Please remember to bring items for the raffle.
No obscene cups, please! I think it is at Charlies's place but who knows.
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Please remember to bring items for the raffle.
No obscene cups, please! I think it is at Charlies's place but who knows.
Now Charlie knows what to bring.
Maybe we could have slingshot practice with that cup, or Bruno could use it for skeet at the next Texas meet.
Target practice is in order.
Fill the cup with Tannerite and let Bruno have at it.
Poof!!
Pete <:-}
Weather
The current forecast is highs around 60 and lows in the mid 40s. No rain.
If this gets changed i will let you know.
Food
Friday night - Haven't decided yet
Saturday is all regional SE Wisconsin cuisine.
Morning: The world famous Racine Kringles. If you have been to this meet or Charlies, then you know about Kringles
Lunch: Gyros - My next door neighbor has a Greek restaurant that has been in Racine for 40 years. He will supply the meat and fixings. They are very good.
Dinner: Brats - made at the Butcher Block shop in Oak Creek. I drive by two other meat markets to get their brats. Same as last year.
Sunday - leftovers
Randy is brining cheeses and meat sticks.
I have hot peppers if you want heat.
There might be a pecan pie.
If you have special dietary needs, bring your stuff and we will find a way to cook it. Geezer (Vegan) has survived his trips here.
Those brats were GREAT last year.
Sounds like a some good eating, Brats, I am looking forward to em.
This is the latest weather. It changed about 4 times today.
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Walking out the door to begin the drive to Dave and Bonne's in Wisconsin.
It takes the lion's share of two days.
See everyone soon.
Pete <:-}
Well, it is about time to start icing down the drinks. Unlike Pete, it will only take me 1 1/2 hours of driving to get there.
I picked up some supplies for strop projects, even though I don't really need any more strops.
I have enough shave soaps to last me several years, so I prepared three samples each of twenty different soaps. I also have some samples I purchased that I no longer need to keep. The samples will be available to anyone who wants them.
I also have some samples of two new soaps from Jerry Stark, the custom razor craftsman, who has decided to venture into the artisan soap world. One is vegan and one is tallow. I agreed to do some testing for him. I consider both new soaps to be in the same class as Oleo Soapworks and Noble Otter, not a bad start for a rookie. Jerry also sent samples to Jason Ruds who gave them a preliminary lather score of 91; that is about a point below the score he gave the two soaps I mentioned, so our assessment is similar.
I have never been to a meet before, so I am really looking forward to meeting everyone. If Pete thinks it is work driving from MA, it must be a great event. See everyone soon. ;)
I think everything is set
Everyone please drive carefully
I am happy to announce the Queen of Burk will also make an appearance
Take LOTS of pictures! :deal:
I'm a bit over halfway there.
Just landed for the evening west of Cleveland in Sandusky Ohio. Tomorrow's drive should be a breeze.
Pete <:-}
Made it safe and sound to Racine mid afternoon.
Spent a little quality time with Dave, Bonnie and Victor.
Let the games begin....
Pete <:-}
Knowing a few of the crowd I have to say, it should be a great time.
ATTA BOY, Pete!!
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Have fun, everyone! :tu
Vic and Pete and Tom are here.
Learner Tom? Pete! VIC! Sweet! I cannot come! Attachment 295787
Some good times for everyone! Thanks for hosting, Dave!
I just got a call from my son at 23:30.
It looks like I get to spend tomorrow doing brakes on the front of his truck.:gaah:
I was thinking on the way to work tonight and I think that I will have make a strop or 2 this weekend and pretend that I am there.:hmmm:
I am surprised there haven't been posts here recently. I didn't get any strops work done this weekend as most of it was spent working on brakes.
I did go out hunting this weekend for a short while and found this cutter that with a little oil and a new blade would work well for cutting strops and thought of you guys!
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I will post some pics tomorrow
Can't get my butt out of my chair
Lot of strops made and repaired. I think everyone had a good time.
We did miss Obie, Scott and Tin and Geezer
I have 3 bags of charred waiting on TC. Maybe next year
some pictures, I apologize to Dinnermint for only getting a picture of him from the back.
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I didn't take any pictures this year, I'll leave that to the pros:shrug:
I do want to extend a heartfelt and sincere thank you to Dave and Bonnie for being most gracious hosts, and all the guys that attended for making this an awesome meetup.
I also have to thank Charlie for my 2nd Lewis razor. It's awesome!! What a shave!! (The one in his pics. with the red scales and super heel.)
Sumptuous food, sharing knowledge, and a lot of laughs and camaraderie was had by all.
Thank you all for a memorable time!
This is what straight razor shaving is all about.
Pete <:-}
Looks like a good time. wish i could have made it, maybe next time!
Except for driving through Chicago twice I had a great time. I met four new friends and renewed friendships with others I had met before. I knew Dave from
previous meetups but this was the first time I met his gracious and charming wife, Bonnie. She did a lot of work playing hostess to us. I am thanking her for
all of us. They, Dave & Bonnie, could not have been any better at making us feel welcome and at home. I learned, I laughed, I ate like a pig and did some
useful work on strops. It was a very good experience. One thing I regret is not taking Dave's offer of volunteering Ron to hone the razor I won in the raffle.
It occurred to me that I have shaved only with razors that I have honed so I have nothing to compare my edges to. I can be a little too slow in the head at times.
At the next meet I attend I will try to get Dave to once again volunteer Ron's services on one of my razors so I can judge my skill at honing.
There were a few people there that can put a nice shaving edge on a blade. At my next opportunity I think I will try to get Randy to put an edge on a blade or maybe Victor. It’s hard to decide who may be next.
The meetup that occurs annually at Dave's and Bonnie's house is always a huge success. Their generosity and sharing their home with all of us makes you feel like you are part of their family. It's so fun to come up for this Meetup, we eat, drink, some smoke pipes, there is always bourbon and sometimes scotch for the sharing. I can vouch for I need to find a bottle of Knob Creek 120, simply amazing stuff. Thank you so much Dave and Bonnie for all you did for me and all of us.
I forgot to mention there were razors, strops, hones, microscopes, razor makers, and fun to be had by so many of us. I know at meetups there is always sharing and donating items. You can't help but learn at least one thing you had no clue about
I know the joke or slogan of the weekend was "almost there", it had Vic Charlie, and I rolling most of the weekend. Thank you all for making this weekend special. There were new participants too. Wish we could get some newbies to come, there is always so much knowlwdge and people willing to assist you.
Thanks to all who made long Trek's to be there, like Charlie, his mom, Peter, and Vic. We did not get to hear Vic play harmonica this time, but he shared many jokes with us. Peter brought many great razors to admire. Such a beautiful collection. Thanks for sharing with us.
Randy and Ron, so much can be said about both of them. Always have great advice and willing to help you learn. Your trip is not short either and is always much appreciated when you come. Ron had the famous scope setup to see edges and such.
Dave has many machines, strop parts, and willing to share. Between Ray and Dave, I was able to make my own first custom strop. Thank you gentlemen.
I loved the time each and all of us got to share and experience all weekend. Look forward to next already. Try this link and let me know if the pictures work this way.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/m6fZvYKFmeHCouDG7
For me, this was my first meet-up. I have only been involved with wet shaving since my retirement five years ago. I was hoping to go last year, but had a conflict. I had a great time and look forward to next year.
First, I want to thank Dave and Bonnie for their gracious hospitality. Bonnie is quite the trooper to put up with a house full off razor enthusiasts for the weekend. I know both of them were worn out by Sunday afternoon.
Being the new kid on the block, I wondered how I would be welcomed by some of those who were vital to the wet shaving reformation in the past couple of decades. However, I had thoroughly enjoyable conversations with everyone there. I learned a lot from everyone there and I hope they learned a few things from me along the way.
Although the theme of the meet was strops, the skill I most needed to acquire was scale making and pinning. I have some vintage razors that were sorely in need of either rescaling or repinning. My first attempt at scale making without outside help was marginal at best. With Dave's help, I was able to remove the scales from my W&B, polish the tang, make a new set of horn scales, and pin it into place. Then I rehoned the blade on Pete's set of Shapton glass stones and stropped it on the new horsehide strop I assembled. Sunday, I got a wonderful shave from the razor. I've got a few more razors to do back home, but now I know how to do them.
We had great conversations on steel types and properties, heat treating, honing, and soaps, in addition to the strop restoration and production. A marvelous time was had by all. I certainly hope to make it next year. There were a few who were unable to make it this year; I hope to meet them next year.
Thanks to all who made this year's meet a great success.
The pics.
Tom's Rum Balls. These were to die for. Thank you, Tom
There were none left, darn it!
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Tom aka Learner
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Randy's strops and burnishing a strop using the back of a sanding belt.
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More of Randy burnishing a strop
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Ron aka Utopian and his magic scope
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Charlie aka Spazola
For some reason I did not get a pic of Charlie's Mom. My apology.
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