Checking in... from the Great Pacific Northwet! (No, as any resident can tell you, that's *not* a msispelling.)
I started shaving with a mug and brush thirty odds years ago because canned creams (with the exception of one brand, which I hated) were/are banned onboard submarines. (The propellants are not good for enclosed atmospheres.) I grabbed a cheap brush, ceramic mug, and William's soap down at the Navy Exchange and that's more or less where I've been since. I've had a beard off and on since I left the Navy in '91, and when I shaved it off for last Movember the LOML implored me to stay smooth rather than re-growing it.... since I grew a beard mostly to avoid the unpleasant task of shaving, I agreed. In the last couple of days I convinced myself that "self, there's got to be something better" and hit Google to learn more about shaving, and boy do I wish I had done so years and years ago. B&B's page on proper lathering alone has made the task vastly more pleasant. (Or to put it another way, I've been Doing It Wrong all these years.)
My current shaving accouterments, thoughts, and near term plans;
Soap - Currently a puck of Van Der Hagen glycerin since that's what was available at the drugstore nearest my house, still searching locally for William's. RazoRock Artisan R-160 on order from WCS.
Mug - A very old, first generation, travel mug (the kind that came with a base you stuck to your dash and clicked the cup into) that was bought from the ship's store when my ceramic one was broken. It's well worn, but the ship's crest is still very legible on the side. I think I'm due for an upgrade because it's relatively tall and thin profile is probably part of my problem in lathering. (Time to hit Target, Wally World, IKEA, etc...)
Brush - A cheap piece o' synthetic krep bought years ago to replace an even cheaper piece o' synthetic krep whose plastic handle broke. Semogue 1250 on order from WCS. (Nice reviews, decent price, and I have to start *somewhere*.)
Razor - Mach III cartridge. I've never been really happy with it, and now that I know that a lot of older carts *are* available, I wish I knew where my old twin-blade handle is... (Any experts on identifying razor systems from vague descriptions about?) Gillette Guard Cartridge Razor on order from WCS. A better razor of some kind is definitely in the air, but I doubt I'll go so far as a straight razor - with my eye-hand coordination, I'd need a plastic surgeon on retainer.
Hmm... what else? Passionate and avid photographer, geocacher, active in the SCA, and modest woodworker. I think that about covers it.
I started shaving with a mug and brush thirty odds years ago because canned creams (with the exception of one brand, which I hated) were/are banned onboard submarines. (The propellants are not good for enclosed atmospheres.) I grabbed a cheap brush, ceramic mug, and William's soap down at the Navy Exchange and that's more or less where I've been since. I've had a beard off and on since I left the Navy in '91, and when I shaved it off for last Movember the LOML implored me to stay smooth rather than re-growing it.... since I grew a beard mostly to avoid the unpleasant task of shaving, I agreed. In the last couple of days I convinced myself that "self, there's got to be something better" and hit Google to learn more about shaving, and boy do I wish I had done so years and years ago. B&B's page on proper lathering alone has made the task vastly more pleasant. (Or to put it another way, I've been Doing It Wrong all these years.)
My current shaving accouterments, thoughts, and near term plans;
Soap - Currently a puck of Van Der Hagen glycerin since that's what was available at the drugstore nearest my house, still searching locally for William's. RazoRock Artisan R-160 on order from WCS.
Mug - A very old, first generation, travel mug (the kind that came with a base you stuck to your dash and clicked the cup into) that was bought from the ship's store when my ceramic one was broken. It's well worn, but the ship's crest is still very legible on the side. I think I'm due for an upgrade because it's relatively tall and thin profile is probably part of my problem in lathering. (Time to hit Target, Wally World, IKEA, etc...)
Brush - A cheap piece o' synthetic krep bought years ago to replace an even cheaper piece o' synthetic krep whose plastic handle broke. Semogue 1250 on order from WCS. (Nice reviews, decent price, and I have to start *somewhere*.)
Razor - Mach III cartridge. I've never been really happy with it, and now that I know that a lot of older carts *are* available, I wish I knew where my old twin-blade handle is... (Any experts on identifying razor systems from vague descriptions about?) Gillette Guard Cartridge Razor on order from WCS. A better razor of some kind is definitely in the air, but I doubt I'll go so far as a straight razor - with my eye-hand coordination, I'd need a plastic surgeon on retainer.
Hmm... what else? Passionate and avid photographer, geocacher, active in the SCA, and modest woodworker. I think that about covers it.
(Again?)
