Shave of the Day 9/30

Noxzema Classic Clean

Proraso Sandalwood Shave Cream

Frank Shaving Finest Badger

GEM Micromatic Clog-pruf

GEM Super Stainless (18)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

I'm feeling a little abdominal distress today, so I thought an early shave would help take my mind off the situation. This was shave eighteen with the Gem blade, and I decided to retire it today after a clean close shave. I took a dollop of Proraso SC and massaged it into my face and then face-lathered it with the Frank Shaving badger. I like the way this cream lathers. I did two passes and then touch-ups on my neck for a close, comfortable shave. I finished off with the Pinaud Clubman and am feeling much better. A good shave is therapeutic.

Shave of the Day 9/29

Noxzema Classic Clean

Van Der Hagen Deluxe Soap

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush

GEM Micromatic Clog-pruf

GEM Super Stainless (17)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

Day seventeen with this Gem blade. Continuing to hand strop after each shave. I have eight soaps/creams that I have been face-lathering with, and I have become a big fan of face-lathering thus eliminating the bowl. The VDH deluxe soap continues to be a good performer. Two passes and clean-up on the neck made for a clean, close shave. Finished up with the Aqua Velva. All is fine now.

Shave of the Day 9/28

Noxzema Classic Clean

Proraso Green Shave Cream

Parker Pure Badger Brush

GEM Micromatic Clog-pruf

GEM Super Stainless (16)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

Shave number sixteen with the Gem SS blade. I was a little disappointed the last time I used the Proraso Green, so today, I made sure to load the brush well. This time face-lathering was great with the Proraso. Two passes and touch-ups on the neck left me with a close comfortable shave. Finished off with the Pinaud Clubman. Nice...

Shave of the Day 9/27

Noxzema Classic Clean

Williams Mug Shave Soap

Frank Shaving Finest Badger

GEM Micromatic Clog-pruf

GEM Super Stainless (15)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

Shave number fifteen with this Gem SS blade. I continue to hand strop after each shave, and it is going strong. I am still face lathering, and the Williams was outstanding tonight with the Frank Shaving badger creating a great lather for two passes and touch-ups on the neck area. A CCS for sure... Finished off with Aqua Velva Ice Blue. The blade lives for another day.

Shave of the Day 9/26

Noxzema Classic Clean

Van Der Hagen Luxury Shaving Soap

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush

GEM Micromatic Clog-pruf

GEM Super Stainless (14)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

After two passes and touch ups on the neck I would rate this as another good shave. That makes fourteen shaves on this GEM SS blade.  The VDH Luxury soap lathered well on the face with my Semogue boar brush. Again, Pinaud Clubman rounded out this near BBS shave. Day by day I will make the decision on whether to try another shave with this blade. I hand-stropped the blade and decided I will go for fifteen tomorrow.

Shave of the Day 9/25

Noxzema Classic Clean

Col. Conk Lime Shave Soap

Parker Pure Badger Brush

GEM Micromatic Clog-pruf

GEM Super Stainless (13)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

Today is third son David's birthday, and I am using the brush he gave me for my last birthday. So, happy birthday, Dave. This shave is for you. I am continuing to build my lather on my face, which has worked out very well with all my soaps/creams and brush combinations. The Col. Conk Lime SS is a good one.  Another smooth, close shave. This was shave 13 for this blade. Hand-stropping must be adding life to it. I don't know how long this blade will last, but we shall see.

Shave of the Day 9/24

Noxzema Classic Clean
TOBS Lavender Shaving Cream
Frank Shaving Finest Badger
GEM Micromatic Clog-pruf
GEM Super Stainless (12)
CWR
Dickinson's Witch hazel
Pinaud Clubman AS

This was shave number 12 with this Gem blade. After each shave I have cleaned and then palm stropped the blade before putting it away. The TOBS sc was excellent again. Nice scent, slick, smooth cushion. Two passes and clean up on the neck left me with smooth, clean, near-BBS face. Finished off with the Pinaud Clubman. Sweet.

Shave of the Day 9/23

Noxzema Classic Clean

Col. Conk Bay Rum Shave Soap

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush

GEM Micromatic Clog-pruf

GEM Super Stainless (11)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

Day 11 with the GEM SS blade. I grabbed the wrong soap today, so it was Col. Conk Bay Rum. It lathered well and produced a nice cushion for two passes and touch ups on the neck. Ended up with a nice smooth shave. The Aqua Velva was a refreshing finish to this Monday shave.

Shave of the Day 9/22

Noxzema Classic Clean
Proraso Sandalwood Shave Cream
Parker Pure Badger Brush
GEM Micromatic Clog-pruf
GEM Super Stainless (10)
CWR
Dickinson's Witch hazel
Pinaud Clubman AS

I took a dollop of cream and spread it over my face followed by the Parker pure badger brush to whip up a nice lather. This was a three pass shave which turned out to be a very good shave. The clog-pruf performed flawlessly even with the tenth shave for this blade. It's a beautiful Lord's day today. 

Shave of the Day 9/21

Saturday, 9/21

Noxzema Classic Clean

Van Der Hagen Deluxe Soap

Frank Shaving Finest Badger

Schick M Adjustable(8)

Schick SS blade (8)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

Today I am finishing off an eight day cycle of my creams/soaps. The Schick M continues to perform wonderfully. I got eight days of great shaves with no nicks, cuts, or abrasions. I am continuing my face lathering experiment, and the VDH Deluxe lathered well with the Frank Shaving brush. Finished off with Aqua Velva for a refreshing experience.

Shave of the Day 9/20

Friday, 9/20

Noxzema Classic Clean

Proraso Green Shave Cream

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush

Schick M Adjustable (8)

Schick SS blade (7)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

I must not have loaded the brush enough. The lather was a little weak today. Other than that,it was an excellent shave. Clean and smooth... I am liking this Schick adjustable razor.

Shave of the Day 9/19

Noxzema Classic Clean

Williams Mug Shave Soap

Parker Pure Badger Brush

Schick M Adjustable (8)

Schick SS blade (6)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

I know some don't like williams, but I get great shaves with it. I am continuing to face lather and the Parker Pure Badger did an excellent job. Two passes and touch ups on my neck made for a very nice shave. Near BBS. I am not chasing the baby, but I am getting great shaves with this Schick M adjustable. This was the sixth shave with this blade and the setting was maxed out at 8. Finished off with the classic Aqua Velva Ice Blue for a refreshing, manly smelling shave. Two shaves left in this rotation of creams/soaps, and I will go back to the GEM Clog-pruf.

Shave of the Day 9/18

Noxzema Classic Clean

Van Der Hagen Luxury Shaving Soap

Frank Shaving Finest Badger

Schick M Adjustable (8)

Schick SS blade (5)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

Today's shave was on wide open (8). The Frank Shaving brush does an excellent face lather with Van Der Hagen Luxury Shaving Soap. This was the fifth shave with this blade, and it was a very nice one. Two passes and clean up on the neck area left me looking good. The Pinaud Clubman left me smelling good.

Shave of the Day 9/17

Noxzema Classic Clean

Col. Conk Lime Shave Soap

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush

Schick M2 Adjustable (7)

Schick SS blade (4)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

Day four with the Schick M2 and all is well. The Semogue 1305 does an excellent job face lathering with the Col. Conk Lime. Two passes and a clean up on the neck made for a near BBS shave followed up with Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS.

Shave of the Day 9/16

Noxzema Classic Clean

Col. Conk Bay Rum Shave Soap

Parker Pure Badger Brush

Schick M2 Adjustable (6)

Schick SS blade (3)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

I continue to experiment with face-lathering today with great success. The new Schick M, set on 6, performed flawlessly. Two passes and touch ups on the neck resulted in a BBS shave. I never dreamed I would be looking forward to a daily shave, but here I am. 

God bless the survivors and those family members of those killed and wounded in the Navy Yard shooting.

Shave of the Day 9/15

Noxzema Classic Clean

TOBS Lavender Shave Cream

Frank Shaving Finest Badger

Schick M2 Adjustable

Schick SS blade (2)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

TOBS continues to be a top performer. Although I did enjoy making lather in a bowl, I am becoming a fan of face lathering. It takes less time, better exfoliation, and there is one less thing to clean up. Today I had two passes and some clean up on the neck. I used a 5 1/2 setting on the razor, and it was very smooth. A near BBS shave. Finished off with Aqua Velva Ice Blue. Cooool.

Shave of the Day 9/14

Noxzema Classic Clean

Proraso Sandalwood Shave Cream

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush

Schick M2 Adjustable (First Shave)

Schick SS blade (1)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

Today was my first shave with my new Schick M Adjustable. What a ride! I got this razor in an eBay auction where I was the only bidder, so it was a steal. It cleaned up very well, and today with a new blade I got a BBS. I have been face lathering recently, so when I got to my Proraso Sandalwood SC I took a dollop on my finger tip and just spread it over my freshly washed face. This was a new technique for me. I had been soaking my Semogue 1305 in hot water, so I shook it out and gave it a gentle squeeze and went straight to the face. In short order, I had a wonderful slick, thick, smooth lather covering my face. I started with the Schick on 3 and quickly turned it up to 6. I did two full passes and then a touch up on my neck for a BBS. This was an incredible shave. I had just started a rotation with my GEM Clog-pruf yesterday, but now I intend on using the Schick M for the next 7 days of this rotation. Finished up with the Pinaud Clubman AS to make it an awesome experience.

Schick M2 Adjustable

The Schick M series adjustable was made 1965-72. The dial changes the exposure of the blade. I have chosen to use Proraso sandalwood shave cream and my Semogue boar brush for my first shave with this new razor. I will start out on 3 and go from there. We shall see how it goes.

New Schick Adjustable

Here's my Schick M2 adjustable that I won on eBay. I was very fortunate to be the only bidder on this razor, so it was a really good deal. It just arrived today, and I cleaned it up before taking these pictures. 

Here is an eBay picture:

 It is all clean now and appears to be mechanically sound. There are a few little scratches on the handle, but the metal shined up very nicely. I am very pleased with the results.

Shave of the Day 9/13

Noxzema Classic Clean
Van Der Hagen Deluxe Shave Soap
Parker Pure Badger Brush
GEM Micromatic Clog-pruf
GEM Super Stainless (9)
CWR
Dickinson's Witch hazel
Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

Same blade, different razor. I will be using the GEM Micromatic Clog-pruf for the next eight shaves. The Parker brush did a fine job of making a creamy face lather. This was the ninth shave with this GEM SS blade, and it was a smooth irritation free shave. For now, I think I will be changing razors every eight shaves. That is how many soaps I have, and I am rotating through the soaps. I will continue to face lather. So far, I have been able to make great lather with this method and at the same time save some time.

Shave of the Day 9/12

Noxzema Classic Clean
Proraso Green Shave Cream
Frank Shaving Finest Badger
GEM Push-Button
GEM Super Stainless (8)
CWR
Dickinson's Witch hazel
Pinaud Clubman AS

Yesterday, I cut my chin, so today I was careful to avoid that spot as much as possible. I did a face lather again and found that the Proraso Green provided a very nice cushion for a great, smooth shave. This Frank Shaving is my favorite among my badgers. It is very soft and has always made great lather. There were no nicks, cuts, or abrasions: a truly fine shave. Finished off with another favorite, Pinaud Clubman AS.

Shave of the Day 9/11

Noxzema Classic Clean

Williams Mug Shave Soap

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush

GEM Push-Button

GEM Super Stainless (7)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

OOPS! I cut my chin today. The prep was great. I made a wonderful face lather with the Williams with no problem, but for some strange reason, I took a layer off of my chin and bled like a stuck pig. I ended up with a great shave, but it took my styptic pencil and pressure for about 15 minutes to stop the bleeding. Maybe I will skip tomorrow and give it some time to heal over.

Shave of the Day 9/10

Noxzema Classic Clean

Van Der Hagen Luxury Shaving Soap

Parker Pure Badger Brush

GEM Push-Button

GEM Super Stainless (6)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

Because of a post on The Shave Den, I decided to face lather today.

Shave of the Day 9/9

Noxzema Classic Clean
Col. Conk Lime Shave Soap
Frank Shaving Finest Badger
GEM Push-Button
GEM Super Stainless (5)
CWR
Dickinson's Witch hazel
Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

The Col. Conk Lime made a thick creamy lather with the Frank Shaving brush. The fifth shave with the Gem SS blade was smooth and clean after two passes and some touch ups.  The Aqua Velva Ice Blue made for a great finish.

Shave of the Day 9/8

Noxzema Classic Clean

Col. Conk Bay Rum Shave Soap

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush

GEM Push-Button

GEM Super Stainless (4)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

Shave of the Day 9/7

Noxzema Classic Clean

TOBS Lavender Shave Cream

Parker Pure Badger Brush

GEM Push-Button

GEM Super Stainless (3)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

An excellent shave today. Loving the TOBS Lavender shave cream. It makes lather like crazy and it is so smooth and slick. Three passes and touch ups made for an enjoyable shave. The GEM Super Stainless is going strong.

Schick Adjustable

 I had not been specifically looking for this razor, but I couldn't resist putting in a bid. This is the Type M Schick that was manufactured between 1965 and 1972. There were several iterations of the razor. I cannot nail it down any further than that.  It looks like it could use some cleaning up, but that has not been a problem in the past. This was one of a few vintage razors that I would really like to have, but they usually go for far more than I am willing or able to pay. I am looking forward to receiving this razor and getting it all cleaned up and then taking it for a test shave. I can't remember if I ever had a Schick adjustable or not. This will be fun.

I of course will post pictures of before and after. Estimated date of delivery is September 12, a Thursday.

Friday, September 13, the Schick adjustable arrived. Here it is cleaned up. It cleaned up very nicely. It appears to be a sound razor and to work well mechanically. I can hardly wait to take it on a test shave, but I already shaved today.

Shave of the Day 9/6

Noxzema Classic Clean

Van Der Hagen Deluxe Soap

Frank Shaving Finest Badger

GEM Push-Button

GEM Super Stainless (2)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

Shave of the Day 9/5

Noxzema Classic Clean

Proraso Sandalwood Shave Cream

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush

GEM Push-Button Gold Top

GEM Super Stainless (1)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

I am back to the single-edged Gem Push-button today for a change. It was refreshing again to use this little gem. The Proraso lathered up great and provided a smooth, slick cushion for a great shave, and the Aqua Velva Ice Blue finished it off perfectly. I am refreshed and ready to go.

Shave of the Day 9/4

Noxzema Classic Clean
Proraso Green Shave Cream
Parker Pure Badger Brush
Gillette Fat-handled Tech
ASCO Super Stainless (9)
CWR
Dickinson's Witch hazel
Pinaud Clubman AS

Nice shave today. I am retiring the ASCO blade after nine shaves. I have enjoyed shaving with the Gillette Fat-handled Tech. It is a really good razor. No wonder it gets such rave reviews. I think tomorrow I will go single-edged for a week or so. Haven't decided which to start with.

Shave of the Day 9/3

Noxzema Classic Clean

Col. Conk Bay Rum Shave Soap

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush

GEM Push-Button

GEM Super Stainless (4)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

I was very happy with the way the Col. Conk Bay Rum lathered today. It was a beautiful lather that made for a smooth shave in conjunction with the GEM push-button razor (two passes and touch ups). I finished off with the classic scent of Pinaud Clubman after shave.

Shave of the Day 9/2

Noxzema Classic Clean

Van Der Hagen Luxury Shaving Soap

Semogue 1305 Boar Brush

Gillette Fat-handled Tech Pre-War

ASCO Super Stainless (7)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Pinaud Clubman AS

Shave of the Day 9/1

Noxzema Classic Clean

Col. Conk Lime Shave Soap

Parker Pure Badger Brush

Gillette Fat-handled Tech

ASCO Super Stainless (6)

CWR

Dickinson's Witch hazel

Aqua Velva Ice Blue AS

The Col. Conk was a little thin even though I took longer than usual working it. It did provide a slick smooth shave in conjunction with the ASCO blade though. All in all, it was a pretty good shave.