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Doug's Journal of Shaving Happiness v2.0

Journal Entry #809
2022 Shaves (DE: 29, SE: 2, Straight: 0, Cart: 0, Skipped: 10)

02/10/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (13)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (9)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Fine Accoutrements Green Vetiver AS
Fragrance: Guerlain Vetiver EdT


Overview
Best Williams shave yet

SOTD Pics
N/A

Shave Quality
The lather wasn't as voluminous as modern artisan soaps, but it was slick with plenty of cushion. The results were very good. The shave was smooth and comfortable. I am very pleased with the outcome.

Gear
  • Razor, blade, and soap all worked well together.
  • The Fine AS is very good stuff. I am disappointed that this one is discontinued.
  • Guerlain Vetiver is a total classic that smells amazing.

Other Thoughts
Watching Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol tonight. Fun movie.


Thank you for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope you have a great day and stellar shaves, Cadre.
 
Journal Entry #810
2022 Shaves (DE: 30, SE: 2, Straight: 0, Cart: 0, Skipped: 10)

02/11/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (14)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (10)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Speick AS splash
Fragrance: Pinaud Clubman Aftershave


Overview
Having a Clubman Friday

SOTD Pics
N/A

Shave Quality
Another fantastic shave today. It wasn't the best that I have ever had, but it was really good. I may need to start honing the blade after each shave, however. It is losing efficiency.

Gear

  • Razor, blade, brush, soap, aftershave, etc. are all good.
  • I decided to go with a second aftershave as my fragrance of the day. It has been a while since I have pulled out the Clubman and it was definitely time to do so. Love it.

Other Thoughts
Happy Friday.


Thank you for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope you have a great day and stellar shaves, Cadre.
 
Journal Entry #811
2022 Shaves (DE: 31, SE: 2, Straight: 0, Cart: 0, Skipped: 10)

02/12/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (15)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (11)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Speick AS splash
Fragrance: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male


Overview
Another good one

SOTD Pics
N/A

Shave Quality
Had to make it quick today, but still got really good results. The old-school combo of Williams and a carbon steel blade really work well on my face. The carbon blades don't get quite as close as stainless blades, but the results are still really good.

Gear
  • The razor with the carbon blade is really easy going on my face.
  • The Stirling brush is very, very good.
  • Williams is great stuff.
  • JPG Le Male smells wonderful. It may not be as good as it once was, but it is great.

Other Thoughts
Having a quiet weekend.


Thank you for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope you have a great day and stellar shaves, Cadre.
 
Journal Entry #812
2022 Shaves (DE: 33, SE: 2, Straight: 0, Cart: 0, Skipped: 10)

02/13/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (16)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (12)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Speick AS splash
Fragrance: Armani Code Absolu by Giorgio Armani

02/14/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (17)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (13)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Speick AS splash
Fragrance: Burberry for Men


Overview
On a roll with the Williams!!!

SOTD Pics
N/A

Shave Quality
The shaves continue to be good, and I mean really good. I am using a damp (wet but not dripping wet) brush to get a heavy load into my shave mug and then adding a bit more water as I build the lather. It is a totally different lather than you would get with just about any modern shave soap. It produces a different lather from MWF and Tabac also. Williams does its own thing. The lather looks too thin and bubbly in the mug. But, once you apply it to your face it does good things. It has cushion, even though it doesn't look like it would, and it is very slick. I still like Tabac and MWF more, but this could easily be a "top 5" soap for me, and is easily in the "top 10."

Gear

  • The Mergress rocks. Mostly because it is a Merkur first and foremost.
  • The blade needs TLC. It needs to be dried after the shave. It needs to be palm stropped after (almost?) every shave. It needs some honing here and there. But, if you are willing to baby the blade, it won't rust and it will yield good results.
  • The Stirling brush is very, very good. They source excellent bagder knots.
  • Williams is definitely a contender for top 5 soaps in my den.
  • I love Armani Code Absolu. It is heavy on the tonka beans so it has a very enjoyable vanilla-ish scent. It was a great fragrance for Sunday.
  • Burberry! Anyone who has read my journal for a while probably knows how much I love this fragrance. So, it was a no-brainer choice for Valentine's Day.

Other Thoughts
Happy V-Day. It is going to be a quiet night around my house. We aren't going out, but we will be having a nice dinner with a very nice bottle of wine. We will be going out for dinner on Thursday (our weekly date night) instead to avoid the huge crowds. So, it will be like having two V-Days in one week.


Thank you for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope you have a great day and stellar shaves, Cadre.
 
Journal Entry #813
2022 Shaves (DE: 34, SE: 2, Straight: 0, Cart: 0, Skipped: 10)

02/15/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (18)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (14)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Speick AS splash
Fragrance: Bogart Signature Pour Homme by Jacques Bogart


Overview
The things I like are all getting discontinued...

SOTD Pics
N/A

Shave Quality
Today's shave with the soon to be unobtainium Williams Mug was very good once again. The shave was effortless. My face feels great. I am really happy with the results.

Gear
  • Mergress, Treet Black, Stirling Badger... all working well together.
  • Williams Mug is excellent shave soap. It is performing wonderfully for me. I am glad that I have 31 pucks of modern Williams in my stash. (Yes, I just counted.)
  • Speick AS is great. I hope they don't discontinue this one too...
  • Jacques Bogart makes some killer old-school fragrances. If you like green, masculine perfumery check them out.

Other Thoughts
It really bums me out that the old-school products that I like are either getting discontinued or getting reformulated. I will have to find some more things like the RR What the Puck soaps that I can use. I should probably stock up on a bunch of PdP No.63 while I am at it. I will probably also purchase several more pucks of MWF. You know...just in case.


Thank you for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope you have a great day and stellar shaves, Cadre.
 
Journal Entry #814
2022 Shaves (DE: 35, SE: 2, Straight: 0, Cart: 0, Skipped: 10)

02/16/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (19)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (15)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Speick AS splash
Fragrance: Lomani Pour Homme EdT


Overview
I wonder how long this soap will last???

SOTD Pics
N/A

Shave Quality
Williams keeps delivering the goods. The shaves are only DFS+, but that is nothing to complain about. They are slick and very low irritation leaving my skin soft and smooth enough to be very pleasing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the performance of Williams Mug. I am curious to see how many more shaves I will get out of this soap.

Gear
  • Shaving hardware is keeping my face happy.
  • The shaving software is doing the same.
  • The fragrance on the other hand... is killer. This is another old-school, masculine, cheapie. Lomani Pour Homme (1987) can be had from FragranceNet for $7.55 USD with the 35% off coupon code. If you like Drakkar Noir, you will like this. They are somewhat alike. Lomani is a little more reserved, however. Lavender, rosemary, geranium, oakmoss, etc. make for a very pleasing aromatic.

Other Thoughts
And now there is a winter storm warning in my area from 1700 today until 0200 tomorrow. And (to quote Monty Python) "there was much rejoicing." ... ... ... ... Ugh.


Thank you for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope you have a great day and stellar shaves, Cadre.
 
Journal Entry #815
2022 Shaves (DE: 36, SE: 2, Straight: 0, Cart: 0, Skipped: 10)

02/17/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (20)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (16)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Speick AS splash
Fragrance: Original Penguin Iconic Blend


Overview
Blade Buffing FTW

SOTD Pics
N/A

Shave Quality
The month of Williams goes on with continued good results. Today I blade buffed the heck out of my face and still came away with almost no irritation. The carbon steel blade is gentle on my face and the Williams has all the slickness necessary to keep my skin happy. The more I use old-school soaps, the more I like them. It looks like "new" does not equate to "good" in every instance.

Gear
  • My face is happy with the hardware and software.
  • It hasn't been difficult to use the exact same shaving setup every day this month. All the hardware and software are the same, except for an occasional change of aftershave and different fragrances each day.
  • The Original Penguin fragrances are pleasant and cheap. They aren't bad, but they aren't good either. Iconic Blend is a decent violet leaf based fragrance. At least that the the most prominent note to me.

Other Thoughts
The snow came. There was lots of it. Today the sun is out and it is all melting. It will probably be mostly gone before Sunday.

It seems like the pandemic has created a mini "shavepocalypse." Williams is discontinued. Tabac is no longer tallow based due to the factory shutting down, which also hit the Fine Classic line of soaps. Today I hear that K Shave Worx is shutting down. There may be other artisans that are shutting down, or are close to it. All marketplaces will shift and change over time, but the Covid-19 situation seems to have accelerated some changes. Sometimes it seems like soap artisans come and go all the time, but things just feel more volatile to me right now. I don't have any K Shave Worx products in my den, but I do have several things that are now unobtainium which were not early in 2020. The unfortunate side effect (is it actually a side effect, or is it more of a main effect????) of this situation is that the desire to buy and hoard is getting stronger. I have enough shaving crap in my den to last years. (And I do mean years, folks. Possibly more than a decade.) But, now I have the desire to buy and hoard anything that I like to ensure access. Arko. I haven't bought Arko since 2016 when I bought a 12 pack. I still have 4 sticks. I am sorely tempted to go onto Amazon and buy a 12 pack or two. I am definitely hoarding tallow formula Tabac and the Fine Classic soaps because it is the best soap base that I have ever used. There are other things. Speick. La Toja. MWF. There is a definite desire to hoard in case they fall victim to the pandemic also. It really sucks. It is going to be a long time yet before the supply chain issues get sorted and things get back more to normal shipping and receiving wise. I want it to happen quickly, however. I want to not worry about having access to the products that I love. The desire to hoard is not a good one. I don't like this feeling.


Thank you for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope you have a great day and stellar shaves, Cadre.
 
Journal Entry #816
2022 Shaves (DE: 37, SE: 2, Straight: 0, Cart: 0, Skipped: 10)

02/18/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (21)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (17)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Speick AS splash
Fragrance: Original Penguin Original Blend


Overview
A little too much

SOTD Pics
N/A

Shave Quality
My face needs a day off. I pushed it a little too far today and received some redness in return. The lather was great, as usual. My skin is mostly smooth, but there is some definite tenderness. Everyone needs a day off now and then. Tomorrow my face gets one.

Gear
  • Still happy with all my gear.
  • Today I poked a doughnut hole into the puck of Williams. Even though I will be taking a day off, I think it won't be too long before I finish this soap off.
  • I like the Original Penguin Original Blend a little better than the Iconic Blend. It is still not great, but pleasant and wearable.

Other Thoughts
My IB order arrives today. I can't wait. More tallow for the tallow hoard.

If I were a dragon, I would probably sleep on a pile of soap rather than a pile of gold... Right? ... ... ... Nah.


Thank you for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope you have a great day and stellar shaves, Cadre.
 
Journal Entry #817
2022 Shaves (DE: 38, SE: 2, Straight: 0, Cart: 0, Skipped: 11)

02/19/2022
Shave Skip Day

Fragrance: Antonio Puig Quorum EdT


02/20/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (22)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (18)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Speick AS splash
Fragrance: Burberry for Men EdT


Overview
Better after a day off

SOTD Pics
N/A

Shave Quality
The doughnut hole of death is growing and today's shave was good. A stainless blade would probably give a closer shave, but the carbon blades are more comfortable. I wonder how much longer this soap is going to last.

Gear
  • Everything is great gear-wise.
  • Quorum is great stuff. And Burberry is a favorite.

Other Thoughts
Re-watching Bosch on Amazon. Great show! I also started re-watching Warehouse 13 also on Amazon. Another great show.


Thank you for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope you have a great day and stellar shaves, Cadre.
 
Journal Entry #818
2022 Shaves (DE: 40, SE: 2, Straight: 0, Cart: 0, Skipped: 11)

02/21/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (23)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (19)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Royal Copenhagen AS
Fragrance: none


02/22/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (24)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (20)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Speick AS splash
Fragrance: Mont Blanc Legend EdT


Overview
Back on track

SOTD Pics
N/A

Shave Quality
These two shaves were really, really good. My face is in really great shape right now. Everything clicked during these two shaves.

Gear
  • All good on the shaving front. Nothing much to see here. The blade is still going strong with the upkeep I am doing on it.
  • The fragrances are great also.
  • Royal Copenhagen is an AS splash, but it is nuclear. I was still getting hints of it as I was drying off after my shower today. It is very 1970's, but I think it smells good.
  • Mont Blanc Legend is really good stuff. I don't think it is going to have much staying power, but it smells great. I won't mind re-spraying.

Other Thoughts
I kinda feel like :poop: today. I didn't sleep well. I got to bed way too late and then my brain wouldn't shutdown. Consequently I am very much not at my best today. Getting only 5 hours of sleep will do that to you. I may end up crashing early tonight.


Thank you for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope you have a great day and stellar shaves, Cadre.
 
Journal Entry #819
2022 Shaves (DE: 41, SE: 2, Straight: 0, Cart: 0, Skipped: 11)

02/23/2022
Pre: Hot shower/splash of cool water
Razor: Mergress XL @1
Blade: Treet Black Carbon (25)
Bowl: Turkish Shave Mug
Brush: Stirling Finest Badger fan knot
Soap/Cream: Modern Williams Mug (21)
AS 1: Thayer's Rose Petal Facial Toner
AS 2: Nivea Sensitive ASB
AS 3: Speick AS splash
Fragrance: Versace Dylan Blue EdT


Overview
Sleep good.

SOTD Pics
N/A

Shave Quality
Another really good shave today. Nothing at all to complain about.

Gear
  • Shaving gear is all good.
  • Versace Dylan Blue is good stuff. My wife doesn't care for it, but I like it.

Other Thoughts
Got around 8 hours of sleep last night and I am feeling much better.

Tomorrow I will be going to a gaming convention here in town. The last time this was held was February 2020. It will be nice to get out and game with a crowd of strangers mixed in with a bunch of old friends again.


Thank you for reading and commenting on my journal. I hope you have a great day and stellar shaves, Cadre.
 
Hey my friend - Glad you got some sleep!

I don’t know what games you like (other than D&D and I’d love to hear about any of your interests)!

I have a great story. Right before COVID- my youngest son Jack, was really into Fort Nite. So much so - he actually was pretty good - won a few tournaments (enough to pay for some computer upgrades).

So for his birthday - I took him and one of his best friends to New York to see the Fort Nite World Championships at Arthur Ashe Stadium ( a 3 day event). Well on Day 1 we were walking around the complex and there was a gaggle surrounding these two kids (I guess to me - I was probably older than everyone there by 20 years - so they were all kids to me)…..so I asked my son and his friend who those guys were. Both replied ”oh that‘s Bugha - he’s pretty good.”

So I said - why don’t you get a picture with them? Or ask them for their autograph? Jack was also into baseball - we had been to several Yankees games - and he never had a problem going up to one of the players (one of the pitchers gave him a ball from the bullpen)…….

I guess since the kids were around their age - it wasn’t cool so they hemmed and hawed. I said - guys - this is an opportunity that you won’t get again- you can say years later you met one of the great ones…..again, they didn’t want to .

So, as a good father should, I walked up to the kids and said hey guys, I don’t know who you are - I’m just an uncool dad that wants to impress my son. So will you take a pic with me?

They were really cool about it…..

1645651162148.jpeg


2 days later - the kid on the right won the World Cup and was $3 million dollars richer. To this day, Jack and I laugh about it.
 
Last edited:
dkeester said:
Royal Copenhagen is an AS splash, but it is nuclear. I was still getting hints of it as I was drying off after my shower today. It is very 1970's, but I think it smells good.
Click to expand...
"Nuclear" is an apt description. I used to love that stuff.

Scuttlesoap said:
hey guys, I don’t know who you are - I’m just an uncool dad that wants to impress my son.
Click to expand...
I would say that makes you a very cool Dad. (y)(y)
 
Last edited:
That is a cool story @Scuttlesoap!

I am not much of a video gamer. Nintendo's products have always been my bag more than PlayStation games (although I do like some PS titles) or PC games (but I do have a large Steam library), and I have never liked the XBox.

I am more of a classic gamer. I like physical tabletop games, i.e. board games, card games, D&D (and several other TTRPGs) played around an actual table rather than online. The games that I am playing the most right now are D&D, a board game called Pandemic Legacy Season 0, and a competitive card game called Vampire the Masquerade: Rivals.
 
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