DECember 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Terrific photo, Doug! Blue is my favorite color so I've enjoyed this picture and the one yesterday (or the day before) with all the vivid blues. Have a great evening!

 

Thanks for your kind words. Blue is my favorite color also. Small world


Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk

 

Nice set up, Jared!

 

Great picture, Dan! Pretty lab!

 

Wonderful picture, Doug!

 

I’m going to a dinner party at my boss’s house tonight and did a quick second SOTD. I grabbed my old travel kit and got a very nice shave.
The Body Shop Maca Root Cream
B-400 Brush by Tom
EJ DE89 Razor
Feather Blade
Thayers WH
Penhaligon’s Endymion Cologne
Have a nice evening!

 

I've been eyeing those Yaqi brushes. I'm very happy with the quality of the Tux & Cashmere from APShaveCo. It would be worth the wait to pay less and get the same item from the manufacturer. I've tracked them down to
Shijiazhuang Yaqi Brush Product Co., Ltd. in Hebei, China.

That's not a Mug Shot in the sense it was taken at the Police station. Jailhouse tats aren't the expensive one - just trade smokes & the good stuff from your food tray. Or is that Sharpie Art?

 

DECember Focus Yeah!

Truefitt & Hill Sandalwood soap
SP→2 Cypress & VS black badger
Osaka Suribachi bowl, cool water
FaTip Piccolo, Feather Hi-Stainless
Alum, Vintage Avon Bravo AS


Going against my self imposed restriction, I used a badger brush on a hard soap. I did souse the puck and give it a short time to soften. Choking up on the knot also helps when trying to load with softer knots. With my Focus being Decadent Lather I'm pushing boundaries and it's fun to learn new tricks. Took my time, did it right, lather happened in sufficient quantity. The quality is a given with a well established maker - Thank you Chris @Bama Samurai. If not for some gentle Enabling by Chris and Neal I might not have tried the 3pc OC Fatip. Took a good month of Focus to conquer my issues with it, but it could be a daily driver now. Not the open comb, but that it's got a great bit of blade exposure. Ride that cap. Three passes, enough lather for clean up, one tiny spot of red through the lather that self sealed. It's DFS+, if not into Baby Territory. Alum wasn't any louder than a wide open Fat Boy shave using the same blade. Tonight's AS was a thrift store purchase and I've yet to find a review that tells me who Avon was copying when they made it. Not Tabac but close.
Good Shaves Y'all!

 

Decadent December continued:

Woke up to a cold, dreary snowy day so I decided to break out the tea kettle for some very hot lather, no that is decadent.

To up the decadence I decided to super-size my shave, aircraft carrier class Simpson Polo 12, just like the Kent BK12 this absurdly huge with absurdly soft tips. My largest razor 8+/8 M. Martinez with a nice smile to cheer me up joined the shave. To continue with the absurdity I used the Fine Snake Bite AS.

Results: epic shave
Irritation A+ Closeness A+ Smoothness A+ Sharpness A

Razor: M. Martinez 8/8
Stop: Dry Gulch black latigo
Brush: Simpson Polo 12
Pre: Proraso
Soap: QCS Hot
AS: Fine Snake Bite, Edwin Jagger ASB
Scent: Parfum D’ Empire Cuir Ottoman

 

Thanks, Jim!

Blanca thanks you too, and her sister Shayla is feeling a little jealous.

 

I know there are a few of the 30 day crew who have added menthol crystals to witch hazel. I did a little while ago but they haven't dissolved. Will they eventually dissolve and break down? I asked over on the Stirling Exchange thread but then remembered that some here have chilled their witch hazel, maybe @clint64 and some others. Thanks!

 

Terrific setup, Rick! Who made that brush? The handle is really attractive.

 

Did you use the souse water as a pre-shave?

Nice review and great photo, Rick!

 

Great photos, Keith! Is that the view from your place? That's a lot of apartment buildings, at least I'm assuming they're apartments!

 

I love the blue SOTD theme, Doug. Blue's also my favorite color. Delta Echo did a great job on your Blue/Blackbird.

Have fun, Brian! Use your good manners and your indoor voice, and you'll be OK.

Souse the puck. Check. Choke up on the knot. Check. Ride the cap on the Fatip. Check. Apply nice aftershave and admire your work. Decadent!

Decadent and...


Keith, I had no idea you lived in the penthouse of Trump Tower. Pure decadence, my friend.

 

Thank you Perry!
I arranged a trade with member Jack @Sparrow. Sent him some Old Spice gear, American Skittles candy, a couple brushes for him to try restoring, and a quantity of Cypress wood. He sent me a couple Suribachi bowls, some Japanese candy, and this one of a kind brush. It was a fun International Trade.
The handle is asymmetric - not round or square but an ergonomic shape like the fat end of a cashew nut that fits my hand well. It has a dense black badger hair knot that he set. I don't use the brush often, but the ceramic textured bowls are daily kit for my shaves.

Thanks Dan!
The Truefitt & Hill soap is a refill puck meant to go in their wooden soap dish. It must have a rounded bottom bowl shape. I put my puck in an Ikea Grundtal container with a flat bottom. It's the correct diameter, but the domed upside down soap puck sheds any water. It does collect in the bottom of the stainless dish - next time I'll try pouring out a handful of souse water for pre-shave purposes!

 

Well played.

 

Run the domed side against a cheese grater to flatten it. Use shavings and water to glue it to the bottom of your flat vessel?

 

One of your top ten photos Doug. Wow.