Making Videos With Smartphones:

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I thought I would take the time to put together a blog post on what I use to make my shaving videos on YouTube and how I use my smart phone to make these videos. So let's get started. Below is a shot of everything that I use to make a shave video in terms of equipment. I will give you all of the information on the equipment and where to get it and what it costs. I'm totally addicted to making shave videos:

First thing you will need is a mount and the one you see below you can get at Walmart for $20 U.S. Dollars. And it's been an exceptional mount with no issues:

It does come with adhesive backed metal plates that can be installed inside your phone's outer casing. I prefer just to go ahead to put the adhesive metal plate on the back up my phone since there's a 90% chance that they won't be reselling this phone when it comes time to upgrade. It did fall on me once and the only reason it did was because I did not take the time to wet the suction cup of the mount itself. Other than that one time while I was in the shower, it never falls:

The magnet is extremely strong and isn't going any where at all. In fact you have to use some strength to remove the phone from the magnet. You will definitely be able to tell and feel the power of the magnet. Trust me when I say that your phone isn't going any where unless the entire mount comes off:

Now for those who want to upload videos using memory cards, I have the perfect tool for you to use and it's extremely easy to do. Here's the link to this device but I do recommend spending the extra money for the better quality versions as mine isn't too good but it does still work: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PKZ0NZM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 :

You simply plug this device into your phone as shown below, select the "my files" option and then go down to the camera app that you used to record the video and select it. Then you highlight your video and hit the options button and hit copy. You will then be asked where you want to copy it to which is called "USB drive". That's where I copied the video to and I created a file name that uses the same name as my camera app to make it easier to find. You see when you plug this device into your phone with a micro SD card, all of your BASIC data is copied except for photos and videos. After you select which ones you want to copy, you can then simply remove the memory device and insert the memory device (memorycard, thumb drive etc.) into a computer or laptop and upload that way:

Now this device can use full size memory cards, micro SD cards, and USB thumb drives, but the model I have doesn't work to well at all with the full size memory cards and thumb drives but it does fine with micro SD cards. The thumb drive fits okay but I didn't get any results with it. And the full size memory card does NOT fit very well at all. Now there are adapters out there for those of you that use I Phones and I Pads plus there also some that are specifically made for those devices:

Audio is very important, but it can get expensive really quick as well and I have watched a ton of videos about this specific subject matter and have determined that more expensive is NOT always better. Rhode Microphones does make a smart phone microphone and they start at $60 U.S. Dollars for there lowest model. That is the best microphone you can get in terms build quality. However, the lapel microphone that you see below has beaten some of the best and most expensive microphones on the market today including Rhode Microphones themselves in terms of audio quality. You have seen and heard my videos both with and without this microphone and it does make a huge difference in the audio. Here's the link to this microphone: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074KJ1N3D/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 :

^ Not bad at all for $10 U.S. Dollars. The build quality isn't too good at all and the clip can break real easily but that's okay because I can always use a zip tie and if need be, I can always hot glue it to something if I need to clip it in place. Most of the time, I just plug it into my phone and let it hang down when I record:

Now that pretty much covers the equipment part of the equation. Now for the video recording and digital camera apps. Your smart phone does come with a very nice camera app but if you want a really good one that's extremely easy to use and does NOT contain a ton of ads, then I highly recommend the open camera app which can be seen below and here's the link to that app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.sourceforge.opencamera :

^ It's free and as I stated earlier, contains zero ads. And if you don't want to use a memory card to upload photos or videos, no problem. You can upload it to ANY social media app provided the videos aren't too long. Instagram has been the only social media app that I haven't been able to upload videos to because they are too long but I can go live and there would not be an issue except I have to use a different camera app which I don't like but photos and short videos are no problem. No issues so far on Twitter but I use strictly YouTube for the other platforms including face book. If you don't mind using video editing software and/or paying for a subscription to upload them in full HD, then this app is the best period and is extremely easy to use hands down: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cyberlink.powerdirector.DRA140225_01 :  It's alright and pretty simple to use, but it does have ads unless you get the full version and to be able to use the full HD option, you have to subscribe which I find to be ridiculous. Another thing that annoys me is the fact that you will see the app logo in the bottom right hand corner of all of your videos if you use this app to make them. It's plug and play and uses your phone's primary camera app. Uploading videos to YouTube is stupid slow and it's even slower to transfer it to a memory card using this app. That is one of the many reasons why I chose to get rid of it. But if you want to record 2 seperate videos and place them in one YouTube video, this app will definitely be a life saver for sure which I have used and done before. That's currently what I use to make YouTube videos with. I hope this helps answer some questions and makes things easier for you especially new guys whom are getting into the hobby. Take care and have a great night ladies and gentlemen.

Feather + Leaf Razor = ?

Things just got extremely interesting folks. My friend Ken surfs got a request to use a Feather DE blade in the Leaf razor. I also got asked about it repeatedly in the various face book groups out there and I was also asked. So I went ahead and installed a fresh Feather blade in the top 2 slots of the Leaf razor. So tomorrow's shave just got extremely interesting to say the least:

So you guys know that I'm not pulling your leg, here's a close up:

And yeah it got the top hide of my finger while loading the blade. It wasn't even deep enough to consider it to be a cut and yet it bled this much. You can use your imagination as to how much blood it would have produced if the blade went extremely deep. That is why I don't use straight razors. One good swipe with shaky hands and ugly would not do it justice:

^ I will include a link to this blog post in tomorrow's shave video in the description on YouTube. Plus this combo is getting a real acid test. As of tomorrow, I will have 4 days worth of beard growth. So like I said earlier, tomorrow's shave will for sure be extremely interesting. I was told by someone that this razor really tones down the Feather blades into a comfortable shave. I already know that it will be close because of the Feather blade. It's the sharpest blade you can get. The only other blades that even come close to Feather is the Bolzano Superinox and the Perma-Sharps.

A Video App Test?

Today while producing my last shave video using the app below, I noticed that it would NOT let me upload in full 1080P HD without paying a full subscription fee. That is totally unacceptable and here's why. If I was to use my Nikon B500 digital camera to make videos, it costs me NOTHING to upload a video in full 1080P HD. I have also uploaded a video directly from the open camera app in full 1080P HD for nothing as well. My test is to see if I can transfer the video file from the open camera app directly to the memory card and upload my next shave video that way. If it works, then I won't use the app you see below. I still may have to leave it on the phone though because it did put a "pause button" in the open camera app that I have been using:

I can't justify paying a ridiculous subscription fee to be able to upload in 1080P using the app shown above when I already have that ability with another app and with another device. If this test works and I have no reason to believe that it would not work. So this coming Wednesday will be very interesting in the video recording department.

Changing Things Up A Bit:

Today's shave was great, but I did have a tiny bit of irritation. So to fix that, I will be going with just one DE blade split in half and only using it in the 2 top slots of the Leaf razor. The bottom slot is the most aggressive and meant for heavy beard growth which is what I had today when I shaved. I really don't need but 1 blade and the 2 top slots have less blade exposure and tend to be a bit milder. So hopefully that will tame things down a little more in the razor burn and irritation department:

I'm also going with another Personna Lab blue before switching the blade out for a Feather blade. I was also told that this razor really tames the Feather blades down which is a good thing because they were expensive compared to the other blades that I had in my sampler pack at $5.00 U.S. Dollars. I still have some more blades to try specifically the Russian blades.

Personna Lab Blues Are Next:

It's still coffee time here in Southwest Virginia so while I am enjoying some decaf coffee, I decided to go ahead and switch out the Gillette Silver Blue blades for Personna Lab Blue blades in the Leaf razor. This was the first blade I wanted to use in the Leaf for my first shave with it since it's the ONLY DE blade that's made in the United States of America. But thanks to the Postal Service, I had to use another blade instead for the inaugural shave. I have a feeling that I will be liking this combination. The question is how many shaves will I get out of these blades?

I got great shaves with these in my DE safety razors but I didn't get more than 2 or 3 multi pass shaves out of a Personna Lab Blue blade. I'm hoping that these will be extremely good in the Leaf razor. This brand of blades is extremely popular. My friend Don Youngner over at Wet The Face will be very interested in this razor and blade combo. Personna Lab Blue blades is his "go to" blade choice. Very rare that I see him use any other blade than these in his shave videos.

Switching To Milder Blades:

While my phone charges, I thought I would take a moment to switch out the blades. Recording YouTube videos on your phone really runs your battery down. Mean while, the first shave with the Leaf and Perma-Sharp blades was great but today's shave wasn't as good as I would have liked it to have been and that was due to the harshness that the Perma-Sharps tend have. The 3rd shave would have been worse. So for my next shave, I will be trying these Gillette Silver Blue blades in the Leaf to see what happens. My blade sampler pack didn't arrive this past Saturday but they did arrive at the nearest distribution center about 2 hours away. I am thinking that the Feather blades I ordered may have been a mistake but we will see:

^ I've had great success with these Gillette Silver Blue blades and I do have 2 more Gillette brands coming which are the Gillette Wilkinson Sword which I see in a ton of shave of the day posts, along with the Gillette 7 "o" Clock blacks. In addition to those blades, I also have Personna Lab Blues coming. I also have some of the Parker blades left that was given to me by Dr. Mike's Emporium which I really need to try in the Leaf razor. Plus I still plan on trying the Super Platinum that came with the Leaf razor. I will also do a blog post on each blade with the Leaf Razor. In a science experiment there are 2 variables. The independent variable and dependent variable. In this specific experiment, the independent variable is the Leaf razor because it will be used in every single shave that I do from here on out. The dependent variable will be the shave quality itself both during and afterward. The blade changes and so does the shave soap and brush, so they can't be variables in this specific experiment. The biggest factor for me is comfort both during the shave and after the shave. I don't want to use a blade that can't cut my whiskers but at the same time, I don't want a blade that draws blood and causes irritation with each use either.

The Leaf & Perma-Sharps:

Oh my! is all I can say about this Leaf razor and Perma-Sharp blade combo. Wow what a phenomenal and blissful shave. It was the best shave I have ever had in my entire life. At first I thought it was going to be aggressive possibly some what harsh due to the fact that these were fresh blades and these specific blades are known to be a little harsh on the first shave. I did NOT get any of that at all. In fact I could NOT tell there was any blades in the razor at all. It also NEVER clogged up on me either and I used some glycerin as a pre-shave as you will see when the video is finished uploading on YouTube. It also had NO problem removing my 4 day beard growth either:

The pivoting head requires some pressure to keep the razor head flat against your skin which I am not use to doing but it definitely helps in getting a close shave especially on curved surfaces such as my my neck area. This razor is perfect for head shavers and the ladies would love this razor as well. As you will see in the video once it has finished uploading, I was slick as black ice after just 3 passes and the best part is that I had zero weepers. I also did NOT have any need for an alum block and I did NOT get any burn from the aftershave as well. Like I stated earlier, a perfect shave. The scary part is that these were Perma-Sharps and I have Feather blades arriving tomorrow. There's no telling what that shave will be like. Wow what a razor. This Leaf razor is definitely a must buy.

MeWe Wet Shaving Groups:

With Google Plus being dismantled over the next 10 months, a lot of talking has been done amongst members in those wet shaving G+ communities. 2 out of the 3 communities that I'm a member of have moved over to the new social media platform called MeWe which is free to join. So lets get started and yes, I will include the links to these MeWe groups:

^ This is the old classic How To Grow A Moustache G+ community and currently has 1,399 members over on Google plus and has been one of my personal favorites for many years and I was extremely excited to see it up on MeWe. Here's the link to that specific group: http://wetshavinggroup.com/ :

^ My friend Jeffrey Smith has also moved his G+ community over to MeWe which is called Artisan Shaving and can be found here: mewe.com/join/artisan_shaving . I decided to replace Wet Shavers United with Jeffrey's group. I'm currently a moderator over in Wet Shavers United and the owner of that G+ community has gone MIA. I'm pretty sure the owner of Wet Shavers United has been notified of Google's decision to end G+ but I really could not tell you because he has long since left the community and basically left me to watch everything. Wet Shavers United only has 85 members on G+ but a lot of them are inactive:

^ I was invited to this one first by my friend, Don Youngner over at Wet The Face. I have been a member of his G+ community for years and years it currently has 1,118 members over on G+. I was proud and happy to join this group over on MeWe which can be found here at this link: mewe.com/join/wet_the_face :

^ I have also decided to go back onto Twitter and stick with the wet shaving hobby only. Here's the link to my Twitter profile if you wish to follow me: https://twitter.com/knightmare10151 . It's a shame that Google had to pull the plug on G+. There's tons and tons of people on there who wet shave but refuse to use Face Book for various reasons and in some cases, I can't really blame them. MeWe is free to join and you do get 8 GB's of data, but if you want more data, you do have to buy it. The most data you can get is 500 gigabytes and it will cost you $20 U.S. Dollars per month which comes to $240 U.S. Dollars per year but I don't see people needing that much data at all even for a large group. I've got several posts up in different groups including a video on my specific MeWe profile and I'm only using .001 gigabytes of 8 gigabytes total. By the way if you wish to follow me over on MeWe you can find me here on this link: mewe.com/i/stephen.davidson3 . I will miss Google Plus when it's gone by 8/19/19 or sooner.

Leaf Razor Blade Choices:

The U.S. Postal tracker has been updated and I could not be more excited and happier than I am now. My Leaf razor is scheduled to arrive this coming Thursday as you can see below:

Unfortunately the blades that I want to try first before won't be here until this coming Friday as you can also see below:

Here's a list of the blades that I ordered from Maggard Razors. I spent a grand total of $10.25 U.S. Dollars for 27 blades. This does not include shipping costs because that rate varies based upon location. So I will leave that part out from now on. So lets do some math here. $10.25 divided by 27 total blades = .3796. I'll go ahead and round that up to $.40 cents per blade which is 10 times cheaper than cartridge razor blades:

The reason that specific cost is high is because of the $5 U.S. Dollars price tag on these Feather DE blades which can be seen below:

^ Feather DE blades are the sharpest DE blades you can get in my humble opinion and there are several people out there who would agree with me on this specific statement. They also tend to have an extremely harsh post shave feel afterward. The post shave kindly reminds me of a sun burn with most of my DE safety razors. I have no clue what they will be like in the Leaf razor at all which is why I ordered them. I will do a write up on each and every blade that I use in the Leaf razor. My next blade choice I have been hearing and seeing in a lot of shave of day posts and that would be the Gillette Wilkinson Sword DE blades:

^These were extremely inexpensive at only $1 U.S. Dollar for 5 blades which puts the costs at $.20 cents per blade. I've spent more than that on a cup of coffee so that is definitely a plus. I never got around to trying these blades in a DE safety razor so I will give them a go in the Leaf. Up next is an old favorite amongst many wet shavers and it's the ONLY DE blade that's still being manufactured here in the United States of America and that is the Personna Lab Blue blades:

^ These are made in my home state of Virginia near the Richmond area. I did try the Medical Prep blades which is used to prep a patient for surgery which were only good for 2 multi pass shaves in a DE safety razor and I really loved the Personna Reds which were also good for 2 shaves in the 37C slant. So these will be very interesting. The costs of these blades is $2.00 U.S. Dollars for 5 blades which puts the costs at $.40 cents per blade for this specific go around but you can buy 100 of these blades for around $13 dollars which brings the costs down. My next blade of choice to try out I have tried before and they're crazy sharp. Especially in slants, and that would be the Gillette 7 "o" Clock blacks :

^In your standard DE safety razors, the Feather DE blades are the Ninja Grandmaster when it comes to sharpness while these Gillette blacks are its Master student. These are $2.75 for 7 blades which would be $.40 cents per blade. These will be very interesting in the Leaf. And of course, I will also be trying the blades shown below with the penguins checking things out:

^ The Perma-Sharps I've used repeatedly and are an extremely comfortable blade. The only difference between them and Feather blades is that the Perma-Sharps were extremely comfortable afterward. The Gillette Silver Blues are slightly sharper than Personna but not quite as smooth. The big surprise for me was the Parker Blades which was sent to me by Dr. Mike's Emporium and they are a very comfortable and a solid middle of the road DE blade. I was told by several people that the Leaf razor is what they call a "sleeper" type of razor which means that it might look evil but is comfortable and enjoyable to use in addition to removing the toughest stubble very efficiently. I will find out when it arrives this coming Thursday. So new guys, I strongly suggest and recommend that you make a similar purchase with each and every DE safety razor you buy. The reason behind this is because you can and will get different results with each and every razor even if you stick with the same brand of blades. I'm also wanting to try blades in the Leaf that I did not enjoy in previous shaves. That for sure is going to be interesting.

Bye Bye Reef Point Soaps:

Not a good night at all for the wet shaving community. First we lose Google Plus and now Reef Point Soaps is permanently closing up shop. So once their stock is gone, they are calling quits. I wish them all the best because I had a couple of their soaps sent to me and they were amazing. Below is a photo of a tweet that I took a picture from the How To Grow A Moustache Google Plus community:

R.I.P. Google Plus:

It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that over the next 10 months, Google Plus will be no more if not sooner. That means that the 4 communities that I am a member of, will no longer exist. A Google Plus community is like Google's version of a Face Book group. Over the weekend, a bug infected Google's server and exposed 500K members to being hacked. So in order to contain the security breach, they have decided to put an end to Google Plus permanently. Here's the link to the article that was posted on Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/tech/google-to-shut-down-following-bug-that-exposed-500k-profiles .

The first step has already taken place and that was to disconnect YouTube from Google Plus. What that means is that when you posts a video, it will NOT show up on Google Plus. I will miss the 4 amazing Google Plus communities that I am a proud member of especially Wet Shavers United which I had the pleasure of being a moderator of. I will stay with these communities until they are gone. Google talked like it would not take that long before G+ was shut down. I think the only reason they are going to stick around that long is to give people a chance to find other options. My blog is NOT effected or going anywhere as far as I know. So if any news says other wise, I will let you all know first thing. There's also another developing story in the wet shaving world as we speak which I will write about tomorrow.

Leaf Razor Ordered!

Finally, I have ordered the Leaf razor. As many of you know, I have been wanting this razor for quite a while now and a few friends did mention me in some YouTube videos that I should really look into investing in one of these razors and I did. Unfortunately I was not able to get the exact finish I wanted which was the new Matte Silver finish they have recently added so I had to go with my second choice which was black. Right now that's the only finish they have in stock:

The cost was pretty expensive being $82 U.S. Dollars shipped but considering the design and the great reviews it gets, I think it's totally worth the investment. And unlike the One Blade and One Blade Core, I have numerous blade choices available:

I can use just one half of a DE blade and move it from one slot to another to change my shaving experience or go ahead and load three halves for an even closer shave. You can also purchase factory split DE blades for as low as $6.00 U.S. Dollars for 100 blades which is almost nothing. So I am totally excited about this and it's been in the works for a while now. I will do a detailed YouTube video on it and don't be surprised if you see it in every shave video that do once it arrives. Now I am off to purchase a DE blade sampler pack as do I do with ANY DE razor.