I am really impressed. On 31st December last year I've got my first Semogue Torga C3 boar brush. As I understand knot is similar (or same) like Semogue 620, just different handle.

I wanted from long time brush from this brand, so, I am more than happy



I also got a Captain's choice ceramic bowl. I never used bowl till now (15 years of face lathering), but I am impressed of it.  Unfortunately I get better lather with gels, than soaps. Any thoughts?

I have to say I really enjoy, and prefer, razors most call “aggressive”. On my face, the greater positive exposure the better. Well, in one specific area and (I think) for one specific reason I don’t see mentioned.
I know, I know. Any time people start talking about better results with a more aggressive exposure the accusations of shavers engaging in a battle to greet people named Richard via non-verbal hand gestures (or something like that) start flying. I’ll be the first to say I don’t consider myself some tough guy with a superhuman style tough beard, although the immortal words of Dallas Winston do ring true, if you’re tough like him you don’t get hurt. Anyway, I digress.
Here’s the deal, I also get along with razors on the “mild” side as well. Both sides of the coin offer something that I can look forward to. Heck, if modern science can ever figure out how to shape a blade with an edge on more than one side, I might even like those too. But where aggressive razors shine, mild razors struggle and even create issues.
My neck. I think this is a very common problem area for one reason or another. I can’t get truly against the grain on most of my neck, but aggressive razors can handle the angle without issue. The same angle with a mild razor produces quite a bloody mess, not to mention the irritation. So what’s so different about beard growth on my neck? It’s not the thickest hair, that grows on my chin. The hair on my neck has what those in the industry call a very shallow angle of emergence. That’s to say, each hair naturally grows very close against my skin rather than straight out. This seems to be a challenging situation for mass market cartridge manufacturers, too. (If you ever get some spare time, browse the scientific paper publication sites searching for shave related terms and see what you can see. Most studies are behind paywalls, but even the abstract provides interesting reading. If you’re like me and shave before showering, you’re likely to stumble across several studies validating your choice!)
My thoughts are that if a blade is held just away from the skin, as in most mild razors, the edge hits the hair at a very poor angle. More head on across the length rather than cutting “clean” across the width. This could lead to more tugging and pulling and less than clean cuts. If the blade is allowed to stick proud and glide right along the skin it can still sneak under the slanted growth and cross a more ideal section of hair.
Now, I don’t have any useful evidence for this idea, just my experience. I’m curious if anyone else notices a greater challenge for some razors depending not just on grain direction, but more importantly growth angle from the skin.
To wrap up this unnecessarily long post, is there an ideal time and place for aggressive razors? On my face the answer is a solid “yes”. The time, when I shave. The place, where I shave. But since that isn’t helpful in the least, maybe the time and place is against the grain passes where beard growth goes very flat. 

New Year fellow TOSTers!
Best wishes for a better 2021 than 2019!

Well, gents, 2020 is history. I am looking forward to better things in 2021. Have a Happier New Year, my friends.

I can barely form a coherent sentence before I have my coffee in the morning, and I love to have it during the day as well. 

I'm the kind that can drink coffee all day long, and still sleep, but love the taste! So, I wanted to get a mug that would keep my coffee hot during the morning while I'm at work. 

For Christmas the Mrs. got me a Yeti 14 oz coffee mug. Y'all, I wouldn't have spent that kind of money on it, but I'm glad she did. Sure does keep it warm for about 3 hours, so I still have it good to go by 10 or so. 
I like the colors or comes in, but that is only secondary to performance. The only thing I would change is having a closeable mouth piece to keep the heat in longer. 

So far, I'm really enjoying it. This isnt a review, but just my thoughts of what I think. Thoughts from the group?

Merry Christmas to all of my fellow TOST3ers, and peace on earth to men of good will!
May your 2021 be better than 2019 was. (I skipped 2020 since doing better then it sets far too low of a bar.)

Just curious to see if anyone out there as thier Christmas shave planned. 
I have my soap picked out, it will be "Christmas Eve" by Stirling.

Y'all, we HATE General Motors with a passion!!

I've been trying to change this dang O2 sensor for the last 3 hours. They put it in at a 45 degree angle. So, lucky for me, I get to try and fix it today before I go back to work tomorrow.

I made a short video of my new Triceratops razor. It turns out that it will take both SE and injector blades. I used Treatstock.com to find a printer and had it done that way. A printer in Hollywood FL did the printing. I uploaded the file to Treatstock and got quotes and just chose one. Communication was good, and he had it done in a day or two. The post office kind of fell down on the job, but the printer did a great job. Erin Bay Associates is the name of the printer I used. [/color]I finally got it and I really like the way it shaves. I shaved my first full shave today, and I will be using an injector blade tomorrow. Maybe I will do a video on Williams Wednesday. Enjoy.