The Haul. May 2016

I figure since I failed at NB '16, what the hell...

There's always NB '17...
(Seller's pictures)

 

... or NB '18

Nice Slant very shiny

 

Wow! What a great example of a Hoffritz. Good for you!

 

You work hard Primo and you deserve to treat yourself once in a while!

 

Just in time for summer.

 

I finally found a Grand Turk Stein! Also a good handle in need of a new knot and another SS.

 

Thank you gentlemen!

 

I had a hard time picking a scent at first, but the performance is top notch, and the Citra Royale is a nice lime- cedarwood scent. The lather quality reminds me of MW in that it made a thick lather.

 

Went to the Kansas City Meet Up today. Why my wife is still annoyed, (not including 7.5 hours I was gone today)
Exhibit S: Geo. W. Korn Razor MFG, Little Valley, NY with "The Tritch HDWE. Co." Marked on the scales. (This one came in the mail today.)
Exhibit T: Geneva Cutlery Company, Geneva, NY USA with pressed Celluloid Scales. (Traded another razor with the same scales for this one.)
Exhibit U: Dame, Stoddard & Kendall, Boston, Hub Hollow Ground with barber's notch and a set of scales from a Bengall razor. (Traded a strop for this one.)
Exhibit V: Soap of the Gods Kansas City Meet Up 2016. Citrus scent, was free for everyone who attended.
Exhibit W: Jeeves of Hudson Street Fougere. I also learned how to say this. This was my win in the raffle, and is a new scent Bryan just developed.
Exhibit X: Samples from PAA, Jeeves of Hudson Street, Edwin Jagger, and Sterling. Except for the Sterling, these were all samples from the companies that were donated. (I am counting all the samples as one thing to keep from going past exhibit Z for the month.)

 

Picked up a few products last week, my take on them, in case it interests anyone, especially wet shavers from Europe:

Saponificio Varesino 70th shaving and bath soap. Heavenly smell and top notch performance. Also want to give a shout out to eFiori, a company from Poland that sells SV products at prices similar to factory ones but their shipping costs are way lower than SV's. I paid cca. €3 to have SV stuff sent and it arrived in 5 days. Definitely the place to go for European buyers of SV products.

From Solo Afeitado, a Spanish outfit, also highly recommended, I picked up Feather MR3 Neo (I know, I know). For those still or occasionally using cartridges, Feather might be the best deal, price performance wise, at least in Europe. Feather blades last forever and consistently deliver a very very good shave. Not straight razor good, the kind you get at a barbershop, but still very good.

In Dublin, there's a DE barber and shop called Knight in Dundrum shopping mall. I was in Ireland and bought Geo F Trumper Coral Skin Food. In my opinion this product is overrated, I don't understand why it impresses everyone so much, especially at €20 for 100ml. The bottle is a cheapo plastic affair with below average design and quality, definitely not the highlight of one's bathroom shelf, but where it shines even less is performance. I tried it as a pre-shave and noticed no effect. As an aftershave it has this weird smell, kinda what I imagine old people smell like, hard to imagine that anyone finds it attractive. It's also quite messy to apply, burns way way too long if skin is irritated (unlike, say, L'Occitane or Speick, not to mention higher end stuff). What it does do well is make one's skin very smooth, to the point of an unnaturally smooth feel, like touching a balloon or something. It's a similar effect one gets with Biotherm or Shiseido face moisturizers, where to my understanding it's the result of hydrated silica. It sure feels like a silicon film, smooth but artificial. I know that Geo F doesn't contain silica and if they manage to achieve this by "natural" means, my hat off, but just smoothness is not enough so this is my first and last Skin Food bottle.

Actually, with this purchase I'm kinda done pursuing the best soap, cream, pre, after etc., at least for a while. I've accumulated a heap of soaps and creams I don't really like or do like, just not as much as my favourites and I don't see the point in using anything except what I like best. I'll focus my attention (and €) on other products.

Re: brush, I use L'Occitane Plisson and I'm very happy with it. I also have a Muhle Kosmo but since I got the Plisson, Muhle feels too small + Plisson is softer. I'll pick the 26mm RazorRock or Stirling Plissoft if/when they restock, though because it's such a great value

My favourite croaps/soaps are Acqua di Parma, Saponificio Varesino 70th and (when I feel like tallow) Speick stick. Martin de Candre or Santa Maria Novella might produce even better lather, but for me AdP, SV and Speick are everything I need and for €50+, I believe the product must not only be a performer but also have a great smell and packaging so that it decorates once bathroom shelf. I only wish Speick would sell their shaving soap as a puck in a sexy packaging but obviously one can't get that for €3.

Btw, SV purchase also answered my bath soap questions. I use Speick's Natural for everyday use but I like SV so much I'm adding that one to my regimen.

More by accident than design I also solved my toothpaste "puzzle". I've seen Marvis many times before but never picked it up, just didn't think one toothpaste can be that much different from another + I recently bought a €25 toothpaste called Black&White, which is cool, being black and all, but otherwise a hype. Marvis, though, what a delight, it replaced Sensodyne as my go to toothpaste and I like it so much (I have Aquatic and Whitening) I'm brushing at least 5 times a day. I use Sonicare DiamondClean electric and a Curaprox manual brush) A review of "luxury" toothpastes in Wall Street Journal says Acca Kappa is even better than Marvis, so that's an item for the next go.

 

Excellent haul!

 

Ritter Sport Chocolate is one of my favorites. Last summer I came home with 9 pounds of assorted chocolatey goodness I did share some of it


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I was raised in a nearly candy free environment. Dad's way of saving on dental bills. Halloween in the late '60's & early '70's was the exception, but with lots of tooth paste as accompaniment.
Since then I've been introduced to Dark Chocolate. I hear it has some health benefits. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! I have a Lady friend that likes to break her diet on occasion so I keep a little on hand. These are going on her Prize Shelf. That's what she calls the cabinet where I put interesting items I gather for her between visits.

 

Here's my latest addition to the den. It's a schick eversharp E model. It's in great condition.

 

Welcome to your new rabbit hole!

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She is immaculate!

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Beautiful! That is where I would send one of mine But 2 toggles! You should be ashamed of yourself

 

And I was a whiskers breath away from a third on a trade that fell through at the end

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Lol well if you ever want to trade one of yours away.. My pm is always open

 

On Saturday I received a package from my brother in law as he is moving over to straights only and sent me his injectors and a G-Bar. He didn't label any of the injectors and didn't come with cases so not sure what I have as I'm not up on injectors and have a casual glance to the box before heading out the door for a BBQ on Saturday. Off the top of my head I think there is 4-5 injectors plus the G=Bar. I'll find time during the week to take a closer look then hunt for pictures to compare to identify the lot.