30 Day Rule/Focus; Nov 2022. All are Welcome!

Hi Everyone.

It's a new month. I want to say that last month's shaves from all of you were awesome. Way to go guys! This month is the beginning of the holiday season for most of us. We start with Thanksgiving where we celebrate our blessings with family and friends. In the wetshaving community, we usually have a plethora of shaving paraphernalia and that's a great thing. However, let's keep in mind that there are those less fortunate and they are barely getting by for whatever the reason. Let's keep these individuals in our thoughts and prayers because the holidays are difficult for them. I don't want to forget those folks that are elderly and don't have any close relatives to spend the holidays. I can only imagine how lonely they must feel. I am not telling anyone to do this, but I am going to do random acts of kindness during the holidays. It's my way of thinking outside of myself and also to honor our close-knit shaving community.

Unfortunately, there was only one highlight that was worth mentioning and I am embarrassed to do so because it involves yours truly. I bought a great car for a fantastic price. In fact, over this past weekend, I punched it to 80 mph to see how stable it was on the Long Island Expressway. Glad to say it was quite smooth. By the way, I did this experiment late at night so that there weren't many cars on the road. Also, I very rarely speed excessively. Don't worry. I am giving up my inner Paul Newman car racer. Lol!

Anyway, let's move on shall we.
I have decided 3 themes for this month. The first is No Theme November. It's quite self-explanatory. Shave with whatever you fancy. It's that simple. The other 2 themes were suggested by Neal @NCoxSTL a few years back when he was at the helm. They are No Variant November and No Repeat November. No Variant November is basically doing a 30 Day Rule which means using only one setup for the entire month. It means just using the same razor, blade, soap, brush and aftershave products. Of course, you have to change blades because they aren't going to last the entire month, but you have to use the same brand. So, if you are using Gillette Perma-Sharp blades, stick with those blades. Don't switch to a Gillette Blue. Well, you get the idea.
No Repeat November seems like it is the same as No Rule November, but it's not. Like the title suggests, you change your setup every day, even if it's just one item change such as a brush whereas a No Rule theme will allow you to keep the same setup for consecutive shaves if that is your wish.

Ok, let's continue with the basic tenets of this thread!

I want to welcome all the veterans of the 30 DC and all the newcomers. This thread is for the purposes of improving your shave technique so that you will consistently get great shaves. There are a number of ways to do it. These are suggestions so feel free to do whatever you want in regards to your shave:

The 30 Day Rule
Take ONE razor, ONE blade, ONE brush, ONE soap/cream and use them EVERYDAY this month. Yes, everyday. But Trigger, I want variety! I know you do, but until you perfect your technique, it makes little sense to constantly change the variables of your shave.

For you out there that are not up to the rigors of the Rule, there is this alternative:

The Focus
Vary the gear for each shave, save for perhaps one or two elements.
This is a more accessible challenge for the majority of shavers. I like to pick a particular aspect of the shave, be it the lather, a certain blade or a new razor, that needs breaking in, and not change it daily, until I have mastered those tools.

Ok, to keep the thread on a nice even keel, I ask everyone to follow the thread etiquette as listed below:

1. New Members always welcome. Start anytime.
2. Old Members always welcome.
3. Respect everyone.
4. Refrain from political conversation.**
** This includes, but is not limited to: Covid-19, treatments and/or advice.
Please keep these discussions off of this thread.

I also want to suggest that we should try to assess our shaves as to why it was good or why it was not up to your standards and express these reasons in your comments. The spirit of this thread is to improve our shaves and if we share the reasons why a shave was good or bad, then we are giving our experiences to encourage good technique and discourage bad technique so that we have great info to get better shaves. I am not suggesting that we do it for every post, but I think it would make for a healthier thread if we start to do it more than we have in the past years.

Moreover, you don't have to do a rule or a focus. You are free to change your setup on a shave to shave basis.

Finally, I want this thread to continue to be a friendly place. It is ok to disagree because that is how we learn from each other, but let's encourage and respect every member. Yes, even if you think they are off the wall. Let's face it! We all are a little off because of our different Aquisition Disorders. Lol!

Let's have a group hug!



Also, let's have a great November of awesome shaves and fine fellowship!

Sincerely,

Joe (Trigger)

 

very cool.

 

no repeat november for me..seems i do this year round.i may add NDC november.ndc meaning no date code on my gillettes,also meaning all the razors i'll use will be from 1930-1951,as gillette dated there razors with serial numbers from 1906-21 and date codes 1951 to present.we'll see..
up for tomorrow..

 

Thank you Gary. I know you and some of the other members that are not US citizens don't celebrate Thanksgiving per se. However, giving thanks should transcend a certain holiday that obligates those that celebrate it or not. I am glad you were not offended and hope others would feel the same.

 

I appreciate your creativity Gary.

 

1st November 2022.



​

Shaving recipe for today.

Prep: Warm shower:/Lynx Africa Squeezed Mandarin & Sandalwood Body Wash.

Pre:
Cold wet flannel to my face.
Pears Original Transparent Bar Soap.
Brush: Omega 10051.
Face Lather.
Lather: Kent Luxury Shaving Soap.
Blade: Treet 7 Day Platinum. (D3)
Razor: Parker 94R.

Post:
Cold water face wash with brush squeezing's, Cold Water Face Rinse. /Homemade (~Autumn/Winter mix~) peppermint lavender, eucalyptus, + Tea Tree essential Oils Mixed Together With 200ml of Care+Witch Hazel. /Nivea Men 2 Phase + P&G Old Spice Original ASL Mixture. /Nivea Men Fresh Moisturising Gel.

Greetings,

Early morning shave.

It's been a while since i used the Kent/MWF soap, always provides a superb lather. If I had to choose a favourite shaving soap, then the Kent/MWF would be a very strong contender. My love of 'The Fat' is a burning eternal flame of lanolin goodness. A superb shaving soap.

The Parker 94R is a sturdy hefty efficient lady that holds no prisoners to face stubble.

Everything in my shave set up this morning worked together superbly.

An enjoyable 2 pass + pick-ups close comfortable shave with no errors to report. Finishing the shave off with a few small dollops of Nivea Men Fresh Moisturising Gel.

My face is feeling super smooth & smelling divine.

Keep safe and enjoy your day ladies & gentlemen.

 

A very well written and poignant introduction. I am looking forward to the many upcoming great shaves from the fine gentlemen of this thread.
I think I might go back to my 1508.5 Project (Den Reduction Mode -shaving with the same soap every other day until it meets up with the Edmund Fitzgerald). Of course there may be some slight variation as there are a couple of travel days throughout the month.

 

Looking forward to the NDC shaves Gary.

 

Wonderful Fat shave Barry.

 

Joe,

I could not wait to to see what the themes for November would be. I really like the three themes. I am torn between no theme and no repeat.

I don't have a big collection of razors but I did do an inventory today so I could plan out my shaves better. Most of my razors are in boxes, drawers or in a tackle box tray I use to store random razor heads and handles. So making a list will help me remember the ones that are tucked away (out of site, out of mind). I have PIF'd many razors this past year and sold a razor this weekend so knowing what I currently have will be helpful. I have done a similar inventory with blades and shaving soap/cream samples/tubs.

I also have three GEM razors coming in soon (they looked clean and were so inexpensive). I wanted to try a few different models and contrast the shave with the Blackland Sabre to see if I will keep pursuing the GEM style blade format. These will be the first vintage GEM razors that I have tried. I was given an MMOC by a relative a while ago and was going to try it out last week but one of the blade stops was worn down and I was not about to try a shave with it. I was told that if I knew a machinist, I could reuse the MMOC handle for other razor heads. One of the three new to me razors is another MMOC.

So I need to test out the new GEM razors but it would be good to go through and shave with ones I have not used in a while. I doubt I would be able to keep up with pictures for all the shaves (ha ha).

Happy shaves to everyone!

- David

 

Thank you, Joe. I love 'The Fat'.

 

That's the way to start the month Barry! Have a great afternoon.

 

Thanks for the kind words Joe. I like your plan for this month.

 

I appreciate the kind words David. It seems to me that you have some exciting shaves coming up this month. Have a great day.

 

I am going to try different since I started wetshaving. I am going to attempt daily shaves for the entire month. This is a big leap for me because I usually rest my face every 3rd day. I probably will only need one pass on some shaves because my 24 hr stubble still looks socially acceptable. My only worry is how will my skin handle it.
I will probably have to use a safety razor to follow a straight/ shavette shave more than I have in the past. I will how it goes. I avg. 20 shaves per month so I will be adding another 10 shaves. I am sure that I will be fine. Therefore, I will be shaving during the late afternoon or evening this month because I shaved yesterday afternoon and want to keep my daily shaves within the 24 hr mark plus or minus 2 hrs.

 

Thank you, Joe. I intend to keep my Treet DE blade focus run for the rest of the month using various other blades from the Treet camp with my usual eclectic SOTD set ups. Enjoy your day.

 

all good.we(up here in canader) celebrated Thanksgiving on Oct. 10th,and Remembrance Day on Nov.11th..and how do you know if i'm a u.s citizen or not..i have family everywhere...

 

i am sure you'll get used to it.

 

awesome David.the cool thing about gem style blades is when they are done shave wise they will work in paint/gasket scrapers just fine..

 

thank you Joe.