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

[WThomas0814]

Finished one of the most pleasurable weeks of shaving I’ve ever had. Every day seemed to get better than the previous. Today was no exception with a two-pass BBS.

I hate to put this razor away, but, tomorrow is Vintage Sunday!

Off now to a birthday cookout for two of our grandsons, ages 5 and 3 (their birthdays are 17 days apart, so my (step) daughter splits the difference for the party. They end of getting two birthday celebrations each.

Prep: warm water splash

Razor: Atelier Durdan Le Maurice 1.0
Blade: Personna Lab Blue (3)
Soap: Cella Red
Brush: Zenith 507 Boar

Post: hot shower, then Dickinson’s Original
Aftershave: Osage Rub

Fragrance: Tom Ford Beau de Jour EDP

Cheers, one and all!

 

[thombrogan]

Happy Birthday Celebration to your grandsons!

 

[Eric_75]

Happy Birthday Celebration to your grandsons!

@WThomas0814 I second that, Bill.

 

[Dave himself]

Have a nice time at the party mate.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Another Happy Birthday to your grandsons. We’re certainly enjoying our first: a granddaughter: 9 months old and learning voraciously.

 

[WThomas0814]

Thank you, gentlemen. I can say with 100% certainty that spoiling grandchildren make 40 years of working 50-60 hour weeks worth every second.

 

[Mannic]

Happy Birthday too your grandsons

 

[WThomas0814]

Well, Toto, we aren’t in Kansas anymore.

First go with the Yates 921-M. I’m severely underwhelmed.

First go with the Pegasus Boar. I’m even more underwhelmed.

The 921-M feels rough, about the same, to me, as an OG Blackbird, nut not as efficient. It just doesn’t feel the way it should with the stated specs. I changed the handle (why is the standard handle half a mile long?) for the stubby.

The Pegasus. Where to start? Backbone is pretty much non-existant; it splays wildly when lathering, yet, somehow, it manages to hold 95% of my lather. It actually removes lather from my face. It’s new, but, so were all of my other boars at one point. I’m thinking Semogue needs to stick with 24mm knots max.

Anyway, I’ll give them both more chances. Especially since the 921-M was a gift from my wonderful wife.

Result: DFS, but not a comfortable one

Razor: Yates 921-M, Stubby handle
Blade: Personna Lab Blue (1)
Soap: Vitos Red + Coco
Brush: Semogue Pegasus C7 Boar

 

[Phoenixkh]

Well, Toto, we aren’t in Kansas anymore.

First go with the Yates 921-M. I’m severely underwhelmed.

First go with the Pegasus Boar. I’m even more underwhelmed.

The 921-M feels rough, about the same, to me, as an OG Blackbird, nut not as efficient. It just doesn’t feel the way it should with the stated specs. I changed the handle (why is the standard handle half a mile long?) for the stubby.

The Pegasus. Where to start? Backbone is pretty much non-existant; it splays wildly when lathering, yet, somehow, it manages to hold 95% of my lather. It actually removes lather from my face. It’s new, but, so were all of my other boars at one point. I’m thinking Semogue needs to stick with 24mm knots max.

Anyway, I’ll give them both more chances. Especially since the 921-M was a gift from my wonderful wife.

Result: DFS, but not a comfortable one

Razor: Yates 921-M, Stubby handle
Blade: Personna Lab Blue (1)
Soap: Vitos Red + Coco
Brush: Semogue Pegasus C7 Boar

View attachment 1845705View attachment 1845706

The Pegasus Mistura still lurks in this old mind of mine..... But I think... do I really want another brush in rotation? I certainly don't need it.... but I sold my two Misturas because they felt small on my face... My SV brushes are listed as 26mm... but that's at the bottom of the knot... They are much larger when they exit the pewter crown. I'm used to that feel....

Maybe one day....

As far as boar brushes go... I have 4 Zeniths but they are mothballed until DecemBOAR. Boar bristles go every which way as they break in. I might just be a tad too OCD for that not to bother me. <eg>

 

[WThomas0814]

The Pegasus Mistura still lurks in this old mind of mine..... But I think... do I really want another brush in rotation? I certainly don't need it.... but I sold my two Misturas because they felt small on my face... My SV brushes are listed as 26mm... but that's at the bottom of the knot... They are much larger when they exit the pewter crown. I'm used to that feel....

Maybe one day....

As far as boar brushes go... I have 4 Zeniths but they are mothballed until DecemBOAR. Boar bristles go every which way as they break in. I might just be a tad too OCD for that not to bother me. <eg>

I have several Zenith boars, plus multiple variations of the Semogue C5 boar knot (the ones Rudy Vey uses and that are in Semogue’s SOC brushes). I love the way they break in, tips getting soft while backbone is maintained. Between rotations, I keep my brushes in travel tubes so when I pull them out, they look almost new. I love the way they splay when I’m face lathering, although I do tend to get a wee bit of soap in my nose.

This one is very different. It is floppy when it gets soaked and it splays like a Simpson Duke. Not what I expect from a new boar. It looks to be very dense, but, it doesn’t feel dense, except for gobbling lather. It feels like a bigger version of the 620 or 820 brushes. Weird.

 

[WThomas0814]

Damn. I already have stubble, not 6 hrs post shave.

I need to have a discussion with Anne.

 

[Guido75]

Congrats on the grand children Bill! And catching up on your journal you have had done amazing shaves with superb gear! That Maurice is definitely a looker! I have checked the website frequently and this might be an addition up for consideration. France is not that far away either!

Enjoy!

Guido

 

[WThomas0814]

As I sit and ponder, which I seem to do more often as I grow older, it seems to be that I need a massive den purge.

Talk me out of it.

I have eight “modern” razors, most on the premium end of the scale, but, I only LOVE four of them. The unloved include a Blackbird titanium and an Atelier Durdan Vestige, for what it’s worth. Ive already sold both of my Roccas, my Blackbird SS, and my Vector.

I also have, if I’m counting correctly, 15 vintage razors (six Techs, two Aristocrats, three Super Sspeeds, a Fatboy, two NEWs (LC and SC), and two Ever-Ready Gems. I’m not wild about any of the TTOs and, while I like my Techs, I like my NEWs much more.

And, lest I forget, I have three Kamisori barber razors (Feather AC SS, Feather AC DX, and Schick Proline). The two Feathers have never been opened, the Proline is from the 90s.

Brushes? Lord, please help me. I have a half-dozen premium boars brand new in boxes that it will be years before I ever think of using (I blame Rudy Vey and his brilliant work for part of that); I also have 3-4 restored vintage brushes sitting idle.

Time is short and it seems prudent to focus on the kit that has proven to work flawlessly.

I wouldn’t say that I’m going minimalist; if I proceed, I’ll be left with four top-tier modern razors and three vintages, as well as a dozen-ish premium boar brushes.

What do you think?

 

[Dave himself]

As I sit and ponder, which I seem to do more often as I grow older, it seems to be that I need a massive den purge.

Talk me out of it.

I have eight “modern” razors, most on the premium end of the scale, but, I only LOVE four of them. The unloved include a Blackbird titanium and an Atelier Durdan Vestige, for what it’s worth. Ive already sold both of my Roccas, my Blackbird SS, and my Vector.

I also have, if I’m counting correctly, 15 vintage razors (six Techs, two Aristocrats, three Super Sspeeds, a Fatboy, two NEWs (LC and SC), and two Ever-Ready Gems. I’m not wild about any of the TTOs and, while I like my Techs, I like my NEWs much more.

And, lest I forget, I have three Kamisori barber razors (Feather AC SS, Feather AC DX, and Schick Proline). The two Feathers have never been opened, the Proline is from the 90s.

Brushes? Lord, please help me. I have a half-dozen premium boars brand new in boxes that it will be years before I ever think of using (I blame Rudy Vey and his brilliant work for part of that); I also have 3-4 restored vintage brushes sitting idle.

Time is short and it seems prudent to focus on the kit that has proven to work flawlessly.

I wouldn’t say that I’m going minimalist; if I proceed, I’ll be left with four top-tier modern razors and three vintages, as well as a dozen-ish premium boar brushes.

What do you think?

Man that's a tight call. Seems like you been thinking about it a lot though .

 

[JoWolf]

As I sit and ponder, which I seem to do more often as I grow older, it seems to be that I need a massive den purge.

Talk me out of it.

I have eight “modern” razors, most on the premium end of the scale, but, I only LOVE four of them. The unloved include a Blackbird titanium and an Atelier Durdan Vestige, for what it’s worth. Ive already sold both of my Roccas, my Blackbird SS, and my Vector.

I also have, if I’m counting correctly, 15 vintage razors (six Techs, two Aristocrats, three Super Sspeeds, a Fatboy, two NEWs (LC and SC), and two Ever-Ready Gems. I’m not wild about any of the TTOs and, while I like my Techs, I like my NEWs much more.

And, lest I forget, I have three Kamisori barber razors (Feather AC SS, Feather AC DX, and Schick Proline). The two Feathers have never been opened, the Proline is from the 90s.

Brushes? Lord, please help me. I have a half-dozen premium boars brand new in boxes that it will be years before I ever think of using (I blame Rudy Vey and his brilliant work for part of that); I also have 3-4 restored vintage brushes sitting idle.

Time is short and it seems prudent to focus on the kit that has proven to work flawlessly.

I wouldn’t say that I’m going minimalist; if I proceed, I’ll be left with four top-tier modern razors and three vintages, as well as a dozen-ish premium boar brushes.

What do you think?

Time is short and it seems prudent to focus on the kit that has proven to work flawlessly.

Our community would be boring without the many hardware and software products being auditioned and reviewed. A place of learning for all of us. A great place for entertainment as well. My opinion on your situation would come down to one question. Is challenging the equipment you have more exciting than challenging the shave you get? Of course I’m speaking as a minimalist. I prefer challenging the shave. My software and hardware journey was limited compared to the majority of our shavers. My sensitive skin was probably the main driver in my minimalism. There is no escape even in minimalism. I recently changed my razor after over three years use. Most surprising to me was completely changing my shave stroke. The excitement, learning and exploration never really stops in any excellent hobby. Minimalism is a narrower path but can be just as challenging and exciting.

 

[thombrogan]

Follow your bliss. If that means not cluttering your life and lodgings with stuff you don’t enjoy using (or enjoy, but have to force yourself to put them in rotation), go for it. If it means leaving your loved ones to deal with stashes of unused shave gear, well, you probably won’t be alone in that regard (Thom admits guiltily…).

 

[WThomas0814]

Much better result today. Skin is still a wee bit tender from Monday, but, the Sabre was quite forgiving.

Blackland Sabre Lz
Personna Gem PTFE
Cell Red
Zenith 507 unbleached boar

I’ll say 9.8/10 today, DFS+, treaded carefully on the neck and upper lip. This razor is definitely in my comfort zone. Great Cella lather with the big Zenith (27.5x57) made it nice and slick.

Wrapped up with a shower, Dickinson’s, and Skin Bracer.

Happy Monday, all!

 

[Guido75]

Time is short and it seems prudent to focus on the kit that has proven to work flawlessly.

Bill, this is a variation on what I call Razor Rotation Anxiety - having too many razors and feeling bad for not using all of them. I think I still am modest in the size of my collection, but it is bigger than yours and I did the math once last year with the very sobering thought that if I get to live a certain age and I count backwards I will get to enjoy each razor one year of continuous use and that would be it.

I am not a minimalist like John is and I don’t think I will ever be. Some razors were very precious gifts from fellow brothers and they will never ever leave. I like to think of myself as a steward rather than an owner and that my collection will pass on to my son and daughter. I think this is how I deal with my RRA. I am semi lucky that I only have DE razors and one GEM and one injector and that’s it. So the shave format issue is less of a thing for me.

I do use all of my razors though just at varying speeds. John made a great point in that I challenge the shave and not the razor. Hence my enjoyment with all of them and I certainly have preferences which is why I made sure a) all razors are in sight so no storage and b) my top ones are front and centre so every other shave one of those gets used. It is in me to get the best shave with them which is the part I continue to enjoy the most.

Same goes for my brushes. All in sight and I rotate regularly between them also to give the opportunity for a thorough dry cycle.

I obviously cannot make the decision for you, but I do know I enjoy your SOTD reports very much because of the splendid gear you have in your den. What I do read in some is that you have varying results such as with the Yates. Based on that report I would fully understand you BSTing that one. There’s no point in using a razor that doesn’t deliver for you just for the sake of necessity because you have the razor. I again am lucky to only have razors that deliver. Sometimes I don’t do them justice, but none are incompatible with me.

It might be a CPA answer, but you could put your shave scores into a spreadsheet and see which one are below par for you. Those would be candidates to go. They might work brilliantly for someone else. Or simply make a written list and rate them accordingly.

Long story short. I wouldn’t say massive den clearance. I would say let the non regrets go and see how you feel. TTOs for example or that Yates. Better to do one step at a time than to purge the lot and have sellers’ remorse.

Cheers,

Guido

Ps: I can PM you my address if you want a place to stay for your TiBird

 

[WThomas0814]

Bill, this is a variation on what I call Razor Rotation Anxiety - having too many razors and feeling bad for not using all of them. I think I still am modest in the size of my collection, but it is bigger than yours and I did the math once last year with the very sobering thought that if I get to live a certain age and I count backwards I will get to enjoy each razor one year of continuous use and that would be it.

I am not a minimalist like John is and I don’t think I will ever be. Some razors were very precious gifts from fellow brothers and they will never ever leave. I like to think of myself as a steward rather than an owner and that my collection will pass on to my son and daughter. I think this is how I deal with my RRA. I am semi lucky that I only have DE razors and one GEM and one injector and that’s it. So the shave format issue is less of a thing for me.

I do use all of my razors though just at varying speeds. John made a great point in that I challenge the shave and not the razor. Hence my enjoyment with all of them and I certainly have preferences which is why I made sure a) all razors are in sight so no storage and b) my top ones are front and centre so every other shave one of those gets used. It is in me to get the best shave with them which is the part I continue to enjoy the most.

Same goes for my brushes. All in sight and I rotate regularly between them also to give the opportunity for a thorough dry cycle.

I obviously cannot make the decision for you, but I do know I enjoy your SOTD reports very much because of the splendid gear you have in your den. What I do read in some is that you have varying results such as with the Yates. Based on that report I would fully understand you BSTing that one. There’s no point in using a razor that doesn’t deliver for you just for the sake of necessity because you have the razor. I again am lucky to only have razors that deliver. Sometimes I don’t do them justice, but none are incompatible with me.

It might be a CPA answer, but you could put your shave scores into a spreadsheet and see which one are below par for you. Those would be candidates to go. They might work brilliantly for someone else. Or simply make a written list and rate them accordingly.

Long story short. I wouldn’t say massive den clearance. I would say let the non regrets go and see how you feel. TTOs for example or that Yates. Better to do one step at a time than to purge the lot and have sellers’ remorse.

Cheers,

Guido

Ps: I can PM you my address if you want a place to stay for your TiBird

Thank you, Guido.

Actually, I do maintain a spreadsheet. I was reluctant to admit that in public.

I have separated my collection into three categories:

1. Those that consistently deliver 10/10 shaves. There are only 4-5 in this group, so, they would definitely stay.
2. Those that give an irritation/nick free but not quite as close as I’d like shave. I’m on the fence with these.
3. Those that are neither comfortable nor close-shaving. The Yates is in this category.

To me, the biggest joy of the shave is the ritual of lathering with a great soap and a beautiful brush. I’ll often lather and rinse it off, just so I can do it again. My soap selection is very limited; I use only those that deliver a perfect lather every time. My skin and beard love a scrubby brush; this is why my den is loaded with big boars.

I also like a beautiful razor, as long as it shaves me well, but I think of it more like a dessert fork while the lather is the cake. I could use the same fork, or razor, every day, as long as it does what I want it to do.

Part of my quandary is that my preferences have changed. When I was shaving every other day, there was no better razor than the Muhle Rocca. When I decided to shave daily, it just didn’t work for me any longer.

The final issue for me is my stubborn refusal, in spite of the advice of my physician, to return to electric razors even though I am taking meds that thin my blood. A nick will bleed for hours. This has led me to seek out very mild yet efficient (on my beard) razors… the Athena, Le Maurice, and the Carbon Cx are ideal, as is the Gillette NEW Short Comb on the vintage side. These are razors I will never part with.

I appreciate your comments.

 

[WThomas0814]

Follow your bliss. If that means not cluttering your life and lodgings with stuff you don’t enjoy using (or enjoy, but have to force yourself to put them in rotation), go for it. If it means leaving your loved ones to deal with stashes of unused shave gear, well, you probably won’t be alone in that regard (Thom admits guiltily…).

I’ve read your comment a dozen times and I think you nailed it. It is all about the JOY of shaving, yeah? thank you, Thom.