Is SMF losing its vigour?

Feel free to post anything unrelated to wet shaving or men's grooming (I.e. cars, watches, pens, leather goods. You know, the finer things of life).
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nicodemus38

Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by nicodemus38 »

on the other hand shavenook is well loosing its vigour in worse ways.

in the last month, there have been maybe 14 new threads created in the soap and cream forums combined. Most of them were by moderators or vendors talking about their own product.
Id easily say 45% of all threads started are by vendors talking about their own product, and half the rest are in non shaving related forums.
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Squire
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by Squire »

I'm feeling right perky myself. No loss at all, or at least not enough to notice.
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Squire
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churchilllafemme
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by churchilllafemme »

For the last two days no one has bothered to start a new SOTD thread for the week. I'd say that is a pretty good indication of lack of vigor.
_______
John
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fallingwickets
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by fallingwickets »

I dont think that is fair to say. there are so many OTD threads going on that the significance of SOTD is meaningless.

clive
de gustibus non est disputandum
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rustyblade
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by rustyblade »

Rufus wrote:
jww wrote: Glad to see you're back and well provisioned with CIL. Now we just have to coax Rustyblade/Richard, Gordon and a few other "old hands" out of hiding.

Hmm?

(Stretches and yawns after waking from a long nap)
Richard
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by JRTASTER »

CMur12 wrote:I wonder if another factor might be that many of us have been here for some time, now, and we have the wild buying and experimentation behind us. We have found hardware and software that we like and we're more settled. We try something new occasionally, but we're no longer trying to keep up with all the new product introductions. Sometimes we get a new member who refers to a new razor, brush, soap or whatever with an acronym and I don't know what they're talking about! (And I don't care, either. 8) )

- Murray
Your point is a good one, Murray
Enjoying wet shaving, again.
jr/John
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by brothers »

We'll find out --- somewhere here I'm offering several shaving soaps and creams free for the asking, no costs for postage or anything. Offer expires in one week.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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jtpca
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by jtpca »

brothers wrote:We'll find out --- somewhere here I'm offering several shaving soaps and creams free for the asking, no costs for postage or anything. Offer expires in one week.
Gary you just woke me up... the hunt is on! Though I would leave such an offer for a newbie, the same way I benefited eight years ago.
Jason

There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know. - Truman
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by brothers »

True to my word, the absolutely free stuff is no longer available as of right now. I guess there is no one alive who wants a full tube of Musgo Real Classic shaving cream or a full puck of New York Shaving soap, even though it costs nothing. Baffling and disappointing. Oh well,
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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wenestvedt
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by wenestvedt »

Hi, guys. It's been a while; did I miss anything? :7)

- Will
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by CMur12 »

Hi Will! It's good to see you. Stick around and keep us company! :)

- Murray
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by brothers »

Hi Will.
Gary

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Gareth
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by Gareth »

drmoss_ca wrote:We may have said nearly all that we know, but few bother to go back and read ancient posts (pace, Gary), so sometimes it must be said again. We have become a company of friends, who may not need or want to discuss the minutiae of shaving to the exclusion of all else, but we still like to keep contact and share our thoughts on many matters. It has been said for years that SMF is like a club, and like many clubs the original reason for the grouping has faded a little, but going to the club is still what we do. At least we have avoided becoming a wretched and exploitative shaving forum created explicitly for profit that has so many examples elsewhere. It's true that we lack the time-honoured method of picking our members with white and black balls, and we have to do our weeding out ex post facto, but the results are the same: a club of like minded people who enjoy each other's company and learn from them at the same time. We have nothing at all to be ashamed of in this as it is simply a community evolving to better suit the needs of its members. In fact, I think we ought to be very proud of that.

Chris
Chris, I couldn't agree more. SMF hasn't lost its vigour, it has simply evolved organically over time. Whenever I have poked around other shaving forums, they never felt quite like SMF - they all lacked the club atmosphere of like-minded individuals found here. This has never changed and seems to have become more pronounced as other sites have become profit-driven.

It is certainly true that SMF is quieter than it was a few years ago, and it is indeed a shame that some of our most loved and valued members no longer frequent the forum - Gordon, DrP, Trumperman to name just a few. One thing I realised recently as I have been contributing more again is just how much I missed the positive distraction from the busyness of life this place provides.

Gareth
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i_shaved_something
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by i_shaved_something »

I was never an extremely prolific poster but still lurk here occasionally .
Good to see SMF is still going!
Rob
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by Squire »

An old fellow toddling along on a cane can be surprisingly spry.
Regards,
Squire
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by brothers »

Rufus wrote:It seems to me that participation on SMF has declined this year. At times there seem to be as many "bots" on the site as members. What do you think?
The numerous current FaceBook shaving fora remind me of what I saw of the old traditional classic original SMF and its predecessor(s) looked like, before they were deactivated a few years back. No individual topics, just a seemingly endless and engaging flow of enthusiastic comments and conversations.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
bflotom2
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by bflotom2 »

I still stop by occasionally. I think that that the site like most of us have found our rhythm. I retired about 2 y/o and went on a crusade to purchase every DE at every estate sale in my area. I now have a box of razors that need to be cleaned but I have no motivation to clean them. Different interests and no real need. I have the equipment I like and use. I'm not interested in the next trend.
Regards,
Tom
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khari
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by khari »

bflotom2 wrote:I still stop by occasionally...
Me too. Hard to believe it's been so long since I started down the wet shaving path. I don't check in as often as I used to, but this will always be home.

No new trends for me, either. I still have a ridiculous amount of blades, cream, aftershaves, brushes, etc. I won't have to buy more blades or cream for a good while yet, and I've settled in to favorite rig. I've used a '40s SS and Merkur Vision brush for the last 5 years straight.
nicodemus38

Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by nicodemus38 »

Losing vigour? not really. I used to think it might be but the funny thing is, its just different from the other sites. To sum it up succinctly look at the internet shave forums as the following,

SMF and The shaving room, are like Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show.
Not so busy, quite, not many strangers come to town. The biggest conversations over at the barber shop are what the current trend is in shaving with hot or cold water.

In most of the other forums, your in down town LA hoping you don't get knifed because you don't have the right kind of artisan shave soap.
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Re: Is SMF losing its vigour?

Post by brothers »

Gareth wrote: . . . It is certainly true that SMF is quieter than it was a few years ago, and it is indeed a shame that some of our most loved and valued members no longer frequent the forum - Gordon, DrP, Trumperman to name just a few. One thing I realised recently as I have been contributing more again is just how much I missed the positive distraction from the busyness of life this place provides.

Gareth
Gareth, You've caught my sentiment exactly. That's what drew me here and now it's what I miss the most. We just keep going, hopefully.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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