Prep: Splash of Cool Water
Razor: Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 Open Comb
Blade: Gillette - Nacet (Marathon) (537)
Lather: Barrister and Mann Omnibus - Smoking Bishop
Brush: Maggard Razors - Plisson-type Synth 22mm (4 uses)
Post Shave: Pre de Provence - No. 63

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

Final confirmation of the Maggards Plisson Synth doing a great Slurry Lather with Omnibus base.

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb ::: Gillette - Nacet - M ‹537 uses›)

Same as usual with this old Nacet: maybe a tiny bit tuggy on first pass, but great afterwards. more passes were necessary if I wanted a better shave today, but I was fine with 3. Decent shave. Comfy. No irritation.

Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 2 out of 5 (Okay)

䷀ Soap Notes

(Barrister and Mann Omnibus - Smoking Bishop)

Them: "A Christmas Carol creates a particular image: cobbled London streets, swollen with carts and men in top hats and street urchins, all milling and shouting and running in the cold December air. You can practically feel the chill, see the clouds of steam as the crowds breathe, and hear the din of a thousand lives all playing out in the same space. It's a vivid, intensely nostalgic picture, one almost irrevocably associated with its author. ~ The story makes particular reference to a Victorian mulled wine known as 'Smoking Bishop,' so named because it's served heated to steaming, but not boiling, and drunk from warmed bowls or glasses (before you ask, we have no idea where the bishop part comes in). It's one of our favorite holiday punches here at Barrister and Mann"

"The soap version is a smooth, warm blend of wine, orange, grapefruit, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pipe tobacco that conjures images of sipping a stiff drink near a roaring hearth, the air redolent with the scents and sounds of food and drink and good company. Effortlessly charming and good-natured"

Me: I enjoyed it. I picked up on a little vanilla, and some spices, which I assume are the cinnamon and nutmeg. They were well-blended and not so spicy that I didn't like it.

I didn't pick up on any tobacco or wine notes in the fairly blind first impression, so those notes are not strong. But I did notice something like anise or oud, or in that family, that may have been the blend of those two. It grounded the whole thing and kept it interesting and from being just a flavor focused, monotone scent. I liked it.

But on my second shave with this soap, I did pick up the wine around the 3rd pass. A note has to gradually open up, it seems.

Scent Strength: 6/10, nicely present during shaving.

Lather... Great slurry lather today with the pair, the brush and this soap. Slurry in pass 1 and then it got more mature as we went through 3 passes. Super slick and fast.

I tried the new method of loading until the soap overflowed the tub a little, and that worked out great for getting enough soap for the shave.

Hydration: Perfect (for me)

• 13 sec load with a Very Wet brush
• = 5 passes of lather

Bowl: No Bowl

䷀ Brush Notes

(Maggard Razors - Plisson-type Synth 22mm ‹4 uses›)

Not too bad with this brush this time. I still like my naturals better, though. Since this knot doesn't hold as much water as some, I made sure to load without shaking any water out of it. That's the secret with this one.

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Felt blade but comfortable
  Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Close Shave
  Neck: Several hairs are showing some tip length (still a pretty good shave)

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet

Prep: Splash of Cool Water
Razor: Wolfman - WR2 Solid Bar .85 Brushed
Blade: Gillette - Platinum (10)
Lather: Barrister and Mann Omnibus - Four Horsemen - War
Brush: Thater - 4125-6 Fan Ivory (9 uses)
Post Shave: Pre de Provence - No. 63

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

Slurry Lather with Omnibus today, and trying a huge badger as well. I'll load more next time, but I have full faith that these are great.

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Wolfman - WR2 SB .85 Brushed ::: Gillette - Platinum ‹10 uses›)

Great combo! Just a tiny bit of blade feel, and excellent glide for the close cut.

Confirming here that for me, the Platinum works great in the Wolfman WR2 after just a day's growth.

Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)

䷀ Soap Notes

(Barrister and Mann Omnibus - Four Horsemen - War)

Them: "War is the strangest and, in some respects, the darkest of the four fragrances. Characterized by the aromas of hot metal and gunpowder laid over the core chypre accord that represents Death, the full fragrance encompasses notes of metal, aldehydes, gunpowder, leather, citrus, resins, clary sage, and amber. The peculiar, unsettlingly clean aroma of ozone and gun oil hangs over the scent of War like smoke on a battlefield, belying the foul, elemental hunger beneath."

Scent: The first time I used this soap, I had not heard that this soap smells like a certain herb to a bunch of people. Knowing that, the second time I used it, that still didn't bother me. It wasn't an exact match, and my brain was able to keep it separate, and focus on the elements of hot metal, gunpowder, resins, and moss. It seems that all those together smell like that herb, as it turns out.

That odd situation, where the sum of some parts makes something totally unintentional, reminds me of that other soap he made a couple of years ago, that smelled exactly like Copenhagen chewing tobacco.

Staying power: I did not notice anything different than other soaps by Will.

Scent Strength: 7/10, nicely present during shaving.

Lather... This soap hadn't been used in a while. So 50 swirls was not quite enough to gather enough soap with this brush.

I loaded a bit more, and gave it a little more water too.

I had three slick passes in pretty short order, but I'll increase load time to make the process a bit smoother next time.

Omnibus here is not going to be a problem for Slurry Lather fans, I'm certain.

Hydration: Dry End of Perfect (for me)

• 17 sec load with a Very Wet brush
• = 4 passes of lather

Bowl: No Bowl

䷀ Brush Notes

(Thater - 4125-6 Fan Ivory 35mm ‹9 uses›)

Not loading quite enough is very evident with such a big brush. It felt good, and I think proved that it won't take much for this thing to work well with the Slurry Lather technique.

However, one thing jumps out at me. The chief advantage of the Slurry Lather is speed in your shave. For guys who are short on time, and just need to get on to the next thing. Well, a super thick/dense/big brush like this one might be the opposite of what you would normally want for speed! Takes a while to rinse out all the suds at the end of the shave.

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Almost Smooth
  Neck: Almost Smooth
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Near BBS - About as close as I'll ever get
  Neck: Cut flush to where I just see the tips (above average for me)

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet

Prep: Splash of Cool Water
Razor: Timeless - Titanium .68 Solid Bar
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (India) (1)
Lather: Fine Accoutrements - Aquamarine
Brush: Zenith - Horse Extra Soft (507N XS) (15 uses)
Post Shave: Stirling - Dunshire

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

Testing the Slurry Lather method with a Horse brush, and the excellent classic hard puck from Fine Accoutrements. Spoiler: an excellent shave.

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Timeless - Titanium .68 - Solid Bar ::: Wilkinson Sword - India ‹1 uses›)

This was a great use, because the WS blade is a really cheap one, and the Timeless head design grips so well, that it makes sure I get a great shave, even on a budget blade.

Barely any blade feel, and super close result!

Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)

䷀ Soap Notes

(Fine Accoutrements - Aquamarine)

Them: "an exceptionally relaxing green-aquatic fragrance developed in collaboration with West Coast Shaving"

"Aquamarine evokes the carefree feeling of relaxing sea-side, under a warm sun, accompanied only by the rhythmic sound of the surf."

"Notes: lemon, sweet orange, rosemary, algae, oakmoss, driftwood, amber, musk"

Scent (Me): citrus, rosemary, wood, musk. fresh green aquatic.

Scent Strength: 4/10, lightly present during shaving.

Lather... Yes, the horse and Fine Accoutrements classic hard puck soap work very well with the Slurry Lather method.

Slurry on pass one, then pass two was almost a mature lather, and then pass 3 needed a bit more water, since I don't think I started out with quite enough.

Super slick lather at each stage, providing the excellent glide that the Fine base always gives me. Just the kind of slickness that I love.

I did have to dip the tips in pass 1 because I don't think I started out with enough water in the brush.

Hydration: Perfect (for me)

• 13 sec load with a Very Wet brush
• = 5 passes of lather

Bowl: No Bowl

䷀ Brush Notes

(Zenith - Horse Extra Soft - 507N XS ‹15 uses›)

So, today I learned that the Slurry lather is going to tell you the brutal truth about your brush.. at least in terms of the tip feel.

Lather with any kind of viscosity will hide exactly how firm your tips are by a certain degree. And there's nothing wrong with that.

But I felt a little prickle with this horse brush, that I only felt before at the very start. So I added that little note to my growing data for the Slurry Lather method.

This horse, and probably most horse brushes, are more regular density, and it performed similarly as my regular density badgers, which is to say that it worked with the slurry method very well.

But on average, it seems that horses don't have as many tips as badgers, so the water wasn't as concentrated toward the tips, so a quick dip in water was needed during the first pass. Maybe not shaking out as much water would have the same result.

But the brush had plenty of lather for three passes, probably four or more.

A more mature lathering method is going to be more comfy with the horse, but at least now we know that if you need to whip up a slurry lather for a speedy shave, a horse is a quick option, pun intended.

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Almost Smooth
  Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Near BBS - About as close as I'll ever get
  Neck: Near BBS - About as close as I'll ever get

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet

Prep: Splash of Cool Water
Razor: Fatip - Grande (Open Comb)
Blade: Gillette - Platinum (8)
Lather: Declaration Grooming Milksteak - Sunrise on Lasalle
Brush: Whipped Dog - Angel Hair Green Handle 24mm (2 uses)
Post Shave: Barrister & Mann - Reserve Spice

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

So, the Slurry Lather works well with a Synthetic brush, and with the current base from Declaration Grooming: Milksteak.

It's not usually advisable to change two significant variables at once, when you're trying out something new, but honestly, I had a hunch they would be just fine. And I was not wrong.

The brush did hold enough water to do the method, and the milksteak, being so easy to lather in general, was great with the Slurry method.

I used a Weck single edge today, but mostly shaved with a Fatip Open Comb.

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Fatip - Grande - Nickel Open Comb ::: Gillette - Platinum ‹8 uses›)

So I started off the shave with the Weck Sextoblade, but after working on my cheeks in the first pass, and having some issues, I grabbed a DE that was around, the faithful Fatip OC (Grande), which took care of my neck and the rest of the shave easily.

It was a week's growth after all. And my SR/Weck skills were just not up to the task of shaving off so much stubble, especially on my neck. It would have taken much too long for me to do it right.

But what I did do with the weck on my cheeks and a little on my neck, didn't generate any irritation, which was very nice.

The Fatip made sure I had a great shave and the Gill. Plat. was a fine match.

Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)

䷀ Soap Notes

(Declaration Grooming Milksteak - Sunrise on Lasalle)

Them: "Originally located in Downtown Saint Louis, the floral market moved to LaSalle during a period of construction and growth and has been there for decades ever since. One of the oldest markets, it serves florists across the country. This scent is designed to reflect the early morning hours of freshly cut flowers, with their dew-laden sweetness and vibrant freshness. ~~ Notes: Pear, geranium, jasmine tea, and Virginia cedar."

Scent: On first use, I don't remember detecting any pear, but what I thought I was getting was a green, sinewy, grassy vibe. I liked it well enough... fresh, grassy, green and clean and natur-ey ... though it wasn't super interesting. There's definitely something else out there with a similar nature to it.

Scent Strength: 5/10, nicely present during shaving.

Lather... I was shaving off so much stubble that more work was done in pass one, than usual with a slurry lather. So at pass three, we were farther along, in that we were looking at a pretty mature lather. No big deal, but I did have to add some water.

Milksteak is a good soap base for the Slurry Lather method, it looks like. It is easy to lather for most folks, so I really didn't have many doubts about it.

Hydration: Perfect (for me)

• 8 sec load with a Very Wet brush

Bowl: No Bowl

䷀ Brush Notes

(Whipped Dog - Angel Hair Green Handle 24mm ‹2 uses›)

Worked great with the slurry lather method, it seems. Held enough water from the start. Not a ton, but enough. I did need to add more by the end, but that also may have been because the situation was a bit non-standard since the first pass was taking off so much stubble.

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Felt blade but comfortable
  Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Near BBS - About as close as I'll ever get
  Neck: Cut flush to where I just see the tips (above average for me)

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet

Prep: Splash of Cool Water
Razor: Gillette - Aristocrat 16 (UK)
Blade: Gillette - Platinum (7)
Lather: Summer Break Soaps - Remote Learning
Brush: Declaration Grooming - B13 Dogwood/Briar Hybrid 28mm (21 uses)
Post Shave: Stirling - Mountain Man

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

As we work with the Slurry Lather method with a high-density badger, I'm going to try a longer soap-load and a wetter brush.

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Gillette - Aristocrat 16 - UK ::: Gillette - Platinum ‹7 uses›)

Wonderful pairing! A bit of blade feel, but it was smooth and controlled. Close cut.

No tugging or irritation.

Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)

䷀ Soap Notes

(Summer Break Soaps - Remote Learning)

Them: Doritos

Scent: nacho cheesy corn tortilla chips is the goal here. I imagine that's a tough challenge. While smelling the dry tub and the wet lather, what comes to me first is a cookie sweet type scent that reminds me of some cinnamon schoolbook cookies from Trader Joes. It's a nice scent, so I don't mind if my brain never switches away from that.

If I know it is supposed to be corn chips, then I can definitely see that in the scent. So that's cool.

But even if I set my brain to try to find a cheesy note in there, I really can't.

I think it might be more realistic with a hint-of-cumin type scent in there, but of course, that could make it hard on skin maybe.

While I may not really get a Doritos scent from it, I think it's a great attempt, and I know that I like shaving with it anyway.

Scent Strength: 4/10, present during shaving.

Lather... Today's try was to load for twice as long as previously done ... 40 swirls. also to make sure there was lots of water in the brush.

I did both of those things, but the slurry did not develop like it does with other brush types. I think the excess water inhibited the loading of the soap from the puck. This brush just has such soft tips.

I went back for another 10 swirls when the brush had less water in it and that was good. I got a more normal slurry then.

I think with this kind of soft-tipped high-density badger, you won't be able to have it hold all the water at the outset. Load from the soap with a merely "wet" brush and not a "very wet" brush. Then add water later, either by dipping tips in a bowl or sprinking from the tap.

With the tweaks i put in on the first pass, the second and third went just fine and normal for a Slurry lather. Super slick and highly protected.

Hydration: Perfect (for me)

• 17 sec load with a Very Wet brush
• = 4 passes of lather

Bowl: No Bowl

䷀ Brush Notes

(Declaration Grooming - B13 Dogwood/Briar Hybrid 28mm ‹21 uses›)

Great brush with soft tips. Don't get to experience it as much with this fast method, but It's superb nonetheless.

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Felt blade but comfortable
  Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Near BBS - About as close as I'll ever get
  Neck: Cut flush to where I just see the tips (above average for me)

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet

Prep: Splash of Cool Water
Razor: Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 Open Comb
Blade: Gillette - Nacet (Marathon) (532)
Lather: House of Mammoth Tusk - Misfit
Brush: Declaration Grooming - B13 Dogwood/Briar Hybrid 28mm (17 uses)
Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Four Horsemen - Famine

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

How blessed am I to get to shave with a rare creation from Ben/Mammoth! Due to the generosity of JeepGuy, he shared with me a smush of a soap Ben created just for him as a prize in the Lather Games (over on reddit /r/wetshaving).

Thanks so much, Jeep!

I'm also doing a test today of the Nacet blade I've been marathoning, just to see if it's still up to the task of delivering a quality shave. Spoiler: it was.

I'm also going to enjoy the cloud-like touch of a super-soft badger for the first time in a month!

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb ::: Gillette - Nacet - M ‹532 uses›)

With such a great lather, the razor moved easily and lightly, making 5 passes easy to accomplish quickly. Nice comfort, and a great, close shave at the end, with the old blade requiring some slanted approaches as well as so targeted, and ever-so-light near ATG on the neck.

Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 2 out of 5 (Okay)

䷀ Soap Notes

(House of Mammoth Tusk - Misfit)

Misfit is a personalized and custom scent created by Ben at House of Mammoth, for J33pGuy13. Jeep won it as a prize in the 2023 Lather games on /r/wetshaving. Only two sets (soap, splash, and EDT) were made, and I consider it an honor that Jeep has sent me a smush to enjoy.

Them: "Young adulthood. The confidence and the confusion. The enthusiasm and the ennui. ~ Misfit is a study in disparate elements coming together in harmony, a snapshot in time. ~ Its exuberant opening features a bright, waxy citrus peel mixed with a bit of natural creamy musk, bounding forward to greet the day. ~ Next, a beautiful heart of moss, sparkling amber, herbs, and light florals emerges, juxtaposed with splashes of industrial goods and beer. Nature and digital environments fight and interweave strangely. ~ Finally, the fragrance sighs into a relieved and expansive sandalwood and tobacco with spices and vanilla, adorned with the tiniest hint of goat."

Top: bergamot peel, musk

Middle: floral, amber, moss, herbs, beer, vinyl

Base: sandalwood, cardamom, saffron, pink pepper, tobacco, vanilla, musk, goat

MammothBen continues: "While this was a personal project only for him, J33pGuy13 has generously agreed to allow us to make a second Misfit trifecta for raffle. ~ Proceeds from the Misfit raffle will be donated to Restore NYC and their mission to make freedom real for survivors of trafficking in the United States."

Me: The soap of course is not the truest expression of the scent as created by the maker. However, I was able to get many of the notes mentioned.

What strikes me as particularly wonderful about this creation, is that it is enjoyable from two perspectives: the simple user will just notice that it's really nice as it has well-controlled happy notes along side more anchoring and natural/base ones; but the scholar of the scent profile will also thoroughly enjoy how the one side plays against the other, in complete harmony.

The scholar will see the citrus and musk as a classic start, making the citrus pleasant, but well-grounded. They'll also enjoy how the florals are held in check by the herby moss and harshness of a touch of vinyl. And finally, they'll appreciate how it all settles down into the base notes that are familiar, classic, manly, skillfully-blended, and light, all at the same time.

Lather... Well, we know that Tusk base is amazing (thanks /u/mammothben), so the performance was a given. But I did happen to totally nail it today, with the lather being so wet, but still having that light luxurious creaminess that is my personal sweet spot.

The protection it offered was more than adequate for the 5 passes I bathed in today.

Hydration: Perfect (for me)

• (0.3 tsp) soap with a Lightly-Wet brush
• 28 ml (5.7 tsp) added to build the lather
• = 7 passes of lather

Bowl: Roger Quintero 3D Printed Bowl
I use the XL version of this bowl.

䷀ Brush Notes

(Declaration Grooming - B13 Dogwood/Briar Hybrid 28mm ‹17 uses›)

Oh what a difference this brush was from using the Moar Boar all month.

First it was lighter by a noticeable amount, since a badger holds less water.

And of course the broad 28mm expanse of ultrasoft tips. Wooosh!

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Felt blade but comfortable
  Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Very Close Shave
  Neck: Few hairs are showing some tip length (with most being cut flush)

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet

I have always wanted Reddit WS to change to a longer duration for the smaller question auto-threads. So I'm all for a weekly question thread.

And yep, keep the SOTDs daily. fine with me.

I use an app to take the shave data that I' ve typed in and render it for either Youtube or reddit. I recently added lemmy and mastodon sections as well, so I don't mind continuing to post in all of them.

However, if I only have a discussion in one, and then later want to find it, it's a bit of a hassle to figure out where the discussion was.

So... a while back you were kinda regretting the purchase of that XS horse. Now that you've had so many uses, has that opinion changed?

• Prep: Splash of Cool Water
• Razor: Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb
• Blade: Gillette - Nacet (Marathon) (526)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag (White Label)
• Brush: Zenith - r/wetshaving MOAR BOAR B35/508A XL (51 uses)
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag (White Label)
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag

Austere August: Day: 28
MRTNG's Ultra Nightmare Mode
Midnight Stag Challenge

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

After trying some variations on the Slurry method over the last few days, I go back to old faithful, original Slurry, and was rewarded with that next-level luxury slickness again.

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb ::: Gillette - Nacet - M ‹526 uses›)

Same: First pass has some tugginess to it. But no irritation that lasts longer than a little tuggy stroke. Latter passes feel fine and give a reasonably close shave. 3 pretty quick passes.

Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 2 out of 5 (Okay)

䷀ Soap Notes

(Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - White Label)

I just love all the aspects of this scent!

Scent Strength: 6/10, nicely present during shaving.

Lather... Slurry lather. 10 swirls.

With needing to take longer load times when on a drier soap (because I tested leaving the cap off), I wondered if the slurry lather would be a good approach to smaller load times, even if your tub was almost empty.

It worked great.

Was a superb slurry lather today, and was back to the old super-top-notch kind of slickness.

I did not have to load as much as I did.

Hydration: Perfect (for me)

• 3 sec load with a Very Wet brush
• = 6 passes of lather

Bowl: No Bowl

䷀ Brush Notes

(Zenith - r/wetshaving MOAR BOAR B35/508A XL ‹51 uses›)

Same: Comfortable soft tips that do flex some, but that are supported by a base with strong backbone. As with all young boars, I look forward to the tips splitting with more uses and getting softer with use.

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Felt blade but comfortable
  Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Close Shave
  Neck: Several hairs are showing some tip length (still a pretty good shave)

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet

• Prep: Splash of Cool Water
• Razor: Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb
• Blade: Gillette - Nacet (Marathon) (519)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag (White Label)
• Brush: Zenith - r/wetshaving MOAR BOAR B35/508A XL (44 uses)
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag (White Label)
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag

Austere August: Day: 21
MRTNG's Ultra Nightmare Mode
Midnight Stag Challenge

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

Slurry lather in a bowl today. 5 swirls off a dry puck. A bit thin. Fast. And let's bring in a bowl, and see what happens.

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb ::: Gillette - Nacet - M ‹519 uses›)

Same: First pass has some tugginess to it. But no irritation that lasts longer than a little tuggy stroke. Latter passes feel fine and give a reasonably close shave. 3 quick passes.

䷀ Soap Notes

(Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - White Label)

I just love all the aspects of this scent!

Scent Strength: 6/10, nicely present during shaving.

Lather... A slurry lather today. It got the job done, but I should have loaded for longer. I used the bowl to mix it up just a bit before starting, but with the lack of load, it didn't help much.

A little too wet, but still slick and effective.

Hydration: A Little Too Wet (for me)

• 1 sec load with a Very Wet brush
• = 3 passes of lather

Bowl: Roger Quintero 3D Printed Bowl
I use the XL version of this bowl.

䷀ Brush Notes

(Zenith - r/wetshaving MOAR BOAR B35/508A XL ‹44 uses›)

Same: Comfortable soft tips that do flex some, but that are supported by a base with strong backbone. As with all young boars, I look forward to the tips splitting with more uses and getting softer with use. I am generally using a hair dryer to gently treat the tips and age them just a bit faster than normal.

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Felt blade but comfortable
  Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Close Shave
  Neck: Several hairs are showing some tip length (still a pretty good shave)

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet

• Prep: Splash of Cool Water
• Razor: Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb
• Blade: Gillette - Nacet (Marathon) (502)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag (White Label)
• Brush: Zenith - r/wetshaving MOAR BOAR B35/508A XL (27 uses)
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag (White Label)
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag

Austere August: Day: 4
MRTNG's Ultra Nightmare Mode
Midnight Stag Challenge

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

Great slurry lather today. Everything went very well.

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb ::: Gillette - Nacet - M ‹502 uses›)

Same: First pass or two has some tugginess to it. But no irritation that lasts longer than a little tuggy stroke. Latter passes feel great and give a reasonably close shave. 5 pretty quick passes.

Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 2 out of 5 (Okay)

䷀ Soap Notes

(Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - White Label)

I just love all the aspects of this scent!

Scent Strength: 6/10, nicely present during shaving.

Lather... Slurry again. Worked out great this time. Very light, but slick on the first pass, and then second, and third got even better as the lather matured. Plenty left over after 5 passes.

Hydration: Perfect (for me)

• 12 sec load with a Very Wet brush
• = 6 passes of lather

Bowl: No Bowl

䷀ Brush Notes

(Zenith - r/wetshaving MOAR BOAR B35/508A XL ‹27 uses›)

Brush felt better than yesterday sinceI started out with more soap in the brush. Not plush, but mostly soft and comfy.

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Just a little tugging
  Neck: Just a little tugging
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Close Shave
  Neck: Many hairs show whisker tips with a little length to them

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet

1. Gillette - Ranger Tech - probably 1941. Just one year, which is why so rare. Later, they would start to produce the Super speed line, which would look similar to this one. So maybe this one is the grandfather of the highly successful Super speeds.
2. Gillette - Super Speed Flare Tip - usually a mid range aggression shaver that was super popular back when (50s & 60s). Probably shaves similar to the ranger tech.
3. Gillette - Fat Boy Adjustable - they made these for about four years, about '59 time period. This is one of my favorite vintage razors, because of its look and heft, and at the lower ranges, it is so smooth. Gillette changed to one we call the "Slim", which looks similar, but has a slimmer handle and a slight change in head design, and made that one for a lot longer. So the Fat Boy, being more rare, is more valuable.

All of these razors have much better workmanship and materials that most modern ones created today. So many these days are just plated pot metal, and will usually break after a few years of use. And there are companies like Vikings Blade that are adding a story and marking them up super high.

But these that you have are brass at their core, which will outlive you.

As far as dating goes, most of these will have a date code at the bottom, under the baseplate. A letter will be on the left end, and a number will be on the right. The letter is the year, and the number is the quarter of that year.

https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/wiki/US_Gillette_Dating_Information

Scroll down to the section: 1950-1988 (letter codes)