SoS: December 8, 2014 - December 14, 2014

SOTD
Friday, December 12, 2014

Hot-warm Shower, Mike's Natural Bath Soap - Pumpkin Spice, Neutrogena Face Wash
Mergress LH
Astra Sp
Omega Pro Boar 10098
Mike's Natural Soap - Vetiver
Crystal Alum Stick, Dickinson's+, Aloe Vera Toner, Gold Bond Green Lotion
Fine - Fresh Vetiver
Burberry


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12 December 2014

* Ikon Shavecraft 102 + UFO U2V1 Red Bronze
* Super Iridium
* M&F 3XL Heritage Tortoise
* Mystic Water Vanilla Sandalwood
* Unrefined Shea Butter




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12 Dec 2014
Pre - Corn Huskers
Soap - RazoRock XXX
Brush - Turkish #6
Razor - L3 Slim Adj (4)
Blade - Astra SP (3)
AS - Pinaud Clubman Special Reserve

A fantastic shave today. Only a few areas under the jaw line prevents it from my first BBS everywhere. I think I am "dialing" in with the adjustable.

 

Mongoose B2
Feather Pro
Rooney 3/3 Finest
B&M - Fougère Imperiale
Nivea - Energy A/S

Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Ciel de Gum

 

Friday

Prep: wash with glycerin soap
Soap: Barrister & Mann unscented
Brush: Bethlehem olive with HIS knot
Razor: Feather AS-D2
Blade: Gillette SharpEdge yellow
After: Cold rinse, witch hazel, CeraVe lotion

 

12/12/14

Weber PH Bulldog
Ladas (4)
homemade PSO - EVOO, macadamia nut and castor oil (approximately 3:3:1)
TSD Grey Vetiver
Vie-Long 13061M horsehair
Captain's Choice Bay Rum

Today is my 2nd son's 21st birthday! He will be receiving a I-2 Slim Adjustable later today, but for now, its about me. I decided to change shaving soaps after 20+ days with the Klar's Kabinett just so it will last longer. So I put 5 different soaps in front of my wife and son and asked them to choose the one I would use for the next month or so. Their choices were St. James Mandarin & Patchouli, TSD Coconut, TSD Grey Vetiver type and 2 different IanS soaps I received from my "secret Santa". They picked the TSD Grey Vetiver type. My wife selected it because she preferred the scent. My son said it smelled like Grampa and Gramma's house and he like that. So off to the shower and sink I went. The soap performed just as expected and like many first use soaps may take a shave or three to dial in the lather, but I enjoyed the clean scent and protection it provided. 3 passes and I had a close and comfortable shave. The blade is getting close to done, so the AS gave a little sting but all in all a great shave.

 

Friday:
Prep: Shower
Soap:Mama Bear Ye Old Barber Shoppe
Brush: Vie-Long Pro
Razor: SS
Blade: Blue Bird
AS: Dickersons WH/Nieva Sensitive Balm



Yesterday I had a not terrific reaction, so today I only did one WTG pass, left out the alum, and went with WH and a balm after. Should point out I'm still looking for a blade and working on my technique.

 

SoTD, Friday, Dec 12, or, Lathermania will run wild over you, brother!!

Soap- Colgate vintage
Brush- German boar 'pure bristles'
Razor- Otto Roth
Blade- Treet
Rinse- Thayers lavender
Aftershave- MEM English Leather
Lotion- Kiehl's Close Shave Squadron
Cologne-MEM English Leather



So the razor today is a close copy of the slim handled New, made under the Otto Roth brand. The razor is great quality, unsurprisingly, equal(maybe better) to the Gillette branded version. My blade today was a Treet. This blade was fantastic. I don't really hear this brand being brought up often, but for me, this blade gets an A+! Paired with the Roth New, I got a DFS+ shave in one pass. I was impressed.
What I really want to ramble on about though, is the soap. Vintage Colgate. I do not know exactly how old, but this box design seems to be a couple permutations from the last style. So the soap is going back a ways. The scent was pleasant. Generic clean and soapy. But the payoff is the lather. This soap lathers like nothing I have ever seen before. I am not exaggerating here. Usually, I swirl my brush on the soap for about 30 seconds to load up. With the Colgate, I had an explosion of lather in less than 10 seconds. I had to stop three times to clear the lather pile off the puck. I ended up with a heaping bowl of beautiful, rich lather. On top of being nearly self lathering, The soap has great slip and cushion. I am used to encountering quality vintage soaps. But this one is one of the best soaps I have ever used. The disclaimer is this; yes, the soap was NOS. But, after decades in storage, I have no idea if this is just how Colgate soap works, or if it is a product of the years. I swear that soap gets better with age, although it seems to lose its scent. I am definitely going to acquire some more Colgate just in case though... science demand it.

 

How did the 2 razors compare?

 

SOTD Friday 12-12-2014

Gillette SS Black Tip w/Feather
Noxema
Williams SS
GP Scuttle
Omega Barbershop Boar
Dickinson's WH
GB Body Lotion
Old Spice Classic ASL

 

Frey's Day:

Prep: Hot shower, Neutrogena Deep Cleaning Gentle Scrub cleanser, TSD Jasmine Sambac Preshave balm
Brush: Beeline Boar
Soap: RazoRock One-X
Razor: FaTip Piccolo Nickel
Blade: Baili Super Blue (1)
Passes: WTG, XTG (1, 2)
Post: Cold water rinse, Bloc Osma Alum, Dickinson's WH, RazoRock One-X AS splash
Cologne: Le 3e Homme de Caron by Caron

As threatened, er, promised, today's shave featured the FaTip Piccolo loaded up with a Baili blade. I even went a step further in switching things up and reached for my boar brush, mostly because I want to get a little more familiar with using them again before my oscar11 gets to me. The lather was a bit soupy at first, because I haven't dialed in the amount of water to use with a boar in a croap, but I worked it into some very nice yogurt. Things were going exceptionally well, given a new blade that I'd been hard-pressed to praise in the past, until I had a slight tremor in my hand, which opened up a nick under my chin, forcing me to curtail the shave at 2 passes and reasonably DFS results.

 

Fridays shave
A bit of razor burn so not the best.

Razor - Birth Year Black Beauty
Blade - Gillette Silver Blue
Lather - Cella
Aftershave - Nivea sensitive & Clubman Special Reserve
Brush - Whipped Dog 22mm Silvertip

 

Nice SOTD

 

I am still trying them out. I've had the Cobra for over a year now and am more familiar with it. From the 2 comparison shaves I did with the grain and against the grain with both razors. From those two shaves the Cobra tackles stubble better both with and against but with the Cobra you have to be careful which I have no problem with. The Mongoose is efficient but not as much as the Cobra but is smoother and more user friendly. I used the same brand of blade in both to try and keep it as close as possible. Still way early in the game to choose. I have Feather Supers on order and can't wait to try them in the Mongoose from what I've read the Supers take care of the efficiency problem. So far Efficiency Score one for the Cobra. Ease of use and smooth shave Mongoose. Still early in the game for me I love that I have both to shave with and doubt I'll get rid of either.

 

I liked pairing Barbon with Glacial Obsidian, I think they compliment one another nicely. And I think I feel a order coming for that Arko SC...

 

Great Gift for your son!

 

today's shave
hot water wash with nivea men's
Ever-Ready 150 boar
Nana June's bay rum soap
Gillette fatboy(d4)(7)
persona lab(4)
virgin island bay rum
today's shave went well. early shave, late post(sorry). I like a bay rum shave. three passes for a good shave. finished with bay rum.
hope y'all did as well, or better.

 

12/12/2014

Prep: Hot shower with Nivea Face Wash with menthol, home made PSO
Razor: Gillette Fat Boy F3 (3), John Jay Velvet Shaver straight razor
Blade: Astra SP (7)
Brush: Turkish #6
Soap: Tabac
After: Home made ASB, Tabac after shave
Cologne: Tabac Eau De Cologne

Tabac Friday!! The Tabac whipped up perfectly with the #6. The FB and the Velvet Shaver did their jobs admirably. The AS and the EDC will have me smelling good for the rest of the day. All in all a Darn Fine Shave +.

Have a blessed day!

 

SOTD - Friday, December 12, 2014

Hot shower
Prep: Lime PSO
Brush: WD silvertip 24/47
Cream: La Toja
Razor: Weber PH Bulldog
Blade: Polsilver SI (4)
Aftershave: Clubman Special Reserve

- Don