My Journey - So Far

[Lockback]

Welcome to the club! One day, Dan, we will prevail!

Cheers,

Guido

I certainly hope I can get my self discipline back someday.

 

[Lockback]

Hahahahaha...you wish. I think the same thing as do most of us at some point...and then Guess What? Yep...it's the ol' Hmm, that looks really interesting or Gee, I wonder what that would be like etc. It's a human condition that we have conditioned ourselves to. It's not really harmful unless it's to the point you're not buying food or paying rent etc. For myself, I can say I've slowed it down considerably...but there's still those things that catch my eye and interest.

And, I really enjoy using those collapsible silicon bowls for lathering as well...I also see you use them too. They're great for traveling also.
Cheers!

That silly little repurposed collapsible silicon dog bowl was the best $6 I ever spent! I know it's not as sexy as a hand-hewn copper bowl but those little nubs on the bottom really help agitate some lather. Fantastic tool.
Well, here's the way I look at my shaving hobby: over the years, I've always had a hobby of one sort or another, ranging from firearms to guitars to motorcycles. And, believe me, buying a $50 razor is more affordable than a new 9mm auto for $650 or a $23,000 bike.

 

[Lockback]

Every time I think I'm done collecting/experimenting with razors, another floats by my vision and I point and jump up and down and yell, "I want to try THAT one!"
So I started with modern 3-piece razors, then veered into vintage Gillette Super Speeds and more recently the Leaf Twig & Thorn SE razors. But I got to thinking, "Gee, I'd like to try an adjustable razor."
Not a $350-$450 model but something more modest. After a fair amount of research, I narrowed it down to the Merkur Progress, the Parker Variant and the Pearl Flexi. Yes, I'm aware of the Flexi's reputation and early issues but I wanted a razor which wasn't too aggressive, well built and affordable. And I found one here on B&B's BST and got it this morning.
I didn't shave this morning so I'm looking forward to tomorrow's shave.
I'll post my impressions when I get a chance.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Every time I think I'm done collecting/experimenting with razors, another floats by my vision and I point and jump up and down and yell, "I want to try THAT one!"
So I started with modern 3-piece razors, then veered into vintage Gillette Super Speeds and more recently the Leaf Twig & Thorn SE razors. But I got to thinking, "Gee, I'd like to try an adjustable razor."
Not a $350-$450 model but something more modest. After a fair amount of research, I narrowed it down to the Merkur Progress, the Parker Variant and the Pearl Flexi. Yes, I'm aware of the Flexi's reputation and early issues but I wanted a razor which wasn't too aggressive, well built and affordable. And I found one here on B&B's BST and got it this morning.
I didn't shave this morning so I'm looking forward to tomorrow's shave.
I'll post my impressions when I get a chance.

Congrats, @Lockback . I hope you love it and the shaves it produces.

 

[Lockback]

Congrats, @Lockback . I hope you love it and the shaves it produces.

Me too. And thanks.

 

[huck1680]

I have the Flexi OC adjustable and quite like it. I'm usually on 6 but am going to try the other settings just to see how it performs.

 

[Lockback]

Some random pics ...

 

[Lockback]

In the Stop Me Before I Spend Again Department, I just ordered still more shave soap samples from Stirling Soap, Co.: Bergamot Lavender, Coniferous, Ozark Mountain, Ramblin' Man & Vanilla Sandalwood. And I added a tub of Bay Rum to boot, because I love the sample I got from them some time back. It's my addiction. I admit it.
And it's wonderful.

 

[desertcat]

Think of all the savings you had by finding the Flexi on the BST! That deserves a reward! Plus, because it's an adjustable, it's got to keep you occupied for slightly longer than a fixed-gap razor, right?

 

[Lockback]

Think of all the savings you had by finding the Flexi on the BST! That deserves a reward! Plus, because it's an adjustable, it's got to keep you occupied for slightly longer than a fixed-gap razor, right?

Well, you're right on all counts.
I love the razor. And, yes, I did save money as well. What's not to like?

 

[huck1680]

What's not to like?

Ketchup on Prime Rib...BADABOOM!

 

[Phoenixkh]

Ketchup on Prime Rib...BADABOOM!

<shudder>

 

[Lockback]

Ketchup on Prime Rib...BADABOOM!

True story:
Went out to dinner maybe 20 years ago with a good buddy and he ordered prime rib, as did I.
"And how would you like yours done, sir?" I was asked.
"Medium rare, please."
"And you, sir?" she said, addressing my friend.
"Well done."

WUT??????

 

[Lockback]

I posed this elsewhere here tonight but felt it is part of my journey ...

I posted in this thread way back in April but figured I'd add a little to it ...
Shaving isn't a hobby to most people, it's a necessity and often an annoyance. And so it was to me for dozens of years. I didn't hate shaving, I tolerated it, but I certainly didn't wake up in the morning thinking, "I can't wait to shave today!"
That was back in the days when cartridges were expensive (they're worse now!), I had a job and time was of the essence in the early morning so it's no surprise that I felt that way.
So over the last few years, I retired, I got COVID twice and its lingering effects caused me to slow down. I've always been one of those, "work to live not live to work" guys. Not that I hated the two main jobs I had in my life. In fact, I genuinely enjoyed them and, if I may be immodest, was very good at them. But I've always been a guy with a hobby. When I was a little boy, it was comic books. I collected them (how do the first issues of Spider-Man, Daredevil and The X-Men grab you?) but then at about 14 years old, I got into sports. Big time. I read everything about sports. I immersed myself in sports history and how to play each sport. (Lacking a father, I didn't really have any great mentors but I picked things up.) I was a decent, if not spectacular athlete, particularly football. I still love sports to this day but never was a serious player.
Then, in college, I got into motorcycles, a hobby I had for a half century. Ten different motorcycles, tens of thousands of miles, lots of bike tours through many states. I hooked up with a motorcycle website form, where I eventually became a moderator, then super moderator, then administrator. Again, it was my hobby ... sometimes almost all-consuming. I continued riding for 52 years until I sold my last motorcycle this past fall. Health issues, including wobbly balance, have limited me and I had to make a tough decision to finally leave something I've loved passionately for a long time.
Firearms also because a hobby about 40 years ago, when I married my first wife. I wanted a means to defend her and had done some trap shooting with a buddy and it expanded from there. Dozens of handguns, rifles and shotguns passed through my homes. I still own several and have reloaded ammunition for them all for decades, although I do less now, partially because of cost.
About seven years ago, on a whim, I picked up an electric guitar and an amp. Both were inexpensive in case I didn't take to it. But I did. And have added four more electrics and two more amps and two acoustic guitars. That became another hobby, one I enjoy immensely. I've always loved music and have been told I have a natural talent for it so now I have another creative outlet.
And then there's this, this odd shaving thing. When I got tired of paying ridiculous prices for crummy cartridge razors and bought a $13 Van Der Hagen TTO razor from Amazon and a cheap badger brush and a tub of Proraso Green, who knew it would become yet another hobby for me??
But it has. I actually enjoy shaving now. I love it. I plan the next day's shave the night before, knowing what razor/blade/soap/brush I'll use. I'm now up to 15 razors, over 600 blades, 26 soaps/creams, 4 brushes and 2 after shaves. It's frankly silly and unnecessary. It's kind of ridiculous. Who needs that many variables? Won't just one great razor and one great blade and one great soap and one great brush get the job done?
Of course.
But this isn't just a necessity anymore. It's a hobby. It's a passion. I read reviews, watch YouTube reviews, scour Etsy for vintage Gillettes, peruse Amazon for blade deals, all to feed my silly hobby. I am a man of modest means, a retired blue collar guy, not one with massive 401K's bursting with zillions of dollars. I'm the typical "fixed income retired guy". But one of the beauties of the shaving hobby is that I'm not spending $16,500 on a new motorcycle or $600 for a new 9mm pistol or $700 on another guitar but instead $50 for a new razor and $12 for a hundred blades. Sure, it adds up after awhile but that's what hobbies do. They feed your passion.
And that's okay with me.
That's why I'm here.

 

[huck1680]

I posed this elsewhere here tonight but felt it is part of my journey ...

I posted in this thread way back in April but figured I'd add a little to it ...
Shaving isn't a hobby to most people, it's a necessity and often an annoyance. And so it was to me for dozens of years. I didn't hate shaving, I tolerated it, but I certainly didn't wake up in the morning thinking, "I can't wait to shave today!"
That was back in the days when cartridges were expensive (they're worse now!), I had a job and time was of the essence in the early morning so it's no surprise that I felt that way.
So over the last few years, I retired, I got COVID twice and its lingering effects caused me to slow down. I've always been one of those, "work to live not live to work" guys. Not that I hated the two main jobs I had in my life. In fact, I genuinely enjoyed them and, if I may be immodest, was very good at them. But I've always been a guy with a hobby. When I was a little boy, it was comic books. I collected them (how do the first issues of Spider-Man, Daredevil and The X-Men grab you?) but then at about 14 years old, I got into sports. Big time. I read everything about sports. I immersed myself in sports history and how to play each sport. (Lacking a father, I didn't really have any great mentors but I picked things up.) I was a decent, if not spectacular athlete, particularly football. I still love sports to this day but never was a serious player.
Then, in college, I got into motorcycles, a hobby I had for a half century. Ten different motorcycles, tens of thousands of miles, lots of bike tours through many states. I hooked up with a motorcycle website form, where I eventually became a moderator, then super moderator, then administrator. Again, it was my hobby ... sometimes almost all-consuming. I continued riding for 52 years until I sold my last motorcycle this past fall. Health issues, including wobbly balance, have limited me and I had to make a tough decision to finally leave something I've loved passionately for a long time.
Firearms also because a hobby about 40 years ago, when I married my first wife. I wanted a means to defend her and had done some trap shooting with a buddy and it expanded from there. Dozens of handguns, rifles and shotguns passed through my homes. I still own several and have reloaded ammunition for them all for decades, although I do less now, partially because of cost.
About seven years ago, on a whim, I picked up an electric guitar and an amp. Both were inexpensive in case I didn't take to it. But I did. And have added four more electrics and two more amps and two acoustic guitars. That became another hobby, one I enjoy immensely. I've always loved music and have been told I have a natural talent for it so now I have another creative outlet.
And then there's this, this odd shaving thing. When I got tired of paying ridiculous prices for crummy cartridge razors and bought a $13 Van Der Hagen TTO razor from Amazon and a cheap badger brush and a tub of Proraso Green, who knew it would become yet another hobby for me??
But it has. I actually enjoy shaving now. I love it. I plan the next day's shave the night before, knowing what razor/blade/soap/brush I'll use. I'm now up to 15 razors, over 600 blades, 26 soaps/creams, 4 brushes and 2 after shaves. It's frankly silly and unnecessary. It's kind of ridiculous. Who needs that many variables? Won't just one great razor and one great blade and one great soap and one great brush get the job done?
Of course.
But this isn't just a necessity anymore. It's a hobby. It's a passion. I read reviews, watch YouTube reviews, scour Etsy for vintage Gillettes, peruse Amazon for blade deals, all to feed my silly hobby. I am a man of modest means, a retired blue collar guy, not one with massive 401K's bursting with zillions of dollars. I'm the typical "fixed income retired guy". But one of the beauties of the shaving hobby is that I'm not spending $16,500 on a new motorcycle or $600 for a new 9mm pistol or $700 on another guitar but instead $50 for a new razor and $12 for a hundred blades. Sure, it adds up after awhile but that's what hobbies do. They feed your passion.
And that's okay with me.
That's why I'm here.

Really well said. You must have things that give you passion and happiness. We've all gone through various stages and pursuits and like you I did some of the same things...Never a great athlete but still enjoy and watch sports, had motorcycles but sold them due to getting older, slower reflexes and lack of places to ride to. Still have a couple of guitars and am slowly getting back into playing and practising...I have the time. Also getting back to some of my artistic pursuits now that time and my patience have become increased.
Cheers!

 

[Lockback]

Really well said. You must have things that give you passion and happiness. We've all gone through various stages and pursuits and like you I did some of the same things...Never a great athlete but still enjoy and watch sports, had motorcycles but sold them due to getting older, slower reflexes and lack of places to ride to. Still have a couple of guitars and am slowly getting back into playing and practising...I have the time. Also getting back to some of my artistic pursuits now that time and my patience have become increased.
Cheers!


View attachment 1779259

And to you as well!