SOS: September 2018

Maggard Razors V3A head on Charcoal Goods Maze V2 SS handle / Persona Platinum / Wild West Brushworks Custom / Le Pere Lucien Oud Neroli

 

would love to try that soap and splash...

 

Great shave and awesome photo with the gold reflections. Very nice.
Steve

 

Thanks, Steve!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

Lookin good with the Peach Jamie. I have been waiting over a week since the postal service lost my Ascension and Controversy EdP in the delivery process. Last Tuesday they told me they found the package, but I still have not received it. It has been kind of a good thing because it kept me true to using SE's this month! I have been wanting to try the EdP to see if I like the scent, thinking I may also want to pick up the Controversy soap. Have you tried it? Also it sounds like the Ascension is pretty good. Hopefully I get mine soon and can kick off OC October with it although I may not stick with OC's the whole month because I like to mix it up a bit. Peace.
Steve

 

SEptember 24, 2018

Supply Provision SE (3 dot) & Schick Proline B #2/ RR BC 24mm Plissoft/ B&M Seville
Thayers Lemon WH Astringent/ M&R Rose Water/ B&M Seville A/S splash/ B&M Seville edt

3 pass DFS. Best shave yet with the Supply. The Proline-B is a phenomenal blade, ultra smooth and sharp. Very nice on the skin. Have a great evening and great shaves Gents... ​

 

09/25/18 Shave of the Day
Face Wash with The Sudsy Soapery Sandalwood and Citrus with Charcoal and Cocoa Soap
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Dapper Doc Conditioning Shampoo Puck
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements CUBE Mentholated Preshave Soap
Crown King Atmotic Shave Soap
Wolf Whiskers RCE# 47 Custom Fluted DWW-3 25mm Black Wolf 3rd batch Synthetic hybrid/fan knot
Creative Flame Pottery Stoneware Shaving Scuttle
The Phoenix Starling SE GEM Type Razor, Anodized Aluminum with Yellow “B” Base Plate
Personna GEM SE Super Stainless Steel Blade - 1st Shave
RazoRock Alum Block
Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel Toner
Crown King Porthos Star Jelly Aftershave
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Dapper Doc Natural Deodorant - Extra Sport Strength​

 

I think it's something that appeals HIGHLY to old-school scent enthusiasts. It's expensive, so I think most people would opt to buy a decant and use it sparingly. I think the fragrance is special in perfumery. It's highly complex and smells like different things to different people, but virtually everyone thinks it smells 'good' at the very least. Most people think it has a 'throwback' nod to the past. I think wet-shavers would be foolish not to get their noses on this one, if only to smell what an old, master perfumer like Olivier Creed believes the scent lovers of the past deserve. A modern take on classic tastes.

For me, Viking starts out with a Citrus-zesty-Pink Pepper that goes for 5-10 minutes and settles to a type of Fougere'ish vibe (without the any pine), then by about 35-45 mins in it changes to a similar woody-spicy scent akin to Pasha de Cartier, and that lasts about an hour or so, then it starts to show off a minty-woody-salty-aquatic push.....then in the final dry down it's virtually all woods and those woods last FOREVER until evening.

Yeah, the scent has a real journey to it. It shifts and turns. On the Basenotes fragrance forum you will find a multi-varied set of opinions. People who think it smells like either one of the shades I described above or even something really different. I ultimately labeled this one a Citrus-Minty-Spicy-Woody-Acquatic. It most resembles Pasha de Cartier for a period of time in its mid-scent-life, but isn't really the same most of the time in the transitions over many hours.

Decant purchase options at different places:
http://theperfumedcourt.com/Product...of-2017-Best-New-Fragrances__CreedViking.aspx
https://www.decantboutique.com/product/creed-viking-edp/
https://www.scentsplit.com/products/viking-sample-creed?variant=2741536915484

I can vouch for The Perfumed Court. I got a 5ml decant of Creed Acier Aluminum recently and it's the real deal.

 

TUESDAY'S "I CAN'T LET GO OF SUMMER" EARLY FALL SHAVE​

Shampoo - Paul Mitchell Lemon Sage Tea Tree
Bath Soap - Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Lemon Verbena Bar Soap

Razor - DaveOcean33 "Atlas"
Blade - *6th Shave
Shave Brush - Gentleman's Hangar Synthetic
Shave Stand by Robert Evans on Etsy. Must request custom project to order.
Shave Soap - Mama Bear's "Bounty"
Pre-shave Oil - Lather & Wood "unscented"
Aftershave - Country Club for Men "1837"
Post-shave Balm - Retseliney Luxury Skin Care Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum
Deodorant - Ooh La Active Organics "Lemon-Mint"
Fragrance - Creed Royal Water

 

Manaslu M-55
Yaqi Synthetic Brush
PannaCrema Libanese Shaving Soap
Vitos Pre/Post Shave
Myrsol Plastic Shave
Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel

 

Lather Bros. | Imperial
Kent V8
The New Improved Schick Injector Razor | Personna 74

​

I've been a fan of Lather Bros. for a couple years now. Initially, it was their art that attracted me to the brand. It's always excelled due in no small part to the fact that one member of the creative team is a professional artist and art director by trade. Regardless of their eye-catching labels, I've seen their product improve from just average to one that's competitive with the likes of Stirling and Viking. Providing superb quality lather that comes easily, the base's density has never been a problem, but now the slickness, both initial and residual, is on par with what I expect from luxury soaps. Post-shave is also quite good, though not yet approaching that of the upper echelon of artisan soaps. It's just a well rounded product that's no longer just a pretty face.

I don't typically reach for balms unless a matching splash option is not available. I'm also not inclined to used both balm and splash with the same shave. I did try out this balm, but I essentially used it as a post-shower moisturizer the day before this shave and not as a post-shave. Like Lather Bros.' other balms, this is quite thick and I would call it a paste. Based on prior experience, if you dispense the product via the intended method through the flip-top lid, over time the repetitive squeezing of the bottle will ultimately mar the label. I don't intend to use the balm much, but when I do, I'll remove the lid and dab some of the product into my palm. If they're going to keep this consistency, a small tub may be a more appropriate vessel. I have considered adding a little alcohol-free witch hazel to the product to thin it a bit, but as it is, as long as it's applied to damp skin, it soaks in quickly and without greasy residue. The balm ingredients do alter the native fragrance a bit with a slightly chemical overtone, but this burns off quickly.

Their current alcohol-based, mentholated splashes are quite good with immediate soothing and a delayed, gentle cooling. It's difficult to assess the effectiveness of the splash because the soap's base does a good job in moisturizing the skin. There is some slight oiliness detected for approximately 15 minutes after application, but that quickly subsides in favor of soft silky feel. I cannot speak to the longevity of this particular fragrance because I followed it with the EdT. A word of caution with regard to the Imperial splash bottle. The black material that wraps the neck of the bottle is not waterproof (or splash proof). When it gets wet, the black paint gets all over everything. It cleaned up easily enough, but if you can't avoid getting it wet, just remove it.

Lather Bros. recently teamed up with a local beer maker to produce 100 numbered sets (soap, splash, and balm) incorporating their raspberry bourbon beer. To round out the fragrance, the artisan added notes of leather, tobacco, and lavender. They also offered an EdT that can be purchased separately. I felt that was a nice touch to keep the core set's price point attainable for those who weren't interested in an EdT. A likely compromise, however is that the sets come with both the splash and balm without an option to customize. Given the limited nature of the product, I completely understand this decision.

The fragrance of Imperial is quite unique. It opens with a very forward leather note that remains realistic throughout. Trailing behind and blending superbly with the leather comes the warm toasty and malty hops. I cannot overstate how well these notes go together. I didn't expect to pick up on the raspberry component given the soap is made with a beer that contains a raspberry note. I'd assumed the degrees of separation would simply cause it to be lost among the other dominant notes. To my surprise, raspberry is quite evident right in the middle of the shave. I feel the sweetness of the tobacco boosts its presence, and again, is so well blended that I cannot identify where the raspberry ends and the tobacco begins. Lavender is no where to be found until the second pass. At which point, it quite abruptly shows up, and for a brief moment, overtakes the leather, before bowing out on the final pass. The splash actually opens with a slightly artificial and bitter lavender that I attribute to the therapeutic ingredients. Again, this is brief, and is replaced with the leather note. I delayed application of the EdT for about 30 minutes to confirm the splash indeed complements the soap.

Speaking of the EdT, I'm quite pleased with it. It doesn't have the prominence of the warm beer notes, but the beautifully crafted leather, tobacco/raspberry, and lavender accord takes my mind off it anyway. Despite its EdT concentration, I could still detect the leather with faint tobacco out to 9 hours. While the Imperial fragrance is quite unique, it is in the same realm of Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements' "Tombstone", Storybook Soapworks' "Shaken", and The Club's "El Gaucho".

Lather Bros. is no rookie when it comes to limited offerings that showcase pop culture, and more specifically comic book movies, which is obviously my weakness. However, to my knowledge, this is the first collaboration I've seen them do, and it is quite well executed both in terms of presentation and performance. I applaud the artisan for keeping the presentation box low-key and offering the EdT as a separate add-on, both of which contributed to the set's attainability. It's limitation to 100 sets notwithstanding, Imperial is at a price point that's within reach for many.

 

Where can I get that particular Schick Injector with the silver and gold accents? Looks pretty amazing.

 

Karve Shaving
Maseto 2-band 30mm
P&B Albion
eShave White Tea AS

 

25 September 2018

* Charcoal Good Level 3 + Stork Ex Brass
* Wizamet Iridium Super
* Epsilon 2-Band + Doug Korn Faux Briarwood C7
* Jabonman/Eufros Fougere Tallow
* Unrefined Shea Butter
* Bergamot/Vetiver EO


​

 

SEptember is a Stirling month!

September 24
Razor - Type E Schick Injector
Blade -
Soap - Stirling Iced Pineapple
Brush - Stirling Pro Style Synthetic
Finish - Alum, Styptic

Not calling this a time warp. Yeah, I know it's 12:04 but it wouldn't be if I hadn't stopped to rate and review my photo app on Chrome. Priorities all screwed up. Anyway, it's another night with the Type E along with Stirling Iced Pineapple. I couldn't resist staying with an "Iced" soap, especially since it's Menthol Monday. Plus, this soap is nearly as good as Iced Coffee in my book. The Schick did a fine job again except for one small bleeder on my right neck. What happened you ask? Well, who knows, really. I suspect too much pressure but I didn't feel it when I got it and it just showed up after the fact. It did take a bit of styptic to close it down so it was one of my worse ones lately.

I did end up with a near-BBS finish and I'm perfectly fine with that. Another great SE shave in the books as we work our way through the final week of the month! Enjoy your Tuesday!

​

 

Thank you! It's so nice having a decent bathroom again... we put up with a rubbish one for quite a while.

 

This razor had one foot in the recycling/trash...
So lopped off this:

And that:

And shaved with a Shorty...

Friedr. Baurmann & Sohne Comfort 44
Envy Shave Silvertip in a WD Goblet
Blades Grim Smolder
Honed up on that little Coticule and a fun shave was had.
Enjoy your shave!
Tom

 

Pre-Shave: @nsavage pre-shave, cold water
Razor: Blackland DART
Blade: Voskhod (1)
Brush: Paladin Sumo Lapis
Lather: Mike's Hungarian Lavender
Post-Shave: Alum, Thayers Original Alcohol Free Witch Hazel, South Australian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil​

 

Good Morning Everyone SOTD 09/25/19

Gillette Ball End Tech (ndc)
Wilkinson Sword (12)
Synthetic
Col. Conk Bay Rum
Cold Water Rinse, Alum Block
Stephan Bay Rum A/S

Have A Great Day!

 

Great photo! What did you use for the background?