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I will give diaring a try?

I stumbled into this section of B&B and started some reading of members diaries or journalies. And i know now i have a lot of reading to do now. But my journaling(?) will be simple and make turns i won't know why or how. So if anyone goes past this starting a journal post i hope i don't tap anything too boring. Here i go...

SHAVING:

I use a 1959 Gillette Fatboy made in the 4th quarter. From what i was told how to find this info out on/through the B&B forums by some members a couple of months ago. Also i am unsure of where or how i got this razor. It could have been a PIF or a purchse in the BST section of B&B. I think this info i will find out when i go through my closed out purerockfury account.

I use different samples from shave lather stuff to blades to aftershave stuff. That i enjoy doing a lot. But Stirling Soap Co. is my main go to company for everything soft/liquid(?) based shave and shower gear. And samples i could and can usually afford.

I also had/have an envelope shark related things like 1 blade and a shark sticker or a stamp is in. A Shark Week thing that was based through B&B a few years ago.

I have a Captain's Choice Copper Shave Bowl in Aquamarine. I think this purchase happened after an accident happened to a ceramic bowl i had. Another thing i want to look up and find out what, how and why i got/had that ceramic bowl.

Yaqi 24mm synthetic brush, i'm forgetting the name of right now. Is another purchase i made about 3 years ago or so. Possibly because another brush i had lost hairs or broke. Another thing researching that other account might help me remember.

My shaving began when i was 17/18 and senior year of vocational high school. An electric razor, i have no memory of the brand or the model. The reason i got it my facial fur grew in patches and spots across and under my face so to me that fur had to go away.

I became homeless when i was 23 for 8 months, mostly my choice/decision which i will tap about in another journal post i make. During that time a barber i met by going to his shop a few times to see if he needed help cleaning up the shop and/or shoveling snow in front of his shop in Central/East New Jersey (more of that info in future posts). One heavy snow day i saw a shovel was left out by another store in the same mini-mall complex the barber's shop was in. I used that shovel to clear the snow off the walkways of the small mini-mall complex.

A few days later i was at his shop again asking if he wanted or needed help cleaning up. This time he stopped what he was doing (cutting a man's head hair) and asked me some questions. "Why was i always coming in to help cleanup" and "was i the one who shoveled the mall's walkways and put the shovel back?". Yes was my answer to the second question. "Why are you by the door? come in it's warmer inside and we won't need to talk loudly". I said ok, took a few steps in and started to tell them i was homeless trying to earn some money and i was by the door to not let much of my B.O. be smelled by them too much.

He pointed to another of his customers chairs to sit for their hair cutting (and my mind can't remember those chair's name). Which i sat down on and watched him cut the other man's hair. They were talking to each other about what, idk? it was whispering mostly. The shaving/cutting was done. The man shook the older barber's hand, walked over to me handed me $40 (a decent amount of money in the late 1990s) i got a thank you and a handshake and the man left.

I sat there looking at the money in my hand wodering why the man gave it to me. The barber said "stop staring at your payment, you did a good job for me and my son (the man whose hair he was shaving) we were wondering who had done the shoveling of the walkways the snow plowers didn't show up till later that day." Bill (the barber's name) then said "if i could come to his shop every weekend to clean up he will pay me at the end of sunday's hours the shop was opened for. Throughout the 6 months or so of cleaning Bill's shop i learned a lot about shaving and how to use a straight razor. And my personal obsession about being a clean shaven man began.

This is probably a long read, thank you for reading it...
 
Welcome to the Journals and Diaries section!

Thank you for sharing your journal with us on Dr. King’s birthday
Thank you. And a wow from me. I did not remember or know it was the birthday of a very influential (is that a proper word?) man. I think not working and not seeing any references about today anywhere has me surprized i forgot about this day. Thank you for the reminder.
What an amazing story, I’m glad you got back on your feet and found a new passion!
Thank you. There will be more about my life in the near future having more details of my life, mainly for my re-remembering of my life that has been happening for me the past few months. That story is 30 years old since nov/dec of 2024.
 
Indeed what a great opening post in your journal. Thank you very much for sharing your story with us. It will be very interesting to follow along. Welcome to the journal section.
Thank you. I hope i make mu post in this thread not too boring and keeps people interested in them/me.
Welcome to the Journals and Diaries from the "Journal Nomad"

- Eric
Thank you
 
Somewhat an odd thing for me. I decided and unfortunately have the time to expand my journal this morning while i eat these frosted flakes...

This mornings post i wanted to go through my starting obsession of being a clean shaven man. Yesterday i introduced to B&B and the internet Bill the Barber and his son.

I was about a month being homeless and wanting/needing money. After the invite or hiring of me i started the cleaning up work the next weekend. I was told and shown what to do and how to keep out of Bill's and Steve's (the other barber there) way. I did the work with few mistakes or getting in their way. I received a $100 at the end of sun. And was told to come back next week. I was almost excited at the amount i got paid. It's the 90s in NJ i had part-time jobs that paid me less and worked more hours around that time of my life.

The next week had a small difference to me. Bill ordered lunch from a nearby diner and included me. I accepted this thinking the money i should get sun. will be less because of the price of the food. I did the work both days good and got lunch both days but the pay was the same, i asked for change of a $20, Bill asked me why and before i finished my reason i was interrupted. Bill pointed at Steve who said "if we aren't busy and have sometime to order and get food Bill will get us and now you breakfast or lunch and it costs me and you nothing". I put my pay in my pocket, thanked them both and left.

My time working in Bill's shop was similar every week. A lot of advice was given and somewhat explained to me. And only a few times i was asked about or we talked about me being homeless.

My third work days i was asked about the hair under my hat and the odd beard that was sort of growing on my face. I said my hair hardly sees anything beyond the hat i wear so i don't think about it or worry too much and my beard will gow until i can shave again but a lot of things when your homeless are difficult or hard to do.

Steve told me to go to the back room (a hair washing sink and chair was in the small room) and rarely used to wash customers hair, mainly young boys. I took the broom in my hand and started to walk back to the room. I was told to leave the broom and go sit in the chair. Steve came in told me to lean back into the sinkand he washed my hair and told me my hair was a mess but Bill will teach you the way you always wear a hat and care nothing about your hair is dum (he used phrases and words that are barely allowable on the internet...lol).

We were done and went to Bill's chair. Bill brought out his hair clippers and started trimming my hair. His advice about getting a haircut, was a way to show women you care about yourself and possibly them. And always wearing a hat (except if the weather is bad) will make you bald in a few years, i'm 68 and my hair is gray, darn wife and kids, but i still have most of it. He finished the haircut with a straight razor (something at that time in my life i knew nothing about.

Then he switched to a different SR, stropped(?) it, put it down, lathered my face and started to shave me. I had seen both of them do this but now it was happening to me. And more advice about how a man who gets haircuts needs to also shave to be a clean man (again things said in that shop and my life were/are curse words and statements a lot of people are afraid of nowadays and not internet safe). He finished the shave told Steve to get it. Steve went to his drawer with his hair cutting tools got something out and came over to me. He showed me a DE i believe was a Gillette and all metal, no plastic. And Steve said to me "this razor you will use whenever you come to the shop to shave with. Make sure your not in the way of anything or anybody and you clean up after you shave".

I said ok, thank you. Bill got a little louder and told me "let us know you need a shower, like you need right now you blah blah blah. I will call my wife and send you to my house (a NJ block away and 5 houses away from the shop houses in NJ in that area were/are 10 feet apart from each other side by side with maybe a 50 foot square-ish property) for a shower or before i open or after i close the shop you can use the back sink to wash yourself. I nearly cried as they told me this stuff and i was paid $120. My crying now didn't happen at all for anything back then.

Ok finishing this post up... i not only took showers at Bill's house or washed up in the back sink of the shop. Bill, Steve, Anika (Bill's wife, most people called her Anika because her name was difficult and for most people like me was impossible to say. Anika is also the only name i still know now) a couple of customers did too, i got deoderant, some clothes especially in the winter time, $20 tips (donations kind of i think), jobs shoveling and yard maintence (mowing lawns, trimming bushes or trees) and a few nights/days at Bill's or Steve's houses when the weather was too bad even vehicles i got into wouldn't be decent enough to be in or around. And my obsession of being a clean shaven man began.

Bill Jr, Jr as his dad called him and nearly anybody else called him, owned that mini-mall. Less than a year after i became not homeless, Anika got cancer (a female one). Jr lived in Florida; he came up for his mother his sister went to NJ as well, she was living in California. Jr sold the mini-mall, the shop got closed, they got Anika and Bill down to Florida and did everything in NJ for their parents.

I learned 5 years later during my short time on the internet book Anika passed away a few months after her diagnosis. And Bill passed away nearly a year after Anika passed away. Jr wanted to send me the DE, the SR used by dad for shaving and the strop. He said his father wanted to give it to me before they went to Florida but he never got to see me enough or before that stuff got packed up and delivered to Florida.

At my online book time i was working a full and part time jobs and in the middle of another move to my own apartment (ok not my own a friend/roommate) was moving in with me. I told Jr what i was doing and when i was done with the move i will let him know. Missed messages and phone calls and my time on the book ended. So Bill's gear fortunately stayed with Jr. We talked a few more times and that very important time in my life came to an unfortunate end.

And this re-remembering and this deep emotional feeling may have made me over tap this moment in my life but thank you internet, B&B and any of it's members that read any part of this post.
 

blethenstrom

Born to häckla
Somewhat an odd thing for me. I decided and unfortunately have the time to expand my journal this morning while i eat these frosted flakes...

This mornings post i wanted to go through my starting obsession of being a clean shaven man. Yesterday i introduced to B&B and the internet Bill the Barber and his son.

I was about a month being homeless and wanting/needing money. After the invite or hiring of me i started the cleaning up work the next weekend. I was told and shown what to do and how to keep out of Bill's and Steve's (the other barber there) way. I did the work with few mistakes or getting in their way. I received a $100 at the end of sun. And was told to come back next week. I was almost excited at the amount i got paid. It's the 90s in NJ i had part-time jobs that paid me less and worked more hours around that time of my life.

The next week had a small difference to me. Bill ordered lunch from a nearby diner and included me. I accepted this thinking the money i should get sun. will be less because of the price of the food. I did the work both days good and got lunch both days but the pay was the same, i asked for change of a $20, Bill asked me why and before i finished my reason i was interrupted. Bill pointed at Steve who said "if we aren't busy and have sometime to order and get food Bill will get us and now you breakfast or lunch and it costs me and you nothing". I put my pay in my pocket, thanked them both and left.

My time working in Bill's shop was similar every week. A lot of advice was given and somewhat explained to me. And only a few times i was asked about or we talked about me being homeless.

My third work days i was asked about the hair under my hat and the odd beard that was sort of growing on my face. I said my hair hardly sees anything beyond the hat i wear so i don't think about it or worry too much and my beard will gow until i can shave again but a lot of things when your homeless are difficult or hard to do.

Steve told me to go to the back room (a hair washing sink and chair was in the small room) and rarely used to wash customers hair, mainly young boys. I took the broom in my hand and started to walk back to the room. I was told to leave the broom and go sit in the chair. Steve came in told me to lean back into the sinkand he washed my hair and told me my hair was a mess but Bill will teach you the way you always wear a hat and care nothing about your hair is dum (he used phrases and words that are barely allowable on the internet...lol).

We were done and went to Bill's chair. Bill brought out his hair clippers and started trimming my hair. His advice about getting a haircut, was a way to show women you care about yourself and possibly them. And always wearing a hat (except if the weather is bad) will make you bald in a few years, i'm 68 and my hair is gray, darn wife and kids, but i still have most of it. He finished the haircut with a straight razor (something at that time in my life i knew nothing about.

Then he switched to a different SR, stropped(?) it, put it down, lathered my face and started to shave me. I had seen both of them do this but now it was happening to me. And more advice about how a man who gets haircuts needs to also shave to be a clean man (again things said in that shop and my life were/are curse words and statements a lot of people are afraid of nowadays and not internet safe). He finished the shave told Steve to get it. Steve went to his drawer with his hair cutting tools got something out and came over to me. He showed me a DE i believe was a Gillette and all metal, no plastic. And Steve said to me "this razor you will use whenever you come to the shop to shave with. Make sure your not in the way of anything or anybody and you clean up after you shave".

I said ok, thank you. Bill got a little louder and told me "let us know you need a shower, like you need right now you blah blah blah. I will call my wife and send you to my house (a NJ block away and 5 houses away from the shop houses in NJ in that area were/are 10 feet apart from each other side by side with maybe a 50 foot square-ish property) for a shower or before i open or after i close the shop you can use the back sink to wash yourself. I nearly cried as they told me this stuff and i was paid $120. My crying now didn't happen at all for anything back then.

Ok finishing this post up... i not only took showers at Bill's house or washed up in the back sink of the shop. Bill, Steve, Anika (Bill's wife, most people called her Anika because her name was difficult and for most people like me was impossible to say. Anika is also the only name i still know now) a couple of customers did too, i got deoderant, some clothes especially in the winter time, $20 tips (donations kind of i think), jobs shoveling and yard maintence (mowing lawns, trimming bushes or trees) and a few nights/days at Bill's or Steve's houses when the weather was too bad even vehicles i got into wouldn't be decent enough to be in or around. And my obsession of being a clean shaven man began.

Bill Jr, Jr as his dad called him and nearly anybody else called him, owned that mini-mall. Less than a year after i became not homeless, Anika got cancer (a female one). Jr lived in Florida; he came up for his mother his sister went to NJ as well, she was living in California. Jr sold the mini-mall, the shop got closed, they got Anika and Bill down to Florida and did everything in NJ for their parents.

I learned 5 years later during my short time on the internet book Anika passed away a few months after her diagnosis. And Bill passed away nearly a year after Anika passed away. Jr wanted to send me the DE, the SR used by dad for shaving and the strop. He said his father wanted to give it to me before they went to Florida but he never got to see me enough or before that stuff got packed up and delivered to Florida.

At my online book time i was working a full and part time jobs and in the middle of another move to my own apartment (ok not my own a friend/roommate) was moving in with me. I told Jr what i was doing and when i was done with the move i will let him know. Missed messages and phone calls and my time on the book ended. So Bill's gear fortunately stayed with Jr. We talked a few more times and that very important time in my life came to an unfortunate end.

And this re-remembering and this deep emotional feeling may have made me over tap this moment in my life but thank you internet, B&B and any of it's members that read any part of this post.
What a wonderful continuation on your journey. Such nice and kind people like Steve, Bill and Anika looking out for you and helping you get your feet under you. They seem like very special people. We need to take care of each other. Sometimes just a few acts of kindness is what changes a person's life. Thank you again for sharing this. It made my day reading it. -Boris
 
I am not trying to be any "type" of person. But if anyone wants to ask me questions i am ok to answer them. Ok, questions about me or any question but i know very little info of a few things. But i will try to answer the best way i can.

Also i am not against any comments or replys, within B&B's rules of course. So say what you want.

My internet book thing in today's post time limit i believe is way off. The internet book was 2000s maybe 2005 or so? And i was homeless when i was 21/22 which was 1994/1995 so my internet book time was like 10+ years later. Which was a time i was moving to a different apartment and going to have a different roommate.

I have troubles with remembering the years of my early internet life.

My interaction with JR through the book happened when i was in my 30s. So i am sorry for tapping all that stuff and not fully getting it correct. I guess my re-remembering things has some slips, darn me.

Now i am bowing my head in shame....
 
This morning i started stepping into the journal forum deeper. I was nervous at first but that went away quickly. I will catch up on most of everybody's journals, i have the time to most days. So if it matters to anyone i will get to your journal but this pocket computer, my hands and my slow reading and reply posting slows me down a lot.

I had a good shave yesterday, the 4th one of 2025 and january. I was accepted into the january GRUME. This mornings grow back is slightly heavier on my heiney chin than anywhere else that i shaved yesterday. I barely feel any fur except on my heiney chin. I believe that section of my face doesn't get enough passes to get the fur as low or under my face skin that happens on my upper lip and cheeks. I do several passes each way WTG and ATG and get a few faster passes each way until i don't feel or hear my fur being cut and i just stop with that section. The heiney part i always keep forgetting to add the XTG passes i have to do to get the fur in there cut down. The fur in there doesn't get cut because the heiney cheeks are not just puffed up skin, the bones in that part of my face grew out so the DE just glides over that fur.

I only have my personal reasons to shave and no needs to shave like a woman being part of my life. So the tiny scrubble on and under my chin will wait 2 more days at least till it gets taken care of again.

21 blades left in the sample blade pack i have. It's 4 tuck boxes 2 of which are Gillette blades. So when i put the last Rapira blade in my 1959 Gillette i will choose the next brand of blades. Sharks have been my favorite of the blades i've tried, both for a shavette and DE. So if i find another blade sample pack again i will hope the sample pack has different brands and models and has at least 1 Shark tuck box.

Good day and shaves to you all
 

blethenstrom

Born to häckla
This morning i started stepping into the journal forum deeper. I was nervous at first but that went away quickly. I will catch up on most of everybody's journals, i have the time to most days. So if it matters to anyone i will get to your journal but this pocket computer, my hands and my slow reading and reply posting slows me down a lot.

I had a good shave yesterday, the 4th one of 2025 and january. I was accepted into the january GRUME. This mornings grow back is slightly heavier on my heiney chin than anywhere else that i shaved yesterday. I barely feel any fur except on my heiney chin. I believe that section of my face doesn't get enough passes to get the fur as low or under my face skin that happens on my upper lip and cheeks. I do several passes each way WTG and ATG and get a few faster passes each way until i don't feel or hear my fur being cut and i just stop with that section. The heiney part i always keep forgetting to add the XTG passes i have to do to get the fur in there cut down. The fur in there doesn't get cut because the heiney cheeks are not just puffed up skin, the bones in that part of my face grew out so the DE just glides over that fur.

I only have my personal reasons to shave and no needs to shave like a woman being part of my life. So the tiny scrubble on and under my chin will wait 2 more days at least till it gets taken care of again.

21 blades left in the sample blade pack i have. It's 4 tuck boxes 2 of which are Gillette blades. So when i put the last Rapira blade in my 1959 Gillette i will choose the next brand of blades. Sharks have been my favorite of the blades i've tried, both for a shavette and DE. So if i find another blade sample pack again i will hope the sample pack has different brands and models and has at least 1 Shark tuck box.

Good day and shaves to you all
Which one of the Shark blades is your favorite? Personally I am a fan of Lord blades in general.
 

blethenstrom

Born to häckla
The shavette ones i still have are super stainless and has Saloon printed under that. The DEs i am remembering 2 kinds, super stainless and maybe super chrome or just chrome. My internet search didn't help my memory much.
Cool. Yeah you should try the Shark Platinum as well. A lot of the other Lord blades are great as well. Like Lord Platinum, Lord Cool, Silver Star, Big Ben, ASCO. They make a lot of them.
 
Cool. Yeah you should try the Shark Platinum as well. A lot of the other Lord blades are great as well. Like Lord Platinum, Lord Cool, Silver Star, Big Ben, ASCO. They make a lot of them.
I believe i saw a red ASCO tuck box in my sample DE blade pack. They will be the next ones i try.

See now you made me do 2 things, get off my bed to get the Shark blade box, but it was later morning for me and i should have been off my bed already. And i now have a list of blades to try to get tuck boxes of, but i have time to do that i don't need blades right now but your post and that list will wiggle it's way into me getting them sooner than i need to... lol...
 

blethenstrom

Born to häckla
I believe i saw a red ASCO tuck box in my sample DE blade pack. They will be the next ones i try.

See now you made me do 2 things, get off my bed to get the Shark blade box, but it was later morning for me and i should have been off my bed already. And i now have a list of blades to try to get tuck boxes of, but i have time to do that i don't need blades right now but your post and that list will wiggle it's way into me getting them sooner than i need to... lol...
and that is why we are here...enabler like we are. At least blades are probably the "least harmful" of the acquisition disorders here on B&B. Counting on razorbladesclub's site I count 21 different blades made by Lord!.

For me I am trying to sail through the year without buying anything shave related, but I have plenty to carry me through so I should be fine. I entered the GRUYERE for this year for that reason. Hopefully I can make it all the way.
 
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