Great shot, Jim!
My thoughts exactly on the day.

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Thank you, Jim!

I found the R41 shortened blade life so consider tossing the blade after 1 shave.

I received e-mail Black Friday promos from Maggard and WSP. Passed up on both, although I was tempted to buy a matching A.S. from WSP, for my soap(Mahogony). In the end, I figured the Aqua Velva Musk works fine with that soap, and I can always get more at CVS and "ship it home for free".

Thank you Bruce. True to form the morning commute was a breeze. If the afternoon commute is as expected will be horrible. There are so many interstates in Atlanta that will be crowed with folks going home for Thanksgiving.


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Excuse me. I'm no desperate last minute 7-11 kind of guy. Those cookies were purchased at a much classier establishment than that and not at the last minute either. The day before from Walmart, thank you very much. If buying gifts at Walmart doesn't make me a classy guy then I certainly don't know what would.

I gave the wife and girls a Christmas wishlist that included two shaving soaps.


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Thank you Jim.


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Thank you Jim


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The circle is open to all. I mean, come on, take another look at who is in that group picture. If we can get in then it can't be that exclusive.

Great photo Jim. I hope your day goes well and you get out of there early.


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I know what would.....use of vintage shaving products! Oh, right, we're talkin cookies here.

I'm hitting the road for my sister's at around 1 PM Thanksgiving Day. I'd like to think it'll be a breeze going up, because everyone will already BE home for Thanksgiving, but probably many others have my same logic.

Thank you, Clint!

Wednesday morning November 21

Gillette US Aristocrat 1948-50 / Sharp Star (1)
Jason's non-30DC cypress badger brush
Stirling Port au Prince soap sample
Alum and B&M Reserve Spice splash sample



Mail call yesterday brought me a package from Jason @jtspartan (contents shown above). He had returned a couple razors I loaned him, swapped me a lidded shave bowl made of Poculi wood for the third, and included some samples of Sharp Star and Feather blades, Stirling Port au Prince soap and B&M Reserve Spice and Fern splashes. So today's shave was Jason-inspired: my returned 48-50 Aristocrat loaded with my first ever Sharp Star, Stirling Port au Prince lathered with a brush made by Jason, finished with a spritz or two of the Reserve Spice sample.

I will have to test it in some other razors to be sure - probably another NEW LC tomorrow and then some Techs - but offhand on first use, I would say the Sharp Star is definitely sharp but other Russian blades are smoother. It's a good blade but I don't think it will become my favourite. Anyway, two passes with it in the Aristocrat had me nearly BBS, kept to DFS only by a hint of sandpaper rasp under my chin in the usual problem spot. No squawk from the alum. Like I said, the Sharp Star is certainly a good blade -- and the Aristocrat is a great classic Gillette engineering marvel.

The Stirling Port au Prince? Well, the performance is right up there of course. The scent though... It's not horrible by any means but it's also not something I would care to smell every day. I have other vetiver soaps and creams I like a LOT better.

The Reserve Spice splash? Superb face feel. I can tell the B&M Reserve line are great performers as both soaps and now splashes. (I had tried a sample of Reserve Cool soap earlier, also courtesy of Jason.) As I told Jason after sniffing the bottles, though, I have concluded that I am neither a spice nor a fern/fougere kind of guy really. The Reserve Spice smells pleasant, but I no longer have a tub of the soap or a bottle of the splash in my wishlist. I think the Fern is off too. (In one fell swoop, Jason has saved me over $100 in future soap and splash purchases! Thanks, Jason!)

Overall, it was an excellent shave today and a chance to try out three new products.

Oh yes, the shave bowl... Absolutely great! Jason thinks out his designs carefully and does first-class woodwork. The grain in that Poculi wood is stunning. Now I just need to pick a soap to put in it. I am thinking maybe my soft Italian almond frankensoap would be good, because I use it more often than a lot of my other choices...

Nice haul and excellent report, John. The bowl is beautiful!

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Thanks, Jim. My big problem now is picking a soap to put in it ... First World problems...

Bonus - you can shop there in PJs and fit right in...

Just don’t show up wearing clubman, or you’ll have to bring a stick to fend off the ladies.

Beautiful shave bowl, John!

Walmart shoppers prefer Axe. It's what all their brothers wear. (Oh, he didn't just go there, did he?)