What's new

April 2021 Gentlemanly Restraint Until Month End (GRUME)

Mike M

...but this one IS cracked.
Still in
IMG_20210417_213537.jpg

Tonight's shave I went with the R41 with Stirling Sharp Dressed Man lathered with the Yaqi lucky dice. My blade of choice was the Astra SS(16). The soap was fantastic and the smell is amazing, it is always exciting to lather it onto my face after waiting quite a while to acquire it.
The blade seems to have let down this shave, even with the aggressiveness of the R41 it just didn't cut the stubble like it should giving a DFS- even after touchups, and the tugging left me with minor irritation, but I still broke out the Witch hazel and Nivea after shave Balm. It still has to.be Said that 16 is a good total for a blade, equalling the Personna platinum and beating my best Astra SP by 7 shaves, most impressive for a debut, but I will have to try another blade to see if it was a fluke, but with 22 new blades to try it might be a while before I get back to it
 
Still in.

I didn't shave for a couple of days, letting my face heal after going all YOLO with the XTG shave last time. Today I resumed.

An extra-long kamisori, the stone-handled brush I am starting to like very much, and the mystery soap in the blue concrete box, now revealed by my order history as Muhle Sandalwood. Which is strange on two counts: I could swear that the soap wrapper said it was made in Britain, and I'll be darned if I can smell the sandalwood. Doesn't matter, though. I like the soap a lot, and it still reminds me of MWF in its lathering characteristics.
1618698263595.png

Needless to say, I did not go for the full XTG this time, just some sort of XTG passes in a couple of critical places. One little slice while doing that, but no blood that survived the alum block, and DFS all around. Progress.
 
Hey lads...

I just put my name on the Wolfman waiting list. I didn’t actually buy anything, commit to actually buying anything or pay a cent deposit and the wait time is 7-8 months.

I would be shocked if this kicks me out of this GRUME but I should check.

I don’t want to be called a liar liar pants on fire in 8 months when I brag about my shiny new razor and one of you guys that is a good rememberer ask for documentation for GRUME auditing purposes.

My fate is in your hands. God help me...

Honestly, I’m conflicted.

No, there wasn’t a purchase made, but there’s intent to buy. Why else would you sign up? Comparing the act of signing up for a vendor’s waitlist to the rules that prohibit PIF entry or arrangement of services, this feels very similar. Getting on the waitlist means reserving your right to buy something.

Put that way, I’m strongly inclined to say “out” for this month and for the month if/when the purchase is actually made, but I will entertain opposing arguments (if there are any).
 
Honestly, I’m conflicted.

No, there wasn’t a purchase made, but there’s intent to buy. Why else would you sign up? Comparing the act of signing up for a vendor’s waitlist to the rules that prohibit PIF entry or arrangement of services, this feels very similar. Getting on the waitlist means reserving your right to buy something.

Put that way, I’m strongly inclined to say “out” for this month and for the month if/when the purchase is actually made, but I will entertain opposing arguments (if there are any).

It is a tricky case, I agree. In a way, it is only SharpieB who should be litigating this, given the self-policing nature of the commitment here.

My own parsing of the ground rules says that a disqualification must consist of a commitment to purchase. Arranging services is a commitment to purchase. Getting on a waiting list for a possible future commitment to purchase is not. It is the decision to actually purchase that is the key go/no-go moment in my view.
 
My own parsing of the ground rules says that a disqualification must consist of a commitment to purchase. Arranging services is a commitment to purchase. Getting on a waiting list for a possible future commitment to purchase is not. It is the decision to actually purchase that is the key go/no-go moment in my view.
That's a reasonable argument. It's like putting things into a virtual shopping basket on A****n or wherever, or bookmarking auctions, and then thinking better of it the next day.

So long as you don't pull the trigger, then willpower has surely prevailed, which is the skill we are trying to learn.

The difference with a Wolfman signup is that the temptation would be much longer term. Come the time, though, you could still bale out.

Just my 2p worth.
 
It is a tricky case, I agree. In a way, it is only SharpieB who should be litigating this, given the self-policing nature of the commitment here.

My own parsing of the ground rules says that a disqualification must consist of a commitment to purchase. Arranging services is a commitment to purchase. Getting on a waiting list for a possible future commitment to purchase is not. It is the decision to actually purchase that is the key go/no-go moment in my view.
That's a reasonable argument. It's like putting things into a virtual shopping basket on A****n or wherever, or bookmarking auctions, and then thinking better of it the next day.

So long as you don't pull the trigger, then willpower has surely prevailed, which is the skill we are trying to learn.

The difference with a Wolfman signup is that the temptation would be much longer term. Come the time, though, you could still bale out.

Just my 2p worth.
Thank you both for your perspectives. Since you have jumped in, how do you contrast this with a PIF entry? I think I know the answers, but I would like to hear them articulated, if you would be so kind.

As a side note, my thought on the “purchase” aspect is that a list sign-up is one step closer to a purchase. You can’t purchase if you’re not on the list. True abstinence would be not signing up in the first place. If a married man signs up for Tinder, does his wife care that he wasn’t obligated to go on a date or is she likely upset that he considered it and took action to make it a real possibility?
 
Thank you both for your perspectives. Since you have jumped in, how do you contrast this with a PIF entry? I think I know the answers, but I would like to hear them articulated, if you would be so kind.

As a side note, my thought on the “purchase” aspect is that a list sign-up is one step closer to a purchase. You can’t purchase if you’re not on the list. True abstinence would be not signing up in the first place. If a married man signs up for Tinder, does his wife care that he wasn’t obligated to go on a date or is she likely upset that he considered it and took action to make it a real possibility?

This, gentlemen, is a nuclear bomb! @FoolishMortal has brought out the big guns and went all nuclear! This is what the Burundian Hawk would look like, if the wife found out that he had signed up on Tinder:

download (1).jpg



You don't sign up on Tinder, gentlemen! Not if you wish to keep your feathers on! Not if your wife goes to the gym more regularly than you do! :lol:
 
M

mtcn77

How about not purchasing, but testing out new products?

Would that be cheating GRUME per se?

How much is ill-intented sniffing around, how much is innocent "being true to yourself"?

Here is an example: try testing out these fragrances together - look to your own disposition whether it tempts you, or not. This challenge can be as easy, or difficult as you set it. #no one is safe from GRUME.
20210418_094258.jpg
 
Thank you both for your perspectives. Since you have jumped in, how do you contrast this with a PIF entry? I think I know the answers, but I would like to hear them articulated, if you would be so kind.

As a side note, my thought on the “purchase” aspect is that a list sign-up is one step closer to a purchase. You can’t purchase if you’re not on the list. True abstinence would be not signing up in the first place. If a married man signs up for Tinder, does his wife care that he wasn’t obligated to go on a date or is she likely upset that he considered it and took action to make it a real possibility?

This is the kind of depth of thinking achieved after successfully completing many GRUMEs.

I would have never compared it to PIF or even to the marriage.

I would compare the monthly GRUME to a committed relationship rather than married life.
If I was to compare GRUME to the married life, then it would be the Decade GRUME.

Even in a committed relationship honesty is necessary.

I wouldn't expect my girlfriend to take it kindly if I told her that I've made an arrangement for a date with someone else in advance; but don't worry since I haven't gone on the Future Date yet, I'm faithful to you.

Then again, I'm neither married nor in a relationship.
My "List" revolves around a Chubby, Karve, Kamisori, Spiffo and few Italian soaps which are readily available, so I don't know what it is like to go for a wait list for a Wolfman.

I believe that this time the debate will yield a definite explanation.

However I will say, I hate seeing members drop out on a technicality, rest is up to the experienced members.

Also, Still in.
 
Since you have jumped in, how do you contrast this with a PIF entry? I think I know the answers, but I would like to hear them articulated, if you would be so kind.

Signing up for a PIF is setting in motion the actual acquiring of shave stuff. The fact that there is an element of probability does not change the fact that you have made a decision, and taken action, such that you do not need to do anything else, take any other action, make any other decision, to receive shave stuff. So it's a clear violation.

I agree with Burundian Hawk that the marriage analogy is the nuclear bomb of analogies. In addition to its evocative power, it brings in another element that does not necessarily apply to GRUME. It could, yes, but it doesn't have to. That's the idea that willfully taking a step on the road to temptation is itself a violation. Clearly this is true in the case of, say, signing up for Tinder if you're in a committed relationship. Is it true for getting on a waitlist for a possible future purchase of shave gear?

Consider another analogy: AA. In AA they have something called a sobriety date -- the most recent start of a run of days in which you were completely abstinent. If you drink, your sobriety date has changed. If you walk into a bar, sit down, get up, and walk out, your sobriety date has not changed. AA would tell you that that is a stupid thing to do, that you are inviting temptation, and that if you make a habit of it, it will likely not end well. But you're still sober, and that's the big thing.

Consider also the slippery slope of declaring that "true abstinence would be not signing up in the first place," and that only true abstinence will keep you in a GRUME. Surely that argument would also extend to looking at web pages, reading emails, perhaps even looking at this very thread, which shows pictures of shave stuff that you don't have. But that's different, you say. You didn't enter your contact information. OK, how about signing up for a shaving gear supplier's email list? You put yourself on a list, knowing that you will be invited to purchase shave gear in the future. Is that a violation? If it is not, then why would the waitlist be one? And if it is, well, that just doesn't feel right to me. Ill-advised, perhaps. Unwise, in that it may lead to a temptation to break your commitment. But a violation in itself?
 
Still in half way mark

Prep : warm shower / Bulldog original face wash
Pre shave : Proraso white
Brush : Proraso boar by Omega
Cream : Proraso white in a tube
Razor : Merkur 34 C
Blade : Zaza (2)
Post : alum block and then Proraso White after shave balm

Result :

3rd shave with that blade, 3 pass shave. This is by far one of the dullest blade I have tried so far which also translated to the first 2 shave being nick and cut free. that being said I could see on the second shave that the blade was loosing whatever edge it had and the third attempt has confirm that. 2 nick and a bit of feedback with the alum block compared to the previous shaves.

6 shave left in the month, 1 blade to try the Bic chromium, looking at the fact that this is deemed one of the sharpest blade this will be a bit of a change, after that I will grab a Voshkod to wrap up the month. Of all the blade I have tried so far this is the best for me until now and I just want to enjoy a few more shave this month, after all this is what this is about right ?

Now with the end of the month in sight, it is time to think about resupply, my face wash is getting low and the tube of soap too … hummm the joy of searching … no tree hauling right ?
 
Planning to buy something in the future, when one will not be in a restraint anymore, seems within the rules, even if it bothers the purists. It's the actual buying that makes a person go out.

I am a newcomer so hardly expert or experienced with GRUME tradition. But, i tend to agree with this. Otherwise, what will happen if the gentleman is on GRUME also the day that he will effectively purchase the item? Go out of GRUME for 2nd time? I think it is unfair to fail 2 GRUMEs, just because the item you wanted was unavailable at the moment so you had to sign up on a waiting list. Which is what happened, if i understood correctly. Because if it was readily available, you would fail 1 GRUME. So you are in a certain sense punished for not having the item available. I think failing 1 GRUME for an item, is a more normal thing. But what do i know, i am in my first GRUME and failed already! :001_tongu

P.S.: OR, if he fails this GRUME, then when he will effectively purchase the razor, he could become "immune" of GRUME failure for the same item. This could be another solution.
 
I am a newcomer so hardly expert or experienced with GRUME tradition. But, i tend to agree with this. Otherwise, what will happen if the gentleman is on GRUME also the day that he will effectively purchase the item? Go out of GRUME for 2nd time? I think it is unfair to fail 2 GRUMEs, just because the item you wanted was unavailable at the moment so you had to sign up on a waiting list...
Signing up on a waiting list is usually like taking an option to buy at some future time. If you had to put down a deposit, I think that would be different and would put you out.
 
Top Bottom