Shaving analytics

[mblakele]

Control shave for the D01 break-in test.

Elapsed Time (minutes) !! Event !! Rooney 3/1 Finest (g) !! Delta (g) !! Notes
| dry || 54.8 || - || Still holding about 1-g water from two days ago.
| damp || 64.6 || +9.8 || Gently squeezed to release water.
| lathered || 65.9 || +1.3 || Face-lathered with D.R. Harris Arlington stick, 54.0 - 53.2.
| re-lathered || 64.6 || -1.3 || Second pass.
| re-lathered || 63.5 || -1.1 || Third pass.
| milked || 59.4 || -4.1 || Gentle squeeze to remove remaining lather from the brush.
| rinsed || 61.1 || +1.7 || Rinsed brush thoroughly, and removed as much water as possible with gentle shaking. Brush was left to dry upright in a room away from shower and near open windows, at about 70-F and about 70% humidity.
| drying || 55.7 || -5.4 ||
| drying || 54.7 || -1.0 ||

The D01 is resting up for tomorrow.

 

[mblakele]

Shave #3 with the D01.

Elapsed Time (minutes) !! Event !! Shavemac D01-2b 20x40 (g) !! Delta (g) !! Notes
| dry || 70.6 || - || Last used approximately 48-hr ago.
| damp || 76.5 || +5.9 || Gently squeezed to release water.
| lathered || 79.4 || +2.9 || Face-lathered with D.R. Harris Arlington stick, 53.1 - 52.5.
| re-lathered || 78.3 || -1.1 || Second pass.
| re-lathered || 77.7 || -0.6 || Third pass.
| milked || 74.9 || -2.8 || Gentle squeeze to remove remaining lather from the brush.
| rinsed || 76.2 || +1.3 || Rinsed brush thoroughly, and removed as much water as possible with gentle shaking. Brush was left to dry upright in a room away from shower and near open windows, at about 75-F and about 60% humidity.
| drying || 71.6 || -4.6 ||
| drying || 70.8 || -0.8 ||

The lather was not quite as good as Monday, but still better than Saturday. I think there was enough soap, but perhaps it needed a little more water and a little more time. No hairs were released in this shave. The D01 knot felt less stiff, and generated more lather than it could hold. The breech is still reluctant to open, so it was a little tricky to add water. There was still a little badgery funk, mostly overpowering the Arly scent.

I think it is still too early to say whether or not the variation in these numbers correlates with break-in, but there has not been any dramatic change so far.

 

[mblakele]

Control shave for the D01 break-in test.

Elapsed Time (minutes) !! Event !! Rooney 3/1 Finest (g) !! Delta (g) !! Notes
| dry || 54.6 || - || Still holding about half a gram of water from two days ago.
| damp || 65.2 || +10.6 || Gently squeezed to release water.
| lathered || 67.8 || +2.6 || Face-lathered with D.R. Harris Arlington stick, 52.5 - 52.0
| re-lathered || 66.6 || -1.2 || Second pass.
| re-lathered || 64.9 || -1.7 || Third pass.
| milked || 60.3 || -4.6 || Gentle squeeze to remove remaining lather from the brush.
| rinsed || 63.0 || +2.7 || Rinsed brush thoroughly, and removed as much water as possible with gentle shaking. Brush was left to dry upright in a room away from shower and near open windows, at about 70-F and about 75% humidity.
| drying || 56.4 || -6.6 ||
| drying || 54.9 || -1.5 ||

The D01 is resting up for tomorrow.

 

[mblakele]

Shave #4 with the D01, 17 August.

Elapsed Time (minutes) !! Event !! Shavemac D01-2b 20x40 (g) !! Delta (g) !! Notes
| dry || 70.8 || - || Last used approximately 48-hr ago.
| damp || 75.4 || +4.6 || Gently squeezed to release water. Extra-long soak because I was distracted.
| lathered || 79.6 || +4.2 || Face-lathered with D.R. Harris Arlington stick, 51.8 - 51.5.
| re-lathered || 78.5 || -1.1 || Second pass.
| re-lathered || 77.8 || -1.3 || Third pass.
| milked || 75.0 || -2.8 || Gentle squeeze to remove remaining lather from the brush.
| rinsed || 76.3 || +1.3 || Rinsed brush thoroughly, and removed as much water as possible with gentle shaking. Brush was left to dry upright in a room away from shower and near open windows, at about 75-F and about 60% humidity.
| drying || 71.5 || -4.8 ||
| drying || 70.8 || -0.7 ||

Most of the badger smell is gone now. I do not see much evidence that the numbers are changing, but I will continue for a few more lathers anyway.

 

[mblakele]

Control shave for the D01 break-in test.

Elapsed Time (minutes) !! Event !! Rooney 3/1 Finest (g) !! Delta (g) !! Notes
| dry || 54.9 || - || Last used two days ago.
| damp || 64.7 || +9.8 || Gently squeezed to release water.
| loaded || 67.3 || +2.6 || Nancy Boy signature scent cream: 83.5 - 80.6 (!)
| lathered || 70.4 || +3.1 || Face-lathered.
| re-lathered || 68.1 || -1.9 || Second pass.
| re-lathered || 66.0 || -2.1 || Third pass.
| milked || 60.0 || -6.0 || Gentle squeeze to remove remaining lather from the brush.
| rinsed || 63.5 || +3.5 || Rinsed brush thoroughly, and removed as much water as possible with gentle shaking. Brush was left to dry upright in a room away from shower and near open windows, at about 70-F and about 75% humidity.
| drying || 55.9 || -7.6 ||
| drying || 55.0 || -0.9 ||

The D01 is resting up for tomorrow. I loaded far too much cream, and made a ridiculous amount of lather. It was a fun shave anyway.

 

[mblakele]

Shave #5 with the D01.

Elapsed Time (minutes) !! Event !! Shavemac D01-2b 20x40 (g) !! Delta (g) !! Notes
| dry || 70.8 || - || Last used approximately 48-hr ago.
| damp || 76.0 || +5.2 || Gently squeezed to release water.
| loaded || 77.6 || +1.6 || Nancy Boy signature scent cream: 80.5 - 78.9.
| lathered || 80.4 || +2.8 || Face-lathered.
| re-lathered || 79.3 || -1.1 || Second pass.
| re-lathered || 78.2 || -1.1 || Third pass.
| milked || 75.4 || -2.8 || Gentle squeeze to remove remaining lather from the brush.
| rinsed || 76.9 || +1.5 || Rinsed brush thoroughly, and removed as much water as possible with gentle shaking. Brush was left to dry upright in a room away from shower and near open windows, at about 70-F and about 70% humidity.
| drying || 72.7 || -4.2 ||
| drying || 71.3 || -1.4 ||

I think this is the first time the lathered brush weight has crested 80-g. But that probably had more to do with technique than break-in. I went out of my way to hydrate the lather as much as I thought it could stand. There is still no significant variation in the lathered-vs-dry numbers for the D01. In fact the D01 behaves more consistently than the Rooney does.

 

[mblakele]

Control shave for the D01 break-in test.

Elapsed Time (minutes) !! Event !! Rooney 3/1 Finest (g) !! Delta (g) !! Notes
| dry || 55.0 || - || Last used two days ago.
| damp || 65.2 || +10.2 || Gently squeezed to release water.
| lathered || 67.4 || +2.2 || Face-lathered Arko stick: 44.0 - 43.2.
| re-lathered || 65.7 || -1.7 || Second pass.
| re-lathered || 64.3 || -1.4 || Third pass.
| milked || 59.8 || -4.5 || Gentle squeeze to remove remaining lather from the brush.
| rinsed || 63.1 || +3.3 || Rinsed brush thoroughly, and removed as much water as possible with gentle shaking. Brush was left to dry upright in a room away from shower and near open windows, at about 65-F and about 80% humidity.
| drying || 55.9 || -7.2 ||
| drying || 54.8 || -1.1 ||

The D01 is resting up for tomorrow. I loaded quite a bit of Arko, and lathered in proportion.

 

[mblakele]

Shave #6 with the D01.

Elapsed Time (minutes) !! Event !! Shavemac D01-2b 20x40 (g) !! Delta (g) !! Notes
| dry || 71.0 || - || Last used approximately 48-hr ago.
| damp || 76.0 || +5.0 || Gently squeezed to release water.
| lathered || 80.1 || +2.1 || Face-lathered Arko stick: 43.1 - 42.3.
| re-lathered || 79.1 || -1.0 || Second pass.
| re-lathered || 77.8 || -1.3 || Third pass.
| milked || 74.9 || -2.9 || Gentle squeeze to remove remaining lather from the brush.
| rinsed || 76.4 || +1.5 || Rinsed brush thoroughly, and removed as much water as possible with gentle shaking. Brush was left to dry upright in a room away from shower and near open windows, at about 70-F and about 70% humidity.
| drying || 71.9 || -4.5 ||
| drying || 71.0 || -0.9 ||

No significant changes. The brush seems easier to work with now, but that is just a subjective observation.

 

[mblakele]

Control shave for the D01 break-in test.

Elapsed Time (minutes) !! Event !! Rooney 3/1 Finest (g) !! Delta (g) !! Notes
| dry || 54.6 || - || Last used two days ago.
| damp || 66.4 || +11.8 || Gently squeezed to release water.
| lathered || 65.2 || -1.2 || Face-lathered Arko stick: 42.2 - 41.5.
| re-lathered || 64.1 || -1.1 || Second pass.
| re-lathered || 63.3 || -0.8 || Third pass.
| milked || 59.6 || -3.7 || Gentle squeeze to remove remaining lather from the brush.
| rinsed || 61.5 || +1.9 || Rinsed brush thoroughly, and removed as much water as possible with gentle shaking. Brush was left to dry upright in a room away from shower and near open windows, at about 65-F and about 80% humidity.
| drying || 55.8 || -5.7 ||

The D01 is resting up for tomorrow. The lather today was a touch dry, but still shave-worthy.

 

[mblakele]

Based on the results so far, I tend to think the hypothesis is wrong: break-in does not materially change the D01 knot's water retention. But I plan to keep using this two-brush rotation for a while, and check the numbers again in a week or two.