I have changed my game plan

Thoughts and input on anything related to wet shaving or men's grooming.
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pausted
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I have changed my game plan

Post by pausted »

This might be a little long but bear with me. Lately I have said that I was going to use up my soaps and creams that I didn't intend to replace. Then I would dig out my new stuff. The old stuff would take a long while! None of it was particularly expensive but I have a lot of it. I finally decided that I am in my 70's and what am I waiting for? The stuff that I'm not going to replace will eventually get used up... or it won't.... so what? So this morning I opened a tube of Musgo Real cream that had been in my den for several months. I had never tried it before. It's a great cream. I really enjoyed it and intend to use it a lot. Next will be a tub of AOS Ocean Kelp ( thanks to Wendell"s glowing report) that has been languishing in my cabinet for a while. I'll bet that I will like it. Of course, I have a tub of J. Peterman 1903 cream which I consider to be top notch. There is a tube of Proraso blue and the matching balm that I have yet to try and I suspect that I will be pleased. I have on order a jar of St. James of London Lavender cream. Looking forward to trying it.

So, my plan is to buy and use products that I think are top quality. I'm not going to stress about things that are not yet used up. Hope to hear your comments.
Best regards,

Basil
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Squire
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by Squire »

Basil the older I get the less inclined I am to save anything for later.
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Squire
brothers
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by brothers »

I heartily agree with you Basil. I had too much and couldn't justify it. I like to imagine myself actually running out one of these days.
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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KAV
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by KAV »

I donated much of my early and excess kit to a local shelter. I was nearly homeless at one point. One of the hurdles those folk face is simple hygiene and the disenfranchisement it creates. Then again, some of the 'effluent' yuppies around here have taken slovenliness to a new level.
ShadowsDad
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by ShadowsDad »

Basil, like you I decided to use up some of my soaps and such that I don't intend to replace. I had a rotation of 5 or 6 of them and actually used up a few of them. I have a few more that I want to use up, but that is currently on hold. To prevent boredom I allowed myself the use of any soap in the cabinet on Sunday. The few soaps I used up took me close to a 1 1/2 years if I remember correctly. A few I grew tired of early into it and just used them in the shower. Life is just too short not to use what we like.
Brian

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Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
pausted
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by pausted »

Thank you for your thoughts, fellas. I feel good about my decision to use new, and in my opinion, good quality soaps and creams. I'll just use up the old stuff over time and as the mood strikes. Best to you all.
Best regards,

Basil
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jww
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by jww »

I don't have tons of stuff to begin with -- not when compared to some of our members. I find that I always have on hand supply of my beloved MWF, as well as DR Harris Lavender and Arlington soaps in both stick and puck form. Tabac (stick and puck as well), Palmolive Classic stick, EJ Sea Buckthorn, Cella, P160 Tipo Morbido (nursing a single container from the good Dr), Gold Dachs, three tubes of GFT (Limes, Sandlawood and Rose) all of which somehow get used bit by bit. I haven't used my Proraso tub in several months (not sure why), and have an unopened Erasmic stick. I also have a puck of C&E Sienna that I use sparingly - the soap provides outstanding lather, but the scent and perfumes used always make my face burn. So that's pretty much it -- I rarely try stuff away from this set now. I do have a stick of DR Harris Almond, which performs as all DR Harris soaps, but the scent isn't working for me yet. And then, as Basil notes, I do have my one tub of AOS cream --- Ocean Kelp, which I have learned to like a great deal. I hear that their lavender cream and soap are actually pretty good. Not thinking of adding anything long or short term.
Wendell

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pausted
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by pausted »

brothers wrote:I heartily agree with you Basil. I had too much and couldn't justify it. I like to imagine myself actually running out one of these days.
Gary, I admire your tenacity. You've been working on that tub of Proraso for quite a while. I guess I get bored too quickly. If I had your staying power I could work my way through some stuff. :D
Best regards,

Basil
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by brothers »

I switched to my big Omega boar soap killer brush this morning and we broke through the center. I estimate maybe just 2 or 3 days left if I stick to a 15 second loading time. I think my next up will be Blueness, I unless I pick a different one. :)
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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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by Squire »

ShadowsDad wrote: Life is just too short not to use what we like.
Couldn't have said that better.
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Squire
brothers
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by brothers »

Oddly, even the ones we really, really like tend to become boring after 20, 30, 40, 50, 75 days in a row with no deviation or variation. However, there's another equally rational side to the coin. Self-discipline and frugality. Using it up. Fidelity. Brand loyalty, i.e. Michael's point about sticking to the traditional and classic brands we're familiar with, and avoiding the rest. It works in many other areas of an adult man's life. We get pressure from competing personal care and grooming products which are marketed hard, because they're necessary and we have to spend the bucks anyway. It's the world in which we live. Right now I'm selling, not buying, and I'm using 'em up one at a time. It feels really good. Cost: zero, zip, nada. The revenue stream is positive with regard to the fungible goods. Brushes, razors, let's not go there right now. :D
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
alcx77
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by alcx77 »

Squire wrote:
ShadowsDad wrote: Life is just too short not to use what we like.
Couldn't have said that better.
I have heard it said that life is like a roll of TP.........it gets faster at the end :shock:
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Squire
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by Squire »

In my experience the pace slackens considerably.
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mlb549
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by mlb549 »

I have been a DE shaver for over 50 years. I wasted the first 45 dreading the task. Now, I am really enjoying all the new products and my time shaving. I, too am buying new toys and equipment for my shaving pleasure, most recently two Simpsons and probably more soap and cream than I will live long enough to use, but it's now a real pleasure to shave. I have learned a lot from the great contributors here and I thank you.
Mike
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Squire
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by Squire »

You're quite welcome, please keep us posted.
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Squire
brothers
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Re: I have changed my game plan

Post by brothers »

Squire wrote:In my experience the pace slackens considerably.
Yes, after about 3 full months at least the Martin de Candre soap is still alive, but not by much. It's an illusion of infinity stretching out ahead, but actually it'll be about 10 days and I can rinse the last drop down the drain. In the future I'll be using each soap or cream for about 3 weeks at a time, and then I'll set it aside and move on to the next one. They'll still run out after two or maybe even three cycles, and the best part is I'll be able to rotate again.
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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