SEptember 2016 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Greetings Denizens!! Welcome to SEptember 2016!!!

The cartel is proud to once again welcome you to this edition of the 30 Day Rule and Focus thread. August went FAST around here and we had people running all over the country over the past month. School is back in session, vacation time is mostly over (mine is in a few weeks so I can play while you all work) and as things settle down around us we will kick it up a notch here with SEptember and a little extra!

SEptember brings out the single edge razors for some fun and practice and has started more than one person around here down the path to spending their time acquiring and using the SE razors almost exclusively. Injectors, Gems, Mongoose and plenty of others are out there and all can produce some very fine shaves. This is the perfect month to try them out if you haven't, or use them more if you're a dabbler or, for those of you who are the experts (I'm looking at you @Rufus T. ) it's the month to show them off and teach the rest of us why they are special. Shavettes, of course, fall into the category as well and it could be argued that the Artist Clubs fit as well. One edge, right? And, for the TSR fanboys.....what the heck.....you only use one edge too.

Of course, it's perfectly acceptable to use any setup this month. DE, SE, TSR, Artist Club.....whatever you choose you're more than welcome to hang around and share stories, pics, and work on your technique whether you're on your first day or ten thousandth day of traditional shaving.

We're also encouraging Drug Store After Shaves this month too. What qualifies? Basically any aftershave under $10 that you can find in a drug store, or discount store, or grocery store. Lots of these have long histories and our Dads and Grandads used them. They still work just as well as the new high dollar versions and are fun to experience again

So, whether you're new member around here WELCOME! Jump in and let the frienliest and most knowledgeable bunch of people you'll ever meet help you along. Share your gear because we love pictures and we love to talk about anything to do with shaving. If you're a well seasoned veteran around here, WELCOME BACK!! You know the drill and you also know that Shenanigans is totally expected as well. Hijack this thread. I dare you! Can't be done.

As one of the charter members of this thread I can attest to the ability of the Rule and Focus to provide the technique necessary for truly great shaves. Our quest, as always, is to develop technique so solid and strong that we can overcome even the worst set of tools at hand. "Technique Trumps Tools". Assuming, of course, they aren't broken. However, if we can shave with popsicle sticks with a blade (and we have) we can conquer nearly anything.

Now, on to the facts in the words of the one, the only, the Right Reverend of the 30 Day Rule/Focus, @Bama Samurai (please stand and remove your hats)

The 30 Day Rule (designed to learn and build solid 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. Anything 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 techniqe 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 you've landed in a great place. Everyone here would love to answer your questions and help you get the most out of your shaves. So, if you're new, stop in for a cookie and meet the crew! The cookie of the month is Snickerdoodle so you've arrived at a fortuitous time.

Rules are the same people.
1. New Members always welcome. Start anytime.
2. Old Members are always welcome. By old I mean experienced. Ok, so some of us are old.
3. Respect everyone!
4. Follow the rules of the forum.
5. All razor types and styles are welcome.
6. Saying negative things about Russian blades, especially Voskhod, may bring down the enforcers on the Cartel. Trust me, you don't need their kind of trouble. (Which usually is more trouble for you trying to keep them from spilling vodka on you.

Let's have a great month everyone! Welcome to SEptember with Drug Store A/S. Now, huddle up......group hug......and off we go!

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Welcome ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls and all the ships at sea!

I'll be continuing on with the Grand Blade Trials this month but I will be pulling a couple of SE razors out of the drawer. At least a Schick injector or two will get some time to join in for SEptember. Also I will be rotating some cheapo A/S including Old Spice, Stetson, Clubman, Aqua Velva, Aqua Velva Musk and probably another one or two.

Thanks for keeping thing entertaining, informative and just plain awesome around here! Here's to a great SEptember!

 

I will continue the tryouts for all my straights and cut the den down..... but as for cheepo drug store AS just the occasional Clubman. Does Florida Water, Joris Osage or Aclolado Glacial count?

 

Don't understand the poll? I'll be using one injector and the rest will be SE razors with maybe one GEM.

 

My focus for SEptember is going to be comparing all of my SE razors in a head to head competition. I'm going to pick two and use one for my left side and one for my right switching sides for the next shave. My goal is to figure out my best SE razor and best injector razor and then have a world championship match to determine the grand champion. I'll be putting my GEM 1912, GEM MMOC and Ever-Ready 1924 against each other and my Schick E3, PAL InjectoMatic and PAL InjectoMatic against each other. I'll use my AOS Fine Badger and whatever soaps sound good at the moment. I'm also planning on using all of my drugstore aftershaves this month. It's going to be an exciting month. I wonder who will win...

 

I have a couple of wedge blade SE's that I will be trying out this month as well as showing some much needed love to my 3 injectors

 

Well, I"m going to give it a go. But if there is too much blood letting, as there has been in the past, I will withdraw.
First up will be my Schick Route 66/G2 with a Personna blade and we'll see what happens

Good luck to all

Oops, wrong thread but still what I said

 

I had thought about doing an SE focus for this month but, with trading one away, I'm down to two- a J1 Schick Injector and an M3 Schick Adjustable.

Instead, I'm going to focus on two new-to-me razors: the M3 Schick Adjustable and an F2 (1960) Gillette FatBoy. Based on a couple of shaves with the Schick and one with the FatBoy, I can see that both are just enough different from other, similar razors in my rotation as to deserve some focused attention.

Heck, maybe I'll luck out and scrounge up some Twin Injector blades for some real fun.

 

Yeah I had to retype the whole thing around midnight after I couldn't get it to copy and paste our of Word. So the poll was done late. You can choose as many as you want if that helps. Otherwise cookies is always a safe answer.

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I'll be back for SEptember. I have a whole slew of SE razors I need to work through and make some tough decisions on regarding whether they stay or leave the herd. So, I'll do a SE Focus that will combine with my overall focus of trying to narrow down my collection. There will be a couple of exceptions, as I have a few DE razors in route that I will need to try: a British Rocket and a '41 Ranger Tech. I will also look to do a straight shave or two (or three), but in reality, these are the ultimate SE razor, so I think this counts! I will loosely participate in the drug store special AS Focus, but will allow the occasional Stirling, Wholly Kaw, or TSD into the mix as well. I am looking forward to a great month!

 

Guys, I will jump back in the pool for the next couple of months. For SEptember focus, I will be using my using my 2 GEM razors for weekends and for weekday shaves, I will be using the Cobra, AlumiGoose and Mongoose. Brushes and soaps will change with my mood. Sorry no drug store AS but I do have some drug store aftershave balm I will use.

 

Looking forward to SEptember! First off, a thank you to Neal @NCoxSTL and Chris @Bama Samurai for their devotion to this thread and this site. I also want to throw out a thank you to all the old timers (too numerous to list) who have helped me along the way and who provide some much needed shenanigans every month on the 30 day thread!

As for SEptember, I will be starting with a new to me GEM junior I got in a PIF I won a while back. Looking forward to giving it a go. I will also be using my injectors an E3 (I believe) and a G1. When I can, I will use my Executive and the blade being used by Neal in his blade trials. I think he has a couple Israeli blades coming up that I have never used so those will be a slight detour from the SE focus. I do plan to use the store bought aftershaves as I have a few in my possession. The brushes will be my two synthetics unless I grab a new one during the month. As for soaps, I have several Stirlings I need to try including a Stirling Gentleman sample that smells amazing and a couple from the TSD store that I am certainly looking forward to using!

 

Very nice selection of razors for the month.

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Sounds like an awesome month. And thanks to you for your devotion as well. We couldn't do it without you and everyone else's support!

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Thank you Neal. With the exception of one injector that is my entire SE inventory. I've thinned out the heard a lot.

 

All count

 

I will also come back into the mix for SEptember.
Valet Auto Strop, WW1 Ever-Ready, AlumiGoose, Black and Silver, Schick "G", Bunny BV-3, ATT SE-1, and 2 Hempel Ti handles.
Soaps, aftershaves, and brushes will be at random. I have a few drug store A/S I'll use every now and then. I don't have many of them.

 

Great looking line up Amigo.

 

Nice platoon Gunny!

 

I'll hop back in as well. I'll be using a Schick G1, and three GEM varieties: Pushbutton, Featherweight, and MMOC. Soaps will rotate and the after shaves I have are all under $10. I'm looking forward to it and reading about everyone's shaves with SE razors!