nice and wet.
First time using the Semogue in a while. Every time I pick it up I realize I need to use it more often. My first, and one of my favorite brushes. Great for face lathering, which I do almost exclusively now. Load it up and into the first pass.
No surprise, the first pass goes great, the GD cutting through my facial hair like a horror movie psycho through a locker room full of cheerleaders.
Second and third pass go equally well. I didn't really make any progress on my neck, and I'm currently not using my DE for cleanup, so I end up with an SAS shave. I've started analyzing my shave after, running my hand over my neck to really see where I'm missing, and exactly how the grain runs on those spots. Checking it after gives me a couple of ideas for the next time. No real progress in the actual shave, but I'm picking up clues as to how I need to proceed on my trouble spots. We'll see whether it pays off in the next shave or two . Almost no irritation doing it this way, and very little burn when I splash on the AS.
I received my C.V. Heljestrand MK4 today. It came in the original box, which is pretty beat up, but the razor is in exceptional condition. There are a couple spots on each side of the blade. I'm still new to vintage straights, so I'm not sure what they are. They have no texture to them at all, and it almost looks like water spots. I'll try to polish them out once I pick up some Maas, and see where that takes me. They kind of bug me, but I am not willing to sand them out. Aside from those small flaws the razor is almost mint, and I was surprised at how light it is.
Spent some more time on the hones yesterday with the ZY. I'm getting a lot closer to where I want it to be. My finished product on the Norton 8k won't quite treetop my leg hair, but has no problem cutting through it closer to the skin. I have the lapping film, but still need to pick up a flat marble tile to use as backing. Hopefully I'll have time to head out and do that this weekend.
Cut out the scales for the J.R. Torrey from a piece of buffalo horn. I got them exactly the shape I wanted.....but they were over 1/4" to short, so they get shelved until I find a shorter blade to fit them. It gets better; I find out that my brother-in-law just bought a band saw after I cut these scales out with a coping saw. I could have saved myself a lot of trouble by heading over there and using his new toy for 5 minutes. I boiled my backup horn, which was warped, and have it clamped between to metal plates. Hopefully I'll get to spend some time on it soon.

Off to chill out. Until the next shave!

Eric

Eric,

Loved the write up on the last two shaves. Psyco going through a lockeroom....lol!

That CVH will be sweet! Nice score on that razor. If you are doing scales you will be able to restore and fix up razors no sweat!

Sent via Tapatalk from phone

Thanks Pete! I'm looking forward to getting the Torrey shave ready, though I know it'll be a while. I actually checked the botched scales against the CVH, and after some trimming and thinning they would be a great fit. The existing scales are plastic, but well made, and the blade centers perfectly. Maybe after I get a couple restorations under my belt I'll look into rescaling it, but I don't think I want to chance it just yet.
Thanks for reading, and see you soon!

Razor: Ralf Aust
Brush: Semogue 830
Soap: Soap Commander Courage
Post Shave: Thayer's cucumber
Aftershave: Soap Commander Courage balm

Looooong day! Had to drive a few guys about 3 hours each way to pick up a 10 burner stove that was donated to us. Worth the trip, but that kind of thing always wears me out. Ended up being a 12 hour work day, and an evening shave was a great way to finish it.

Soap Commander was a great choice. I love the scent and it's another great performer. Loaded the crap out of the 830 and had a nice, massaging face lather.

I went through the first pass as quickly as usual, but had plenty of time to spend some extra on the 2nd and 3rd passes and work more on my trouble spot technique. I had pretty good results blade buffing at a shallow angle while changing the blade position. It's probably the closest I've gotten on my neck yet, though I spent a bit more time on it than I should have on the third pass and ended up with some irritation.

Thayer's and Soap Commander's balm did not let me down, and the irritation is pretty well taken care of, so it's time to relax. The ZY is calling to me, and I thought about spending some time trying to hone it, but I'm tired enough that just poking around on B&B is about as energetic as I can stand being right now.

This shave was decidedly DFS. My technique is improving, albeit slowly, and I'm perfectly OK with that. Sometimes I need to remember that it's not a sprint; it's a marathon. Slow and steady is the name of the game when sliding sharp steel over neck arteries.

Off to see how others did today. Until next time!

Eric

Razor: Ralf Aust
Brush: Omega pro 49
Soap: Fine AB
Post shave: Thayer's cucumber
Aftershave: Fine AB

Love the Fine soaps. I've only used Tabac a few times, but if Fine is not just as good, it's a very close thing. Loaded up the Omega, and had enough lather to paint the bathroom. I'm probably going to pick up an Omega or Semogue boar with a smaller knot soon. The 49 is great, but I don't have quite enough real estate above the neck to make such a large brush practical for face lathering. My Semogue 830 is great, but I'm always on the search for something even better, and I can try multiple boars for the same price as one decent badger.

Started my first pass and, sure enough, I get a text halfway through it. I finish the pass and check it. Gotta get to work an hour early, so I do a quick 2nd pass and finish up with my GEM 1912. If I weren't so dead set on becoming proficient with a straight razor, and didn't enjoy using many other shavers, I could use my 1912 exclusively and be content. I've yet to find a razor that gives me such an effortlessly great shave with so little irritation. Finding the right angle is more natural with it than any other I've tried. But....I have a compulsion to never take the easiest path, so it gets held in reserve.

Easy cleanup, no irritation, splash of Thayer's, and blitz my face with Fine AB aftershave. Hours later, I still catch whiffs of it.

So, not enough time to make any progress with the straight, but it was a really nice shave, and a great start to my day. Hopefully I'll have time to work on the scales for the Torrey tomorrow. Got my backup buffalo horn flattened out, and picked up some blonde horn as well, which I'll use to make the wedge.

Until next time!

Eric