May 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Sounds great. Got one for me?

What flavor is blue cream?

 

Well, Neal, Missouri is the "Show-Me" state!

 

The only problem I've ever had is when I didn't have a property tax payment, and so had to go to the tax office to get a waiver. Otherwise easy peasy.

I didn't bother shaving tonight. With all the flooding I decided to grow a beard in honor of Noah (kidding!). I just didn't feel like. I'll shave tomorrow with the electric. But I did splash on the wonder TSD Energy Aftershave Milk.

 

So does that mean I have two nominations?

I splashed some aftershave on this evening, 11 hours after my shave, and it still burned. Guys, I might have hurt my delicate skin with these last two shaves.

 

Yes, you are the first member to be nominated in two categories in the 8 hour history of the Shavy Awards. I updated the original listing, but forgot to put a new post out there to inform people on the thread. This is my first time running and hosting an awards show, so there are a few kinks to iron out at the moment.

As for your face being sensitive, I am shocked! I never would've seen that one coming

 

Same as clear, which is all they had today. Plenty of cayenne pepper in the boudin!

 

MAYhem Focus?

Mystic Water Soap, SP➵2 Black Pure Badger
Weck Sextoblade shavette, Personna blade
Schick type J-1, Chick blade
Alum block, Barbasol Pacific Rush AS


Earlier today I got in a shave to set my pace for the weekend's Event. That gives me a late Wednesday, skip Thursday, early Friday, and into a late Saturday Sayuri shave.
This morning the sun was shining so I chose a bright scented soap. Raspberry Lemon, yum. The Virginia knot set deep serves well with no floppiness. Even on a solid soap no problems loading this unit. Couple familiar passes with the shavette (not pictured to save disturbing tender sensibilities), followed by error free Schick Slides and clean up. Alum was smooth and silent attesting to both my growing familiarity with the unmentioned open bladed faux straight and the correct function of my first SE injector. A splash of Barbasol's finest blue juice and my day was begun.
Good Shaves Y'all!

 

MAYhem!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's anything goes at anytime this month!

Razor - New Deluxe SC "Matthew" (ca. 1934)
Blade - (1)
Soap - Mitchell's Wool Fat
Brush - Wolf Whiskers Custom Silvertip
Post - Witchhazel

Did you like my surprise "no-shave" on day one of MAYhem? Yep, couldn't resist throwing that in there. Just total chaos. It's time to get the party rolling on my end, though, and I'm way behind reading up on the thread this month but I'll get there. In the meantime, I had to start this month off by doing something nobody else has done. Ever. that I know of. The mysterieous New Deluxe SC that I keep calling "Matthew". This razor came to me via a "double dog dare" from @Drygulch, and when have I ever been able to say no to one of those? So, you've seen the pictures of the razor. Has all its teeth, yeah it needs a replate but it's not in horrible horrible shape, seems like all the parts are straight, original, and fit, so what's the deal? And why keep calling it "Matthew"? Well, let me just let you read the description from the seller. Word for word - I copied and pasted and didn't alter a single letter.

This is antique Gillette razor and box. It is in very rough condition there is rust on the razor, and the box isnt in very well condition at all, it came to us from a client who said that she bought the item from an estate auction. When the client gave us the razor we were told that the razor belonged to a man named Matthew. Matthew was 34 when he passed away. She told us that she could here talking and heavy footsteps going up and down her stairs, doors would close by themselves, the bathroom faucet would turn on and no one was around. The lights would flip on by themselves and the television channels would suddenly change in the middle of watching tv. I personally decided to take the razor and wanted to do find out about Matthew myself. The first night I had my bathroom faucet come on and heard footsteps down my hallway. The closet door flung open and there was no one home but myself. I decided to to communicate with Matthew. A member of our paranormal group is a medium and I called her over to help me communicate with this very active spirit. Matthew was not shy in telling the medium about himself, almost boastful. He was very proud to say that he was in the Army, and had died by a gunshot wound to the chest. He also let it be known that he had a wife and child that he left when he joined. Matthew has been an active spirit and we would love to find a good home for him.

That's right, I'm going to shave with a HAUNTED RAZOR! Now, let me say a couple of quick things. I know that some of you will immediately think I made this up. I did not. Adam can vouch for that. Some will say it's all a hoax and gimmick designed to overcharge for a beat up old razor. Can't argue about the overcharge (yes, I paid more than I would have otherwise) but hoax is in the mind of the believer. I will say, for what it's worth, that I lived in a haunted house for several years in Southwest Missouri. We're talking footsteps in the night, items moving by themselves, and three sightings of something that looked human but wasn't really there. So yeah, I'm open to accepting the reality of it all. And, when the razor arrived, while we didn't get any of the banging and lights turning on and off and all that, we did sense that it was more than just a razor. Most nights when I've been cleaning it up I've seen shadows flash by me and feel like someone is watching. Someone curious, and happy. And no, I don't drink vodka when I'm cleaning razors.

At the very least I can say this that I think we can all agree on. The razor is a Gillette New Deluxe Short Comb with patent numbers that date it to the mid '30s. 1934 is a common date to be put on this razor. And, it arrived with the last blade that was used in it....still in it. It was a Marlin High Speed blade, properly rusted from being in the head for a lot of years. Potentially 80. So did this "Matthew" who owned the razor use it, leave for the war in the early '40s and never come back alive to it? Perhaps. Whatever the case, it was never used again after that last time. So I consider it somewhat of a privilege to be the one who got to clean it up, put in a new blade, and return it to service.

The setup tonight was a tribute as well. Since it had never had anything but a carbon blade in it I used a fresh Treet Black Beauty. The soap - Mitchell's since it was around back then as well. A badger brush to keep it all natural and it was a setup worthy of either a ghost - or at least of the previous owner, whatever his end.

Two passes, very nice near-BBS and I will say this seems a bit more aggressive than the LC's. That could be part of the feel of the carbon blade, though. No cuts, no screams, no chain rattlings or any other ghostly apparitions. Just a fine, fine vintage style shave with a very cool vintage razor. I'm looking forward to getting it re-plated at some point and restoring it back to its glory days.

So, what about tomorrow? I have no idea! This is MAYhem, and my plan is to have absolutely no plan. Of course, when we decide to use the Japanese shavettes I'm good to go but other than that I'll choose the gear as I go, good or bad, smart or dumb.....with a healthy mix of questionable decisions on both hardware and software! Should be fun.

 

I had a blind date with a medium once. At least that's what her online profile said. Turned out she was an extra large.

 

Day two of the 30 day with the JR #137 show.

JR#137
Soligen Straight
Palmolive Shave Stick
Aqua Velva Musk AS

First time using a straight in over 10 years. Probably more like over 12. Nice 2 pass shave with no blood that left me over 95% smooth. The Palmolive seemed to like the brush and the lather was fine. Thanks again to Glen at GemStarCustoms for working out the kinks in this blade.

 

Chunky Redhead??

 

May 3

Fresh of a touch up on the Zulu Grey my Koraat 7/8 didn't disappoint. The edge was smooth and sharp. The lather was very wet and dripping and flying everywhere. Four passes no blood, no irritation and a smooth face.

Irritation A+ Closeness A Smoothness A Sharpness A

 

Beefy brunette.

 

Four feet, nine. Wanted for questioning in regards to nefarious activities.
She was a small medium at large...

 

MAYhem
Day 2


​

On the road mayhem, Kentucky style....working with the above travel stuff. At George's house tonight. He keeps a a few blades, some Barbasol and some Adidas AS stashed here for when I visit. Mug belongs to Sue, she's married to my buddy George. The mug is from Branson, MO, USA and she loves going there for live music shows. I would say Branson rocks, but I'd be lying because it's twangier than that, but I digress, as it's a super groovy tourist name mug that belongs to a 78 year old, and I borrowed it to load Williams into the brush. Pretty cool, pretty cool.



Everybody needs to know that I can close the book on Williams. It's a fine soap that struggles a bit in Colorado water. In Kentucky, the locale has very soft water. Loaded the Plisson using the style of @Keithmax. Not a lot of water really. In my mind I pretended it was Arko in the mug, and just went with it per normal. Good lather for the 1924, and it didn't collapse and was quite slick. Williams probably isn't going to produce lather porn like some of the boutique stuff (Think Stirling, Route 66, insert your fave here), but if a guy wants to shave with cheap slick soap, this is a good option. Results were much like the last 31days of Arko, and the dreaded scent wasn't apparent to me. It was just kinda light talc/citronella, and it doesn't linger. TSA bottle is Mennen Skin Bracer. Alum was good, the 1924 was rocking that SR feel. Will play with water ratio a bit, but, so far, so good. Busy day coming up tomorrow, and I've been up way too long now. Other than that...it's always quiet in western Kentucky.

Stay tuned.

This is MAYHEM.

Have a nice Wednesday!

​

 

Since it's the Internet.... Kentucky guest bath stash:



And because old ladies in the southern US are literally God's favorite people--a picture of the gluten-free peanut butter cookies, made by George's sister Sheila, and delivered on a real plate, waiting in my room when I arrived:



Cartel officially has people in Murray. For reals.

 

If you're not hanging out in the country eating cookies at 1am after a vintage shave, you need to get your life together.

Samurai out....

 

I'll take a double. Next question.

(no idea what you where writing about)

 

It started with Neal's Matthew story. Somewhere shortly thereafter it went sideways. Red heads showed up. Standard Topic Drift. Unhijackable!