What does 3017 mean?
- Thread starter Fly2High
- Start date
So for real this is a great question anyone want to chime in?
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It means you are going to finish your entire soap, from start to finish, before moving on to another. People who are 3017 are either going through individual soaps entirely or through their entire collection
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Thanks!
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I'm glad somebody asked this question out loud. I wondered myself when I first joined, but Google served up what I needed to know.
I believe historically it was "I have enough soap to last until 2017". When it became obvious that even if folks stopped buying soap they would have enough to go far beyond 2017, it was raised to 3017.
It seems to be basically take one soap, and use it exclusively until gone. I'm sure folks have their own modifications/interpretations. I.e., use 2 until gone. Some folks use it as commitment to restraint, "I'm not buying another soap until I 3017 this 1 or 5,10,30 soaps"
It seems to be basically take one soap, and use it exclusively until gone. I'm sure folks have their own modifications/interpretations. I.e., use 2 until gone. Some folks use it as commitment to restraint, "I'm not buying another soap until I 3017 this 1 or 5,10,30 soaps"
It refers to the thread 'pick linked to that was started by the great @johnniegold way back in 2010, when he was staring at a pile of triple milled soaps in his collection with no end in sight. He guessed in the thread title that it would take him 7 years to finish. Another Mod messed around with the title and we were graced with 3017 instead. Bob devoted himself to tackle each soap one at a time and use them until they were finished before moving on to the next. He convinced a handful of lunatics to join him and it has grown from there. To 3017 something means you use a particular product until it's done. That thread has become the greatest thread in all of shavedom, full of great camaraderie and a wealth of info about the performance and longevity of dozens upon dozens of soaps and creams.
BTW, he finished in about 4 years.
BTW, he finished in about 4 years.
+1! Precisely!
3017ing a good hard soap, especially triple milled soaps has a few side benefits. I know a lot of guys in B&B have large soap rotations because they like variety. I get it, but I believe that using a soap once every few weeks means you miss out on optimal performance.
When using a hard puck every day the soap maintains the proper hydration. It performs better and lathers easier.
Also, it's easier to dial a soap in when using it every day to get that perfect lather each shave. I have been 3017ing soaps for a few years now. I find it takes me 2 weeks of daily use to get a triple milled soap fully hydrated and dialed in. After the break in period it's nothing but one fantastic lather after the other.
I can't imagine rotating soaps anymore just for a change of scent. If I want a different scent that day I slap on a different aftershave.
PS, if you have a week or so to kill, read the 3017 thread. Those guys are good at finding which soaps are excellent performers vs posers. If you scan the thread you'll notice common trends.
Cheers!
When using a hard puck every day the soap maintains the proper hydration. It performs better and lathers easier.
Also, it's easier to dial a soap in when using it every day to get that perfect lather each shave. I have been 3017ing soaps for a few years now. I find it takes me 2 weeks of daily use to get a triple milled soap fully hydrated and dialed in. After the break in period it's nothing but one fantastic lather after the other.
I can't imagine rotating soaps anymore just for a change of scent. If I want a different scent that day I slap on a different aftershave.
PS, if you have a week or so to kill, read the 3017 thread. Those guys are good at finding which soaps are excellent performers vs posers. If you scan the thread you'll notice common trends.
Cheers!
These can be of help if any other terms you don't know come up. DFS eluded me for the longest time.
Abbreviations
Glossary
Abbreviations
Glossary
Back when I started shaving you used up your soap, or cream before you started a new one. It took 2-3 months to use up a puck of Williams. About all we had on the store shelves was Colgate, or Williams. Only saw the Old Spice mug and soap around the holidays. Col. Conk soaps were sold at the local mall at a cutlery store. At that time they were considered high end soaps.
Clayton
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+1, I miss being able to run up to the hardware store up the block and grabbing a few items needed around the house, oh, as long as I'm here I'll just grab a puck of Colgate shaving soap cuz I'm getting low.
I still 3017.
I believe it was @beginish who once said:
"3017 works for everything."
And it does.
From January 4, 2014:
I believe it was @beginish who once said:
"3017 works for everything."
And it does.
From January 4, 2014:
IT'S OVER...
The journey that began on January 1, 2010 ended almost 4 years to the day. On December 31, 2013, the Penhaligon's English Fern gave up its last shave.
What began as preventative measure to curb the accumulation of soaps in my collection and to use product that was sitting in my shave den grew into something that took on a life of its own and from that the "3017" method was hatched.
Trust me when I tell you, it was totally unintentional. Heck, it wasn't even my idea. As more of us joined in it became apparent to many of us that perhaps we were doing ourselves a disservice by using soaps in such a large rotation that we really weren't getting the full effect of what a soap's true potential could be by using a puck on a daily basis and discovering each soap's particular nuances. From this, the 3017 method was born.
Originally, the thread was called "2017" not "3017". At the time this thread began, I thought it would take me until the year 2017 to finish the soaps pictured above (and a few not pictured). On a lark, one of the Mods changed the title to "3017" and it stuck.
During the course of this thread, many members have joined in. Some have stayed, some have gone and some poke their heads in occasionally. The thread has continued to flourish with the help of members like beginish, inspiringk, brucered, FL shaver, djh, Jim, brianw, insomniac, catherix, Sullybob, brothers, strop and breadstick (who could forget those lists)... just to name a few who so vigilantly carry the 3017 banner and adhere to its methodology. There are many more members who contribute regularly and with great enthusiasm and vitality.
The 3017'ers are an extraordinary group of individuals who have performed PIF's, laid down soap challenges, feed the need of list-makers (you know who you are), charts and tables have been developed demonstrating which soaps are the most popular (DR Harris Arlington, thank you very much
) also showing a change over the years of which soaps have fallen in and out of favor as well as soaps that are no longer in existence. The 3017'ers have developed a resourceful reference tool for those seeking information on certain soaps.
All in all, the experience for me has been a positive one. A little self-discipline never hurt anyone and it sure beat the hell out of failing the Purchase Sabbaticals on an annual basis.
This is how it went....
2010
C&E Sandalwood Shave Soap 1/01/2010 to 3/22/2010 (81 days)
Pre de Provence Shaving Soap 3/23/2010 to 6/20/2010 (89 days)
DR Harris Arlington s/s 6/21/2010 to 8/31/2010 (soap was not used for a nine-day period in August) (63 days)
(participated in Speicktember so no soap was used in the month of September)
L'Occitane Cade Shaving Soap in Aluminum Dish 11/01/2010 to 12/15/2010 (45 days)
Mitchell's Wool Fat Soap in ceramic bowl 10/01/2010 to 10/31/2010 - stopped to participate in the Cade challenge that started on 11/01/2010 - resumed with MWF on 12/16 and was completed on 12/28/2010. ) (44 days)
2011
Tabac Shave Soap 12/29/2010 to 2/23/2011 (58 days)
AOS Unscented Shaving Soap 2/24/2011 to 4/19/2011 (56 days)
Floris JF shave soap 4/20/2011 to 6/11/2011 (54 days)
Truefitt& Hill Luxury Shaving Soap (wooden bowl) 6/12/2011 to 8/18/2011 (69 days)
Trumper Limes Shave Soap 8/19/2011 to 10/13/2011 (56 days)
DR Harris Marlborough Shave Soap 10/17/2011 to 12/22/2011 (66 days)
- from 12/23/11 until 12/31, I used a tube of Old Spice so as to begin a new soap on 1/1/12
2012
Trumper Sandalwood Shave Soap 1/01/2012 to 3/16/2012 (76 days)
- used a tube of Old Spice s/c until I returned from vacation and began the La Toja/Rover challenge on 4/9
La Toja Manantiales shave soap (wooden bowl)* 4/9/2012 to 5/30/2012 (51 days)
DR Harris Lavender Shave Soap* 5/31/2012 to 8/11/2012 (73 days)
Soap Hiatus - Used La Toja Cream from 8/12/2012 to 8/31/2012
Trumper Rose Shave Soap 9/1/2012 to 11/17/2012 (78 days)
Soap Hiatus - Used tubes of La Toja and Floris JF to finish out 2012
2013
Penhaligon's Bleinheim Bouquet 1/01/2013 to 3/7/2013 (66 days)
Mennen Shave Stick (grated into wooden bowl) 3/8/2013 to 3/22/2013 (16 days)
NOS Old Spice 3/23/2013 to 5/14/2013 (53 days)
-used tube of Floris JF shaving cream from 5/15/13 to 5/31/2013
Irisch Moos 6/1/2013 to 10/5/2013 (126 days* - I would subtract approx. 2-3 weeks for non-shaving days over the summer)
Penhaligon's English Fern 10/6/2013 to 12/31/2013 (86 days)
And what became of all those empty soap bowls?
They were donated to the 2nd Annual Sue Moore Auction fetching $165.00 from.. you guessed it, brianw.
Where to from here?
Although the soaps pictured above were the original ones that I set out to finish, this is what remains in my collection and were obtained after the challenge had begun...
DR Harris Arlington
DR Harris Windsor
AoS Lavender
Martin de Candre (unscented)
Old Spice NOS
Crabtree & Evelyn Almond Oil NOS
Arko Shave stick
On January 2nd, I began the NOS Old Spice puck (still in its original cellophane wrapping). Honestly, I don't think I will ever go back to a full rotation of soaps. However, with the conclusion of this journey, I think I will use other soaps when the mood strikes me rather than the dogged determination to keep moving forward on any one particular soap.
From this thread, I take away the lessons learned. I have enjoyed it immensely.
For me, the journey is over.
I could never do the 3017 thing, even if I wanted to... Which I don't
I poke my head in every so often. I do agree with those thinking it is the single finest existing (or closed) Thread involving wet shaving on the internet. That's a lot of threads in various forums since the late 1990's!
What I love about the 3017 thread is the lack of BS. Pure honesty without fan boyism or particular Forum allegiance. Johnniegold
What I love about the 3017 thread is the lack of BS. Pure honesty without fan boyism or particular Forum allegiance. Johnniegold
