- Sensitive & thin skin, somewhat loose on neck
- Lots of angles and dips -- paired with a moderately tough beard
- Challenging to get a close, comfortable shave
- Cool-water rinse only, prior to lathering
- Grandad's shave soap lathered with a boar brush
- (After-shave treatments are specified in each day's notes)
- The second pre-production run of Grandad's Shave Soap for Sensitive Skin
What I Learned this Week:
- My two favorite razors, the RM2003 and the Merkur 33C have different design factors (which I'll discuss in an up-coming article), but both can work well on my face despite having different shaving characters.
- Stretching skin slightly up over the jaw helps get a close shave under my jawline.
- The Lord Platinum Class blade remains a less than ideal match for my skin, and maiden shaves with a new blade work better with a negative-blade-exposure razor such as my second-favorite razor, the Merkur 33 Classic. Subsequent shaves are acceptable with the RM2003 as well.
- Next week, when testing a Feather blade for the first time, the initial shave will definitely be in the Merkur 33, not the Rimei.
The stock RM2003, with its factory handle. |
Sunday:
Closeness details: Upper lip - 3.8; Cheeks - 5.0; Lower lip & chin - 3.5; Under jawline - 3.6; Neck - 3.0.
Rating this day's shave*: Closeness-3.38, Irritation-4.0, Wounds-4.0
The Merkur 33 showing blade exposure. |
Closeness details: Upper lip - 3.0; Cheeks - 3.5; Lower lip & chin - 3.8; Under jawline - 3.0; Neck - 3.0.
Rating this day's shave*: Closeness-3.26, Irritation-5.0, Wounds-5.0
Summary rating: 4.42 (Though this shave has a high numerical rating, I value closeness very highly, and as a result, I consider this a mediocre shave because of its unremarkable, unrewarding closeness.)
Closeness details: Upper lip - 4.0; Cheeks - 4.5; Lower lip & chin - 5.0; Under jawline - 4.8; Neck - 4.5.
Rating this day's shave*: Closeness-4.6, Irritation-4.5, Wounds-4.0
Summary rating: 4.37 A good shave diminished by that single wound from cockpit error, for which I deviated from my normal wound rating to get a better rating of the shave from the gear used.
Closeness details: Upper lip - 4.2; Cheeks - 4.8; Lower lip & chin - 4.6; Under jawline - 3.6; Neck - 4.0.
Rating this day's shave*: Closeness-4.24, Irritation-5.0, Wounds-4.5
Summary rating: 4.58 Another good, no-fuss shave.
Using the 33 razor, took a 3-and-1/2-pass shave; very close. Even shaved against grain on upper lip. Finished with cool-water, tea-tree lotion, then Gillette lotion (blue bottle) supplemented with vitamin-E oil.
Closeness details: Upper lip - 5.0; Cheeks - 5.0; Lower lip & chin - 4.8; Under jawline - 4.0; Neck - 4.4.
Rating this day's shave*: Closeness-4.64, Irritation-4.8, Wounds-4.4
Summary rating: 4.61 One of my better shaves. :-)
Closeness details: Upper lip - 4.0; Cheeks - 4.8; Lower lip & chin - 4.6; Under jawline - 3.5; Neck - 4.0.
Rating this day's shave*: Closeness-4.18, Irritation-4.8, Wounds-4.0
Summary rating: 4.33
Closeness details: Upper lip - 5.0; Cheeks - 4.8; Lower lip & chin - 4.6; Under jawline - 4.4; Neck - 4.6.
Rating this day's shave*: Closeness-4.68, Irritation-4.5, Wounds-4.0
Summary rating: 4.39 A very nice shave to finish the week.
For next week I'm trying for the first time a Feather blade. Because of its reputation for sharpness but not optimal face-friendliness, I'm going to start the week using the Feather blade my Merkur 33 razor.
*Rating Key:
Closeness -- a separate evaluation is done for each of these five areas: a) upper lip, b) cheeks, c) chin, d) under jaw line, and e) neck; then these five are averaged together for a single closeness rating. The following are the scale criteria:
5 – Smooth when rubbed against grain & other directions
4 – Smooth across grain but not against grain
3 – Smooth with grain only
2 – Not smooth to touch, but appears adequately clean shaven
1 – Not smooth to touch, and stubble apparent
Irritation:
5 – No perceivable irritation
4 – Minor irritation just after the shave, disappears quickly with time or applied balm
3 – Minor irritation that lingers for more than an hour but less than six
2 – Irritation that is perceived throughout the day
1 – Visible razor burn
Wounds:
5 – Absence of any wounds
4 – Pinpoint weepers only
3 – A total of three or less nicks, small cuts, and larger-than-pinpoint weepers
2 – A total of four to six nicks, cuts, and larger-than-pinpoint weepers
1 – Worse than 2, above (first aid, quick!)
Regarding use of tenths of rating points: For closeness or irritation, each additional tenth of a rating point represents about 10% of the shaving area in question. For wounds, it represents gradations within a rating. For example, if I have, say, six pinpoint weepers only, I might give a wound rating of 4. However, if I only have one wound, which is a pinpoint weeper, that would likely get a rating of 4.9.
Happy shaving (and question everything)!
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