March 2017 30 Day Rule/Focus Pix & Discussion

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March Madness/Spring Cleaning!!!!! Compare, compete, give it away!! Or, just improve your technique one shave at a time! You know how easy we are here.

Welcome back or welcome for the first time!! Wondering what the heck a 30 Day Rule or Focus is? Well, let’s let the one, the only, the legendary and mystical @Bama Samurai remind us. Please rise and remove your hats and hold your favorite razor aloft in tribute. We’ll pause for a moment of revered silence.

The 30 Day Rule (designed to build solid technique or learn new technique)

1 brush, 1 soap, 1 brand of blades, 1 razor, 30 Days. The rule is really that simple. It seems boring, but this is probably the most straightforward way to learn for a brand new shaver. This is the exercise that really allowed me to clearly see the interplay between the four elements. It is highly recommended for newly converted shavers and more experienced shavers who have a problem that defies resolution. This exercise eliminates variables and will likely solve any problem you may have, with a strict scientific approach.Any thing that strays from these simple guidelines is not a rule, but rather a focus (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

The 30 Day Focus (more flexible, for exploring and comparing)

This is a less rigorous exercise, designed for exploration and comparison of gear and technique. This is the most common exercise on the thread. Generally the elements are rotated one by one to allow clear observation. Examples of focus areas include brush types, blades, soaps, razor variants, or technique foci as a standalone.

These are the suggested guidelines, and serve as a starting point for the discussion each month. Any thematic elements are up to each individual. We believe that if you've ever sought a great shave, you have something to offer. And if you're searching for great shaves, we will definitely try to help. If you are new to TSD, I believe you've landed in a great place. Everyone here participating would love to answer your questions and help you get the most from your shaving. We are very glad you're here! So, if you're new, stop in for a cookie and meet the crew. The cookie of the month is Irish Short Bread!! Rules are the same people.

1. New Members always welcome. Start anytime.
2. Old Members always welcome. (Don’t like being considered “old”? Too bad, I know your birthdate.)
3. Respect everyone
4. Follow the rules of the forum
5. All razor types and styles welcome
6. Criticize Russian blades, especially Voskhod, at your own peril. The Cartel is listening. And we have spies everywhere. They’re usually passed out drunk, but we get lucky occasionally.
7. Don't think we don't hear when you badmouth Rapira either. We're vodka loving wannabe Russians, not blithering idiots. Well, ok so sometimes.....and Ivan.....well you get the idea.
8. You might consider taking it easy on Feathers as well. The Yakuza boys are pretty protective as well, though their leader has been converted by the Russians it seems. Score one for the Motherland!


Let's have some great shaves people! March Madness!!! Group hug people!

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In again. Hopefully with better focus this go-around. January was laser-focused. February went off the rails pretty quickly. I am going to attempt a bracket to keep me on point this go-around.

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I'm in. I'll figure out what I'm going to do before the first. Thanks for running this Neal.

 

Brackets can be a fun and productive way of making some good comparisons and figuring out what's best. Worked for me back in 2015 on blades at the time. Should be a fun month!

 

Well the money is just too good to pass up. Oh, wait.....nobody is supposed to know this is a multi-million dollar job. Never mind!

 

I'm going to try something very difficult for me.......... fidelity to the same shaving set up. For 3 to 4 days in a row I will try to use the same brush, brand of soap and razor. Then I will break it up with a free shave then back to a few days of fidelity. Not sure I can make but I'll give it a try.

Today I did a behind the scenes double secret post bye PIF.... and received one in turn.

 

I hope HR told you about the claw back options in your contract

 

I'm in. I have never done much with my Gem-style SE razors -- a grand total of three shaves with them so far. I have a bunch of them in my collection with two set up in my razor rotation. I am going to focus on them for a bit to see how I really like them, with occasional injector or DE shaves tossed in for comparison and contrast. By the end of March, I will either like them or I will have some razors and blades to sell or PIF.

Otherwise I did my spring cleaning PIF a couple weeks early when I shipped my Fendrihan Scientist off last week.

 

I am in again this month. Continuing the Razor, Soap and Brush a Week plan through March.

 

GEM-style razors are so much fun. Definitely got their own thing going.

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Okay, so the lineups are in, the scorebooks are printed, and playing cards are ready for distribution. Week 1 will kick it off with 2 Band competition. Week 2 will be synthetics, week 3 is 3 band, and week 4 will be boars with a horse exhibition closer.

The Brushoff starts tomorrow.

 

I am in. I will still be on a quest for the perfect blade for my Merkur 34C HD but shaving was going too well so I will be mixing things up a bit. One razor is too easy to focus on so I will be doing at least two razors. I have a Fendrihan Scientist being PIFed to me from John (Screwtape) that I will be working into the mix and determining a blade for. I might also bring my Fatboy or Slim into the mix for a middle of the road razor.

So a 3 razor month with various blades!!

 

I'm in again,. My goal by month end is to do an entire pass with my Gillette 65 Slim. Along that line would be to figure out the best blade for me(from the many that have been PIFed-thanks fellas). I hope I can come close to my first trashing of a soap(due to little left, not because I don't like it). I do need to secure some space in my little den.

 

I'll be back this month and will go along with some madness by not repeating a set up (at least to the best of my ability) for the month. So my focus will be no focus.

 

Glad you are going to stick with it. It just takes a little persistence. And focus.

When it comes to the razor, go Nike on it:



If you have to fix it up with the Deuce, have at it.

And getting your soap loaded?

 

You need an @Primotenore shave randomizer.

 

These are great words of wisdom, Jared! Thanks.

 

I've secured 21 samples from the Soap Pass-around Volume II -2017 and I'm not quite sent it off to the next recipient. I like the idea of a non-repeating Focus. Each shave will be with a different soap. Brushes, razors, blades, & aftershaves will be as the whim strikes.

Since the first of the year I've made several trades. For the most part I sent hardware, received software. Still have a couple brushes and razors that I just don't use. I can see a PIF and/or WTS happening.

 

Better hurry with the figurin'

 

I have it (I am the originator of it ).