January 2018 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

I have to admit, I don't think I could use a shavette in a state park.

 

The older lather catchers are usually louder then newer models. People complain they have to turn the volume down on some of my videos with them. Lol

 

I have done the mirror on a tree and bowl of water field shave. At least this one was a nice shower house with sinks and all. I was surprised at the group show. We had been in a plain camp site a few days. After a couple of canteen showers it was veddy nice indeed.

 

Advantage to Left handed folks. We are used to adapting to an majority Right handed world. With any razor I do what I can with my dominate left, and switch off to right as needed.
Glad you saw the bit about practice passes sans blade. It'll give a safe way to figure it all out.
Another hint - @Norcalnewb Baseball Lathering Pattern©. Do quarters of your face at a time.

 

As a southpaw, I have to agree. It's easier for us to adapt to doing things with the non-dominant hand. There are some things I've had to learn to do right handed out of necessity that would feel totally awkward left handed now. Using scissors for instance. I know they make left handed ones, but I probably couldn't use them after a lifetime of training myself to cut right handed.

 

Yup, and then a ‘loser leaves town’ match with Macaulay Culkin...

 

January Jeeves & Shavettes!

Jeeves Bay Rum (Thanks @Drygulch!)
B-400 brush - Omega Pro 98 knot (Thanks @twhite!)
Suribachi bowl, warm water (Thanks @Sparrow!)
SS USTURA shavette (Thanks @Linuxguile!)
Ming Shi 2000S DE (Thanks Chinese cloners!)
Old Spice aftershave (Thanks Shulton!)


In nearly full compliance with Suggested Focus for this shave. Taking last month's Focus forward, I loaded my boar brush, scraped out what I could of the soap into the bowl, and loaded again. Couple dribbles of water across the upper part of the bristles while agitating and plenty of decadent lather was had. Took the shavette for it's first spin in months with a fresh half of a Feather blade. Only felt comfortable doing a N-S pass, thought switching hands came natural. Still had a Ming Shi MP-036 blade of unknown uses loaded, and it was plenty useful for the balance of my shave. No blood spilt in my den tonight, skipped the alum, and splashed on vintage old Old Spice.
Good Shaves Y'all!

 

January 2018

Shavettes and Jeeves January!

January 1

Razor - Saiver Russian "Double DE"
Blades - (1) (1)
Soap - Jeeves of Hudson Street Bay Rum
Brush - 30DC LE
Post - Alum

And they're off! January is underway and for me it's a double growth shave as I didn't shave last night. I've been hanging onto this particularly unique Russian razor since mid-November as it was supposed to be part of an all Russian month. However, it got delayed in shipping and I've never gotten back to it. In the meantime, @Jayaruh discovered it and has a thread on it HERE. Also, the sharpologist webpage has done an excellent review of the razor as well, and you can find it HERE .

This razor was called a Russian military razor on the bay, but I have my doubts about that. It's a two bladed DE razor, extremely light. It's the assembly that makes me think it's not military. You have to split the first blade, then add the divider, the place a whole blade, then screw it all together. Not exactly an intuitive, fast assembling design. In otherwords, it's Russian engineering so who knows.....maybe they're just used to it.

Twin blades on a DE, especially one this light are a bit of a challenge but not terrible. Basically ride the cap and everything stays in line. I did notice a bit of deflection in the second blade when tightened down, but the shave itself was smooth and I finished two passes with a very solid DFS. It's a fun little razor to have around to play with. Something totally unique, and it's a good way to kill the first day of the year with a semi-shenanigan shave using the very fine Jeeves Bay Rum to stay on theme!

Hope you had a great first day of the year. If you're headed back to work tomorrow, hope it's a great day!

​

 

If you’re comfortable using it and can focus without a lot of distractions you should try it. Perhaps take a safety razor with as a last minute choice if needed.

Rick and Chris... what you said about having to adapt all of your lives makes sense. Thanks for the encouragement, I’ll work on it.

However I’m not familiar with the @Norcalnewb Baseball Lathering Pattern

 

I like that focus. "Using my stuff". Awesome.

 

Very nicely done! As a totally dominant righty myself, it took a lot of practice to hand the razor over to the left hand, especially pain sticks and other straights. However, with practice, I am now able to get as good a result with the left as the right. Well, on most days. Occasionally when I hand off I can tell from the first stroke that it's not a day to play lefty so I just stay with the right hand. It is a matter of practice and experience.

Because learning shavettes/straights does slow things down I would only lather half of my face at a time. Not only did the lather stay wet and slick, it also gave me a short breather as I lathered the other side. Helped relax me as I was pretty tense in that learning phase. Just something that worked for me.

 

So, if I'm reading the posts correctly and haven't missed anyone, it appears that @Paul Turner , @LevelupShaves , @jtspartan and @Screwtape have all decided to go with a No Buy 2018. I admire your fortitude. And, of course, you would expect a few around here (certainly not me) to try and enable you right out of that. But how about an incentive to actually make it this year?

Here's what I'll offer. For each full month you make it without buying anything I'll send you a tuck of Russian blades. You can choose Voskhod, Rapira Swedish, Ladas, or Rapira Platinum Lux. If you make it through the whole year that's 60 blades. But wait, there's more! If you make it all the way to January 1, 2019, I'll add 40 more blades in to make it a total of 100 blades for the year. Sound fair? I'll keep track on here as well as trusting your honesty to admit if you fall of the NB '18 wagon.

Anyone else who is doing a NB '18 can also let me know and get in on this as well.

 

Very generous, Neal. Tell you what- I certainly don’t want you to ship internationally very often. We’ll keep track of how long I make it and then you can ship the blades, once, then. In return, if I don’t make it all year, I will make and send you a handle. Deal?

 

Deal!

 

The first mention of using a baseball lathering pattern I found in a Search is HERE by @J.R. Must have been shortly there after that Jim @Norcalnewb brought it to The 30 DC.
Basically it means to lather a section of your face and shave it. Start with your easiest cheek - lather, shave. Then the other, rinse repeat. You don't feel hurried to get to the next section before the lather dries.

 

Ok, full disclosure- My MonoBilt is being sent for replating. It will return probably around March. I consider it a 2017 purchase because the deal is already done, and exempt from my NB, and therefore our deal, if that is ok.

 

Alanis.

What happens when depressed Canadian child TV stars learn how to write hooks.

 

Situational awareness and spatial reasoning are key to activities like shaving and dirty south rap.

Here's an example:

 

Money was spent, decision made last year.

Not prohibited by any reasonable interpretation of NB guidelines. It's history.

 

Another southpaw agreeing.


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