Have fun, Jim. Be safe.
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The Wild West Show - Jim's Shaving Journal
- Thread starter WildWest74
- Start date
Good Stuff Jim I got the same you will have it a few days earlier so I am looking forward to your review
WildWest74
Could be John Wayne
Thanks, guys! We are going to see The Ultimate Queen Experience perform. The singer is Marc Martel, who is basically Freddie Mercury reincarnated. He was in the official tribute band for years, and he recorded live vocals for the new movie. I have been looking forward to this for months!
If i get to use it before you, that is!
GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
Nice! That sounds like a ton of fun!
WildWest74
Could be John Wayne
GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
Dang! That’s a pretty good imitation!
WildWest74
Could be John Wayne
What a great weekend!
So, I had an away shave with some Wild West Shaving Co. Gin & Tonic soap while at the hotel on Saturday.
The show was stunning, amazing, fantastic, all the best adjectives! I wanted to capture some to shave, but I was having too much fun just being in the moment. If you want to know what it was like, just google concert vids for Marc Martel and the Ultimate Queen Celebration.
Sunday was a good capper once we got home. because my Cowboys ran roughshod over the Jaguars, 40-7 (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!). And I also picked up the packages that my neghbor held for us while we were away. Among them was this beauty:
Tonight I will be opening the case and taking the contents for a spin.
Hope you all have a great week!
So, I had an away shave with some Wild West Shaving Co. Gin & Tonic soap while at the hotel on Saturday.
The show was stunning, amazing, fantastic, all the best adjectives! I wanted to capture some to shave, but I was having too much fun just being in the moment. If you want to know what it was like, just google concert vids for Marc Martel and the Ultimate Queen Celebration.
Sunday was a good capper once we got home. because my Cowboys ran roughshod over the Jaguars, 40-7 (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!). And I also picked up the packages that my neghbor held for us while we were away. Among them was this beauty:
Tonight I will be opening the case and taking the contents for a spin.
Hope you all have a great week!
WildWest74
Could be John Wayne
WildWest74
Could be John Wayne
Today’s Shave: “Red Right Hand“
Brush: Raven Brush Works “Willow Wolf”
Soap: The Holy Black Trading Co. Mr. Hyde
Razor: Doc Holliday – Asylum RX SE (Feather Pro Guard blade)
Aftershave: The Holy Black Trading Co. Mr. Hyde
I humbly beg your forgiveness for the lack of photo. Hopefully my recap and review will make up for the missing visuals.
Dave already did a phenomenal VLOG that included his impressions on the Jeckyll and Hyde set, and specifically his shave with Dr. Jeckyll. I decided to fully embrace my dark side for this shave, so I went with Mr. Hyde, undiluted.
Opening the crate is an experience in and of itself. The pry bar is definitely necessary for loosening the lid, and once removed you are greeted with an impressive little sound and light show. The two aftershave bottles glow ominously, and the digital tune is suitably creepy (it is apparently taken from the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde NES game). The aftershave bottles are HUGE, and they are FULL! 8 ounces in each on, with the caps dipped in wax. A sharp knife was needed to score the edge of the top, and then the corks could be released. The liquid inside fizzes when you first open it, which is an amazing touch.
The EdTs come in smaller poison bottles, which are corked and sealed with the same wax. The box also includes a letter excerpt from the book, sealed with black wax, and a plastic pipette for mixing the two formulas as you choose.
The soap comes in The Holy Black’s traditional ceramic jar, with beautifully detailed graphics. The soap is filled to the brim, with each soap scent taking up half of the jar, split down the middle. The soap itself is much firmer than any other Holy Black limited tallow release. A little additional effort was needed to scoop the perfect snurdle for my lather bowl. The plus side to this fact is that there is no way to smear the soaps into each other accidentally, and this stuff should last a LONG time!
As I set about building my lather, the scent strength is impressive. With just a little water, I transform the soap into some luxurious lather that is the perfect consistency for my shave preference: it has some firm body with a nice, glistening sheen, and it goes on super smoothly with no dripping. I do a hot towel soak after my first lather, and inhale the intense aromas.
During the shave itself, the scent intensifies. The soap performs at the level I would expect from a top tier artisan, and I place it firmly in Tier 1 Box 1, a single step down from Elite. Slickness and protection are on point. I do gather some weepers low on my neck, but that is likely due to the blade already having 20 shaves on it. 2 passes with cleanup leave me with a delightful BBS.
I use the included pipette to draw out some aftershave, a small splash since SMWBO doesn’t want me smothered in scent right before bed. The tonic does a wonderfully efficient job of cooling and toning without any burn or tightness. Now let me tell you about the scent. The notes are unrefinded vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood, and a hint of amber. When The Holy Black describes it as raw and animalistic, they are not kidding. On its own, it is a powerful scent for only the bold. I would describe it as a scent that evokes the kind of places where a Victorian gentleman can indulge his basest desires: an opium den in a dark London alley, lit only by the red light of a coal brazier. Or a garishly decorated house of “negotiable affection”. The man who would wear Mr. Hyde would not tread these paths in secret, but rather would stroll boldly through, without shame. It truly is a sinister scent with some pleasantly unsettling undertones.
I shaved at around 7:30pm, and when I woke at 5am I could still smell the notes surrounding me. I don’t remember any of the dreams I had, but I felt empowered.
After my shower I decided that I needed to try an experiment, and so I opened the other aftershave and applied a slightly more generous amount of Dr. Jeckyll. That scent is comprised of refined vetiver, sandalwood, and some fresh citrus. It is definitely in the same family, but much more of a “proper” gentleman. It smells like a well-kept study, or the common room of a fine Victorian gentlemen’s club (not THAT kind of gentelmen’s club!). After first applying it I could tell this was definitely the tamer scent, but it has a power all its own: a confident and classy scent which can command respect. As the morning goes on, the hidden notes of Mr. Hyde are starting to creep in, making it a new experience altogether.
These two scents are definitely two sides of the same coin. I cannot wait to mix both scents in different ratios and see what it creates!
The Holy Black really outdid themselves with this release. It is a set I am proud to own, and which will last me a ridiculously long time.
Today’s song is one of similar dark themes:
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds ~ Red Right Hand
https://youtu.be/RrxePKps87k
Brush: Raven Brush Works “Willow Wolf”
Soap: The Holy Black Trading Co. Mr. Hyde
Razor: Doc Holliday – Asylum RX SE (Feather Pro Guard blade)
Aftershave: The Holy Black Trading Co. Mr. Hyde
I humbly beg your forgiveness for the lack of photo. Hopefully my recap and review will make up for the missing visuals.
Dave already did a phenomenal VLOG that included his impressions on the Jeckyll and Hyde set, and specifically his shave with Dr. Jeckyll. I decided to fully embrace my dark side for this shave, so I went with Mr. Hyde, undiluted.
Opening the crate is an experience in and of itself. The pry bar is definitely necessary for loosening the lid, and once removed you are greeted with an impressive little sound and light show. The two aftershave bottles glow ominously, and the digital tune is suitably creepy (it is apparently taken from the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde NES game). The aftershave bottles are HUGE, and they are FULL! 8 ounces in each on, with the caps dipped in wax. A sharp knife was needed to score the edge of the top, and then the corks could be released. The liquid inside fizzes when you first open it, which is an amazing touch.
The EdTs come in smaller poison bottles, which are corked and sealed with the same wax. The box also includes a letter excerpt from the book, sealed with black wax, and a plastic pipette for mixing the two formulas as you choose.
The soap comes in The Holy Black’s traditional ceramic jar, with beautifully detailed graphics. The soap is filled to the brim, with each soap scent taking up half of the jar, split down the middle. The soap itself is much firmer than any other Holy Black limited tallow release. A little additional effort was needed to scoop the perfect snurdle for my lather bowl. The plus side to this fact is that there is no way to smear the soaps into each other accidentally, and this stuff should last a LONG time!
As I set about building my lather, the scent strength is impressive. With just a little water, I transform the soap into some luxurious lather that is the perfect consistency for my shave preference: it has some firm body with a nice, glistening sheen, and it goes on super smoothly with no dripping. I do a hot towel soak after my first lather, and inhale the intense aromas.
During the shave itself, the scent intensifies. The soap performs at the level I would expect from a top tier artisan, and I place it firmly in Tier 1 Box 1, a single step down from Elite. Slickness and protection are on point. I do gather some weepers low on my neck, but that is likely due to the blade already having 20 shaves on it. 2 passes with cleanup leave me with a delightful BBS.
I use the included pipette to draw out some aftershave, a small splash since SMWBO doesn’t want me smothered in scent right before bed. The tonic does a wonderfully efficient job of cooling and toning without any burn or tightness. Now let me tell you about the scent. The notes are unrefinded vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood, and a hint of amber. When The Holy Black describes it as raw and animalistic, they are not kidding. On its own, it is a powerful scent for only the bold. I would describe it as a scent that evokes the kind of places where a Victorian gentleman can indulge his basest desires: an opium den in a dark London alley, lit only by the red light of a coal brazier. Or a garishly decorated house of “negotiable affection”. The man who would wear Mr. Hyde would not tread these paths in secret, but rather would stroll boldly through, without shame. It truly is a sinister scent with some pleasantly unsettling undertones.
I shaved at around 7:30pm, and when I woke at 5am I could still smell the notes surrounding me. I don’t remember any of the dreams I had, but I felt empowered.
After my shower I decided that I needed to try an experiment, and so I opened the other aftershave and applied a slightly more generous amount of Dr. Jeckyll. That scent is comprised of refined vetiver, sandalwood, and some fresh citrus. It is definitely in the same family, but much more of a “proper” gentleman. It smells like a well-kept study, or the common room of a fine Victorian gentlemen’s club (not THAT kind of gentelmen’s club!). After first applying it I could tell this was definitely the tamer scent, but it has a power all its own: a confident and classy scent which can command respect. As the morning goes on, the hidden notes of Mr. Hyde are starting to creep in, making it a new experience altogether.
These two scents are definitely two sides of the same coin. I cannot wait to mix both scents in different ratios and see what it creates!
The Holy Black really outdid themselves with this release. It is a set I am proud to own, and which will last me a ridiculously long time.
Today’s song is one of similar dark themes:
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds ~ Red Right Hand
https://youtu.be/RrxePKps87k
Whoa! Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds? You truly are evoking some dark spirits there! Thoroughly enjoyed your thoughts this morning Jim. Sounds like you are very happy with the set and can't wait to hear more!
WildWest74
Could be John Wayne
He he he, yeah, the song was actually an earworm for me while I was shaving and again this morning, definitely the perfect match for the feeling I got from the scent. Thanks, Don!
WildWest74
Could be John Wayne
Sorry, KJ!
If you reach out to Stefan at The Holy Black, they sometimes keep extra in stock in case of breakage, and he can be persuaded to part with one. There is at least one on eBay that it not currently gouging everyone, currently only at $200. I will PM you the link.
WildWest74
Could be John Wayne
Thanks, El Chad!
Thanks, Chris! I am glad you enjoyed reading it. I did share it with Stefan. The whole thing had me feeling very creative. I am extremely happy with the set.