Not quite Music City USA

[fhalden]

YouTube just suggested a video of a guy shaving with 'Lectric Shave and a Norelco.

Using those products were some of the most painful moments of my day, every day, for years.

Why would I want to watch that?!

C'mon algorithm, More nuance!

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[fhalden]

It occurred to me that I shave the way my late great Italian Grandmother-in-law cooked. There was very little counting or timing or measuring ingredients when she cooked. She just watched and listened. She'd seen it all.

It made for a frustrating conversation at the holidays, when I'd try and learn the secret to her meatballs and "gravy." Alas, her recipes are lost.

There's nothing special about how I shave that warrants preservation, I've just done it long enough that I don't need timers to measure things anymore. They're in the drawer with an ancient, ragged beard map.


And my shaves are as enjoyable as her meatballs.

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[fhalden]

Today's shave:

Today I inaugurated The Eagle, my 17th and probably final Simpson. It's a very nice little brush, which I might see as a travel brush, if I were foolish enough to travel with a brush I would mind losing.

Travel Kit: Krona, Semogue Boar, Arko, Indian Old Spice

Anyway, this was a great shave in every way. The hard and software enabled a great shave, and I was relatively quiet of mind and focused. I did ponder getting barbeque (pulled pork shoulder with Carolina vinegar sauce), but that was brief, I caught the distraction. And redirected my focus onto the shave.

It was splendid!!

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[GearNoir]

Very nice setup today Frank! Brush looks great!

 

[fhalden]

Very nice setup today Frank! Brush looks great!

Thank you very much!!

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[fhalden]

Today's shave:

Razor: Tatara Muramasa on 2
Blade: Gillette Nacet Stainless
Brush: Simpson A1 Astor Best Badger
Lather: Wholly Kaw Timmermann Red Label 1869
Aftershave: Wholly Kaw Timmermann Red Label 1869
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Osma Tradition Alum Block

There may be hope for this razor yet. I mean, I was sold when I saw the innovative approach to adjustment, but in use, the razor... hmm, this is very obscure and subjective, but the razor felt sort of like a prop razor. That's not quite right, actually. The closest impression I can give of my feeling about the Muramasa is that using it feels like what I imagine it must be like to live in a Frank Lloyd Wright house. Sure, you live there, you own it, but it's a work of art. It's not yours in some ways. There's a separation resulting from the aggressive and pronounced design language. So it's been a frustrating razor. Tonight, however, was a great shave on setting 2, which is lower than Ive gone (I'm in the category of adjustable users who finds a setting they like best and leave it there, probably cheating myself out of some fun.)

On 2, it was kind and soft and smooth. The blade was barely there. No irritation. Quiet alum. BBS. So, hats off to the Portuguese razor savants who designed this contraption that finally revealed my sweet spot.

In other news, Timmermann aftershave is not to my liking. At all. To my nose, the feel of water with a mild rendition of the smell of Creo-mulsion cough syrup. Yes, it smells like distillate of beechwood tar. To me, of course. My nose is like Wayne Newton. It may not follow your nose, and it will not lead your nose, but will.walk along with your nose, and be your nose's friend.

It's beautiful at the end of a Wayne Newton show, when he says it.

The Astor is still new - this is its third use according to the app. I like it! It's small and svelte, and the right size for #63 or anything Victory. The brush is funk free now, which is nice. If I'm done buying brushes, I'll never have to smell that smell.again.

Anyone interested in prime numbers and the Reimann Hypothesis, feel free to DM me. I've many questions.

Great shave, tar face excepted.

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[fhalden]

One more thought about the Muramasa, all personal opinions drawn from personal.experience.

It reminds me of the central skyscraper in Fritz Lang's Metropolis. So in the back of my mind, it's un-razorlike. I consider it a beautiful piece of industrial art. I have others, which are very organically razor-like. If there's a platonic form of razor, the Muramasa strays from it more than many razors.

Of course, the shave was great, and getting greater as things calm down.

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[fhalden]

Today's shave:

Razor: Wolfman WR2 1.05
Blade: Personna Platinum Israeli Red
Brush: Simpson Chubby 2 Super Badger
Lather: Noble Otter Barrbarr
Aftershave: Noble Otter Barrbarr
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Osma Tradition Alum Block

Of the six I tried, Barrbarr and the Christmas soap are the Noble Otter soaps I'm keeping.

Barrbarr is entirely pleasant, and a very good performer.

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[Bob MCk]

"I live in a small town just outside of Nashville, TN"

If you ever get down around Jack Daniel territory, give me a shout!

 

[Graybeard57]

Of the six I tried, Barrbarr and the Christmas soap are the Noble Otter soaps I'm keeping.

I like N.O Bare, the only one I've tried.

 

[fhalden]

Today's shave

Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley Stainless Steel D Plate, 4" Argyle Handle
Blade: Gillette Nacet Stainless
Brush: Simpson Keyhole KH4 Best Badger
Pre-Shave: Cella Pre-shave gel
Lather: Martin de Candre Fougere
Aftershave: Brut Aftershave
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Osma Tradition Alum Block

I know the following about Fougére, which is not much:

It is somehow related to the scent of fern. None of the ferns I grew up with had a scent, so it's a mystery to me what it smells like beyond "fougére."

MdC Fougére is particularly pleasant, and an incredible soap.

Brut is apparently a fougére. I can smell the resemblance

Ive seen Clubman called a fougére.

That's the extent of my knowledge of things fougére.

I like it.

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[fhalden]

The razor in the photo above is not the Christopher Bradley, as listed. It is the Overlander. The Times apologizes for the error!

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[Graybeard57]

I know the following about Fougére, which is not much:

You're ahead of me. I'm still learning to pronounce it.

 

[fhalden]

Today's shave, June 1, 2023

Razor: Paradigm Diamondback
Blade: Personna Platinum Israeli Red
Brush: Simpson Trafalgar T3
Lather: Mitchell's Wool Fat
Aftershave: Shulton Old Spice Aftershave
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Osma Tradition Alum Block

Originally, the whole point was hope that shaves like this were possible. It's not the whole point, but fulfilled hopes are little treasures.

This is how I like to feel. Exactly this.

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[fhalden]

Today's shave:

Razor: Wolfman WR2 1.05
Blade: Personna Platinum Israeli Red
Brush: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Amber Areolite
Lather: Purely Skinful Connoisseur
Aftershave: Pitralon (Swiss) After-Shave
Additional Care:
Quinn's Pink Grapefruit and Orange Rind Witch Hazel Toner
Osma Tradition Alum Block

I pulled out an Ontario soap tonight from a company/artisan called Purely Skinful. The texture and satiny surface of the soap reminds me of LNHC. This is a deer tallow soap, for what that's worth. It is a boozy chocolate tobacco thing that I bought because at that point in time, I was buying a lot. I'm glad to have it, as it's nice, and not something I would buy now.

Swiss Pitralon is nice on occasion. Like today!

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[GearNoir]

Wow, deer tallow? That’s a new one on me! Cool.

 

[fhalden]

Today's shave.

The closest I got to going down a fragrance "rabbit hole" was buying a decant of Aventus, because having 20 things that purported to smell like it, but that obviously did not all smell alike, made me want to smell the original. What I discovered is that the distance between any of these dupes and the original is far less than the vast difference in expense. My price point for fragrances is pretty low. I enjoy the SV shower gels, but have no interest in springing for the EdT. The aftershaves are enough for me.

So here, I'm using Green Irish Tweed dupes, but I've never smelled Green Irish Tweed, so this is, for me, a Cool Water shave. Shamrock Tweed is a very nice soap that smells very much like Cool Water, which I've worn for ever.

The 3ONE6 never fails.

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[fhalden]

Today's shave:

Razor: Merkur 34G
Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium
Brush: Omega Pro 48
Pre-Shave: Proraso Green
Lather: Arko Shave Stick
Aftershave: Aqua Velva Classic Ice Blue
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Osma Tradition Alum Block

What a great razor. I have such a strong sense of familiarity with this thing.

This is the first time I broke out the Omega in years. It felt way too big.

The Arko lathered effortlessly, and left my face feeling stripped of all moisture. But I love the scent.

My aging phone camera has started tinting everything orange, so I had to use the flash, which sucks. I may have to bite the bullet and dig out my previous phone, just for pictures, which will be a pain. A new phone isn't happening until this thing won't make calls.

Have a great day everyone!!

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[fhalden]

Today's shave, June 6th, 2023

Razor: Blackland Vector
Blade: Feather Artist Club Pro Guard
Brush: Simpson Chubby 3 Manchurian (Faux Sapphire)
Lather: Saponificio Varesino Manna di Sicilia
Aftershave: Saponificio Varesino Manna di Sicilia
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Osma Tradition Alum Block

I do as instructed by the manufacturer, and dribble a little water on the puck before I get in the shower. I have no illusion that this is really necessary, but like dressing up for Christmas dinner growing up, the dribble is just a little extra ritual in my SV shaves that makes them feel special.

I feel my face, and it's the same smooth I got yesterday with Arko and a 34g, so the specialness of this setup really has to do with all the sensory experiences of an SV shave. For me it gives me the same feeling I got when I was in High School on a trip to Scotland and our tour group got upgraded to an Edinburgh 5-Star Hotel. I don't experience this level of luxury anywhere else, so when I use this stuff, I experience heightened focus, trying to savor the scent and enjoy a tiny bit of imposter syndrome like I felt in Edinburgh as I wore the complimentary Egyptian Cotton robe on my 16-year old frame.

Getting so absorbed in the pleasing sensations for a half an hour is an important element of my happiness in this veil of tears.

I've been on my back for the day, having pulled a lower back muscle yesterday, so the shave was performed, sort of bent over.

But my discomfort was ameliorated by enjoying a glass of Scotch while I enjoyed the premier of Drinks with Daves in YouTube. It is time to make room for another t-shirt and coffee mug. Or two.

I think it's going to be a great show, and I applaud in the strongest possible way that both Daves have as part of their mission to demonstrate that differing viewpoints need not preclude friendship, civility and healthy conversation. We need as much of that as we can find.

And one of them has a buzzer that was deployed a couple of times to hilarious effect. I'm usually at work tonight, so I'm very happy to have been able to see the premier live.

You should try and catch the next one. It was a very enjoyable hour!

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[fhalden]

This morning, while watching a new YouTube shaver attempt to lather, I heard the following phrase for the millionth time:

I'd say the scent strength is about a five.

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