2020 Shave Purchase Sabbatical - Those Daring Men with their Jaunty Razors & Jalopies

[T.Orso]

I just had a look at this year's rules, and compared them with rules from previous years.

This is the first year with an explicit rule (5) against soliciting a gift in any way. That could be taken as a prohibition on expressing interest in a PIF.

Precedents and convention in past years were that entering and winning a pif would not put you out, but it was not spelled out in the rules. This year it is not spelled out that pif=gift, and I was one who assumed that the old convention still applies.

I was all ready to assert that Jim is in, but I don't think it's my call. Rule 13 says it's Jim's call. I'd fully support his decision to keep motoring with the rest of us.

 

[Jim99]

So it sounds that winning a PIF is not against the rules. I understand the gift rule, but a PIF does not obviously appear to fit into that rule.

Based on the feedback here, I’m still in!

 

[mtnredhed]

Well. I'm still out since I was never in. That noted, I never restocked or even spent a penny from last year's sabbatical till now (I had intended to, just too lazy). Still playing the home version as it were. I blame being mostly homebound and semi retired.

 

[GaryTha]

Well. I'm still out since I was never in. That noted, I never restocked or even spent a penny from last year's sabbatical till now (I had intended to, just too lazy). Still playing the home version as it were. I blame being mostly homebound and semi retired.

What kind of truck did you drive?

 

[pbrmhl]

Well. I'm still out since I was never in. That noted, I never restocked or even spent a penny from last year's sabbatical till now (I had intended to, just too lazy). Still playing the home version as it were. I blame being mostly homebound and semi retired.

What did you buy?

 

[JeffJ]

So it sounds that winning a PIF is not against the rules. I understand the gift rule, but a PIF does not obviously appear to fit into that rule.

Based on the feedback here, I’m still in!

Thank goodness that is settled.

Still in. A little more than half way through a puck of NOS Tallow Art of Shaving Sandalwood. Enjoying the ride.

 

[Invicta]

There has been a review and #4 , @Jim99 has revised his position {post 1776} to "still in". The latest race position is;

 

[JAHE]

SOTD (# 99/2020)
28-05-2020

Preshave: warm water, Proraso Pre-shave White
Brush: Thäter 4125/2 2-Band Silvertip Badger
Soap: Stirling Soap~ Executive Man
Razor: Gillette Super Speed Flare Tip
Blade: Wilkinson Sword Germany (5)
Postshave: frigid tap water, Stirling Soap Executive Man AS.

JAHE - still in

(Soap samples: minus 16;
After shave balm: minus 2)

 

[Aziraphale]

#66 (Team 11) still in.

Funny how wants and desires change . . .
I for sure thought that I'd really like the King Cobra as my exception.
After reading the reviews here and doing more research, I think I'd rather have something else. Dunno what yet though. I have a Mongoose that I really like. I think it might be a 1st gen Mongoose too. I am definitely gravitating away from anything dual edge ('cept maybe my old Red Tip). There are a good bunch of single edge AC type razors on the market now. The way I see it is that I have 6 months to figure it all out.

 

[mtnredhed]

What did you buy?

Shaving related, nothing, so I'm currently at 17 months of my personal sabbatical with no purchases. In fact, in prepping for full retirement, I'm cutting back a lot of recurring expenses. Refi'd the house and saved about $500/mo, went from DirectTV to Sling, dropped some subscriptions... The travel lockup has kept me from flying anywhere or even driving far.

The one thing that's changed is I had Mohs surgery to remove a skin cancer near my jaw hinge, and since then, I've switched back to a DE (from a straight) so I don't damage the scar healing. I've got a blue tip Gillette(among a few others) that's super mild.

 

[mtnredhed]

What kind of truck did you drive?

Huh? IT worker. I've pretty much aged out of the system as it were, although also partly cursed for having worked at HPE. No Cisco gear, No PAN firewalls. Leaves you pretty much unemployable in the field.

 

[GaryTha]

Huh? IT worker. I've pretty much aged out of the system as it were, although also partly cursed for having worked at HPE. No Cisco gear, No PAN firewalls. Leaves you pretty much unemployable in the field.

You said you were Semi-retired. So I figured you were a truck driver.

 

[_Stormin_]

Well, while not paying attention, I knocked one of my two shaving scuttles into the sink and it shattered. I still have one left, and I am still in, but definitely need to be more careful or I will be lathering in a coffee cup for the remainder of the year.

 

[fightingillini22]

Just wanted to stop by this year's restraint thread to offer up some words of encouragement to you gents trying to pare down your dens.

I went hog wild back in 2014 as many of us do when we discover the wonderful world of wet shaving. Accumulating far too many soaps, creams, blades, razors, and brushes, I quickly knew I had a problem. And my wife didn't appreciate all the money being spent either! We know how deep each of those rabbit holes go!

After commiting to various monthly and then quarterly restraints, I did a yearly. And then a second. And a third. Took a break from B&B for a while but continued the restraint mindset up until early this year.

Over the course of the past 5 years or so, I managed to get my den to the current state it's in - a few soaps, splashes, and creams along with (still) more razors and brushes than one truly needs. Sure I have a shoebox under the sink with some unobtainium soaps (vintage Williams, Colgate, the first Razorock Mr Fine colab, etc.) But this minimalist setup combined with the 3017 mentality has resulted in me having never felt better about my wet shaving hobby.

The yearly is hard. And getting to a (more) minimalist setup is a long journey for those who wish to get there. But for those of you who want to, it's 100% worth it! Your significant other will also likely appreciate it as well!

Thanks for reading, and looking forward to seeing you all on December 31st!

 

[Earcutter]

Just wanted to stop by this year's restraint thread to offer up some words of encouragement to you gents trying to pare down your dens.

I went hog wild back in 2014 as many of us do when we discover the wonderful world of wet shaving. Accumulating far too many soaps, creams, blades, razors, and brushes, I quickly knew I had a problem. And my wife didn't appreciate all the money being spent either! We know how deep each of those rabbit holes go!

After commiting to various monthly and then quarterly restraints, I did a yearly. And then a second. And a third. Took a break from B&B for a while but continued the restraint mindset up until early this year.

Over the course of the past 5 years or so, I managed to get my den to the current state it's in - a few soaps, splashes, and creams along with (still) more razors and brushes than one truly needs. Sure I have a shoebox under the sink with some unobtainium soaps (vintage Williams, Colgate, the first Razorock Mr Fine colab, etc.) But this minimalist setup combined with the 3017 mentality has resulted in me having never felt better about my wet shaving hobby.

The yearly is hard. And getting to a (more) minimalist setup is a long journey for those who wish to get there. But for those of you who want to, it's 100% worth it! Your significant other will also likely appreciate it as well!

Thanks for reading, and looking forward to seeing you all on December 31st!

Thanks man.

 

[KQY61]

Hi,

Ah. Yes. Holes with rabbits in them. Know *those* well.

I tried This and That and The Other Thing until I found a Fasan Double Slant the summer of 2013. I then entered the GRUC (4th quarterly) and sat down for three months with the Fasan. I then restocked after Christmas and entered the year-long for 2014 with an exception for a second Fasan.

I have been in the year-longs ever since. Along the way I sold off a lot of stuff. One year I planned buying a few Open Comb razors during the Restock. I wanted to have seven total OC razors for OCtober, where we use just OC razors for a month. I wanted a 7-day set of OCs in the manner there were 7-day sets of straight razors. Adding a bit more fun to OCtober.

I had the ATT S2 as an exception more than once, but never exercised it. Not until this past restock period. I had gotten into always being restrained and just not buying anything.

This January I also entered the 10-year long restraint where Replace Only is the key. Since I was going into that, I also entered the Leap Year restraint from Feb 29 2020 to Feb 29 2024. Hey, why not? In my case, the Replace will have to be planned to fit into the Year-Long restock windows. This will be just Blades and, since I use it as an after shave, Lubriderm lotion. But, easy enough to accomplish that.

I won't need any razors or brushes. I have plenty of both that should any fail me, I have a replacement at hand. Several replacements. See the rabbit for the hole story!

And, I have all these soap pucks I bought in a Lot on eBay back when. And, my wife bought me a couple others for Christmases until I told her I had more than enough for a while.

Anyway, a year-long sounds impossible at the beginning of the first one, but it something one can get used to. So used to that one never stops.

Stan

 

[fightingillini22]

Anyway, a year-long sounds impossible at the beginning of the first one, but it something one can get used to. So used to that one never stops.

Couldn't have said it any better, Stan!

 

[JAHE]

SOTD (#100/2020)
31-05-2020

Preshave: warm water, Proraso Pre-shave White
Brush: WestCoastShaving Two Tone Tall Synthetic 26/56
Soap: Stirling Soap ~ Lemon Chill
Razor: Parker 87R
Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux (3)
Postshave: frigid tap water, mentholated Majestät AS + orange essential oil, Nivea ASB.

JAHE - still in...

 

[Chesty]

#45 still in. Just finished a tube of ProRaso Green and started a tube of Proraso blue. No chance of running out of anything, just a matter what I use. New tin of PDP 63 would get me through the resto of the year anyway. Good luck to all.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Raven Koenes, Car 57, 1939 Fiat 1500 B. Team 10 (still in)

SOTD:
Razor: Fatip Lo Storto Gentile
Blade: Lord Classic SS (1)
Brush: Omega S10019
Cream: CRS Fresh Mint
Aftershave: Osage Rub

To the survivors we made it to June!