Novelty Week 6/10 - 6/16

Hi guys and gals! Time for another Theme Week!

Now we get to find out who the adventurous ones are, who the daring ones are, and those of you who are just plane crazy!

It's Novelty Week. Ready to shave with some peanut butter or whipped cream? How 'bout shaving your _____? This is the week to try something you don't normally try (finally use that str8, perhaps?) or use that something you normally wouldn't use (for me it will be Williams ).

This week is all about having fun. Think outside the box, be different, be creative, then let us in on it. Of course pics can only add to the zaniness that already abounds here at TSD, so let's see 'em (just remember to keep it family friendly ) .

 

Cool! Off to "shop" for a shaving brush
vs. ?

 

I got mine..

 

Ok team,
Flowers trump florets. The carnage was unreal. Green bits everywhere. Twas like a leprechaun exploded in the shower.
RIP Seamus O'Broccoli.

 

Straight razor? Hmmmmm...
I may as well use this:

 

or this..

 

Used my Stahly DE today. With the wind up feature, yeah, I consider it a novelty razor.
The thing I really like about this razor is that the head cap extends out on the ends to cover the ends of the blade, thus eliminating any possibility of clipping your earlobe and drawing blood.
I did wind it up and use it as intended, though usually I'll swap out the handle for something a bit thinner. Can't say the vibrating feature really adds a whole lot to the shave. Also that handle is really just too fat for me to be comfortable.
With or without the vibrating, this thing gives a fantastic shave.

 

My novelty week is going to be pretty lame in comparison to ohpaos' broccoli brush. I'm just going to try some razors I haven't used before. I tried to use my Gem Clog-Pruf over the weekend but the CVS blades just weren't cutting it and I had to go back to my injector. Today I tried a Gem stainless blade in the Clog-Pruf and it was better. I think I'd still like a sharper blade. I'm still feeling a hint of tug from them. The shave wasn't completely comfortable but with lots of skin stretching to avoid nicks and very short strokes, I made it through 3 passes and got a nice close one.

 

I dig it! Not lame at all, plus you won't have your produce bin mad at you. I thought I heard "murderer!" when I opened the fridge this AM ...The cauliflower was cowering & the tomatos were all, "Back off, we'll give you zits, yo!"

 

I decided to shelve the Gems for a while and revisit later. The blades just don't seem to agree with me. So, I decided to look around in my den for a razor I haven't used yet and pulled out an Old Type that I cleaned and polished up a while back but never got around to trying. I put a Personna Lab in it and Wow!

I guess it's not really fair to call an Old Type a novelty (the root of novelty meaning "new"). It's probably the oldest razor I have. But I love the way it shaves. I did 3 passes this morning and the closeness and comfort is on par with my Weber. I really didn't expect that from what I've read. Most people seem to think this razor is really aggressive but I didn't get that at all. It was smooth and comfortable but efficient at the same time. This one's going to get more face time for sure.

 

<sigh> The things I go through and put up with just for TSD.

Soap/Cream: Williams + a squirt of KMF Cool Mint + 4 drops TSD M Bomb

As it is Novelty Week, I went with the Williams - novel for me because I really don't like the stuff, but I thought I'd give it another chance with the KMF and M Bomb. I was hoping to mask the skeeter-be-gone smell with the Cool Mint, no luck. I was hoping to get a great lather with a little extra cream, no luck; got a usable lather, but... I was hoping to save the shave with the M Bomb, well, it sorta worked.

For some folks it's all about the end results - was it BBS? or just a darn fine shave? Good enough. For me it's more about the entire experience, starting with the prep right on through to waxing up the 'stache.

I enjoy whipping up a great lather; today I did not get that great lather. I even tried soaking the puck while I was in the shower. I could tell, even with the KMF, the Williams was in there dry and airy.

I enjoy the wonderful smells that come from the wide array of soaps I have collected over the years; today I did not enjoy the smell. Sorry, I know some of you like it, but I don't.

I enjoy plastering my face with a thick, creamy lather whipped up to perfection; today I did not get a thick, creamy lather. Instead, as I said, I could tell there was a thin, dry, airy-ness to my soap. Without the KMF to back it up, this stuff would have disappeared as soon as I set the brush down and reached for my razor (Fat Handle Tech loaded with Astra SP, by the way).

In the end, there would have been some folks out there, the ones who are only in it for the bottom line, who would give their right arm for the results I got this morning - better than DFS, bordering on BBS.

Williams Mug Soap - for me, a shave killer.

Oh, well. The Williams goes back until next year's Williams Week. Maybe by then I might be ready to experiment again.

The things I go through...

 

Have been 'visiting' the Purdy paint brush for some time..every day for a few months actually. The handle has been cut down and a row of rubber o rings affixed to the metal flashing for grip. The PB is breaking in and starting to handle much more like a shaving brush now and I'm really liking the thing..so much in fact that I honestly don't know if I'll return to a shaving brush. Lol maybe for the next novelty week, I'll be trying out a shaving brush..

 

Ha Novelty week! I usually go for traditional soaps with traditional scents. I generally disapprove of soaps with "food" in them. Currently using Snicker doodle soap (Cella Almond). By the time I'm finished shaving, I'm down right HUNGURY so I'm pretty quick getting to the Concierge Lounge most mornings.

I seem to be getting fat. So food in your shaving soap = getting fat, I am vindicated!

 

For novelty week, I tried shaving with my weak hand. When I was using a straight I had to figure it out, but havent done so in over a year.

I was a little slower than normal, but the shave was just as good.

 

You are a BRAVE man, in my book. I am SO lefty-dominant that I would never consider using my right-hand to drag a razor anywhere near my face.
I might let my right hand use the brush to lather—providing it doesn't proceed to paint my nose or mouth...

 

I tried a combo (soap & cream) just to see & experience the effect. My first go using Tabac, plus a Taylor of Old Bond St cream that really complimented the tabac scent. I was REALLY impressed by the lather.Thick, creamy, warm, slick...tremendous coverage, reminding me of how good oil paint feels like when applied to canvas: smooth, effortless. Deserves a repeat performance.
Today, the Slim Adj; but tomorrow the Fat Handle Tech gets a try at it..

 

About a decade ago, I broke my elbow in a cycling crash. They couldn't cast it, but had to wear a sling and keep it immobilized for a number of weeks. I learned to do a lot with my weak hand and have continued practicing with it over the years. I used to be really right handed, but have since become more ambidextrous. If you practice enough, it will become second nature and doesn't take nearly as long as you might think.

 

Opened my '61 Fatboy up to 9. First time I've ever had it over 7. Usually keep it locked at 6.
Took my time, watched the pressure and wound up with a BBS shave.
Like we tell the newbies, "It only gets better", even after many years of doing this, it's still getting better!

 

And here I am thinking that I'm walking out onto a proverbial shaving ledge by dialing my Fatboy up to.... 5!
Maybe someday I'll get the nerve to dial it to 9...and use it with a Feather blade!

Someday... if I ever get the courage.

 

In the mean time, take heart, and use your brain.