Analog on KemoNine's Blog

Shaving & Hair Removal Revisited

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Changelog

2026-02-07: Initial publication

Preface

It’s been over 5 years since I was nerd sniped in a way that triggered a deep dive into the world of shaving, personal grooming, body scaping and soap. It’s time to revisit the topic with a mega post.

Royal Hair Trimmer

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Changelog

2026-01-04: Add image gallery
2025-12-29: Initial publication

A Note

I know this post isn’t quite ‘shaving’ but is definitely in the same realm so I’ve tagged it ‘shaving’ for better discovery.

Preface

As I’ve aged, I’ve gotten hairier. Particularly my nose and ears. This, annoyingly, is a fairly common feature of age in humans. I’ve also been trying to move away from electrified devices for things like personal grooming.

A Digital Anti Bad Habit Notebook

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Analog Version

This post is about the digital anti bad habit notebook. For an analog version implemented as a pocket notebook, see this post.

The Post

Not going to lie : I have a few bad habits and have used my analog anti bad habit notebook to break some in teh past.

Sadly, I can no longer reliably use analog methods for my notes and similar. Due to this I went ahead and re-implemented the anti bad habit analog notebook as an Obsidian vault. So far it’s proven very helpful for tracking a bad habit I want to break and should work well for pretty much any “bad habit” one may want to break.

On Writing Digitally

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

It would seem I’ve regained the ability to write more frequently and regularly despite my health hassles

My Preference

Normally I write posts for this blog by hand using a pen, Tomoe River paper and a clipboard. Sadly, my health hassles make this approach to writing very difficult and I do not have the capacity to write using analog methods regularly or reliably. Over the last few years I’ve had to patiently wait for windows when my health hassles doesn’t interfere with my writing. With analog I have to slowly write blog posts over the course of weeks and sometimes months. It’s quite frustrating but I enjoy writing and refuse to give it up, even if frustrated by my health hassles.

My notebook & organizer journey

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

What’s Within?

Within is a walk through of all things analog and digital that I put together to be effective with notebooks and organizers. Things I’ve cataloged, setup, used, tinkered with and more. It even includes the how and why of my personal needs, preferences and opinions.

In short: it’s a very long breakdown of everything that actually works for me as well as many things that didn’t work for me. Think “Kemo’s Notebook & Organizer Autobiography”.

Health Hassle Handwriting

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Editors note: KemoNine wrote this post before realizing they had already written Digital Writing Tablet Mini Review 3 ish months ago. Some information below overlaps with the prior blog post but the core of this particular post is how KemoNine is using a drawing tablet day to day for handwriting.

Prelude

Let’s get this out of the way up front: I am a pen and paper human at heart. Despite being labeled a ’tech nerd’ I use pen and paper as a default medium. I do have some health hassles (read: serious, chronic health issues) that prevent me from using pen and paper with the frequency I desire and, arguably, need in order to stay on top of daily life and more.

Linen Sheet Mini Review

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Figure 1: Cat tested and approved

For a few years I’ve wanted to replace a synthetic fleece blanket with a natural material. After a bit of research I settled on replacing my blanket with a large linen sheet I could fold over on itself. Why?

Linen is an excellent, durable material that breathes well. It’s similar to cotton but has a bit more of a texture, is more durable, is less absorbent (good for my sweaty skin) and when ‘doubled up’ has a similar warmth to synthetic fleece.

pacsafe Vibe 150 Sling Pack Mini Review

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The pacsave Vibe 150 (product page) is a sling bag setup similar to a messenger bag but very small, only 2.5L in usable storage.

I’ve had it for awhile and it has proven to be the best shoulder bag I’ve used to date as an EDC. When I’m headed out for the day I can carry all my essentials in the bag without any real hassles or worries. It’s displaced my Timbuk2 bag as well as a ThinkTank belt pouch I’ve used heavily in the past.

Henson Razor Mini Review

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I have a ton of notes about the Henson DE safety razor (Product Page). Enough to make this a very long blog post. As much as I’d probably enjoy writing a longer, word vomit adjacent post about this razor, I’m not going to do that to my time or yours. This will be more mini review.

The website for the Henson DE, linked above, has all the fun information and details. It’s also accurate and not pure marketing or advertising speak. It’s definitely worth reviewing. Strange, I know.

Android org-agenda

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Preface

I’ve written in the past about my Digital Bullet Journal setup (link) and how I’ve come to use it as my primary organizational system. Unfortunately, until very recently, I always had a disconnect between my phone and org-mode.

Historically I’ve kept a ‘churning’ area of my to do list on my phone that sync’s to my desktop. It was a daily list of stuff I wanted to get done as well as things I thought of over the course of a day. Kind of like a slip box that was disconnected from all of my org-mode data, including my daily habit tracking. The setup was great for the daily churn but really hard to tie into org in a low friction way for me.

Digital Bullet Journal

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Forward

The idea that you could have a Digital BuJo still makes my brain hurt a bit.

Especially given organizers still universally stink (link), I still have an analog EDC (link) and I’m still using my bujo riff (link) at the core of my now digital organizer.

Yes: I switched my analog BuJo to digital and I still use an analog notebook daily. I still write in the rain (link), use some odd discoveries (link) and broke a habit or two using the anti-bad habit notebook (link).

Personal Knowledge Base / Wiki

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Figure 1: The Landing Page

Forward

I was recently reminded of the analog life I lead and how that’s evolved over the years since I first wrote about the topic. After some review and reading I can safely say: that’s a different topic. What I did notice is that I’ve never discussed just how I manage inflows of information and manage things I want to retain long term.

Organizers [Universally Stink]

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Good Intention, Failure Imminent

I intended to write a post about all the systems and ideas I’ve tried over the years. Instead it was more appropriate to call bullshit and tell you it’s a brain wiring problem and until you find something that ‘clicks’ it’ll just be failure after failure and soul crushing.

This post is meant to inspire you to think about organization systems and let you know that you’re not alone with this topic. It’s a non-trivial concern for people and it can take a long time to find a good organization system tuned to an individuals needs. Don’t worry: I’ll let you know what works for me but it’s not dogma, gospel, the best or anything else. What I use to stay organized works for me, I have no illusions it’s a strange system that won’t work for most humans walking the planet.

Pocket Notebooks and Every Day Carries

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Forward

Let’s get this out of the way up front, shall we?

There is a ton of information on how to build an EDC (every day carry) notebook setup on the internet. Like most things on the internet it’s not all great info and more than a few holy wars can be encountered. I’m a programmer by day and enjoy analog writing as a hobby. To say I’ve seen the holy wars erupt and turn decent people into toxic mushrooms feeding on feces would be understatement.

Interesting, if not odd, Discoveries

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Figure 1: All of the interesting discoveries

Forward

It’s been many, many solar cycles since I found myself embarking upon the analog writing path. During these cycles I have managed to dial in my preferences and have found many supplies I may not like much but are great recommendations for others. I’ve also encountered some odd supplies that are worth calling attention towards.

Tamoe River Redux

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Figure 1: The Test

I’ve never kept my love of Tamoe River Paper (link) a secret. I’d have posted about it specifically but I’ve never really had anything to say beyond an ultra mini review of ‘This stuff is AMAZING, BUY NOW’. It’s the perfect loose leaf paper: cheap, thin, easy to work with and translucent.

Waterproof Writing

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Figure 1: Waterproof Kit

Why?

I spend a lot of time outdoors. I may be a geek/nerd but I like being outdoors and actually spend time outside. One thing that rarely stops me is the weather. Because of this I can end up outside in the rain or during a blizzard. This is a big reason I only buy archive grade and water resistant inks and papers.

Monteverde Tool Pen (Grumpy Opinion Within)

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Figure 1: The Pen

I recently picked up a Monteverde USA Tool Pen Inkball (link). The pen is, uh.

One of the worst pens I’ve laid hands on

I cracked the box open, discovered there were no ink cartridges or adapters and… it didn’t get better once I ordered a converter and some standard international mini ink cartridges.

American Cursive Handwriting Mini Review

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The [work]book ‘American Cursive Handwriting’ by Michael Sull (Goodreads Link) is an interesting ‘read’. I picked up a copy years ago when I first started getting interested in writing. I was looking for ways to slow down, think and better remember things. After I entered the world of analog writing it quickly became clear it helped me on too many levels to properly enumerate here.

The biggest problem I had early on with analog writing was my legibility and writing speed. I could barely read my own scribbles and anyone else had about zero chance of reading my handwriting. Despite other gains I had with analog writing, these were major hurdles for me. I would definitely have thrown in the towel on analog writing if I hadn’t found ‘American Cursive Handwriting’ during my research into ways of improving legibility and speed.

A riff on Bullet Journals

Mon, 02 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Figure 1: The Setup

Riffing

a monolog or spoken improvisation, especially a humorous one, on a particular subject

or: break the rules and see if there is no spoon

Bullet Journals (BuJo)

The official Bullet Journal site (link) is a full, end to end system of organization. It’s been a huge hit in pen/paper circles for several years now. I read their documentation, tried “the system” and walked away with a bad taste in my mouth. I also was left in a bad spot organizationally.

Analog Every Day Carries

Sun, 01 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Figure 1: The Kit

The Humble Every Day Carry

When I first went back to a pen and paper I discovered I never wanted to be without. Rain, snow or shine: pens, pencils and paper will be there for you. Day of night, power, no power too. These simple tools will ‘just work’. I’ve had phones and digital organizers fail because of drained batteries, getting wet and getting too warm or cold. Analog beats digital for an every day carry every time.

Anti Bad Habit Notebook

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Changelog

2024-12-06: Updated to link to the digital version of the notebook. Mild rewrite to improve post text.

Digital Version

This post is about the analog anti bad habit notebook. For a digital version implemented as an Obsidian vault, see this post.

The Post

Not going to lie : I have a few bad habits.

I’m trying to break them but lack a good ‘visual cue’ for how often I succumb and how bad/good I’m doing.

Pen Pals

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Figure 1: One of the post card images

Going the Distance

I recently finished mailing 32[!] letters as part of the InCoWriMo (link) ‘challenge’. I put out a call online for interested parties on my primary social network(s) and the response was overwhelming. So much support and positivity among the analog lovers online. Some even asked if I wouldn’t mind becoming pen pals as a fun way to keep the project alive long-term.

Razors, blades, brushes

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Figure 1: My shaving supplies

Full Disclosure

To be 100% clear before presenting anything to you, the reader.

NOPE

I am NOT a shill
I am NOT paid by any of the companies named here
I was NOT given any products for testing or review purposes

YEP

I DID seek this out on my own
I DID reach out to some of these companies via STANDARD means
These are my OPINIONS

Length

As you might be able to tell by the scrollbar in your browser. This is a very long read compared to my usual posts. If nothing else, read the first 1/2 or so of what is here. That’s the meat and potatoes. The hearty stuff that’s worth focusing on. The second 1/2 or so is examples and ‘what is KemoNine using for gear’. Feel free to skip the insights into my preferences, the first 1/2 stands on its own.

Scary Shaves

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Figure 1: A scary looking razor

Full Disclosure

A disclosure. Why? Because I want to be 100% clear.

I am NOT a paid shill
I was NOT given products for review
I sought the products listed here on my own

A Detour

While digging through the world of Safety Razors I noticed that there were a few Single Edge offerings available. Per usual, I couldn’t resist and detoured in my research a little to find out more about Single Edge Safety Razors and the blades they use.

Analog on KemoNine's Blog

Shaving & Hair Removal Revisited

Table of Contents

Changelog

Preface

Royal Hair Trimmer

Changelog

A Note

Preface

A Digital Anti Bad Habit Notebook

Analog Version

The Post

On Writing Digitally

My Preference

My notebook & organizer journey

What’s Within?

Health Hassle Handwriting

Prelude

Linen Sheet Mini Review

pacsafe Vibe 150 Sling Pack Mini Review

Henson Razor Mini Review

Android org-agenda

Preface

Digital Bullet Journal

Forward

Personal Knowledge Base / Wiki

Forward

Organizers [Universally Stink]

Good Intention, Failure Imminent

Pocket Notebooks and Every Day Carries

Forward

Interesting, if not odd, Discoveries

Forward

Tamoe River Redux

Waterproof Writing

Why?

Monteverde Tool Pen (Grumpy Opinion Within)

American Cursive Handwriting Mini Review

A riff on Bullet Journals

Riffing

Bullet Journals (BuJo)

Analog Every Day Carries

The Humble Every Day Carry

Anti Bad Habit Notebook

Changelog

Digital Version

The Post

Pen Pals

Going the Distance

Razors, blades, brushes

Full Disclosure

NOPE

YEP

Length

Scary Shaves

Full Disclosure

A Detour