Howdy, thanks for clicking in.
I just passed my six-month-iversary of DE shaving. Along the way, I have had the pleasure of learning a ton from the esteemed members of this forum. Ive posted dumb questions and gotten great answers. I've loaned out a 1980 English Ball-end Tech to a curious workmate and taught my best friend how to face-lather. I've bought and tried a number of soaps and brushes, and given brushes, creams and blades to friends as gifts. I've been the lucky recipient of a PIF - a puck of DR Harris Lavender that I could't seem to bowl-lather for anything...but that's a story for another time.
Most important, I've gained a real appreciation for a practice that I hated for many, many years, and it's become a beloved ritual rather than a necessary evil. There's no way to measure the joy that comes with that transformation.
Now it's time for me to pay it forward in my own way. I love the idea of a passaround box, but as anyone who knows me will attest, I can't just stick with the usual system, I have to put my own twist on it.
And so, I submit to you...
The Two-Pass Passaround Box
The General Rules:
A. We will put in items related to B&B, with an emphasis on wet-shaving, but including items that might be more at home in sub-forums like the Brown Leaf, Haberdashery or Cafe. You could give a cool lighter (that doesn't leak), cuff links, your extra mini-French press, etc.
B. We must put in items of a sum value that is (more or less) equivalent to what we take. If in doubt, increase the value!
C. I will pack up the box with items from my own supplies, including items bought just for this, and ship it to the first recipient. That person will spend no more than one week with the box, taking what he wants and replacing with interesting item/s of equal value. "General Store" purchases (VDH, Williams, etc.) are out of bounds.
D. This will continue until we reach the end of the list and the box will be sent back to me. Then I will start the cycle again, using the same list, in order. Everyone gets two turns with the box!
E. We will plan ahead and put items into the box after considering the likes and dislikes of the people on the list. We have a whole forum's worth of posted preferences, questions and dreams; a little thoughtful research could make this a great thing for all concerned.
The Catch
* When the box reaches you for the second time, you MUST remove-and-replace anything that comes back to you. In other words, if your offering wasn't accepted by the group, you need to take it back and try again. If you followed through on (E), above, this shouldn't be an issue.
The Gentlemen's Agreements
1. If you are interested, you must post "I'm in" and in three or more sentences, share with us your favorite sports-related story from your youth (ages 0 to 12). It can be about you playing a sport, or meeting a sports hero, or calling the cops on the neighbors' kickball game as a precocious six-year-old, or whatever. No story, no entry - entertain us!
2. Around 7pm PT on Thursday, 7/9/15, I'll close the entry window and select 14 additional participants to join me in this little adventure. If more than 14 people signed up, I'll use a random number generator.
3. I will post the list in this thread, hopefully by 10pm PT. If you are selected, you will need to PM to me your:
- Real name
- Screen name
- Email address
- Snail mail address
- Phone number
4. I will set up the list by zip codes to keep shipping costs as low as possible. This is a "two-pass" passaround, meaning that you will get the box twice, so plan to spend around $20 on shipping each time, probably 3 months apart. Were using the USPS Priority Mail Regional Rate Box A1, which is about 10x7x5 and holds up to 15#.
5. You will send me a picture of the contents of the box upon receipt, and a picture of what you put in and take out, and I will give you the approval for the trade.
6. You will put the picture of your takes in the thread, but you won't list or mention what you put in so we keep the suspense alive.
7. Within reason, gently used items are fine, and you must be okay with receiving used items. Acceptable used items include razors, brushes, pipe stands, bow ties and other hard goods. Just don't send used blades or cigars, eh? Any used soft goods must be 95% or better. Above all, everything must be clean and well-packaged!
8a. I will take a little time to research the downstream participants and round up some items that will be appreciated.
8b. We will send the box on to the next player within one week of receipt lets keep it moving!
9. With apologies to our other brothers, I'm keeping this limited to CONUS because of what could be shipped.
This is my first attempt at something like this, so if anything is not clear or theres a glaring omission, please let me know. And I want to offer a special thanks to hotreds who, without knowing it, helped me shape the rules for this thing.
My sports story:
My son is 10 years old and plays competitive traveling soccer. Its the expensive type with a professional coach, but seeing him develop on the field and as a person makes it all worth it, and brings me back to my time playing soccer in Texas a skinny white kid just learning the game at age 7, playing with all the Hispanic kids who had been playing since they could walk. On one particular afternoon, I was in goal and the other team had a breakaway. One kid had the ball, dribbling toward me faster than I could run alone, and my defenders were hopelessly out of the play. I decided that my only chance was to charge, so thats what I did, arms flapping wide to make a bigger wall. He took a big touch, letting the ball get ahead of him, and I dove for it but like Willie Mays Hayes stealing second in Major League, I landed short of the ball. That kid planted one cleat-clad foot on top of my outstretched hand and kicked a strike into the goal with the other. I still have little scars from the spikes!
So whos in?
I just passed my six-month-iversary of DE shaving. Along the way, I have had the pleasure of learning a ton from the esteemed members of this forum. Ive posted dumb questions and gotten great answers. I've loaned out a 1980 English Ball-end Tech to a curious workmate and taught my best friend how to face-lather. I've bought and tried a number of soaps and brushes, and given brushes, creams and blades to friends as gifts. I've been the lucky recipient of a PIF - a puck of DR Harris Lavender that I could't seem to bowl-lather for anything...but that's a story for another time.
Most important, I've gained a real appreciation for a practice that I hated for many, many years, and it's become a beloved ritual rather than a necessary evil. There's no way to measure the joy that comes with that transformation.
Now it's time for me to pay it forward in my own way. I love the idea of a passaround box, but as anyone who knows me will attest, I can't just stick with the usual system, I have to put my own twist on it.
And so, I submit to you...
The Two-Pass Passaround Box
The General Rules:
A. We will put in items related to B&B, with an emphasis on wet-shaving, but including items that might be more at home in sub-forums like the Brown Leaf, Haberdashery or Cafe. You could give a cool lighter (that doesn't leak), cuff links, your extra mini-French press, etc.
B. We must put in items of a sum value that is (more or less) equivalent to what we take. If in doubt, increase the value!
C. I will pack up the box with items from my own supplies, including items bought just for this, and ship it to the first recipient. That person will spend no more than one week with the box, taking what he wants and replacing with interesting item/s of equal value. "General Store" purchases (VDH, Williams, etc.) are out of bounds.
D. This will continue until we reach the end of the list and the box will be sent back to me. Then I will start the cycle again, using the same list, in order. Everyone gets two turns with the box!
E. We will plan ahead and put items into the box after considering the likes and dislikes of the people on the list. We have a whole forum's worth of posted preferences, questions and dreams; a little thoughtful research could make this a great thing for all concerned.
The Catch
* When the box reaches you for the second time, you MUST remove-and-replace anything that comes back to you. In other words, if your offering wasn't accepted by the group, you need to take it back and try again. If you followed through on (E), above, this shouldn't be an issue.
The Gentlemen's Agreements
1. If you are interested, you must post "I'm in" and in three or more sentences, share with us your favorite sports-related story from your youth (ages 0 to 12). It can be about you playing a sport, or meeting a sports hero, or calling the cops on the neighbors' kickball game as a precocious six-year-old, or whatever. No story, no entry - entertain us!
2. Around 7pm PT on Thursday, 7/9/15, I'll close the entry window and select 14 additional participants to join me in this little adventure. If more than 14 people signed up, I'll use a random number generator.
3. I will post the list in this thread, hopefully by 10pm PT. If you are selected, you will need to PM to me your:
- Real name
- Screen name
- Email address
- Snail mail address
- Phone number
4. I will set up the list by zip codes to keep shipping costs as low as possible. This is a "two-pass" passaround, meaning that you will get the box twice, so plan to spend around $20 on shipping each time, probably 3 months apart. Were using the USPS Priority Mail Regional Rate Box A1, which is about 10x7x5 and holds up to 15#.
5. You will send me a picture of the contents of the box upon receipt, and a picture of what you put in and take out, and I will give you the approval for the trade.
6. You will put the picture of your takes in the thread, but you won't list or mention what you put in so we keep the suspense alive.
7. Within reason, gently used items are fine, and you must be okay with receiving used items. Acceptable used items include razors, brushes, pipe stands, bow ties and other hard goods. Just don't send used blades or cigars, eh? Any used soft goods must be 95% or better. Above all, everything must be clean and well-packaged!
8a. I will take a little time to research the downstream participants and round up some items that will be appreciated.
8b. We will send the box on to the next player within one week of receipt lets keep it moving!
9. With apologies to our other brothers, I'm keeping this limited to CONUS because of what could be shipped.
This is my first attempt at something like this, so if anything is not clear or theres a glaring omission, please let me know. And I want to offer a special thanks to hotreds who, without knowing it, helped me shape the rules for this thing.
My sports story:
My son is 10 years old and plays competitive traveling soccer. Its the expensive type with a professional coach, but seeing him develop on the field and as a person makes it all worth it, and brings me back to my time playing soccer in Texas a skinny white kid just learning the game at age 7, playing with all the Hispanic kids who had been playing since they could walk. On one particular afternoon, I was in goal and the other team had a breakaway. One kid had the ball, dribbling toward me faster than I could run alone, and my defenders were hopelessly out of the play. I decided that my only chance was to charge, so thats what I did, arms flapping wide to make a bigger wall. He took a big touch, letting the ball get ahead of him, and I dove for it but like Willie Mays Hayes stealing second in Major League, I landed short of the ball. That kid planted one cleat-clad foot on top of my outstretched hand and kicked a strike into the goal with the other. I still have little scars from the spikes!
So whos in?
