April 2020 Gentlemanly Restraint Until Month End (GRUME)

[Silky Glide]

Still in! Honestly I have so much shaving supplies that if I I never shop for shave stuff again, I will never run out of anything. (Not bragging, just saying!) I have been wet shaving for about 13 years now - ever since I discovered this website, and I really went overboard in the beginning when I worked across the street from Pasteur's on 34th Street in New York. I also went a bit crazy on line (both BST as well as online retailers). Ahh, who am I kidding??? I have been buying like a madman for 13 years!!! Good thing I live alone and do not report to a SWMBO!!! A lot of the soaps and creams that I bought early on are not even around anymore!

Today I shaved with unobtanium Toms of Maine Caladula cream - I have most of a tube left and it makes a nice thick, slick lather. There are little bits of chalky substance in the cream though, almost like bits of bathroom tile grout, that do not dissolve when I make the lather (tube is probably 12 years old). It does not affect the shave at all, so I do not mind. I want to use up (or at least make a dent in) the opened products that I have around before I open anything new (I have about 10 open creams and dozens of soaps). Yesterday I shaved with (also unobtainium) Baxter's of California brushless cream - got a pretty good shave and it left my skin feeling nice.

 

[rbscebu]

I took my Good Dollar W59 for a drive this morning. I received this SR about 6 weeks ago. It had a 4mm smile that was not to my liking so I bread-knifed it out on the edge of a 400 grit synthetic stone and reset the bevel. I then put this W59 away as I had other things to do.

Over the Easter break I took out the W59 and gave it a Method edge. I then swapped the Titan 1918 ACRM-2 out of my rotation and replaced it with the W59. The edge of my ACRM-2 has reach perfection. It shaves just as smoothly ATG on the upper lip as it does WTG on my cheek. I want to get my W59 and Titan 1918 ACRO up to the same standard as my ACRM-2.

This morning my W59 gave me a SAS. WTG was smooth all over. There was some minor tugging XTG. I only did a two-pass shave.

To improve the W59 edge, after each use it gets 50 laps on 0.5u pasted hand-held balsa, another 50 laps on 0.25u and then 50 laps on 0.1u. it is finished off with 50 laps on 0.1u hanging balsa.

I expect that within 20 to 30 shaves, the W59 (and hopefully the harder steel ACRO) will be up there with the ACRM-2.

 

[Tomo]

Still in but already writing my May shopping list.

 

[Roedeer]

Almost half-way, and achieving the retail bit of "don't buy stuff" is much simpler than it used to be in the UK. Hang in there, wherever you are.

Used the Rockwell 6S on R6 again, with a Personna 74 (shave 4), a combination to be reckoned with, Nivea balm, and modern Brut.

 

[Schnitzel52]

Still in

 

[Fred D]

Still in! Doing better than last month so far.

 

[FoolishMortal]

Still in! Doing better than last month so far.

Good job!

Still in, too. No shave today because I shaved late yesterday.

I'm finishing my trial with the stock Piccolo, and I don't think it's for me. I have trouble with razors that don't hold the blade rigidly and this Mk1 is showing all the signs of being a slightly aggressive razor with poor clamping. I find myself debating using another razor, even though I've committed to time with the Piccolo, and that's unlike me.

Next up is the Schone. I'll try that for a couple of weeks and then I'll try the Schone top cap on the Piccolo, just to see if that makes a difference...or maybe I'll try the top cap switch first...

 

[RookieGuy]

Still in here! Although you guys here aren't making it easier. But to counteract my wanting to try everything I see, I've been working 11 hour days. So that's been helping.

 

[Timeclo]

Still in! SOTD - 13 APR 2020

Brush - Stirling boar
Lather - Spearhead 17.2 exp soap
Razor - PAA Bakelite OCS
Blade - Feather (1)
Post-shave - Razorock alum block

Great shave today. Aggressive setup to mow down the messy goatee. The soap worked up a thick and slick lather. The boar is still breaking in and it did feel rough today. I'll resort to bowl lather for later rounds.

 

[Stuart Ganis]

Still in.

Sent from my SM-T387V using Tapatalk

 

[Billy T.]

Almost half way through, still in.

 

[Tomo]

Still in. Should have two soaps just about 3017’ed by the end of the month.

 

[Schnitzel52]

Still in
Inventory is going down

 

[FoolishMortal]

SOTD

• Fatip Piccolo
• Nacet (15)
• Antica Barbieria Colla
• Maggard 24mm Synthetic
• WH w/menthol, LTFT
• Stirling Bay Rum ASB
• Vintage Avon Bay Rum AS

First go with the Schone. It's ever-so-slightly less efficient than the Piccolo, but seemed far smoother and more forgiving. I had a 36-hour beard and while the Piccolo would have opened up a few of the small shave bumps, the Schone went right over them. I'm curious to see how we get on through the latter half of the month.

 

[Schnitzel52]

Still in

 

[GaryTha]

Still in.

 

[Tedolph]

I was in:
1) FoolishMortal
2) Stuart Ganis
3) Schnitzel52
4) GaryTha
5) Timeclo
6) RTM
7) Sotiris_A
8) Wgg2017 - OUT
9) RookieGuy
10) 02flhtci
11) Chandu
12) fhalden - OUT
13) Cino
14) lightfoot
15) rbscebu
16) Rigeldust
17) Fred D
18) Billy T
19) DCRIII
20) Roedeer
21) Chef455 - OUT
22) Flintstone65
23) Tomo
24) Tedolph

and I was doing well. I even resisted opening up a box containing Fine Accoutrements Italian Citrus shave soap and A/S that I bought for myself at Christmas. Then, last week, I ordered a Col. Conk Arkansas razor hone that I didn't need! It arrived yesterday.......

Is there some sort of clinic I can check myself into for treatment?

 

[FoolishMortal]

I was in:

24) Tedolph

and I was doing well. I even resisted opening up a box containing Fine Accoutrements Italian Citrus shave soap and A/S that I bought for myself at Christmas. Then, last week, I ordered a Col. Conk Arkansas razor hone that I didn't need! It arrived yesterday.......

Is there some sort of clinic I can check myself into for treatment?

Sorry to hear that. As usual, please feel free to play along at home and I hope to see you next month.

And, when a brother falls, it’s time for...

Roll Call!

1) @FoolishMortal
2) @Stuart Ganis
3) @Schnitzel52
4) @GaryTha
5) @Timeclo
6) @RTM
7) @Sotiris_A
8) Wgg2017 - out (4/1: B&M Nordost, Timeless Ti .95 SB)
9) @RookieGuy
10) @02flhtci
11) @Chandu
12) fhalden - out (4/3: Pinaud Clubman Reserve x3)
13) @Cino
14) @lightfoot
15) @rbscebu
16) RigelDust - out (4/4: Barrister & Mann x2)
17) @Fred D
18) @Billy T.
19) @DCRIII
20) @Roedeer
21) Chef455 - out (4/3: Timeless .68)
22) @Flintstone65
23) @Tomo
24) Tedolph - out (4/8?: Arkansas hone)

 

[FoolishMortal]

SOTD

• Schone
• Nacet (16)
• Antica Barbieria Colla
• Maggard 24mm Synthetic
• WH w/menthol, LTFT
• Stirling Bay Rum ASB
• Vintage Avon Moonwind Cologne

Second go with the Schone. Very nice results, though there were two spots of blood today. Not sure how that happened, but one is a small skin tag that gets caught every once in a while. I'm sticking with my diagnosis of "smooth, mid-aggressive, mid-efficient" until the Schone proves me wrong.

 

[FoolishMortal]

SOTD

• Fatip Piccolo Schone
• Nacet (15)
• Antica Barbieria Colla
• Maggard 24mm Synthetic
• WH w/menthol, LTFT
• Stirling Bay Rum ASB
• Vintage Avon Bay Rum AS

First go with the Schone. It's ever-so-slightly less efficient than the Piccolo, but seemed far smoother and more forgiving. I had a 36-hour beard and while the Piccolo would have opened up a few of the small shave bumps, the Schone went right over them. I'm curious to see how we get on through the latter half of the month.

Duh. This was, obviously, not a shave with the Piccolo.