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Cal's "I don't do journals" Journal

Hullo aw youse B&Bers,
(translation from Glaswegian to American: "Hi all y'all B&Bers")

On a whim, I thought that after 2½ years of fun at B&B I'd start a journal. My idea is just to report new (to me) things, or stuff that I particularly notice, but not a daily journal.

MINI INTRO
Less than two months into DE shaving I discovered my first love, the magical Fatip Piccolo:
upload_2018-4-20_6-6-50.png

My original DE intention was saving money (the cartridge conundrum)... Hey, OK, you've heard that one before.:001_rolle I now have far too many razors, but the Piccolo is still my favorite (even though I've been flirting with different handles for it recently).

REPORT OF THE DAY
Blades continually amaze (and amuse) me. Today was my first shave with a Bic Chrome Platinum blade. (After moving on from a 28 shave old Polsilver SI) I found the Bic to be extremely sharp and extremely smooth. Whether that's due to moving on from a "broken in" blade or not I don't know. I'll update on that once I get some more Bic experience.
upload_2018-4-20_6-23-37.png

^ My Fatip Tortoise with its hamster guard. :laugh:
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Holy crap! Cal's started a journal.

Only 28 shaves on a Polsilver Cal. Come on... We know you can do better than that.

I liked the Bic Chrome Platinum too. Its not a top pick but it reminded me of the Gillette Yellow. Nearly as smooth, nearly as sharp.

Funny though, in my NEW SC it made me itch around my first or second month back to DE shaving. I think I had such a close shave I wasnt use to it yet.

I didnt make me itch when I used it again a couple months ago though.
 
Welcome to the journals! About d**n time! (Translation from American to Glaswegian, “About d**n time!”).

Never tried the BIC blades, and . . . hmmm, don’t seem to have a DE razor anymore.

But I look forward to your experiences. Thanks for this.
 
Only 28 shaves on a Polsilver Cal. Come on... We know you can do better than that.
I've decided to stop collecting:001_rolle :laugh: and start USING. So my current plan is to check out all the blades I have, but have never used. I think four weeks (~28 shaves for me) is probably long enough to discover a blade's capabilities. So a new and different blade every four weeks (or less if it's in the Graham-Field category) is the plan.

I only just recently purchased the Bics. I was reading one of Joel's @Johnnynroy posts where he was praising the Bic; so being the prime example of restraint and exemplary behaviour that I am:lol: I immediately purchased some.
Welcome to the journals!
Thank you Spike. :001_smile
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Cal hasn’t had a journal for a full day, and we’ve already hijacked it . . .

As if he'd expect any less! haha


I've decided to stop collecting:001_rolle :laugh: and start USING.

Yep I know what you mean. The fixed four, as great a learning experience as they are, really slowed down my process.

if you like the Bic, its a good bet you'll also like the Rapira Platinum Lux and Lord Platinum if you havent yet tried them. Gillette Green too, but I found it the least sharp of the three. All are similar in feel to Gillette Black with only slight differences. The Black being the best of the bunch I think.
 
I've decided to stop collecting:001_rolle :laugh: and start USING. So my current plan is to check out all the blades I have, but have never used. I think four weeks (~28 shaves for me) is probably long enough to discover a blade's capabilities. So a new and different blade every four weeks (or less if it's in the Graham-Field category) is the plan.

I only just recently purchased the Bics. I was reading one of Joel's @Johnnynroy posts where he was praising the Bic; so being the prime example of restraint and exemplary behaviour that I am:lol: I immediately purchased some.

Thank you Spike. :001_smile

I honestly don't remember that post or shave, so I'm quite glad it worked out so well for you! If I end up using a DE again I will have to put another of these in.

After looking for that post, I'm not certain it was me... I think it might have been Mike @Esox discussing it. I only see one time I posted about it, mentioning I'd used it once and didn't care for it, but was considering using it again. That was in January 2018 and I haven't used it since then.
 
I've been trialling a 10g Martin de Candre Citrus shaving soap sample. I expected it to be finished today (10 shaves completed) but there's more in my tin, so I'll continue till it's empty.

It's certainly very nice stuff. I find the scent to be very pleasant and easy on the nostrils. I'm averaging 0.65g per shave, so probably have another five shaves to go. With that small amount I get two passes (1: XTG/Freestyle and 2: ATG/Freestyle) with my favorite slick'n'thin lather followed by a post shave "Santa Claus" lather then enough for another pass down the drain.

Today's SOTD:
upload_2018-4-21_4-39-26.png

Brush: Shavemac D01 2-Band
Soap: Martin de Candre Citrus
Razor: Fatip Tortoise
Blade: Bic (2)
ASL: Lucky Tiger
A really lovely BBS shave. :001_smile

My plan is to go back to my benchmark soap (Proraso Red) for a week, as soon as my MdC sample is finished. That's so I can rate the MdC. Then I'll be moving on to trial the apparently enigmatic MWF.:001_unsur
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Great start to your journal, Cal.

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“Shrewd Willie Smellie to Crochallan came;

The old co-ck’d hat, the grey surtout the same;

His bristling beard just rising in its might,

‘Twas four long nights and days to shaving night:

His uncomb’d grizzly locks, wild staring, thatch’d

A head for thought profound and clear, unmatch’d;

Yet tho’ his caustic wit was biting-rude,

His heart was warm, benevolent, and good.”

— Robert Burns (1787)




Avatar.Wallace.Green.BOSC.png


Learn tae blether lik' a native tae gab wi' Cal. Ah wee hulp 'ere, link.

Happy shaves, to Cal and friends,

Jim
 
Great start to your journal, Cal.
Thank you Jim. :001_smile
Learn tae blether lik' a native tae gab wi' Cal. A wee help here, link.
That link is pretty good, barring this nonsense:
Unlike in American English where "pull" has a slightly different pronunciation than "pool", in a Scottish accent, both words sound like "pool".
upload_2018-4-21_7-31-8.png

Oor Wullie (our William) wouldn't realize you were talking to him if you addressed him as Woollie. U is pronounced "uh," not "oo." :a31:

Which reminds me of my Auntie Mabel who came from Sheffield (in England). One Christmas she went out shopping for the Oor Wullie annual for the kids, but being a "foreigner" she pronounced it "or woollie." The shop assistants tried to help with endless knitting patterns. Eventually she had to enlist the aid of native on the following day, her husband Donald. Us kids have joked about it every Christmas since.
 
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Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Thank you Jim. :001_smile

That link is pretty good, barring this nonsense:

View attachment 877532
Oor Wullie (our William) wouldn't realize you were talking to him if you addressed him as Woollie. U is pronounced "uh," not "oo." :a31:

Which reminds me of my Auntie Mabel who came from Sheffield (in England). One Christmas she went out shopping for the Oor Wullie annual for the kids, but being a "foreigner" she pronounced it "or woollie." The shop assistants tried to help with endless knitting patterns. Eventually she had to enlist the aid of native on the following day, her husband Donald. Us kids have joked about it every Christmas since.

I'm pretty good at getting accents and such when I'm actually somewhere surrounded by them, but I'm terrible at undertaking the project from a distance.

upload_2018-4-21_13-55-17.png


I recall an interview with one of the lead guys in this group. He said Americans hear all the songs as "British English," but much of what they were doing was making fun of class and regional differences in speech patterns. He said Brits got the pokes and jokes but Americans were clueless. I know I was, but I liked the songs anyway.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
I'm pretty good at getting accents and such when I'm actually somewhere surrounded by them, but I'm terrible at undertaking the project from a distance.

View attachment 877669

I recall an interview with one of the lead guys in this group. He said Americans hear all the songs as "British English," but much of what they were doing was making fun of class and regional differences in speech patterns. He said Brits got the pokes and jokes but Americans were clueless. I know I was, but I liked the songs anyway.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I’ve seen them perform live. One of my sister’s favorite groups funnily enough. I don’t think any of my family knew about the jokes though. They put on a fun show!
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
I’ve seen them perform live. One of my sister’s favorite groups funnily enough. I don’t think any of my family knew about the jokes though. They put on a fun show!

It was a long time ago now, but the interview with the band member I listened to was on the radio. I remember where I was, doing a marathon weekend of paid call at the VA. It seems to me the radio show would feature one group at a time for several hours. Maybe it was a syndicated weekend show. Whatever group they featured was spotlighted in depth and in the best possible light which always made the broadcast very interesting and informative and entertaining.

upload_2018-4-21_15-57-13.png


Another group I remember being spotlighted was The Hollies.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
My plan is to go back to my benchmark soap (Proraso Red) for a week, as soon as my MdC sample is finished. That's so I can rate the MdC. Then I'll be moving on to trial the apparently enigmatic MWF.:001_unsur
THE PLAN in picture form:
upload_2018-4-23_18-3-14.png


'Scuse the iffy pic, OM. It's amazing how much soap is in the outer groove of the MdC tin.
 
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