December 2019 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

I have Proraso, Razorock and Music City that are my non-tallow soaps and they are fine. However, my only tallow soaps are the Stirling shave soaps and I prefer them. The caveat is that I have only a limited number of brands that my preference could change down the road.

 

Well, you have the Gulf of Mexico and higher summer temps that make it so.

 

Funny, my Omega stopped shedding many months ago.

 

Decadent December!!!

December 5

Razor - 1946-47 Gillette Aristocrat
Blade - (1)
Soap - Tabac
Brush - Wolf Whiskers Custom Grade A Silvertip
Post - Alum

Whew! What a day. Beautiful weather and busy. Just the way I like it. Time to shave and relax for the night. Switching to another Decadent razor, the Gillette Aristocrat. Mine is a '46-'47 model and it's a beauty. I paired it with a Voskhod blade. This is my original "detente" setup of American brass and Russian steel. It was my first rule shave way back when the 30DC was just getting started.

Since it's Thursday it's Tabac time! I made the lather with my Wolf Whiskers custom brush with a TGN Grade A Silvertip in it. Same knot as my 30DC Meet-Up badger, just a bit smaller. I've now used my three silvertips in a row and here they are lined up to show off their stuff! And compare sizes.

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Lather was typical Tabac. High quality and very slick. Three passes to put the baby to bed and I'm a very relaxed and happy camper. We're back to Fridsay!!! The weekend beckons.

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awesome shave Neal..

 

Careful with that statement. Many body "soaps" are not really soaps at all. Soap is what you get when you put an acid together with a fat and it "saponifies" into a soap. It's all natural and contains no extra chemicals or other products. I haven't checked the ingredients in Irish Spring or other products, but I suspect they have more ingredients listed than Stirling bath soap. Same goes for "body wash" products. Those are all nearly all chemicals mixed together, not the product of saponification. Stirling's soaps are all natural, saponified products, including their liquid soaps.

I only use three types of soaps for my showers and other basic hygiene. I use African Black Soap, which is an all natural and organic product that really strips oil and dirt off. It is my go-to for my scalp and face especially. The other is Stirling bath soap which I use everywhere else. It's a great all purpose soap that cleans but doesn't dry quite as bad as the African soap does. Finally, I do have the Palestinian soap made with Olive Oil. Very moisturizing in the winter. All three are true soaps without the added chemical stuff that dries things out too much or leaves its own residue.

As for cost - the African soap is a bargain. I buy it in 5 pound blocks and cut it into bars. Last bought a block about 2 years ago and am halfway through it. Paid less than $30. Stirling is more expensive than commercial products but well worth it, in my humble opinion, to get something that's "real". Same for the Palestinian soap. Price isn't bad since it lasts so long either. It's as hard as a triple milled shaving soap.

 

Hijack this thread? Impossible! How do I know? I've tried and tried. Just can't do it. I added my own bit of info to this particular topic. Part of the argument goes to defining "soap". It is, at a point, academic, but it can also be quite important for some people who suffer from dry skin or other problems using a product with the "extras" in it. Simplifying down to fat+acid (or alkili in some versions) =soap gives the definition I prefer if I'm going to consider it "real". I still call the commercial bars soap, of course, because of tradition and standards. I just choose to avoid them because the F+A=S bars work far better for me.

 

Don't forget Lava! Now THAT was a rough and tough soap. Designed to remove a layer of skin with the grime.

 

What does everyone want to ADD to their collection this month?

I am currently searching for some japanese steel! and maybe a new soap or two.

 

My ears perked up on that one. I was a top debater in High School, going as far as State my final two years. So I'm game. We could call it the 30DD/CC club, just to make it seem, ummmm....more interesting? Chose the size of your debate and such? No?

 

Somehow I missed that you were going there, Keith, or I would have volunteered to go in your place. I can tell you're hating the time there and I would gladly have helped you avoid that suffering. Have a great rest of the week!

 

I'm actually looking to add nothing for the next couple of months. As always, I'm subject to a bit of enabling or just outright dares, but my focus is more on simplifying at the moment.

 

From my bottom lip to under the chin basically. I was going East to West around the chin. Thank you Keith.

Wow! Amazing pics Keith!

 

I think he was talking about the racing team not the soap.

Oh boy!

 

Nice setup there Comrade Neal!

I'm all in. We didnt have a debating team at our school and I feel like I missed out on something. And besides ..it might give some of us here who never win debates with the estrogen units a chance to actually hone our skills. Pun intended.

 

I’m waiting for a razor from Snail Forge, it’s at the scales stage so maybe be then end of the month.

I think it was lost in the translation, I want to see what happened to the memo and it turns out they are all at the karaoke and the text messages I’m getting from them are very strange. A generous offer for sure, the. I wouldn’t be stuck here suffering in the tropical breeze.

 

Neal, as a chem teacher, I know what saponification is. All the products have stearate or tallowate salts orva combo of both and therefore are classified as soaps. The labels given by the companies is another thing or what the product's main use is another matter.

 

I'm in. I like challenging debates.

 

You can only use a base with a fat to make soap. Fatty acids and a base will make soap as well.

 

Lava and Boraxo powder. Use a brush!