My first puck of Colgate Shaving Mug Soap. Also a $0.79 IKEA mug from Goodwill to provide a home for the Colgate.

   

SWMBO asked my to consolidate some of my items in the garage cabinets to allow her to transfer seldom used household items.  Happy to please her, I jumped into the project within three weeks or so after being asked how I was getting along.  With a waste can by my side, I sifted through one time treasures deemed as junk now.  Three cabinets cleaned with one small one to go.  I opened door number four and couldn't believe what I found-long forgotten shave soaps!!!!  About 40 of them.  Not to disappoint, I quickly removed them from the cabinet and transferred them the my den(with ample parking for shave soaps after a recent den reduction of products!!).  Project is done and no witnesses to the transfer to the den. Everyone is happy with garage cleanup!!  Of coarse I will have to test each of these soaps a few times to determine their promotion to rotation admission, it's a tough job- but hey, nobody said cleaning the garage would be easy!!

As many of us have found out, whereas vintage carbon steel DE blades tend to be "rough as a cob" as we say in Texas, many vintage SE carbon steel blades are very sharp and give great shaves.  Yes, you have to dry them off after each shave so they won't rust, but still give great shaves.  Has anyone tried the vintage GEM/STAR SCIENTIFIC  blades that can come in either the yellow or white colored plastic blade-holder?  If so, how were they?  Thanks,
Cleave

Here we go for another month. I am going to keep this a monthly thread. In a bit I will moved the post out of last months thread that should be here.

The Gillette Techmatic is from the 1960s. It sports a band blade that advances with the turn of a lever. It is also an adjustable razor. It was the first razor in space, I believe. It is also a fine shaver.

This is the new Yaqi Katana.


I've seen at the Yaqi Shaving retailer in Australia.
It's the Slim version of the Single Edge Half DE blade (SHaDE) with the Cobbled geometry.
I really like the new head, as well the slender and classic handle.
It'll be available in four colors:
• White
• Space Chrome
• Black
• Black Metal
For me the chromed / silver one is a true beauty.
But I think It's not the kind of mild shaver I prefer.

Three good ideas, all in one:
- SHaDE
- Cobbled
- Colonial Razors V2 original handle

Not my cup of tea, I love mild shavers.
But lot's of people will find a great tool.
And colors are very nice too.
For me, a winner.

Here the full story.
http://ilrasoio.com/viewtopic.php?t=16123

It's available the new Yaqi Single Edge head.
This is the slim version, with Cobbled geometry, of the half DE blade razor.
So I call it SCHaDE, of which I like the gunmetal.
https://it.aliexpress.com/item/4001227742740.html
Formerly on the Australian shop It's Katana.
https://www.yaqishaving.com.au/collectio...ack-nickel
And I've fed the monkey via Aliexpress.
For now, just a pic.


The fun begin ...
https://www.tost3.com/showthread.php?tid...47#pid1947



... and I've just started !!!
https://www.tost3.com/showthread.php?tid...46#pid1946

So SEptember (Single Edge September) will be coming up soon, but since every month is SEptember for many/most of us; I was thinking of doing a Schicktember.  I've got more than enough Schick's to make it interesting, but I also know that most Mondays I try to do a Micromatic Monday / GEMonday, so it wouldn't be a hard fast rule to use ONLY Schicks in September.  Basically, I'll probably be focusing on Schick shaves for as much of the month as possible.

If there's interest, I'll start a Schcktember 2020 thread -- perhaps in the Schick Injector Razor area; and folks can post their Schicktember shaves there....if no interest, no worries....I'll still shave most of the months with Schicks, because they are awesome!!!! 

I know I'm not the only who has one of these -- actually more than one, as you can see -- and I definitely KNOW I'm far from the only one who absolutely loves the way these razors shave.  While some call them the Micromatic Open Comb (or MMOC), GEM just called them Micromatics, and that's how we typically refer to them here.  I recently had a Micromatic Monday shave with 2 Micromatics:  the 1930-1932 base plate version without the bumps, and the 1932-1941 base plate with bumps.
 
How about you?  Are you a Micromatic user -- what are your thoughts on this beauty?

Alrighty then. Tost2 is now read only. Welcome to TOST3.

So before razors and shaving figured so prominently into my life, there was vintage tools.  Cutting tools, vises, wrenches, blow torches, specialized tools (e.g., firefighting equipment).    Much like the shaving stuff, I prefer to be a user-collector….and today's project gave me the inspiration for starting this thread since one of my vintage “monkey wrench” / adjustable wrenches was called into service.

I was assembling a propane fish fryer, and the instructions called for an adjustable wrench.  The picture in the instruction booklet showed the modern adjustable wrench with a wheel….something popularized by Crescent, and much like Channel Locks, Q-Tips and Xerox, has sort of become a de-facto name for any modern adjustable wrench.  My dad always sent me for a crescent wrench (either a large one or a small one), and I always knew what to bring back.  The problem is that my “crescent” wrench always seems to be misplaced….it’s on the smallish side and I always seem to discover it wherever I left it….eventually.   So without the modern crescent wrench, but having multiple (and I mean MULTIPLE) vintage adjustable wrenches, I pulled out one of my smaller Bemis & Call Hardware & Tool adjustable wrenches.  Here’s a pic of it next to a Micromatic for size comparison.  


This “little” guy worked like a charm, despite being somewhere between 80 and 100+ years old.   When it comes to razors, tools and other well-made items (and people), age is truly just a number.  A few comments on this wrench.  So Stephen Bemis and Amos Call formed a partnership in the 1830’s and Bemis acquired the Merrick patent for the Monkey wrench.  They manufactured the wrenches in Springfield Mass until 1939.  In ‘39 they sold the operation to Connecticut based Billings & Spencer.   This wrench has “Springfield Mass” stamped on it, as well as Bemis & Call H & T Co (for Hardware & Tool Company).   The “Hardware & Tool Company” name change occurred in 1868.  Much like so many SE razors, it is VERY hard to nail down the details of these things, so you settle for knowing you have a well-made tool that is still incredibly useful and while many years old, will very likely keep going for many more years to come.

Here are some more pics.  If you’re wondering about the weird marks (dots punched on one side of the head, various letters stamped on the body and head), these appear to be done by various owners who didn’t want their prized tool to be “accidentally” claimed by a co-worker.  This little guy has some mushrooming on the bottom “lip”, but the adjustment screw turns and the head stays fairly level as it moves up and down.  For the record, I don’t tend to polish or shine my vintage tools.  I do not use bench grinders, wire wheels, sandpaper or anything else that would strip off the years of protective patina.  I will take off rust and clean moving parts to get them and/or keep them in good working order.