u/WriterWithin's SOTDs for challenge 'Shepherds of Stirling 2024'

Aug. 2, 2024
Brush: Semogue Pharos-c3 Pure Black Horse Hair Shaving Brush
Razor: Gillette 1957 Super Speed (Flare Tip)
Blade: Wilkinson Sword Classic [2]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave:* Stetson - Original - Aftershave

Ran late this morning so wasn’t able to shave until this evening. I went a bit too hard when face lathering with this new brush which ended up causing some slight irritation. It’s been a very long time since I’ve used an animal hair brush, so I’m still getting used to it. Been happy with it so far though. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 3, 2024
Brush: Semogue Pharos-c3 Pure Black Horse Hair Shaving Brush
Razor: Gillette 1957 Super Speed (Flare Tip)
Blade: Wilkinson Sword Classic [3]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Aftershave Balm - Balm
Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Daily Defense Face Lotion

Another quick evening shave. Nothing too special. Tomorrow should hopefully be a nice, relaxing shave like normal.

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 4, 2024
Brush: Semogue Pharos-c3 Pure Black Horse Hair Shaving Brush
Razor: Gillette 1957 Super Speed (Flare Tip)
Blade: Wilkinson Sword Classic [4]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Aftershave Balm - Balm
Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Daily Defense Face Lotion

The past few days, I’ve been paying more attention to my technique. Making sure the razor is at the correct angle, following the directions each section of hair grows, etc. I’ve also stopped shaving against the grain. I’m not getting those highly coveted BBS results, but I still look presentable at the end without any extra irritation. Looking forward to how the rest of this week plays out!

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 5, 2024
Brush: Semogue Pharos-c3 Pure Black Horse Hair Shaving Brush
Razor: Parker 65R
Blade: Wilkinson Sword Classic [5]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Aftershave Balm - Balm
Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Daily Defense Face Lotion
Fragrance:* Stetson - Original

Great shave this morning to start off the work week!

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 6, 2024
Brush: Plisson L’Occitane
Razor: Gem Damaskeene
Blade: Personna GEM Stainless PTFE [2]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave: Stetson - Original - Aftershave
Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Daily Defense Face Lotion
Fragrance:* Stetson - Original

First time using this Gem in quite a few years. In fact, I totally forgot I owned it until recently finding it hidden away while organizing the other week. Cleaned it up last night and popped a blade in for the morning.

I was running behind this morning, so I rushed in order to look presentable for work. Even with rushing, there were no nicks, weepers, or really any irritation afterwards. I’ve really only used a Gem 1912 for the last 5 - 7 years, so having my technique with these razors down definitely allows me to rush more and not get irritation compared to using a DE. May stick with this razor for the rest of the week!

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 7, 2024
Brush: Plisson L’Occitane
Razor: Gem Damaskeene
Blade: Personna GEM Stainless PTFE [3]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave:* Duke Cannon - Aftershave Balm - Balm

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 8, 2024
Brush: Semogue Pharos-c3 Pure Black Horse Hair Shaving Brush
Razor: Gillette 1959 Super Speed (Blue Tip)
Blade: Bolzano Superinox Inossidabile [1]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Aftershave Balm - Balm
Fragrance: Stetson - Original

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 9, 2024
Brush: Semogue Pharos-c3 Pure Black Horse Hair Shaving Brush
Razor: Gillette 1959 Super Speed (Blue Tip)
Blade: Bolzano Superinox Inossidabile [2]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave: Stetson - Original - Aftershave
Fragrance: Stetson - Original

This morning was one the best shaves I’ve had in a long time. I’ve never been able to achieve decent results with a single WTG pass, but that changed today. May or may not have been a fluke. Only tomorrow will tell.

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 10, 2024   * Brush: Semogue Pharos-c3 Pure Black Horse Hair Shaving Brush   * Razor: Gillette 1959 Super Speed (Blue Tip)   * Blade: Bolzano Superinox Inossidabile [3]   * Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap   * Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Aftershave Balm - Balm   * Fragrance: Stetson - Original  

Today’s shave wasn’t as great as yesterday’s. Oh well. I have noticed these blades do seem to be getting duller with each use, so I’ll probably switch it out tomorrow morning for something new.

$ShepherdsofStirling  

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Aug. 11, 2024
Brush: Semogue Pharos-c3 Pure Black Horse Hair Shaving Brush
Razor: Gillette 1959 Super Speed (Blue Tip)
Blade: Lord Platinum [1]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave:* Duke Cannon - Aftershave Balm - Balm

Haven’t used a Lord blade in a long time. When I first got into wet shaving, the Lord Platinum was my go-to. It just worked the best for me at the time. My facial hair is much thicker and course these days, and the Lord blades just don’t offer as smooth a finish as they once did for me. I still ended up with a great final result, but it took two passes (WTG & XTG) plus some buffing to achieve it. If I used a more aggressive razor, it may have been a different story. I just can’t help but love my Blue Tip for every day shaves! I’ve really fallen in love with it again this past month and regret it collecting dust over the last few years.

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 12, 2024
Brush: Semogue Pharos-c3 Pure Black Horse Hair Shaving Brush
Razor: Gillette 1959 Super Speed (Blue Tip)
Blade: Lord Platinum [2]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave: Stetson - Original - Aftershave
Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Daily Defense Face Lotion
Fragrance:* Stetson - Original

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 13, 2024
Brush: Plisson L’Occitane
Razor: Gillette 1959 Super Speed (Blue Tip)
Blade: Wilkinson Sword Classic [1]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave: Stetson - Original - Aftershave
Fragrance: Stetson - Original

Today is the first full day of an out of state family vacation. This is our first vacation since having kids, but it’s gone pretty smoothly so far. Hopefully the next few days go by without a hitch.

We’re staying in a hotel built in the 1800s where many past Presidents and American icons have stayed. The rooms are filled with vintage decor, so it felt like stepping back in time during this morning’s shave. Was quite the experience!

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 16, 2024
Brush: Semogue Pharos-c3 Pure Black Horse Hair Shaving Brush
Razor: Parker 65R
Blade: Wilkinson Sword Classic [6]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave: Stetson - Original - Aftershave
Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Daily Defense Face Lotion
Fragrance:* Stetson - Original

Littlest one ended up getting sick, so we had to end our vacation a day early. It was still a great time overall. Some of the photos I took unfortunately were lost due to the SD card becoming corrupted, but they were mainly landscape and museum shots. Luckily most of the photos of the family were able to be retrieved.

Today’s shave was pretty good. I decided to mix things up and use a more aggressive razor to try and get a more closer shave. Two passes (WTG & XTG) left my face extremely smooth. There’s some slight irritation on the cheeks but nothing too bad. I’ll be going back to my Blue Tip tomorrow, since it’s much easier on my sensitive skin and gives similar results if a bit extra time is taken.

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 18, 2024
Razor: Gem 1912
Blade: Personna GEM Stainless PTFE [1]
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
Post Shave: Stetson - Original - Aftershave
Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Daily Defense Face Lotion
Fragrance: Stetson - Original

Haven’t used an SE in a while so decided to break out what was my daily razor for the last 5+ years. My technique was a bit rusty, but I was still able to get a DFS with minimal feedback from the splash.

I’m running low on Gem blades and went to try and purchase some more online. They’ve really gone up in price since I last purchased a few years ago! If anyone knows where to get some in bulk for a decent price, please let me know!

$ShepherdsofStirling

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Aug. 20, 2024   * Razor: Gillette 1959 Super Speed (Blue Tip)   * Blade: Astra Blue [2]   * Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap   * Post Shave: Stetson - Original - Aftershave   * Post Shave: Duke Cannon - Daily Defense Face Lotion   * Fragrance: Stetson - Original  

A rare evening shave. I decided to give the Astra Blue another chance. Yesterday’s shave was a bit on the rough side, but the blade felt a lot smoother today. Only minor irritation on one part of my neck…which was my own fault for applying pressure when going over it. That area of my neck is super sensitive but the hair that grows there is thicker than anywhere else on my neck. It’s hard to get that area smooth without resorting to ATG. A more aggressive razor would do achieve the smoothness but only at the cost irritation. It’s hard having extremely sensitive skin and thick / coarse hair!

$ShepherdsofStirling  

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