January 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Oh..when you said KY via FLA, I thought you had left Floriida to come home.

 

Wonderful picture, Gary!

Thanks, Blair!

 

I think the duo at PAA (Douglas & his wife Fran) do explore main fragrance notes with a lot of variety. That's the reason behind the mind boggling number of choices. Besides the Tobacco trend, there's also a very large exploration of Bay Rum scents, with a smaller grouping of Barbershop & Musk scents. I probably drive them crazy every few orders with my samples addiction.

 

I have 3 of my favorite soaps coming up, with the Gillette Sophisticated Goo sandwiched in there. I'm trying to will myself to go 3 days straight with the soaps. I'm pretty used to the two-day routine by now, but there are some that are worth the extra day.

 

Jan. 29
So, this is the week of blood. I must have just been crazy tired this morning, which I guess makes sense. My two-year old and I had philosophical differences on how sleep should be conducted. He felt that he should sleep in my bed, perpendicular between me and The Missus, while kicking me in the kidneys every 3-4 seconds. I felt that he should sleep in the garage. Always the voice of reason, The Missus felt we should split the difference and put him back in his crib--there were protestations (from both parties). I plopped him in his crib and myself on the floor to guard against egress. He wound up sleeping in his own crib last night, but the protestations were loud and lengthy, and at 1:00 am the collateral damage in sleep made this a costly victory.

At any rate, when 5:00 am rolled around I stumbled my way into the bathroom to set up the shave and photo. I noticed that there was a bit of a smudge on the head of my Flare Tip, so I wiped it away but managed to slide my finger across the blade. Got a nice quarter-inch slice along the top of my finger about as severe as a paper cut. Nothing major, but so, SO stupid.

Fortunately, the shave went much better. Stuck with two passes (WTG & XTG), and the lightest of touch-ups around the mouth. No issues, and a DFS which, frankly, kind of amazed me. One drop of Frost Drops on my remaining lather to reapply and leave on while I cleaned up. Cold water rinse, pat down, application of Clubman Original AS, and I was feeling so good I decided to forego the post shave balm.

Razor: Gillette Flare Tip w/mildly bloody Personna Blue (4)
Brush: Kong
Soap: Soap Commander "Drive"
Frost Drops: one applied on remaining lather
AS: Clubman Original

 

Entertaining post as usual. Great shave, Tim!

 

Nice shave, Tim! English teacbers don't worry about safety procedures like Chem. teachers. Rule#1: Never place your unprotected fingers near sharp objects, like broken glass, blades, etc. Rule #2: Always use a towel to clean smudges off a razor. Go back to Rule 1.

I guess I threw the book at you. You are an English teacher so you are used to getting books thrown at you all the time! Lol!

 

I've made it at home. Got pretty close. The trick is slicing thin cross grain. Same with Baltimore Pit Beef. Both use lean cuts that tend to be tough. Helps if you have a meat slicer, but cleaning is a hassle. Love the regional goodies.

 

Excellent shave report Tim. Very entertaining.

 

I love the regional goodies as well. I will give the deli a try.

 

Rough night but a very nice shave, Tim! I hope for a more restful night tonight.

 

OK, are those all waiting to be tried? I am definitely interested in your thoughts on the Vetiver Planet and Han Polo samples.

 

Great picture, Tim. Unfortunately the war is not won, at least not in my case. We have been fighting this war, nightly battle by nightly battle for close to 10 years. The results used to be as successful as your results, but lately ninja stealth tactics have been employed by the adversaries and losses are starting to mount.

 

Good luck Patrick. Sometimes I long for the simplicity of using the same setup continually. Sometimes I really crave the variety.

Fantastic setup Evan! Love the razor and the brush!

Awesome shave Tery!

Lovely shave Jim!

Can I get this photo in a poster size print? Stunning, Jim!

Fantastic shot Clint! Great minds on the sofware choice, as youll see in a few!

Awesome shave Perry! I hope you get to feeling better soon!

Good job in taming the beast this morning, Joseph!

Wonderful shave Keith!

Fantastic shave Doug! I hope you are doing well!

Great shave Blair!

I've done that a time or two, Tim. Great shave otherwise.

 

Thank you, Andrew!

 

Greetings from a snowy day at Cartel HQ. Well, snow fell for awhile then mostly melted, but hey....it's still snow. I did another no-shave last night due to later than usual work but I'll catch up on that tonight. Just a friendly reminder that we have only 3 days left in January, including today! It's been a busy anniversary month and I once again have to say a big THANK YOU to all of you for making this place what it is.

Now, you ask, what is February all about since it's so close? The "official" theme will be February Favorites! Basically, use your favorite gear. Doesn't have to be fancy or anything like that....just use the stuff that is really your favorite. Could be soap, could be a razor or two or three, could be brushes, could be a combination of everything. Don't like that theme? That's cool.....as always....themes are not mandatory. We have done Fat February before (using Mitchell's all month) and you can do that. You can stand on your head and shave with a sharpened can lid for the month. It's your shave. Enjoy it!

​

 

Thanks Gary!

Thanks Blair!

Thanks Andrew!

tp

 

Thanks Joe!
tp

 

Good morning, Tim. I hope you and your clan managed to get some rest last night. Being a parent is a high calling, and I'm awe of your loving dedication to your kiddos. You may be lean on razors, but you have a house full of kiddos. You're rich beyond anyone's wildest dreams, and I'm envious. Hang in there. It'll be over ('round here anyway) in Three Score and Ten, give or take.

I love shaving with a Flare Tip. It is an elegant design, sold for next to nothing when it was new, delivers wonderful shaves, and there're still around and kicking after more than half a century. Sorry about the cut. The same thing has happened to me a few times. My worst cuts with DE blades have always resulted from bad moves handling the razor or the blade...hardly ever from actually using the razor to shave. A two-pass comfortable DFS is a fine accomplishment. That's what I shoot for on most days. I always throw on some post-shave balm (unrefined shea butter) though. I usually layer it with witch hazel and an alcohol-based aftershave. I blot off the excess when all is said and done in order to achieve a velvety smooth Hollywood Leading Man finish. After taking it all in for a few minutes in front of the mirror, I'm ready for another big day. It's amazing.

I hope you have a fantastic day, my friend.

 

Thanks Clint! Time flies .

Thanks Blair! Im a cheap watch kinda guy.

Thanks Andrew! A little self discipline for 30 days never hurt anyone.