May 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Thanks Jared. The bush is coming alive for sure. We've had a lot of rain which has helped.

 

May 29 - continuation of my Razorock run

Merkur 34 C
Perma Sharp SS(day 1)
23mm AOS Pure Badger
DIY PSO
Razorock XX
Alum/ Thayers/ AOS PSB

I have decided to do a run through my new tubs of Razorock after having enjoyed the Caribbean Holiday. When I received the pass around box, I was able to sample some Razorock and felt that it was very good, especially for the price. I felt they could have charged more for it but was glad they did not.

XX was not one of the soaps in the box but from the description of its scent, I felt it was a sure thing. Italian Barber listed the scent as:

This sounded to good to pass up. I have a soft spot for citrus scents and this one was awesome. It is real easy to load a brush from the tub. It takes less water than Stirling and makes a great thick and slick lather.

The Perma Sharp blade was one of the more smoother blades and did well in all directions. 3.5 passes to a BBS. Only downside was the attempt to J hook above my lip where I got the blade moving parallel to the edge. Never a good thing to do. Got a quick painless cut. Little blood that quieted when the cold water hit it.

Alum helped close the cut and did sting a little but much less than the last two shaves. Very good shave in all. This too might be a good blade for me.

on this Memorial Day, I would like to thank those who gave their lives for our freedom and to the families who lost loved ones in that fight. Thank you all. Also thank you to those who continue to fight for our freedom.

Happy Memorial Day

 

I can say that my father (Canadian national hit with the US draft for Vietnam, ended up in the AF) didn't want to be in the military, but he's never said that he regrets serving. My mother's father served in demolitions during WW-II (he was the guy that crawled up on machine gun nests, threw in grenades, then jumped in to shoot anyone left alive, disable the gun, and _repeat_), and was pretty messed up by PTSD (shellshock). He didn't talk much about it, other than mentioning that at one point they would have been happy to have had rats to eat, but he never once said that he regretted fighting. My grandmother didn't like how he turned out, but also never once mentioned regret that he served.

My father's mother's second husband (not my grandfather) was a close friend of the family when I was growing up. He was a Canadian frogman. The equivalent to our modern Navy SEAL's. Again, never a mention of regret for serving during WW-II. (My grandfather on that side wasn't allowed to serve. Exploratory geologist for ESSO, mostly hunting out places to look for oil. Definitely NOT a draftable person, by definition)

My great-great-(great) uncle on that side served as a member of The Dumbells - Troop entertainment during WW-I, long before that sort of thing was formalised.

https://greatwarcentre.com/2016/10/...bells-troop-entertainment-during-world-war-i/

https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/gramophone/028011-1007.1-e.html

(anyone wants to know the name of that relative, just PM. I won't post it up live. It wasn't either of the Plunketts)

 

Interesting plaque. Where is it located? Somewhere in the South?

The reason I ask is that two wars are conspicuously absent from that list: the Spanish-American War, and oddest of all, the Civil War -- the War that both spawned your Decoration Day / Memorial Day observance to begin with, and also the war in which you suffered more casualties than in all the others listed on that plaque combined....

 

Probably because it should have been named the UnCivil war A lot of people don't want to be reminded of it, frankly. The politics and reasons behind it are .... to be blunt, full of lies on both sides. Spanish American war may not be mentioned because of being caused by a newspaper. Dunno.

 

The casualties in both wars still died serving their country and causes. Just erasing their memory from the tablet because it's now politically or socially inconvenient seems vaguely despicable to me. Sort of like the people who spat on the returning Vietnam War soldiers and denigrated the memory of those dead because they didn't like the policies of the government of the time...

Dead in the service of your people and country is dead in the service of your people and country, regardless of whether they really deserved that service. They required that service and accepted the sacrifice at the time, and should now have the decency to continue to acknowledge and honour both, even if many now regret that it ever happened.

 

Thank you Doug.

 

Razor: Portland Razor Co Chimera
Strop: Drygulch 45
Brush Handle: B-400 The Brush by Tom
Knot: APShaveCo Tuxedo
Soap: Viking Valhalla
Post Care: Thayers Witch Hazel
Alum
Osage Rub
Aftershave: Viking Valhalla balm
Fragrance: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male

What a difference proper prep makes! I took the advice of many people and lathered up with this wonderful Viking soap. I then took my time stroping the Chimera, letting the lather soften and moisturize. I then wiped the lather off and proceeded to lather up using the baseball pattern. Much better shave today, I had some tugging around my chin, the spot that's most coarse, but it was doable. Three passes today all with the Chimera, no blood, almost silent alum and a DFS. I'm off for a hot date, have a great day folks!

 

I'm not sure where it is. I found it online.

 

I use a soup mug, with a lightly textured inside. It's 4.5 inches wide and 3 deep. Wider and shallower than a coffee mug. Since it's the main bowl I have used, it's what I am used to. My wife got it for me when she realized I had a kitchen bowl.

 

Thank you, Doug!

 

Great looking set up, Doug!

 

Great news on a comfortable SR only shave. Sounds like you found the key to the first pass.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I've already failed NB18. I feel better without the uncertainty.

 

This history major says thank you.

 

Thanks very much Jim.

 

Excellent!

 

So, summary of Mayhem antics:

1. Taped Rolls razor wedge blade to my index finger to kick mayhem off. Not a successful shave.
2. DEvette. Vending machine razor form the 60s, with the open comb removed on Used once on it's own, and once as a rescue razor. Both great shaves.
3. Chinese DE razor, with stamped sheet metal head, and flying eagle Chinese blade. Head flexed, blade pulled, and I rode the cap to a tuggy DFS. Did ATG. TTT.
4. Metal Kamisori thing from Brian. Tried to hone mine. Broke the holder. Taped the blade to my index finger and got 2/3rds of a bloody pass in before I said uncle. DEvette for rescue razor.
5. MD Barber shavette with no handle for balence, first attempt. This thing tore me up. More blood and cuts on one pass than I have had in years. Uncle was an injector.
6. Pink plastic Kamisori thing, also from Brian. This one shaved. Bloody but DFS. This was a win.
7. CJB pain stick. Two cuts, three passes, almost a BBS. This shave was a win.
8. MD Barber shavette rematch. I didn't try and hold it like an unbalanced straight this time, and nailed a great shave. Win.

Today's plan was to use a new to me Kamisori to finish off the month. SWMBO refers to my Kamis as prison shivs, and finds them a little scary. So o started working on a case for them to keep the edges covered. Slipped with my leather knife, and almost cut the tip of my finger off. Trip to the ER and four stitches later, and my Mayhem shenanigans are over. It counts because it was shaving related.

 

Talking about next years NB in May is like talking about the next midterm elections or playing Christmas music the day after Halloween.

 

How did you fail NB18-we aren't there yet.