2015 Gentlemanly Restraint Until Fall GRU Fall (GRU-Fall)

Still in and had a great shave right before leaving for a week long camping trip.

Merkur 37c
Personna blue (2)
Proraso blue
B&B essential boar
Captain choice bowl
Clubman original

One fantastic shave

Still in ...

SOTD:
New SC
Wolf Whiskers custom boar
Voskhod (2)
B&M Arctique
Thayer's Supermedicated
Stirling SDM A/S

First shave with Arctique ... it's true, this stuff is SERIOUSLY mentholated. When I first started traditional wet shaving last year, I was using Proraso and loved the menthol hit from it.

This? This is 10 times that. It wasn't uncomfortable to me as some have said, but it definitely made my eye water a little. Performance is on par with all B&M soaps, so no worries there. I've settled into a one pass routine for the most part, so I'm not sure what an added application would have felt like, but it was definitely a face freezer on the first pass.

I've got Roam coming in a trade today ... can't wait to get a sniff of that.

EDIT to add ... with the Arctique, I would be very careful/mindful of what you touch immediately after shaving. After putting my boxers on I've noticed a cooling sensation around the waist band on my back. Not sure I'd want to feel that in other, more strategic areas ... and I wouldn't recommend putting contact lenses in after the shave.

Hi,

I just bought a pack of single edged razor blades.
























But Still In as they are utility blades for scrapers and not for use on animated things....like me. In fact, I would become quite animated if I tried to use them on myself. They are quite rough compared to the ones meant for shaving.

Stan

Still in.

Spent the last few weeks shopping for a fitness tracker, and now I'm looking at shoes. So I'm not buying shaving stuff but I'm still spending money.

I'm in. Today I shaved with a WD synthetic/Proraso Green/Post War Tech/Big Ben/Witch Hazel. Same old same old.

KQY61 said:

Hi,
I just bought a pack of single edged razor blades.....
But Still In as they are utility blades for scrapers and not for use on animated things....like me. In fact, I would become quite animated if I tried to use them on myself. They are quite rough compared to the ones meant for shaving.
Stan

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Watcha scrapin' ? ;-)

Hey all

With permissions, I am posting the link to the August restraint thread here. It couldn't hurt to get our numbers up! Since you are all de facto participants,, come over and add your name!
http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=462437

Gentlemen, I appreciate everyone's attention and advice/help in this thread. It's nice to see so many staying in touch, or willing to trade or just help with restraining ;-)

Today I present my Everyday SOTD. Everything else I might have used was either pif'ed or sold and I'm left with these bare bones - the simple tools for my everyday shave. I do have a few more Techs, but they're all the same except for one postwar model which is just too mild even for me. I also have a few more aftershaves, but this is my current "summer" rotation. (The strange bottle on the far right is a vintage Pinaud bottle filled with Lime Sec, and the pine cone bottle is Pino Silvestre.) After I 3017' the CRSW I have some Stone Cottage Soapworks Lavender that's waiting patiently in line.

I'm also using this post to say that I will announce my next GRU-Fall PIF tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7:00am PDST! So stay in touch because I plan to close the PIF and announce the winner this Friday morning!

mr_eleven said:

Gentlemen, I appreciate everyone's attention and advice/help in this thread. It's nice to see so many staying in touch, or willing to trade or just help with restraining ;-)

Today I present my Everyday SOTD. Everything else I might have used was either pif'ed or sold and I'm left with these bare bones - the simple tools for my everyday shave. I do have a few more Techs, but they're all the same except for one postwar model which is just too mild even for me. I also have a few more aftershaves, but this is my current "summer" rotation. (The strange bottle on the far right is a vintage Pinaud bottle filled with Lime Sec, and the pine cone bottle is Pino Silvestre.) After I 3017' the CRSW I have some Stone Cottage Soapworks Lavender that's waiting patiently in line.

I'm also using this post to say that I will announce my next GRU-Fall PIF tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7:00am PDST! So stay in touch because I plan to close the PIF and announce the winner this Friday morning!



View attachment 589742

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So, one soap and one cream? Do you have enough to make it through September? I'm offering you a PIF of shaving soap/and or cream right now. If you run low, please PM me and the PIF will be on the way. You will not be asking, as the PIF has already been offered.

Thank you for your selfless representation as the leader of the GRU-Fall!

Blade4vor said:

So, one soap and one cream? Do you have enough to make it through September? I'm offering you a PIF of shaving soap/and or cream right now. If you run low, please PM me and the PIF will be on the way. You will not be asking, as the PIF has already been offered.

Thank you for your selfless representation as the leader of the GRU-Fall!

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Thank you!!! But I forgot to say that I also have a tub of Stone Cottage Soapworks Fougere when the Lavender is finished, but the way the CRSW is lasting, it just might get me all the way through... I load it like a madman yet it seems to barely make a dent! I'll just have to see what August holds.

My plan is to follow this up with the GRU-Winter, so I'll just reload with some more CRSW and Stone Cottage to get me to December. I may want to get 2 tins of the CRSW, with the way it performs ;-)

mr_eleven, that is a nice setup. I like it a lot.

Someday I hope to be near where you are. I went crazy trying several soaps and now just wish I had a few favorites, but have to work through what I have to see what the favorites are, of course!

I love that vintage AV bottle! Would love one someday to decant mine into. I just started a bottle for the first time and I'm loving it so far.

mr_eleven said:

Today I present my Everyday SOTD. Everything else I might have used was either pif'ed or sold and I'm left with these bare bones - the simple tools for my everyday shave. I do have a few more Techs, but they're all the same except for one postwar model which is just too mild even for me.

Click to expand...

Did you part ways with your AS-D2? If so I've been thinking about doing the same. It will probably take me another month or two to figure out which of my modern razors I plan to keep, but the plan is to eventually limit my rotation to about 3-4 razors. I do know for certain that the Tech will be staying. : )

And of course I'm still in. SOTD:

Gillette NEW SC
Astra SP
Proraso Green
Omega mighty midget
Witch hazel
Nivea sensitive balm

redrider_99 said:

mr_eleven, that is a nice setup. I like it a lot.

Someday I hope to be near where you are. I went crazy trying several soaps and now just wish I had a few favorites, but have to work through what I have to see what the favorites are, of course! I love that vintage AV bottle! Would love one someday to decant mine into. I just started a bottle for the first time and I'm loving it so far.

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You can find nice vintage bottles, either full or empty on the Bay or in antique shops if you look carefully. I like the AV a lot, but I like the Mennen stuff better. I have quite a few vintage Mennen aftershaves, I should post a pic of those someday ;-)

DanCPA said:

Did you part ways with your AS-D2? If so I've been thinking about doing the same. It will probably take me another month or two to figure out which of my modern razors I plan to keep, but the plan is to eventually limit my rotation to about 3-4 razors. I do know for certain that the Tech will be staying. : )

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The AS-D2 was sold. I thought about what to do with that razor for a long time, but finally realized the Tech served me better, and for a lot less bank! I would like to try a NEW someday. I've read it's only slightly more aggressive than a Tech??

I swear I posted earlier. I'm still in, but I was tempted over the weekend. There was a great deal on a DE kit which I found for my coworker, and considered buying one for myself. My wife says I should have been but I stayed true to the restraint! It's out of stock now which is a relief.

SOTD was with a Mongoose (on loan) loaded with a a Feather blade and my Palmolive stick.

#16 checking in.

SOTD
MR1
Personna Lab (2)
Palmolive stick
alum
proraso green AS splash

Gonna switch back to GSB for that razor.
maybe use my cerakoted 34c tomorrow... or tech. Nice and mild for daily shaves.

mr_eleven said:

I've read it's only slightly more aggressive than a Tech??

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I would say that's true. After my first few shaves with a NEW, which weren't great (weepers, burn, etc), I find it to be extremely mild but very efficient, sort of like my Pre-WW2 Tech. However there is a certain feel and sound from shaving with the NEW that I really enjoy that I don't get with my Tech. In my opinion the NEW is absolutely worth trying...especially if you enjoy the Tech. If I'm ever able to shrink my rotation to 3-4 razors the NEW and Pre-WW2 Tech are definitely staying.

mr_eleven said:

You can find nice vintage bottles, either full or empty on the Bay or in antique shops if you look carefully. I like the AV a lot, but I like the Mennen stuff better. I have quite a few vintage Mennen aftershaves, I should post a pic of those someday ;-)



The AS-D2 was sold. I thought about what to do with that razor for a long time, but finally realized the Tech served me better, and for a lot less bank! I would like to try a NEW someday. I've read it's only slightly more aggressive than a Tech??

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I have a new. It is more aggressive. Not worth going out for though.

I have figured out my razor is a slim set to 5, which was the razor given to me for losing 50 lbs.. I do own other razors and will keep them as many came from people here like my Fatboy from the Santa and sleigh, my black beauty from Kables restraint box, my new from a member that wanted to bless me. Also have a gem se from another member, and a travel tech that completed the set that was my wife's grandmothers razor. All cherished razors to me that even if I never use them I have sentimental reasons to keep.

Blades are gillette Wilkinson sword made in China, still have 600 of a mixture of Astra so persona red voskhods dorco 301 and Gillette yellows and I like them as well.

I am paring soap down to 4 pucks and 2 creams that work effortless for me and are not expensive

Soap
Mwf
Ogallila bay rum
Van den hagen luxury
Dr Harris marbrough not in current stock

Cream
Palmolive
Kmf.

Aftershave
Av blue in glass bottle
Clubman
Brut generic
Av musk
Florid
Old spice
Afta ASB.

Speaking of aftershaves......

The Late July GRU-Fall Aftershave PIF !

Now that summer's heat is in full swing, how about some Booster's Iced Lime After Shave Lotion to cool of that handsome face of yours? Just tell me It's too hot! and I'll add you to the list and pick a winner this coming Friday - good luck and stay coool!!

Looks at forecast for today ... possible first 90 degree day here all year, with LOADS of humidity ...

It's too hot! I'm in ... thanks for the PIF!

Its too hot here as well. Still in and in for pif