Monthly Archives: December 2024

Year in review – looking back, looking forward

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Another year has rolled by, almost before I noticed. Fifty two weeks and two days… one hundred and fifty eight new posts on my blog.

The world at large is still, like last year, in a downward spiral. But all is not doom and gloom in the shaving den at least – this year I actually finished a soap and accidentally bought a couple of antique razors. The AutoStrop turned out to be a lovely razor which I ought to do a full on review of one of these days… while I am still in the marked for blades for the Christy. I might have to break down and see if I can modify a GEM blade to fit… although I am not too hopeful on that count.

All in all this has been another of the “not great, not terrible” years… but I remain optimistic for the future, since being pessimistic is no fun at all.

So I guess all that is left to do is for me to wish all of you a happy, prosperous, and above all peaceful new year!

Shave of the day 30th December 2024

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Last shave of the year, and I’m not even in my own den… still a great shave, though with a razor that is one hundred and six years old by now.

SOTD 2024 12 30
  • Razor: Gillette Old Type “Khaki”
  • Blade: Lord Classic
  • Brush: Omega #50014 Travel
  • Lather: Derby Shave Stick
  • Aftershave: Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
  • Additional Care: Alum Travel Stick

Shave of the day 27th December 2024

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  • Razor: Phillips Philite
  • Blade: Treet Platinum
  • Brush: Omega #10048
  • Pre-Shave: Proraso Pre Shave Cream
  • Lather: Arko Shavestick
  • Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
  • Additional Care: Alum Block

A fine Friday shave as we approach the end of this year.

Towels in Shreds…

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Old advertisements can be head scratchers at times.

I mean… who in their right mind wipes their razor off on the good towels in the first place?

Shave of the day 25th December 2024

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A fine Christmas Morning shave.

  • Razor: Phillips Philite
  • Blade: Treet Platinum
  • Brush: Semogue TSN LE 2012
  • Pre-Shave: Proraso Pre Shave Cream
  • Lather: Taylor of Old Bond Street Peppermint
  • Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
  • Additional Care: Alum Block

God Jul, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Frohe Weihnachten, Joyeux Noël, Buon Natale, Il-Milied it-tajjeb, Wesołych Świąt, Веселого Різдва, and so on and so forth

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Norwegians, being a sensible people, have the big Yuletime celebration on Christmas Eve. So before I eat myself into a food coma and opens presents with my family, allow me to wish you all the very best for the midwinter holiday – or midsummer, for those south of the equator!

May your holiday be peaceful and restful, and I do hope you all get what you wish for under the tree – if you have a tree, that is. May you stay safe with your family, be it the family you’re born into or the one you choose.

Stay safe, stay sane, and stay shaving.

Shave of the day 23rd December 2024

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Razor: Phillips Philite
Blade: Treet Platinum
Brush: Artesania Romera Manchurian Badger, imitation horn
Pre-Shave: Proraso Pre Shave Cream
Lather: Pereira Shavery Shaving Cream w/ Activated Charcoal
Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
Additional Care:
  Alum Block

SOTD 2024 12 23

A lovely little Monday shave.

The end of a soap

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Or rather, the end of a tub of soap.

Sharp eyed readers might have caught on to the fact that I’ve been using only one soap for the last few shaves. And by last few, I mean every shave from 28th August and until 20th December.

A couple of shaves into it, I asked myself if I could actually finish the tub… it wasn’t a lot left, but as we all know it is fairly easy to pick another soap – thus almost empty tubs tends to stay almost empty forever.

But I managed – if only because I forced myself to only use a single soap for close to four months…

SOTD 2024 08 28 – 2024 12 20

Was it worth it? Well, yor mileage may vary – but it means I only have four soaps that don’t fit in my lather-drawer instead of five. So I guess that is progress?

Shave of the day 20th December 2024

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  • Razor: Merkur (?) NOS Bakelite Slant
  • Blade: Astra Green
  • Brush: Brush Experimental Alpha
  • Pre-Shave: Proraso Pre Shave Cream
  • Lather: CRSW Glide Morning Ghost
  • Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
  • Additional Care: Alum Block

And that… was that. The last bit of CRSW’ Morning Ghost is used up. That took longer than expected,  but now I can start my holiday break with different soaps 🙂

A Christmas Razor

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Or at least a razor invented by Burton Christmas,1 that is. I’ve touched upon it lightly before, but let us have a more in depth look at it.

As I have repeated time and time again, inventions tends to be aimed at solving a problem. And the problem Mr Christmas tried to solve, was the one of razors being too expensive to make good advertisers – even if Mr Unsinger might disagree. To quote the patent:

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