Shaving notes of the MaineYooper

Hi there!  My name is Eric and I like shaving.

I have been shaving since 1979, I suppose. Something came in a tube in the mail for us guys in the house, most likely the Trac II from Gillette. By the time I went to college in the Fall of '83, I was using an Atra.  Jump ahead to 5 years ago. I was not happy with my shaves. Not only was it a chore, I couldn't find an aerosol or gel that I liked and cartridges, even at Wally-world, were bank-breakingly expensive.  I tried some of the online vendors, and the cartridges didn't seem any better, and only marginally cheaper(?). Then I found a link to some article about DE razors. And oh, the money I could save if I shaved with a double edged blade! And you need a brush or 10, and a couple o' dozen soaps.  Let's not forget the blades, dirt cheap, so why not buy them by the bushel?!

Nothing new, right? We have all been there/are there.  I have managed to curb my spending. I found blades I like, and three soaps I like. And some brushes. Now to start saving that money!!

Current denizens in the shave drawer:
Primary razor: a Christopher Bradley brass razor (the Karve), with solid plates A, B, and C, and the open comp A.
Secondary razor: actually 2, both J-4 Slims, one steampunk design by Delta Echo Razor Works (sadly shuttered now) and one very nice one with a case.
Tertiary razor: a pre-War Gillette Tech.

Soaps: I am an unscented gent, both for work and for happy sinuses at home! 
The Big Three are Sensitive Skin from Mystic Water Soap, Nil from Shannon's Soaps, and Unscented from Mike's Natural soaps.

Brushes: my most reached for are SynBads, from AP Shave Co. And there is a Yaqi tuxedo, and a Razorock BC Silvertip synthetic. Yup, I am also a synthetic brush guy, since 2016.

Many razors and brushes have passed through the drawer, and this is what has stayed.

Thanks for reading! Here are some photos of some of the team.

Eric, Nice start and good to see another Journal. Thanks

I used to keep a daily journal as a Word document. Then for a couple of years I kept a detailed spread sheet that tracked usages and made charts for me.  Now I keep a spread sheet just tracking when I change a blade or soap, and what razor. I found I like to do a 10-day cycle, keeping most things the same for those 10 days. This has been working well for me.

I see this journal as a place to make observations, discuss with others, and post a photo every now and then.  Some in my household can tell you what to expect:

This was Carson being Carson! Sadly, I lost my little buddy to kidney failure in April 2019.  But his opinion is still worth considering as you read my posts!!

Eric, Nice start and good to see another Journal. Thanks

Thanks! I like to put thoughts down and I lurk in a lot of journals. Hopefully I will overcome the urge to be silent and comment more. I do enjoy the discussion that takes place, and just need to jump in to be part of it!

Carson has my attention and my condolences to you

I had been reading about the new adjustable injector from Parker. When I first came across Mantic59's article, which lead to next going the site and then reading on the forums, I found that I had missed the initial offering. So convinced was I that I would like this razor, I ordered some Schick blades from the larger river company on the web. And put my name in the email list from the one vendor listing the razor. However, a certain bespectacled primate posted his shave experience and thoughts, so I sent an inquiry. We worked out a deal (I said I'll pay what you ask!) and it should arrive tomorrow. The Schick blades arrived today. I had previously dipped my toe into the injector world with a very nice Schick Hydromagic, cased with instructions, and found I liked the Schick blades over the Pella blades. Then a week after it arrived, a gent posted looking for exactly what I had. Since I hadn't grown attached, and frankly knew a cased near mint razor would be better appreciated by this guy rather than me, as I knew my Karve would still be my preferred razor, I parted with the injector. Hopefully, the other guy is pleased and enjoying it! 

All that to say, I am very excited to try an injector again! Do I expect it to become my daily? No, but I like the price and I love mild razors, and I like adjustables. One of my Hollywood faves is Cary Grant. In Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, there is an early scene between Mr. and Mrs. Blandings (Myrna Loy is the Mrs!) and Grant's character goes into a spiel about the marvels of the safety razor. He is using an injector in the film from 1948. So there is that going for injectors as well! (trust me, it all connects and makes sense inside my head!) My avatar is from that scene, as he builds up his lather with a brush.

As a back up, or if I decide to wait until the weekend to explore the injector, I have put a fresh Wizamet blade into the trusty Karve. 

Thanks for reading!

I had been reading about the new adjustable injector from Parker. When I first came across Mantic59's article, which lead to next going the site and then reading on the forums, I found that I had missed the initial offering. So convinced was I that I would like this razor, I ordered some Schick blades from the larger river company on the web. And put my name in the email list from the one vendor listing the razor. However, a certain bespectacled primate posted his shave experience and thoughts, so I sent an inquiry. We worked out a deal (I said I'll pay what you ask!) and it should arrive tomorrow. The Schick blades arrived today. I had previously dipped my toe into the injector world with a very nice Schick Hydromagic, cased with instructions, and found I liked the Schick blades over the Pella blades. Then a week after it arrived, a gent posted looking for exactly what I had. Since I hadn't grown attached, and frankly knew a cased near mint razor would be better appreciated by this guy rather than me, as I knew my Karve would still be my preferred razor, I parted with the injector. Hopefully, the other guy is pleased and enjoying it! 

All that to say, I am very excited to try an injector again! Do I expect it to become my daily? No, but I like the price and I love mild razors, and I like adjustables. One of my Hollywood faves is Cary Grant. In Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, there is an early scene between Mr. and Mrs. Blandings (Myrna Loy is the Mrs!) and Grant's character goes into a spiel about the marvels of the safety razor. He is using an injectable in the film from 1948. So there is that going for injectables as well! (trust me, it all connects and makes sense inside my head!) My avatar is from that scene, as he builds up his lather with a brush.

As a back up, or if I decide to wait until the weekend to explore the injector, I have put a fresh Wizamet blade into the trusty Karve. 

Thanks for reading!

Eric, you crack me up man. Hope you enjoy it and I didn't know you messaged me before you saw that it was posted in the BST

Eric, your have three great soaps, there!  

My condolences on the loss of your friend, Carson.

My condolences on your cat. Glad to see you in the journals!

From my shave notes: Since the middle of the month of November, I have used the A plate quite a bit, for work shaves, days off, and even after not shaving for 2 days. I am finding that I really like how my face feels "inside". It feels smooth to my touch, but somehow feels refreshed, with absolutely no irritation. The whiskers come back sooner, but I am not minding that as much. Thinking about how my face fared after using the B plate, there would sometimes be some very mild irritation that disappeared within minutes after the shave. The C plate might leave some areas, like my neck, feeling sensitive for some time. But I do not recall this refreshed feeling with the B plate. I will have to pay attention when I go back to that plate, most likely this week for work.

So for the first part of the week, I did go back to the B plate. I shaved more attentively, and had no irritation and overall great shave, just like I have always associated with the B plate. Maybe I'd gotten too sloppy or rushed? Maybe bad memory? (where did I put the previgen...  ) The A plate wasn't as efficient, but it sure was comfy. Not knocking my trusty B plate, but to get close to the A refreshed/comfy feel, I really needed to be attentive and less pressure.

After getting a brief tour of coastal Maine for no apparent reason, a package from Dave in KY made it inland to my mailbox.  Inside, a new Parker adjustable injector. (I know, not new new, but I still call my car new when I buy it and it is sold as new, even though some other schmucks test drove it!) (Not that Dave is a schmuck, just saying).
I did one cheek on level 2, then moved the dial to 3 for the rest of the shave. I am very pleased! Smooth, and refreshed, easy to find best angle for me, and nimble where needed, like under the schnozz.  I think 3 may be comparable to the Karve A plate. Time will tell. 



A great big THANK YOU to Dave for letting me buy his razor