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Checking back after. nearly 7 years

Hi all!

My first post was a long time ago. And I no longer live in the UK! I've relocated to Sweden.

So, DE and SR lost traction with me pretty fast. I didn't have the patience to stick with it at all, unfortunately. And now, after all this time, I'm ready for another go! Anywho, a lot of the stuff I aqcuired back then I still have, like the Slim and the Wapi. I'm a little weary of the Slim though! So I've gone ahead and ordered a Merkur 34C HD to see if I can follow a few simple rules. Stick with one razor (one where I can't mess with the adjustable settings) and try a variety of blades. Keep track of blades used and how it felt to use it. I'm sure I'll find a winning combination. :)

I also wanted to re-post a part of a post I posted on Reddit. Maybe you'll get a kick out of it too.

$shavethings.jpg

So, decided to share the stash I've built up over a long time. And I even have a confession to make. I only regularly use a fraction of what I have, and a lot of it is old and ready for the trash... Today I decided to raid the bathroom closet and finally throw away a bunch of the old/ancient stuff I've been hoarding because "maybe I'll use it again some day".
I had some interesting feedback on Reddit on the older items. I'd noted that I was going to throwing a lot of stuff away and got messages saying that I should give it away instead, which is what I'll be doing. :)

Had a look at the photo already? Cool, here's a breakdown of what's in the photo. It's as easy as matching the numbers on the photo with the descriptions below. :)

1. Sul Filo Del Rasoio Razor Burn Repair
An after shave balm containing alcohol. I'm not sure it's a great product to use, but my face does feel good after using it. Alcohol will obviously dry out your skin so do apply a moisturising balm as well. The products from Sul Filo Del Rasoio used to say "By Proraso", but this is no longer written on the packaging.

2. Sul Filo Del Rasoio Protective Aftershave Cream
My go-to aftershave cream. Quite thick and takes a bit of time to absorb into the skin, but I really like it. Keeps my face happy!

3. Sul Filo Del Rasoio transparant shaving gel
This is the shaving gel I've been using for the last few years. It made it easier for me to shave and not accidentally shave off my goatee and mustasche. This means my brush has been left untouched for a very long time.

4. Sul Filo Del Rasoio shave cream
A shave cream that doesn't lather. I don't like it and I'll be getting rid of it.

5. Bulldog Sensitive Moisturiser
A mosturiser I picked up at the local pharmacy. It smells like old seaweed that's been drying in the sun for days. I really don't like it.

6. Kiehl's Facial Fuel
Another one I don't really like. It left my face feeling pretty tight and I'm not a huge fan of the smell.

7. Geo F. Trumper Coral Skin Food
It's been so long since I've used this I can't remember how it feels. I do remember not being a huge fan of the rose scent though. So, rose is not for me. It's probably 8 years old now but someone said they're interested in getting it so.. :)

8. Taylor of Old Bond Street lemon and lime shaving cream
Another old one! This one I do remember, but I haven't used it for ages. It's as old as no. 7 so I don't even know if it's safe to use any more! I remember a rich and nice smelling lather from this.

9. Bloc Osma alum block
I was told this was a necessity when starting with SR or DE shaving. Still have it and still awesome.

10. Shaving bowl.
Had it for ages. Just a ceramic bowl. :)

11. D.R. Harris pink after shave
Another rose scented product. Never got to like it and was bought the same time as no. 7. Contains alcohol and made my face feel quite tight after applying. That's why there's so much left of it.

12. Proraso Liquid Cream Aftershave Balm
I quite like this one. But I stopped using it because my other half really don't like the scent.

13. Men-Ü synthetic shave brush
I don't know anything about this except what the title says. It works well enough, but I don't have any experience using any other kinds of brushes. I may be looking to upgrade this one at some point.

14. Ogallala bay rum cologne
A sample I picked up from eBay in 2012. I really do like the smell. It reminds me of Glögg (a warm drink with or without alcohol consumed during Christmas times). Not sure why I didn't use more of this. Perhaps it's because I didn't want to walk around giving smelling like I was drinking Glögg around the clock. :)

15. The Brighton Beard Company mandarin and cedarwood beard oil
A great beard oil with a fantastic scent. Using this one regularly and it keeps my beard happy.

16. Mr. Bear Family citrus beard brew
Mr. Bear Family is a Swedish company and they make different products for beards. Their beard oils are a favourite of mine and I use it regularly to keep my beard happy.

17. êShave verbena lime pre shave oil
A quite nice oil that I used as a pre shave oil. It'll leave a cartridge razor very clogged though so I haven't used this for ages. I also used it as a post-shave oil during a cold winter and my face was pretty happy.

18. Proraso Pre & Post Cream
I use this regularly as a pre-shave cream. Strong menthol that'll sting your eyes a little, but I feel it really helps the razor glide smoothly.

19. Mr. Bear Family Beard Balm Citrus
Another beard product. Moisturises and shapes your beard and a great smell to boot!

20. The Body Shop maca root shave cream
A shave cream I rather like. Lathers nicely. No scent to speak of though.

21. Mystery bowl
A shave soap. I actually have no idea what's in this bowl. Completely unlabled and I just can't remember. :)

22. D.R. Harris moisture cream
An unscented thick moisturiser that absorbs quickly. I like it, but I don't use it after shaving. I got this after a winter that was particularly hard on my face.

23. Musgo Real glyce lime oil soap
And old puck of musgo real soap. I used to like it, but it left my face feeling a bit irritated after using.

24. Mitchell's Wool Fat Bath Soap
This one disappeared in the bathroom cupboard and was found again today, so I don't know anything about this one.

25. Dovo Solingen scissors, comb and case
Great set of scissors to keep my beard under control. I'm just not very good at it. ;)

26. Crabtree & Evelyn Sandalwood shave soap
An old shave soap I still have and that I've almost used up. Rich and nicely scented lather. Not using it any more and it will be purged today.

27. 1962 Gillette Slim adjustable DE razor
I got this back in 2009 and I've only used it a few times. Most likely because I had no clue what I was doing in regards to DE blades or razor settings. So it's pretty much in mint condition still, no fading, no pits, smooth operation.

28. Kent SB3 shaving soap
Fantastic shaving soap, IMHO. Smell good and gives a rich and creamy lather. Bowl is pretty much empty so I may look to replace it with something similar, unless I decide to go for cream.

29. Um. A razor. With.. cartridges.
Yeah, so this is what I've been using along with the shave gel (no. 3) and after shave (no. 2). Time to stop using this and get back into DE shaving.

Not pictured: Wapienica straight razor
A NOS straight razor I bought when I initially wanted to get into wet shaving. I tried shaving a few times and managed to not nick myself. I didn't really like how long it took me and how raw my face felt afterwards. I know it would've gotten lots better if I'd stuck with it. I wasn't a big fan of the strapping process either to be honest. I might sell this one some day.

What's my next step then? I mentioned getting a new razor, and I will. I've already pre-ordered the Rockwell Model T but as many of you know, it likely won't ship until March 2017. I've considered the Rockwell 6S and I will probably get that in October. Why October? Rockwell razors are looking into shipping razors from Europe to European customers. That means I won't be hit with import duties and potential delays. Or maybe I won't get either because it's sounding a lot like RAD. ;)

I've been reading up and I'm going to order I've ordered the Merkur 34C from Connaught Shaving. Reason? I've read that it's a pretty forgiving razor and great for beginners. Even though I've learned a lot I still consider myself a beginner, simply because I never really got into the Gillette Slim and fell back on cartridge razors again. No, I won't ask about which blades to get. I've ordered a sample of some seemingly popular blades from RazorBladesClub.com and I'll find which one works best for me. I'll do it right this time. :)

Other things I'm ordering I've ordered from Connaught? TOBS Avocado shave cream, XPEC sample and maybe the I Coloniali delicate shave cream.

Thanks for making it this far and have a great Monday!
 
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The Count of Merkur Cristo

B&B's Emperor of Emojis
wazabees :
OMG my shaving friend...so that's where you've been hiding (and over 7yrs hiatus at that), all this time have you now...but that's OK because now you're 'back in the saddle' (Yeah Baby!!!). :thumbsup:

Awesome 'kit' you have and enjoy your shaves! :w00t:

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"Things were jus' not the same with out ya". CBJ
 
Wow, thanks for sharing. Pretty fascinating to see someone come full circle :) enjoy the journey of re-discovery. There is an absolute treasure trove of INCREDIBLE products for you to discover - brushes, soaps, creams, razors, blades.... oh dear....im getting dizzy.. :thumbup:
 
Wow, thanks for sharing. Pretty fascinating to see someone come full circle :) enjoy the journey of re-discovery. There is an absolute treasure trove of INCREDIBLE products for you to discover - brushes, soaps, creams, razors, blades.... oh dear....im getting dizzy.. :thumbup:

But... it was supposed to be cheaper than shaving with cartridges! :lol:

That's a rather sad litany of products that you didn't really like, and probably didn't need. and a lesson to us all.'

True, but the only way to find out whether or not I like a product is to try it out. I now know I prefer woodsy scents like sandalwood and cedar, as well as citrus scents. :001_smile
 
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