DaveWave94
@DaveWave94@sub.wetshaving.social
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread - December 21st, 2024 (#559) 11 minutes ago:
Hope your son gets well soon, fevers suck. At least you can always do your mini-vacation later 🍀
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 20th, 2024 13 minutes ago:
Tired as f**k lately and the early shifts I had didn’t help. Of course I myself am to blame for this, since I go to bed way too late. I should look into ways to fix this, as it is quite frustrating.
Picked up a few orders this week, from shaving hardware to cosmetics to household items (new bedsheets are said to help with sleep). However, I can’t shake the feeling that I am impulse buying stuff to fill a void inside me - unlike other ADHDers who have trouble with finances and budgeting, this fortunately doesn’t impact me as much. But it’s safe to say that I spend too much money on useless stuff just to feel better, which never lasts long. I’m glad about the shaving related stuff though, it seems like wetshaving is the only hobby I can consistently keep up with even in stressful times.
I’m thinking about a few changes to make for 2025. New Year’s resolutions were never that successful for me, but slow & steady improvements should do the trick. We’ll see…
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 20th, 2024 44 minutes ago:
Sounds like a fun project, I wish you success with the knot setting. Please show us some pics when you’re done!
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread - December 20th, 2024 (#558) 13 hours ago:
How’s Gothique for you? Anything you could compare it to? I’m really intrigued by it, but not sure yet.
- Comment on [Mailcall] RazoRock Cyber & F-400 19 hours ago:
Ha! I get it, but I think it’s like bringing an HK MP7 to a pistol duel - it still qualifies, but it’s just overkill. 😅 It is comparable in size to the soft brushes that barbers and hairdressers use to remove cut hair from the clients neck area. It’s literally towering over all my other brushes 🤯
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread - December 19th, 2024 (#557) 1 day ago:
My honest condolences for the loss of your dog. RIP. She looks like such a kind and friendly doggo. I know how much losing a pet hurts, but I’m sure you’ll cherish all the wonderful memories you have with her.
Thank you for all of the kind words yesterday.
You’re welcome. I think that’s the great thing about internet groups like this - even if thousands of miles and an ocean separate us, we’re able to stay connected here. And personally, I think it’s even better when we members support each other during the tough and dark times. The world is cruel enough; sharing some kind words with each other is the least we can do to make it better ✌🏻
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread - December 19th, 2024 (#557) 1 day ago:
19.12.2024 - Cyber test drive shave
- Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
- Razor: RazoRock Cyber Medium
- Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux
- Lather: Declaration Grooming - Hindsight
- Post-Shave: Moon Soaps - Old School “balm”
-> 2 passes on the head, really smooth and rather quick shave.
First impression of the RR Cyber: this one is actually fun in design and use! Put a fresh RPL in it and then I started shavin’. On the first, slow WTG pass I actually had to check if I forgot to put the blade in - it has almost no blade feel despite being the medium version. Good that I didn’t pick the mild one. It actually kinda works like a GEM razor in DE format: put the top cap flat on your skin and you’ll get a smooth shave. On the sides of my head were a lot more and coarser hair grows, it actually had some nice audio feedback - not as crispy as a GEM and certainly no blade chatter either, but noticeable “toast buttering”. The ATG pass was smooth sailing too - I’d currently think that I could also shave with this one while I am either massively sleep deprived or drunk, i.e. it’s less thrill and more efficiency focused. Some might say this is like driving with training wheels, but in some cases where I just want to get done quickly with a shave, it has its use cases. Can’t really say this is a useless addition to the collection. Of course, further shaves are required to judge its true merit for me. The initial impression is very positive though!
Hindsight was beckoning to me today: Hey, heard ya missed smoke in yesterday’s Mammoth soap. Lemme fix that for ya! and it was gloriously smoky. I really have to compliment Scott on this one, making something so divisive yet oddly comfortable requires knowledge and grit. Good thing is that I really know well how to lather DG to my preference so it was really a very nice shave overall.
Just one more day of work tomorrow. It’s yet another early shift for me (ugh) but at least before 3 days off (yay).
- Comment on [Mailcall] RazoRock Cyber & F-400 1 day ago:
That’s what she said /s
It’s really hilariously large. I did a hand lather with it to clean the plastic funk out and it’s veeery fluffy. Really soft synthetic fibers, from what I’ve heard the Timberwolf knots are comparable. Should feel good 👍🏻
- Submitted 1 day ago to wetshaving@sub.wetshaving.social | 4 comments
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - December 18th, 2024 (#556) 2 days ago:
The Germans seemingly confiscated it too, no smoke at all for me and perhaps just a faint touch of old leather (could’ve been the vetiver though). 🤔
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - December 18th, 2024 (#556) 2 days ago:
Me neither, zero smoky notes - and I actually hoped for those…
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - December 18th, 2024 (#556) 2 days ago:
Glad to hear about your wife finishing her chemotherapy treatment; very sorry to hear about your elderly dog. Life and death indeed, but losing pets sucks. Wishing you & your family all the best.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - December 18th, 2024 (#556) 2 days ago:
18.12.2024 - BVWSC December Edition
- Brush: AP Shave Co. black & clear handle w/ 30 mm Tuxedo Fan knot
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: Derby Premium half DE
- Lather: House of Mammoth - You & I (Will Die)
- Post-Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - GraveFruit II AS toner
-> 2 passes on the dome, 1 around the beard lines. Smooth shave.
For the last edition of Buena Vista Wetshaving Social Club of 2024, we’re using a new release by Mammoth. You & I (Will Die) seems to be intended as a Memento Mori in shaving soap form. I mean, read the description at Maggards - sounds pretty profound, doesn’t it?
Here’s the thing though: upon receiving the sample, my first thought was “Oh. Not what I expected.” And now that it was time to use it, this didn’t change. I’m glad for the opportunity to use this as a part of BVWSC, but if I am brutally honest: I would have expected something very different just from the scent description/marketing babbling than this. It smells very cologne-y to me, in the sense of an old school cologne. It’s definitely floral in the opening and the aldehydes don’t really add a fresh note, they rather amplify the floral notes and give them some complexity. The darker notes aren’t as present to my nose then. I get a bit of woody stuff, a faint dank note either by the vetiver or the leather. 0% smoke. But the musk hits hard, damn. “Fragile musk” is definitely wrong - this is very musky. Combined with the strong florals and musk, this IMHO is an Oldschool scent. Something ol’ geezers would appreciate to smell like. Not that it’s a bad scent; oh no, quite the contrary. But I feel like I am at least 20 years too young to wear this. Good that I now know never to get a full tub…
The good thing is that Tusk base is really great to shave with - whips up tons of slick, protective lather. Leaves my skin feeling rather nice. I agree with @djundjila that the florals give the scent a springtime feeling, so I followed up with GraveFruit II - something that also combines light & dark notes but also reminds me of warmer seasons. All in all, a great and comfortable final BVWSC shave for 2024. The scent isn’t for me, but at least now I know how it is like. Folks, it’s always an honour to shave with you. I’m really looking forward to the 2025 editions with all of you fine people. Have a good time! 🤝🏻
- Comment on Monday SOTD Thread - December 16th, 2024 (#554) 4 days ago:
16.12.2024 - Monday comfort shave
- Brush: RazoRock Beehive 28 mm
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: Derby Premium
- Lather: Declaration Grooming - Cuir et Epices
- Post-Shave: Moon Soaps - Old School “balm”; moisturizer
-> 1 pass on the head plus some buffing in hard-to-get places. Just WTG, not very close but really comfortable.
Just a short shave I did before my late shift and yet again forgot to post… Today was rather stressful, despite the late shift I had to get up early to help my landlord/s (two brothers) and the heating company to fix our heating system. Well, ‘helping’ is a bit ovestated in this case - I told them what happened in my flat, let them in, they checked everything once, talked with me and seemed to have easily fixed everything in our whole apartment complex by cleaning the pipes. Now it’s working, it’s warm again and I am happy.
I was in the mood for a comforting shave before work, and since I saw @djundjila posting a nice leather-themed SOTD I wanted to follow along. Unfortunately I forgot to use a leather fragrance, but there should be enough other opportunities this winter.
Cuir et Epices (I still can’t get the proper name right, sorry my french is shite) is a warm leather scent mixed with spices. It’s as comfortable as an old armchair and a real pleasure to use: lathers very fast, smells great, works wonders. Of course the Thorn is also a very easy autopilot razor for me, so it was all in all very relaxed today.
Monday is done! I really look forward to when everyone else stays at home for the holidays. The streets are packed atm and I really would appreciate getting to work faster. Hope everyone else here can have some peace & quiet on the holiday season!
- Comment on [BVWSC] Reminder: Wednesday 18 is the day! 5 days ago:
I guess it helps that shaving soap itself is pretty malleable and therefore not prone to breaking easily. Really cool though what an international effort BVWSC is!
- Comment on [BVWSC] Reminder: Wednesday 18 is the day! 5 days ago:
Thanks for the reminder. I put it in my calendar app so it’ll notify me in time… I also always forget to tell the people when I receive the samples. Everyone, as long as I don’t say anything otherwise, it should be assumed that your sample has reached me but I simply put it in my drawer and forgot about it until it is time to use it.
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 13th, 2024 6 days ago:
I’m sorry to hear there are no unions/lobbies for software developers. It was just an idea that came to my mind - unions would’ve made withholding bonuses due to bad management a big issue. My employer works with ver.di, one of the biggest german worker unions - they always get some slight benefits for us settled. This year, it was an inflation bonus.
I can totally understand your point - If you’re the most skilled team member, but no one of the execs appreciates it, that becomes very frustrating soon. I can relate how you actually want to improve further, but there seems to be a hard ceiling limit in your way.
Fingers crossed for your resumes. I hear IT work is a bit of a wild ride in terms of the job market atm, but I hope you’ll be successful in securing a satisfying job at a good place. 🙏🏻
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 13th, 2024 6 days ago:
My view is that we shouldn’t be punished because the execs are mismanaging the company…but what do I know?
Your view is, IMHO, exactly right. Unfortunately, a lot of corporations tend to let their workers suffer for the mistakes the higher-ups committed. Even if they are what really keeps the business running…
If this mismanagement has affirmed your decision to leave the company, I say it’s a good idea. Your workforce is the most valuable thing they get from you; and if they don’t honour it, I say let them suffer the consequences by directing your efforts elsewhere. I know unions aren’t as big in the USA as they are over here in Germany, but I personally consider joining at least one that has the working people’s best interests in mind. Perhaps there’s something you can join that’s directly related to your field of work, if such things exist in the US? We have “Berufsfachverbände” over here, e.g. they cater to workers in the steel industry, healthcare, and so on. And perhaps you can find a company that won’t pressure you to stay out of unions and actually cares about their workers. I seriously wish you all the best in your efforts to find a better job.
Personally, changing jobs at the end of the last year and starting anew in January 2024 was one of the best decisions of my life. It’s hard, mentally draining and involves lots of elbow grease. But in the end, it’s so worth it!
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 13th, 2024 6 days ago:
Thanks. For me personally, audiobooks are a bit of a double-edged sword with my ADHD. If everyone has a “stream of consciousness”, mine’s more like a ravaging ocean during a storm. I get distracted a lot, even when I watch video essays that provide a visual experience to illustrate their point. Podcasts are actually very hard for me to follow along due to this, but I think I could try audio books for some topics at least. There’s always the rewind button…
I hear you. I often tend to have a very negative point of view. There’s still lots of areas to be improved, but that doesn’t need to happen constantly or all at the same time. I guess now would be a good time for me to delve into the works of Albert Camus, since that’s something that interested me for a long time but haven’t found the time nor energy to go deeper into such topics. It’s kinda hard when my early shifts tire me out so much that I fall asleep in my armchair; but there’s always a bit of free time to use for such things. Thanks for the positive encouragement! 👍🏻
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 13th, 2024 1 week ago:
Thanks walden, you’re right there. I often tend to see things in my life more negatively than they actually are. My profession is actually going really well - the exams will be very stressful next year, but that’s to be expected. I currently feel a bit lost at my new station since I don’t know the residents there too well and therefore lack the routine my colleagues have developed; but I can always improve. Thanks for the reality check! 🤝🏻
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 13th, 2024 1 week ago:
I have a free weekend, finally. But unluckily, there seems to be a problem with the central heating system in my flat. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, but we currently have -5°C at night so it’s a bit uncomfortable. Hope they’ll fix it soon. Currently I help myself with blankets and a fleece pullover.
Unfortunately I still am a professional at procrastination and feel like I am wasting a lot of my potential, both in work and in private. I feel like I’ve wasted a good chunk of my twenties and my thirties shouldn’t go down the drain too. I hope to finally start reading a book again this weekend - given that I have so many unfinished or not even started ones lying around here, I should find something.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - December 11th, 2024 (#549) 1 week ago:
11.12.2024 - Chypre on Wednesday
- Brush: AP Shave Co. black & clear handle w/ 30 mm Tuxedo Fan knot
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: Derby Premium half DE
- Lather: Barrister & Mann - Le Grand Chypre
- Post-Shave: benecos 2in1 aftershave & face balm
-> 1 pass on the head and neck. Comfortable dome shave, one inexplicable weeper on the neck - maybe I was going too fast and reckless.
2 of 4 early shifts have already worn me down; LGC smells like cola to me, so I figured a little wake-up call would help. At least it’s always a pleasure to shave with.
Half of the week is done, folks. Let’s survive those remaining two days together!
- Comment on Monday SOTD Thread - December 9th, 2024 (#547) 1 week ago:
09.12.2024 - New Glasses celebration shave
- Brush: TGS Galaxy 26 mm
- Razor: Leaf Thorn
- Blade: Derby Premium half DE
- Lather: Noble Otter - Neon Sun
- Post-Shave: Moon Soaps - Old School “balm”
-> 2 pass head shave and 1 on the neck. Very close & comfortable.
Today I could already pick up my new glasses - well, they were actually done by Thursday. Extremely fast work & great service. Blue light filter, absolutely no reflections, well-fitting. I am beyond satisfied!
To celebrate, I picked a great soap with a pleasant scent. Neon Sun is a delightful, timeless fragrance and NO knows how to produce a quality product. The otter mascot on the tub even wears glasses! Sunglasses, but it still counts.
Otherwise, today was more of a chill day to relax. Starting tomorrow, I have another bout of early shifts until the weekend. Not quite my strong suit, but I’ll power through…
Here’s a pic of my new glasses (the frames at least): Image
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread - December 7th, 2024 (#545) 1 week ago:
You’re welcome! Nice to hear that you enjoy the sample. It’s definitely not an ashtray to me either, but I can see why it’s a quite divisive scent - not many people can handle that much smoke.
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 6th, 2024 2 weeks ago:
The way it works over here is that we can get our eyesight checked every year for free and most opticians will do such a free test when you want to get new glasses, just to check if your sight has worsened. Mine got a tiny bit worse, just a minuscule amount, but I am glad that I’ll get completely new glasses adjusted perfectly to balance it out. Basically, I only need a prescription for the first time I ever got glasses at age 15 - everything else is taken care of by my optician of choice. I’ve found a new one last month thanks to a flyer for a sale and so I will also save a good amount on my new glasses. 😄
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread - December 6th, 2024 (#544) 2 weeks ago:
It is interesting, but unfortunately not that well optimized in terms of controls. Basically, I got it and Thalos Principle during the sales weeks to get back into regular gaming. Given that my job is very demanding both physically and mentally, I mostly rely on cozy and/or casual games atm.
I’ve always enjoyed puzzle games that aren’t way too hard. The Witness is definitely on my list, I remember checking it out a few years ago. So far, I have completed What remains of Edith Finch and Superliminal this year, but for the latter I definitely needed some guides at certain frustrating parts.
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread - December 6th, 2024 (#544) 2 weeks ago:
I haven’t heard of the former two, so I looked them up on YT. While I suck at card games, Spiritfarer looks really good with the hand drawn art style. I’ve heard of Guild Wars, but MMORPGs and Fantasy in general aren’t quite my area of expertise.
I currently play a lot more casual/cozy games. On my XSX, it’s currently Spirit of the North (puzzle platformer, rather cozy except some infuriating mechanics) and The Talos Principle (harder puzzles and more intellectual message - my dad plays it too and we usually compare how we’re doing so far). On PC, my Laptop can only run few games so I stay with retro-styled stuff. World of Horror is my current game on Steam, but even in the easiest mode it’s quite hard for me (RPG noob, totally unfamiliar with turn based combat system and those DnD-like stats). I’ve yet to find enough time to get back into my usual FPS and horror games - I hope this will improve once my exams are done next year.
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 6th, 2024 2 weeks ago:
Get well soon! Being congested is the most awful thing about a cold.
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 6th, 2024 2 weeks ago:
Christmas season is here and it’s notoriously difficult for me, as always. Since my early teenage years, I’ve come to dread the holiday season. Normally, I sign up for late shifts every year to feel at least a little bit useful. I usually am a person who adores the cold seasons, but I surely prefer autumn over winter since I drive. Winter also kinda lost its magic over here in Germany due to climate change - we used to have such beautiful snow covered forests, but nowadays it’s mostly just cold and rainy. Today’s yet another stormy December day with heavy wind gusts, it seems like these are more frequent in the last few years.
Pros are that I should have all the Christmas presents for my parents by Monday - since my 20s, I enjoy making thoughtful gifts much more than receiving any. Since I have the day off, I can spend my time to wrap everything up nicely after I finished one appointment: my new glasses are already done and I can pick them up after the weekend. It’s a nice tobacco-coloured acetate model by mexx.
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 6th, 2024 2 weeks ago:
Hope you’ll have a fun vacation, regardless of where you decide to go. I only saw the Netherlands from a bus window during a trip to Scotland in 2019. We had to get on a ferry there to travel over to England. I quite liked the beautiful windmills though…
