The Shaving Cadre

Welcome to The Shaving Cadre, a forum dedicated to gentlemanly discourse about wet shaving and other topics of common interests. Membership is always free so register today and join in the fun

cmh737 Straight Venture Journal Continued

It was great getting caught up Chris. Sorry that you felt under the weather last weekend, but heck, you probably did not want to work on a holiday weekend any way. I love your thoughts on the soaps.
 
Interesting scent profile on the SCS soap...though with the citrus notes on the back end it seems it would pair very well with the LT.
 
It was great getting caught up Chris. Sorry that you felt under the weather last weekend, but heck, you probably did not want to work on a holiday weekend any way. I love your thoughts on the soaps.

Thanks, Walt. Feeling much better now.

Interesting scent profile on the SCS soap...though with the citrus notes on the back end it seems it would pair very well with the LT.

It's a good, enjoyable scent - I liked it a lot. Would I rush to buy another puck when this one is gone? Probably not, but still very nice.
 
Just got back from my trip, and oh do I have some new goodies!! Most were awaiting me upon arrival, but I also picked up a soap in Chicago.

First, and foremost, lucky me, I get to test drive a Timeless razor! Yes!!

Secondly, several soap samples. I'll be more specific when I'm not as tired.

Third, GEM blades and Injector blades from Ted Pella

Finally, while in Chicago, I made may way to Merz Apothecary. Came away with a tub of A&E L'Orange Verte. I even used it on the road. More to follow on that as well.
 
Great stuff Chris!! Looking forward to your thoughts on the Timeless as well as the L'Orange Verte!!!
 
Sunday's shave:

"Alright, alright, alright!" "You just gotta keep livin', man....L-I-V-I-N!".....with the first use of a quality razor!

Yes, I actually get the chance to test drive a Timeless razor, courtesy of Dave in Kentucky. Many thanks, in advance!! The extra bonus is that it has both the OC and the scalloped plate!

Today was my first Timeless outing, and I chose the OC version, with a new Persona Red. For the soap, it had to be one that I was quite familiar with, and I opted for Mike's Barbershop, as well as the new matching aftershave. Here was the set up:



The first thing I noticed was that this OC is actually much milder than I had anticipated, and I probably could have even used a sharper blade than the Persona Red. It was a nice and smooth shave; 3 passes for an excellent BBS. This is definitely a heavy razor, and it was rather effortless. I'm not usually a fan, overall, of OC razors, but this one worked very well for me. The optimum angle is intuitive and no need to "ride the cap" with this one.

I'm going to use the scalloped plate for the next two shaves. I'm interested in how the two plates compare.

Thanks again, Dave. This is a real treat for me.

BTW, did y'all know that Mike's makes aftershaves now? I didn't, until just last week!
1f60e.png


It'll take me a while to get caught up with everyone, but hope the weekend has been treating everybody well.
 
Great shave, read, and picture Chris!

I've yet to use a Mike's soap, but it is on my ever growing list. How would you rate his barbershop compared to other's?
 
Glad you had a good 1st outing together. You make it look much more sexy in your pics then I can get. Take your time with it.

Thanks, Dave. It's a very photogenic razor, and an excellent performer.


Yes! You're in the know!

Great shave, read, and picture Chris!

I've yet to use a Mike's soap, but it is on my ever growing list. How would you rate his barbershop compared to other's?

What, What?!?!?! You've never tried Mike's soap???? I'm shocked, I'm shocked I say! As far as Mike's Barbershop to others? Mike's is my A#1 favorite barbershop soap of any that I've tried.

That’s great you hit a good shave right off the bat.

Roger that, Dave. Switching to the scalloped plate for the next one.
 
Monday's shave:

Another Timeless shave, but this time with the scalloped plate (the .68 gap). Also, another shave with the soap I bought at Merz Apothecary the other day - A&E L'Orange Verte.

First, the razor. Yesterday's OC plate was a very nice shave, but I have to admit that this scallop plate is much more to my liking. As a matter of fact, it was wonderful, and totally in my wheelhouse. Personally, I wouldn't even want to attempt to use the more aggressive plate that Timeless offers, since I prefer milder DE razors. I did not use the Persona Red blade, like yesterday, and instead went with a sharper blade, a fresh, Polsilver SI (I've got a "good" batch). I did 2 passes with some cleanup along the way, and I walked away with an excellent DFS(+). I have to say, after just one use with this plate, I definitely dig this razor. Tomorrow, I may even pop in a Feather blade....perhaps. I like this razor, and thanks to Dave's generosity, I plan to use it two more times. Tomorrow, and then Friday (I've got a 3-day trip starting late tomorrow). On Friday, I'm thinking about doing a Timeless/British Aristocrat #16 comparison. I'll then post more in depth observations on the Timeless. One thing that I will offer at this point, is that for my personal preference, if I were to buy one eventually, is that I might opt for the shorter barber pole handle. No reason, other than I prefer shorter handles. But then again, the weight & balance of this one is perfect.
1f60e.png


Secondly, the soap: A&E L'Orange Verte. OK, so Josh has already done an in depth review of this soap and I have to say that I concur with his assessment, especially the part about the scent having 3 phases. Thus, I won't be getting too detailed, but will offer some observations.

The scent right off the tub prior to lathering is to absolutely die for! My goodness, it is off-the-charts-AWESOME!!! No kidding, it's one of those scents that you'll find yourself sniffing throughout the day, it's that good. I totally dig the orangey citrus component. Once lathered, however, it changes to other stuff, and the awesome citrus ebbs away. Kind of bums me out about that, because the citrus orange is so nice. Then at the end of the shave, it changes again. The SOS is a solid 5/5, BTW, and bold. Gotta dig a robust soap! And in terms of performance, the Rudy Vey Shavemac DO1, 2-band flat top whipped up an excellent lather. I rate this highest Tier 1. On Chad's scale I give it a Tier 1, Box 2. I enjoyed it, but would I buy it again? Probably not, because I don't like how the scent changes throughout the lathering and shave. If it were to remain what it is off the tub, then I most certainly would.

I'd recommend reading Josh's review for a more complete review.

Finished up with vintage Avon Spicy. Turned out to be a great combo!

 
Another soap to buy now. I always liked the look of the Dimpled handle but the barber pole is always a nice look too. I bought the razor used for 2/3 of retail so I'll live with this handle until I decide to get another as you can buy them separate even on the bay. Nice read Chris !!
 
Great review Chris! Love the pic too! It's too bad that the scent changes on you...but the A&E soaps are really awesome performers. Not the best...but definitely up there!

I have another A&E in bound and am excited to try it out!
 
Nice shaves and review, Chris.

The timeless was on the top of my Christmas list last year but Santa let me down.
1f615.png
 
Another soap to buy now. I always liked the look of the Dimpled handle but the barber pole is always a nice look too. I bought the razor used for 2/3 of retail so I'll live with this handle until I decide to get another as you can buy them separate even on the bay. Nice read Chris !!

Dave, I'll send the L'Orange Verte back with the Timeless if you want it. And speaking of the Timeless....you got it at 2/3 retail??? What a steal! That's awesome!!

Great review Chris! Love the pic too! It's too bad that the scent changes on you...but the A&E soaps are really awesome performers. Not the best...but definitely up there!

I have another A&E in bound and am excited to try it out!

Thanks, Don. Which A&E soap do you have inbound? While I was Merz Apothecary, I got to sniff the "Q" that was made specially for them. It was fairly subtle off the tub, in terms of the SOS, but was one that did not appeal to me. It literally smelled liked grass - the lawn type.
1f60e.png


Nice shaves and review, Chris.

The timeless was on the top of my Christmas list last year but Santa let me down.
1f615.png

Thanks, Randall. Bummer about Santa letting you down. Maybe this year?

Glad your enjoying the Timeless! Your face has expensive tastes!
1f602.png

Well, thanks, Chris. But I enjoy the inexpensive set ups as well. As a matter of fact, once the Timeless heads back home to Dave, I've got a "budget shave" ready to go: Williams soap, Super Speed, TGN boar brush, and Barbasol Pacific Rush.
 
Chris I thought you liked the soap. I can pick one up. As far as the Timeless you can find the while set for $190 or even less sometimes on bst's and the bay. Just be patient.
 
Back
Top