SOS: September 2018

How's that Atomic Pumpkin? I'm saving my sample until October.

 

I have this soap for my Tam Dao EDP shave set in my custom Mervyn Cadman bowl. It's one of my favorite shaving soaps. Seriously underrrated stuff.

 

Epic looking set there. The razor fits the soap and aftershave container theme nicely.

 

The scents in the Star Jelly products are not as robust or full as the soap and AS so it is hard for me to fully tell, but from what I can detect, I think it is a winner. Enough comes through and it really makes me want to try the bundle. I known you like the Atomic version as I, and it seems this is in the same league.

I honestly have been a bit disappointed in the Pineapple Bay Rum soap sample that came with the I'd Lather be Shaving mug because the scent is on the weak side. I wish it was stronger. Maybe the newly packaged full tub version is better in this regard and not as mild.

I really am interested in a comparison between B&M Nocturne vs the soon to be released CK Cider House 5. They sound similar from their descriptions but I think the CH5 scent description is a bit more intriguing.
Steve

 

SEptember is Stirling Month!

September 13 - DARE NIGHT!! The MAIN EVENT!!!

Razor - Hamamasa Kamisori style razor
Soap - Stirling Sheep
Brush - 30 DC LE
Post - Alum

Well, the main event was on! Time to pick up the Hamamasa from @Drygulch and give a kamisori a real try. This one was advertised as shave ready, it's a Hamamasa vintage razor in good shape and should be interesting to try. One challenge - no wrapping or other covering on the handle. That makes the grip area small and extra slippery. Gonna have to keep an eye on this one.

I did some updated research on this style of razor. Two sides to the blade. The Ura is the stamped side and the Omote is the flatter side. Traditionally, the Omote is the only side used on the face. And, traditionally, you don't switch hands. This is a right handed version so I will attempt to shave with only my right hand and keeping the Omote against the face on both sides. This requires some interesting grips, but I used to do this a lot with pain sticks to learn the technique. By the way, you can shave with both sides, it's just tradition to use only the one. But I'm nothing if not one who honors tradition with fine vintage gear.

The soap chosen was Stirling Sheep for the slick and cushy mutton. It's unscented so nothing to distract me there. I chose the 30 DC LE brush from @jtspartan because the limited edition brush seems to fit the challenge. And - off we go.

It should be said up front - that shave ready to some people means something else to others. I would have to disagree that this razor is fully shave ready. It's sharp but draggy. Clearly could use some more honing, in my opinion at least. So, the shave was not as smooth as I was hoping to achieve, nor was it as effective. However, I made it through two passes. WTG and XTG.

Once I found the angle, which took a couple of tries given the curve to the blade, I found the technique to be nearly identical to pain sticks. I used a very similar grip as well, and did adjust ok to the small handle. I'd like to wrap it in rattan or something, though, to make it a bit easier to grip. The razor is light and very maneuverable. No issues getting up close to ears, the goatee or other areas. Long strokes on the cheek and neck on the right side got the jitters settled down as I enjoyed the feel, in spite of the roughness of the blade. When I switched sides I had a little difficulty remembering exactly how to grip with the right hand on the left side. I used to diligently use only one hand on the pain sticks but finally gave that up as being unnecessary on a modern razor. I can say that the result on the left side was less impressive than the right, but with practice I'd smooth it out.

Checked the finish after two passes and it needed help. That "shave ready" thing again. So, I grabbed the CJB Greager from the head shave and did a pass to smooth it all out and finish DFS. I did use the one handed technique, though, to honor the kami.

But, you ask anxiously - what about blood? Cuts? Serious wounds? Stitches? ER visits? Sorry to disappoint but this was quite a bit easier than I thought it might be and no blood was shed. All in all it was quite a success story.

I plan to work on stropping it to see if I can smooth it out some. Stropping a kami is different than a western straight but I'll see if I can figure it out. Now. As to the future of kamisori style in my den........I now own two. My original one needs honed. This one needs work. So I'll probably send them both off in the near future for some professional help. Then we'll pick them up and run with them. I'm also thinking of breaking out the western straights I have just to play a bit with them and compare to the kami style and result. Suddenly, I feel as if perhaps Adam has a hidden agenda. Again. Or am I just being paranoid? Time will tell.

​

 

Friday
SEptember 14, 2018

Blackland Sabre L2
GEM PTFE
Paladin Shaving Round Table LE Honey Noire
iColoniali Mango Soap and ASB
Stirling Soap Co. MITA Witch Hazel & Aloe
Gold Bond Green Lotion
ADP Ginepro di Sardegna

​

 

I agree, that's the word, underestimated. I enjoy it very much this shaving soap.

Sent from the Wolf's Den

 

Tim, much appreciated, imo the razor shaves as good as it looks.

 

Frugal Friday.

Pre: Warm water splash
Brush: Omega 20102 Boar
Soap: Vitos Red
Razor: E-R 1914
Blade: Gem Blue Star CS
Post: Cold water rinse, Pitralon Classic ASL

A wonderful bit of cheap luxury from this set up.
Happy Shaving one and all.

 

Good Morning Everyone SOTD 09/14/18

'59 Gillette Fatboy (set on 6)
Wilkinson Sword (6)
Synthetic
Stephan Deluxe
Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block
Aqua Velva Musk A/S

Have A Great Day !

 

September 14 SOTD:

Razor: Gem Bullet Tip
Blade: Gem Stainless
Brush: Razorock Plissoft
Lather: Arko
Aftershave: PAA Boomtown Bay Rum
Additional Care:
Osage Rub
Stirling Unscented PSB

 

SvdD 20180914.



M Keramiek / APShaveCo SilkSmoke.
Extro "Lavanda Muschio" shaving soap.
Timeless Ti 0.68 OC / Stork Ti "Taipan" handle.
Rockwell Razors Swedish Stainless Steel (5).
Extro "Lavanda" EdT AS.

 

Solid Shave
This brush is amazingly good. Well balanced and an expertly installed knot yielded slick lather with ease. The razor is newly honed and works great, though my rusty skills led to a cut on my cheek, but it certainly shaves differently than my smaller straights.

Rating: 4 / 5

Razor: Wade & Butcher 8/8
Brush: Lutin Lightning
Lather: Talbot River Rouge
Aftershave: Catie's Bubbles River Rouge
Additional Care:
PAA Cube

 

SOTD September 14, 2018
Fat Friday detour of a Stirling SEptember

Prep: Cold water and Stirling mentholated pre-shave soap
Blade: Personna
Razor: Schick B1 injector
Brush: Omega 10049 boar
Soap: Mitchell's Wool Fat
Post: Witch hazel, Fine American Blend aftershave

Have a great day!

 

Friday's Shave


Cold Water Wash
Eureka Shaving Soap
Jayaruh #314
eBarbershop Schick O Clone
Schick Twin Blade
CWR
FD Old Spice AS

My prep was just a cold water rinse. The Eureka Shaving Soap face lathered well with the Jayaruh #314 badger brush. I did two passes with the eBarbershop Schick O Clone Safety Razor with a Schick Twin Blade and ended up with a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse, I finished off with FD Old Spice AS. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

 

Charcoal Goods Level 2 SB
Polsilver Super Iridium
Pacific Shaving Caffeinated Shave Cream
Simpson Commodore X2 Best
Nivea Men Creme Balm
Paul Sebastian After Shave

 

Friday

Prep: Warm Shower-Stirling Scots Pine Sheep
Soap: Los Angeles Shaving Soap Woody Lavender
Razor: Gillette Red Tip Super Speed
Blade: Gillette Platinum (2)
Brush: Whipped Dog Silvertip-24mmx52mm
Aftershave: Fine Platinum

WTG-XTG-ATG (adjusted angles for my beard)

LASS Woody Lavender today. 20 seconds to load the Whipped Dog Silvertip brush. Easy, thick, slick, lather. Gillette Platinum in the Gillette Red Tip Super Speed. Excellent smooth, close, shave. I finished with Fine Platinum aftershave.

Bob

 

I know your question was directed at @Smooth Steve , but I thought I'd chime in as well. (I have the soap and splash---not the jelly). It opens with a burst of spices that aren't isolated to Halloween, but rather the Fall and Winter festive seasons. It's absolutely beautiful with the cinnamon aspect thankfully maintaining a subdued role. The overall accord, while bold and spicy is quite well balanced with sharp orange and nutmeg and an as of yet unidentifiable rich resin. I really really love this fragrance. But...it is most certainly not something I want to smell like when I go out. My wife agreed. She said, "you're not going to wear that in public, are you?" The initially perceived problem was that, while the fragrance is certainly pleasant and enjoyable and evocative of festive times, it's not a fragrance that you expect to smell on a person. There's a happy ending, though. After about 90 minutes, the dry down beautifully takes over, leaving a more traditional bay rum accord, thereby leaving behind the more novel initial fragrance. That bay rum fragrance is well-established at the 2 hour mark and at that point is quite similar to Atomic Age Bay Rum. Given the proven staying power of PAA's splashes, the bay rum can still be easily detected about 6 hours out. Atomic Pumpkin is genius fun, allowing the wet shaver to enjoy the novelty accord without concerns for smelling like a holiday gift shop later in the day. My wife shared this sentiment and was pleased with the results as well.

You may be wondering why you haven't seen an Atomic Pumpkin SOTD pic and prior assessment from me, yet. That is because the shaves in which I've used this set also include a prototype razor that the vendor has asked I keep secret. So, instead of blurring the razor in question, I've just avoided commenting on Atomic Pumpkin until I rotate it through with another razor.

 

Frosty Friday:

Neutrogena Men Facial Wash
Razorock Plissoft 26mm Monster
Super Speed/Shark day 6
RVT Frosty Bay Rum SS
Prep ASB
Krampert's Bay Rum AS Splash
Aramis EdT

Old-school all the way!

 

Great review of the Atomic Pumpkin! I have the soap and aftershave and I have described the scent as intoxicating. I haven't actually used it yet due to the fact it's Stirling September but your description makes me even more anxious to use it.

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