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SOTD WEDNESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 20, 2021
This morning’s dome shave featured my too long neglected Le Coq Cagehead safety razor. This French Safety razor has a fixed non-adjustable Cagehead, unlike the French Famex and Razvite. It is a very efficient shaver that requires the user’s total attention to the process as I found out this morning. I was listening to the Traveling Wilburys “Handle With Care” during the shave, and should have done so.
The blade feel on this French safety razor is exquisite, and I was really enjoying myself on the second ATG pass of my normal two pass noggin shave when I found myself unconsciously shaving in rhythm to the beat. Not a good practice for shaky old men as I discovered, nicking the top of my left ear and removing a very small piece of epidermis. It required both styptic and direct pressure to stop the bleeding. Pure operator error and a well deserved admonishment from the shave gods put me in my place.
The mug shave was an entirely different story! Simmons Hardware of St. Louis, was founded in 1874 by Edward Simmons. The company's stock consisted of many items, including ammunition, knives, mincers, wires, and even dog collars. They defined its products saying, "If you can't eat it, and it don't pour or fold, it's hardware". Their well-respected ‘Keen Kutter’ brand of straight razor was but one of 800 products under that label.
The Simmons Hardware 4/8 selected for this morning’s mug shave has a German Solingen blade. The original horn scales on this sleek little razor were badly chipped and insect eaten. So they were replaced. The trend in modern straight razor design is toward shave hatchets greater than 8/8. I’ve never shaved with anything wider than 8/8. But what I do know is that this petite 4/8 blade is a delight to shave with and the Solingen steel has really retained the Naniwa 12k/jasper stone edge I put on it. Three buttery smooth passes left me feeling chastened, clean and velveteen smooth!
RAZOR: Simmons Hardware 4/8 (Mug), Le Coq Cagehead (Dome)
BLADE: Kai DE
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Rooney Ebony Pure Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Williams Aqua Velva (Spanish Version)
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