Thanks Don! I'm really liking this one, and will probably add more to the stable. My education in them is sorely lacking as well, but I'll be doing a bit of research on them soon enough.
Thanks Chris!Glad to hear ya still kickin'.
The Shaving Cadre
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There and Back Again, A Wet-Shaver's Tale
- Thread starter Smattayu
- Start date
2/7 SOTD
Razor: Shumate Peacemaker + Rockwell 6c
Brush: Stirling Boar
Soap: WSP Black Amber Vanille
Aftershave: WSP Black Amber Vanille
EDT: Ferragamo F Black
This razor is another recent acquisition. Got it for a really good price and had to clean it up a bit. There was some mild pitting right on the edge near the toe, but I was able to hone it out(at least as far as I could tell with the 60x jewelers loupe). This is the first razor that I've finished on synthetic stones in a long time. Took it up to my Shapton 12k, then some strop paste, stropped on the Tony Miller horsehide Roughout strop, and finished on the TM Notovan. The edge left something to be desired. It was sharp enough that I could have finished the shave and gotten a decent result, but that isn't really enough for me at this point and it would have felt like a wasted shave. So I called an audible and grabbed the 6c. I know this razor has a Wizamet in it, and it has many shaves on the blade. I'm just not sure how many lol. I couldn't tell from how it felt though, and 2 more passes left me with a fantastic BBS. A hefty splash of the AS and a couple sprays of F Black, and I felt great about my day.
I'll be taking the razor to the Jnat soon, and we'll see if that'll give it an edge that I'm satisfied with. Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Razor: Shumate Peacemaker + Rockwell 6c
Brush: Stirling Boar
Soap: WSP Black Amber Vanille
Aftershave: WSP Black Amber Vanille
EDT: Ferragamo F Black
This razor is another recent acquisition. Got it for a really good price and had to clean it up a bit. There was some mild pitting right on the edge near the toe, but I was able to hone it out(at least as far as I could tell with the 60x jewelers loupe). This is the first razor that I've finished on synthetic stones in a long time. Took it up to my Shapton 12k, then some strop paste, stropped on the Tony Miller horsehide Roughout strop, and finished on the TM Notovan. The edge left something to be desired. It was sharp enough that I could have finished the shave and gotten a decent result, but that isn't really enough for me at this point and it would have felt like a wasted shave. So I called an audible and grabbed the 6c. I know this razor has a Wizamet in it, and it has many shaves on the blade. I'm just not sure how many lol. I couldn't tell from how it felt though, and 2 more passes left me with a fantastic BBS. A hefty splash of the AS and a couple sprays of F Black, and I felt great about my day.
I'll be taking the razor to the Jnat soon, and we'll see if that'll give it an edge that I'm satisfied with. Thanks for reading and have a great day!
2/10 SOTD
Razor: Jernbolaget
Brush: TSC 2nd Anniversary
Soap: CBL Orion Hammam Spa
Aftershave: CBL After Shave Tonic
EDC: Penhaligon's Savoy Steam
First shave with the new Jernbolaget today. I had planned on sending it out for honing since I didn't want to inflict my still average honing skill on it, but actually decided to test the edge first. Stropped it on the Tony Miller Horsehide Roughout followed by the TM Notovan, and it was passing the HHT with flying colors, which makes it probably one of two or three razors I've ever bought that was truly shave ready. I saw on one of @BarberDave's videos that the inspiration for CBL Hammam Spa was Penhaligon's Savoy Steam EDC, and had to pull the trigger on a bottle while it was still available.
No shock that Orion provided an excellent surface to try this razor out on. I'm telling you, lathering on this soap feels like you're brushing warm silk across your skin, only better. As for the razor, this ivory-clad beauty is as enjoyable to shave with as it is to look at. The edge was indeed fantastic, and three passes left me with a very nice DFS+(still having a bit of trouble with the straight on a couple of neck areas). A bit of CBL Tonic awakened my skin even more, and Several dabs of Savoy Steam capped everything off wonderfully. This..frag...is...fantastic. To be honest it isn't much more than a skin scent from the get-go, yet it still manages to envelop the area several inches out from your body in it's fragrance. Not sure about longevity since this shave was just done a couple hours ago, but I can still smell it as much as I did when it was applied, and I'm loving it.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Razor: Jernbolaget
Brush: TSC 2nd Anniversary
Soap: CBL Orion Hammam Spa
Aftershave: CBL After Shave Tonic
EDC: Penhaligon's Savoy Steam
First shave with the new Jernbolaget today. I had planned on sending it out for honing since I didn't want to inflict my still average honing skill on it, but actually decided to test the edge first. Stropped it on the Tony Miller Horsehide Roughout followed by the TM Notovan, and it was passing the HHT with flying colors, which makes it probably one of two or three razors I've ever bought that was truly shave ready. I saw on one of @BarberDave's videos that the inspiration for CBL Hammam Spa was Penhaligon's Savoy Steam EDC, and had to pull the trigger on a bottle while it was still available.
No shock that Orion provided an excellent surface to try this razor out on. I'm telling you, lathering on this soap feels like you're brushing warm silk across your skin, only better. As for the razor, this ivory-clad beauty is as enjoyable to shave with as it is to look at. The edge was indeed fantastic, and three passes left me with a very nice DFS+(still having a bit of trouble with the straight on a couple of neck areas). A bit of CBL Tonic awakened my skin even more, and Several dabs of Savoy Steam capped everything off wonderfully. This..frag...is...fantastic. To be honest it isn't much more than a skin scent from the get-go, yet it still manages to envelop the area several inches out from your body in it's fragrance. Not sure about longevity since this shave was just done a couple hours ago, but I can still smell it as much as I did when it was applied, and I'm loving it.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
I really should have deleted that post from the birthday shave thread. It’s not my birthday yet, but I had a brain-fart and put that sotd in the wrong place lol.
SOTD 2/12
Razor: Jernbolaget near wedge
Brush: TSC 2nd Anniversary
Soap: CBL Orion California Sunrise
Aftershave: CBL After Shave Tonic
EDP: Amouage Sunshine Man
Another shave with a new Jernbolaget. This one finally got here from Russia, and I'm digging the look and feel of it in my hand. Either both of these Jernbolagets were very well honed before they got here or my TM Roughout strop possesses magical edge-rejuvenating qualities, because 60 laps on that strop and this razor was popping hairs like a boss. Truth be told, I wouldn't be surprised if that strop was magic. It initially felt counterintuitive to strop on such a rough looking surface, but it quickly became my favorite strop, and I can't deny the positive effect it has had on my edges. This tub of Orion CS was picked up from @jbreakfield out of the BST, and it was a good call. Absolutely fantastic scent paired with the performance of the Orion base...mmmmm, good stuff.
Another delightful straight razor shave. I'm continuing to find that heavier grinds are my preference. I expect it is because of the weight, but they just seem to mow through my very coarse facial hair with more ease than most of the hollow ground razors I own. Three passes left me with a fantastic DFS+, a few drops of the tonic followed, and a couple sprays of Sunshine Man olfactorily bludgeoned me into my happy place.
This juice is something special. I was introduced to it by @Dagwoodz, who sent me a surprise sample, and it was on my radar for a while before I was finally able to pull the trigger on it. Beast mode performance and 18+ hour longevity. Some might say that it doesn't make sense to use a frag like this before heading into a machine shop, but catching whiffs of something so good all night long just improves my mood. Aside from that, I never really understood how folks classify frags. If it smells good to me I wear it regardless of what time of day it is or the situation. The only exception being if I know I'm going to be around someone who is sensitive to frags, or I know it's something so strong that it will choke out a room full of people.
In other news, the house search has begun. I'm at the very beginning of the process and have a ways to go, but Michigan has some really nice incentives for first time home buyers and the hoops I have to jump through to access them are minimal compared to the reward. Which means that The Dungeon 2.0 is closer to being a reality, and that has me excited.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Razor: Jernbolaget near wedge
Brush: TSC 2nd Anniversary
Soap: CBL Orion California Sunrise
Aftershave: CBL After Shave Tonic
EDP: Amouage Sunshine Man
Another shave with a new Jernbolaget. This one finally got here from Russia, and I'm digging the look and feel of it in my hand. Either both of these Jernbolagets were very well honed before they got here or my TM Roughout strop possesses magical edge-rejuvenating qualities, because 60 laps on that strop and this razor was popping hairs like a boss. Truth be told, I wouldn't be surprised if that strop was magic. It initially felt counterintuitive to strop on such a rough looking surface, but it quickly became my favorite strop, and I can't deny the positive effect it has had on my edges. This tub of Orion CS was picked up from @jbreakfield out of the BST, and it was a good call. Absolutely fantastic scent paired with the performance of the Orion base...mmmmm, good stuff.
Another delightful straight razor shave. I'm continuing to find that heavier grinds are my preference. I expect it is because of the weight, but they just seem to mow through my very coarse facial hair with more ease than most of the hollow ground razors I own. Three passes left me with a fantastic DFS+, a few drops of the tonic followed, and a couple sprays of Sunshine Man olfactorily bludgeoned me into my happy place.
This juice is something special. I was introduced to it by @Dagwoodz, who sent me a surprise sample, and it was on my radar for a while before I was finally able to pull the trigger on it. Beast mode performance and 18+ hour longevity. Some might say that it doesn't make sense to use a frag like this before heading into a machine shop, but catching whiffs of something so good all night long just improves my mood. Aside from that, I never really understood how folks classify frags. If it smells good to me I wear it regardless of what time of day it is or the situation. The only exception being if I know I'm going to be around someone who is sensitive to frags, or I know it's something so strong that it will choke out a room full of people.
In other news, the house search has begun. I'm at the very beginning of the process and have a ways to go, but Michigan has some really nice incentives for first time home buyers and the hoops I have to jump through to access them are minimal compared to the reward. Which means that The Dungeon 2.0 is closer to being a reality, and that has me excited.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
GearNoir
“The Disney Princess’s Apprentice”
SteveChuckFrank
Close Enough*
Interest rates have never been lower so now is the perfect time. There are lot of good programs out there for first time buyers too. Good luck with the hunt!
Hope you can find something!
Thanks guys! It's a work in progress. I've actually found a place that is really great for me, but sadly I'm not ready to make an offer on it yet. Honestly, I want it more for the garage than anything lol. Huge heated garage that is perfect for the workshop with plenty of room to expand.
2/13 SOTD
Razor: Rockwell 6c
Blade: Wizamet
Brush: Sorrentino Turquoise
Soap: Blue Willie(modern Williams mixed with Aqua Velva Ice Blue)
Aftershave #1: CBL After Shave Tonic
Aftershave #2: Aqua Velva Ice Blue
EDT: Tous Man Sport
In honor of the poor saps who agreed to the Williams challenge I grabbed my tub of Blue Willie, which was mixed up about three years ago and probably hasn't been used since. I'm still not sure how many shaves are on the Wizamet in the 6c, but it has to be at least 10, maybe closer to 15.
As with many people, I have a problem with disappearing lather while using modern Williams. However, the slickness of this stuff is probably better than any soap I've ever used and all I really needed to do was use a spray bottle of water to wet the skin, which brought the slickness right back. Got a nice 3 pass DFS+ from the experience, and finished it off with one of my favorite new products, CBL's aftershave tonic, and a nice splash of Aqua Velva Ice Blue. Grabbed the Tous Man Sport more to complete the color scheme than anything else. This is a great cheapie, and very versatile. A few sprays of that and I was good to go.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Razor: Rockwell 6c
Blade: Wizamet
Brush: Sorrentino Turquoise
Soap: Blue Willie(modern Williams mixed with Aqua Velva Ice Blue)
Aftershave #1: CBL After Shave Tonic
Aftershave #2: Aqua Velva Ice Blue
EDT: Tous Man Sport
In honor of the poor saps who agreed to the Williams challenge I grabbed my tub of Blue Willie, which was mixed up about three years ago and probably hasn't been used since. I'm still not sure how many shaves are on the Wizamet in the 6c, but it has to be at least 10, maybe closer to 15.
As with many people, I have a problem with disappearing lather while using modern Williams. However, the slickness of this stuff is probably better than any soap I've ever used and all I really needed to do was use a spray bottle of water to wet the skin, which brought the slickness right back. Got a nice 3 pass DFS+ from the experience, and finished it off with one of my favorite new products, CBL's aftershave tonic, and a nice splash of Aqua Velva Ice Blue. Grabbed the Tous Man Sport more to complete the color scheme than anything else. This is a great cheapie, and very versatile. A few sprays of that and I was good to go.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
2/14 SOTD
Razor: Rockwell 6c
Blade: Gillette SB
Brush: TSC 2nd Anniversary
Soap: WCS Oriental
Aftershave: CBL After Shave Tonic
EDP: Penhaligon's Halfeti
Another Valentine's Day went by with no one to share it with, but I can still enjoy some fantastic rose scents. Grabbed a soap that I've only used once or twice for yesterday's shave. WCS Oriental is a great spicy rose and a fine performer. I scrapped out the Wizamet from the 6c on general principle(I'm still not sure how many shaves are on it and didn't want to press my luck. Life is too short for tuggy shaves) and replaced it with a Gillette Silver Blue.
Three pass shaving nirvana. Everything was smooth and easy, and a BBS was achieved with little effort. I've gotten to the point where I am not as likely to chase a BBS, but when the shave is this nice and it only takes a bit more to get there I'll go the extra step. A few drops of CBL's magic post shave and a couple sprays of Halfeti and I was feeling great.
Yes, I went to work in a machine shop smelling like a Turkish rose, and I loved it! My co-workers probably did as well, but I think there is something in bro-code about complimenting another mans smell when flowers are involved, likely right next to making heavy eye contact while applying chapstick.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Razor: Rockwell 6c
Blade: Gillette SB
Brush: TSC 2nd Anniversary
Soap: WCS Oriental
Aftershave: CBL After Shave Tonic
EDP: Penhaligon's Halfeti
Another Valentine's Day went by with no one to share it with, but I can still enjoy some fantastic rose scents. Grabbed a soap that I've only used once or twice for yesterday's shave. WCS Oriental is a great spicy rose and a fine performer. I scrapped out the Wizamet from the 6c on general principle(I'm still not sure how many shaves are on it and didn't want to press my luck. Life is too short for tuggy shaves) and replaced it with a Gillette Silver Blue.
Three pass shaving nirvana. Everything was smooth and easy, and a BBS was achieved with little effort. I've gotten to the point where I am not as likely to chase a BBS, but when the shave is this nice and it only takes a bit more to get there I'll go the extra step. A few drops of CBL's magic post shave and a couple sprays of Halfeti and I was feeling great.
Yes, I went to work in a machine shop smelling like a Turkish rose, and I loved it! My co-workers probably did as well, but I think there is something in bro-code about complimenting another mans smell when flowers are involved, likely right next to making heavy eye contact while applying chapstick.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
2/15 SOTD
Razor: Rockwell 6c
Blade: Gillette SB
Brush: Sorrentino Turquoise
Soap: Zingari Man The Explorer
Aftershave: CBL After Shave Tonic
Frag: None
Another 3 pass BBS with this excellent soap. Went frag-free today. Then drove to work in this, a well travelled highway lol.
We’re supposed to get another 6-10 inches while I’m at work, so the drive home should be fun
Razor: Rockwell 6c
Blade: Gillette SB
Brush: Sorrentino Turquoise
Soap: Zingari Man The Explorer
Aftershave: CBL After Shave Tonic
Frag: None
Another 3 pass BBS with this excellent soap. Went frag-free today. Then drove to work in this, a well travelled highway lol.
We’re supposed to get another 6-10 inches while I’m at work, so the drive home should be fun
SteveChuckFrank
Close Enough*
That was me on the way to work last week. Stay safe out there Eric!
Stay safe, Eric.
The drive home was indeed fun lol. Fortunately it seems that a lot of people called in to work so there was pretty minimal traffic. It still took about twice as long to get home as usual though.
2/18 SOTD
Razor: Rockwell 6c
Blade: Wizamet
Brush: Maggards 22mm 2-band
Soap: CF Sherlock
Aftershave: CF Sherlock
Outstanding shave with a favorite scent. 3-pass BBS with no trouble.
2/21 SOTD
Razor: Carl Monkhouse
Brush: TSC Legacy
Soap: Vintage Yardley
Aftershave: Vintage Yardley English Lavender
First shave on the Monkhouse after it's honing the other day. The edge was good, but not great. That seems to be pretty common for me. I'm able to get a very passable edge, but the real combination of sharp and smooth that I've experienced from a couple of other honers eludes me. The edge can swing farther towards sharp or smooth, but I can never seem to get that magic combination. A 3-pass DFS+ was achieved, and I see why people prize these vintage soaps. I was able to whip up a fantastically creamy lather with ease, and it was plenty slick. Very little scent remained. but that's no surprise given the age of the puck. The aftershave more than made up for it. Fantastic scent, though it didn't last as long as I'd hoped.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Razor: Rockwell 6c
Blade: Wizamet
Brush: Maggards 22mm 2-band
Soap: CF Sherlock
Aftershave: CF Sherlock
Outstanding shave with a favorite scent. 3-pass BBS with no trouble.
2/21 SOTD
Razor: Carl Monkhouse
Brush: TSC Legacy
Soap: Vintage Yardley
Aftershave: Vintage Yardley English Lavender
First shave on the Monkhouse after it's honing the other day. The edge was good, but not great. That seems to be pretty common for me. I'm able to get a very passable edge, but the real combination of sharp and smooth that I've experienced from a couple of other honers eludes me. The edge can swing farther towards sharp or smooth, but I can never seem to get that magic combination. A 3-pass DFS+ was achieved, and I see why people prize these vintage soaps. I was able to whip up a fantastically creamy lather with ease, and it was plenty slick. Very little scent remained. but that's no surprise given the age of the puck. The aftershave more than made up for it. Fantastic scent, though it didn't last as long as I'd hoped.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!