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April 2021 Gentlemanly Restraint Until Month End (GRUME)

Still in!

It's weird, I can only really concentrate on 1 hobby at a time. For a while I was really into paintball, then got into guitar playing. Would buy a few guitars a year, some pretty expensive. When I got into shaving I stopped buying guitars, so in a sense shaving has saved me a ton of money.
Same here. I go from one hobby to another.

I still have a dozen or so very high end guitars/basses, but I haven't done a gig in over a year so my interest has been elsewhere. Mainly shaving as I was a wetshaving minimalist until I found this stupid place. 😜

So I guess COVID got me into wetshaving as a hobby and put the brakes on my guitar spending. COVID and shaving still saved me money as my custom basses are spendy!
 
Magnificent spring shave today. My first morning shave in quite a while. That Merit handle really helps you find your way around a scuttle.
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I think the Solex 2200s are really cool. I think those were only built between 1961 and 1964 (I could be very wrong). Did you stay with original parts or did you modernize for convenience? The only one I've ever seen in person was in Cincinnati OH at the 2009 WKRP Scooter Rally.

I have a friend that's only into Lambrettas. What I've spent pales in comparison to what he spends.

Those were built starting in 61 indeed, it was advertised as a 3800 and frankly I am not a specialist to spot the difference on the spot or through blurry dark craigslist pictures. As a french man in the US I was looking to buy a Solex period and for $400 in town that was not gonna get any better or cheaper. Only when I started to look at it at home did I saw the SN# matching a 2200. And after more research the whole thing match a 2200. Well the whole non missing part. Luckily it is not too hard to get part for those in France off of the internet, those were recreation part not old stock, I did not had time to track those and get them delivered so got it in the mail at Xmass and dealt with it all from October to late February. The only thing I looked at when I bought it was that the engine was not stuck and had compression everything else was not an issue for me as I had assemble and dissembled enough 49 cc in my youth to change their segments to feel comfortable to get that one working.

As a french man who grew up out in the french country side having a “Mob or Scout” aka moped or scooter was a way of life starting at 14 yo the legal driving age for those. Being it the early 90’s for me I was lucky to have a comprehensive dad and get a 103 SP3 apparently it was a toss up with a scooter (Booster) at the shop when he bought it which was pretty much the only 2 cool choice anyway … god forbid you got a Ciao and became the laughing joke of everyone at school.

The Lambretta is a 125 LD that used to belong to my god father bought brand new by his parent and lovingly taking care of until he gave it to me on my 18th birthday after I got my car driving license, he wanted to make sure this would not be my daily commuter … I used it sparingly when I lived in Toulouse and Rouen and then got on many many cruise in Paris by night, in the early 2000 there was a group of Vespa / Lambretta owner that would drive on Wednesday evening around Paris, their starting point was a “rade” aka bar 3 doors down the street from my apartments in the Butte aux Cailles neighborhood. At the time you could get a good looking and working 60’s vespa for 1500 euros and a Lambretta for 2000 … Those price are long gone by now.

I do have all the parts and a spare engine for it, never took the time to work on it. At the time wrenching on my Smart roadster was taking all my spare time in my building underground garage as those were wildly unreliable and once stuck downstair there was no tow truck to get it out but its own power … that car was my first bought by myself brand new car and is sleeping in the same barn as the Lambretta, it is now fully functioning and gets some work out every few month when my brother is in my hometown … just gotta wait for the 25 year rule to get it in a container from Le Havre to Houston (7 more years ) … The Lambretta will must likely be in the same load as there will be space to spare in a 20 foot for the car.
 
Those were built starting in 61 indeed, it was advertised as a 3800 and frankly I am not a specialist to spot the difference on the spot or through blurry dark craigslist pictures. As a french man in the US I was looking to buy a Solex period and for $400 in town that was not gonna get any better or cheaper. Only when I started to look at it at home did I saw the SN# matching a 2200. And after more research the whole thing match a 2200. Well the whole non missing part. Luckily it is not too hard to get part for those in France off of the internet, those were recreation part not old stock, I did not had time to track those and get them delivered so got it in the mail at Xmass and dealt with it all from October to late February. The only thing I looked at when I bought it was that the engine was not stuck and had compression everything else was not an issue for me as I had assemble and dissembled enough 49 cc in my youth to change their segments to feel comfortable to get that one working.

As a french man who grew up out in the french country side having a “Mob or Scout” aka moped or scooter was a way of life starting at 14 yo the legal driving age for those. Being it the early 90’s for me I was lucky to have a comprehensive dad and get a 103 SP3 apparently it was a toss up with a scooter (Booster) at the shop when he bought it which was pretty much the only 2 cool choice anyway … god forbid you got a Ciao and became the laughing joke of everyone at school.

The Lambretta is a 125 LD that used to belong to my god father bought brand new by his parent and lovingly taking care of until he gave it to me on my 18th birthday after I got my car driving license, he wanted to make sure this would not be my daily commuter … I used it sparingly when I lived in Toulouse and Rouen and then got on many many cruise in Paris by night, in the early 2000 there was a group of Vespa / Lambretta owner that would drive on Wednesday evening around Paris, their starting point was a “rade” aka bar 3 doors down the street from my apartments in the Butte aux Cailles neighborhood. At the time you could get a good looking and working 60’s vespa for 1500 euros and a Lambretta for 2000 … Those price are long gone by now.

I do have all the parts and a spare engine for it, never took the time to work on it. At the time wrenching on my Smart roadster was taking all my spare time in my building underground garage as those were wildly unreliable and once stuck downstair there was no tow truck to get it out but its own power … that car was my first bought by myself brand new car and is sleeping in the same barn as the Lambretta, it is now fully functioning and gets some work out every few month when my brother is in my hometown … just gotta wait for the 25 year rule to get it in a container from Le Havre to Houston (7 more years ) … The Lambretta will must likely be in the same load as there will be space to spare in a 20 foot for the car.
That's all so cool. I bet it was a blast cruising Paris in a pack. You're a lucky man to still have the roadster and Lambretta along with the associated memories.
 
That's all so cool. I bet it was a blast cruising Paris in a pack. You're a lucky man to still have the roadster and Lambretta along with the associated memories.

Best pick up tool ever, don't tell my wife she only got to ride and get stranded on the side of the road with the Smart .... that was an interesting second date in its own !

When I moved to the US and brought the Smart back home my dad spent time cruising around with it. I am glad he did as he passed two years later. Knowing he could enjoy time with it is probably the must cherished one ... my nephews are getting to the smarter age to use it , I know one of them is eyeing it as his wedding car ... I guess I should allow him to do so.

Now if only I had the spare change for a deush ... (aka citroen 2 CV ) that would look good in the garage ... But at 15 to 20 k stateside and not much more cheaper in Europe I guess I will need to keep dreaming the days are long gone where I could just swing this out .... ah if I only I could be 25 again !!!
 
Still in. It was clear from the beginning that this was going to be a Beast Mode day. Time to pull out the 98g Butch Harner with the cocobolo handle, and see if I could shave with it without cutting myself. I haven't had any blood in a while, but I've not gotten through a shave without doing something that set off the alum alarm.

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And what better pairing for the elemental chunk of steel and wood than a nice cheap boar brush, and something as fundamental and comforting as MWF?

I guess my intuition about my capablities today was right -- usually I ding myself a couple of times approaching the skin with all that momentum behind the motion, but not this time. The edge was very comfortable, and I got DFS on the cheeks, and a quite good result on the neck, despite my unwillingness to try the careful scraping of neck hollows that I do routinely with my lighter, shorter, and more maneuverable kamisoris. The alum block gave me a clean bill of health. I am very pleased to finally feel in control of this razor.

Temptation came yesterday in the form of my reflecting how much I liked the stone handle on my Elite Razor brush, and wondering whether there was such a thing as a brush with a jade handle. Not the kind of jade Chinese collectors pay fortunes for, just something nice and stone and green. I poked around a bit, and fortunately found nothing except some wonderful inexpensive chunks of deep green stone on the Bay, and a mention of "you know, Elite Razor does custom work, and works with stone, so I bet you could ask..." That was a good point at which to cut off this enticing research project with my commitment intact.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
That's all so cool. I bet it was a blast cruising Paris in a pack. You're a lucky man to still have the roadster and Lambretta along with the associated memories.
On what kind of scooter is Sofia Goggia seen skipping around Bergamo? I'll admit it... I'm just a little obsessed... but not with the scooter. @La Malice

 
On what kind of scooter is Sofia Goggia seen skipping around Bergamo? I'll admit it... I'm just a little obsessed... but not with the scooter. @La Malice


I gotta say like for many thing I tend to know a lot on not that much and could not tell you much about it but that it is not a vintage one ...

now if you feel like it, I guess it is still for sale, I was looking at a 3800 on ebay for $850 and decided to check craigslist in that area ... it's just a 3 day drive each way from where I am at ...

si le coeur vous en dit

I guess I will have to go look at the two vintage moped for $500 each for sale 50 miles away from here at a flea market ... oh well I will stop my 2 cycle engine bantering on this wet shaving forum for now . All the best for your end of project Hendrick, once the sheet metal / rust removal / paint was done I felt like 90 % of the work was over, the rest was back in my comfort zone, and yet the solex is nowhere near complicated in term of body work compared to a Vespa ...
 

Mike M

...but this one IS cracked.
Still in
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Tonight I decided to use my old favourite, the Parker 26C paired with the Astra SS (10) my Astra SPs usually fail about now but I don't know yet if this is an anomaly or that this blade is just longer lasting than the SP. I know some people decry Parker razors, but I have 3 and this one is my favourite. The graphite handle is brass making it quite heavy so the mild head has that weight behind it giving great shaves.
I also have a Parker SR1 shavette and having followed @Contact_vs_Feedback recently I am seriously considering spending a week or two getting to know it better as I am still a little cack handed with it.
I would like to have used my TOBS Coconut cream again today, but seeing as it snowed today it didn't feel tropical enough so I went with TFS Rasozero Barbaccio lathered with the Yaqi black Ferrari.
Very impressed with the shave tonight, soap was slick and creamy no irritation and a BBS finish.
 
Did a comparison shave today between Stirling SS-ST and Karve OC-D razor

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Both felt great but I gave an edge over to the Stirling razor for more satisfying blade feedback.
Would you mind letting me know your thoughts re: comparing the OC-D to Karve SB blades? I have SB B/C/D plates but my OC-D plate is arriving soon. Would you say it is a SB-D but a bit more aggressive?
 
Don’t quote me on this but I thought with Karve, you go down from an SB plate to get a similar aggressiveness with an OC plate. So a SB-E would be similar to an OC-D
That’s what I thought as well.

The SB-D is aggressive but pretty smooth. I figured I would try a Karve OC as I am really liking open combs lately. I wasn’t sure if I should have gone OC-C or OC-D, so I went D. We shall see!
 
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