August 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

The Dog Days of Shaving


The Cartel is please to welcome everyone back for another month of friendship, shaving advice, sharing fantastic gear, and, of course, Shenanigans galore!!!

It's August (already?!?!?!?!) which means hot days as summer works into its hottest month. Time to break out all the menthol you have or find other ways to beat the heat. Hey, here's an idea.....siesta time baby!



Well, on to the month.


If you're new to traditional shaving, or to TSD, WELCOME!!! Jump in and let the friendliest and most knowledgeable bunch of people you'll ever meet help you along. Ask questions, show us your gear. There's nothing about shaving we don't like to see and hear. (Ok, so maybe the Tiger blades aren't always our favorite thing to see.) Even if you are just starting with a VDH razor and soap, we value you along with everyone else and we want you to become a part of this great community. It won't take long for the enablers within each of us to have you loaded down with razors, soaps, cremes, brushes and enough blades to sink the Titanic. Oh wait, already sunk. We'll sink it again, trust us.

As one of the charter members of this thread, from January 2015, I can attest to the ability of the 30 Day Rule to build basic technique that provides the basis for the use of the 30 Day Focus to sharpen skills and develop new skills altogether. Our quest is, as always, to be able to develop technique so solid and strong that we can overcome any tools that may be at hand. The great overarching philosophy is "Technique Trumps Tools." The only caveat....."unless the tools are defective." One can't use a broken blade or a razor that won't lock the blade down and expect success. (We discovered on Cinco de Julio that yes, you can make a razor from popsicle sticks and a blade and actually shave with it!)

My personal mission has always been to push the limits of the tools, and my skills, to find out what, if anything is defective. Most of you have remained sane and found instead new and wonderful ways to shave. Some, perhaps unfortunately, have followed my lead lately, but hey, no pain no gain. At the same time, practice makes perfect, and we have already learned how bad equipment can be and still produce a great shave with proper technique.


Now, on to the facts in the words of the one, the only, @Bama Samurai: (Please rise)


The 30 Day Rule (designed to build solid technique or learn new technique)

1 brush, 1 soap, 1 brand of blades, 1 razor, 30 Days. The rule is really that simple. It seems boring, but this is probably the most straightforward way to learn for a brand new shaver. This is the exercise that really allowed me to clearly see the interplay between the four elements. It is highly recommended for newly converted shavers and more experienced shavers who have a problem that defies resolution. This exercise eliminates variables and will likely solve any problem you may have, with a strict scientific approach.Any thing that strays from these simple guidelines is not a rule, but rather a focus (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

The 30 Day Focus (more flexible, for exploring and comparing)

This is a less rigorous exercise, designed for exploration and comparison of gear and technique. This is the most common exercise on the thread. Generally the elements are rotated one by one to allow clear observation. Examples of focus areas include brush types, blades, soaps, razor variants, or technique foci as a standalone.

These are the suggested guidelines, and serve as a starting point for the discussion each month. Any thematic elements are up to each individual. We believe that if you've ever sought a great shave, you have something to offer. And if you're searching for great shaves, we will definitely try to help. If you are new to TSD, I believe you've landed in a great place. Everyone here participating would love to answer your questions and help you get the most from your shaving. We are very glad you're here! So, if you're new, stop in for a cookie and meet the crew. If this is old hat, welcome back, and let's rock another month out.. I'm dedicating this to be “The Good Old Shavertime” - a month of great shaves, or ever better ones for those learning for the first time, or perhaps for the first time on new gear, or just for those who want to continue getting great shaves every day.


Rules are the same people.
1. New Members always welcome. Start anytime.
2. Old Members always welcome. (Maybe I should phrase that “experienced” members) Nah, Old is fine.
3. Respect everyone
4. Follow the rules of the forum
5. All razor types and styles welcome
6. You may not say anything negative about Russian blades, especially Voskhod. The Cartel is listening.
7. Don't think we don't hear when you badmouth Rapira either. We're vodka loving wannabe Russians,not blithering idiots. Well, ok so sometimes.....and Ivan.....well you get the idea.
8. Based on an incident in July we have to modify Rule 6. It's ok to put Voskhod in second place, but only behind another Moscow Russian. Until we amend the rule again. That happens occasionally when we sober up.

Let's have some great shaves people! Welcome to AWESOME AUGUST! So first things first.....group hug.....a colder one to offset the heat..........and the usual for the regulars......now let's SHAVE!!!!

 

Well doggone it. I hit the wrong button and posted prior to finishing the survey. If @Bama_Samurai could assist in editing it I'd love him ever so much. If not then hey, it's the shortest most irrelevant survey in thread history! There's something to be said for that. Welcome to August everyone! And enjoy the cookies as always!

Edit: Lots of fun options now available!

 

I already voted for the cookies, mainly because I just bit into one when the page loaded up.

 

Proof that cookies and the 30 Day Crew are inseparable.

 

While technically not a cookie, have you tried these?

It's like chocolate crack.

 

No but I can already tell you I WANT some. That looks awesomely delicious!

 

Well as a creature of habit I'll be doing the same thing I did last year in this month - Adjustable August!

Last year I worked with my Gillette Slim and Fatboy (yes, I'm back to DEs for about the first time since last August.)

But I'm not going to walk away from injectors altogether, I'm adding my adjustable injectors as well - a Schick and a PAL adjustable.

Four very different razors, can't wait for the month to start!

Cheers!
RT

 

Very very nice! Adjustable August! I remember that and I will be joining you since the Slim is my mandated razor in the Grand Blade Trial. And, to add two adjustable injectors? Only the genius and injector guru that is you could be that creative and add that much intrigue! Well done as always sir!

 

Count me in for some August shenanigans @NCoxSTL !!!

Still have one day to decide what I am going to use for August. Have not decided what to chose but what I choose will be a rule though. Don't know if I should grab a Glacial or The Fat. The Veg has already been picked for the aftershave criteria. Just got a pound of menthol crystals from my guy:



And I will be making The Veg cold as ice. More then likely going to use the Fat

Yup the Fat won.


For August:

Rockwell 6S/ R6 Base Plate/ Ladas
Whipped Dog 30mm High Mountain
The Fat
Mentholated Thayers
Super Mentholated Veg

 

Might want to watch the crystals from that guy. He says they're menthol and, yes, they're blue but....well, just try not to set them on fire! Great Rule! I love seeing rules done on here. The kind of improvement and skills acquisition they provide are awesome! And, I envy you with 31 Fat shaves. I think I'll have to use that again tomorrow now on my "day off" .

 

@NCoxSTL is back!

Arko August? Dog Days of Veg? What do I do.....?

I am going to make this month count.

 

Well I may just try to match your blade selection when I use the Slim, though since it's been a year since I used it and the Fatboy, I will probably start out where I left off with them using a Gillette Silver Blue. (with apologies to the Cartel if they're not made in the Motherland.)

 

GSB is permissible per the St Petersburg Cartel Accord of 2014. Or the old days... That landmark deal unified the Kyoto factions efforts with Moscow.

Average. Ordinary. World Domination.

We're nice like that. It's a PTFE thing.

 

Phew!

 

AAA

Adjustable Arko August

1959 Gilette 195
Arko
GSB
Hmmm...Plisson.

Shave Den Sunday rule in effect. The products featured on @Douglas Carey 's SDS thread are, unfortunately, limited editions. Do what we must in times like these.

 

So many favorite parts...
• The NFL season is just around the corner (no, preseason football doesn't count).
• The NCAA football season is just around the corner.
• MLB season is one month closer to finally being over…
• The NBA season is one month closer to beginning again.
• A cooler Fall is one month closer.

My daily shaves are so far out-of-focus until the morning or even of that a 30-day focus is realistically beyond my abilities.

 

I plan on being back this month. The refinery has a large shutdown starting late August and lasting through October, so I will be fairly busy at work. I am going to use these next few months to really decide which shave equipment I want to have in my collection. It has gotten a bit too large as of late, so I will try to thin it down some. I will be considering all of my razors, my straights included. Hopefully, I can narrow this down to 4-6 straights and 4-6 safety razors. That should be plenty for me. I may keep one or two extra as pass downs to my son (a long ways off, I know) as I have one or two that are difficult to come by.

I am going to try to come up with some sort of ranking system, all in the name of science, to aid in making my decisions. I may even start to actually journal my shaves a bit, as I know it will be difficult to remember some details a few months from now.

 

Oh but they are. Just in St. Petersburg.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

Sounds like a good plan. The journaling part I especially like. It's sometimes hard to remember what happened yesterday much less a week ago. Well, for me anyway. LOL

 

Well we did establish in July that a "no-focus" month can be consider a focus....since you're focusing on being non-focused. Does that help?