DaveWave94

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.

17.09.2025

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: Razorine Flatboy 73, all brass
• Blade: BIC Chrome Platinum
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - GraveFruit II soap
• Post-Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - GraveFruit II AS toner
• Passes & Info: 2 pass head shave with a new razor - nice audio feedback, generally very comfortable and efficient, but caught a few weepers.

Today I fetched my parcel/mail call and among the goods was this shiny full brass razor from Italy. A pic of all the goods will be coming tomorrow, not much energy left today after an exhausting shift.

Once upon a time I had a full brass Razorine, probably one of the most famous/infamous (?) DE-vettes to exist. I liked the look, but it always cut me badly, so I PIFed it to djundjila a few years ago. I still have a thing for brass razors without a chrome/silver coating though, and the choice for my reward razor was between this and the TGS Bayonetta. The Flatboy won basically on price point and higher total weight, despite the way less cooler name. I did this shave with a base I am very familiar with, SW is actually a top notch and very slick vegan soap - so it's very sad that they ceased operations. GF2 is a nice dark citrus blend created by Shawn Maher. It's perhaps the only trifecta I own together with Pomona (which is even more rare, as it was already discontinued before SW folded).

Anyways, my first impressions of the new razor are:

• This is really the most flat DE head I ever came across and the audio feedback is similar to GEMs (= crispy 😏)
• The blade tabs are nicely covered, but you need to pay attention to proper blade alignment in the razor head
• It is very, very efficient and also very intolerant of small bumps - learning this caused a few weepers
• riding the cap is the preferable option for this one compared to riding the safety bar, perhaps it also does better with milder blades instead of the BICs
• the hefty weight and thick handle feel great in my larger hands, however since it is handle-heavy, I need to pay attention to not put too much pressure on the head to avoid irritation and cuts.

So far, so good. I'm sure once I master this razor, it'll be a great tool in my collection. Happy to have one day off tomorrow!

16.09.2025

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: Derby Premium half DE
• Lather: HAGS - Aftermath
• Post-Shave: Alterra - Men ASB
• Passes & Info: 1 pass plus buffing on the head, mostly ATG + XTG; a good shave.

This shave was already a small improvement over yesterday. It was still brief because my energy still isn't back to a full 100%, but it's noticeably smoother.

Aftermath is a dupe of Amouage Interlude Man, a fragrance I really like for its luxurious yet comfortable vibe. If only it wouldn't cost an arm and a leg... This is still in the vegan base and was one of the earliest HAGS releases AFAIK, this base is a bit more sticky than I prefer and definitely inferior to the (mutton) tallow bases from him. Still capable of giving a good shave with proper hydration.

Everything at work is in crisis mode and everyone seems to be in a bad mood. Understandable due to the dire situation, yet this wasn't quite what I had hoped for in my new position. Well, at least I should have a mail call to fetch tomorrow afternoon - I got myself some things to reward myself for the successful RN degree, should be nice 👌🏻

Definitely, even though it's hard I try to help as much as I can. We're mostly RNs left, most assistant nurses are either on sick leave or vacation 🤷🏻‍♂️

15.09.2025

• Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
• Razor: Leaf Thorn
• Blade: Derby Premium half DE
• Lather: AYLM - Blu Tobacco
• Post-Shave: Lavera - Men sensitive ASB lotion
• Passes & Info: single pass WTG head shave. Not bad, not great - simply OK.

Back from the dead - or, at least, back after a bad cold had me on low energy levels after work. Yeah, I had to work regardless; too many sick colleagues already and we were already short staffed.

Not my greatest head shave, but it was a good start to ease back into it. Since a lot of the hobby is scent-focused for me, I usually only trim when my nose is stuffed and I can't appreciate the smells.

One early shift down, 5 more to go this week with only one day off on Thursday. Currently feeling a bit disappointed with everything; hope it clears up soon.