Another name in soaps that I'm currently enjoying is D.R. Harris, in the Marlborough scent.

Both. I use Col. Conk's soap, mainly because it's available locally...at my B&M cigar shop in fact. I was very pleased that the Rooney has the backbone to stand up to a cake. I also like the Truefitt & Hill creams and balms. I'm interested in trying some of the tallow soaps.

Try these resources for starters: Badger & Blade — wet shaving forum with a mix of double-edge (DE) and straight razor (SR) users...with the majority being DE shavers, I think. A wealth of information, including product reviews. Straight Razor Place — similar to B&B but with greater emphasis on...

Sorry, gents! I've added a subtitle to lower expectations.

Woohoo!!! The postman delivered the long-awaited upgrade to my shaving kit today. Not only did I finally get the Spanish point straight razor I've wanted, I upgraded the old brush and strop, too. Rooney 1/2 "Super Silvertip" shaving brush Tony Miller 3" Artisan latigo/linen strop Heribert...

Planes? What planes? I'm a pencil pusher and bean counter. They don't let me play the video game with the pretty colored blips. Thanks everyone!

Happy birthday, Ray. The evenin' sounds like it was tres nice.

Maybe the larger Kindle DX would be better for her then? Or does she still want the smaller form factor?

She might also consider the customizing options available for whatever she winds up getting, if she's not crazy about the color. For instance, the nook is customizable with a variety of backs, frames, and skins. Then there are third party options available, such as, DecalGirl and Amazon. Me...

Just a little bumpitybump to say that I finally received my B&N nook last week and I'm lovin' it. I've finished one book and I'm 2/3rds into another. One small dislike is that I wish they'd made the case in a matte finish. The shiny plastic can cause some mildly distracting reflections at...

I bought a canopy for smokin' in the rain.

What gets me, is those old school home sausage makers didn't fuss with bacteria and mold starter cultures like I used. Now, once the mold culture takes up residence in the drying box, I may not have to buy culture anymore. But I don't think I'd chance making salami without a bacteria culture...

The wife made a damn tasty Greek lemon chicken soup with a side salad. Last night, I made French onion soup with grilled Gruyere and prosciutto sandwiches.

And after 38-40 days, here is the finished product... Given how tricky salami is to make (failures are common) I'm really quite pleased with pulling off my first attempt. If I do say so myself, it's pretty darn tasty. But put it on a buttered slice of baguette as is traditional...oh my...

Only if I don't have a batch of salami drying at 60°F. I dry age at less than 40°F, so if salami is in the old box, the beef will go in the new garage fridge. That reminds me, it's about time to get a rib roast in there so it'll be ready by New Year's Day. It's good to hear that you liked it!

Hehe...I like the tool kit idea. The salamis are now in their 7th day of curing: So far, so good. Except for a small spot here or there, they are now completely covered in mold. They're also showing obvious signs of shrinkage and they feel a bit firmer to touch. If things keep...

I hadn't heard of Len Poli until you mentioned. His site is now bookmarked. I've been working out of the book Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman, Brian Polcyn, and Thomas Keller. Not long ago, I came across Michael Ruhlman's blog which has proved interesting and helpful already.

Same here. Now it threatens to become addictive. Skipping ahead to Day 4 (yesterday)... After not doing much of anything for 3 days, the mold really kicked it into high gear today:

Last month, I got a great deal on a scratch and dent refrigerator for the garage...hardly scratched or dented at all, for almost half off the regular price. That meant I could finally get into dry curing sausage by converting the old fridge into a drying box. It's not much to look at yet but...

I did...the word "sausage". ;)