December 23rd Razor: Supply Co Lvl2 Blade: Schick Proline (3) Brush: Montalvo mixed Pre-shave: Stirling Mentholated Soap: JoHS Blood on Steel Lucky Tiger face tonic AS: JoHS Blood on Steel Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
Sun 23rd Dec. RazoRock Syn.24mm P & B Pall Mall ATT SE-G, modified bottom plate Gem S/S [ 2 ] Floid Vigoroso A/S Lotion This Razor though modified is still IMHO a very mild Razor, though now with extra Shave Time delivers a very smooth and comfortable Shave. In fact today I had my best shave since I got it back , from my friend who did the modification. I even got a pretty good finish along my lower jawline which is a problem area for me.
Pre: Warm water splash Brush: Simpsons The Duke 3 BB Soap: Proraso Green Razor: Gem Heavy Flat Top Blade: Gem PTFE Post: Warm then cold water rinse, Proraso Green ASL Using a forgiving razor like this lets me have a ponder, and it occurred to me (this happens occasionally), if this razor was released nowadays it would have unimaginably been known as the heavy. Never in a month of Sundays would the name G-Bar have been thought of and latched on to in these staid times I thought. Then, another mental occurance (I know two in one shave), Bennifer, Brangelina etc. the Gemmibar may have been a thing. Oh dear, a razor which requires more concentration next time. Happy Shaving one and all.
SE Sunday's Shave Cold Water Wash L'Occitane Shaving Soap Jayaruh #2 Superior Original Gem Cutlery SE CWR Florida Water My prep was just a cold water rinse. The L'Occitane Shaving Soap face lathered well with the Jayaruh #2 brush. I did two passes with the Superior Lather Catcher Razor with an Original Gem Cutlery SE blade and ended up with a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse, I finished off with Florida Water. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...
I was on the Phoenix Shaving website yesterday looking at that brush. How does it compare to any of the other newer synthetics out on the market?. Does it have good backbone without being too scritchy?. Clayton Sent from my LG-K450 using Tapatalk
Good Sunday morning, up early today and thought I had better get the shave going. I'm shaving with a GEM SE this morning and it's another great shave. Pre-shave : shower & Aloe Vera gel Razor: Gem Micromatic open comb Blade: Gem Personna SS PTFE (6) Brush: Razorock Plissoft Soap: Taylor of old bond street Sandal wood Post shave: Alum + cold water rinse (still testing MMOC for quality of shave= excellent feedback ) Post shave: Proraso Red sandal wood + witch hazel The GEM mmoc is a fine mid range razor and will give solid great results with a good technique & along with a NEW Gem PTFE SS blade.
In a word, yes. The knot color and composition are identical to APSHave Co's "SilkSmoke" knot, but the Roswell is in hybrid organization (somewhere between bulb and fan). I rarely use natural material knots anymore as none of them compare with what the synths give me. My experience with synths are as follows: Plisson - First Generation: Can't compete with modern synths. Very soft but almost zero backbone. Groundbreaking for it's time, but its time has passed. MAC Metalworks - Black Synthetic: Like an unbroken boar. Large bore fibers. Scritchy and very stiff backbone. I can get brush burn from this knot if I'm not careful, but there are times when I like it. This actually doesn't feel like a synthetic. This knot is for boar lovers who eat tofu bacon. (and want a variegated salt and pepper colored knot). APShave Co - Tuxedo: The original "Tuxedo" moniker and style. Very soft tips, but splay has a learning curve and is a bit finicky. This was my favorite knot (in the 30mm category) until the SynBad came on the scene. RazoRock - Noir Plissoft: Tips soft, but not to the level of the aforementioned Tuxedo, but backbone is much more forgiving and controllable. Wolf Whiskers - Black Wolf: Soft tips like most modern synths. Backbone is good with high glue bump. Splay is a little sacrificed in light of the backbone. Still a very nice knot. Cadman & Beau - Synthetic: As of this writing, this knot is exclusively used in the collaboration between soap maker Phoenix and Beau and British brush artisan, Mervyn Cadman. The fibers are touted to be British-sourced. Tips are on the same level of that of the Noir Plissoft, but backbone is closer to that of the Black Wolf. APShave Co - SynBad: If I could have only one material, this would be it. Soft tips. Backbone is deceptive in that it feels as if it will break over into a flop but never does. The break-over from paint to splay is intuitive and effortless. (See Phoenix Shaving's Tribble Hybrid). Phoenix Shaving - Tribble Hybrid: I'm convinced APShave Co and Phoenix Shaving have the same supplier for these synthetic knots. In terms of fiber the Tribble and SynBad are identical right down to the crimping pattern. The color is slightly different (Tribble is more uniform ruddy where the SynBad attempts to mimic a 2-band badger pattern). Even the density of the knots are similar. The difference is again, the "hybrid" layout, thereby giving the Tribble more face/scalp presence. I would have a difficult time choosing between the SynBad and the Tribble. Both of these knots have excellent flow-through as if they dispense lather on cue. APSHave Co - SilkSmoke: The softest tips of all of them and a compensated backbone by way of a higher glue bump. Once again, the backbone is deceptive in that it feels too soft be have this kind of backbone, but it never threatens to flop. Flow-through is similar to the SynBad/Tribble. Phoenix Shaving - Roswell Hybrid: Again, probably the same supplier as APShave Co's SilkSmoke. The only difference between the SilkSmoke and the Roswell is the "hybrid" organization which simply provides more face/scalp presence with excellent fine control of the splay. I know this is more than you asked, but as you may have noticed, I'm not known for my brevity. I found it necessary to bring in the litany of other synths I've used routinely in order to lend validity to my comments. But to be succinct, specifically in terms of the Phoenix Roswell knot: I can't place any knot above it, but the Tribble Hybrid ties it. The only factor that keeps the SynBad and SilkSmoke from making this a 4-way tie is the hybrid lay-out. APShave Co intended to introduce hybrids this quarter, but they've pushed those plans back. so at the moment, Phoenix Shaving is where you get them. Phoenix Shaving doesn't currently sell the individual knots where APShave Co does. But if you look at the price of the Phoenix Shavings Space Craft and Green Ray brushes, you'll realize you're essentially getting a handle as a free ad-on. I'm sure when these knots catch on, people will begin buying the Phoenix Brushes just to harvest the knots for custom jobs.
SOTD December 23, 2018 Prep: Cold water and Stirling mentholated pre-shave soap Blade: Schick Proline AC Razor: RazoRock Black Hawk Brush: Artisan badger Soap: Stirling Ozark Mountain Post: Witch hazel, Stirling Ozark Mountain aftershave Wonderful shave with the Black Hawk. I love this razor on more than 24 hours of growth. Mows it down so easily. Have a great day!
Schick C3, is a solid force to contend with... It did that shave-off the other day with my new E2...That was a draw...But today I'm remembering some of my C3 moves.. This razor really is above proving itself! Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Nice write up, thank you. I'm guilty of not giving synthetics a chance. My New Years Resolution will be to do a month long focus using only synthetic brushes. Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk
Mon 24th Dec. Vulfix 404 mixed Vitos Super Red ATT SE-G Gem S/S [ 3 ] Jaguar Prestige A/S Lotion Happy Christmas and a Good 2020 to you all Looks like I have this modded Gem Razor cracked. After a good Shave yesterday I decided to use theRazor again. I had not reckoned in being a hurry, I was due to collect the Xmas Turkey and was a bit late getting up. I speeded up the Shave, and was really pleased that the quality of finish was more than acceptable.
Thank you for the information, it definitely makes me want to order and try the Phoenix Shaving Hybrid. Clayton Sent from my LG-K450 using Tapatalk
Colonial Brass General Feather Pro Super A great shave, Santa doesn't know what he's missing. Happy Shaving one and all.
I just ordered both the Green Ray, and the Roswell Hybrid brushes. I'm normally a boar brush guy but I do have to admit that the newer synthetics like my Timberwolf, and my Plissoft are becoming new favorites. Jim did a great job on these brushes. Clayton Sent from my LG-K450 using Tapatalk
December 24th Razor: Supply Co Lvl2 Blade: Schick Proline (4) Brush: Envy White Eight Ball Pre-shave: Stirling Mentholated Soap: JoHS Tobacco Bay Leaf Thayers Cucumber witch hazel AS: JoHS Tobacco Bay Leaf Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
Menthol Monday's Shave Cold Water Wash Fine Snake Bite Jayaruh #217 AutoStrop A1 Modified Gem CWR Osage Rub My prep was just a cold water rinse. The Fine Snake Bite Shaving Soap face lathered well with the Jayaruh #217 brush. I did two passes with the AutoStrop A1 Safety Razor with a Modified Gem SE blade and ended up with a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse, I finished off with Osage Rub. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...
December 24, 2018 Sabre Lvl 2 with Triad Ti Gem PTFE Wild West Brushworks with 30mm Tuxedo Oleo El Caballero Captain’s Choice Bay Rum
