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- #61
akamarcus' DE shave journal
- Thread starter akamarcus
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- #62
Day 40 of shave journal (5 Aug 2013):
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance. The peppermint makes this stuff quite pleasant to apply compared to the scent of plain olive oil. Converted one of TWGW's small (6 fl. oz.) pump-style lotion bottles into a pre-shave oil dispenser.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (2nd use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: No irritation.
Verdict: What a great shave! This DE86 is definitely more aggressive than the Gillette Super Speed, and I am getting a closer shave with 3 passes than I ever did with my Super Speed with 4! I did a moderately quick shave today but it turned out to be the closest but least-irritated shave I have had yet!
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance. The peppermint makes this stuff quite pleasant to apply compared to the scent of plain olive oil. Converted one of TWGW's small (6 fl. oz.) pump-style lotion bottles into a pre-shave oil dispenser.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (2nd use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: No irritation.
Verdict: What a great shave! This DE86 is definitely more aggressive than the Gillette Super Speed, and I am getting a closer shave with 3 passes than I ever did with my Super Speed with 4! I did a moderately quick shave today but it turned out to be the closest but least-irritated shave I have had yet!
Good job!
It's really fun to see the work and patience pay off!
Great shaves!
Ww
It's really fun to see the work and patience pay off!
Great shaves!
Ww
Congrats on the no irritation, close shave. I am enjoying your journal and find it to be informative. I have had about half the number of shaves that you have had and I am approaching an irritation free shave. My problem is more in getting it as close as I would like it. With the advice on the forums, I am sure I will have an experience like yours soon. Keep up the good work!
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- #65
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- #66
Day 41 of shave journal (6 Aug 2013):
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance. Smelled great and was quite refreshing during application.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (3rd use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, ATG, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: No irritation.
Verdict: A closer shave than yesterday and with an older blade too! I opted for ATG on my 3rd pass instead of my normal XTG2 in the opposite direction of XTG1. It required some blade buffing but worked well and still no irritation. I am fairly satisfied with the closeness of this 3-pass shave. The next few days will be spent making sure my technique is just right for this razor's aggressiveness.
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance. Smelled great and was quite refreshing during application.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (3rd use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, ATG, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: No irritation.
Verdict: A closer shave than yesterday and with an older blade too! I opted for ATG on my 3rd pass instead of my normal XTG2 in the opposite direction of XTG1. It required some blade buffing but worked well and still no irritation. I am fairly satisfied with the closeness of this 3-pass shave. The next few days will be spent making sure my technique is just right for this razor's aggressiveness.
Excellent journal! Keep up the good work.
I'm just a little behind you in terms of number of shaves (I'm at 26 or 27) but it's great to see the experiments and challenges of others.
How do you find the pre shave oil component? Does it clog up the razors at all? Or have any affect on the brushes?
In my small number of pre shave oil experiements so far, I have found that it does not do much for me.
I'm just a little behind you in terms of number of shaves (I'm at 26 or 27) but it's great to see the experiments and challenges of others.
How do you find the pre shave oil component? Does it clog up the razors at all? Or have any affect on the brushes?
In my small number of pre shave oil experiements so far, I have found that it does not do much for me.
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- #68
Thanks for the comment! To answer your questions: I used regular-old virgin olive oil from the grocery store. I got 6 oz of castor oil for $2.50 from Wal-Mart. You can also get it at pharmacies like CVS or Walgreens. I have a friend who works in the essential oils business and he gave me 15 mL of peppermint essential oil. You can get 30 mL on eBay for about $5-8, and I only used 40 drops for about 2-3 fl. oz. of pre-shave oil, so the 30 mL will go a long way. The fragrance isn't necessary, but using essential oil tends to increase slickness a bit and I really enjoy the smell. It does not seem to clog up the razor at all and I rinse the razor every 5-8 strokes. As for the brush, it does not seem to be affected by the oil, probably because it only comes into contact with the oil when there is already a nice soapy lather on the bristles. The soap probably counteracts any negative effect the oil would have on the brush.
Interesting!
I'm finding my best shaves to date are with Proraso products, both the pre/post cream and a combination of their shave creams/shave soaps/glycerin. If my prep is good, and the uber lather is well moistened, I have found my shaves pretty comfortable, so I'm heading down that route!
Do keep the journal up. It's fascinating to read other's stories.
I'm finding my best shaves to date are with Proraso products, both the pre/post cream and a combination of their shave creams/shave soaps/glycerin. If my prep is good, and the uber lather is well moistened, I have found my shaves pretty comfortable, so I'm heading down that route!
Do keep the journal up. It's fascinating to read other's stories.
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- #70
Day 42 of shave journal (7 Aug 2013):
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (4th use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: Mild irritation, 1 weeper.
Verdict: That 4-day old blade did not agree with my face. I'll try again tomorrow with a new blade. I may soon try a new type of blade after I go through one more package of Astras.
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (4th use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: Mild irritation, 1 weeper.
Verdict: That 4-day old blade did not agree with my face. I'll try again tomorrow with a new blade. I may soon try a new type of blade after I go through one more package of Astras.
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- #71
Day 43 of shave journal (8 Aug 2013):
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (1st use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, 1 additional load required because I'm getting down to the end of this Palmolive shave stick and it's hard to get soap on the brush.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: Irritation.
Verdict: The irritation caused by yesterday's shave had not quite healed when I shaved this morning, which resulted in a pretty bad shave. It wasn't a close shave, and it definitely wasn't irritation-free. Tomorrow will be the first time since starting wetshaving that I've opted out of a shave for a reason other than lack of time. I'd like my skin to heal completely before I go at it again.
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (1st use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, 1 additional load required because I'm getting down to the end of this Palmolive shave stick and it's hard to get soap on the brush.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: Irritation.
Verdict: The irritation caused by yesterday's shave had not quite healed when I shaved this morning, which resulted in a pretty bad shave. It wasn't a close shave, and it definitely wasn't irritation-free. Tomorrow will be the first time since starting wetshaving that I've opted out of a shave for a reason other than lack of time. I'd like my skin to heal completely before I go at it again.
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- #72
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- #73
Day 45 of shave journal (10 Aug 2013):
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (2nd use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, 1 additional load required because I'm getting down to the end of this Palmolive shave stick and it's hard to get soap on the brush.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: No irritation.
Verdict: Finished the Palmolive shave stick, and I really enjoyed how it performed. It's great at producing lather and it smells okay too. I really like how this shave felt after giving my skin some time to recover.
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (2nd use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Palmolive shave stick.
Lather: 60/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, 1 additional load required because I'm getting down to the end of this Palmolive shave stick and it's hard to get soap on the brush.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: No irritation.
Verdict: Finished the Palmolive shave stick, and I really enjoyed how it performed. It's great at producing lather and it smells okay too. I really like how this shave felt after giving my skin some time to recover.
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- #74
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- #75
Day 47 of shave journal (12 Aug 2013):
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (3rd use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Arko shave stick.
Lather: 30/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, 1 additional load required with the shave stick.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: No irritation.
Verdict: The Arko shave stick has a pleasant smell to it, but I'll have to get used to it. I haven't grated it into my soap bowl yet so I just applied it directly to my face and then lathered. My skin feels good after today's shave, and I can't feel very much stubble.
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (3rd use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Arko shave stick.
Lather: 30/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, 1 additional load required with the shave stick.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, ATG, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: No irritation.
Verdict: The Arko shave stick has a pleasant smell to it, but I'll have to get used to it. I haven't grated it into my soap bowl yet so I just applied it directly to my face and then lathered. My skin feels good after today's shave, and I can't feel very much stubble.
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- #76
Day 48 of shave journal (13 Aug 2013):
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (4th use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Arko shave stick.
Lather: 30/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: No irritation.
Verdict: Arko is a lather beast! Not too bad a shave for a 4 day-old blade.
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (4th use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Arko shave stick.
Lather: 30/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: No irritation.
Verdict: Arko is a lather beast! Not too bad a shave for a 4 day-old blade.
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- #77
Day 49 of shave journal (14 Aug 2013):
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (1st use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Arko shave stick.
Lather: 30/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: 1 nick when the blade went sideways across my face.
Verdict: Besides the nick, it was a pretty good shave. I think I may like waiting a day in between all my shaves.
Preshave: Quick face wash in the shower plus a hot rinse. 50/50 mix of castor and olive oils, peppermint fragrance.
Gear: Edwin Jagger DE86, Astra SP (1st use), Whipped Dog silvertip, Arko shave stick.
Lather: 30/120 second load/face lather, 30 second lather with each additional pass, no additional load required.
Shave: 3 passes: WTG, XTG1, XTG2, plus a cold rinse.
Aftershave: Mennen Skin Bracer.
Summary: 1 nick when the blade went sideways across my face.
Verdict: Besides the nick, it was a pretty good shave. I think I may like waiting a day in between all my shaves.
Thanks for the journal! I'm behind you as well and find it encouraging!
I really like the results when skipping days, but miss out on the learning opportunity.
Plus I really miss feeling the smooth face... ;-)
Ww
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I decided to wait two days to see if some residual irritation from the beginning would heal up some after 15 straight days of noob DE shaving. I've had DFS for the last week or so, so it feels strange to have this much growth.
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