TexLaw

I am a self-employed, lifetime Texan (with a short detour for college), father and husband who is just having a grand old time.

While I had been interested in traditional shaving from as far back as about twenty years old, I never took the plunge until the end of 2014. Since then, though, I've found tremendous joy in both this hobby and the community that surrounds it.

When I'm not shaving or fiddling with my razors or surfing B&B, I can be found cooking, homebrewing, fiddling with fountain pens, listening to music, firing up a bowl of the brown leaf, or enjoying the company of my family and friends. My favorite way to enjoy that time is over a table of good food and strong drink (or making that stuff).

While I don't know that I would classify myself as an "outdoorsman," I very much enjoy camping, backpacking, and spending time outdoors. I've moderately active with my sons' Boy Scouts troop.

I've acquired and tried a whole bunch of razors, soaps, creams, blades, brushes, aftershaves, and other shaving what-nots. What follows is a bit on what's worked and what hasn't.

I have an extensive collection of DE razors to the point where I don't even want to count them. At this point, I am interested only in acquiring just a few rare categories, upgrading a current possession for an example in better condition, or something that provides a new shaving experience. Most notably, I'm looking for nice Gillette ABC Pocket Edition sets and British Gillette RFB three-piece razors. I've found that I am more of an open comb guy, even though one of my favorite shavers is a safety bar TTO (Gillette Parat).

I got into SE razors only in September 2014, as part of the SEptember event. While I do enjoy them, I find myself going back to my DEs more often. The SE razors shave incredibly closely, to the point where I typically feel quite fine stopping with one pass. However, I've yet to manage a shave as comfortable as I would like. I intend to continue to work with them and see if I can improve.

At present, the only SE razors I have (and intend to use) are the Mongoose, a number of Gem/Ever-Ready (MMOC, 1912, 1914, Gem Jr.), and a beautiful Star. Until I get a better feel for any of them, I am not looking to acquire any more for shaving purposes.

On the collectible side, I have a very nice Rolls Empire set that was my great-uncle's, and I also stumbled into a very nice, complete Wilkinson 7-Day set.

I've yet to try an injector, although I see them coming on the horizon.

BAD took only minor hold of me, thank goodness, but I am glad to have acquired the brushes I have. I have discovered that I enjoy all sorts of fibers and sizes. I like certain brushes, and I don't care for others, but I really have yet to understand what makes the difference.

I'll pick up a few more, here and there, but only for fun or collectible purposes. I am quite happy with what I have for the purposes of shaving. In fact, I already have a few that rarely see the light of day.

Soaps and creams are, by far, my greatest weakness. However, I have to be VERY careful with them, as I am allergic to a common fragrance ingredient (orris root). Unfortunately, many of the "classics" or "classic" sort of scents fall into that group. I've found plenty that I thoroughly enjoy, though. While I'm looking forward to trying many more, I probably have enough to last me a few years or so!

I tend to enjoy more herbal, woodsey, citrusy, and floral scents, and I don't care for patchouli at all. I tend to shy away from "musk" sort of scents, as those tend to be the ones I'm allergic to. Menthol can be nice in a soap or cream, but not too much. I've not found any preference betweed hard soaps, soft soaps, and creams. I do not react well to cinnamon.

I just love aftershaves scents. Love 'em. However, I have to be careful because of my allergy to many fragrances, and that crossess many, many of the "classics" off the list. Still, I've found plenty of ones that I absolutely adore. So far, I've found that I tend to enjoy splashes over balms. The only "cologne" I have (and expect to have for the time being) is DRH Arlington. Dickinson's Witch Hazel follows every one of my shaves.

As might be expected, I typically enjoy citrusy, woodsey, floral, and herby scents. I'm not into patchouli or musk at all. Where I prefer menthol to be more restrained in a soap, I don't mind it opening up in a splash or balm! I've even added a bit of menthol to a few of them with excellent results.
I was, most certainly, not chosen by The Veg. (<--not me)

I've tried a fair number of blades, but there are plenty still out there. Every time I think I find my favorite, another comes along. Trying blades is quite fun, since the cost is so low.

I'm the worst about a wish list. If I want to try it, I go try it. If I like it, I go get it. I'm terrible at wish lists.

I've been interested in fountain pens since I was in the fourth grade. My parents were good enough to indulge me a bit at the time, but I quickly moved on to more important things (such as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Talking Heads). However, upon coming to B&B, my interest has since reignited . . . with a vengence. A diabolically generous B&B member (I won't name any names, but his rhymes with "jefhunter") helped that along by including a Pilot 78G and a couple samples of Noodler's ink in a gift exchange box, and the saga goes from there.

Fast forward to late 2015: Almost immediately after placing an order for the 2015 Edison Limited Edition Mina, the Edison Pen that Never Was pops up on the Saint Sue Auction and seduces me without mercy. So, while I wait for the Mina, I am learning to write well with a broad italic nib, something I've never worked with before.

I've acquired a handful of other lovely pens that I will calalog here in time. I've discovered that I tend to enjoy medium nibs most (but, as demonstrated by my love for the Edison B&B prototype, I'm happy to venture out a little for the right reason). In any event, I'd say I'm pretty well set on pens for the moment.

I am not, however, set on inks. While I have a few that I enjoy, the only one that I've truly been taken with it Noodler's Eternal Luxury Blue.

I also am without much decent paper, and that is just a shame.

I've really only tried a handful of inks. As mentioned, the only one I've truly been taken with is the Noodler's Eternal Luxury Blue. I've also enjoyed the Noodler's Eternal Hunter Green, Turquoise, Eternal Fox Red, Air-Corp Blue-Black, GI Green, and 5 o'Clock Shadow. I've not been a fan of Noodler's Cayenne (too rusty) or Green Marine (couldn't tell you why). I recently was given a bottle of Pelikan Mandarin that I am a bit excited about trying.

I began smoking a pipe in late high school, continuing on into early college. However, due to one inexcusable reason or another, I hardly touched my few (but nice) pipes for nearly twenty years. Thanks to the expert enablers at B&B, I'm back on that wagon and have expanded pipe arsenal and tobacco cellar quite nicely.

Materials - I have no particular preference between briar, morta, or meerschaum, really. Each has its own pros and cons, and they all can be wonderful. I've tried to like corn cob pipes, but I just can't seem to get there. I've not tried olive or other woods. I've never had the privilege to smoke a real gourd calabash, but I'm working on that.

Shapes and Styles - I tend to like wider, shallower, square bowls, so I'm most drawn to Pots, Princes, Authors, and the like. Of course, as soon I say that, I'll fall in love with a pipe that has a conical bowl well more than twice its diameter. In other words, who knows?

I do tend to like, at least, a slight bend in the stem. While I typically want no more than a quarter bend, I have a magnificentl, full-bend meer that rests like it's not there. So, again, who knows?

I tend to like smooth or sandblast finishes on briars and mortas, but I like my meers to be carved to some extent. Smooth meers can be absolutely gorgeous, but they just aren't my thing. I can't say I have a favorite style of stem or bit, but it needs to fit the pipe, i.e., it needs to look good, and it needs to be comfortable.

I tend to like my English, Balkan, and Oriental blends, or something along those lines. VaPers, including Navy sorts, most certainly have their place in my cellar, as do bright straight Virginias (for a nice change of pace). I have a ridiculous lust for Syrian Latakia, and I am starting to squirrel it away as if World War III were to start by the end of the year. I do like a touch of Perique.

I am not much for aromatics, especially sweet aros, but I don't mind a splash of whiskey, rum, cognac, or the like in there. Just keep it light. As I mentioned, I like Navy blends, and Pembroke certainly draws me in from time to time. Not to beat a dead horse, but it needs to be fairly subtle, and it needs to accentuate the tobacco--not dominate. If I want a drink, I'll have a drink with my smoke, rather than in it.

Among my "happy" choices are Margate (oh, my), Stonehaven (oh, my, my), Penzance (oh, my, my, my), Pembroke, PS Luxury Bullseye Flake, PS Proper English, PS English Oriental Supreme, Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake, McLelland 3 Oaks Syrian, Ashton Artisan's Blend, Escudo Navy Deluxe, PS Luxury Navy Flake, PS Luxury Twist Flake, Frog Morton Across the Pond, Frog Morton on the Town, Frog Morton on the Bayou, and Villiger 1888 Early Day.

I have a tin of Frog Morton's Cellar that I've yet to try. I suppose I'm just waiting on the right night.

I've always enjoyed a good cigar, and that has not changed. Typically, I like a good, oily Maduro, but I can enjoy and appreciate any well-crafted smoke. I've never kept many cigars around, but that changed when I wound up with the Cigar Smoker's Dream. Holy cow! I'm still reeling from seeing that show up!