SOS: May 2018

4/30/2018 - Monday Night Shave - PAA Lo Haiku - ONE OF MY Favorites - this is Hai Karate Clone - but stronger and better than the original. Sadly it is being discontinued the splash is still available and 20% off - i ordered another scent - so I have some for many years considering my stupidly enormous rotation - the semogue 2000 is like a fine wine that gets better with age...
peace -Jamie

 

05/01/18 Tuesday Night Shave - PAA CEYLON TEASE with a lady eversharp - 30 mm whipped dog Silvertip by Larry - AWESOME SAUCE !
peace-jamie

 

That Lady Eversharp is sweet!

 

Pre-shave: 50/50 blend of Grapeseed and Sweet Almond oils
Razor: Frankenrazor (Yaqi DLC cap with ZY Open/Closed Combo comb on a PAA Stainless Bomb Tip Handle
Blade: Polsilver Super Iridium
Brush: Rubberset 400 with PAA Switchback Top Cap loaded with Maggard 26mm Black & White Synthetic
Soap: Williams Mug Shaving Soap (Modern - grated into mug)
Aftershave: T.N. Dickinson's Witch Hazel followed by Aqua Velva Musk

-- Sammy

 

I used that Frankencombo a few days ago and thought it did well.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

Thursday SOTD



Razor: Gillette Red Tip
Blade: PoliSilver-Wizmet (D10)
Brush: Nathan Clark 2-Band Envy White 28mm
Bowl: Corbell Pedestal Bowl 4"
Pre-Shave Scrub: Lisa's Citrus
Pre-Shave Oil: Homemade Lavender Mint
Shave Soap: Barrister & Mann Cologne Russe
Balm: Organic Shea Butter Lavender
Aftershave: Barrister & Mann Cologne Russe
​

 

I agree; this is a very smooth setup.

-- Sammy

 

Today's shave was with a sort of mystery razor. I don't know where it was produced, but it looks and feels like Swedish steel. I had a perfect 2 pass shave, that left me BDBS. Zero issues. Excellent razor.


Razor- Hauptner. Swedish Steel????
Brush- B400 By Tom. Whipped Dog Boar Knot. 2 hairs lost.
Soap- Arko/Avon Spicy
Aftershave- Avon Spicy. Avon Calabash Pipe Decanter.

 

Thank you, Roby!

 

RazoRock Gamechanger & Kai SS blade #2
RR Beehive 28mm
RR The Dead Sea soap
Humphreys Alcoholado Maravilla
Nivea 2in1 A/S splash lotion
RR The Dead Sea A/S splash



A smooth 2 pass shave that left my face clean and refreshed. Mild and efficient. Yes, they can coexist together and work in harmony. Well, for me at least it does. Pulled out The Dead Sea soap as the temps hit 90+ today. Just an awesome scent and performer. The best RR soap in my den & when paired with the splash, knockout combo. Have a great evening and shaves Gents.... ​

 

Beautiful photo Andrew. Excellent setup!

 

Thank you, Rob!

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Bath Soap - Pre de Provence Sandalwood (quad-milled)

Razor - Antique Gillette ABC "Empire" Razor circa 1908-1912 (fully restored/re-plated in rhodium by Razor Emporium)
Blade - Feather HI-Stainless *Fresh blade
Shave Brush - Ralph Lauren Safari Collection fitted with Synthetic Knot manufactured by Frank Shaving (replaced by jimjo1031)
Shave Soap - Geo F. Trumper Sandalwood Cream
Post Shave Balm - Geo F. Trumper Sandalwood Skin Food
Deodorant - Geo F. Trumper Sandalwood
Fragrance - Ralph Lauren Safari EDT

I utilized the same technique to dry this shave cream that I used to dry the previous Old Spice cream. Takes weeks and mashing/pressing the top-layer down. Now I can use it like a normal shave soap. I think it helps to use less of the cream, but I could be miscalculating my loading prior to face lather. It seems like I'm using less when the cream is dried.

The Pre de Provence soap smells just like Trumpers sandalwood, but not as strong as the Trumpers bath soap. I really like the Trumpers Sandalwood + Safari combo. The Trumpers seems to be an even better match than Safari's own products, as odd as that seems. The Safari EDT is the modern vintage and the use of Trumpers sandalwood is to help reduce the amount of usage of the classic vintage set.

So far, the antique ABC Gillette has proven to be a tough razor to shave with and I haven't found the right blade yet that gives the best shave with this razor. So, this time around I'm trying out the super-sharp Feather Hi-Stainless blade. Maybe this razor needs a super-sharp blade to give a comfortable in-shave experience with the least resistance and more of a glide.

 

05/03/18 Shave of the Day
Face Wash with Daisygirl Soaps - Citrus Spice Goats Milk Soap
Crown King Planet 9 Shampoo/Conditioner Puck with Cider Vinegar, Yucca & Manuka
Crown King Planet 9 Artisan Shave Soap - The Rebirth of Neroli
RazoRock Rosso Corsa F-400 XXL 34MM Noir Plissoft Synthetic Shaving Brush
Creative Flame Pottery Stoneware Shaving Scuttle
RazoRock Stainless Steel Game Changer Razor with Radio Knob Handle
Astra Green Superior Platinum Blade - 6th Shave
RazoRock Alum Block
Homemade Lime & Rose Witch Hazel
Crown King Planet 9 Aftershave Cologne - The Rebirth of Neroli
NIVEA Men Maximum Hydration Moisturizing Post Shave Balm
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Lime Ginger Tea Tree Natural Deodorant - New Sport Strength ​

 

3 May 2018

* Weber DLC + Stork Ex Brass
* Wizamet Iridium Super
* Shavemac Americana XL Unique Silvertip 2-Band
* Mystic Water Lavender
* Unrefined Shea Butter
* Bergamot/Vetiver EO


​

 

Talbot Shaving - Buttery Brook
Phoenix Shaving - The Green Ray | Tribble Synthetic
Ever-Ready SE | Gem PTFE
Mickey Lee Soapworks - Réunion

​

I'm pressed for time tonight, so I'll be a bit more brief than my usual ramblings. Buttery Brook was described by Talbot as being "a fresh and green springtime scent. A bright green top gives way to a grassy earth profile underneath". This description really understates it and omits a couple elements that were quite prominent to my nose. Certainly, Buttery Brook opens brightly, but I detect an indefinable note that is gently and naturally sweet and simultaneously sharp. This elusive note is almost floral and almost citrus, yet neither. It does get more green, grassy, and earthy as the shave progresses, but it's never dirty or murky. Of the three Talbot Shaving soaps I own (including Holland Glen and Howick Hall), Buttery Brook seems to be the more strongly scented. That doesn't translate as overpowering or unnatural, mind you. This soap base has been tweaked and it's possible it allows the intended accord to shine through more prominently. There is some common, yet pleasant, element among Holland Glen and Howick Hall that I assume is the base. I do not detect this creamy element in Buttery Brook. In terms of any differences in the base, I ultimately didn't notice anything that impacts the shave. It seems marginally firmer, but loads just as easily. The water tolerance and requirements seem roughly the same. More importantly, the glide, protection, and post-shave are unchanged in my opinion. When I heard a new base was forthcoming, I balked. I couldn't see how the base could be changed for the better as it was already outstanding, and I'm happy this new base is at least as good. It's possible after a few more uses I may pick up on more subtle aspects that were improved upon, but when a base is at this level, it's impossible to make huge leaps in performance and difficult to make even incremental ones.

 

MAYhem 2018!!!!!

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May 2

Razor - Soyuz 1
Blade - (2)
Soap - TimBreeze Russian Shaving Cream ??!!
Brush - Russian Boar - seriously - it's a brush. Kind of, and it's brushier on the second use. Is that a word?
Post- Alum​

​

Let's stay with the start of MAYhem and use the same questionable razor, good blade, questionable brush and change shaving creams. How about the TimBreeze? I had some trouble translating this one due to the shiny box and figured what the heck......last night's cream was quite good.

Well, there's a problem. I put some of the "cream" in the mug, soaked the Russian brush thingy well, and went to town to produce a lather. Only to watch the "cream" just disappear. As in......nothing. Just kind of a slick residue. Huh?! Ok, let's add some more and try the Stirling two banded synthetic. It'll lather anything. And........ummmmmmm......no it won't. Again, the "cream" went missing. Ok, so maybe this is brushless and just doesn't like the brush? Put some in my hands, rubbed them vigorously together and then on my face and I got......a fairly nice face feel with a nice almond scent. But still no lather. Face lather with the two brushes? Nothing. Confusion reigned.

Oh well, it's MAYhem. If the "cream" fails what do you do? You shave on whatever it left. So that's what I did. With a slightly wonky razor. I did manage to get a decent shave. Slightly better than CCS, low end DFS kind of finish. The alum is pretty warm from the lack of slickness but, I'm a wannabe Russian, I can handle it.

Ok, let's go to the webpage of the soap as I found the address on the box. Translate the page, look for the product, slightly different box designs but I get the name out of it and......oh. There it is. This "cream" is after shave lotion. NOT shaving cream. Which means the comrade over in Moscow either threw the wrong box in the cream selection or just decided to clear the shelf of something he had extra of. The jokes on the czar, it seems.

Well, what's MAYhem without a bit of confusion and puzzlement ending in a shave using after shave lotion as a substitute lather?​

​

 

Thursday.
Prep: Hot towel
Pre shave: Prep
Razor: Sensor Excel
Blade: N/A
Brush: Rough,No Name Boar
Soap: Adagio Road (Skaneateles Soap Company): Kokum U/S
Post: Cold water rinse / Witch Hazel / ASB

beef tallow, kokum butter, babassu, and goat's milk makes for a MASSIVE lather... it is also a very thirsty beast, but WOW.... colour me impressed.