Neutralizing the Good in a Good Deed....

I read what I thought was an interesting article this morning discussing whether a Good Deed is no longer good if you tell someone about it..  This got me thinking..  I have always thought it to be the case, as the article describes, that if you do a good deed you should keep it to yourself and speaking of it would be not only lessen it's good-deed-ness, but also be viewed as bragging..  

Not so sure this is true anymore.  (I don't feel there is a right and wrong here, so what I am sharing is what works for me...)   

Good deeds need to start with good intentions.  If you do something for someone with the hopes that you will get something out of it, or worse...with the preconceived idea that you can later spout on about how much of a good-deed-doer you are, well...skip it.  That doesn't work. 

But what if the act of sharing your good deed is intended to be a good deed in and of itself?  Surely passing on a personal experience is better than fabricating story, isn't it?  

Or, maybe it's the frame of mind of the recipient of your tale of good-ness that determines it's potency?  

How do you feel about sharing a good deed ?

Dare you to watch it just once...

You have to be a photographer to get it...

Today's Shave...

~ Today's Shave, October 18th, 2010 ~

Prep: Hot shower, Dark Roast coffee, Pheobe Snow via Pandora stream on iPhone
Cream/Soap: Speick Stick
Brush: Shea Moisture, Pure Badger, aka Target Special
Razor: 1966 Gillette Twist, Bob's Razor Works Slim Bull Mastiff Deluxe handle
Blade:Feather
Balm: Kiehl's

Pic to follow.. this is a beauty!

For the past three days I have been shaving with a new to me, Gillette Twist, modified by CoonCat Bob from Bob's Razor Works (BRW) in California. This razor was born in England some time in the fourth quarter 1966 (Date code L4).. The Twist, and it's domestic sister the Gillette Knack, were essentially a Gillette Superspeed head on a cheap plastic handle, but with the Turn To Open collar just under the head instead of on the end of the handle as with the SuperSpeed. It shaves very much like the SuperSpeed, which is to say.. very mild.  So much so that it easily tames a Feather blade which as noted in earlier posts is considered one of the sharpest blades available.  The marriage of the smooth head design and wicked sharp blade seem to meld into a sweet combination and my shaves have been consistently superb.

This razor was modified by BRW around December, 2009 when it was fitted with a slimmer version of the outrageous BRW Bull Mastiff Deluxe handle. This could easily become my favorite razor.. Near BBS with zero discomfort. Perfect balance and hefty weight attributed to the handle. Simple blade installation through the top load silo doors.. And beautiful nickel plating on both the head and handle. 

I continue to enjoy Speick Stick.  Using a stick requires you rub the soap on your moistened face depositing the pre-lather in and around your whiskers.  Unlike many other soaps, Speick leaves a nice slick residue after a pass, a characteristic that is more cream than soap. Face lathering with the Shea Moisture brush is a bit prickly, but it exfoliates well, and the size and shape of the brush are spot on for whipping a froth without depositing it in your nose or ears.  The 'Target Special', so named because that is the only source for this item, is an absolute bargain at $9.95.. if you can find one.

What's in a name?

Every razor has it's own unique shave characteristic and what I might consider a wonderful whisker whacker might tear your face to pieces..  load up one of the many available blades, each with it's own set of dominant traits and the matrix goes hyper on your..  Aside from the visual appeal of different razors, it's their temperament that differentiates them from a daily shaver, dust collector or worse...offered for sale or trade.

I recently added a vintage 1961 Gillette Fat Boy Adjustable to my inventory.  Its prior owner had named it George.  Learning this got me thinking about each of the razors I have.. not so much from a technical, forensic perspective, but in consideration to the way they treat my face and hands and what images they bring to mind before, during and after a shave.  While I don't know exactly how George got his name, I find it appealing that he actually has a name and I working on naming George's stable mates.

Today's Shave...

~ Today's Shave, October 11th, 2010 ~

Cream/Soap: Tom's of Maine, Natural Mint
Brush: iKon Silvertip Badger
Razor: iKon Prototype, Long handle
Blade: Feather
Balm: Kiehl's

My week long obsession with the iKon razors continues.

The Prototype is just awesome.  Yesterday's shave was dead perfect and lasted near ten hours!  This morning was equally enjoyable.  The Feather needs to be respected, but it can achieve BBS in a stroke less than all other blades.  The long handle creates exception balance and it's longer lever action reduces the amount of pressure I apply.. a welcome thing with the Feather blade...

Image is from the Nikon D300, 70-200VR with an extension tube to allow for closer focus.  Sad to report the D3 suffered sudden death syndrome while photographing birds of prey over the weekend.. It sits in the queue at Nikon Melville awaiting a new shutter mechanism.  The D3 has less than 30k actuations on it.. and is generally babied.. odd that it would bite the dust.

Tidbits

This October has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens only once every 823 years.

 

That is all...

Today's Shave...

~ Today's Shave, October 8th, 2010 ~

Prep: Hot shower, Dark Roast, streaming Grateful Dead via Pandora on iPhone
Cream/Soap: Edwin Jagger, Sea Buckthorne Cream, last of my sample
Brush: Shae Moisture, aka Target Special
Razor: iKon Deluxe, Open Comb Prototype / Prototype Long Handle
Blade: Personna Red
Balm: Kiehl's

iKon week continues...  I determined the Standard head is either going to be passed on to someone else or put in storage.  If I want a mild shave, I'll reach for a SS.  I switched to the Prototype open comb head, with a Personna Red with three shaves on it and I am back to the closeness I want in my shave..  Though, I do have a bit of irritation on my neck likely a function of a bit of unneeded pressure written into muscle memory from the prior shaves with the Standard head...

I beat up my face a bit this week.. I think I'll spend next week with my Mergress or Fat Boy and let my skin recover.

iKon razors - Part I

The iKon brand, out of Thailand, is fairly new to the safety razor scene.  My experience with their product has been, for the most part, positive with a small speed bump or two along the way. 

Greg from iKon razors was invited to recap the history of the company and their product on BruceOnShaving blog..  Jump over to there if you want to read the entire post.  The short version is that Greg, like many of the other folks enjoying the wet shaving renaissance, was tired of the inferior shave delivered by over-priced multi-blade cartridge razors and migrated over to the double edge safety razor.  With the DE, he found a much better shave and after trying and collecting a bunch of different razors decided he could make a better mouse trap..  He focused on all stainless construction which, as far as I know, is used in precious few razors..  The Feather All Stainless is one and the Pils Safety Razor are such examples.  Both of these are high priced alternatives at $160 and $239 US respectively, whereas the iKon, in any iteration, is well under $100...  Paying more doesn't guarantee a better shave...  my $16 1954 Gillette SuperSpeed is testament to this.

I am not sure what, exactly, attracts me to the iKon line.. It's a combination of the following....

... the all stainless construction

... a small guy going up against the big manufactures

... the notion of small intimate manufacturing versus mass production

... the idea that one might actually build a better mouse trap

... the wonderful shave

... the iKon logo

I already had the Deluxe Open Comb on a Bull Dog handle, the stainless stand and a matching stainless handled Silvertip brush...

I stumbled across an on-line auction that included a Standard head in brushed stainless, another high polish Deluxe OC head mounted on the Long handle in high polish, which I didn't have, and.... the Prototype Old head, in brushed stainless on the matching brushed Prototype Long handle. The certificates were included as was the original acrylic display case. Click Buy It Now.. It arrived three days earlier than I expected.  My focus was primarily on the Prototype razor which was pictured in the blog post on BruceOnShaving, but it was a package deal and ultimately I expect I will part out the items I don't want as I am a user not a collector.

I shaved exclusively with the iKon's this week and will share the experience and details over the next few posts..

Lightening the load

The herd has been thinned..  After careful consideration and a few final shaves, the Merkur Futur has found a new home in Virginia and the Muhle R89 is in the hands of it's new owner in California.

A well run business cleans house about once a year... trimming the dead wood strengthens the tree and these two razors, while quality pieces, were the weak links in my shave den. 

They have been replaced by a few new razors, details of which I will share as I get more acquainted with them.

Open Comb or Safety Bar... an Observation

I think I am becoming an open comb snob.

With the exception of the Slant Bar razor, which I just adore, I am finding my preference is moving away from regular DE's with a straight safety bar, and towards the open comb configuration.

Over the past few weeks I have concentrated my shaves to a SuperSpeed, Fat Boy and iKon Standard which in my limited knowledge of this stuff, is a spin-off of the Gillette New Deluxe.

It seems like attaining an ultra close shave is more difficult with the DE's that have a safety bar.  Dissecting one pass, (W/X/ATG doesn't matter), the first stroke seems to serve to clear away some of the lather and subsequent strokes on the same area are required to actually get a cutting action. The next lather starts the 'clear & cut' process over.

On the other hand, the Open Comb (OC) gets busy with the first stroke.  Multiple strokes over the same area aren't necessary, so while the OC's are regarded by some as more aggressive, in my case it is the other way around since it takes multiple strokes across multiple passes to get close to what the OC can do in one pass. When all is said and done, the safety bar razors prove much more difficult to attain a Baby Butt Smooth finish, at least for me.   


NOTE: I feel it's important to share that the world of shaving has precious few right and wrong.  Let's agree which side of the blade is the sharpest.  After that, do what every you like..what ever works for you and most important that which makes you smile...  Remember, YMMV.

Have I found nirvana in the slant? Is there something missing in my technique? Poor blade selection?

I believe I have sound technique with both lather and shave, but I would be way arrogant to think I have nothing to learn... I'm all ears [eyes, given our medium here]

For sake of discussion.. My prep is always a hot shower. Soap or Cream.. either works for me and I believe my lather technique is good. One in ten shaves result in any weepers or irritation and seven out of ten are closer to BBS than DFS, but none out-right suck. Except the face gashing I did with the Feather AC..

Today's Shave...

~ Today's Shave, October 5th, 2010 ~

Cream/Soap: C.O Bigelow/Proraso, bowl lathered
Brush: Franks Shave, Finest Badger
Razor: iKon Standard, Prototype long handle
Blade:Personna, Red
Balm: Kiehl's

First shave with a new iKon Standard head on the long handle...

I already have an iKon razor in my inventory and used it for most of last week.. I have come to love the iKon line, not only for the shave it can deliver, but for the craftsmanship it exhibits and for it's wonderful ergonomics.  The standard head is much milder than the open comb I have used previously.

It took three passes and a touch up and I still was just shy of a BBS.  I define a Baby Butt Smooth shave as one that can pass the cotton ball test..pass a cotton ball over my skin and have leave no trace.  That's smooth!  What the new iKon delivered was a DFS or Damn Fine Shave.. it won't pass the cotton ball test, but it is light years better than what any cartridge could give me.

Image borrowed from Razor Emporium/iKon Razors

The new iKon has a wonder feel in hand..  The handle is longer and slimmer than my other razors and frankly, I really like it.  The handle is slightly thicker than a large pencil and it's design promotes a much lighter touch, which is one of the key ingredients to a good shave...zero pressure!

The C.O.Bigelow cream is made by Proraso, the famous well known Italian provider of barbershop shave creams, and is rebranded for sale by other vendors.  It has a wonder scent of mint and eucalyptus and it's menthol kick lasts through-out the shave.  Since I have been experimenting with soap sticks, I haven't been lathering with a bowl of late, but this morning was a bit chilly and I am finding that by warming the bowl while I shower not only allows me to soak my brush in hot water, but the ceramic holds and transmits heat to the lather as the brush sits between passes.  There are bowls designed to do exactly this, called scuttles, but I am happy with the arrangement I have...  Simpler is better.

I rate the shave about a three out of five blades..  Proraso, bowl lathered, is a perfect recipe, though I think this cream has a little too much skin-cling for me.  The Frank Shaving brush, till now only face lathered, excels in the bowl.  The iKon standard.. can't lay fault there, I love the size and shape of the handle and the mild approach of this safety razor let me concentrate on the experience as a whole and not have to focus on self preservation.  The shave lost points because of lack of familiarity and what might amounted to poor blade selection as I think a more aggressive blade like a Feather, might balance the razors timidness and render a closer shave...