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May 2021 Gentlemanly Restraint Until Month End (GRUME)

What does the "Gruyere" on the list mean?
Gentlemanly Restraint Until Year's End RElief. It’s the year long sabbatical from purchasing shaving related items.
 

linty1

My wallet cries.
Gentlemanly Restraint Until Year's End RElief. It’s the year long sabbatical from purchasing shaving related items.

Thank you @Jmp63 and holy... thats a whopper of a commitment, and its only May. I'm not sure a padawan like myself is ready for that..
 
Still In

Pre-Shave: Hot Shower,
Lather: Soap Commander Endurance,
Brush: DS Maggard Blue Ocean 24 mm 2-Band,
Razor: Yaqi SE,
Blade: 1/2 Astra Super Platinum (1),
Post-shave: Avon Spicy splash, Soap Commander Endurance balm

After starting out a third shave with a Super-Max Blue Diamond Platinum that was after two shaves, like shaving with a butter knife. I picked up my Yaqi single edge razor. Probably Yaqi's copy of RazoRock's Ecco SE, the Yaqi SE is one of those one of those razors, like the Merkur 34 HD, that has perfect geometry for shaving.

I've been using it for quick touch ups rather than full shaves, until today. A new Astra SP, split in half, made for an easy, mild, but effective shave.

I haven't taken this razor seriously, considering it to be more of a novelty than a serious razor. Perhaps because of it's inherently lighter weight, or that the screw on the top cap is shorter than other razors, but you can't argue with results.

Almost at the halfway mark, look'n forward to Arko thursday
 
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Still in. I don’t have much time to add more detail. Shaving and shaving gear has been my pandemic stress relief valve. Now that life is heating up again after a brief respite it will be likely be the most challenging part of the GRUME for me.

So far so good. Nothing is tempting right now because I know I will feel even worse if I bounce out.
 
PM me your address and I will send you a few Shark Super Stainless blades so you can give them a try.

Sure why not, they’re the only ones I haven’t tried. Chrome and platinum were both substandard, but it’s been a long time since I tried either

Anyway. Still in

20DA1D89-E805-47BC-8111-CC5B7F908D7B.jpeg
 
Day Eleven...Still GRUME-ing

Pre-Shave: Hot water splashes and Proraso white pre-shave
Henson AL 13 paired with new KAI blade
Proraso green cream with menthol crystals added and dissolved in the lathering bowl water
Simpson Emperor #1
Cremo Cooling Post Shave Balm and Florida Water on hands and arms

Summary

MANY THANKS to a fellow GRUME-er. We made a trade and I received some menthol crystals in the mail yesterday. I decided today would be a menthol day. I am basically new to menthol due to past concern that it would cause irritation or sensitivity issues.

The Henson is my star performer as a mild razor. Today I felt a little dragging during the first pass WTG. Usually this razor glides across my skin without a sound. I have three hunches. I may prefer the Cremo Cooling shaving cream used as a pre-shave- I think it is more slick than the Proraso white pre-shave. Second, I am going to try a Nacet blade with the Henson and see if that is a better combo. The third possible issue was my lathering technique. I thought my face was prepped enough with warm water and I thought the lather was moist and creamy enough but who knows?

I have other news. I have been using the Gillette glide technique on the second pass to simulate a slant razor shave. Today I was gliding away and even went across the grain (is that abbreviated XTG?) on part of my jaw line.

To sum things up, the menthol experience is great. There was no sensitivity issues. Shaving part of my shave XTG(?) was a good learning experience. I don't have a desire to shave ATG anytime soon.

I am in for Arko Thursday

Good Day! :letterk1:
 
Some unsolicited tough love... screw buying the blades. You don't need them. You have another razor, don't you? You bought this razor because it was a great deal on a rare item. That doesn't mean you need to use it immediately. If you're serious about trying to limit purchases you'll put it away until your restraint is done, whether that is at the end of this month, or in July, or next Christmas.

Or do it your way. But my experience with items I bought on restraint is that I feel a tinge of sadness about them. You're the man you have to face in the mirror, so long as you're good with him you're fine.

After some reflection, you are right, I really need to break this habit of justifying my unnecessary purchases. It can wait until either September or December which are my two scheduled restraint free months this year. Even then I plan on limiting my purchases. Thanks for talking me down. Also your willpower at leaving that brush unused for so long is impressive.

I found a razor that does not tempt me in the least.
View attachment 1264664

I've been pondering this picture all morning, trying to imagine shaving while holding onto that grip. Especially ATG on the neck. Completely failed.

I also enjoy how it's obvious that it's not sharp, or he wouldn't be able to hold it like that.


I have also been looking at that picture and imagining how one shaves with it, I haven't clue either.

Edit: maybe with the grain leg shaving? I dunno I'm not a leg shaver but even that seems unlikely.
 

Mike M

...but this one IS cracked.
Still in and someone is trying to reinforce me skipping shaving while traveling this week.

Here’s my hot water after running for an hour (spoiler, it’s still cold and yellow.)


My youngest daughter told me I screwed up my reservations and ended up at the Hotel Cecil instead of the Courtyard by Marriott, Los Angeles, CA. Yay, yay indeed.
You only need to worry when the water runs blood red.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
After some reflection, you are right, I really need to break this habit of justifying my unnecessary purchases. It can wait until either September or December which are my two scheduled restraint free months this year. Even then I plan on limiting my purchases. Thanks for talking me down. Also your willpower at leaving that brush unused for so long is impressive.




I have also been looking at that picture and imagining how one shaves with it, I haven't clue either.

Edit: maybe with the grain leg shaving? I dunno I'm not a leg shaver but even that seems unlikely.
Good man yourself. There are a lot of guys here pulling for you. Unsubscribe from all vendor email lists, mute them on social media, stay away from the BST forum, ebay, and vendor sites, and in your case it sounds like avoiding antique or thrift shops might be a good idea for a while.

Also, pay attention to yourself. What triggers the desire to buy something? Is it a certain time of day? If you figure out what sets you off you're one step closer to control. I can look at pics of new kit here all day without wanting to buy anything; but after 10 or 11 at night those items begin to look irresistible, and the urge to shop around starts to grow. When I figured this out I decided that if and when I find myself with an irresistible late night urge to purchase something I'll put it in my shopping cart till after breakfast. After all, they aren't going to ship it between midnight and 7 AM, so I'm not delaying anything. But each and every time I have done that, the feeling that "I must have it now" has dissipated after some sleep and breakfast, and I then have no problem removing it from my cart. Then I feel gratitude. Lately I'm finding that feeling gratitude for not buying compulsively actually feels good, and strengthens my resolve not to buy anything.

The goal is not total abstinence like an alcoholic or an addict; rather, the goal is for control over fun and healthy desires that become miserable and unhealthy because they aren't under control. I will certainly buy shaving gear again, and when I do I want it to result in unalloyed happiness.

Good luck, man. Keep telling the truth to yourself.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
One more thing, @Heavy_Metal_Hound. I know I just suggested you stay away from the BST forum, but I'd bet that it wouldn't be too difficult for you to work a trade for the blades for your new razor, which is perfectly cool in a GRUME restraint. There's probably at least one member in this GRUME who has some of the blades you want.

There's a whole thread here devoted to blade trades. Have a look:
 
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Friends, I came close to falling today, less than halfway through. You may, or may not, remember that I reported shaves without pictures a couple of times recently. The reason was that I was wholly obsessed with honing an oddball razor that belongs to someone else. What is oddball about it is the steel. Not once I have ever heard of anyone making a razor with this steel. But actually it turned out to be really really suitable. So suitable, so wonderful to shave with, once properly honed, that I asked the sender whether I could get one like it. It is only through grace that I avoided failing my second GRUME in a row. Grace, in this case, consisting of the fact that the maker has ghosted the entire Internet, and never liked working with this steel in the first place, so it was not an option.

Still in. And no other temptations beckon. That was a big one.
 
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