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Not quite Music City USA
- Thread starter fhalden
- Start date
fhalden
"Like BarberDave… I make my own fun”
Midday shave with the Rex Supply Envoy, and a new soap.
Razor: Rex Supply Envoy
Blade: Voskhod Teflon Coated
Brush: Yaqi Sagrada Familia
Lather: Stirling British Leather (first use)
Aftershave: Dana English Leather Aftershave
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Osma Tradition Alum Block
Roberts Borotalco Talcum Powder
Stirling British Leather smells like a Coach store. It's fabulous. And of course, Stirling performs wonderfully. I was digging the blade feel of the Envoy, and paid it the attention it demanded. I was rewarded with a super-smooth BBS after four passes, with no irritation. The next 7 days I'll be trying out different soaps from Victory Shaving Company. I've already enjoyed Flak Bait and Night Raid, so I went and bought the rest. I'm looking forward to exploring their scents and enjoying their base.
Thanks for reading and have a great shave!
Frank
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Razor: Rex Supply Envoy
Blade: Voskhod Teflon Coated
Brush: Yaqi Sagrada Familia
Lather: Stirling British Leather (first use)
Aftershave: Dana English Leather Aftershave
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Osma Tradition Alum Block
Roberts Borotalco Talcum Powder
Stirling British Leather smells like a Coach store. It's fabulous. And of course, Stirling performs wonderfully. I was digging the blade feel of the Envoy, and paid it the attention it demanded. I was rewarded with a super-smooth BBS after four passes, with no irritation. The next 7 days I'll be trying out different soaps from Victory Shaving Company. I've already enjoyed Flak Bait and Night Raid, so I went and bought the rest. I'm looking forward to exploring their scents and enjoying their base.
Thanks for reading and have a great shave!
Frank
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I love a good leather-scented soap. Nice shave, Frank. 
Granite.Glasser
Shave Member
@fhalden, that is one of the primary reasons why I stick with my vintage Gillette Pre-War Fat Handle Techs: The blade FEEL and the blade SOUND!
That level of tactile and audible "feedback" for me is an integral and ESSENTIAL part of the shave experience, and I use it instinctively use to gauge and adjust my strokes and progress throughout the shave!
Cheers to you!
~Granite
fhalden
"Like BarberDave… I make my own fun”
fhalden
"Like BarberDave… I make my own fun”
Today I'm beginning my tour of 9 Victory Shaving Soaps. I started with Champaign Lady.
Razor: Gillette Fatboy Adjustable
Blade: Astra Superior Platinum
Brush: Simpson Berkeley 46 B
Lather: Victory Shaving Champaign Lady (first use)
Aftershave: Captain's Choice Venture
Additional Care:
Osma Tradition Alum Block
Roberts Borotalco Talcum Powder
Let's start with a disclaimer. I like the smell of Arko. I'm not crazy about the performance, and find it very drying to my skin, but I have absolutely no problem with it's aroma. Like Tabac, its scent is polarizing to such a degree that compliment and condemnation of Arko, by its adherents and detractors, is one of the longest running topics in wetshaving (I like Tabac too, both scent and performance).
I say this, because Champaign Lady by Victory, which is scented with lemon, lavender, and menthol, immediately reminded me of Arko. The lavender and menthol make it more complex than Arko, but it definitely has an Arko-ish top note. It is mildly mentholated, with the enjoyable aftereffect of making the alum feel like an ice cube. Performance-wise, Champaign Lady, fwiw, blows Arko away. It's a very easy to load, slick, lather bomb, with good residual slickness. I really enjoyed this soap.
The Fatboy did its yeoman's job of clearing the stubble, with a new Astra SP providing a smooth, sharp edge. I finished with Captain's Choice Venture, which reminds me of Fine Platinum, which is, I am told, an homage to Creed Aventus. I don't have first hand experience with Aventus, but I love Platinum and Venture. And Ethos Succes as well.
It was a very enjoyable shave this morning, and I'm looking forward to trying all the other Victory offerings.
Thanks for reading and have a great shave!
Frank
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Razor: Gillette Fatboy Adjustable
Blade: Astra Superior Platinum
Brush: Simpson Berkeley 46 B
Lather: Victory Shaving Champaign Lady (first use)
Aftershave: Captain's Choice Venture
Additional Care:
Osma Tradition Alum Block
Roberts Borotalco Talcum Powder
Let's start with a disclaimer. I like the smell of Arko. I'm not crazy about the performance, and find it very drying to my skin, but I have absolutely no problem with it's aroma. Like Tabac, its scent is polarizing to such a degree that compliment and condemnation of Arko, by its adherents and detractors, is one of the longest running topics in wetshaving (I like Tabac too, both scent and performance).
I say this, because Champaign Lady by Victory, which is scented with lemon, lavender, and menthol, immediately reminded me of Arko. The lavender and menthol make it more complex than Arko, but it definitely has an Arko-ish top note. It is mildly mentholated, with the enjoyable aftereffect of making the alum feel like an ice cube. Performance-wise, Champaign Lady, fwiw, blows Arko away. It's a very easy to load, slick, lather bomb, with good residual slickness. I really enjoyed this soap.
The Fatboy did its yeoman's job of clearing the stubble, with a new Astra SP providing a smooth, sharp edge. I finished with Captain's Choice Venture, which reminds me of Fine Platinum, which is, I am told, an homage to Creed Aventus. I don't have first hand experience with Aventus, but I love Platinum and Venture. And Ethos Succes as well.
It was a very enjoyable shave this morning, and I'm looking forward to trying all the other Victory offerings.
Thanks for reading and have a great shave!
Frank
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
fhalden
"Like BarberDave… I make my own fun”
fhalden
"Like BarberDave… I make my own fun”
They're certainly a bargain in comparison. I'm not sure I could ever justify paying $350 for a fragrance.
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GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
I’m with you there...not to say it’s not tempting now and then!
I'm looking forward to your posts, Frank. BTW, I like the smell of Arko, too. Apparently, it smells like napalm:
fhalden
"Like BarberDave… I make my own fun”
fhalden
"Like BarberDave… I make my own fun”
My tour of Victory Shaving Soaps continues this morning with Satan's Workshop.
Razor: Rex Supply Envoy
Blade: Voskhod Teflon Coated
Brush: Simpson Duke D3 Best Badger
Lather: Victory Shaving Satan's Workshop
Aftershave: Captain's Choice Venture
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Roberts Borotalco Talcum Powder
This soap mixes Vetiver, Lavender, and Woods, but it doesn't have the earthy grassiness of MdC Vetiver, or Fine Green Vetiver. The lavender smooths out the scent, and it's a pretty mild scent too. I'd almost call it a Barbershop, but what it really says to me is "mild soap." The website suggests that the scent is good for people with sensitive noses, and I can see that. It's very conservative in strength. I used the Simpson Duke D3 Best Badger, and I really think it's my favorite badger brush. The Chubby 2 Super is more dense, but it hogs the lather a bit. The Duke is very soft on my face, and it serves up what was a very nice, creamy lather that was very slick, and took on plenty of water to keep things hydrated and I did my four passes with the Envoy. Rinsing left no trace of the scent, and I finished with a healthy splash of Captain's Choice Venture. I'm not sure which Victory Soap I'll do on Monday. Sunday will be either SV Opuntia or MdC Agrumes. I'll choose at shave time.
Thanks for reading and have a great shave!
Frank
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Razor: Rex Supply Envoy
Blade: Voskhod Teflon Coated
Brush: Simpson Duke D3 Best Badger
Lather: Victory Shaving Satan's Workshop
Aftershave: Captain's Choice Venture
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Roberts Borotalco Talcum Powder
This soap mixes Vetiver, Lavender, and Woods, but it doesn't have the earthy grassiness of MdC Vetiver, or Fine Green Vetiver. The lavender smooths out the scent, and it's a pretty mild scent too. I'd almost call it a Barbershop, but what it really says to me is "mild soap." The website suggests that the scent is good for people with sensitive noses, and I can see that. It's very conservative in strength. I used the Simpson Duke D3 Best Badger, and I really think it's my favorite badger brush. The Chubby 2 Super is more dense, but it hogs the lather a bit. The Duke is very soft on my face, and it serves up what was a very nice, creamy lather that was very slick, and took on plenty of water to keep things hydrated and I did my four passes with the Envoy. Rinsing left no trace of the scent, and I finished with a healthy splash of Captain's Choice Venture. I'm not sure which Victory Soap I'll do on Monday. Sunday will be either SV Opuntia or MdC Agrumes. I'll choose at shave time.
Thanks for reading and have a great shave!
Frank
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
elmerPHuD
Shave Member
It smells like original English Leather to me. The way I remember my Dad and Grandad smelling. The new formulations of EL are not it. I was so glad Rod and Mandy bright this back. They told me it would be Black Friday, but I was glad to see it come out early. I bought 2 bottles of AS this time. One w/o menthol and one with. I also got the soap and bar soap. Love this stuff!
fhalden
"Like BarberDave… I make my own fun”
I agree. I have a bottle of vintage EL, and they match up perfectly.
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fhalden
"Like BarberDave… I make my own fun”
It's Sunday, so I broke out stuff for a special shave.
Razor: Karve Brass B Plate
Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium
Brush: Simpson Chubby 2 Super Badger
Pre-Shave: Proraso Red
Lather: Martin de Candre Original
Aftershave: Ogalalla Bay Rum with Lime and Peppercorns
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Roberts Borotalco Talcum Powder
This was the best shave yet with the Karve, and I think perhaps this is due to the Wizamet SI blade. This was my first time with this blade. I'm pretty easy to please with blades. Of the many I've tried, I really only hated Derby Extras. Feathers can be rough the first time out, but other than that, I can get great results with pretty much any other blade I've tried. But the Wizamet was very smooth and plenty sharp. I don't really use the Karve much, mainly because of the need for cleaning and drying after every shave. I clean my razors once a week, although I do wipe them down after a rinse at the end of each shave. The brass of the Karve isn't darkening any yet, so I must be doing a decent job cleaning and drying it. I went with Ogalala Bay Rum with lime and peppercorn, and it's so wonderful as a fragrance, plus it leaves my face feeling so soft. It an oily fluid in the palm, but after dry down on my face, my skin feels very supple. It was a great four pass BBS shave. Tomorrow it's back to my tour of Victory Shaving soaps!
Thanks for reading and have a great shave!
Frank
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Razor: Karve Brass B Plate
Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium
Brush: Simpson Chubby 2 Super Badger
Pre-Shave: Proraso Red
Lather: Martin de Candre Original
Aftershave: Ogalalla Bay Rum with Lime and Peppercorns
Additional Care:
Humphreys Maravilla
Roberts Borotalco Talcum Powder
This was the best shave yet with the Karve, and I think perhaps this is due to the Wizamet SI blade. This was my first time with this blade. I'm pretty easy to please with blades. Of the many I've tried, I really only hated Derby Extras. Feathers can be rough the first time out, but other than that, I can get great results with pretty much any other blade I've tried. But the Wizamet was very smooth and plenty sharp. I don't really use the Karve much, mainly because of the need for cleaning and drying after every shave. I clean my razors once a week, although I do wipe them down after a rinse at the end of each shave. The brass of the Karve isn't darkening any yet, so I must be doing a decent job cleaning and drying it. I went with Ogalala Bay Rum with lime and peppercorn, and it's so wonderful as a fragrance, plus it leaves my face feeling so soft. It an oily fluid in the palm, but after dry down on my face, my skin feels very supple. It was a great four pass BBS shave. Tomorrow it's back to my tour of Victory Shaving soaps!
Thanks for reading and have a great shave!
Frank
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
fhalden
"Like BarberDave… I make my own fun”
I'm not as opposed to a patina as I was back when I got the razor. I figure it'll eventually develop one, but if I keep it clean and dry after use, the patina will develop more gradually and uniformly. It could be a nice look.
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fhalden
"Like BarberDave… I make my own fun”
After taking Sunday for my special shave, today I'm returning to my tour of the current offerings from Victory Shaving. Today I tried out "Navigator."
Razor: Paradigm Diamondback
Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium
Brush: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Green Ray
Lather: Victory Shaving Navigator
Aftershave: Stirling Deep Blue Sea
Additional Care:
Osma Tradition Alum Block
Humphreys Maravilla
Roberts Borotalco Talcum Powder
Navigator is mildly scented compared to the other Victory Soaps I've tried so far. It is scented with tobacco and Bay leaf. Now, I grew up spending Summers on my grandfather's farm. He grew tobacco and corn. But I'm intimately familiar with the scent of green tobacco leaf and cured tobacco leaf. I do not get either of these scents from this soap. Perhaps the Bay leaf is transforming the tobacco, but I frankly cannot discern anything tobacco scented in this soap. I went to my resident super-expert, my mother. She was born, quite literally, to work the farm, and labored in the tobacco fields from age 8 to 18. She has topped tobacco, and suckered tobacco. She has hung tobacco in barns to cure, and stacked cured tobacco for shipment to the market. If it has anything to do with the cultivation of tobacco, she's done it. She also gets no recognizable scent that could be identified as tobacco, flower or leaf, from this soap. So, that being said, the soap is pleasant. It's fresh and clean smelling. Soapy. Maybe just a little like Ivory. Whatever it is, it's very mild and unobtrusive. It lathers easily, and the Green Ray is like velvet on my face. It's a long Loft brush, which covers my whole cheek when splayed. It's a nice brush, very nice for the money. I put a new Wizamet SI in the Diamondback, and man is that a nice combo! I'm really impressed with these blades, and will probably be ordering a full sleeve next month. I got a super comfortable four pass BBS shave with no irritation. I sort of randomly chose Deep Blue Sea by Stirling as my AS splash. It's a great scent, and I'd put it in the arena of Cool Water. It may be an homage to something, I don't know. All in all a great shave. This is the first Victory Soap where the scent was just sort of meh, but it's just my opinion. Performance-wise, it is a great soap, like the others I've tried, and that alone is worth the very reasonable price.
Thanks for reading and have a great shave!
Frank
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Razor: Paradigm Diamondback
Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium
Brush: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Green Ray
Lather: Victory Shaving Navigator
Aftershave: Stirling Deep Blue Sea
Additional Care:
Osma Tradition Alum Block
Humphreys Maravilla
Roberts Borotalco Talcum Powder
Navigator is mildly scented compared to the other Victory Soaps I've tried so far. It is scented with tobacco and Bay leaf. Now, I grew up spending Summers on my grandfather's farm. He grew tobacco and corn. But I'm intimately familiar with the scent of green tobacco leaf and cured tobacco leaf. I do not get either of these scents from this soap. Perhaps the Bay leaf is transforming the tobacco, but I frankly cannot discern anything tobacco scented in this soap. I went to my resident super-expert, my mother. She was born, quite literally, to work the farm, and labored in the tobacco fields from age 8 to 18. She has topped tobacco, and suckered tobacco. She has hung tobacco in barns to cure, and stacked cured tobacco for shipment to the market. If it has anything to do with the cultivation of tobacco, she's done it. She also gets no recognizable scent that could be identified as tobacco, flower or leaf, from this soap. So, that being said, the soap is pleasant. It's fresh and clean smelling. Soapy. Maybe just a little like Ivory. Whatever it is, it's very mild and unobtrusive. It lathers easily, and the Green Ray is like velvet on my face. It's a long Loft brush, which covers my whole cheek when splayed. It's a nice brush, very nice for the money. I put a new Wizamet SI in the Diamondback, and man is that a nice combo! I'm really impressed with these blades, and will probably be ordering a full sleeve next month. I got a super comfortable four pass BBS shave with no irritation. I sort of randomly chose Deep Blue Sea by Stirling as my AS splash. It's a great scent, and I'd put it in the arena of Cool Water. It may be an homage to something, I don't know. All in all a great shave. This is the first Victory Soap where the scent was just sort of meh, but it's just my opinion. Performance-wise, it is a great soap, like the others I've tried, and that alone is worth the very reasonable price.
Thanks for reading and have a great shave!
Frank
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