Shave of the day?

Proraso RED??? I thought that had long been out of production...

Most impressed!

No shave today, only every two days, gives the blade more bite.

Regards, Will
 
willgoy said:
Proraso RED??? I thought that had long been out of production...

Most impressed!

No shave today, only every two days, gives the blade more bite.

Regards, Will
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Nah, that's their new Sandalwood oil shaving cream. I switch between that and Bigelow for creams. I am going to order some Palmolive soon (the Shulton kind from India) and give that a whirl.

I have a great stock of Bigelow now that Bath and Body Works had it buy 2 get one free. Take me a while to use it up. Good cream for these hot Alabama summer.
 
Wow what the heck is going on! :) Loaded up the Futur with a new Astra, opened up a fresh tube of Tabac (which I lurve btw) and this razor performs better than the Vision! Started at 2 which did nothing so cranked it up to 4 and got the lovely auditory response. Maybe not quite as loud as the Vision but a better shave! A little confused on that part. It is easier to navigate with that's for sure. Not thrilled about the blade change procedure vs TTO but minor concern as long as don't get lax. Still I was amazed with the quality of the shave. Going to stick with the Futur for awhile now.

other notes, no AV in glass bottles anywhere here but did buy a plastic bottle one anyways.
 
lwt210 said:
Nah, that's their new Sandalwood oil shaving cream. I switch between that and Bigelow for creams. I am going to order some Palmolive soon (the Shulton kind from India) and give that a whirl.

I have a great stock of Bigelow now that Bath and Body Works had it buy 2 get one free. Take me a while to use it up. Good cream for these hot Alabama summer.
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Roll Tide. I lived in Huntsville for a spell, wooing my lady (it worked!) :p I remember all these crazy bugs that went whirrrrrrrrr whirrrrrrr whirrrrr I thought a dang Singer factory was nearby? She could only LOL at me. We left before winter came but not before tons of tornado and flood warnings and stormy weather. Good ole' Larry's. Madison Guns. Having cocktails in the theater while watching a movie - we sure don't have that here! Good times
 
PapaTango52 said:
Roll Tide. I lived in Huntsville for a spell, wooing my lady (it worked!) :p I remember all these crazy bugs that went whirrrrrrrrr whirrrrrrr whirrrrr I thought a dang Singer factory was nearby? She could only LOL at me. We left before winter came but not before tons of tornado and flood warnings and stormy weather. Good ole' Larry's. Madison Guns. Having cocktails in the theater while watching a movie - we sure don't have that here! Good times
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Yeah, I bet it is rough in Honolulu. lol

Today's shave was Bigelow cream, Gillette Fatboy, Feather, Aqua Velva Ice Sport, Thayers cucumber, and a badger brush.

Four passes. Very close.......and had a good high and tight yesterday at the barber shop. We discussed shaving and he was quite taken aback that I still used a DE. He showed me some of his old DEs......a Gillette slim, a flair tip, and a weird looking open comb.

Good conversation. My son and I were parusing all the antique stores looking for stuff. I did find an glass Old Spice bottle for two bucks. And when I got home I had an Old Spice mug from the 50s in the mail.

Good day.
 
The Futur is just a great razor. I decided on it when I read complaints that it is not a good razor for blade evaluations because everything shaves well in a Futur. Well, I still think some blades shad better than others, but the Futur is a great razor and, after jus a few days of adaptation, very easy to use.
 
Today I used one of the two razors I am sending away tomorrow, sort of a going away shave:o It took me a while to decide what two I was going to let go, but I think the recipient will be mildly surprised:thumbup:
 
Gonna be near 100 degrees today. So I planned ahead....

Mix of VDH luxury unscented soap with Bigelow cream, boar brush, whipped up a nice, luxurious lather....Gillette Slim on 7 with a fresh Feather......four passes......the last two passes I rinsed with ice cold water.

Thayer's Lemon....let it dry while I policed my countertop and hardware.....then a liberal splash of Aqua Velva Ice Blue.

Ahhhhhhh......then on the way to work, I blasted the a/c on my face full force for the entire trip.

Bring on that Alabama heat/humidity.
 
Merkur 39C "Slanthammer"
Omega 21047
RazoRock Cacao
Givenchy Pi Aftershave
Givenchy Pi EDT
DSC02648.jpg
 
you take the best pictures Mark.

spent a week on the road, took the gold Futur, travel badger, flat bone bowl, Astras and remaining Truefitt samples. not used to shaving in the AM and the second day got a slight cut under the nose rushing it so dialed it back to 3.75. the travel brush is one of those plastic handled hide aways - the brush is first rate badger but man, that handle while super convenient is just too light. am trying another travel brush with a small metal handle next. would hate to lose that one. it was another tough trip so nice to have reminder of home during quiet time even if it's in the can staring at the shave equipment. oh yeah, no raised eyebrows at airport security theater, the razor could've had a blade in it far as I could tell.

highlight is I found Dad's old Gillette! was left set at 5, the blade was pretty crummy after all these years so disposed of it. But I have the keepsake finally. Where can I send it for restoration? I keep hearing about rhodium plating - I want to do that if that's best to preserve it. Need to find a case for it as well. ahhh, home again.
 
PapaTango52 said:
highlight is I found Dad's old Gillette! was left set at 5, the blade was pretty crummy after all these years so disposed of it. But I have the keepsake finally. Where can I send it for restoration? I keep hearing about rhodium plating - I want to do that if that's best to preserve it. Need to find a case for it as well. ahhh, home again.
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Is it a Gillette Slim or a Fatboy?

Anyway, for the plating, rhodium is considered bulletproof but since it has so much sentimental meaning to you, I would do my homework for platers before sending it off. I am researching a rhodium plate job for a fatboy right now and will link you his site so that you can see his work. He is highly regarded.

http://westcoastrazors.com/

And you won't really be preserving it with a replate job. You might be more interested in giving it a really good cleaning instead. Scrubbing Bubbles aresol spray makes a dandy razor cleaner that is gentle in nature. Simply spray some on, let it sit a while, and scrub with a toothbrush to get that grime, soap scum, and old whiskers loosened up.

I bought a Fatboy recently that had seen better days and after a light cleaning and polishing, looks pretty darn good. There is some brassing on the handle so I may still re-plate it but it holds no sentimental value to me.

Also, if the numbers on the adjuster have faded over time, you can rub a black crayon across them imbedding the crayon in the numbers and dots and it seems to hold up really well. Just rub off the excess crayon with a rag with a bit of alcohol for cleanup.
 
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lwt210 - I think it's a slim? joked with my sis about saving his DNA to clone him in the future but R.I.P. Dad that's not going to happen :p


photo(1).jpg

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Yup thats a Slim, looks pretty nasty in the pictures but a quick bath in scrubbing bubbles plus a light polish and it will look good again. Not too much green on it so the plating loss in minimal.
 
Yeah, I'd second a good cleaning first, even if you get it replated you'll want to do that before sending it off. It's amazing how well those old razors clean up despite all the apparent crud. I'll recommend redoing it in a good nickel plate if you do send it out. Rhodium is hard, and really shiny, but a good solid nickel plate is probably more durable in the long run due to thickness.
 
Ahhh, the razor grew a beard!!! :D

I'm not too into shaving, but I picked up a rather modern looking (deep hollow ground) straight razor in a tool chest at an estate sale, I've been shaving with it for a little over a month with Dove soap. I sharpened and stropped it first.

It's no looker, but the steel seems fine and it's the best shave I've ever had.

Any thoughts on witch hazel as an after shave?
 
Skimo said:
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Any thoughts on witch hazel as an after shave?
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Many people use witch hazel as an AS.

I make and use a blend of witch hazel, alcohol, menthol crystals, alum, and a drop or two of tea tree oil.
 
Yeah, that is a Slim alright. They are fantastic razors. I prefer my Fatboys but just ever so slightly.

There is a date code on it if you want to find out what year it was produced. That razor will clean up quite nicely with some Scrubbing Bubbles, hot water, and an old toothbrush. Add a tiny amount of Flitz to a soft cloth and it should polish up good as new.

Those Gillettes were built to last forever.

If the numbers and dots on the adjuster need paint, you can use a black crayon and wipe off the excess. It works well and lasts.

Not sure what your blade of choice is but Feathers work well for me in the Slim. Don't be afraid to crank up the adjuster to a higher number. I stopped at 7 and I don't have that thick of a beard but it is wiry and a bit tough to mow down. I started out at 3 when I got a slim to replace the one I had as a younger man. Back then, 3 was the perfect setting.

I guess 20 years of aging has made the whiskers tougher. I got horrible shaves with the first slim and Fatboy I bought a few months ago...nowhere near as good as my E Jagger. I was about to give up hope until I cranked up the dial to 7. Eight brings out a weeper or two.....seven is perfect. Very close, very comfortable.

I'd love to see an "after" shot of that Slim with the original plating. If it were me, and you enjoy the way it looks and shaves, I'd get a second Slim and rhodium plate that one instead. The slims can be found everywhere.....and sometimes for very low cash.

Date code link.

http://gillettedatecodes.com/
 
Skimo said:
Any thoughts on witch hazel as an after shave?
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I use Thayer's cucumber and Thayer's lemon. I consider witch hazel an essential part of the post shave process. My skin has never looked healthier. I tried the generic WH before finding out what all the fuss was about with Thayers. I got much better results with Thayers and love the cucumber scent the best.

Almost forgot this was the shave of the day thread.

Today's shave was a budget shave. I picked up a puck of Williams Mug soap for .99 cents just to have something to load in a new Sears mug I got off the bay. I wasn't expecting much from it and was downright amazed at how nice the results were. Loved the scent, loved the lather, loved the shave.

Gillette Slim
Feather blade
VDH badger
Williams mug soap
Shave Secret as a pre oil
Thayer's lemon.
Barbasol Pacific Rush (1.75 at Dollar General/very nice for the price) aftershave


Still can't get over the lather I got with the Williams.
 
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Did my first 2 pass shave, second pass, against the grain.

I was worried about this because with cartridge razors it was guaranteed razor bumps if I shaved against the grain.

Only one bump, but I don't have great skin and for me it's a win.

Next time I'm in town I'll look for Thayers, is it at walmart, CVS or walgreens?
 
Skimo said:
Did my first 2 pass shave, second pass, against the grain.

I was worried about this because with cartridge razors it was guaranteed razor bumps if I shaved against the grain.

Only one bump, but I don't have great skin and for me it's a win.

Next time I'm in town I'll look for Thayers, is it at walmart, CVS or walgreens?
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I can only find Thayers in health food stores, natural grocery stores, and similar joints.

http://www.earthfare.com/

And of course, Amazon is a good place.

Might want to check their site with where you are and there might be a retailer close to you.

http://thayers.com/?fa=storelocator
 
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