April 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

Ok, here is what I'm thinking- please let me know what you think. I will present a few brush designs that the '30 day crew' can give an opinion on. Hopefully the group can decide on a single design, but if not maybe I can come up with a plan B. I am willing to make the handles and provide the wood. I have a nice chunk of very figured maple that I have used for a few of the handles you've seen in my pics. I can probably get 10 more handles out of that or so. I will make the handles from either that, or another wood if you send it to me. I will provide the maple and make the handles without any cost. I think it is fair if I ask for the shipping to be paid to get the completed handles to you. I am dead set against any kind of profit here. It would really take away my joy at making these on my own timeframe.
My original thought was to make a couple full brushes as examples and PIF them. I've changed that thought to just going right into the LE idea. As well, I've ordered a punch set so that I can customize them with some nice lettering.
Perhaps, if this is a go, we could even look at a group knot purchase (good luck us all agreeing on a knot!) I can customize to depth, etc.
Thoughts can come via here if you want everyone to see, or via PM if you only want me to see. Thanks!

 

What a generous offer. I think an LE for my favorite group of guys will be a favorite brush. Count me in! Thank you.

 

Awesome idea.

 

That is an extremely generous suggestion, Jason. And I suspect the most practical approach would be a single TSD 30 Day Crew LE brush handle design suitably lettered by you and then with each person installing their own preferred knot. Otherwise, good luck on getting a group agreement on a material type, size and loft (and make) of knot. Herding cats would probably be easier.

 

Great suggestion. I would be happy with a handle only.

 

@wchnu

http://theshaveden.com/forums/index.php?posts/1084824

 

Yippee, I'm going home in the morning. The shave will be at 3:45am, so my blade is all stropoed and ready to go. Gotta love my Drygulch travel strop
Good night guys.

 

No question it would be easier. I just thought if we made a group purchase from somewhere like APShave Co or TGN that had multiple knots and I put the knots in, it would cut down on folks shipping costs. Especially since I'll be shipping from Canada. The knots are so light that they wouldn't add a cost to the package I would think.
I am perfectly fine with just making the handles and shipping them.

 

April 7 (Friday night ) - creams and Gem SE razors again

Gem Featherweight / Gem PTFE ( 1)
Alluminati Envy White brush
La Toja shaving cream
Alum and Thayers Witch Hazel Aftershave

Today I received a package from Brian @mrchick that contained not only the vicious Japanese Stick Razor of Doom but also a Gem MMOC and Featherweight. Naturally, I have to try the Gem razors as soon as possible. So I did an evening shave with the Featherweight and I will do my normal shave tomorrow with the MMOC instead of my Schick Krona as planned.

My next cream up was La Toja. I will repeat with it tomorrow because I am trying to decide what I think of it. The cream is made with mineral salts from the hot springs at La Toja, Spain. It builds a thick lather quickly and seems to provide decent cushion and glide. The scent is mild and sort of like bath salts. The post shave feel seemed more or less neutral; I didn't notice any particular dryness or tautness such as one gets after bathing in hot springs. I suspect I would have to use the cream for a couple weeks of daily shaves to see if in fact it had any of the skin cleansing health benefits claimed for it. Anyway, I will try repeating with it tomorrow to see if that gives me a better idea of what it is like.

The Gem Featherweight was easier to assess. It's a light and handy version of the Gem SE. It was easy for me to use and I quickly got an excellent shave from it. I would peg it as milder than the 1912s. I was able to do both my usual diagonal passes and a complete ATG pass with it on my first use of it. The result was a DFS+ with no irritation. In short, a nice little razor.

 

SOTD 2:



-Lutters Co. 5/8"
-Simpson Duke 3 Synthetic
-Stirling Electric Sheep
-Stirling Gin and Tonic

I know I am kind of an obsessive, but I spent half the day half bothered about the edge being messed up on that razor. So when I got home I ran the blade over a quick progression of 5,3 and 1 micron film. I wanted to see how it would do compared to hones. The only way to tell is to shave with it, and luckily for me I am something of a gorilla, and pretty much always need another shave.

The film worked great, and tuned that edge right back up to where it had been. I am very pleased with the results, and it is nice to know that the film is such a functional option. Anyone looking to get into the straight game but is worried about the expense of hones can definitely keep this in the back of their mind as an option.

 

That's true too. Come to think of it, isn't APShave Co the one that does the tuxedo knots and isn't it in Canada too?
The truth is, of course, that as the craftsman involved, you are in the driver's seat on these decisions - the rest of us are basically the peanut gallery.

 

OK, I don't want to send this thread too far off the rails, but with all this handle talk, I thought @jtspartan or one of the guys here could answer a question for me. The pic below is a handle my Dad turned for me from spalted maple. He did it on a lark at my request, and is going to make a second, taller one out of amboyna burl. Although it has no coating on it and Dad says it should be fine because of the high level of buffing. I don't want to risk damaging a keepsake by not coating it, and I don't want to risk ruining it by having it done wrong. Any advice from anyone who knows more than me?

 

Three more brave souls have joined. PM cmorris357 if you want the last slot.

 

I think we would all be willing to set our own. This is a pretty cool thing you are doing. I hope you know we are all just hacking on you about it, and didn't expect you to feel obligated do it at all, let alone for nothing.

 

I agree!

 

Sorry, I kind of rambled there. My question was "does it need some sort of coating on it to protect it from water, and if so does anyone have any suggestions on this?" Thanks.

 

I don't have an answer to that question, but it sure is a beautiful handle.

 

I know that, Jared. If I didn't want to do, I wouldn't do it. The 'doing it for nothing' part is not me trying to be a martyr, but more based on past precedent. I have made quite a bit of furniture or other wood items over the years as a hobbyist. Over the rare times when I have agreed to take on a project for someone else that had a $ value, or a trade value or a fixed timeline, my enjoyment went down exponentially. If I can make some handles over the next several weeks, and people are happy with them, that is great.
Without sounding too sappy, the time I have spent on TSD in general, and this thread in particular, has been very rewarding and often a highlight in my day. I have seen lots of other members do very generous things, and this really isn't costing me much as I've had that board of nice maple for so long I don't even know what I paid for it, and have all the other equipment already (save for the punch set- a massive commitment of $18 Canadian on Amazon).
BTW- At this point, it looks like most people want to put in their own knots.