Mike’s Rants and Raves

Sorry to have missed a few days, but I was caught up in the outbreak of the flu that seems to have a grip on the country these last couple weeks.

I suppose I should go back through the entries on the blog to check, but I think tonight was the 5th shave with this Sputnik blade. A blade that really didn’t perform well in my Merkur 23C razor is working great in a Gillette Super Speed. And to think I had tried other blades in the Super Speed and hadn’t had much luck with them.

As well as a Derby Extra Super works in my Merkur, I think this Sputnik is working even better in the Super Speed.

I’m still feeling a bit down with the flu, but the two days beard growth was not going to let me skip another night. So I decided to pull out the stops and make the most of the evening’s shave.

I grabbed my lathering bowl, my Omega brush and a tub of Mama Bear’s Turkish Mocha shaving soap. A splash of hot water on the top of the soap and then the brush was set aside to soak in a bowl of water, whilst I treated myself to a couple of hot towels.

After another BBS shave and a cold rinse, I splashed on some Superior 70 Bay Rum that is just in from Giovanni at Barbieria Italiana.

And the result is another outstanding shave. I’ve tried stretching out the Derby Extra Super blades, but usually I start to see the results deteriorating on the fifth shave and the sixth is just out of the question. But this Sputnik seemingly refuses to lay down and die. Very impressive blade, very impressive indeed!

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I’ve been using Windows Live Writer on a Windows box to prepare blog entries, for the last week or so. In that time, I’ve been looking for a desktop blog authoring system for my iMac, but much like everything else I’ve found for a Mac, they come with a price tag.

Windows has its faults, to be sure, but there sure is a lot of freeware available for Windows-based computers. Let me see, I can run a completely free installation of Live Writer on a Windows computer, or I can pay $17.95 to purchase ecto for my iMac.

ecto seems to be highly rated, but I’m going to step right up and say it looks like a skeleton, compared to Windows Live Writer. LW snags a blog’s theme, so you can see how an entry will appear, as you are preparing it. ecto provides a quite Spartan, e-mail type interface for entry. I think I’m going to be very happy this is a free trail of ecto, because I can see myself moving back to Live Writer in short order.

Actually, I can see this being my first and last Apple computer, as this iMac hasn’t really shown me much. Ubuntu Linux is just as simple to use and offers at least as many features. And there’s something about the price tags on Linux scripts and programs that really has me questioning the expense of the iMac. I’m not into graphics work, so I think the power of the iMac is going largely untapped on my desk.

It’s a pretty sad day when a Windows application outshines anything else, but facts are facts. My next entry will be prepared in Live Writer.

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Bah!  Jelsoft, the company that owns the vBulletin forum script has released a new beta version of their software.

And it seems a lot of vBulletin admins think this is the be-all and end-all of forum software.  Ah, well, I’ve never been good playing the sheeple role.

Frankly, I think Jelsoft have wasted their own time with this ‘upgrade’ and now they are going to be wasting every vBulletin license owner’s time as well.

We tried a blogging script, from an independent coder, on two of the forums.  The results were lackluster, to say the least.   What we discovered on our sites is that people wanting a blog will already have a blog set up, whether it is a freebie WordPress or Blogger blog, or another script running on their own Web sites.  People visit forums for community, whereas blogs are more individual in nature.

That didn’t stop vBulletin from releasing their own blogging add-on script, however.  That action buried the script we were using and left it virtually unsupported.  No matter, we weren’t getting any serious bloggers anyway.  However vBulletin has made a boat-load of file changes to better integrate their blog script into their forum software.  Which means those of us with modified forums are having to spend a boat-load of time to rebuild the modifications in these new files.

And now, to add insult to injury, this latest vBulletin version is lamely trying to build on social networking, by making each forum member’s profile customizable.  HELLOOOOO, is anyone listening?  People that are interested in social networking have had MySpace and FaceBook pags set up for months.  Social networking is social networking, blogging is blogging and a forum should be, well, it should be a forum.  For years, vBulletin forum owners have asked for an integrated Content Management System, to use as a landing page.  For years, vBulletin forum owners have asked for an integrated photo gallery, so forum members could easily display their images on the forum.  For years, vBulletin owners have pointed out that the vB search function is a grossly bloated function that unnecessarily consumes server resources.  And what response do we get?  "Here, buy a blog license, enjoy your pitiful social networking function and pound sand on the rest of your requests."

The vBulletin coders did try to build in a couple of features that could have been quite powerful for those of us trying to optimize our sites for the search engines.  Sadly, the way these new features have been coded make them about as useful as a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

But hey, at least Jelsoft is doing its utmost to produce a lame facsimile of what Invision Power Board users have had for months.  And they proudly remind us all the social networking dead weight they are building into vBulletin can be disabled.  Pffffttttt, why did it need to be added in the first place?

vBulletin used to be the leader in forum software.  Today, they are not even doing a good job of following the leader.  Excuse me, I need to go edit some .php files.

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I’ll admit to being a shaving cream fan.  I like Proraso Green, Palmolive and Arko.  I’ve always been able to mix a really great lather with these creams, particularly with this new Omega brush.  When it comes down to a thick lather, these creams all shine.

But you’ll have noticed by now that I’m also a fan of Mama Bear and her line of soaps.  I’ve had some really good results using this great line of shaving soaps.

As I had been trying this Sputnik blade and not wanting to change too many things at once, I was staying with the Arko cream I began the test with.  After getting a very favorable comparison on the Sputnik blade, used in both my Merkur razor and a late-1940’s Super Speed, I decided it was time to move back to a Mama Bear shaving soap for this evening.

I grabbed a tub of Dragon’s Blood and proceeded to mix up another great bowl of lather.  No way will I ever go back to lathering on my face., as the bowl mixing method works so well.  It gives complete control of how much water is used in the mix.

I had a fresh Derby in my Merkur, but I remembered the Sputnik was still loaded in one of my Super Speeds.  So I decided to compare the Sputnik/Super Speed combination with Mama Bear’s soap to last evening’s shave with Arko cream.

Another remarkable shave!  The results are every bit as good with shaving soap as they were last evening with the shaving cream.

I finished off the shave with a bit of Mama Bear’s Winter Aftershave Balm, custom scented with Bay Rum.  I keep saying this is my special reserve aftershave, because I like it so much.  But this evening’s shave was so good I had to use a special aftershave.

If you’re read many of these blog entries, you’ve surely noticed how positively I post about Mama Bear and her line of products.  When products work as well as these, I like to share that knowledge with others.  And to show you how pleased I am with Mama Bear’s offerings, I showered this morning with a bar of her Bergamot and Jasmine soap.  This evening’s shave was with her Dragon’s Blood shaving soap, followed by a good facial wash with her Tea Tree, Lavender and Hemp soap, followed by her Winter aftershave balm.  I really cannot say enough good about Mama Bear and her soaps.

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I was always a big fan of the television series, Hill Street Blues.  One of the oft-repeated lines in the show took place near the beginning of each episode, as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus (portrayed by Michael Conrad) was turning out his day-shift force.  Every episode, he would utter the warning, "Let’s be careful out there."

I got to thinking about the incredibly sharp instruments we are using to shave with and how easy it can be to end up with some very serious cuts, if we’re not careful.

Everyone of us that has come to enjoy the experience of wet-shaving has discovered that the shaving soap or cream that we like best is one that provides good lubrication.  That is what allows a razor to glide along our face.  And the more slippery, the better.

But we need to bear in mind that it’s really easy to end up with all that well-lubricated lather on our hands.  And then we’re picking up razors? 

Is this straight razor the kind of object you want to pick up with wet, soapy hands?!?

So I think it is time to remind everyone of the respect we must give our razors and razor blades.  When we change out a blade in a double-edge razor, that old blade is still more than capable of slicing flesh to the bone.  And if you’re like me, you have come to realize blood is best left inside, where it belongs.

Most shaving goods suppliers will have razor disposal banks available for a small amount of money.  I have a nice metal bank that I got from Lee’s Safety Razors.  A small metal box with a single slot let into the top, so blades can be dropped inside.  Once inside, there’s no worry about anyone getting cut on a used blade.

There are other alternatives, in addition to these razor banks.  For instance, I use an empty prescription bottle.  I just drop in a used blade and when the bottle is full, I wrap a couple passes of duct tape around the bottle to secure the cap.  Once again, there’s no worry about anyone getting a nasty slice.  I’ve seen other gents cut a small slot in the side of a tin, so they can insert blades in the slot.  Once the can gets full, a couple of swats with a hammer will close the slot and the tin can be disposed of.

For those with small children in the house, please, please, PLEASE make sure that blades and razors are placed well out of reach, preferably under lock and key.

Wet-shaving is meant to be a pleasurable experience.  Trips to the hospital emergency room are definitely not pleasurable.

Let’s be careful out there.

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I kept giving that Sputnik blade some consideration and felt it deserved a second chance.

A lot of double-edge razor users like to use the late 1940’s and early 1950’s Gillette Super Speeds. I own a few of them and frankly, I’m not such a big fan of them. I like the longer handle on my Merkur 23C much better than the shorter Super Speeds.

But I decided to try something a little different for this evening’s shave. I pulled the Sputnik blade out of the Merkur and loaded it up in a late 1940’s Super Speed.

Again, in an effort to minimize the variables, I went with Arko cream and my Omega brush. I followed my typical routine, hot towel treatment prior to shaving and then afterwards washing with Mama Bear’s Tea Tree, Lavender and Hemp soap, followed by a cold water rinse and Pinaud Clubman aftershave.

And the decision is now in - the Sputnik performed quite well in the Super Speed. I’m impressed, actually. That combination produced as good a shave as any other razor/blade combination I’ve tried.

I may have to purchase a few more Sputnik blades from Barbieria Italiana, to see if I can keep duplicating these results.

I suppose I learned a valuable lesson this evening.  Don’t write off a blade without trying it in a different razor.  And it also showed me that the Super Speed’s are not so bad, after all.

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After reading all the positive remarks about the Sputnik blades, I decided I may as well give one of these blades a test. I had been noticing Leisureguy had been remarking quite favorably about the Sputniks I had a small assortment of blades, sent to me by Giovanni at Barbieria Italiana, and there was a Sputnik in the assortment.

Since it was time for a new blade, I disassembled the Merkur, carefully placed the used Derby blade in my disposal bottle and then gave the components of the razor a good shot of Scrubbing Bubbles. I scrubbed them all down with an old toothbrush, rinsed everything off in hot water and wiped them dry.

I pulled the Sputnik blade from the assortment and fitted it into the Merkur.

I had used Arko cream, my Omega brush and a nearly week-old Derby blade for a really great shave last evening. I decided to let the blade be the only changed variable for this evening.

A lot of hot water in the lathering bowl and the brush was put to soak, as I started a hot water rinse and a hot towel treatment. I mixed up another really great bowl of Arko lather and set about testing the Sputnik blade.

I noticed the blade was doing really well in a couple of the ‘trouble spots’ I’ve fought for the last 35+ years. For some reason, my jaw line is one of the areas that I’ve always had to pay extra attention to, but the Sputnik seemed to handle it well. There was a lot of tactile response from this blade, moreso than with a Derby, which gave me a heightened sense of how sharp a double-edged blade can be.

The downside to the blade is that while it did well in a couple of problem areas, it managed to ‘bite’ me in a couple of places that I rarely ever have problems with. I don’t think it was due to a cavalier technique, as I mentioned the feel of the blade kept reminding me to be careful.

After a good clean-up with Mama Bear’s Tea Tree, Lavender and Hemp soap and a cold water rinse, it was a splash of Pinaud Clubman Musk aftershave to seal the deal. Ahhh, what a great way to cap off a shave.

Overall, the Sputnik provided a very close shave. The fact that it nicked me twice is going to cause this blade to be scored below my favorite Derby blades.

Maybe it is just time to stop trying new blades? The Derby blades work quite well, so why try to fix what isn’t broken?

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I recently found an online barber supply house that has Pinaud Clubman products available at some really great prices, so I placed a small order with them.

I really like Clubman aftershave, so I ordered some of their other scents - Virgin island Bay Rum, Musk, Vanilla and Special Reserve.

All right, all right, so the order wasn’t so small after all. But the prices were good enough that I figured I may as well stock up.

I managed to purchase a 16 oz. bottle of Clubman for only 26 cents more than I generally pay for a 6 oz. bottle at the local pharmacy. And the way I go through the Clubman around here, that’s a great bargain.

If you’re interested in another source for shaving supplies, I picked this order up from Appleton Barber Supply. It worked out even better than I had hoped, as I managed to get this package overnight, via regular ground service UPS. How can you beat a deal like that?

After living here nearly 6 years, I’ve finally decided to start adding some color to the walls. I’m sick to death of all the white. I’m still looking for the ‘perfect’ color for the master bath, but the theme for the room has already been determined. Old-style barber shop. So I even ordered a Barbicide jar, as part of the decorations for the bath.

I had been keeping my collection of shaving cream tubes on the countertop and I needed to move them to the shave cabinet I recently installed. As I was storing them in the cabinet, the tube of Proraso called out to me.

As mentioned a few days back, I’ve been doing some ultra-secret and high-tech shaving soap testing for Mama Bear. I’ve developed quite a collection of Mama Bear shaving soaps and have been having excellent luck with them. I had been using a small Vulfix shaving brush that was a bit stingy about sharing lather with me, so I talked to Giovanni at Barbieria Italiana about a new brush. He recommended an Omega 33175 brush to me. And now, I’m recommending it to you. Wow, this brush is really nice. And, as you can see, it’s a good looking design, as well.

Since I’ve been trying all of these Mama Bear soaps, I had yet to try this new brush out with a cream, so tonight was the night.

I did my usual hot towel treatment and then mixed up an amazing bowl of Proraso lather. I was astounded at how well this brush worked with the cream. I’ve been quite impressed with how it was working with soaps and didn’t anticipate it working so well with creams. A very pleasant surprise.

As you can already guess, I had a Derby blade loaded into my Merkur 23C razor. I did my usual three- pass shave and then followed that up with a cold water rinse and a healthy splash of Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum aftershave.

Wow, I’ve been getting some really great shaves of late, but I’m not so sure this wasn’t the best of the lot.

I’ve seen some gents make the comment that a BBS shave isn’t necessary, but when I’m producing that kind of shave on a regular basis, it’s pretty difficult to accept anything less.

I’ve three, very nice straight razors in my possession now. And I’ve been getting some practice with how to best use them, but a true BBS shave is not in the cards just yet. And that ends up being a problem, because I know I can get a smooth as glass shave with my Merkur/Derby combination. So, when deciding to use a straight razor, I’m admitting to myself that I’m going to end up with less than perfect results.

I need to stop thinking that way, so I don’t get negative about using a straight razor. The blades are far too nice to just let them sit around un-used.

I’ve been watching Leisureguy’s blog and keeping track of his progress with using oil for a last pass clean-up. It sounds interesting, but with the results I’m getting, I can’t see what I would gain by trying this technique.

I’ve got a new bath soap order placed with Mama Bear, so I’ll report on those when they arrive and I get a chance to use them.

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This has really been a down weekend for me. The weather is miserably cold. Our current temperature is 10° / -12° with a windchill figure of -10° / -24°. The sun is shining brightly, but you certainly don’t want to step out doors for any reason.

So the weekend has been a bit on the dull side.

I did manage to get my 2007 federal and state tax returns figured. Maybe that is why the weekend seems so bad?

Last evening’s shave was certainly a bright spot in an otherwise colorless day. I tried a shaving stick, supplied to me by Giovanni at Barbieria Italiana and really didn’t have a lot of luck with it. I’m pretty set on mixing lather in a bowl and it’s pretty difficult to properly load a brush with soap, when using a shave stick. I suppose using a shaving stick to face-lather is another story. The soap really smelled great, but I ended up with a pretty thin lather. I made my usual North-South pass with my Merkur 23C and a Derby blade, noticing the razor was gliding nicely on the little bit of lather I was able to produce. After the first pass, it was obvious I was going to need to go through the entire brush loading process again. I rinsed out the bowl and the brush and grabbed a tub of Mama Bear’s Turkish Mocha. A couple minutes later, I was working with a bowl of rich lather. I finished up with two more passes, a cold water rinse and a splash of Pinaud Clubman aftershave. Ahhhh, another excellent shave.

Send warm weather.

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Those that know me are fully aware of how much I enjoy drag racing. I was lucky enough to be involved in the sport for over two decades and once it’s in your blood, there’s no escaping it.

And those reading this blog have probably sorted that I really enjoy spending some time each evening, trying to produce a perfect shave.

So I thought it was appropriate to post some pictures of a drag car that is sporting a brand-new sponsor.

The images below are of a Fuel Funny Car owned by John Force Racing and driven by Mike Neff. And the new sponsor on the car is none other than Old Spice.

After one session of qualifying at the National Hot Rod Association’s 2008 season-opening WinterNationals in Pomona, California, Neff is qualified number four at 4.850 seconds and 321.65 MPH. And yes, that is elapsed time and speed in 1320 feet. These Funny Cars are not so funny, eh?

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