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

[WThomas0814]

I considered starting this for a while but held off because, truly, opinions are like ringpieces. We all have one.

Yet, here I am. I will see where it goes, with help from you lads.

My own journal is a better venue to express my disappointments, as well as my successes and failures. I’d like to see yours, as well. Feel free to chime in if you agree with my remarks, as well as when you think I’m a bit of a tosser.

Assuming, of course, this isn’t my last post. Ringpieces and all, yeah?

Cheers!

 

[thombrogan]

Thank you for starting a journal, Bill! Can’t wait to read what’s next.

Hoping this area will provide a place where people don’t ask you why you won’t keep using your Vector with washers, tapes, JB Weld, solder, and candle wax for the chance to cut your other nostril. But I’m a naïve bastidge that way.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Bill, I think it's great that you started your own journal. I look forward to following along. Though I've learned a lot from most of the B&B sections, I've sure learned a lot from the journeys of others posted in the Journals and Diaries forum.

 

[WThomas0814]

Thank you for starting a journal, Bill! Can’t wait to read what’s next.

Hoping this area will provide a place where people don’t ask you why you won’t keep using your Vector with washers, tapes, JB Weld, solder, and candle wax for the chance to cut your other nostril. But I’m a naïve bastidge that way.

I immediately posted that one for sale. Had to use the Bay because of the 15-day rule here, but, it sold the day I posted it. Might give me a first topic: I don’t have to own and love every razor a company makes to like and respect the company.

 

[Dave himself]

Happily following along, and looking forward to your posts.

 

[WThomas0814]

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.

 

[cajunrph]

Welcome to the journaling section, I look forward to following along.

I too am a Boar aficionado, but I also mix it up. My boar journey started in DecemBOAR 2023, which was the first time I used boars before I was using Synthetics and Badgers. A month of boars had me convinced I was an exclusive Boar user for life. I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of the boars and the fact they didn't scrub my facial epidermus plum off was a plus. My breaking method differed from yours, I soaked the brushes for 12 hours, then lathered a nonscented soap with the brush, rinse and towel dried, then towel stropped for 20-30 strokes. Back to soaking for 12 hours, repeat for 3 or so days. It worked for me and delivered a soft yet scruffy brush I was quite pleased with. I have 2 507s one a Blue Cobolt, the other an Italian Flag version. One 502-BW, Blue Wave that is more a greenish color. One Omega 10049, an unbleached Zenith, and Semogue 2000. I am quite content with my little pig pen. BADGERary had me using just Badgers in January, I was all too happy to get back to the Boars in February, but now I mix in some Synthetics with the Boars and Badgers.

 

[WThomas0814]

Welcome to the journaling section, I look forward to following along.

I too am a Boar aficionado, but I also mix it up. My boar journey started in DecemBOAR 2023, which was the first time I used boars before I was using Synthetics and Badgers. A month of boars had me convinced I was an exclusive Boar user for life. I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of the boars and the fact they didn't scrub my facial epidermus plum off was a plus. My breaking method differed from yours, I soaked the brushes for 12 hours, then lathered a nonscented soap with the brush, rinse and towel dried, then towel stropped for 20-30 strokes. Back to soaking for 12 hours, repeat for 3 or so days. It worked for me and delivered a soft yet scruffy brush I was quite pleased with. I have 2 507s one a Blue Cobolt, the other an Italian Flag version. One 502-BW, Blue Wave that is more a greenish color. One Omega 10049, an unbleached Zenith, and Semogue 2000. I am quite content with my little pig pen. BADGERary had me using just Badgers in January, I was all too happy to get back to the Boars in February, but now I mix in some Synthetics with the Boars and Badgers.

Your technique is pretty much spot-on for how I treat unbleached boar. I love the scratch of a new boar, so, I let my face do most of the work.

My badgers are all gone, except for a Badger/Boar mix in a restored Ever-Ready 400. They were just too soft for my liking.

thanks for sharing!

 

[cajunrph]

Your technique is pretty much spot-on for how I treat unbleached boar. I love the scratch of a new boar, so, I let my face do most of the work.

My badgers are all gone, except for a Badger/Boar mix in a restored Ever-Ready 400. They were just too soft for my liking.

thanks for sharing!

The unbleached Zenith took a while longer to break in for my taste. I broke it in the rest of the way as you did for the bleached boars, on the job scratching. I can understand your preferred break-in process if you love the scratch of a boar.

 

[WThomas0814]

Sadie, my rescue Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, thinks I spend too much time on B&B.

 

[Dave himself]

Sadie, my rescue Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, thinks I spend too much time on B&B.

View attachment 1838333

Man that's one cute wee dog.

 

[WThomas0814]

Man that's one cute wee dog.

Thank you! I like to think she favors me.

We got her going on a year ago. We think she’s 6-7 years old now. She was a breeding mom at a puppy mill and possessed no social skills. She came to us three days after I retired, so I’ve been with her every day for the past year. She’s come a long way.

 

[WThomas0814]

Not to be partial, our other rescue CKCS, Dexter, only wants treats.

 

[cajunrph]

Those are some fine-looking fur babies there. I started with one and now we have a house full, my wife has a soft spot for dogs and cats. And all have their own personalities. I'm sure they make retirement more exciting.

 

[Alum Ladd]

Thank you! I like to think she favors me.

We got her going on a year ago. We think she’s 6-7 years old now. She was a breeding mom at a puppy mill and possessed no social skills. She came to us three days after I retired, so I’ve been with her every day for the past year. She’s come a long way.

I recall an ex had two of these lovely animals.

Almost absurdly cute. Wonderful gentle personalities too.

Unlike the ex.

 

[WThomas0814]

I recall an ex had two of these lovely animals.

Almost absurdly cute. Wonderful gentle personalities too.

Unlike the ex.

Very much so. They are, to a T, like Grammy Anne, and equally UNLIKE her predecessor.

 

[WThomas0814]

Shave 95/300+

Spent most of the day planting my tomatoes and peppers, plus some herbs. Afternoon shave today.

Prep: warm water splash

Razor: Blackland Sabre L2
Blade: Personna Gem PTFE (2)
Soap: Arko puck
Brush: Zenith 507, Olive Wood

Shave: Two passes, WTG+ATG. No buffing necessary to obtain a DFS+. No irritation at all. The Sabre is a fabulous razor for me. Arko lathers copiously, especially with the big Zenith boar. A perfect 10/10 shave.

Post shave: warm shower, Dickinson’s Original
After Shave: Aqua Velva Ice Blue

 

[WThomas0814]

The post came moments ago, bringing an unexpected package from Castle Rock Shaving. I’m unfamiliar with them, until now.

Clearly, I have been overly expressive about my disappointment in twice having cancelled orders with Yates Precision. Somehow, my lovely wife located this and ordered it as an early Anniversary gift.

She has never expressed any real interest in my “hobby”, other than comments on how I smell (she, too, loves drugstore aftershaves) and, sometimes, how smooth my face feels. Yet, here she is, ordering this for me.

Even better, this one includes the tin box, not the shabby cardboard affair they use now.

I won’t tell her my issue was with titanium razors and this one is stainless. Instead, I will treasure this above all other razors in my collection.

 

[WThomas0814]

Another perfect 10/10 shave today!

Blackland Sabre L2 with a Personna Gem PTFE (3)
Rudy Vey Irish Bog Oak/Semogue C5 boar brush
Cella Red

Finished with a warm shower, Dickonson’s Original, an Skin Brazer.

This is a fantastic brush, just the right size for my mitts and the stellar Semogue SOC knot. Rudy outdid himself with this one. Cella Red, what can I say? One of three soaps that I will never be without. I have 1.5 kilos in the deep freeze and a half a kilo in the fridge, all divided into container-sized chunks and vacuum sealed.

The Sabre. Yes, the lovely Sabre and its Gem blade. I put my name on the list for a WR3, but, 99.9% certain I’ll never buy it. I’ll wait for the next version of the Sabre (titanium, Shane, titanium!). This razor is as close to perfection as I expect to find.

Cheers, lads!

 

[WThomas0814]

Just a wee rant…

I’ve purchased from Gardener’s Supply numerous times in the last decade-plus, things like tomato ladders, pepper plant cages, raised beds, etc. to support my OTHER hobby. At some point, they became an employee-owned company. And they became shyte.

As I mentioned to someone (via email because the phone line had an estimated 37 minute wait), they need new employees.

I ordered several in-stock items 10 days ago that have yet to ship. No response to the “help” email and dead link for order status. I can’t even converse with someone to cancel my order.

A company that, in my experience, had outstanding service and quick delivery has now dived into the toilet. This is EXACTLY the complaint I voiced about Karve, which was derided by many since this is “the new way of doing business.”

What has happened? Where was I when it did? Maybe I’m just a grumpy old man, or maybe I just need to be “woke.”