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Cal Ripkin Challenges - 2,632 in a Row (The hardest challenge in B&B)

I might have to get this book. It can join my collection of books by other sports figures.


AoM; B.O.S.S.;Knight of the Veg Table;MFR2019

He isn't a sports figure, but Shadow is a good friend of mine. I've edited some of his books (for free), but I didn't edit this one.

 
Cal Ripken is a sports figure. Did he not write the book?


AoM; B.O.S.S.;Knight of the Veg Table;MFR2019

"See you down the Trail" was written by a friend of mine after he hiked the Appalachian trail. His life is another story of showing up every day.
 
If the Van Der Hagen razor is made of brass and since GaryTha gets many shaves from one blade, it should last for the duration. The Cremo horsehair brush I think is the weak point and might not make it. But the hardest part for this endurance challenge is the willpower. For some shavers like myself who like variety this challenge is impossible. Cal Ripkin had extraordinary willpower playing through so many injuries for so long, makes him a legend.

The Van Der Hagen razor is brass, including the head.

Any brush will be a weak point. I've learned to make lather without abusing it much. Hopefully, it works. An expensive brush might not work as well.

I'm buying enough soap and blades for the duration. I don't want to be caught short by a product disappearing.

I'll need the willpower of a normal shaver. I'll entertain myself in B&B by entering the endurance and minimalist challenges.
 
My Astra SP blades got "Wally Pipped."

When I started shaving, I bought Gillette WS blades and Astra SP blades. I've been alternating blades, but for the Cal Ripkin challenge, I need to pick one. The only difference is I've used an Astra SP blade for 52 shaves on the same blade, and the WS for only 26 shaves on the same blade. However, I wasn't experienced enough to know I could have gone longer with both blades. I have 21 shaves on the WS blade in the razor, and today, it gave me a great shave.

This excerpt from Cal Ripkin's book decided it for me:

Wally Pipp was a very fine baseball player. He had two years leading the home run category in the American League for the Yankees, who won three pennants in consecutive years in the early 1920s, as well as the World Series in 1923. Pipp was no slouch as a baseball player. Then one day in 1925, he got a headache and sat out a game. His place at first base was taken by a guy named Lou Gehrig. And baseball, not to mention Wally Pipp, was never the same again.
Ripken Jr., Cal; Dale, James. Just Show Up (Kindle Locations 100-103). Harper. Kindle Edition.
 
Since the Astra SP blades got "Wally Pipped" I found I'm already 21 days into the challenge with the Wilkinson Sword blades.

I accepted all four challenges plus the single setup challenge. The dates are different because I have a spare razor and two types of blades. I'm going to PIF these soon, so the temptation is gone.

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Cal Ripkin didn't have the longest streak in baseball.

“From opening day in 1960 . . . Tyler was the umpire attendant for every Orioles home contest, a streak of 3,819 games.
Ripken Jr., Cal; Dale, James. Just Show Up (Kindle Locations 202-203). Harper. Kindle Edition.
 
I owned only one razor, a 1940s Gillette Rocket, from the time I started shaving in 1974-ish till late 2014 when I discovered internet shaving forums and went razor crazy. I still have that razor BTW.

My streak broke once in 1987 and once in 1989 in Acapulco on vacation when I brought Bic disposables.

So 1973-1987 (average maybe 4 shaves a week - 2900 shaves) and 1989-2014 (average 6 shaves a week - 4700 shaves) are my two razor streaks.

Blades and soap was whatever was available at the pharmacy. Brush was either my dad's (when I used a cream) or nothing (when I got lazy and used canned foam)
 
I added another challenge called the "Every Day Shaver" challenge. As @rudyt pointed out, getting 2,632 shaves takes significantly longer if a person doesn't shave every day.

Shaving 2,682 days in a row is unlikely for me, but why not try? If I fail, I'll start over. Meanwhile, the effort will help me complete the other challenges sooner.

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I don’t see people running to sign up for this one. Why? Boring!!!!!

I see people running away.

Creativity begins with a single point of expansion. What would you think of creating a league with goals named after metals used to make razors? Like Zamak 26, Bronze 50, etc.
 
It would take twelve and a half years for me, at my current rate of four shaves per week.

I'm out.


(I've been using the same razor for every shave since late August. I think I could easily use the same razor for every shave in the year 2020, but 12 years is a long, long time.)
 
Like some have commented, I will pass on this one. I like variety in blades, and soaps. And also rotating between my Van der Hagen and Merkur 1904 razors.
 
This needs a super-duper challenge option. Strike #2 and replace with

2. The same blade.

If you thought the posted challenge was going to struggle to get any takers... :)
 
I see people running away.

Creativity begins with a single point of expansion. What would you think of creating a league with goals named after metals used to make razors? Like Zamak 26, Bronze 50, etc.
I mean no disrespect if you can do it do it. I however could not. I shave usually Monday Wednesday and Friday. It would take me almost 16 years to get that many shaves. I respect the guys that can.
 
not sure I’d ever be able to make it through the single setup challenge seeing as how a lot of times I’m going through TSA with just a carry on. Could probably do the same brush for that many days, but man oh man. Good luck to those who beat the streak so to say.
 
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