SOS: February 2019

Valentines Day shave. Reached for the Merkur 45 and loaded it up with a fresh Personna Lab Blue. Though this razor is light weight it is an awesome shaver. Given its red and black colour scheme I thought it quite appropriate for today. Lathered up with TOBS Sandalwood, finished off with some Sandalwood balm and some Guerlain Santal Royal...perfect. BBS 3 pass shave.

Rating: 5 / 5

Razor: Merkur 45
Blade: Personna Lab Blue
Brush: Simpson Colonel X2L
Lather: Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood
Aftershave: Rocky Mountain Barber Company Sandalwood Balm
Additional Care:
B.I.G. Co. Alum Block
Fine Accoutrements - Lather Bowl
Guerlain Santal Royal

https://shavingbuddy2.herokuapp.com/shave/5c65e8ea9455810004b2f2f7

 

Rex Supply Co Ambassador / Gillette Platinum Super Thin Thai / H.L. Thater 2018 SE Wild Olive Wood / Wickham Soap Co 1912 English Rose

Ran razor 3 WTG and 4.25 ATG, think I'm dialed in and will start testing other blades with it. Great razor.

 

17 for me with my present wife..

 

Happy Anniversary to you and your bride too, Gary!

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happy anniversary Danny to you and yours..

 

19 for me, today! Happy anniversary, Danny!

 

Happy anniversary, Gary!

 

Congrats! 27 years yesterday for my wife and me.

 

Congratulations !

 

Congratulations. My wife (current) and I will celebrate 17 this August.

 

Wow! Look at all of you Valentine’s couples. Congratulations!

 

And another one! Happy Anniversary, Joe!

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Wow! That’s great.

 

sorry folks, not my anniversary today but thank you all. its april 9 ...

 

Mammoth Soaps | Funny Valentine
DrivenLegend Red & Black | APShaveCo Tuxedo 30mm
Phoenix Shaving | Ascension Double Open Comb SS
Triad | Rolling Hex SS
Treet | Platinum Super Stainless Steel

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I've spoken previously about Mammoth Soaps' performance, and from what I can tell, the base for Funny Valentine is unchanged from the last 2 releases. This is an above average tallow and duck fat base with post-shave being the most notable aspect.

The documented notes are strawberry, currant, neroli, amber, cognac, and howood. The strawberry is present initially, but not as dominant as I'd feared. Instead there is more of a melon impression. Certainly, it's fruity, but soft and dry, thereby avoiding the whole novelty candy vibe, but rather taking a more mature if not somber path. As the shave progresses, Funny Valentine warms up, and the fruitiness takes more of a supporting role. Much like Mammoth Soaps' prior release, "Mood Indigo", Funny Valentine is well blended such that the accord is greater than the sum of its parts. The splash is almost identical in its development with the exception of a more prominent orange floral (neroli) in the opening. The scent strength for both the soap and splash is middle-of-the-road which is just right for this type of fragrance. I've used this set twice, now, and note the splash scent fades within a mere 3 hours with amber and rose being the last ones to exit.

Funny Valentine demonstrates a mature and modest execution of fruity opening notes and has just enough standards in the heart and base to attract those who might typically pass on this profile. While obviously marketed for this specific "holiday", this is anything but a novelty fragrance and certainly appropriate for casual year-round use.

 

Congrats!

 

Thank you, Brian!

 

awesome pic and set up sir..

 

Congrats on 17 years!