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BradWorld's Shave Journal

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
Great Halloween travel shave.

Lupo 95. Kimg of Shaves stick. Stf 23mm. Aqua Velva Blue. Platinum light blue box. Really good results.

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thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
My brain just went to:

“This is Brad. He uses P90 pickups and his Mom has a cool Halloween thingy.”

Is it from a store or did you 3D print it and paint it?
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
My brain just went to:

“This is Brad. He uses P90 pickups and his Mom has a cool Halloween thingy.”

Is it from a store or did you 3D print it and paint it?
My mom picked it up somewhere. I had nothing to do with it.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
I’ll tone down the unwarranted praise on eye catching haunted house fabricating skills.
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
I’ll tone down the unwarranted praise on eye catching haunted house fabricating skills.

No worries I love to 3D print. But alas, my mom is a thrift store junkie with a house full of great Knick knacks.

He does? He's got great taste!

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Unfortunately with downsizing for a nomad life, I have now gotten rid of all my P90 guitars. I love the growl of P90’s but they don’t get used enough compared to other pickup configurations.

Nice SG. Is that an SG 200?
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
If their initial claims are factual, a pair of Fishman Fluence and time with their software will get you any tone you desire. They might not be factual claims as there are “signature” series Fluence pickups, but I’m hoping that’s cynicism on Fishman’s end (Fluence? meh…. Tosin Abasi Fluence? Take my money now!).
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
If their initial claims are factual, a pair of Fishman Fluence and time with their software will get you any tone you desire. They might not be factual claims as there are “signature” series Fluence pickups, but I’m hoping that’s cynicism on Fishman’s end (Fluence? meh…. Tosin Abasi Fluence? Take my money now!).
The Greg Koch Gristle-tone set sounds awesome. But if I wanted to put a computer in my guitar….. well I wouldn’t. 🤪😜
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Understood. When I was a wee nipper, actives seemed so cool to me, but passives have ruled the roost for most of my life.
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
The Misery of WAR…

Today’s shave was perhaps the scariest shave of my life. Made a promise to go to war! And I kept it! With all the talk of how horrible this scent smelled, I was mortified. I ordered the soap/splash set during the first day of the preorder. By the time the sample started arriving, it was too late! I was locked in…. Awaiting a shipment of dread and despair.

Never has there been a soap with such unanimously horrid reviews! Was it really going to smell like Cilantro? Tacos? Gun oil and hot metal? I was about to find out!

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and the order shows up. I also got the Death set, which is excellent. But the War set was the focus of my curiosity. I was leaving for a long trip the next day, and I wanted to try Death before I left. So I took the War soap, and did a little sniff. Rubbed my finger in it. Made my wife smell it too. It smelled dreadful. Like burning and rotting corpses, mixed with vomit. Really bad. Took a dab of the splash on my finger. More of the same…. but…. more! It took me several hours to wash this stench from my hands. It was horrific.

Got home from that road trip last night. This morning I was committed to performing this dreadful task. I was going to War, and there was no stopping me. No in-person meetings. A scheduled visit to the cigar lounge this evening. A jam session tonight in a funky incense filled studio. My schedule was a perfect alignment of the stars. If this were to go badly, the rest of my day would be filled with activities that could potentially drown out the Misery of War!

I picked a stainless Wolfman for the task. I figured it would be the least porous metal, and would potentially be the most resistant to the smell. I picked the Simpson Trafalgar 3. It’s the bottom of all my many brushes right now. Don’t like it. Figured if I had to toss it in the trash, no biggie. Loaded the Wolf with a fresh Perma Sharp, and was set to go.

Popped open the tub, and took a whiff…. Yup. Rotting and burning corpse, mixed with vomit. Not looking good. Left the tub open and jumped in the shower.

Now keep in mind that B&M has a super long history of scents that evolve when whipped up into a lather with a brush. Sometimes they bloom. Sometimes they evolve. And sometimes they whither away into a faint glimpse of the tubbed glory.

I got to work. I loaded the brush extra hard and long. If I were going to go up in flames, I wanted a bonfire. I normally load Omnibus for 8 to 12 seconds. I stopped counting at 20 seconds and kept going. I face lathered. The War whipped up into a frothy creamy goopy lather. Really awesome texture. Totally Omnibus but more so. I find some Omnibus varieties are just thicker and goopier than others. And I love that! Fougere Gothique is totally like that! So is Passiflora. This one was over the top. So thick rich and layered.

I had an A+ shave. Applied the splash. I am still alive. The contents of my stomach remain where they should.

The smell. The smell. Well, it was shocking. The soap smells dreadful in the tub. It really does. Horrific is an appropriate word for this stench. It’s bad. Really bad. I was ready for the worst. I really and truly was! I planned this out carefully in the event that I smelled like a pile of burning and rotting flesh all day. But when I whipped up the lather, the smell transformed into an amalgam of gunpowder, smoke, hot metal, and yes, burning corpse. When I applied the splash, I got a good whiff of alcohol, and more of the same smell. Perhaps a bit of musk or some other spice hidden in the mix. Something more than what was in the soap.

Is it a good smell? Most people would say no. Decidedly no. But it is nowhere near as bad as what it smells like directly from the tub. I love dirty earthy scents. I love all thing macabre. I despise anything too flowery or perfumey. This one is dark for sure. Very smokey. But not smokey like a campfire or nightclub oriented scent. More like burning flesh and an oily gun barrel that just fired a thousand rounds and is too hot to touch without burning the skin off your fingers. So the verdict is…. I don’t hate it! I’d use it again.

I asked my son, a fellow wet shaver, what he thought, and he simply said it smelled smokey. I was able to have a meal an hour later without issue. I’m sitting here yet another hour later basking in the cloud of War. It’s a long lasting scent. A strong scent. A gnarly scent. Not for everyone. But I kinda like it. Shocking results!

Stay smooth!

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Hannah's Dad

I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
The Misery of WAR…

Today’s shave was perhaps the scariest shave of my life. Made a promise to go to war! And I kept it! With all the talk of how horrible this scent smelled, I was mortified. I ordered the soap/splash set during the first day of the preorder. By the time the sample started arriving, it was too late! I was locked in…. Awaiting a shipment of dread and despair.

Never has there been a soap with such unanimously horrid reviews! Was it really going to smell like Cilantro? Tacos? Gun oil and hot metal? I was about to find out!

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and the order shows up. I also got the Death set, which is excellent. But the War set was the focus of my curiosity. I was leaving for a long trip the next day, and I wanted to try Death before I left. So I took the War soap, and did a little sniff. Rubbed my finger in it. Made my wife smell it too. It smelled dreadful. Like burning and rotting corpses, mixed with vomit. Really bad. Took a dab of the splash on my finger. More of the same…. but…. more! It took me several hours to wash this stench from my hands. It was horrific.

Got home from that road trip last night. This morning I was committed to performing this dreadful task. I was going to War, and there was no stopping me. No in-person meetings. A scheduled visit to the cigar lounge this evening. A jam session tonight in a funky incense filled studio. My schedule was a perfect alignment of the stars. If this were to go badly, the rest of my day would be filled with activities that could potentially drown out the Misery of War!

I picked a stainless Wolfman for the task. I figured it would be the least porous metal, and would potentially be the most resistant to the smell. I picked the Simpson Trafalgar 3. It’s the bottom of all my many brushes right now. Don’t like it. Figured if I had to toss it in the trash, no biggie. Loaded the Wolf with a fresh Perma Sharp, and was set to go.

Popped open the tub, and took a whiff…. Yup. Rotting and burning corpse, mixed with vomit. Not looking good. Left the tub open and jumped in the shower.

Now keep in mind that B&M has a super long history of scents that evolve when whipped up into a lather with a brush. Sometimes they bloom. Sometimes they evolve. And sometimes they whither away into a faint glimpse of the tubbed glory.

I got to work. I loaded the brush extra hard and long. If I were going to go up in flames, I wanted a bonfire. I normally load Omnibus for 8 to 12 seconds. I stopped counting at 20 seconds and kept going. I face lathered. The War whipped up into a frothy creamy goopy lather. Really awesome texture. Totally Omnibus but more so. I find some Omnibus varieties are just thicker and goopier than others. And I love that! Fougere Gothique is totally like that! So is Passiflora. This one was over the top. So thick rich and layered.

I had an A+ shave. Applied the splash. I am still alive. The contents of my stomach remain where they should.

The smell. The smell. Well, it was shocking. The soap smells dreadful in the tub. It really does. Horrific is an appropriate word for this stench. It’s bad. Really bad. I was ready for the worst. I really and truly was! I planned this out carefully in the event that I smelled like a pile of burning and rotting flesh all day. But when I whipped up the lather, the smell transformed into an amalgam of gunpowder, smoke, hot metal, and yes, burning corpse. When I applied the splash, I got a good whiff of alcohol, and more of the same smell. Perhaps a bit of musk or some other spice hidden in the mix. Something more than what was in the soap.

Is it a good smell? Most people would say no. Decidedly no. But it is nowhere near as bad as what it smells like directly from the tub. I love dirty earthy scents. I love all thing macabre. I despise anything too flowery or perfumey. This one is dark for sure. Very smokey. But not smokey like a campfire or nightclub oriented scent. More like burning flesh and an oily gun barrel that just fired a thousand rounds and is too hot to touch without burning the skin off your fingers. So the verdict is…. I don’t hate it! I’d use it again.

I asked my son, a fellow wet shaver, what he thought, and he simply said it smelled smokey. I was able to have a meal an hour later without issue. I’m sitting here yet another hour later basking in the cloud of War. It’s a long lasting scent. A strong scent. A gnarly scent. Not for everyone. But I kinda like it. Shocking results!

Stay smooth!

View attachment 1547455
Absolutely brilliant (and remarkably brave) post, Brad! It should be a ‘sticky’ for others wanting to go to War.

Glad you’ll continue to get a return on the investment. I don’t regret my decision to pitch it, but I lacked the bravery you possess. Well done, my friend!

EDIT — one more thing — keep that horrific stench away from the brushes I won in the St. Sue Auction or you and I will be going to war.
 
Absolutely brilliant (and remarkably brave) post, Brad! It should be a ‘sticky’ for others wanting to go to War.

Glad you’ll continue to get a return on the investment. I don’t regret my decision to pitch it, but I lacked the bravery you possess. Well done, my friend!

EDIT — one more thing — keep that horrific stench away from the brushes I won in the St. Sue Auction or you and I will be going to war.
Look who's getting a free Simpsons T3 thrown in as a bonus! :scared:
 
The Misery of WAR…

Today’s shave was perhaps the scariest shave of my life. Made a promise to go to war! And I kept it! With all the talk of how horrible this scent smelled, I was mortified. I ordered the soap/splash set during the first day of the preorder. By the time the sample started arriving, it was too late! I was locked in…. Awaiting a shipment of dread and despair.

Never has there been a soap with such unanimously horrid reviews! Was it really going to smell like Cilantro? Tacos? Gun oil and hot metal? I was about to find out!

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and the order shows up. I also got the Death set, which is excellent. But the War set was the focus of my curiosity. I was leaving for a long trip the next day, and I wanted to try Death before I left. So I took the War soap, and did a little sniff. Rubbed my finger in it. Made my wife smell it too. It smelled dreadful. Like burning and rotting corpses, mixed with vomit. Really bad. Took a dab of the splash on my finger. More of the same…. but…. more! It took me several hours to wash this stench from my hands. It was horrific.

Got home from that road trip last night. This morning I was committed to performing this dreadful task. I was going to War, and there was no stopping me. No in-person meetings. A scheduled visit to the cigar lounge this evening. A jam session tonight in a funky incense filled studio. My schedule was a perfect alignment of the stars. If this were to go badly, the rest of my day would be filled with activities that could potentially drown out the Misery of War!

I picked a stainless Wolfman for the task. I figured it would be the least porous metal, and would potentially be the most resistant to the smell. I picked the Simpson Trafalgar 3. It’s the bottom of all my many brushes right now. Don’t like it. Figured if I had to toss it in the trash, no biggie. Loaded the Wolf with a fresh Perma Sharp, and was set to go.

Popped open the tub, and took a whiff…. Yup. Rotting and burning corpse, mixed with vomit. Not looking good. Left the tub open and jumped in the shower.

Now keep in mind that B&M has a super long history of scents that evolve when whipped up into a lather with a brush. Sometimes they bloom. Sometimes they evolve. And sometimes they whither away into a faint glimpse of the tubbed glory.

I got to work. I loaded the brush extra hard and long. If I were going to go up in flames, I wanted a bonfire. I normally load Omnibus for 8 to 12 seconds. I stopped counting at 20 seconds and kept going. I face lathered. The War whipped up into a frothy creamy goopy lather. Really awesome texture. Totally Omnibus but more so. I find some Omnibus varieties are just thicker and goopier than others. And I love that! Fougere Gothique is totally like that! So is Passiflora. This one was over the top. So thick rich and layered.

I had an A+ shave. Applied the splash. I am still alive. The contents of my stomach remain where they should.

The smell. The smell. Well, it was shocking. The soap smells dreadful in the tub. It really does. Horrific is an appropriate word for this stench. It’s bad. Really bad. I was ready for the worst. I really and truly was! I planned this out carefully in the event that I smelled like a pile of burning and rotting flesh all day. But when I whipped up the lather, the smell transformed into an amalgam of gunpowder, smoke, hot metal, and yes, burning corpse. When I applied the splash, I got a good whiff of alcohol, and more of the same smell. Perhaps a bit of musk or some other spice hidden in the mix. Something more than what was in the soap.

Is it a good smell? Most people would say no. Decidedly no. But it is nowhere near as bad as what it smells like directly from the tub. I love dirty earthy scents. I love all thing macabre. I despise anything too flowery or perfumey. This one is dark for sure. Very smokey. But not smokey like a campfire or nightclub oriented scent. More like burning flesh and an oily gun barrel that just fired a thousand rounds and is too hot to touch without burning the skin off your fingers. So the verdict is…. I don’t hate it! I’d use it again.

I asked my son, a fellow wet shaver, what he thought, and he simply said it smelled smokey. I was able to have a meal an hour later without issue. I’m sitting here yet another hour later basking in the cloud of War. It’s a long lasting scent. A strong scent. A gnarly scent. Not for everyone. But I kinda like it. Shocking results!

Stay smooth!

View attachment 1547455
Wow! I'm almost speechless.

I went to War and barely survived. I mean barely!

I'm very glad you're able to look at this endeavor with positive eyes. I also thoroughly appreciate you stepping up to the plate as well. Commitment and integrity are meaningful.

Thank you for your review. 🍻
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
Halloween SOTD …. And New Brush Day!

Today’s shave features my Orange & Black Slim on 9. Scary, right!?! A Perma Sharp blade did the cutting. Fougere Gothique soap was chosen because of its dark earthy smell, as well as it’s Halloween centric Devil’s theme. The Holy Black’s Vampire Hunter splash and EDT finished it up. A+ shave today. Terrific.

For this shave, I used my new @Rudy Vey auction brush for the first time. The brush looks awesome, especially with its wonderful blue handle. It’s supposed to be a 23mm STF knot. But it looks really small. Regardless, the shave results were excellent with this brush. But comparing this to a Muhle 23 mm STF has left me questioning everything about this brush.

I have a stock Muhle 23 mm STF. I also have a 25 mm 2022 Rudy Vey Contributors Brush. I purchased the Muhle specifically as a travel brush after falling in love with the Rudy 25. I love the Rudy 25mm. It has become my all time favorite brush since I got it. The Muhle 23 is a great travel brush. But it is super floppy compared to the Rudy 25. Flings lather. Based on the auction listing, I assumed the loft would be shorter in Rudy’s brush. Plus it was a great cause, so it’s win-win.

The Muhle 23 knot just feels bigger than this Rudy 23 knot to me. Much bigger. I thought maybe the loft is set deeper on Rudy’s brush. Rudy says the “loft is about 48/50 mm”. Muhle doesn’t list the loft on their website. So I measured it as roughly 58 mm or so with my calipers. The base of the knots are similar diameter on both brushes.

The handle of the Muhle 23 is quite small. I bought it because the handle fit in my 3D printed travel tube. The Rudy 23 handle is big and beautiful! Classic shape. Great feel in the hand! So maybe the larger handle makes the knot feel small.

But then I looked at the knot itself. The Muhle 23 is bulbous and round. The Rudy 23 has more of a hybrid shape. The top of the knot comes up past the band in almost a pyramid shape. Interesting! If you line up the colored band on the knots, the Muhle sticks up much farther. The question I have for @Rudy Vey is if this knot was hand trimmed. Or was it procured as a different shaped STF knot than what is used in the stock Muhle STF brushes.

I have included some comparison pics below.

Then end results were phenomenal. This little knotted Rudy 23 STF lathers like a beast. Much less floppiness. Much more enjoyable scrub when face lathering. Gobs of luscious lather. And it held enough frothy Omnibus lather for three passes, with lots left in the brush at the end. It feels nothing like the stock Muhle version. It feels like a badger. It is an excellent addition to my den. And fills a spot that was vacant. I didn’t have a smaller knotted synth that I truly love. I do now!

So many thanks to Rudy for donating this wonderful brush to the auction. It’s a win-win for everyone.

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