The Journal Of Huck...

[huck1680]

Ok so for todays off shaving post...I bring you Bond...James Bond. With those words Connery launched the Bond series into the stratosphere. There has never been such an iconic figure which has affected so much of the cinematic universe as...Bond. Everyone wanted to emulate Bond, from the ludicrous..Matt Helm, Flint to the excellent Harry Palmer of the Ipcress Files and Jason Bourne. They all owed Ian Fleming, who took the "hardboiled dick" to new and previously unthought of regions. He was an instant hit. Suave, debonair and deadly. A license to kill. That was new.
And the perfect choice...Sean Connery, a tall taciturn Scot who embodied what Fleming wrote. At first Fleming detested Connery, even going so far as to call him "that great lorry driver". After "Dr. No" Fleming was so impressed that he made Bonds parents Scottish.
Connery continued his Bond portrayal which also made him an international star. There were issues etc. As always.
Connery came to his final almost outing in "You Only Live Twice"
Then came Lazenby, an Aussie who was in retrospect, an excellent Bond...he just wasn't Connery. He even famously said "This never happened to the other fella". OHMSS was a great movie and Lazernby could've been Bond for the next multi-movie package...but received incredibly bad advice from an agent who said that Bond was a dying movie series etc. Poor George, if only he had listened to those who knew. Even he acknowledged his rather stupid decision.
Then it's Sean...again in "Diamonds Are For Ever" Good to see Connery again even if its not up to "From Russia With Love".
Then, for me, it's into the dark period where Bond becomes "humorous and a p***y". Moore who certainly has his admirers and fans is to me the worst Bond because he is so "unBond". Moore hated guns...ok, violence...so why are you Bond? He even dressed as a clown...fah krissake. The only time he showed Bondian ruthlessness was when he kicked the car containing Locque over the cliff in "For Your Eyes Only". And Moore was unhappy about that. Moore brought more humour than was needed and a lack of gravitas plus some truly silly plots. "MoonRaker" anyone?
With Connery you knew if he hit you it was gonna leave a mark...Moore, meh probably wouldn't hurt that much.

Then in the middle of the Moore period it's "Never Say Never Again" an enjoyable romp with Connery that reprises the "ThunderBall" script with a great villain.

Then it's on to Dalton who gave two of the more under appreciated Bonds. Great action, plots and maybe a bit less humour but that was actually a terrific reprieve. Both films were darker and more serious than the Moore outings...thankfully.

Now it's the Brosnan period who, I must admit I enjoyed even if some of the plotting was on the goofy side. Ghost cars? Goldeneye was a great show for Bosnans debut. Excellent action, plotting and characterizations. Especially by Dench. Could've done without JD Bakers character but oh well. Or a better actor.

Now it's' Daniel Craig who brought Casino Royale back into the proper Bond fold. A superb movie with Craig heading to the #2 slot of all-time best Bonds.
Dark, gritty and realistic a total overhaul of Bond and the entire series. Excellent. All Craigs movies were better than anything Moore did. Even "A Quantum off Solace" which was admittedly the weakest of the Craig bunch.

When Bond first came out I couldn't believe what I was seeing, at the age of 11, I was mesmerized by this character. The toys, the action figures, the Corgi facsimiles and on and on. Bond was right there with Beatlemania.
So now I have via gifting two of the Bond "dolls". One of Connery and the other of Dr.No. Plus a couple of die-cast models, one from the Danbury Mint of the 1964 DB5 Astin Martin. Which is from my dad for Xmas one year.
Then there's the James Bond Archives book which weighs about 13 lb. Then some cocktail shakers, the bullet shaker has the decals worn off. And some shooter glasses. There's more but you get the idea.
Probably my favourite series of movies except for the previously mentioned "Dark Period"
Not sure what the producers are going to do next but it could be/might be interesting.
Remember "Shaken...not stirred"

 

[huck1680]

So, we're at the lake and it's very hot the day I get there, Friday. Also there was a good sized black bear on the deck. He seemed very calm and just looks around before ambling off. I had a tent swatted in on top of me years ago by a bear, so I have a certain cautious attitude towards them that can get in the way of me going hiking around the park.
Then it cools down to 20 C for Saturday. We go on a road trip around the park and outside to a few small towns around the park here in Manitoba. Very nice day. BBQd a steak coupled with a Caesar salad and a cold beer for dinner...excellent day. There was also a triathlon here in the park...chilly start but it seemed to be successful...no bear encounters, or they were bearly noticed. Hah.
Going to see about trying to fit a golf game in...I'm terrible but I have to thin out my golf ball collection which I've been getting for Xmas, Bdays etc. I can, without much trouble lose a dozen during one game. It's a gift.
A few pics of the place, me, bears and paddling around the lake.
Oh yeah, my shave of the day.
Speick shaving cream, Edwin Jagger synthetic travel brush, collapsible silicone lather bowl and my Merkur travel DE set and Perma-Sharp blades. Great lather good for 3 passes, I really like Parma-Sharp blades as well. The lather bowl is excellent because it fits my Dopp kit without taking up a lot of room. I used to use a soap stick that I would rub on my face and then use the brush to create lather. It was ok but having the lather bowl just makes the shave so much nicer. The brush also breaks down with the knot fitting into the handle.
The pics of me are from last year, I have since shaved down to a 'stache and goatee.
Cheers gentlemen!

 

[VitBut]

Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experiences about shaving and not only about it, for interesting reviews of razors and wonderful photos, also thank you separately for supporting Ukraine and especially the guys from Smart-Helix. I will be glad to see you in Ukraine after the war and, if possible, I will personally meet with you. Vitaly from Kharkov

PS The cap is super cool on the photo where you are on the lake

 

[huck1680]

Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experiences about shaving and not only about it, for interesting reviews of razors and wonderful photos, also thank you separately for supporting Ukraine and especially the guys from Smart-Helix. I will be glad to see you in Ukraine after the war and, if possible, I will personally meet with you. Vitaly from Kharkov

PS The cap is super cool on the photo where you are on the lake

Thank you for your kind reply. I look forward to seeing Ukraine at some point. Hopefully this war ends sooner with Russia back where they belong, beaten with the understanding they cannot subjugate a free people.
I would look forward to meeting you Vitaly, if possible and please take care of yourself and be safe. Yeah, I like the cap as well. Got it with another hat (beret) I ordered on line...I like the cap better than the beret.

 

[Raven Koenes]

So, we're at the lake and it's very hot the day I get there, Friday. Also there was a good sized black bear on the deck. He seemed very calm and just looks around before ambling off. I had a tent swatted in on top of me years ago by a bear, so I have a certain cautious attitude towards them that can get in the way of me going hiking around the park.
Then it cools down to 20 C for Saturday. We go on a road trip around the park and outside to a few small towns around the park here in Manitoba. Very nice day. BBQd a steak coupled with a Caesar salad and a cold beer for dinner...excellent day. There was also a triathlon here in the park...chilly start but it seemed to be successful...no bear encounters, or they were bearly noticed. Hah.
Going to see about trying to fit a golf game in...I'm terrible but I have to thin out my golf ball collection which I've been getting for Xmas, Bdays etc. I can, without much trouble lose a dozen during one game. It's a gift.
A few pics of the place, me, bears and paddling around the lake.
Oh yeah, my shave of the day.
Speick shaving cream, Edwin Jagger synthetic travel brush, collapsible silicone lather bowl and my Merkur travel DE set and Perma-Sharp blades. Great lather good for 3 passes, I really like Parma-Sharp blades as well. The lather bowl is excellent because it fits my Dopp kit without taking up a lot of room. I used to use a soap stick that I would rub on my face and then use the brush to create lather. It was ok but having the lather bowl just makes the shave so much nicer. The brush also breaks down with the knot fitting into the handle.
The pics of me are from last year, I have since shaved down to a 'stache and goatee.
Cheers gentlemen!
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We had a black bear wander into my neighbor's yard. His daughter was playing in the backyard. I got her inside. I went back home and watched it through the window. People were pulling over their cars and going up to the bear to take pictures with it. Now, I understand how things like this happen:

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Hey guys
The shave today was another in an ongoing series of just really good and comfortable shaves. My Great 8 (soon to be the Magnificent 9) are all contributing to one great day after the other. Today, Nacet with 3 shaves on it, Zenith boar with olive handle, Naked Armor SS scuttle, Speick soft-soap(tube) and my Dart re-issue razor. A fine shave to start an ok day.

Now, I'm going into the WayBack machine Mr. Peabody, to serve up a few of my former motorcycles and me at various points as well.

Firstly my 1980 Honda 750 Custom. I had just graduated the Alberta College of Art, gotten my first job and got divorced. Quite the year. My former wife , bless her heart, told me after the court proceedings were over "Don't take this personally, but I don't ever want to see you again".
Well...it turns out she was right. Why would you want to see/talk to anyone who said that? Now in my own defence I was an idiot so that probably had a lot to do with it.
Anyway after that I bought a motorcycle...I mean what else would you do? The first one got wiped out with me on it by a clown who rear ended me at a stop light. No in juries at all to me until the ambulance showed up. In the cop car one of the officers said "That's why we call them murdercycles". Now when the dimwit who hit me heard that he thought the police were on his side, and said "Yeah that's why..." He didn't get to finish because I had my hands around his neck and was doing my dead level best to choke the living s***t out of him. The police pulled me off after a minute and we got on with the rest of the evening. He was charged with following too close and being a moron...I think.
The ambulance arrived and I went inside so they could check me out. That's where I got hurt. Yep...IN the ambulance. Dude reaches across me to get his hard plastic medical case and drives the sharp end corner into my knee. Holy Crap that hurt and I let him know. He didn't seem too concerned and told me that was nothing seeing as how I'd just survived a car/motorcycle accident. Whatever.
At the end I got the totalled bike hauled to where I bought it and then a ride home. One of the worst months I'd ever had.
Here's the second 750 which was exactly like the first one. The pics show me in one where I actually started to do a self portrait and the other one with me trying to look cool.
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Now the next bike was a Kawasaki 1500. I did a lot of work to the bike. Got rid of the catalytic converter, changed the pipes, re-did the front forks, bars, risers, cruise control(mechanical), seat upholstery, windshield, bags, custom paint, backrest and luggage rack etc. Took it across to Vancouver island and toured the whole island. Beautiful. I met a guy from Texas who was pulling a homemade kayak behind his BMW 650...really. Nice guy, good carpenter who hadn't done a lot of kayaking. Beautiful boat but he was not happy with kayaking in general. He was headed to Alaska and going to drag the boat all the way there. I told him. to store the thing in Vancouver and pick it up on his way back. Truly a unique individual
I had a great two week holiday on the bike and it ran perfectly... it looked like a Harley but wasn't.
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Now onto the jewel of the group...my 2008 Harley RoadKing Classic
Two tone red over burgundy. Had the wires routed through the bars, new pipes and bars installed because you cant buy a Harley without having to do something to it. Ok...good to go for the time being.
These bikes aren't that fast especially when you compare them to a number of import bikes which develop insane HP and torque. Mine was/is a cruiser, a "bagger" which suited me just fine. After a couple of years I decided to get the Stage II done to the bike. This increased HP by about 20-25% and boosted the torque as well. I then had the bike dyno'd at a shop other than Harley and the difference and sound was amazing. Wahoo. Mileage also improved. Also put a custom batwing fairing on as well.
The big issue was where I lived. I bought the bike in Calgary, Alberta. Mountains were 1 hour away. Great riding.
Met my wife and moved to Regina SK. Sigh. Flat land 300 kms in ALL directions. The only attractive area is the Qu'Appelle valley and I'd been there so many times. So the bike sat more than I rode it. Got to my 60s and decided my reflexes and attention span were diminishing so I sold the bike. So very sorry to see it go. A young fella from Ontario working in S. Sask came to Regina and bought the bike. He asked if I would take less and I told him..."No, but if you wanna keep dealing I will keep increasing the price" He got it. The deal was in his favour because he got tools, jackets, helmets, gloves, rain suit, extra windshield etc. He wobbled a bit but got underway.
View attachment 1700661

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Well, that was nice to see the bike again. I never had a moments trouble with it in the 10 years I owned it. Some grinding in the front axle was due to high pressure cleaning but lubed up and off I went. One of the highpoints in my life.
Cheers to you all and stay safe.

Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance. I imagine your part of the world is a wonderful place for a long bike journey.

Does the Harley Davidson clothing company still make motorcycles?

 

[Mr. Shavington]

So, today I am going to pass along an email I received from Victor, the founder of Smart-Helix, which I'm sure a lot of you know is a manufacturer of excellent DE razors. The war interrupted this and caused an incredible amount of death and destruction.
I've been staying in touch over the months with Victor and it's been both encouraging and truly saddening. His dad had to have his leg amputated and they didn't think he would survive. He is still hanging in there. Most of the countries medical and medicines have been diverted to the army and the soldiers.
Along with Victors' wife and son so many of Ukraines' women and children are now refugees in Europe and elsewhere.
Here's Victors' email to me from 2 days ago:

"Thank you for your understanding, my friend, I will pass on your words to my father.
I’ll tell you frankly, I always fearfully expected the time when I would have to say goodbye to my parents forever, but I never would have thought that it would have to go through during the war, far from my home and alone. My wife and child have been abroad as refugees since the very beginning of this nightmare, I miss them very much. There has been no news from my brother for almost a year and I don't know why. I hope he is at least alive.
Against this background, your moral and material support takes on special weight. I really hope that there will come a time when I can adequately thank you".

As you can see, things are still very fluid and the people are doing the best they can. I have tried my best to just make clear what is going on without making any sort of "statement" or getting "political". I've just felt that in telling Victors' story I'm able to put a personal spin on a situation that hopefully none of us will ever have to endure.

Stay safe and well.

Bloody hell. That’s a hard thing to read.

 

[huck1680]

We had a black bear wander into my neighbor's yard. His daughter was playing in the backyard. I got her inside. I went back home and watched it through the window. People were pulling over their cars and going up to the bear to take pictures with it. Now, I understand how things like this happen:
View attachment 1706025

Yes, for sure. That was a story which truly underlines how incredibly stupid people can be. Also at the park where our cabin is...are bison. They have a very large paddock where you can drive through and hopefully see the critters.
My BIL and I went through and were lucky enough to find them...they are HUGE! One bull walked past the truck and he was the size of my Kia Soul. What makes people think you can walk up to these animals is beyond me.

 

[huck1680]

Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance. I imagine your part of the world is a wonderful place for a long bike journey.

Does the Harley Davidson clothing company still make motorcycles?

Yes, the Harley Davidson motorcycle company still makes bikes and the clothing is all made in places like China and India. When I lived in Alberta I used to take the bike out to the mountains and through BC. Wonderful rides and the scenery was gorgeous. Riding from Regina to Calgary was one of the most epically boring 8 hour rides ever. I had to take energy drinks just to stay alert.

 

[huck1680]

Bloody hell. That’s a hard thing to read.

Yessir. It is just so unnecessary and evil on Putins part. I still send funds over to S-H just to help them out a bit. I know Victor and his fellow employees and workers are grateful to yourself and the others who stepped up to help.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Ok so for todays off shaving post...I bring you Bond...James Bond. With those words Connery launched the Bond series into the stratosphere. There has never been such an iconic figure which has affected so much of the cinematic universe as...Bond. Everyone wanted to emulate Bond, from the ludicrous..Matt Helm, Flint to the excellent Harry Palmer of the Ipcress Files and Jason Bourne. They all owed Ian Fleming, who took the "hardboiled dick" to new and previously unthought of regions. He was an instant hit. Suave, debonair and deadly. A license to kill. That was new.
And the perfect choice...Sean Connery, a tall taciturn Scot who embodied what Fleming wrote. At first Fleming detested Connery, even going so far as to call him "that great lorry driver". After "Dr. No" Fleming was so impressed that he made Bonds parents Scottish.
Connery continued his Bond portrayal which also made him an international star. There were issues etc. As always.
Connery came to his final almost outing in "You Only Live Twice"
Then came Lazenby, an Aussie who was in retrospect, an excellent Bond...he just wasn't Connery. He even famously said "This never happened to the other fella". OHMSS was a great movie and Lazernby could've been Bond for the next multi-movie package...but received incredibly bad advice from an agent who said that Bond was a dying movie series etc. Poor George, if only he had listened to those who knew. Even he acknowledged his rather stupid decision.
Then it's Sean...again in "Diamonds Are For Ever" Good to see Connery again even if its not up to "From Russia With Love".
Then, for me, it's into the dark period where Bond becomes "humorous and a p***y". Moore who certainly has his admirers and fans is to me the worst Bond because he is so "unBond". Moore hated guns...ok, violence...so why are you Bond? He even dressed as a clown...fah krissake. The only time he showed Bondian ruthlessness was when he kicked the car containing Locque over the cliff in "For Your Eyes Only". And Moore was unhappy about that. Moore brought more humour than was needed and a lack of gravitas plus some truly silly plots. "MoonRaker" anyone?
With Connery you knew if he hit you it was gonna leave a mark...Moore, meh probably wouldn't hurt that much.

Then in the middle of the Moore period it's "Never Say Never Again" an enjoyable romp with Connery that reprises the "ThunderBall" script with a great villain.

Then it's on to Dalton who gave two of the more under appreciated Bonds. Great action, plots and maybe a bit less humour but that was actually a terrific reprieve. Both films were darker and more serious than the Moore outings...thankfully.

Now it's the Brosnan period who, I must admit I enjoyed even if some of the plotting was on the goofy side. Ghost cars? Goldeneye was a great show for Bosnans debut. Excellent action, plotting and characterizations. Especially by Dench. Could've done without JD Bakers character but oh well. Or a better actor.

Now it's' Daniel Craig who brought Casino Royale back into the proper Bond fold. A superb movie with Craig heading to the #2 slot of all-time best Bonds.
Dark, gritty and realistic a total overhaul of Bond and the entire series. Excellent. All Craigs movies were better than anything Moore did. Even "A Quantum off Solace" which was admittedly the weakest of the Craig bunch.

When Bond first came out I couldn't believe what I was seeing, at the age of 11, I was mesmerized by this character. The toys, the action figures, the Corgi facsimiles and on and on. Bond was right there with Beatlemania.
So now I have via gifting two of the Bond "dolls". One of Connery and the other of Dr.No. Plus a couple of die-cast models, one from the Danbury Mint of the 1964 DB5 Astin Martin. Which is from my dad for Xmas one year.
Then there's the James Bond Archives book which weighs about 13 lb. Then some cocktail shakers, the bullet shaker has the decals worn off. And some shooter glasses. There's more but you get the idea.
Probably my favourite series of movies except for the previously mentioned "Dark Period"
Not sure what the producers are going to do next but it could be/might be interesting.
Remember "Shaken...not stirred"
View attachment 1703317View attachment 1703318View attachment 1703319

Spot on. Roger Moore turned Bond into a Carry On movie with him channeling Sid James (did Carry On movies make it across the Atlantic?). Moore was the Bond of my youth and I think we accepted it because of the Lotus Esprit and Barbara Bach, but looking back it was just dreadful.

It is said that Connery got the part because Cubby Broccoli thought he walked back to his car like a jungle cat after their meeting. Connery was a milk delivery man, I believe, and a part-time model and amateur bodybuilder.

I’ve read all the Bond novels and Bond is a brutal, misogynistic thug who prevails in the stories more by luck than skill. Necessarily different in the movies, of course, but I still favour the Bonds who display a callous edge and instinct for self-preservation rather than living off gadgets and charm. Bond, by the way, always drives a vintage Bentley and wears Rolex watches (Rolex of London also being a luxury British brand of the time). Bond did drive an Aston Martin once, while his Bentley was being repaired after a crash - and Bond was a very average driver in the books. Perhaps the magic ingredient that made Fleming’s Bond so successful was the lifestyle - foreign travel, luxury brands, exotic foods and drink - which was unattainable by the audience of the time and fascinating for it.

Anyway, as you no doubt know, we British men are all much like James Bond when we put a suit on. I suspect it’s because British women are so glamorous and stylish, like Bond girls. It makes us up our game. The movies got that part right.

 

[huck1680]

Great post. Yeah the Carry On films were available and I saw a few of them on cable. Very apt comparison with Moores' versions.
Also right about Broccolis' assessment of Connery, Dana Broccoli also encouraged Cubby to interview him as well.
We actually got to see the Bentley, briefly, in "From Russia With Love"
And yes, Bond was brutal, probably because of Flemings involvement with the war and the men he came to know from the Special forces.
Besides he was a total change from the "hard boiled" detective and film noir genres. Bond was amazing. International, wise-cracking and lethal. Lots of women which appealed to men and the martinis.

Before the James Bond movies captivated the world, Agent 007 was a comic strip character in the Daily Express.

Faithfully inked by John McLusky, the depiction of 007 was quite similar to Sean Connery. In fact, there is a long-standing theory that Connery got the role, in part, due to his likeness to the comic character.

Your depiction of the British women and their stylish ways made me spit my coffee and laugh out loud.
Look forward to your posts as always.
Cheers!

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Great post. Yeah the Carry On films were available and I saw a few of them on cable. Very apt comparison with Moores' versions.
Also right about Broccolis' assessment of Connery, Dana Broccoli also encouraged Cubby to interview him as well.
We actually got to see the Bentley, briefly, in "From Russia With Love"
And yes, Bond was brutal, probably because of Flemings involvement with the war and the men he came to know from the Special forces.
Besides he was a total change from the "hard boiled" detective and film noir genres. Bond was amazing. International, wise-cracking and lethal. Lots of women which appealed to men and the martinis.

Before the James Bond movies captivated the world, Agent 007 was a comic strip character in the Daily Express.

Faithfully inked by John McLusky, the depiction of 007 was quite similar to Sean Connery. In fact, there is a long-standing theory that Connery got the role, in part, due to his likeness to the comic character.

View attachment 1706074

Your depiction of the British women and their stylish ways made me spit my coffee and laugh out loud.
Look forward to your posts as always.
Cheers!

I didn’t know about the comic serialization of Bond and it really is uncanny how close the resemblance to Connery is. Fascinating.

Do you know that the actor originally chosen to play Bond in Dr. No was Cary Grant? But the deal fell through because Grant was only willing to make one movie, and so the search started which led to Connery being cast. Roger Moore was one of the actors considered and rejected at the time.

And Ian Fleming hated the choice of Sean Connery for the role until he saw the screening of Dr. No. He loved Connery’s performance so much that he wrote into his next-but-one novel, You Only Live Twice that Bond has Scottish ancestry, to match Connery.

And yes, unfortunately the English rose has wilted somewhat.

 

[huck1680]

I didn’t know about the comic serialization of Bond and it really is uncanny how close the resemblance to Connery is. Fascinating.

Do you know that the actor originally chosen to play Bond in Dr. No was Cary Grant? But the deal fell through because Grant was only willing to make one movie, and so the search started which led to Connery being cast. Roger Moore was one of the actors considered and rejected at the time.

And Ian Fleming hated the choice of Sean Connery for the role until he saw the screening of Dr. No. He loved Connery’s performance so much that he wrote into his next-but-one novel, You Only Live Twice that Bond has Scottish ancestry, to match Connery.

And yes, unfortunately the English rose has wilted somewhat.

Yeah, it's all so cool when you look back. And before anyone else there was Barry Nelson... Amazing in that he was called "Jimmy"

"He was the first actor to play James Bond on screen in a 1954 adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel Casino Royale on the television anthology series Climax! (preceding Sean Connery's interpretation in Dr. No by eight years).[9] Reportedly this was considered a pilot for a possible James Bond television series, though it is not known if Nelson intended to continue playing the character. Nelson played James Bond as an American agent whom some in the program call "Jimmy". In 2004, Nelson said, "At that time, no one had ever heard of James Bond...I was scratching my head wondering how to play it. I hadn't read the book or anything like that because it wasn't well-known."[11] Bond did not become well known in the U.S. until President John F. Kennedy listed From Russia, with Love among his 10 favorite books in a March 17, 1961, Life article.[12]"

 

[huck1680]

So today was the second outing for the Flexi OC. The first shave was less than great and fell squarely into the "meh" category. I had used one of the supplied "Willy's" blades. I guess it made sense for a razor made in India to send blades also made in India. That was a harsh shave in that it felt like hairs were being "pulled". After 3 passes and buffing I got an acceptable shave. I will not be using those blades again.
Today I loaded up with a Perma-Sharp blade and the difference was immediately noticeable. Smooth, no tugging and managed a 2 pass with some buffing to accomplish a very nice shave.
I had the razor set to 3 for both trips and aim going to dial it up to 4/5 to see how it feels. Hopefully no excessive bloodletting etc.
The shave menu was as follows:
1. Flexi OC brass razor this thing is heavy and squat...think Bulldog
2. Mitchell's hard soap (with lanolin)
3. Perma-Sharp blade...I really like these
4. Zenith boar brush
5. "Kraken Rum" mug for brush soaking
6. Alum bar, noticed a bit of sting but not enough for concern
7. Rockwell after shave balm.
Cheers!

 

[thombrogan]

Wishing comfort and smoothness for your future shaves

 

[LRod]

So today was the second outing for the Flexi OC. The first shave was less than great and fell squarely into the "meh" category. I had used one of the supplied "Willy's" blades. I guess it made sense for a razor made in India to send blades also made in India. That was a harsh shave in that it felt like hairs were being "pulled". After 3 passes and buffing I got an acceptable shave. I will not be using those blades again.
Today I loaded up with a Perma-Sharp blade and the difference was immediately noticeable. Smooth, no tugging and managed a 2 pass with some buffing to accomplish a very nice shave.
I had the razor set to 3 for both trips and aim going to dial it up to 4/5 to see how it feels. Hopefully no excessive bloodletting etc.
The shave menu was as follows:
1. Flexi OC brass razor this thing is heavy and squat...think Bulldog
2. Mitchell's hard soap (with lanolin)
3. Perma-Sharp blade...I really like these
4. Zenith boar brush
5. "Kraken Rum" mug for brush soaking
6. Alum bar, noticed a bit of sting but not enough for concern
7. Rockwell after shave balm.
Cheers!
View attachment 1707763

I was waiting to read the results of your second shave.
Glad it worked well. I figured it was those Willy's blades!

 

[Buttercup]

While I understand you have no interest in joining, perhaps you would enjoy following the recently opened September GRUME thread and see if you like the community.

 

[huck1680]

While I understand you have no interest in joining, perhaps you would enjoy following the recently opened September GRUME thread and see if you like the community.

Thanx for the offer.

 

[huck1680]

Now for a Flexi update. The second shave was much better once I binned the supplied "Willys" blade. Then for the 3rd shave I went full 6, both WTG and ATG. Definitely noticed the difference. Very efficient and you could feel the razor working. No weepers, nicks etc so I had that going for me. After the shave the alum bar did sting more than the last time so I figure that's a pretty close shave. Twelve hours later still pretty smooth.
Cheers.