What's new

December 2022 Gentlemanly Restraint Until Month End (GRUME)

Still in - head & face today

DFS+
Green Cult 1.0, Gillette Stainless (5 & retired), TOBS Tobacco Leaf, Shavemac Synth Bulb in Beachcomber resin, Tuncer No. 2 AS

Shavemac’s fibres are definitely different to Mühle‘s, more scrub, more backbone but not springy. Facefeel is good it’s just a touch harder to splay compared to a badger.

Overall I’m very happy with the purchase.

1EDAE162-00DC-4CBB-B8D7-92C2A878DF4B.jpeg


7B6670F6-A9FD-4B84-BC1C-57AD5BFC9822.jpeg
 

Date
26.12.2022
365 days of shaving363/359
(100%)
GRUME December25/30 (97%)
Discovery Blade AdventureBolzano 3/3
Timor 3/3
Eddison 2/3

Passes3
WXTG
first pass cheeks: CB Curve (NW-SE curving midway to NE-SW)
second pass cheeks: Gillette Slide (NW-SE)

first pass neck: Gillette Slant (NE-SW)
second pass neck: Gillette Slant (S-N)
ATG
Straight & Slanted
(SW-NE | cheeks)
(SW-NE | neck)

Razor
Blade
Brush
Mühle R41Timor (1)Simpson T3
Pre-shave
Soap & Bowl
Post-shave
Cold splash
Proraso Green pre-shave
Haslinger Sandelholz
Face lathered
Cold splash
Proraso Green (AS)
Proraso Green (Balm)

Efficiency
Quality
9/10 (~20 minutes)7/10 (nick on the jaw line)
EffectivenessComfort
6/10 (DFS-)
6/10 (Tuggy)

Notes to today’s shave:

Medium shave or perhaps mediocre shave is a better term. This blade and I are no match - at least not in the first run anyway. Rich and tuggy from the first stroke so I did light WXTG and very shallow / light touch ATG (and not in all areas).

Sufficient for today and sub par compared to other days. That’s what’s great about this Discovery Challenge: find out about blades and find out your own version of YMMV.

Enjoy your shave today!
 

Date
26.12.2022
365 days of shaving363/359
(100%)
GRUME December25/30 (97%)
Discovery Blade AdventureBolzano 3/3
Timor 3/3
Eddison 2/3

Passes3
WXTG
first pass cheeks: CB Curve (NW-SE curving midway to NE-SW)
second pass cheeks: Gillette Slide (NW-SE)

first pass neck: Gillette Slant (NE-SW)
second pass neck: Gillette Slant (S-N)
ATG
Straight & Slanted
(SW-NE | cheeks)
(SW-NE | neck)

Razor
Blade
Brush
Mühle R41Timor (1)Simpson T3
Pre-shave
Soap & Bowl
Post-shave
Cold splash
Proraso Green pre-shave
Haslinger Sandelholz
Face lathered
Cold splash
Proraso Green (AS)
Proraso Green (Balm)

Efficiency
Quality
9/10 (~20 minutes)7/10 (nick on the jaw line)
EffectivenessComfort
6/10 (DFS-)
6/10 (Tuggy)

Notes to today’s shave:

Medium shave or perhaps mediocre shave is a better term. This blade and I are no match - at least not in the first run anyway. Rich and tuggy from the first stroke so I did light WXTG and very shallow / light touch ATG (and not in all areas).

Sufficient for today and sub par compared to other days. That’s what’s great about this Discovery Challenge: find out about blades and find out your own version of YMMV.

Enjoy your shave today!
The Simpson T3 is a great brush! How does it compare with the Omega Roma?
 
GRUME 💪
DecemBOAR the 26th
Muhle/MdC Mondays

Muhle Rocca 95
Astra Platinum (2)
Omega 81054
MdC Rose

We enjoyed time with the family yesterday and stayed up till 2:00 AM to watch It's A Wonderful Life.
I deferred using some purchases last month and unexpected gifts yesterday have me ready for GRUME next year.
I discovered boars do not hog the lather if I only soak about half an inch of the tips for about two minutes...your results may vary.

PXL_20221226_072255391.jpg


Please take care of yourself and each other.
 
I like large brush knots and was tempted by the Roma but the T3 is great.
I actually got the T3 before the Omega (but saved for Christmas gifts), but got to use the Omega earlier. In hindsight I think they are pretty much interchangeable. Even the handles look very similar. I think the T3 is an earlier model than the Roma, so who knows. The Roma on the other hand share is knot with the EVO from what I have read, so my guess is that their performance is similar too.

Guido
 
SOTD #24
- Still In -

Wishing you all had a wonderful Christmas. Was pretty much offline the past few days, but it was a remarkable time in whole, leading into Boxing Day.

My last shave was late on Christmas Eve, just before heading out to dinner with the family. Purely functional SAS to meet the sunset timeline.
FF0B8F29-5240-439B-B886-9F0C81B96D28.jpeg

Downtown San Diego and the bay
  • *Trumpers Eucris
  • Simpson's Duke3 - Best
  • Ralf Aust 6/8 - Horn
  • *Mühle R89
  • *Polsilver Iridium - 8
  • Kiehl's Blue Astringent
  • Stirling Deep Blue Sea Splash
* SWS
C027361B-FAEC-4B04-B27B-3AF1FDBF92A9.jpeg
 
Day 26, 83.9% complete.

Preshave: Hot washcloth
Soap: Mitchell's Wool Fat
Brush: Yaqi 24mm synthetic cashmere
Razor: GC.84 SB, Ti Handle, KCG #3
Enhancement: 0.1mm shim
Bowl: Turkish copper
Post-shave: Nivea 2-in-1 Aftershave

Tried a shim in the Game Changer. This should get it from 0.84mm to 0.9x.

In case it had turned into Mr Hyde, I took the .68 for backup, but didn't need it. Efficiency was good, and the audio feedback sounded crisper. It wasn't irritating (...or at least, not obviously), and I got a comfortable near-BBS shave.

There was a bit of sting from the Nivea, but nothing excessive. Maybe I'll keep it shimmed, and see if it's good for 7 days a week.
 
Still in

My previous month's purchases which kept me from participating in the GRUMEs were delivered to me in a span of 3 days around Christmas and it is a hoot to open the packages one by one.

Boti Brush are great people to get Badger and synthetic knots and customised handles. They provide great value for the money and the attention to details is commendable.

PS: this is only the latest mail call, I'll post my various brushes purchased from Boti in another post.

IMG_20221227_110957.jpg


IMG_20221227_105114.jpg


Wishing you all a great year ahead and better health and good times with the family.

My next shave will be on New Year's Eve.
 
GRUME 💪
DecemBOAR the 27th, 2022

PXL_20221226_200623951.jpg


Timeless Ti .68
Astra Platinum (2)
Semogue SOC
Zingariman Nomad

Today's soap has a delightful scent and makes a slick lather. It was a surprise gift and appreciated.

Yesterday I mentioned that a shorter soak time for a boar brush seemed to make it easier to build a lather. Today, I tried only soaking it about a minute. Well, that wasn't long enough. I am guessing 2-3 minutes may be the sweet spot for me.

A slick lather, the Astra blade and this razor combined for an exceptionally smooth and very comfortable shave.

FYI, @Leverspro started a thread "365 Shaves 2023" for daily shavers. For anyone interested, here is a link.

Please take care of yourself and each other.
 
Still in 🙏🏽

Another bulls eye: this time I loaded a Dorco Prime in the PAA Prismatic. What a great shaving marriage. This blade is much better then I thought. Hate the stupid moustached cartoon head on the package though. So much I didn't want it in this picture, and took the wrapper instead.

First use of another Areffa Soap. This bear (!) tallowed cream is awesome, just like the others. Scent and post shave skin feel are so good. The matching lotion makes me smell even more masculine than usual, dixit my spouse 🤔
I am currently strictly using these Ukrainian soaps. No other of my many soaps can match them, except Martin de Candre. I gave my son in law a Zingari soap, used once. It has no future in my den.

One darn happy shaver here.
By the way: no craving. Dismissed some enabler without any hesitation 🕺🏽

3583EC8B-EFC8-4C96-AED1-92B6D901250D.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom