Unsolicited opinions, musings, and ramblings from a grumpy old man’s recliner.

[thombrogan]

Don’t know how it will help, but here’s the awakening I faced:

1. Birds are reptiles
2. Snakes are lizards
3. Makeup in unisex

Still peeved and now wondering how many reptiles you’ve eaten, right?

 

[WThomas0814]

Don’t know how it will help, but here’s the awakening I faced:

1. Birds are reptiles
2. Snakes are lizards
3. Makeup in unisex

Still peeved and now wondering how many reptiles you’ve eaten, right?

Stop it. I still haven’t come to terms with losing Pluto as a planet.

 

[thombrogan]

Stop it. I still haven’t come to terms with losing Pluto as a planet.

People say our generations are often close-minded, but we didn’t discount Pluto’s status as a planet for merely being a short king.

 

[WThomas0814]

Thursday Morning Shave (#96/300+).

Blackland Sabre L2
Personna Gem PTFE (4)
Vitos Red + Coco
Rudy Vey Boxelder Burl/Semogue C5 Boar

Shave was PERFECT.

 

[Eric_75]

I'll be following your journal, Bill.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I'll be following your journal, Bill.

You're back. Hallelujah.... As you'll see in various threads, you've been missed.

 

[Eric_75]

You're back. Hallelujah.... As you'll see in various threads, you've been missed.

I have a lot of catching up to you. I have missed my daily interactions with all of you, my friends.

 

[WThomas0814]

Let’s discuss pre-shave routines, shall we?

Back in 1976-ish, my Dad taught me to shave with his old Tech. I don’t remember if it was pre war or post war, but, I speculate post.

His routine was to wash his face at the sink with whatever bar soap was in the dish, then to whip up a Williams lather with some cheap rodent brush from the apothecary, dampened under the faucet. He used an Old Spice mug. He followed with a shower and a liberal application of, usually, Skin Bracer or Aqua Velva; Old Spice was for church or going out. Pre-shave tonics didn’t exist then. He also threw leftover bar soap bits into his mug, atop the puck; Lifebuoy, Dial, Safeguard, Mom’s Dove, whatever, it went in.

I’ve continued this technique for all of my wet-shaving life; the difference now is I merely splash with warm water, unless I exceptionally filthy from yard work or some such. Of course, my brushes are infinitely better quality and I don’t use Williams any longer. I pre-soak my brushes in my Dad’s old coffee mug. I also apply Witch Hazel after my shower, before my AS (I use the same ones my Dad did).

Since I shower after my shave, I’m not concerned about soap/AS scent matching. This saves me an acre or two of shelf space.

So, shower before of after? How did your routine come about? Do you use pre-shaves of any class?

Curious minds and so forth.

 

[WThomas0814]

@Eric_75, I broke the handle off of my Ron Swanson cup in your absence. Still guzzling Tim Horton’s, but in a different vessel; this from the lovely Grammy Anne a few years ago.

We should tip a virtual mug.

 

[cajunrph]

My routine is to shower first, usually, then some pre-shave soap product, it was a PAA Cube 2.0, and now I am using up a Razor Emporium Pre-shave soap, once those are done I'll use a Neutragena Glycerine soap. Then it is time to lather, I mostly face lathering, loading from the puck. Post shave is Alum block, Thayers Witch Hazel, post shave balm or cream, or both, then Aftershave/cologne. If I don't shower I wash my face with the Neutrogena soap.

 

[Eric_75]

We should tip a virtual mug.

Cheers, my friend.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I did lot of experimenting/testing early on.... I made a pre-shave oil early on cobbled together from a couple online recipes...What a disaster.

Then I tried Baume.be Pre-Shave... What a difference maker for me... I tried shaves with and without it... shower before... shower after, etc... and determined, for me, a good pre-shave softens my old man, coarse grey whiskers and makes them easier to cut. I have three of them that all work equally for me. The aforementioned Baume.be, the Cube 2.0/Tube 2.0 from PAA and the Grooming Department Pre-shave... all of them, unscented.

I shower first, apply Cube 2.0 twice in the shower, as I wash my face twice and shampoo my hair twice.. adding the Cube 2.0 doesn't increase the shower length.

Apply the pre-shave and let it sit on my face while I lather up the soap in a CaYuen shaving bowl... I started using the pre-shave before every pass because the brush was already in use.. Why not continue using the pre-shave?

This is just one man's routine. I think we all know by now, there is no one single correct way to approach wet shaving. Hence the B&B mantra: YMMV.

 

[WThomas0814]

I did lot of experimenting/testing early on.... I made a pre-shave oil early on cobbled together from a couple online recipes...What a disaster.

Then I tried Baume.be Pre-Shave... What a difference maker for me... I tried shaves with and without it... shower before... shower after, etc... and determined, for me, a good pre-shave softens my old man, coarse grey whiskers and makes them easier to cut. I have three of them that all work equally for me. The aforementioned Baume.be, the Cube 2.0/Tube 2.0 from PAA and the Grooming Department Pre-shave... all of them, unscented.

I shower first, apply Cube 2.0 twice in the shower, as I wash my face twice and shampoo my hair twice.. adding the Cube 2.0 doesn't increase the shower length.

Apply the pre-shave and let it sit on my face while I lather up the soap in a CaYuen shaving bowl... I started using the pre-shave before every pass because the brush was already in use.. Why not continue using the pre-shave?

This is just one man's routine. I think we all know by now, there is no one single correct way to approach wet shaving. Hence the B&B mantra: YMMV.

I see about a million guys on here use the Cube 2.0 and another million saying the Smythe fellow is a bit of a w️.

I’ve tried some of his aftershaves (Shave Chaser and Sacre Bleu), but ended of going back to the originals. I’ve had no bad dealings with PAA. Can’t hurt to give it a shot, but, I’ll need to wait for my next non-GRUME month.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I see about a million guys on here use the Cube 2.0 and another million saying the Smythe fellow is a bit of a w️.

I’ve tried some of his aftershaves (Shave Chaser and Sacre Bleu), but ended of going back to the originals. I’ve had no bad dealings with PAA. Can’t hurt to give it a shot, but, I’ll need to wait for my next non-GRUME month.

I'm not particularly fond of the two Arizona shops. I'm a bit of a hypocrite as I still use some PAA products but don't love the way they conduct their business. I know people here who love the Rex razors but many of them, at the same time, are conflicted about some of their business practices.

I keep any personal interaction to as close to zero as I can.. I buy the products that work for me.. including the wonderful plastic Filament. I decided, boycotting them hurt me more than them..... But this is a personal decision... This still doesn't stop me from feeling like a hypocrite, however. <eg>

 

[blethenstrom]

I'll be following your journal, Bill.

@Eric_75 is back in da house!!

 

[Eric_75]

@Eric_75 is back in da house!!

That I am, my friend.

 

[Alum Ladd]

I have a lot of catching up to you. I have missed my daily interactions with all of you, my friends.

Welcome back Eric!

Your warm and kind presence has been deeply missed my friend.

 

[Eric_75]

Welcome back Eric!

Your warm and kind presence has been deeply missed my friend.

Thanks very much, Simon. The world is a better place because of this community and you gentlemen are the reason for that.

 

[amateur]

I’ve recently been heavily purging my den. Included in the items I’m selling, have PIFed, or otherwise disposed of is an assortment of boar brushes. I use exclusively boars, but, found myself with enough to survive the zombie apocalypse.

A fellow B&B-er just purchased one and mentioned that it was his first boar. This is what prompted this, my inaugural post.

My suggestion to this gentleman was to ignore much of the conventional wisdom of breaking in boars. Specifically bleached boars; unbleached are a different animal. Well, the same animal, treated differently. Not the animal, but it’s hair. The animal’s treatment is probably quite similar. Unless they bleach the whole animal, then pluck it. I digress.

My break-in method for a boar brush is simply to use it. No washing, no refrigeration, no overnight soaking, no shampoo, no vinegar, no practice lathers. Just use it. Soak it for 15 minutes, gently squeeze it bristles down, load soap, and apply to face. That’s it. Same thing from Day 1 until Day 1 million.

When shave is over, I rinse it bristles up in warm (not hot) water, massaging gently until water runs clear. Vigorously shake it (over the sink, gents, if your wife is anything like mine), then strop on a towel. I then place it handle down in my brush scuttle on the counter until my next shave, at which time I pull the next brush in rotation.

My rotation is three primary brushes weekly, rotated as soap rotates. I have four sets of brushes, each set being rotated weekly. I also use a restored vintage brush for my Sunday shaves; these brushes (4) are treated the same.

I allow ~72 hours between uses for each brush, 24 hours drying on the counter and 48 standing on its handle in the cabinet. I should mention that I don’t use brush stands. Or lathering bowls, not that it matters for this post.

My active primary brush inventory is 5 Zenith 507s (all different handles), 4 Rudy Veys (all set with Semogue C5 knots), 2 AP Shave/Shavemac handles (both set with Semogue C5 knots), and a Semogue Pegasus C7. My vintage brushes are also boar knots of various sources, and I travel with two Semogue SOC boars. I don’t use anything less than 24mm and my shortest loft brush is 50mm.

Talk to me about YOUR herds of swine.

Here are my boar brushes. These are cheap Omega brushes.

 

[WThomas0814]

Here are my boar brushes. These are cheap Omega brushes.

Lovely collection! These will likely last you years, but, if, or more likely when, you want to take the next step, I can’t recommend Zenith highly enough. The majority of their boars are sub-$45 and are truly excellent, as are the Semogue SOC boars.

As for your collection, I can’t tell the knot sizes, but I know that a legendary brush maker and B&Ber uses Omega knots when his customers want a 26mm in one of his handles. So, you have some good quality brushes there.

He also uses the Semogue C5 knots (same knot as the SOC) in his handles; I am the proud owner of four of these creations.