Thanks Jim!

Thanks amigo!

Thanks Charlie! Unfortunately, I have seen some drivers pass a school bus or an ice cream truck when the stop sign is extended.

Ok, that's the real me! I took this picture with my glasses on top of my bald dome.

very good sir..

Thanks Gary! It is one of my better selfies.

Several new faces! Thanks for joining us Gentlemen. After you get your first shave in for the month write up a Shave Report with all the details you care to share. We do more than just list our gear. Had a bad lather? Nicked yourself 17 times trying a new to you razor? Dropped a bottle of aftershave and made a mess? Those kind of things happen and we spill the beans here. This is The 30DC and you are in.

This one? Interesting blade holder. That's not a negative statement because I find it interesting. Does the head pivot?

There's at least one other regular user of carts in The Crew. Sometime if a guy has to travel taking an expensive stainless steel unit, or a beloved vintage piece isn't going to happen. Cartridge razors have their time and place. There's a high probability you may be counciled to try a DE, SE, or some other variation. If someone asks for your mailing address in a PM start watching your mailbox.

I think your question was answered more than once?

That's part of why this group exist and continues - A New Shaver shows up with one each; soap,razor, & post shave product. Maybe he's having issues with this new setup. The guys who stick around here month after month have collectively tried a majority of shave products available. Your soap is either fine, or defective. If it's making you happy now you may see some ideas to make it even better. That Stirling line is pretty good. The soaps have top notch ingredients. The scents are generally full potency and just might be a duplicate of a cologne you enjoy. The owner of the Stirling Soap Company is active here at TSD so you can have a conversation with him if you choose.

Way to take the daring path Jim! I'm going to join you this month doing an Unfocused Focus. For the new guys this generally means the shaver may have real life issues that preclude only using one set up. Or it could be he's taking a break from the strict discipline of an intensive Rule or Focus. Might just be he's hanging out with The 30 Day Crew and doesn't have any particular technique he wants to train up this month. My reason? I'm a grandfather of three school age kids that keep me busy in Real Life. Last month they started the school year and I had a hard time keeping up with this discussion. I don't see things slowing down any time soon. So my shaves are what I do usually in the evenings after they are in bed, a relaxation therapy. I'm not planning on trying out any particularly difficult razors this month. Might have a new brush or soap to add to the pile. Just going to take my inspiration from what others use and go with the flow.
Zen Shaves.

Welcome to the 30DC

Hey, it is September here..... so how did there get to be 67 posts for September when I am the first one across the date line?

September 1: Finishing up smiling razor week this monster Mike Martinez Karasu, 9/8 and a 3/4 grind. This is a big girl, if she were a redhead I would have to worry about Fuzzy @wchnu trying to woo her away. The cream is directly from Russia, given to me by a genuine Russian, Alex @AlDm , the box and spoon are also from Alex.

On to the shave and the shaving cream, Google translate calls it Apple Blossom, the scent is a bit sweet and smell likes green apples. It was very easy to lather and produced a first class lather, both slick and with cushion, It feels like it has some menthol, about the same as adding 2-3 drops of M-Bomb.

The scary blade is scary sharp, in the end it was an epic shave.

I will post my focus tomorrow.

Razor: Mike Martinez Karasu 9/8
Strop: Kanayama
Brush: Shavemac
Pre: Proraso
Soap: Apple Blossom
AS: Alcolado Glacial AS, Spieck ASB
Scent: Dior Cologne Royale
Watch: MKII Nassau

August thread already shut down so I could not use the quote function. Here is the lazy cut and paste way:

@RyX "He did offer links to several NATO watch strap makers. I can google, but I'm here in 30DC land to pick the brains of those that came before me. Watches are just another facet. Who knows how deep the Charlie Rabbet Hole goes?"

I am still failing down it..... no idea how far it goes. See my post just above. Charlie set me up, while Rolex Submariner are becoming very expensive you still buy one if you don't mind paying over retail. The above watch is not a Rolex but a MKII Nassau, no where near as expensive as the Rolex Mariner but an unobtanium. So a big thank you to Charlie, but now might sights are way too high. It turns out just like in wet shave there are artisans that produce amazing watches, but of course no where near enough.... making it hard and frustrating to obtain one.

Be very very careful, just look down the hole, don't jump in...... actually Charile pushed me in while I was looking down the rabbit's hole.

13/30

Switcharoo again.

I changed the brush to my Yaqi synthetic to see how that would fare with the hard Cade puck.

It did even better than the Omega!. Absolutely no mess on pick up as it was barely damp and the lather just exploded into life as i face lathered with it. I could have done 2 shaves with it, never mind 3 passes. The Synths really are fantastic. This is proof to me that the 404 is just the wrong brush for pucks. Its badger so best left for croaps and creams.

That said, my review of the soap is firm. Its ok, perhaps even a good soap but slickness is below par imho.

A BBS- shave today. The Synth brush is such a joy to use i don't know why i bother with anything else!.

Finished with Arko Gold which got a thumb up from the war department.

Does it pivot? Yes it does, if by pivot you mean what I would call, "flexing." Bear with me here, I'm trying to answer this at 0545 with less than 1/2 cup of coffee in me and utilizing a physics/mechanically challenged mind! What I"m trying to say is this! If you are looking at the razor with cartridge attached from the back of the handle and cartridge and the business part away from you, it does "not" move from side to side. But if you are looking at it from the side, it does pivot or flex. Maybe better said by saying it follows the contours of your face very well. So, is that pivot or flex??

I'll probably try a DE, SE, or some other variation along this journey. Straights fascinate me, but the sometimes tremors I have in my hands probably preclude that. Sometimes they aren't there and sometimes they are. But DE, SE, etc. are very possibly in my future. It's becoming the more I read about, look at, try to compare, and ponder the different ones, the more I don't know where to start. So, it's probably going to be one of those "take a flying leap" kind of things some day. Part of the journey, I guess!

In looking back over the preceding posts this morning, it struck me how many folks have "welcomed" me to the 30 day thing. Many that I did not properly thank for the welcome. So, in an effort to redeem my lack of proper etiquette, please allow me to say to one and all........................

Thank you for the welcome!

You sure do know how to make a guy feel at home!

SEptember 1st
Razor: Blackland Sabre L2
Blade: Gem PTFE (6)
Brush: 30DC LE V2
Pre-shave: Stirling Mentholated
Soap: Stirling Blood on Steel
PAA Galactic witch hazel
PAA unscented Star Jelly
AS: Stirling Blood on Steel

Stirling SEptember

Good morning!

Great shave to start the day! Three passes for near BBS. The alum told a different story. It was pretty darn warm. I'll be spending some time with the Sabre to start this month to get it dialed back in.

Wonderful lather and scent from 30DC meet up soap. Going to be a great month of Stirling!

Have a great day!

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Great start to the month, Jim!

Awesome shave, Keith!

Welcome, Jeff!

Thank you, Joe!

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Beautiful photo and shave Jim.


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