Alum Ladd's Garden Shed

[Alum Ladd]

This is my garden shed.

It's about 20 foot long and about 8 foot wide. At one end is a little sink and countertop, where I shave. On the middle sides are a couple of work tops and shelves and cupboards for storing my toys and garbage. At the far end is a little sofabed and a couple of easy chairs with a few small tables, and I have a 2 burner camping gas stove. There are 4 windows, and it's quite warm in the winter.

This is where I sleep when I have annoyed Mrs Ladd, so I sleep here often. This is my little place of refuge and retreat and contemplation.

Here I will post any interesting shaving experiences, thoughts on gear, thoughts on camping and the outdoors, and any insane outbursts of the mind which I may find amusing.

All are welcome at the shed.

 

[Flanders]

I didn’t comment the other day so I will post it here, thanks for the link to the story of the Mach 3 development. I have never used cartridges, but I am still nostalgic for the 90’s and it was just an interesting read. I still have no desire to try one though!

 

[thombrogan]

Thank you for opening the doors of your garden shed to the public, Simon! Looking forward to reading your tales here.

 

[Alum Ladd]

Razor: Gillette Flat Bottom Tech
Blade: Nacet (2)
Soap: Cella Red
Brush: The wonderful £3 Wilko synthetic

Mrs Ladd has taken to 'keeping me company' while I shave.

I suspect I am in fact 'keeping her company' while I shave.

This involves her sitting on the side of the bathtub, and staring at me. As I have my back to her to see in the mirror, this is not too overwhelming. She cleans things during and after the shave, which is interesting behaviour.

I had finished lathering from the Cella tub, and had set it down. As I commenced lathering the wonderful stuff onto a barely noticable stubble, she had already begun to clean the tub of the inevitable residue on the outside.

We had already discussed the scent of Cella on a previous occasion, so there was no mileage there. She had commented on the scent and pronounced it 'very nice', although she queried it's suitability for a man, it seemed to me. 'Funny scent really for a man' she said. I said it was Italian, and it had been made since 1899, which to her mind seemed to explain everything.

Second pass, her attention was drawn to the brush. 'That's a lovely soft brush' she opined. I said it was, and remarkable value, and briefly expounded on how far synthetic brushes had developed. 'That red and cream brush, that horrible scratchy thing, is that synthetic?'. I said it was, and it just went to show.

She was examining the Nacet pack, and said 'It's very cruel cutting a crocodile in half'. There was a little silence. Imagine that with baby Viscerous!' Her beautiful features were clouded by concern. Baby Viscerous is a very small South American alligator that is being treated for non razor-related injuries on a YT channel we watch. Mostly sloths, but you get the odd other critter in the mix sometimes.

This gave me an opprtunity to peddle my latest half arsed theory. 'Nacets were English originally. Started Mid 30's I think. The original box showed a little man in a white tropical looking outfit with a shirt on wielding the blade. I think they were made for the Empire market in Burma and Malaya and Singapore pre-war. I saw an advert in a Singapore paper for them'

Lathered up for 3rd pass. The razor and blade combo was doing a lovely job.

'Completely different using a Fusion than this..' 'Which one is that?' she asked. 'This is the Flat Bottom Tech, they didn't make these in the US, they love them there'. 'Why didn't they make them there then?' she asked.

I said I didn't know, no one knew and it was all a bit of a mystery.

Pretty much finished up with the shave, so I rinsed off and unloaded the brush under the tap.

'Give it to me' she said. I said there was no need to clean up and dry the synthetic brushes like the badgers, as they dried pretty quickly. Just a few sweeps across the towel. She looked disappointed.

I was taking the blade out and rinsing it before putting it back in the wrapper, as is my want. Mrs Ladd siezed upon the FBT and began drying and cleaning the parts, before rather niftily reassembling them.

Love, and the signs of love manifest themselves in many ways. I am a very fortunate man. I hope I fully comprehend how fortunate.

 

[lasta]

Mrs. Ladd sounds like a wondeful woman. Some of us have to clean out own razors and soap tubs!

 

[Alum Ladd]

Mrs. Ladd sounds like a wondeful woman. Some of us have to clean out own razors and soap tubs!

I like to think it is just a passing fad.

 

[lasta]

I like to think it is just a passing fad.

From leaky shed to self-cleaning Cella. You must be doing something right!

Keep up the good work.

 

[Flanders]

Mrs. Ladd sounds like a wondeful woman. Some of us have to clean out own razors and soap tubs!

Some of us don’t clean our things until they are visibly filthy!

 

[Guido75]

Simon this is a wonderful new development. I feel I will be spending a lot of time in the shed! Excellent storytelling and you open the shed to public with an EFBT exhibition.

Keep it up!!

Guido

 

[Alum Ladd]

My persistent and highly effective campaign to get everyone on the planet to write Arko as Arko! is paying off.

I expect this to be universally adopted by 27th August 2033.

I go to sleep content with this warming Arko! related thought.

 

[thombrogan]

I started saying and typing it as “ARKO!” back in June 2020 and never realized it was psychic assistance from a future friend.

 

[Alum Ladd]

To add to my ever-present angst, I have noticed that the UK bay site has completely run out of razor blades in bulk purchase at the normal prices.

My favourite seller has none.

This is very stressful, as I only have about 400 blades of all types in stock, if that.

I pace the shed, in the darkness of the night, drinking endless mugs of Bovril.

I fight ungovernable fear.

My friend Leonard the fox yelps and whines in the distance.

He too, knows.

 

[lasta]

First world problems.

I've heard you can push 30 shaves on some of your blades. That's almost a 33 year stock you have there.

 

[Alum Ladd]

First world problems.

I've heard you can push 30 shaves on some of your blades. That's almost a 33 year stock you have there.

That's not the point.

Oh the humanity!

 

[Flanders]

To add to my ever-present angst, I have noticed that the UK bay site has completely run out of razor blades in bulk purchase at the normal prices.

My favourite seller has none.

This is very stressful, as I only have about 400 blades of all types in stock, if that.

I pace the shed, in the darkness of the night, drinking endless mugs of Bovril.

I fight ungovernable fear.

My friend Leonard the fox yelps and whines in the distance.

He too, knows.

Out(ed) as Warders

29. awk_m4 - No Exception - 1/31- Bought stuff for sons and dipped in
53. Markdad2 - No exception - 2/6 - Muhle Rocca Stainless
25. JWCowboy No Exception - 2/16 - Neighbor getting out of making brushes
19. ewk - NO EXCEPTION - 2/18 - Mutton tallow soap
16. DougK - no exception - 3/12 - Bic Flex 5 carts picked up out of habit
48. Alum Ladd - Nivea post shave balm -3/14 - Panic bought blades after accidentally finding a reasonable seller, even though he had enough to use a new one every day of the year

(Hello from the future, which is your present)

The yelping and whining is because Leonard senses Rover coming for somebody straying too for from The Village!

 

[lasta]

So, did your shed collapse or something?

I watched this thread, expecting it to become the daily Ladd show...

 

[FarmerTan]

So, did your shed collapse or something?

I watched this thread, expecting it to become the daily Ladd show...

And I just found it! Strange werld....

 

[Flanders]

So, did your shed collapse or something?

I watched this thread, expecting it to become the daily Ladd show...

If you missed it, you can go try to find his posts about his camping trip a couple months ago… or was that last summer!?

Just like building an escape raft in the woods, it seems his shed was not approved by The Village!

 

[huck1680]

Mrs Ladd cracks me up. Some of her questions are quite priceless. It sounds like a wonderful relationship and I envy your Shed/Den. My lovely wife just tells me that after my building a collection and then selling the collection and with all the accompanying stories...she knows more than enough about wet shaving and my razors, soaps etc. She is very tolerant.
Cheers

 

[huck1680]

Also, if the Missus was a bit concerned about the Nacet wrapper DO NOT show her a Rhino blade wrapper. We all know rhinos are endangered.
Cheers!