NOvember Focus

MW Sandalwood Rose~~Morris & Forndran 2XL~~1947 Gillette Super-Speed~~Feather SS
Woke up to 18º. Normally, I might choose a vetiver, or bay rum soap. But NOOOOOOOOOOO!
We have a focus to follow.
Still working the Mystic Water. It's like the Energizer Bunny...
I was ultra-cautious with the M&F brush loading this morning. I don't want a repeat of the Semogue incident.
(THAT would be a great name for a movie: The Semogue Incident) Sounds like a Robert Ludlum thriller.
The 2XL handle, while truly beautiful, is still a tad small for my liking. Nonetheless, it applied a terrific
coating of Mystic Water creaminess for three delightful passes.
I am astounded that the Feather SS blade is still going strong. Normally, it's 4 and out for these, but here's my theory:
Since I have beed using a much shallower angle and really slicing, rather than scraping, there may be less
wear and tear to the blade itself, ergo, the edge stays sharper longer.
For those dedicated enough to my ramblings to read this far, I would welcome comments on my theory.
Finished with the Thayer's and, because the DRH Pink is no longer, I chose the bottle of Myrsol Emulsion.​

Great stories of Dads and Grandads, guys! In shaving news, I broke out the 26mm lemon drop Paladin for its first run and was not disappointed. I used a 5/8 Dovo which was a bit more harsh than the Japanese 5/8 I used yesterday. Still a good shave, just not nearly as smooth as yesterday and a bit of tingling from the alum when it was completely silent yesterday. Unlike DE shaves, the difference between smoother and harsher was not angle or technique, but is the finish of the blade. Also, unlike DE, this totally falls on my inexperience in getting the blade edge finished in a way that I prefer. I've got a lot to learn there. The rabbit hole continues...

cool pic, nice razor ,used my ss today for the second time. mine is the last of them ,3rd quarter 1954..like your "ramblings."..,haven t used feather blades ,but my blades last longer since i started riding the cap more..

I had to look that phrase up. New to me, but the concept is understood.

Seven point seven billion people world wide. Takes a lot of kibble to keep them all fed. Humans being at the top of the food chain ought not endanger orangutans, but here we are. I can accept that the human animal is part of nature so every thing we do is "natural". Being part time in charge of two 7 year olds and a 3 year old has reminded me that people can and do hurt themselves through lack of understanding or the ability to project future consequences of present actions.

I can't see myself becoming a Level Five Vegan but I accept that others make choices based on ethics rather than which products are placed at eye to elbow level on the grocery store shelf. As a species Humans are growing up and our present Age of Information is transforming us just as stone, bronze, & iron ages did. Hopefully we won't choke on that dummy before we grow up.

Rockwell 6C
WSP Shaving Cream -Shoutout on this cream. Quality product.
Astra Blade
Synthetic Brush
Bay Rum AS

Excellent shot Rick!

Great work, John!

Beautiful blade, Keith!

Excellent shot Perry! I grated my WTP soap and pressed it into a nice roomy 4" tin, a little bit of heat from my wife's hair drier and that label was easily transplanted at well!

Fantastic shave, Clint!

Great photo, Gary!

Beautiful shot Jim! Your getting some good mileage out of that blade!

Thats is a great story and some amazing family photos, Charlie!

Excellent setup, Brian!

Beautiful brush Joseph! everyone know the last 1/3 of any soap product lasts the longest. I would agree that using the shallowest angle possible extends blade life. I believe that this has been postulated by @Bama Samurai as well

You're speaking like a true Sith Lord now, Randy!

November 14, 2018- NOthing But Techs, Remembrance Week

Razor: Gillette Contract Tech
Blade: 7 o'Clock Permasharp Stainless (3)
Brush: VdH Boar
Soap: Williams
Post: Alum, Listerine, WH

After shaving with both Canadian and British military Tech razors, I turn my attention to the first of US Techs which were unique to WWII military production- the Contract Tech with "transitional" baseplate.


I call this a "transitional" baseplate because it has the basic geometry of a pre-War Tech but has oval slots like a later post-War Tech. This baseplate bears an 'S' stamping whose meaning I have not been able to determine. It has been speculated that it may indicate a part which was produced by a subcontractor. Achim's site has an example of a pre-War-style baseplate with the same stamping, so it is not exclusive to this baseplate style.

The handle and cap appear to be made of the same mystery metal (probably Zinc) as the bare CT handle which I used earlier in the month. The baseplate appears to be thinner than on a non-wartime razor but is not attracted by a magnet.

The razor and case in this set were separate purchases. Achim's site shows a set with this pairing, so I'll take it as "correct", particularly given the mix-and-match nature of heads, handles, and cases which appear during this era.

As for the shave... the razor is a bit light compared to, say, a post-War with ball handle, but nowhere near as light as the post-War British Aluminium Tech I used last week. Oddly, this is probably the noisiest Tech that I've ever used, probably because of the thinner baseplate and the overall amount of blade support. Bottom line: another great shave with no issues.

Next up: the US Bakelite Tech

Cool bottle Pete! What brand of AS is that?

NOvember 14th
Schick E2 w Personna
JeevesOHS Key Lime SS
VieLong Horse/Vintage Rubberset
Thayers
Elvado Lime/Mint ASB

Next up for No Repeat November is the E2 with this software combo. Just realized after uploading it, that this pic is lousy as it blocks off the ASB label. Not sure what I was thinking. Anyway, this is my last brush up in the rotation before I start anew again tomorrow.
Whipped up the usual nice Jeeves lather. This brush does the job, but I don't necessarily enjoy the extra care I have to take with it- basically the need to not use circular strokes with a horse. First world problems, I suppose.
Went with a full 3 pass shave today and am completely smooth minus a small patch on the lower right part of my neck. I think this blade is near the end of its run, which makes sense as I think I had it in for the full 6 shave week I used this razor for in September.
Have a great day all!

The container is a vintage Avon bottle. I make my own Bay Rum Aftershave.

Excellent setup John! Ive see almost every variation of Tech go though the shop but I never really bothered to learn much about them. You are proving a great education!

Thank you, Andrew!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Great shot, Jason! Key Lime sounds like a great scent!

A random thought occurred to me last evening... I wonder how many mirrors from Khaki Sets lie beneath the trenches of France?

Thank you, Perry. I appreciate the kind words.

You were a very handsome young man, Gary. I was born in '61, and my sister was born in '65. Did you notice our '63 Ford Fairlane sitting in the yard? We had used cars, except for one. My mom drove the Fairlane until she got her '67 Chevy Camaro in '70 and then a brand new Chevy Nova in '79. The Nova made it until '04, believe it or not, and my sister and I got my Mom a new Ford Taurus with fancy wheels and a moon roof. She drove it until she gave up her keys. Great memories.

BTW, I kept the hairdo all the way into college. As you can see from the expression, I picked up the teenager attitude along the way. And a big thanks to my dear sister for snapping a photo of me "studying" during my college days.

Thanks Andrew. Family photos always bring back good memories. I had fun choosing which ones to post. You can never take too many photos of family. And of course, it's Wednesday, so I wanted to be the first to post a kid photo.

13/11/18

Razor: Gillette Black Tip
Blade: Gillette 7 O'clock Super Platinum
Brush: @jimjo1031, JJ-8 U.S.M.C. w/LS (MS) 2 Band Finest
Soap: Teeves Soap Private Study
A/S: Myrsol F/Extra
Bowl: @twhite 3-D printer bowl

That's awesome charlie! Congrats on the weight loss! Your attitude is really the best one to have when attempting to lose weight as we all fall off wagon sometimes but getting back on is what's important. Plus beating yourself up will only increase your stress. Everyone needs a cheat day every now and then.

Razor: Blackland Vestor
Blade: Feather Professional
Brush: @jimjo1031, JJ-8 U.S.M.C. w/LS (MS) 2 Band Finest
Soap: Teeves Soap Private Study
A/S: Myrsol F/Extra

First shave with the Vestor. Excellent razor with a great handle.

A pair of beautiful snowy shots, Doug!

Andrew.