I dissolve menthol crystals in 150 proof grain alcohol. Kid-tested/mother-approved
Flask's newbie adventure
- Thread starter flask28
- Start date
Or we could simply insult Southern womanhood on Derby day. Get a mint julep splash for free.
Always thinking!
- Thread starter
- #304
IMO trying to concentrate is counterproductive. Simply be fully aware of what you're doing/feeling/etc in a relaxed fashion.
@Chan Eil Whiskers often talks about shaving Zen, I get what you mean @Cal. Relaxed is a great term for it.
- Thread starter
- #305
oooh. I've been wanting to get a small scale to weigh my soaps as I use them up as well as compare razor part weights, you've just given me some extra motivation.
I meant to mention here that brother @Dominic generously sent me a bunch of the Bootlegger ingredients at a steep discount (Thank you sir!) so I have some chemistry projects lined up myself. Maybe we can go try to blow up your garage this summer?
There's definitely something special about knowing what I'm splashing on my face is pushing it's molecular bonds to their limits. It sure feels that way! I bet you are 95% of the way to achieving cold fusion with the Texas 10x.
I got this Bad Larry that claims to weigh down to 0.1g increments.
I’ve used it for weighing food and one razor handle (PAA el Fantasia’s handle is 5.5g on the scale), but it could probably weigh soap or bootlegger ingredients, too.
I’ve used it for weighing food and one razor handle (PAA el Fantasia’s handle is 5.5g on the scale), but it could probably weigh soap or bootlegger ingredients, too.
- Thread starter
- #307
This looks perfect. Thanks man!!
And I'm now officially adopting Bad Larry into my lexicon. That. Is. Awesome.
Flask, I think you are ready to apply for BOSC status. Ordering an Athena, getting an extra Tech, conjuring up post shaving potions, turning everything and everyone into a shaving stick…what more evidence do we need?!
And we are enjoying the heck out of it!!
Guido
And we are enjoying the heck out of it!!
Guido
- Thread starter
- #309
Thank you @Guido75!! Compared to so many of you - you in particular - I still feel so haphazard in the hobby
. I'm just so regularly inspired by so many here it's hard not to start experimenting alongside you all. Congratulations on hitting your one year B&B anniversary! What a journey you've had so far man. The way you hit it hard in the beginning and pulled back to GRUME in your first year is an inspiration and something I'd like to emulate as much as your Sherlockian BOSC adventures.
I did shave today, I've kept the Daily Shave Sprint alive to day three. But I have to crash so I'll do a double write up tomorrow. It was a great shave, so far so good but I'll need at least a week, maybe two, of the Sprint to declare my technique up for daily shaving I think.
FFFMM is definitely accellerating my pace to getting there, I'm at the point now I'm not musing about much other than angle and pressure during the shave.
Thanks again man, that's super nice of you to say
That picture with Sherlock holding a shaving brush is EPIC!! I might even change my name and avatar for that!! Haha!
Kindred souls is all I can say my friends. Oh…and…get some sleep!!
Kindred souls is all I can say my friends. Oh…and…get some sleep!!
I sure hope you would do better in GRUME than me!
I am currently on a winning streak in 2023, but I also have a couple of personal records in epic failures!But first enjoy your ride I would say!
Thanks for your support and storytelling!
Guido
Sign me up for GUME. That R part is tough.
What’s that? Gentlemanly Unlimited Massive Enablement?
I thought that’s called regular membership here.
Cheers and enjoy!
Guido
- Thread starter
- #314
FFFMM 10
SWS 3
Razor: GameChanger 68-P
Blade: Gillette Platinum (9)
Soap: Mike's Barber Shop (32)
Brush: Omega Jade Boar (50)
Transceiver: Elecraft K3
I've made it to Day 5 of this current Daily Shaving Sprint (DSS) and so far so good!! In fact, I was tested during Monday's shave like Luke going into the cave. And I feel like I did waaaay better than that whiner did.
I can report that my shaves continue to be smooth and non irritating. With the exception of an impressive nick right under my nose on Sunday - probably the worst I've had yet, but still not that bad. It was gone a few hours later - these shave are just getting closer and smoother. Well, except for yesterday.
I went into yesterday's shave with the intent to be non-intentful. To try not to think too much, but rely on my new muscle memory and "feel" to conduct the orchestra of different variables involved. I was WILDLY successful!! @Cal and @Chan Eil Whiskers' recent advice to not overthink it was dot on. Although I don't think I could have leverage this advice six months ago, it's applicability was exactly what I needed at this stage.
But this shave wasn't really successful in what we might consider traditional terms. It felt rough at first, the razor felt bitey. So I adjusted some, reducing the pressure even more and tipping a bit more shallow.
These daily shaves have been mostly two pass affairs, as was this one. A few times I felt the blade want to bite but I was loose and able to make minute adjustments on the fly and sailed through to probably the second closest shave I've had. I suspected an alum test was called for and I was right, it was surprisingly stingy for what looked and felt like a good shave.
So as I'm putting the razor away I make a startling discovery - I had forgotten to tighten up the handle!!! I did that entire shave with the razor probably 1.5-2 twists from being tight. Not quite loose enough to rattle but close. OMG, what an idiot!! As I was laughing at myself it struck me: Using feel and what I've learned intuitively rather than super deliberately I able to get my second closest shave, with limited irritation, using an dangerously and idiotically open razor.
I felt like Caine getting his brands.
This DSS is going great and the consistency of the FFFMM, and everyone's helpful advice, I'm sure are big parts of that success. I'm not sure I've cracked the code quite yet but things are looking good. If I can, you know, remember how my razor works.
----- end shaving content --------
I haven't giving an update since Saturday I see. Wow, time flies! The last few evenings I've been working on a ham radio project and it's been this crazy time sponge. This year my ARES group elected to "adopt" the rcommunications duties for three Ultramarathons this year, running and staffing the events' operational and public service communications needs. I've done a bunch of these, they are great fun. Goofing around in the forest for three days with a ton of radio stuff - I think I just described heaven.
As you can imagine, there's a lot of planning involved with recruiting and managing 50+ radio nerds over a few days. The first of the three races is in late June and I wanted to get a bunch of the long tail stuff kicked off so I dug into it the last few days and knocked a big chunk of it out.
To give you a sense of a typical setup, for this race I towed up the radio communications trailer I built from scratch. You can see my black truck stashed in the back there.
HQ is at an abandoned ranger station built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression on the east side of Mt. Hood.
Here's a shot looking out from the trailer's door on race morning:
Here's the inside of the trailer. This thing is a whole giant story itself we won't get into here other than to say building it out from an empty shell (plus all the fundraising and grant writing) was three years of my life I kinda want back
You know what's funny. One of the things I'm planning is getting my field wet shaving kit setup and ready for daily shaving during these races! lol. More to come on that.
And dang, I need to dust off my radio! You don't really see that sitting next to it that much
SWS 3
Razor: GameChanger 68-P
Blade: Gillette Platinum (9)
Soap: Mike's Barber Shop (32)
Brush: Omega Jade Boar (50)
Transceiver: Elecraft K3
I've made it to Day 5 of this current Daily Shaving Sprint (DSS) and so far so good!! In fact, I was tested during Monday's shave like Luke going into the cave. And I feel like I did waaaay better than that whiner did.
I can report that my shaves continue to be smooth and non irritating. With the exception of an impressive nick right under my nose on Sunday - probably the worst I've had yet, but still not that bad. It was gone a few hours later - these shave are just getting closer and smoother. Well, except for yesterday.
I went into yesterday's shave with the intent to be non-intentful. To try not to think too much, but rely on my new muscle memory and "feel" to conduct the orchestra of different variables involved. I was WILDLY successful!! @Cal and @Chan Eil Whiskers' recent advice to not overthink it was dot on. Although I don't think I could have leverage this advice six months ago, it's applicability was exactly what I needed at this stage.
But this shave wasn't really successful in what we might consider traditional terms. It felt rough at first, the razor felt bitey. So I adjusted some, reducing the pressure even more and tipping a bit more shallow.
These daily shaves have been mostly two pass affairs, as was this one. A few times I felt the blade want to bite but I was loose and able to make minute adjustments on the fly and sailed through to probably the second closest shave I've had. I suspected an alum test was called for and I was right, it was surprisingly stingy for what looked and felt like a good shave.
So as I'm putting the razor away I make a startling discovery - I had forgotten to tighten up the handle!!! I did that entire shave with the razor probably 1.5-2 twists from being tight. Not quite loose enough to rattle but close. OMG, what an idiot!! As I was laughing at myself it struck me: Using feel and what I've learned intuitively rather than super deliberately I able to get my second closest shave, with limited irritation, using an dangerously and idiotically open razor.
I felt like Caine getting his brands.
This DSS is going great and the consistency of the FFFMM, and everyone's helpful advice, I'm sure are big parts of that success. I'm not sure I've cracked the code quite yet but things are looking good. If I can, you know, remember how my razor works.
----- end shaving content --------
I haven't giving an update since Saturday I see. Wow, time flies! The last few evenings I've been working on a ham radio project and it's been this crazy time sponge. This year my ARES group elected to "adopt" the rcommunications duties for three Ultramarathons this year, running and staffing the events' operational and public service communications needs. I've done a bunch of these, they are great fun. Goofing around in the forest for three days with a ton of radio stuff - I think I just described heaven.
As you can imagine, there's a lot of planning involved with recruiting and managing 50+ radio nerds over a few days. The first of the three races is in late June and I wanted to get a bunch of the long tail stuff kicked off so I dug into it the last few days and knocked a big chunk of it out.
To give you a sense of a typical setup, for this race I towed up the radio communications trailer I built from scratch. You can see my black truck stashed in the back there.
HQ is at an abandoned ranger station built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression on the east side of Mt. Hood.
Here's a shot looking out from the trailer's door on race morning:
Here's the inside of the trailer. This thing is a whole giant story itself we won't get into here other than to say building it out from an empty shell (plus all the fundraising and grant writing) was three years of my life I kinda want back
You know what's funny. One of the things I'm planning is getting my field wet shaving kit setup and ready for daily shaving during these races! lol. More to come on that.
And dang, I need to dust off my radio! You don't really see that sitting next to it that much
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
⇧ Interesting adventures and pursuits ⇧
Is there a wing in the BOSC asylum for dual diagnoses?
Happy shaves,
Jim
Is there a wing in the BOSC asylum for dual diagnoses?
Happy shaves,
Jim
I finally got a new mic for my radio, plugged it in, flicked it on lower ssb, said audio a few times to check for swing and a guy comes back from Michigan. I guess the new mic works!
~doug~
- Thread starter
- #317
I finally got a new mic for my radio, plugged it in, flicked it on lower ssb, said audio a few times to check for swing and a guy comes back from Michigan. I guess the new mic works!
View attachment 1621529
~doug~
Woah - MI! That's a great first contact with the new rig!! Yeah man, I guess it's working lol. Good looking rig too.
When 10m/11m is open it's like a cup and shoestring to the world!
What I found double fun is that you have matched this old school Technology with a fitting razor!I finally got a new mic for my radio, plugged it in, flicked it on lower ssb, said audio a few times to check for swing and a guy comes back from Michigan. I guess the new mic works!
View attachment 1621529
~doug~
- Thread starter
- #319
Hold on, got another call coming in.
