Anything that can go wrong will happen while I'm shaving...

Chisel abuse!! 

  I guess if it works and it’s your chisel you can do whatever you like. Back in the early 80s when I worked in the building trade we always kept a cheap 1” chisel in the the tool pouch for those jobs that only that chisel could do. Man they took some abuse. You’d regularly grind out the chips and rehone it until there wasn’t enough left and then buy another one.

Chisel abuse!! 

  I guess if it works and it’s your chisel you can do whatever you like. Back in the early 80s when I worked in the building trade we always kept a cheap 1” chisel in the the tool pouch for those jobs that only that chisel could do. Man they took some abuse. You’d regularly grind out the chips and rehone it until there wasn’t enough left and then buy another one.

Lol.

Well, the chisel looks perfectly intact. The brush, however, took more of a beating than I thought. I went to set the knot and realized it is damn wide. So I grabbed the 26mm cashmere synth I had sitting around. It fit perfectly. So, I widened it by accident. See what I mean MaineYooper ... I knew it would screw something up.

In the end, because I want it to be a 24mm Boar, I just set the knot I had. I used a lot more glue. Hopefully it'll stick solid.

This wonderful indestructible scuttle arrived on my doorstep this evening. A welcome and thoughtful gift courtesy of Eric MaineYooper . Doubly so, since it's dipped into the teens right now in upstate NY. Eeek!

Tomorrow evening it gets a maiden voyage. Likely with some Wholly Kaw that Dave in KY generously sent me not too long ago.

Thank you both! The gears are a-turning... Planning the rest of my next (epic!) shave.

Chisel abuse!! 

  I guess if it works and it’s your chisel you can do whatever you like. Back in the early 80s when I worked in the building trade we always kept a cheap 1” chisel in the the tool pouch for those jobs that only that chisel could do. Man they took some abuse. You’d regularly grind out the chips and rehone it until there wasn’t enough left and then buy another one.

Lol.

Well, the chisel looks perfectly intact. The brush, however, took more of a beating than I thought. I went to set the knot and realized it is damn wide. So I grabbed the 26mm cashmere synth I had sitting around. It fit perfectly. So, I widened it by accident. See what I mean MaineYooper ... I knew it would screw something up.

In the end, because I want it to be a 24mm Boar, I just set the knot I had. I used a lot more glue. Hopefully it'll stick solid.

I’m thinking there was a possible duct tape solution here.

It’s chilly here this morning-25 with a -39 windchill. Yes, it’s degrees Celsius but remember, Celsius and Fahrenheit converge at -40. Thank goodness it’s a dry cold!!

Chisel abuse!! 

  I guess if it works and it’s your chisel you can do whatever you like. Back in the early 80s when I worked in the building trade we always kept a cheap 1” chisel in the the tool pouch for those jobs that only that chisel could do. Man they took some abuse. You’d regularly grind out the chips and rehone it until there wasn’t enough left and then buy another one.

Lol.

Well, the chisel looks perfectly intact. The brush, however, took more of a beating than I thought. I went to set the knot and realized it is damn wide. So I grabbed the 26mm cashmere synth I had sitting around. It fit perfectly. So, I widened it by accident. See what I mean MaineYooper ... I knew it would screw something up.

In the end, because I want it to be a 24mm Boar, I just set the knot I had. I used a lot more glue. Hopefully it'll stick solid.

I’m thinking there was a possible duct tape solution here.

It’s chilly here this morning -25 with a -39 windchill. Yes, it’s degrees Celsius but remember, Celsius and Fahrenheit converge at -40. Thank goodness it’s a dry cold!!

Wow, that's cold! We're not that bad here. It's a balmy 14f (so -10c).

Lol, I guess I could have used some duct tape or other filler. In the end, it got a lot of silicone adhesive. I then woke up around 1am and it felt dry. My impatience kicked in and I soaked / lathered it. It held fine and did well (so far... Knock on wood... Etc). So it looks a little odd if you examine it closely, otherwise it's good as normal.

I received an email this afternoon from Stirling soaps. As they're vendors here, I'd imagine Rod will post about it in his little corner. Still, the gist of the email was that Stirling is 10 years old this week.

They're still offer amazing value, a huge variety, and great customer service. What's funny is almost every one of us can probably recall that first Stirling soap (Stirling Gentleman followed closely by Barbershop and Executive Man) from when we first started shaving. A sort of rite of passage?

Nonetheless, just wanted to post my nostalgic thoughts, after seeing the email.

I read the email too, and found myself at the Stirling website. The cost of key ingredients has doubled which unfortunately has to be reflected in 2022 pricing. That statement was quite a blow to my commitment to the year of frugality. Only 4 days in! Somebody stop me!

It was also very good to read that company growth allows Rod to increase his commitment to his family and employees as well as his customers.

I read the email too, and found myself at the Stirling website. The cost of key ingredients has doubled which unfortunately has to be reflected in 2022 pricing. That statement was quite a blow to my commitment to the year of frugality. Only 4 days in! Somebody stop me!

It was also very good to read that company growth allows Rod to increase his commitment to his family and employees as well as his customers.

Yep, that will hurt a bit, but honestly... Stirling is darn cheap. Depending on how the increase shakes out for a single tub, it might not be a huge jump. I think they're in the $14 range now? If they have to go up to $16 or $17, it's still small beans for almost 6oz of good soap. I think as long as it stays below the $18 threshold, it will still rank well in the budget market.

Nonetheless. It does make it tough. You want to go try / buy them all now. Lol. Still, I will hold my ground, stick to my sabatical, and accept the price-hike as "doing my part" when it's time to shop again. They've earned the business, I think.

I guess the 6 tubs of Stirling, in addition to who knows how many other soaps, will just have to get me through. 

Now, if/when Henson releases the Al13 in aggressive this year, I'm out. IMCDB posted a video using a prototype. From Danyel: "A more aggressive AL13 is on our radar, however no final decisions for release have been made."

I guess the 6 tubs of Stirling, in addition to who knows how many other soaps, will just have to get me through. 

Now, if/when Henson releases the Al13 in aggressive this year, I'm out. IMCDB posted a video using a prototype. From Danyel: "A more aggressive AL13 is on our radar, however no final decisions for release have been made."

Hmm, hopefully it finally gets the go-ahead. Many folks have been wanting it to release in Aluminum.

Fwiw, It was also on their radar when they were working on the Titanium. They had a few aluminum prototypes, which I had the opportunity to use. If you like a more aggressive shave, it's worth looking into. For me, it wasn't as good as the Medium. I like a smoother/milder feel to my shaves.

I do wonder if I should have tried the mild too. But, that's me dumping cash for no reason. The medium does the job now.

I'm also really digging the WSC Winning razor. I'm going to use that again tonight.