February 2018 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

You might call Lisa. She was willing to put together a balm for me in a scent I really wanted.

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Dan, I'm so glad your Mom is feeling better. Praise the Lord! It was wise of you to stay with her last night.

 

It has been a while since I used a GEM based blade razor. Today's shave is inspired by Fuzzy, @wchnu .

I molested the Williams then loaded my Ever Ready 'Lather Catcher' (? not sure what model this is) and went to work. It was an epic shave, no irritation and a long-lasting dolphin smooth shave.

 

Adam, I finished a tube of C.O. Bigelow on 1/26/18. I'm gonna stick with my C.F. Lavender cream this month and see if I can finish it off as well. I also finished off a fruitcake in January - it was much denser than your average cake of shaving soap.
January 2018 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

 

That's a beautiful set of kami's, Adam!

 

Cool set up, Keith! I really like your flat top brush, and your GEM razor is a looker. I know those razors must shave great in the hands of a skilled shaver because that's what everyone says. But those blades look like they came from Home Depot.

I'm not sure what @wchnu would say about the Chanel cologne finish, but I say Bully! Have a great week, my friend.

 

Now that I finished stirring up the cart guys a bit....

"Can you say pain boys and girls..."

Love seeing that beautiful OC Dammy.

I was always a Mommas boy when mine was alive....Bully for you!!

Looks like a beautiful 1907ish. I have a user grade one. Awesome set up. What did you molest the Williams with?

 

Another day of Williams. This time with my 1902 Kampfe. I got a blade adapter in that mimics the wedge with a modern SE blade. The older wedge razors willnot take a modern blade with out some help. Great shave came around.

 

Glad she is feeling better, and I'll be praying she continues to do so.

 

Great looking kami's, Adam.

 

Excellent picture, Keith!

 

Gotta keep an eye on the old folks. They did the same for us when we were a little ones. Make sure your kids are paying attention so they know how this family thing works.

Thanks for the tip Chris! I think I may hold out, though. Stirling will have Glastonbury back on the shelf this Spring.

 

Thanks for the prayers gentlemen. Always watching out for her between my brother and me. Making sure she stays active so she can continue to be independent. She’s definitely feeling better. She blew off the Super Bowl and went to another room to watch something else. My wife does the same thing. I don’t understand women.

 

Favorite February

February 4

Razor - Gem MMOC
Blade - ASR Carbon - CVS (1)
Soap - Stirling Iced Coffee
Brush - Stirling Two Band Synthetic
Post - Alum

Shout out to @EzraCobb for the great tip in finding a better carbon blade. He mentioned that you need to lose the Gem branded blade and go for one stamped 009, for the width of the blade. I went online to do a little research and found that ASR/Personna makes different blades, obviously, but the CVS branded blades are uncoated carbon and shave quality, unlike the Gem branded ones I got. Oh, and the Pal Blue Carbon blade that was barely better than the Gem? Rusted overnight. As in - out to the edge in spite of being dried and out of the razor all night. So much for those. You'll notice from my blade picture that 009 is indeed right there.

Since there is a CVS a couple of blocks away from work I stopped on my way home and found a pack. $5 and change for 10 blades which isn't a deal breaker. Iced Coffee is up for the soap of the night and I do love this scent as well as the menthol kick toward the end as the coffee ices over. Two Band brush for the win as well.

Loaded up, took the first stroke and a smile crossed my face. No horrid drag, no feeling like my face was being ripped apart, just a nice, smooth feel that really did the job. Since this is the first blade I've found that actually works I don't know just how good it is in the greater scheme of things but I do know I finished with a very nice DFS after two passes and touch ups. I also know the alum was hot. Clearly having a smooth feeling shave got my mind off of handling the OCMM and I was adding lots of pressure. Oh well, I'll take the burn versus the drag for one night. Tomorrow I'll be ready to focus on the entire shave as I continue to bend this great razor to my will.

Eagles won it and while I didn't have a definite favorite I'm pretty happy with the result. Nice to see a QB like Nick Foles that everybody gave up on rise to the top of the game. Reminds me of Kurt Warner. Hope your week starts out on a great note!

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I guess instead of sending you blades I could have just told you where to get them....D'oh. Those blades are what I was going to send you. Your in the right place now. You can learn to drive the boat since your not dragging an anchor. I will save the postage until your ready to try another SE.

 

I wondered if you had a different supplier. Thanks for your willingness to steer me to the right place. Yep, hang onto that postage. I'll probably play with some SE's going forward. It's the one style I really haven't done much with. I'll still pay off that week with Williams. See? Regardless of what the ex's all say I'm a decent and really honorable type guy.

 

I am on a month with Williams for FAVuary. Feel free to dive in anytime.

 

Fuzzy @wchnu - Yeah, Williams. I stopped at The Bucket (Market Basket for y'all outside of SWLA) on Third Avenue, and in The Bluff. No luck. The scruffy faced 20 something guy with the Man Bun hair-do that was in the Manager's booth at the northern location seemed confused about "Shave Soap in a box". I don't think he'd been standing close enough to a razor for being on a manager career path.

The good Williams News; I've got two easy lines that will deliver. Walgreens store pick up for 1.49, or Troy @Bookworm can pick up a puck at Fiesta. He and I are colluding on a knot making project. Our Project may deliver a Red Head (human hair) brush knot. I haven't asked if she's chubby. None of my business. I will get my supply of horse hair properly sterilized.

 

Ahhh the bucket in the bluff. Mr. Hollaman use to run it. My high school job for a couple of years. I really thought tjey would have it. I also agree the beard and a bun thing is very much NOT a good look.

 

I haven't had a haircut for about three months and with an entire weekend oncall, I hadn't shaved for a few days either. @RyX and @wchnu talking about the Man-bun Manager's scruffiness inspired me to clean up at least part of my act. (The haircut will probably wait until the weather warms up a bit more later this month.)

My vintage shaving collection is stored in cookie tins stacked in half a dozen copier paper cartons shelved in a storage closet upstairs. I still haven't dug through enough to find my old Kampfe/Star lathercatcher so I did SE Sunday tonight with my EverReady 1912 in its original configuration, unadulterated by either modern wooden handles or blade shims.

Soap is my Italian soft almond frankensoap. That tub originally held a pound of Vaseline and is 3 1/2 " diameter x 3" high; I am not going to be emptying it anytime soon. When I made the frankensoap by mixing tubs of Vitos Red, Vitos Green and Cella Red Tub with a bar of Valobra soft almond and scraps of 3P, I ended up with about a pound and a half of soap filling both the Vaseline tub and a regular-sized TOBS cream tub. I figure it would take six months to a year of daily use just to finish off my frankensoap. I will not be winning the Soap Killing Contest this year.

The boar brush did a good job Super Gooping the frankensoap. I face lathered three solid passes with it and then squeezed another good handful of heavy cream out of the knot afterwards. Whenever I am frustrated with this boar brush, I use it with my frankensoap and it works its way back into my good graces.

Three passes with the SE razor and I no longer look like a poster for scruffy would-be manliness. Instead I am aneat and tidy gentleman once more.

Hope you all have a great week coming up!