January 2020 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Thank you, Tim!

 

Aye! The R-41 is a beautiful looking beast. Glad the 30 day focus with it has helped you keep it in line. Again, fantastic looking shave, Joseph

 

Thank you, Jeff! The lavender in this one can definitely be over the top, but I definitely like the scent strength in the PAA AS offerings. They double as a light cologne for me, and in general are just about perfect in terms of sillage. I can smell them on myself, and when someone gets close, they can smell them. They typically don't project too far, but still last most of the day. In fact some of them last better than a few colognes I have.

 

Congrats on the CT, Jeff!

 

Awesome plan, Perry. I'm putting the finishing touches on what I'm trying to do for February as well.

 

Great shave and pic, Jason! I'm glad that you were able to get such a fantastic smelling soap to do what you wanted, but am also kind of curious to know why the nature of it has changed so significantly. I was going to go with Sandpiper tomorrow, but may just celebrate Friday by busting out my sample of Cool

 

Thanks, Jim!

 

Thank you Tim!

Fantastic shave reports and photo's gentlement! Perry @PLAla I hope you are begining to feel better. Congrats on the CT Jeff @jgreenepa , I'm glad SWMBO cares for you enough to be overly cautious. No doubt she is a good one!

 

Thank you, Andrew!

 

That’s great, Jim. I’m glad you enjoy them.

 

Thanks, Andrew! Although I use her as a foil, she is a lovely woman whom I don’t deserve. We belonged to the same church and lost our long-term spouses in Nov. and Dec. of 2012. We became great friends supporting each other, and four years later married. Best decision I have ever made!

 

Here's a quick comparison of the two watches. Bottom line...I'd get the MKII on a Maratac NATO strap, but I would be nearly as happy with the Hamilton.

While both watches are considered tool watches, the Hamilton is the dressier of the two. The case has polished surfaces and an exhibition case back. (Polished surfaces show scratches and swirls more readily than brushed surfaces.) The dial is also more striking/readable. The lume seems better on the Hamilton, and it will wear larger than the MKII (40 mm vs. 38 mm case). A more direct comparison would be to compare the MKII against a Hamilton Field Watch 38.

The MKII more closely resembles a true military field watch with its brushed case, solid case back, and less ornate dial. It flies under the radar, and you will be less likely to spot someone wearing an MKII in the wild. Uncle Jim and the guy you always see at the YMCA with the nice haircut will rock Hamiltons.

I read briefly of QC issues with the Hamilton crown. In general, the MKII brand is known for exceptional QC.

I prefer the 20 mm lug width on the Hamilton. The 18 mm lug width on the MKII seems small, but it will complement the smaller case and it is true to the original 38 mm field watch design.

While they're quite close, I prefer the specs on the MKII movement. It's sort of a Ford vs. Chevy comparison. The MKII's Seiko movement is a workhorse variant of the 6R15 (mid-range Seiko movement). The Hamilton's ETA movement has been slowed down from 8 to 6 beats per second to achieve a longer power reserve. I don't know if that would have an effect on the long-term reliability of the Hamilton movement, but it's worth noting. If a longer power reserve is important (i.e. you want the watch to continue running off the wrist over a 3- day weekend), the Hamilton clearly wins.

I like the anti-reflective coating on the crystal (better readability under strong light) and the screw down crown on the MKII (the experts say this doesn't affect water resistance, but I like the screw down feature). I also like the drilled lugs on the MKII, as it makes strap changes easier. IMO, these features all add to the durability and use-ability of the MKII over the Hamilton.

The Hamilton can be purchased at a discount while the MKII cannot.



If anyone else has comments, I'd love to hear them. Keep us posted, Chris, on your thoughts. Back to shaving.

 

Beautiful looking dog, Jeff. And probably one of the best names I have ever heard for a dog. Does he bail you out of messes like in the Wallace and Gromit series? If so, he kind of blew it yesterday

 

That's actually a good point. I decided to forego my usual addition of menthol today. Perhaps months of use have deadened me to the full effect. That might be a future experiment.

Thanks, Perry!

 

Thanks, Jeff! And darn it. Sounds like my hubris is causing me grief yet again. I have never, not once, used an alum block. Because I only used menthol after the burn took place, I am inclined to think I had a low level razor burn (I did cruise through that shave quickly).

As to the menthol, I don't use a lot, BUT I might not be mixing it well enough into my lather, so it might be getting applied too locally or directly to my skin. More things to mull over.

 

That's good advice, and after my dance with Baker Street, I will definitely bin a product I subconsciously dread using. But I do want to make sure I'm giving it a fair shake. Oddly enough, there was no discoloration at all--it was the one thing that kept me from washing that hot mess off my face.

Clubman as paint thinner is a waste. I keep mine in the back of my car in case I run out of fuel

I use it. I love it. But I can joke about it. Actually, the first time I used Clubman was one of the most hilariously horrific experiences of my life. Kind of a you'd-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it moment.

 

Very nice Keith!

Good to see ya made it back from the cold Danny! Nice setup!

Excellent Clint! Love the image and everything!

Wow....tough few days Perry. All seems to happen at once sometimes. Super nice shave though! Hope you are feeling better ASAP, and there's hot water tomorrow!

And...the SV Felce Aromatica of yours is gel like? Oh man....guess I'll find out tomorrow. Seeing it earlier this week reminded me I didn't have it, and, um, well, got myself enabled.

Sounds like a great shave Paul!

Gorgeous views Jeff! Great setup too! Hope all is going better now!

 

Thanks, Jim! Embrace the burn? Hmmmmm....

 

Thank you, Andrew!

 

It depends on the type of burn. As @jluc sajd, the cinnamon in Stirling Bay Rum makes for a nice, enjoyable burn. I had Stirling Rose for a while, and this also gave me a burn, but this was not enjoyable. I had to PIF it away.