Hi everyone!

It's May and for most of us the flowers are starting to bloom and the leaves are falling down under. Last month, everyone had great shaves with few mishaps. Of course, I have to say some of my shaves missed the mark so I get last month's booby prize. Lol!
In any event, I want to thank you all for posting your shaves this month. I can safely say that we saw some soaps that most of us never saw before. Let's get down to business and let me suggest this month's themes

Monthly Themes

The first is Menthol May. It is self-explanatory. Just get out your shave soaps and aftershaves that contain menthol. I think this is an appropriate theme for those shavers that live North of the equator because the weather is getting warmer.

The second suggestion would be Merkur/Mühle/Ming Shi May. Yes, it's self-explanatory as well. It's time to bring out those razors and blades by these companies from your shave den. As a side note, Dovo is part of Merkur so if you have any Dovo items, then they will fulfill the monthly theme of the three M's.

The third suggestion would be Maximum May. If any one has an adjustable razor, than shave on its max setting. If you have never done so, then it's like killing two bird with one stone. You would be doing this suggested theme and a reasonably safe May Mayhem stunt. However, it may not be safe, but only you can decide. Lol!

The fourth suggestion is Mix It Up May. This is when you pair your gear to other items that you wouldn't normally do. For instance, shave with one soap and use an unmatchable aftershave that may or may not complement a soap's scent. Maybe, use a more aggressive blade in a different razor. Finally,, the old standby of Mayhem May. This is where you're creative in shaving with abandonment and danger. Years ago,, a member taped and/or glued a blade to a popsicle stick and shaved with it. Someone else used hot pepper sauce to shave there stubble. I would not dare anyone to go that far, but if you do decide to go crazy, please be safe because I don't want anyone injured..
Of course, these themes are only suggestions. It's your shave and you can do whatever you want.

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.

The Focus

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

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 some awesome May shaves and fellowship.

Sincerely,

Joe (Trigger)

great intro as usual Joe.

i will do a Mix it up May,,got lots of missmatched stuff,maybe a Mylord mini focus..cheers..

1st May 2025.



​

Shaving Recipe for today.

Prep: Warm shower:/Cien Men Kenya Shower Gel.

Pre:
Cold wet flannel to my face.
Pears Transparent bar Soap.
Brush: Wilkinson Sword Synthetic.
Bowl Lather.
Bowl: Tesco's Ceramic 'Cosmo' Side Bowl.
Lather: Real Shaving Company Age Defence Traditional Shave Cream.
Blade: Gillette Wilkinson Sword. (D2)
Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic.

Post:
Cold Water Face Rinse./Cold water face wash with brush squeezing's, /Alum Rub./Cold Water Rinse./Homemade (~Spring/Summer mix~) Lemon, Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Essential Oils.5 Menthol Crystals Mixed Together With Care+Witch Hazel./Cien Men Aqua ASL. + Sensitive ASB.

Greetings,

Early morning shave.

A close comfortable 2 pass + pick ups silky smooth shave with no errors to report.

A smooth acceptable close shave to start the month off wonderfully.

Finishing the shave off with a few small dollops of Cien Men Sensitive ASB.

My face is feeling smooth, & smelling divine.

Keep safe, and enjoy your day ladies & gentlemen.

awesome start to the month Barry.

Thank you Gary.

I see you got some menthol in there for Menthol May. Great start!

Great intro as usual, Joe. And some good themes besides the Cinco de Mayo bloodbath...

I suspect I will be doing Mediocre May. With my wrist in a cast I have tended to let my beard grow until it starts to annoy me. Then I slowly shave it -- and then start the process over again. The cast stays on at least until mid-May, so I expect I will continue to shirk regular shaving for most of this month.

Sounds like a wonderful idea. Take it easy John, at least when you shave you can savour the moment, instead of just shaving for the sake of doing so. That's one of the reasons why I only shave 4 times a week, even though I should & could shave every day, but I like to give my face/head a rest, because I find it's beneficial to my skin, but the main reason is the enjoyment I get from doing so. Yours-Barry.

Thanks Gary.

It sounds great!

Awesome start Barry!

Thank you Joe.

Thanks John. I completely understand. The main thing is that you completely heal.

Wow, April went fast
Another great intro Joe
Let's see what May brings, mainly a mix and match for me I think

Great start to the Month of May Barry

Speedy recovery John, looking forward to your contributions again

01 May 2025

1 Days growth

Hot Water Prep and Preshave = Palmolive Shave cream
Soap = Stirling Bergamot and Lavender
Brush = Omega 10049
Bowl = White
Razor = No 15 Set
Blade = Henckels day 4, still good
Passes = 2 +
Post = Usual CWR, Alum, rinse, pat dry, Thayer’s rose petal. L’Occitane ASB
ASL = Clubman Pinaud
Scent = Stirling Spice EdT

Super clean no damage shave to start off the month of May

Think my May will just be a Mish Mash, with a few other M’s thrown in along the way.
Need to get back to some variety as soon as this Bergamot and Lavender is sunk

Thank you Chris.

Mostly Mish Mash May, sounds good to me Chris. Mish Mash May?...Have I created my first Shave Den shaving tongue twister!

Marvelous May start Chtis!