DaveWave94

Where have you been? I was about to ask if anyone heard anything from you or if we need to send a search team to Switzerland until I read something about a break in one of the SOTD threads. Hope everything is going well for you!

Btw, a really beautiful razor. I personally prefer the non-folding kamisoris, but one with a western style symmetrical grind sounds awesome! Plus I always like faux tortoise shell scales, giving it a unique look IMHO.

30.09.2025

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: Stando Perun
• Blade: BIC Chrome Platinum
• Lather: Noble Otter - Ace
• Post-Shave: Zingari Man - The Master, recovery splash
• Passes & Info: 1 pass on the head and 2 on the face around the full goatee. Pretty smooth and good shave!

So yesterday was awful, I didn't even get to the event as the city was overrun with cars & people, no parking spots available whatsoever. Unfortunately this triggered an anxiety attack, which I had to let pass before driving home slowly. I'm really glad about my (relatively) new car - all the sensors and assistants made me feel safe despite being stuck in traffic hell. I made the conscious decision to take things slower from now on, as this is clearly a sign of accumulated stress.

Anyways, today I also had a day off and it was relaxed. I finally had time to re-shape my circle beard, so a good shave was in order. And man, was this a nice experience. NO Ace was definitely a great choice for a new soap - it doesn't lose its smoky notes when it's lathered and the wood and leather create a nice blend with them. There's some perfume type scent in there too, maybe to smooth things out. It's a very unique scent and one that just vibes with me. Plus, usual great Noble Otter performance in terms of slickness, lather quality etc.

The Perun was a solid choice too. It actually gave me a nice, enjoyable face shave - something that I almost had given up on achieving. Made me smile into my mirror and helped me to feel way better. It's definitely great for both face and head shaving, which is rare for me. Usually razors do better in one of those departments only, but this shave was great on both the dome and the mug.

28.09.2025

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: Derby Premium half DE
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Ghost Town Barber
• Post-Shave: Zingari Man - The Master, recovery splash; moisturiser
• Passes & Info: single pass WTG head shave. Comfortable, not very close though.

I did this shave way earlier today before my late shift. Yes, I worked yet another weekend. And it was awful!

This combo is really good, but I only did WTG to avoid any cuts or anything else. It wasn't a very close shave, more akin to using a dry shaver. Still nice to finally get to a shave again. Tomorrow will be yet another quick shave, as there's an event by my welfare organisation to welcome the new trainees for this year and honour those who passed their exams this year (like me) and the practice instructors/mentors. I finally got my final results and the exam in the mail on Friday btw, couldn't be happier. Tomorrow should be a nice closing point and a chance for some networking. I don't like that I'll be going completely alone, but I don't plan on staying too long anyway...

Hope everyone else had a great Sunday!

It's a conspiracy man! 😂

24.09.2025

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: Razorine Flatboy 73
• Blade: Tatra
• Lather: Los Jabones de Joserra - The Witcher
• Post-Shave: alum block; Zingari Man - The Master; Alterra Men ASB
• Passes & Info: 2 pass face shave around a circle beard. Rough shave, unfortunately.

So another time of going back to a partial beard, perhaps for the fifteenth time this year?... This time it might actually last without the exam stress, who knows.

Unfortunately this shave wasn't that great. After trimming today, my skin was kinda feeling rough already. The soap had a slight burn once I applied the lather to my face. The Razorine Flatboy is good for detailed crisp line work, so it should rock for partial beards and moustaches. Yet the blade felt a bit like it's tugging in certain spots, especially on my jawline. Had a few tiny blood spots around the beard part so I actually needed 3 different post-shave products to get that under control again.

So thanks to being stupid, I now have a multitude of different variables that might have caused this:

1. Dry skin due to cold windy weather
2. Frag burn from a soap ingredient
3. Unfamiliarity with the new aggressive razor
4. The Tatra blades perform well on my scalp, but aren't suited for my hard beard hair
5. Aurora Borealis? Russian hacker groups? The Illuminati?

Anyways, I smell great now but my face burns. I don't know why it dislikes shaving so much when any kind of partial beard is clearly the better look for me instead.

Have a good day/evening/night!

22.09.2025

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: Razorine Flatboy 73
• Blade: Tatra
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Autumn Glory
• Post-Shave: OAM - Dolce Vita ASB
• Passes & Info: 2 pass head shave; OK shave except for a cut behind the left ear on the second pass.

Found some time to shave again as I finally have a few days off in a row.

Found another notable thing out about the new razor: if you tighten the handle too much, the blade is bent horizontally for a smiling edge! That's probably why my last shave with the Tatra wasn't as efficient as I hoped. This one was way better. So I need to keep in mind to check the blade alignment from all angles when I drop a new one into this razor. Sadly it is very aggressive, a move I usually do to catch all the hairs behind my ear led to a small cut. Ah well, live and learn - at least I had alum.

It's officially autumn/fall season now and at least here in Germany, we had matching temperatures (~ 12°C with wind). Time to take out Autumn Glory and it didn't disappoint. Stirling is rightfully considered one of the top soapmakers in wetshaving, the base always delivers a smooth lather fast. As for the new aftershave balm: I definitely like this stuff, the gel doesn't leave my scalp greasy and it smells really awesome. It was a bit more intense on the sweetness in comparison to Autumn Glory, but it is very inoffensive and rather charming with its scent. Also leaves the skin feeling good, so far a very great first impression!

[...] but I can't play for very long in a single sitting.

Ha, welcome to the club! One of the main problems of adult gaming I guess. Low energy after work + less available time due to other commitments + general distractions = almost zero time left for gaming. 🫤

That being said, enjoy what you can get out of the game, even if it's just 15 minute chunks. I currently try to get back into regular gaming sessions by playing... Pinball FX 😂

Thanks! And also thank you for re-invigorating the joy of wetshaving by sending that BVWSC sample to me a few months ago. Without the newfound enjoyment, I wouldn't have thought about any new acquisitions for the hobby. ✌🏻

Thanks! The Master is indeed amazing, truly one of Shawn Maher's greatest creations. It's not overly sweet or powdery like some other barbershops tend to be.

Ace is probably right at home in the coming fall/autumn season 👍🏻
The sides of the Flatboy are indeed round, you can't rest it on the side like other razors. Thankfully the handle is flat and heavy enough to stand on its own! The plus is that the blade tabs are fully covered. It's basically the Razorine on a stick, a bit aggressive but manageable if you take it slow 😉

Thanks 🙏🏻

18.09.2025

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: Razorine Flatboy 73
• Blade: Tatra
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Ghost Town Barber
• Post-Shave: Zingari Man - The Master recovery splash
• Passes & Info: 1 pass on both head and neck. A bit milder, but also less efficient. Still a good shave!

Attempt No. 2 with my new brass razor. This time with one of the new blades. I can already tell that these aren't as sharp as the BICs, but I think I should scale back the new variables to familiarise myself with the razor - even though all the new stuff is so tempting.

One weeper from yesterday was re-opened, otherwise it was a rather mild shave. The blades don't tug, not even on the rather hard stubble on my neck, which is good.

As I wanted to try out my new ZM aftershave, I thought GTB would fit nicely - and it even exceeded my expectations. Definitely a winning combo, as the spicy gunpowder notes of GTB fit nicely with the spices of The Master. It also left my skin feeling really good, something I always appreciate about great wetshaving products.

My only day off this week and I spent it as a laundry day and lazing around for recovery. Tomorrow it's back to the grind until Monday. Hopefully times will be less stressful soon - had a bit of anxiety today.

Despite its astringent and toning properties, I doubt witch hazel extract is to blame for the pain. My educated guess would be the Urea component, as Urea has a bit of a stinging sensation (like tiny needles) to it. At least in the creams I know personally and have used on patients with skin issues, this was always reported. It allegedly helps with skin renewal by removing dry dead skin, aka dandruff. Hence it's also often used in foot creams and psoriasis base care.