30 Day Rule/Focus; January 2025. All Are Welcome.

Hello Everyone! It's our 10th Anniversary!

It's amazing that this thread is still going forth! I want to thank the past and present members that made it possible to share the knowledge of wetshaving. I am glad and honored to continue with this thread as I have been at the helm these past 3 years. Thank you all that made this thread possible.

We have had a wonderful 2024 on this thread because you guys were consistent with your posts and shaves. Without you, this thread would not exist. Therefore, I appreciate all of you. My wish is for you guys to have a blessed, prosperous and healthy 2025.
Ok, let's move forward. Please forgive me, but the following is a repeat from one of my January introductions. So here it is:

We usually don't have a main theme for January, however, I do have a few suggestions.
Jumble January is a possibility. For you safety razor shavers, you can switch handles. You may find that the different feel of a non-standard handle may give you a more enjoyable experience. It also may change the anesthetics of the razor. You may decide to mix and match aftershaves and soaps that may not normally be considered to complement one another.

Of course, Just Shave Whatever You Like January is always on the table. It's pretty simple. You can do a rule, focus or be jiggy wiggy in your setups. That's for you to decide. I was also thinking of Edwin Jagger January, but I don't think there are many of you that own an Edwin Jagger, but if you do, then go for it even for a couple of shaves.

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 great shaves and fellowship in January!

Sincerely,

Joe (Trigger)

 

Nice intro to start 2025 and the 30DC's 10th year!

I may make this a Jeeves January - I have 2 of his other soap/splash sets in addition to the Key Lime as well as one bottle of splash only. Haven't quite decided yet. Maybe a Gillette January too?

 

Can't wait to jump in. 10 years of the 30DC. It's a banner year!

I like the way @Screwtape thinks. My plan for the month is what I'm calling G(J)illette January. I will be using a total of 15 vintage Gillette razors and only using blades made by Gillette for the month. Fourteen of the razors are pictured below. The final one should be arriving early next week. I finally found my Blue Tip Super Speed and it's in as good of shape or better than the red tip! Not sure how I'll split the shaves up each day but I'll figure it out.

Soaps and brushes for the month will be just whatever I feel like for the day. Lots of Stirling and plenty of brushes to rotate through, including the @Jayaruh JR#456 which should be arriving in a couple of days.

​

 

Great themes for January guys! Also, thank you John for the kind words.

 

Jillette January for me..,and yes they all have cases..

 

Excellent introduction to 2025 Joe. Happy New Year to all of our 30DC members and their families.

 

Awesome! HNY Gary.

 

Awesome plan John. HNY!

 

Outstanding set up for the month Neil. HNY!

 

Well now, if that isn't a great collection I don't know what is! Nice!. We never did that New Deluxe shave day we talked about. Let me know which day you want to do that on and we'll get it done!

 

Looks to me like you will either have to shave twice a day or else do both Jillette January and Followup February. Otherwise, half of your cased Gillette razors will be left out and made to feel rejected, inferior and alone... A depressed and suicidal safety razor is a terrible thing.

NB: That collection does give a striking visual reminder to just how long Gillette was a dominant force in the shaving world, doesn't it?

It's also a stunning testament to the environmental wastefulness of our modern society. All of those razors are still perfectly functional after decades or even a century or more of use, and during all those years, the only thing discarded while using them were small slivers of recyclable steel (and the equally recyclable paper wrappers). When contrasted to the amount of plastic generated in the landfills worldwide by modern cartridge razors, the result is truly sickening. (And come to think of it, most of the BLAME for all of that waste can also be laid squarely at Gillette's corporate feet, because it invented and marketed almost all of those ever-larger plastic abominations....)

 

Tthank you.HNY

 

yes sirthere are a couple of them i've traded out,but most are intact.i only have one travel tech with the 2 piece handle now...
...and to think,this small collection a a drop in the ocean of how many were really made during that lifetime..millions of brass gillette razors with their cases lie in landfills everywhere...

 

Thank you so much.will do.Happy New Year.

 

-The-Midweek-Shave-
no.44 thin handle tech
tuxedo
aos
beckham



good morning gents
new years shave
lovely aos lather,
smooth 2 passer with the brit flat bottom tech,minor pick ups
thayers,and beckham edt to finish
awesome
have a fine New Year's day everone
​

 

Hi guys-Happy New Year. I signed on to my computer with what I thought waa my password, but was not, so I was without a computer to work withZ for a couple days. Now, it just came back to me. Very weird, that thing inside the top of my head(brain). Course it could be another "Senior Moment". Anyway, good to be back , for the fun, friendship, shaving commentary, and, yes, shenanigans! And right before Throwback Thursday, too. Today, I closed ou(until next time)the

prep-Dove 4 Men Bodywash(Refreshing)in shower
shave-Stoylin Oro Valley
brush-Boar(Green Hndle, white knot)
razor-Gillette Sensor Deuce Pivot DisposeABLE
A.S>-Clubman Spexial Reserve

Very pleased overall. No damage. It's quite challenging to shave while dealing with a head/chst cold, as I have for the last few days. All that "looking down" you have to do. Course when you don't have a cold, looking down is normal. But I got through it OK. 2 passes. Super Duper Outstanding.

 

fine new years shave Paul.maybe we'll see some pics this year perhaps?

 

Thanks Joe.

 

I agree John.

 

Great start to the new year Gary