Quest for less technology

[blethenstrom]

Evening shave - 4/23/24
Razor: Merkur 41C
Blade: Derby Premium (1)
Soap: BSS #1
Brush: RazoRock Hive 24
Aftershave: Skin Bracer
Rating: 9/10, DFS
Very comfortable razor and shave, but the closeness of shave seems to be a challenge with it. It leaves short stubble left here and there and there seems to be an especially challenging area along the jawline. Anyways still very serviceable shave.

I had the same struggle with this razor in last night's shave as I had the previous evening. It seems to take a lot of work to get anywhere. I dare say that it is even milder than the RR "Old Type" razor. No matter how much I buff and polish I still get straggler stubble whiskers left. I was playing around a bit with the angles, but I am not sure it made much of a difference. It looks like a negative exposure razor so the sweet spot angle is narrow. Maybe I have not found it yet. Hopefully I can. The good part is that you can make multiple cleanup and polishing passes without much fear of irritation. Does not seem to cause any issues like that so that is good.

I finally unpacked my suitcase from out cruise last night. Yep I have been too lazy in the evenings so far to have made it happen. It made me think about all the stuff I brought with me that I did not use. Like always it seems like I pack way too much clothes and things that I really never use on my trips. I bring books that I intend to read and a bunch of just incase items. Am I alone in this? I need to think a bit more about what to pack on trips so I can streamline what to bring with me. The funny thing is that my dear wife used a 24" suitcase and I used the large 26" one. She obviously planned it out much better than me.

Especially going on a Caribbean cruise you live in shorts/swim trunks and a shirt/t-shirt all day. Those do not take much room in your luggage. Besides Disney cruises are very relaxed on dress codes for dinner as well so no real reason to pack a bunch of "fancy clothes" either. The Alaskan cruise next year in August might be a bit different though. It will still a bit chilly in Alaska and potentially rainy, whereas here in NC it is like a sauna. I can see that one requiring a bit more varied clothing alternatives.

Happy shaves everyone!

 

[Jay21]

I may need to try Derby Premiums at some point. But I have enough blades for 10 years or so.

 

[blethenstrom]

I may need to try Derby Premiums at some point. But I have enough blades for 10 years or so.

They are great blades. Very consistent performance.

 

[cajunrph]

It made me think about all the stuff I brought with me that I did not use. Like always it seems like I pack way too much clothes and things that I really never use on my trips. I bring books that I intend to read and a bunch of just incase items. Am I alone in this? I need to think a bit more about what to pack on trips so I can streamline what to bring with me. The funny thing is that my dear wife used a 24" suitcase and I used the large 26" one. She obviously planned it out much better than me.

My lovely bride and I are the opposite, I can pack for a trip in my Aerostitch Courier bag, and for a weekend trip I can pack in just a reusable shopping bag, my lovely wife will pack the vehicle up for just a two to three-day visit to the grandkids in Houston. I often remind her of the miraculous feat she performed on our trip to Sturgis, 10 days and 4500 miles, for our belongings on the trip we each had a saddle bag and half of the tail bag, to which I succeeded 75% of it to her. Her response are those days are long gone. Ohh well, what ya gonna do? Love them, that's what ya gonna do.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Our last trip to Bali was fun... we checked two suitcases and had two carry-ons... We have never succeeded in packing light... but this time, the suitcases were way below the allowed weight... Only 3 weeks to survive... Our middle trip was for 7 weeks... That was a struggle.... even though we knew we'd be getting laundry done. The laundry services there use very aggressive detergents and all the clothes fade. We took stuff we didn't care about that much.

This last time, we washed our own clothes with baby detergent.. hand washed in the shower. LOL

 

[huck1680]

That's funny because until I met my bride I was the one to pack everything...just in case I was invited to a royal reception for example...in Vegas. My wife taught me how to minimize and pack smartly. That was a relief. Went to Hawaii for 2 weeks and all I had was a carryon.

 

[blethenstrom]

That's funny because until I met my bride I was the one to pack everything...just in case I was invited to a royal reception for example...in Vegas. My wife taught me how to minimize and pack smartly. That was a relief. Went to Hawaii for 2 weeks and all I had was a carryon.

Yeah I need to take some pointers from my dear wife as well.

 

[Guido75]

the closeness of shave seems to be a challenge with it. It leaves short stubble left here and there and there seems to be an especially challenging area along the jawline.

I am going to be Captain Obvious here, but I think you need a sharper blade in this one…You could always give a GSB a go

In all seriousness I would check a Gillette blade or a Dorco rather than a Derby (which admittedly I have never tried myself - that I remember).

 

[blethenstrom]

I am going to be Captain Obvious here, but I think you need a sharper blade in this one…You could always give a GSB a go

In all seriousness I would check a Gillette blade or a Dorco rather than a Derby (which admittedly I have never tried myself - that I remember).

The Derby Premium is IMHO every bit as sharp as any of the Dorcos, besides that would mean open a tuck and have an opened loose tuck I cannot do that it goes against every fiber of my body! I certainly will not try a GSB in it! . It would give @lasta way too much pleasure. I think what I need to do is to revisit this razor when I am rotating in the Feather and/or the BIC CP. I have a tuck of each that will come into play.

 

[Pinto90]

but I think you need a sharper blade in this one…You could always give a GSB a go

Has he really not tried a GSB blade yet???!!

We should convince him to do so soon!
As soon as I get my hundred or two hundred pieces of GSB and send him some.

 

[Guido75]

Has he really not tried a GSB blade yet???!!

We should convince him to do so soon!
As soon as I get my hundred or two hundred pieces of GSB and send him some.

Ehh…no we don’t! Boris and I am members of HAG - Heratics Against GSB. Although I would describe us as quite friendly.

 

[blethenstrom]

Ehh…no we don’t! Boris and I am members of HAG - Heratics Against GSB. Although I would describe us as quite friendly.

We need plural on that acronym though, HAGS - Heretics Against GSB Society. Yes we are quite friendly and we do not partake in the horrible cult ceremonies that @lasta puts his groveling followers through.

 

[blethenstrom]

Has he really not tried a GSB blade yet???!!

We should convince him to do so soon!
As soon as I get my hundred or two hundred pieces of GSB and send him some.

Nope I have not tried GSB yet and probably will not. I have personal convictions regarding P&G (current owner of Gillette) and also things being manufactured in certain countries. Now I do have some P&G blades and razors that I will keep and use, but I will not buy any further. Now vintage razors is a different story though.

Now me bantering with @lasta and the other cultists is just friendly normal B&B stuff. No hard feelings......

 

[Phoenixkh]

@Balin / Andrew included a tuck of GSBs... so I have no excuse not to try one. I'll get around to it eventually, I'm sure.... At the moment, I'm thinking of doing a blind test with Nacets and Perma-Sharps with @T Bone on his journal with some of the regs there.

I do have those Vintage razors all showing up in a few days... I could include those as well in the blind testing, if I can get my wife to actually do the loading... I'm going to use my two Athenas initially.... to take the razor out of the equation, but it might be fun to use the Vintage razors with those two blades... and have her throw in a GSB as a surprise. She knows how to load blades if I take off the wax spots.

Food for thought.

 

[Jay21]

The older double-wrapped GSBs are cult-worthy. The single-wrapped ones are still very good, but nothing that leads us down the path of membership dues, hazing new recruits, and otherwise descending down the path of the lord of the flies.

 

[thombrogan]

Boris and I am members of HAG

 

[T Bone]

At the moment, I'm thinking of doing a blind test with Nacets and Perma-Sharps with @T Bone on his journal with some of the regs there.

I do have those Vintage razors all showing up in a few days... I could include those as well in the blind testing, if I can get my wife to actually do the loading... I'm going to use my two Athenas initially.... to take the razor out of the equation, but it might be fun to use the Vintage razors with those two blades... and have her throw in a GSB as a surprise. She knows how to load blades if I take off the wax spots.

You have 3 Athenas... You can do a 3-way blind challenge, Nacet vs. Perma-Sharp vs. GSB!

 

[huck1680]

You can do a 3-way blind challenge, Nacet vs. Perma-Sharp vs. GSB!

Please not blind. You need to see what you're doing...mostly.

 

[blethenstrom]

Please not blind. You need to see what you're doing...mostly.

I know how you do a blind test........you have some blades you want to test. Take them out of the tuck put them in a bowl. Blind fold yourself and pull a blade out of the bowl. Unwrap it and load it in the razor.....easy...then you can take off your blindfold. Now I do admit that this way has it's risks, but.......

 

[cajunrph]

I know how you do a blind test........you have some blades you want to test. Take them out of the tuck put them in a bowl. Blind fold yourself and pull a blade out of the bowl. Unwrap it and load it in the razor.....easy...then you can take off your blindfold. Now I do admit that this way has it's risks, but.......

A few risk.