Items by rtaylor61

I first ran into Colleen Hurley just over a year ago at Straight Edge Razors. She is a soapmaker and was interested in restoring straight razors. Soon, she was an active member at SRP and sending me soap samples to shave with. After a few misses, she started knocking home runs! So far, Desert Ironwood is my favorite, but I haven't found a bad one in the bunch! Price: TGQ soaps are priced competitively (I don't have the current price list) and I paid $5.95 for my 3 oz rounds. You can...

This brush came about as a recommendation by Lee. I purchased my PJ2 Best from Lee back in early summer, and the man is on top of his Simpsons! Very affordable, The Duke 2 is seldom mentioned on the forums, so I was excited to give it a go. Quality: The overall construction of this brush is fantastic. There is the worry of the label falling off, but a coating of nail polish eliminate that concern. The faux ivory handle is smooth and seamless. There is not glue showing at the base of the...

Discussion for this thread can be found here. I picked up my first Superior Brush a few months ago on ebay, a 20mm knot Best Badger, with a PJ-esque type handle. It is such a great brush, I felt the urge to upgrade. So before you now…the Superior Brush 25mm Super, with the black Jazz Handle, also a PJ-esque design. The acrylic based handle is a beauty. Slightly glossy, but not slick. There’s enough material here that you have plenty of swirl action. I’m beginning to like these...

The Rooney Style 2, small Genuine Silvertip. It's not a big bloomer, but it does deliver! With a 60mm loft, this brush is only 5mm smaller than the large Rooney brushes. And my first thought was that I would be "mopping" with this brush. But it was the PJ style handle that attracted me to the brush, I decided to keep an open mind. Let's start with the handle. Like all of the new Rooney brushes, the handle is a faux ivory color with a "woodgrain" type pattern. The handle itself is...

Thanks to a few enablers here at B&B, I finally broke down and Contacted Lee at Lee's Razors and ordered my PJ2. I've lusted after this brush for quite some time, due to the handle design. I call it the "Mae West" brush. That being said, I'm in love with Mae! I've used this brush exclusively for the past week. I've tried it with Taylor's, T&H, hard soaps, soap sticks and glycerine soaps. This brush just flat out performs. The tops are soft, but bristles stand up under pressure, and it...

For the past few couple of months, I’ve been using Granular Scrub by Face Tools. I use it 2-3 times per week, and for me, it has been the best “scrub” product I have used. Recently, I began using two more of the Face Tool products. This review is about “Cleanse ‘N Shave”, the shaving gel by Face Tools. Over a year ago I put away my Atra and Edge Gel, and this is the first time I have picked up a gel since then. I admit, I’ve had this product for a few weeks…I just couldn’t bring...

A few weeks ago I was able to pick up a brush on ebay being sold by Matt, or "medicwood" as he is known on the forums. Matt and his partner Randy, both firefighters, make these brushes on the side. Since I am a Persian Jar "handle" nut, this brush appealed to me, and I got lucky and won the auction. The handle is an acrylic base that is used in making counter tops. Despite that, I thought I would give this a try. And I'm glad I did. I love this brush! It performs well with soaps...

A year ago when I first jumped feet first into this shaving hobby, I had never considered what "exfoliating" meant, NEVER considered using a moisturizer, and certainly had never used a facial scrub. But after a month of shaving with a DE, I noticed changes in my face. My complexion was smoother. About the same time, my son, a teenager, started having issues with acne, something I never really had to deal with. So I started looking into facial care. I picked up some St. Ives at Wal Mart...

Viewing the packaging of Arko Shaving Soap reminds me of something Marty would have found in the first "Back to the Future" movie. Very out of date, yet quaint. But what matters is inside. Peel back the foil wrapper, and you'll find a white "candle" of shaving soap. It's a shaving stick, and one that is easy to use. Twice the price of a puck of Williams Shaving Soap, but 10 times the soap. The scent it nice, but faint. This stuff lathers easily, and provides the basics for a good...