What's new
The Shaving Cadre

Welcome to The Shaving Cadre, a forum dedicated to gentlemanly discourse about wet shaving and other topics of common interests. Membership is always free so register today and join in the fun

For the Love of Old Spice - Illini's Shave Journal

Graybeard57 said:
I also had no ill effects from the second shot, other than a sore arm. Some of us get lucky that way.

So you took the AC plunge! I went from a Schick injector to AC, so the transition was pretty much seamless. I love the AC particularly for neck shaving, as I get it done with fewer strokes. It just mows them down effortlessly. Enjoy your shaves, Ryan!
Click to expand...

Feeling a little more fatigued as the day continues on but still no where near what I've heard and read about others. We're definitely lucky! I did take the AC plunge, and while it's no Vector, I've really been enjoying the V2 Hawk. Still trying to figure out the best way to shave under my lip but am loving how it mows down on my cheeks and neck!
 
Graybeard57 said:
I think that's a really cool looking razor.
Click to expand...

Thanks Bruce, I do too! So far the shaves have been extremely enjoyable and I'm loving learning a new style of shaving. Been too nervous to pick up a straight so it's been a fun departure from the traditional DE.

Despite what was the worst night of sleep in a long time, I am feeling no where near as fatigued this morning as yesterday afternoon / evening. Arm is only minorly sore now as well. Thinking I might have scooted by the "Covid Vax Hangover" that so many of my family and colleagues were plagued with for the first few days after the second shot. Counting myself extremely lucky in that respect.

In the lawn care world, my worst fears from the past few years of working with this neglected turf has been confirmed - there is probably more poa triv than desirable KBG or rye in my lawn. I had been hoping that I had previously been misidentifying this undesirable rough bluegrass but there's just no doubt at this point. The only real way to get rid of it is to completely nuke the lawn and either reseed or resod. The problem is I do not have built in irrigation so trying to do either those things with normal above ground irrigation is just begging for failure and problems. While I am aiming to get sprinklers installed in the future, it's something that is probably at least 5 years out. So I'm just going to have to try and work with what I have for now, utilizing as much pre emergent as possible to minimize the germination each year. Pretty much every lawn has it around here, so it's not like I look any different than the neighbors. Just going to keep on keeping on with what I've been doing because it still looks better than 99% of the other houses in the hood!

Another morning shave with Back Alley Barbershop, chased with WH and the 50:50 blend of Osage and Skin Bracer. Wonderful lather, and another good shave with the Hawk. Minor nick on the neck but technique continues to improve. Hope all of you have a great Thursday!

Thursday April 22nd, 2021
Razor : Razorock Black Hawk V2
Blade : Feather AC Pro (6)
Brush : Omega Proraso Boar
Pre : Hot Shower
Soap : CBL Back Alley Barbershop
Post : Dickinson's WH and 50:50 Blend of Osage and Skin Bracer

PXL_20210422_131805843.jpg​
 
Graybeard57 said:
Judging from your previous photos, you'd win prizes for best lawn in my neighborhood too!
Click to expand...
HA, thank you for the kind words. I'm a part of quite a few lawn care communities, originally from when I was trying to understand where to start when we moved in. Might be time to take a bit of a break from those - the "keeping up with the Jones'" mentality I get from those groups full of people who spend what I can only imagine to be thousands on water bills and other upkeep is probably more detrimental to me than anything else at this point!
 
Graybeard57 said:
Perhaps recognition for those lawns that look good with minimal upkeep?
Click to expand...

In actuality I don't even need to be the best lawn on the block - just want one that people walk or drive past and say "oh, that's a nice looking house!" So it's more about how much I can do to keep the turf looking nice without blowing the family budget on water bills and other lawn things! :LOL:
 
Made it to Friday, Cadre, and for that I am thankful - it's been a long week! Work just kicked my ass this week so I'm looking forward to a few days' reprieve.

The new Mortal Kombat movie came out today on HBO Max. As someone who grew up during the prime time of Mortal Kombat in bowling alley arcades and the SNES, I have a huge amount of nostalgia for this series. Think it's even higher since my mother was firmly in the "you cannot play this game" camp, so when I was able to squeeze in fights on an arcade cabinet or at my cousin's house, it felt that much more exciting. I'm not expecting much, but reviews seem to indicate that if you loved the series back in the day, you'll enjoy this one. Looking forward to watching it tonight, sans the wife because it is very much NOT a movie she's interested in.

Fantastic shave this morning with the SC Endurance set. That Old Spice profile is just hard to beat IMHO. AC SE technique is definitely improving - no irritation to speak of anymore. But still a tiny nick on my upper lip. I'll get the hang of it soon enough!

Friday April 23rd, 2021
Razor : Razorock Black Hawk V2
Blade : Feather AC Pro (7)
Brush : Stirling Kong
Pre : Hot Shower
Soap : Soap Commander Endurance
Post : Dickinson's WH and Soap Commander Endurance

PXL_20210423_165652972.jpg​
 
Welcome to the weekend Ryan!

I was a bad boy and played the first MK at a friend’s house too 😂 I remember the first movie in the 90s too...it was just kinda “meh”. Not expecting a whole bunch from this one either except some flashy CGI and gore.
 
A begrudgingly happy Monday to you all Cadre - this weekend was one of those that just went far too fast for me!

Okay, the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie...I loved it! Is it Oscar-worthy? Absolutely not. But the opening scene between Sub Zero and Scorpion alongside Raiden taking the baby and disappearing with his glowing eyes while "Mortal Kombat" appeared on screen - yeah, I had goosebumps. It was a huge nostalgia trip from start to finish and I was yearning for more when it ended. While I'm sure not everyone will enjoy it, I would think those of us who grew up with the series probably will to some extent. As is anything MK related, as soon as you start to think about any of it too hard, it begins to break down. I sat there with my cocktail and just enjoyed the flashy, gory fight scenes. Felt like I was 10 years old again.

GearNoir said:
I was a bad boy and played the first MK at a friend’s house too 😂 I remember the first movie in the 90s too...it was just kinda “meh”. Not expecting a whole bunch from this one either except some flashy CGI and gore.
Click to expand...
Graybeard57 said:
I took my oldest son to see the first movie. "Meh" would be charitable, but he loved it.
Click to expand...

I have the original on Blu Ray and sit down every Halloween to watch it. Not sure why Halloween, but it's been a tradition now for at least 7 years. Will say the new one is probably easier to sit through if you're not a fan of the series, but as someone firmly in the MK nostalgia camp, I love the 1995 release too. Never saw the second one but general consensus is that it's awful.

My in-laws did some babysitting this weekend while my wife and I worked outside in the yard. As I've mentioned before, the previous owners definitely were not outdoors people and the ones before them probably weren't either based on the sorry state of the turf grass, bushes, trees, and beds around the house. I've worked the past two years on the grass and greenery, but it was finally time to take care of the front raised beds. They didn't appear to have any new topsoil or mulch thrown for at least 5 years, and the raised bed on one side didn't have a proper retaining wall where it wrapped around to the side of the house - it just wrapped and ended. So soil from that bed had been just slowly running down and out the back for years. On the other bed, the last 2 feet or so overlapped the start of the garage cedar siding and no flashing was used to protect the wood and and below the soil line. So moisture had been seeping into the wall of the garage for as long as that bed had existed.

Woof. One long weekend and multiple trips to Menards later, a nice new layer of topsoil and mulch was spread across the beds, flashing installed on the buried cedar, and a proper retaining wall built to prevent the continued soil erosion. Talk about an exhausting but productive weekend.

My order from @CBLSoap.com came in on Saturday unexpectedly as well, since the USPS did not update tracking once its whole trip. Still said "Awaiting Acceptance" all the way until it hit the local post office on Saturday where it was out for delivery. Annoying but not unexpected these days. Chris threw in a puck of Poseidon as well as the beta i Coloniali shave soap into the order too which was awesome. Can't wait to try out the Coloniali and it's already pressed into an old tub and ready to go.

PXL_20210424_175040471.jpg
​

No picture of Saturday's shave but it was the best one yet with the Hawk. Really feels like I'm getting my technique down. Yesterday I just had to break out my new puck of CBL Peanut Butter and have to say I really enjoy it! Definitely peanut buttery, no doubt about it, but as someone whose favorite candy is Reese's, I'm a fan! @CVargo I have to assume this was made for you - I know I'm late to the game but I'm very happy to have picked up a puck!

Today I reached for the Sunny Lane and moved back to a DE just for kicks. I must say that my focus on CBL, Spearhead and Soap Commander recently has made me a little underwhelmed with the lathers from B&M. Not sure if I'm just used to particularly easy going soaps or what but my last two shaves with the Sunny Lane haven't been as good as I remember them being previously. More testing required.

Saturday April 24th, 2021
Razor : Razorock Black Hawk V2
Blade : Feather AC Pro (8)
Brush : Stirling Kong
Pre : Hot Shower
Soap : CBL Back Alley Barbershop
Post : Dickinson's WH

Sunday April 25th, 2021
Razor : Razorock Black Hawk V2
Blade : Feather AC Pro (9)
Brush : Ever Ready 100T with Plisson Knot
Pre : Hot Shower
Soap : CBL Peanut Butter
Post : Seaforth Spiced

PXL_20210425_202755650.jpg

Monday April 26th, 2021
Razor : '55 Gillette Red Tip SS
Blade : Personna Lab Blue (69)
Brush : Razorock Beehive
Pre : Hot Shower
Soap : B&M Sunny Lane
Post : Barbasol Brisk

PXL_20210426_141745148.jpg​
 
Last edited:
For the purposes of science, perhaps a comparison between CBL Peanut Butter and actual peanut butter in a shaving showdown. Pro Tip: creamy Jif or creamy Skippy. Could bring new meaning to the phrase "Feeling skippy". Never use chunky - it'll dull the razor blade. Best of luck.
 
Man, it's been crazy warm the last 24 hours here in Chicagoland and looks to continue on today. Mid-80s making it feel much more like late June than late April! In anticipation of the warm weather I got the pressure washer started up after its winter slumber on Sunday and will spend a little bit this afternoon cleaning the front porch and rockers, deck chairs in the back, and car mats. Earlier than I ever would have anticipated but it'll be nice to get everything nice and cleaned up now that outdoor weather has hopefully come to stay!

Another great shave with Back Alley Barbershop and my 10th AC SE shave. Such a different experience after going back to a DE yesterday but an enjoyable one! Have a great Tuesday Cadre!

Friday April 23rd, 2021
Razor : Razorock Black Hawk V2
Blade : Feather AC Pro (10)
Brush : Yaqi Tuxedo Barberpole
Pre : Hot Shower
Soap : CBL Back Alley Barbershop
Post : PAA Sundown

PXL_20210427_143248856.jpg​
 
Well Cadre, yesterday did not go as planned. Around 930am I felt some strange pain on the lower right side of my abdomen. Came and went within 15 or so minutes. Shortly after lunch, the pain came back with a vengeance. MIL came over to watch our son and my wife took me to the ER as we thought it could be an appendicitis. After almost a 2 hour wait in what I can only describe as the worst continuous pain I've ever felt, I was finally admitted and CT scanned. Nope, not my appendix. 3 mm kidney stone. Which I had thought of but since the pain was in the front and not the back had dismissed.

Thankfully the stone was either already in the bladder or just outside once the scan was taken. So I was discharged to pass the stone at home. Both my parents have had them in the past, so I was genetically predisposed that's for sure. But still feels like my 30 year old body betraying me far too early, especially since the last 6 months or so I've been the most hydrated I've ever been in my life! Sigh. What can you do. Obviously the stone could be from far before we started our exercise regiment and my hydration increased dramatically. And I already do not drink any soda. So hopefully it's just something that was lingering in my kidney for a while. Time will tell.

In the mean time, just over here peeing through a screened funnel to try and catch that stone. Good news is I've had no pain since coming home but have been taking Tylenol or Advil alternating every 6-8 hours just to keep ahead of any lingering pain. Hoping to shower and shave later today to help feel a little fresher.

I will say I had some of the best ER nurses too. @NurseDave not sure where your specialty lies but much like after our son spent 2.5 weeks in the NICU last May, this quick ER stint left me infinitely grateful and amazed at all nurses and doctors working through this insane time in healthcare. Thank you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top