good morning Charlie..

classy shave and pic Joseph..

Saturday shave

Saponificio Varesino Felce Aromatica
Wolf Whiskers Whiskers TGN 28mm
RR Gamechanger 84p
Astra ⚀

Amouage Epic Man

Smelling good with a raw neck
Astra blades eat me alive

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SATURDAY'S SHAVE​

Perfumed by Frank Voelkl


Razor - Edwin Jagger "Kelvin"
Blade - Astra Superior Platinum *5th Shave
Shave Brush - Scaramouche+Fandango 22mm "Ultra-Soft" Synthetic
Shave Soap - The Shave Den "Sensitive" (Unscented)
Razor/Brush Stand by Royal Shave
Lather Bowl by Royal Shave
Preshave Oil - Lather & Wood's "Unscented"
Deodorant - Herban Cowboy "Unscented"
Post-Shave Balm - Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements "Mysterium Serum" *not pictured
Aftershave - The Shave Den "Sensitive" (Unscented) Witch Hazel in an Infinity Jars Ultraviolet Bottle
Fragrance - Le Labo "Thé Noir 29"

Late morning shave.

Tim. I don't think I have seen you spray LeLabo b4? What say you?

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Smoky Saturday
Superb shave today, easily taking down three days growth. I feel good and smell good, my wife likes it, too.

Rating: 5 / 5

Razor: Rockwell Model T
Blade: Voskhod
Brush: Lutin Chubby Lightning
Pre-Shave: PAA Cube 2.0 Menthol
Lather: PAA Cavendish CK6
Aftershave: PAA Cavendish Splash
Additional Care:
PAA Cavendish Jelly
WSP Tobacco Beard oil

Today I wanted to be a bit adventurous. No I didn't go outside during the Shelter in Place here in NYC. I decided to use a 100 year old Twinplex Stropper to strop a 100 plus year old King Gillette Green Three hole Blade and shave with an almost 100 year old vintage Darwin Standard. I stropped the blade about 50 times before placing it in my Darwin. To shave with, I use my special mixture of oils including virgin olive oil to aid in smoothness of shave. I'm not gonna lie, it was scary at first. The blade started to tug then settled in for an irritation free yet challenging shave. I took extra time shaving around my neck and carotid artery; I didn't feel like dying during Covid-19. Afterwards, I finished off the shave with my mixture of avocado oil, lavender oil, and a few others oils to calm the skin after a shave. All in all, it was a good not great shave. I enjoyed using such fine vintage equipment. I used the same shaving tools that my father, grandfather and great grandfather used. Interesting would be an understatement.

Overall most Le Labo scents are just 'okay'. I don't hate 'em. I can understand how people can enjoy them. The Noir 29 is bottle worthy for me, but I can't say it would be for everyone since it has a touch of a feminine aspect in it. For me the black tea in it balances it in the middle and is a 'unisex' as a result. Some might not agree. It works great for Spring and Summer, but wouldn't wear in the Winter. It seems most fragrances being made today, with around a bit more than 1/3rd or so exceptions, are made to be unisex and can be worn by men or women. This one is basically fig and black tea with maybe a Jasmine flower in it (even though Fragrantica's website doesn't list a floral note in the scent pyramid, I'm confident Jasmine is in there and that's what I think is making the feminine aspect in the mix). It's loaded with notes that are mostly in men's fragrances such as cedar, tobacco (very, very light tobacco, almost don't smell it), vetiver and bergamot).

I may buy another Le Labo at some point. We'll see. I'm enjoying this one on a Spring day. And I've had this bottle for nearly 3 years and I've work it like 17 times. You must have been missing the days I posted it. And I can say this scent over time macerates into smelling more masculine than when I bought it. When I first bought it the Jasmine was much more pronounced and perfumy smelling. Now it's more reserved in the mix and it smells much more like a Spring unisex scent that a man can wear.

22 March 2020

* Blackbird Brass SB 101
* Wizamet Iridium Super
* WSP 2-Band + Oscar11 Rootbeer Translucent C7
* Mystic Water Brown Windsor
* Unrefined Shea Butter
* Bergamot/Vetiver EO


​

This is a German razor, made for the French market, acquired from France not to long ago. I had a very stiff, and very smooth, 2 pass shave, that left me BDBS. Zero issues, and a fabulous razor. I chose this one, because it is a Near Wedge, and I had several days of thick growth to cut through.

Razor- Puma 69. Solingen Germany. "SPECIAL POUR BARBE TRES DURE" in the blade face. Translation: "Special for Very Hard Beards".
Brush- C-MON "A-4". Very old aluminum brush handle, with original knot, cut down. It works great now, and not floppy.. Not a hair shed.
Soap- ARKO.
Aftershave- Vintage Shulton Old Spice. "The Admiral" decanter.

sunday shave
ndc canadian post war tech with rare handle
platinum
rr barrel finest badger
wm neumann signature 1907
mont blanc legend

Now that was very cool. I enjoy using the old stuff, too. I have a number of wedges and some vintage Gem Cutlery SE blades that I use regularly. In fact, tomorrow's shave is with a C.V. Heljestrand with a C.V. Heljestrand Wedge.

awesome shaves and pics gents..

03/22/20 Shave of the Day
Face Wash with Irish Spring Original Soap Bar
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Malbolge Conditioning Shampoo Puck - A Woodsy, Aromatic Fall Classic!
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements CUBE Mentholated Preshave Soap
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Twee! Artisan Seasonal Shave Soap - Ultra Premium CK-6 Formula Homage to Green Irish Tweed
Wolf Whiskers RCE# 47 Custom Fluted DWW-3 25mm Black Wolf 3rd batch Synthetic hybrid/fan knot
Creative Flame Pottery Stoneware Shaving Scuttle
Wolfman WR2-DC Mirror Polished SS OC: 1.05mm SB: 1.15 gaps with Solid 96mm WRH3 Mirror Polished SS Handle
Bolzano Superinox Blade - 2nd Shave
Laboratoires Osma Pure Potassium Alum Block
Thayers Lemon Witch Hazel Astringent with Aloe Vera Formula
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Twee! Artisan Aftershave/Cologne Seasonal Scent
Stirling Soap Company Glacial Unscented Post-Shave Menthol Balm
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Boomtown Bay Rum Natural Deodorant - Sport Formula​

Sunday SOTD



Razor: Karve C O/C
Blade SuperMax SP Tiger (D7)
Brush: Brad Sears w Envy White 26mm
Bowl Buffalo Horn 6”
Pre-Shave Scrub: MRGO Lime
Pre-Shave Balm: GroomingDept Patchouli & Mint
Shave Soap: Barrister & Mann Bay Rum
Butter: Stirling's Bay Rum
Aftershave Barrister & Mann Bay Rum


​

March Madness/Shavettes

March 21
Razor - Feather SS
Blade -
Soap - Oleo Soapworks El Caballero
Brush - I*V10 The Moreau
Post - Alum

We actually had a strange day around here today. The clouds did something funny. Almost like they got holes in them and this big shiny bright thing showed up. Then the clouds all turned blue, like they weren't even there, but that big shiny bright thing kept blinding me. At first I thought it might be the virus, but somebody said is was somebody's "son". Not sure about all that but I'm hoping Google can clear it up later. Whatever the case, it was a bright day until that big bright thing went away.

As for tonight's shave, it was a great one. Another night on the Feather SS and Pro blade. Still as smooth and sharp as it was the first night. The El Caballero got beat up by the hybrid knot in "the Moreau" and produced gallons of lather that provided the slickness and cushion necessary to create another near-BBS finish with no real irritation. Alum was mostly silent and all's well in the Lou on a Saturday night. Sunday arrives in a few hours so I hope you make the best of the last day of the weekend! Have a great one.

​

Nice shot, Gary.

SUNDAY'S SHAVE​

Razor - Gillette Red Tip Superspeed circa 1955-1960 (Re-plated in Satin-Nickel Finish and re-painted tip in Radiant Red color by Razor Emporium.)
Blade - *5th shave
Shave Brush - Ever-Ready 1960's vintage (Polished and re-knotted with a synthetic 26mm Ubersoft II knot from Envyshave by Razor Emporium.)
Shave Stand by by Desire Metal Works
Suds - Procter & Gamble Old Spice "Original" Cream (Made in India) *I dried it out for months into a hard soap.
Aftershave - Procter & Gamble Old Spice "Classic"
Deodorant - Procter & Gamble Old Spice "Classic"
Fragrance - Procter & Gamble Old Spice "Classic"

It is roughly around 4 years ago exactly when I ran out of a splash cologne gift bottle of Procter & Gamble Old Spice. And when I went to the store to look for it I only found those spray bottles. I wanted my splash bottle cologne. So I decided to look it up on ebay to find out if anyone was selling a recently discontinued splash cologne of Old Spice. And I ran across all kinds of vintage Shulton. And I got blown away that the bottles from my early childhood in the late 70's and early 80's were on ebay. And that set off a series of searches that turned up vintage shaving razors and soaps, etc. From that moment I got hooked on it. I began to envision a better Old Spice shaving set and then I fell down the whole fragrance rabbit hole right after that.

So, to commemorate this time 4 years ago, I will bring out the very Old Spice set that matched the cologne gift set that I was replacing during that time. The Old Spice version that started it all. I'm not sure what vintage these are exactly but they are definitely pre-2016 reformulation where Procter & Gamble fully admitted to changing the scent, not just a reformulation of the original recipe. I still enjoy the altered version of today, but not as much as the modern reformulation that was attempting to stay true to the original pre-2016. These modern pre-2016-change, bottles have a much more sweet and ambery scent than the white floral and faded sweet-amber of today's light-weight sauce. I will enjoy this on Sunday. Can't wait.

Lather Catcher Sunday's Shave


Cold Water Rinse
Van Der Hagen Deluxe
Jayaruh #391 Synthetic
C.V. Heljestrand
C.V. Heljestrand Wedge
CWR
Pinaud Clubman

The Van Der Hagen Deluxe Shave Soap face-lathered well with the Jayaruh #391 Synthetic brush. Two passes and touch ups with the C.V. Heljestrand Lather Catcher with a C.V. Heljestrand Wedge blade gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse I finished off with Pinaud Clubman AS. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

That was a true "vintage" shave. Congrats.