Cal's "I don't do journals" Journal

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

After purchasing my easily forgotten D0 ( R41, all is forgiven), I was browsing DS Cosmetic's shop and spotted a brush that I liked the look of. It's a two band, but with a MASSIVE (to me) 26mm knot. As it was at a giveaway price (compared to Simpson/Shavemac/etc) I purchased it... thinking I might discover what Jim @Chan Eil Whiskers keeps on raving about regarding 26mm knots.

^ Have you heard a feebler excuse for buying a shave related item?

It landed today. Here it is just out of the box:
View attachment 1190648

and post-prep:
View attachment 1190649

---

SOTD
View attachment 1190652

Brush: DS Cosmetic 26/49 Two Band
Soap: TFS Mandarino Tachibana
Razor: Worlds Finest Safety Razor
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (3)
ASL: Proraso Red

WFSR Shave 28:
Another very nice shave.

The new kid on the block today is the DS Cosmetic two band badger brush. Its 26mm knot is way bigger than my preferred 16mm to 20mm range, but one needs to step out of one's box every now and then.

I gave it my usual "new brush pre-shave prep" before using it this evening. For the first use of an unfamiliar brush it performed really well. My only problem was figuring out how to move it from A to B when it was already covering both.

Of course, in the name of "science" one must persevere. So I intend using it for seven consecutive shaves, to discover if MASSIVE brushes are for me in the long term, or not.


Happy shaves guys.

Amazing, Cal. Reminds me a lot of your Shavemac handles.

Wonder if you will be getting a 30 mm brush? Now we're talking really big. I like the 30 mm brushes I have but mostly wouldn't mind if they were 28 mm or 26 mm.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Somerled]

Amazing, Cal. Reminds me a lot of your Shavemac handles.

Wonder if you will be getting a 30 mm brush? Now we're talking really big. I like the 30 mm brushes I have but mostly wouldn't mind if they were 28 mm or 26 mm.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I have a 30mm Synth

Doesn't get used much. Tends to get lather everywhere other than my face.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have a 30mm Synth...Doesn't get used much. Tends to get lather everywhere other than my face.

I've several brushes with nominal sizes of 30 mm and actual handle exit sizes more than 30 mm; none of these are synthetics. All are two band or three band. They do a fine job of both covering the territory and staying within their lanes, but I like my 26 mm and 28 mm brushes (nominal sizes) better.

I'm generally not very experienced with synthetics and generally have not liked the ones I've tried. I don't mean I've hated them or that they've been horrible brushes, but some sling the lather all over the place, and others just don't feel right to me, too springy, and most have a "plastic" vibe and feel.

My Omega Evo is another animal entirely. I'm quite pleased with it. Even though I know it's a synthetic it could fool me into believing the people at Omega made an error and installed a three band silvertip instead of a synthetic. Even though it's nominally a pretty large knot it feels a lot smaller than any similarly sized badger knot I've used. In other words, for me, it's a medium sized feeling and performing brush. I like it, but I'd like it better if it were like a two band or Manchurian rather than like a three band.

Occasionally I consider buying another synthetic, a Trafalgar 3. However, more of my thoughts these days have to do with downsizing. Only a few of my brushes get much action. There are a good many others I'd be likely to keep were I to downsize because they've excellent, but I have a good many near duplicates in terms of form and function. Fortunately most of these were not terribly expensive.

I don't see myself buying a lot more brushes. That doesn't mean none. In fact I have one on order, a Rudy Vey Shavemac Pure. There are a few other knots and brushes I'd like to try, but most of the knots and brushes in that category are sufficiently expensive to give me pause. Some are staggeringly expensive considering my means and needs, and beyond what I consider reasonable as I know they aren't that much better than a Yaqi two band.

I'd bet a great many of us are in the same boat.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Occasionally I consider buying another synthetic, a Trafalgar 3.

I don't have many brushes, but do have a Trafalgar T2 which arrived recently. I've only used it once, but it did the job perfectly, and is my softest feeling brush, but with good backbone. If it was slightly smaller, it might have become a primary, but as it's right on the upper limit for me size wise, it has become my reserve brush. The seller only had T2 and T3 in stock, and had they had a T1 I might have gone for that instead, although I don’t know the specifics of the differences between them.

That's a long winded way of saying I have a Trafalgar and really like it. I just wish it had been a little smaller, but can't find anything else I don't like about it.

 

[JoWolf]

I've several brushes with nominal sizes of 30 mm and actual handle exit sizes more than 30 mm; none of these are synthetics. All are two band or three band. They do a fine job of both covering the territory and staying within their lanes, but I like my 26 mm and 28 mm brushes (nominal sizes) better.

I'm generally not very experienced with synthetics and generally have not liked the ones I've tried. I don't mean I've hated them or that they've been horrible brushes, but some sling the lather all over the place, and others just don't feel right to me, too springy, and most have a "plastic" vibe and feel.


View attachment 1190888


My Omega Evo is another animal entirely. I'm quite pleased with it. Even though I know it's a synthetic it could fool me into believing the people at Omega made an error and installed a three band silvertip instead of a synthetic. Even though it's nominally a pretty large knot it feels a lot smaller than any similarly sized badger knot I've used. In other words, for me, it's a medium sized feeling and performing brush. I like it, but I'd like it better if it were like a two band or Manchurian rather than like a three band.

Occasionally I consider buying another synthetic, a Trafalgar 3. However, more of my thoughts these days have to do with downsizing. Only a few of my brushes get much action. There are a good many others I'd be likely to keep were I to downsize because they've excellent, but I have a good many near duplicates in terms of form and function. Fortunately most of these were not terribly expensive.

I don't see myself buying a lot more brushes. That doesn't mean none. In fact I have one on order, a Rudy Vey Shavemac Pure. There are a few other knots and brushes I'd like to try, but most of the knots and brushes in that category are sufficiently expensive to give me pause. Some are staggeringly expensive considering my means and needs, and beyond what I consider reasonable as I know they aren't that much better than a Yaqi two band.

I'd bet a great many of us are in the same boat.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I Certainly don’t have the soap or brush experience you have Jim. Locking in my soap with Vitos, thanks for that Jim. Locking in my DE into The House of Fatip. Grande being the champion. Thank you Bosc. Just when I thought all is well and I can happily coast along. Straights and rocks. I know you’ve been there. There is no escape. If it ain’t one thing it’s two

 

[Esox]

Sending a pigeon to convince me to buy a duck...

 

[Esox]

Just because Jim and Tim have me on a nigh-fixed four doesn’t mean the telepathy is there.

I don’t see you getting your Fatip Lo Storto Originale repaired/replaced and don’t see Al buying a Wonky Chomp any time soon.

The path to the MMOC must walk Wickham Way.

I dont think there is any fixing it. Its a slant. The blade is torqued. The only fix for that is a non slant. I think DE blades in a razor should maintain a linear edge. A slant is an aberration that changes the angle of edge to skin and cannot be overcome with technique, well it could be, I suppose, but I'd have to use only half the width of the razor and blade lol.

The MMOC and its few adherents walk their own road. That road is one Al would not appreciate. With the rigidity of the .009" thick blade and, I believe, the lack of precious metal coatings on the GEM PTFE blades combined with Al's "Hover Technique" and I'd be willing to bet my crooked Italian he would be in a world of tugging and pain.

 

[Esox]

The House of Fatip. Grande being the champion. Thank you Bosc.

Rave, Cal and TobyC are the ones I hold responsible for it all. It's because of them I bought my Grande, the best DE ever made.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I Certainly don’t have the soap or brush experience you have Jim. Locking in my soap with Vitos, thanks for that Jim. Locking in my DE into The House of Fatip. Grande being the champion. Thank you Bosc. Just when I thought all is well and I can happily coast along. Straights and rocks. I know you’ve been there. There is no escape. If it ain’t one thing it’s two

Where's that rabbit hole?

 

[thombrogan]

I dont think there is any fixing it. Its a slant.

Your description of it made it read as defective. Maybe not by much, but enough to keep you from grabbing a RazoRock Wunderbar, Ikon X3, and Phoenix Phantasma to feel the differences.

 

[Esox]

Maybe not by much, but enough to keep you from grabbing a RazoRock Wunderbar, Ikon X3, and Phoenix Phantasma to feel the differences.

If you listen really closely, you might hear my MMOC laughing lol.

 

[thombrogan]

Just like the George Harrison ballad: “While my Kampfe Brothers Lather Catcher mockingly chortles”

 

[Cal]

Even MORE goodies arrived today! I'm hooked, more TFS goodness.

---

SOTD

Brush: DS Cosmetic 26/49 Two Band
Soap: TFS Kathmandu
Razor: Worlds Finest Safety Razor
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (4)
ASL: TFS Kathmandu

WFSR Shave 29:
A fantastic shave!

Two new kids on the block today! TFS Kathmandu shaving soap and aftershave. The scent (to me) was one of those "different, but I'm sure it'll grow on me" types. On receiving the goods I gave the ASL the "on the wrist" 20 second (followed by the half hour) sniff. There was a significant difference between the top and base notes, both pleasant (to me). After my shave I liked the ASL splash so much that I did it again, something unheard of for me, especially considering my (previous?) hate of strong scents.

On reading TFS's description of Kathmandu Aftershave, they have it down to a T.

Spoiler

Kathmandu
Dedicated to lovers of strong perfumes, Kathmandu is the eau de Parfum that TFS has developed around the precious essential oil of African Geranium, backed by notes of Tobacco, Coffee, Hash, Oud, Incense and Carnation. It is the olfactory story that Mastro Michè, the master soap maker and creator of creation, has elaborated by condensing life and travel experiences. Intense and enveloping, never intrusive.

I did have a couple of, what I thought would be, challenges with the new soap and brush. The soap is in a standard TFS diameter tub (84mm [>3¼"]), but this one's only 30mm (<1¼") deep... and full to the brim. That, combined with the massive (to me) 26mm and bloomed brush knot, appeared to be a possible problem. Fortunately, foreknowledge of the likely problem turned it into an opportunity and loading was easy.
Of all the great teams I've had backing up the WFSR so far, I think this one is probably the tops.


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Even MORE goodies arrived today! I'm hooked, more TFS goodness.

---

SOTD
View attachment 1191234

Brush: DS Cosmetic 26/49 Two Band
Soap: TFS Kathmandu
Razor: Worlds Finest Safety Razor
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (4)
ASL: TFS Kathmandu

WFSR Shave 29:
A fantastic shave!

Two new kids on the block today! TFS Kathmandu shaving soap and aftershave. The scent (to me) was one of those "different, but I'm sure it'll grow on me" types. On receiving the goods I gave the ASL the "on the wrist" 20 second (followed by the half hour) sniff. There was a significant difference between the top and base notes, both pleasant (to me). After my shave I liked the ASL splash so much that I did it again, something unheard of for me, especially considering my (previous?) hate of strong scents.

On reading TFS's description of Kathmandu Aftershave, they have it down to a T.

Spoiler

Kathmandu
Dedicated to lovers of strong perfumes, Kathmandu is the eau de Parfum that TFS has developed around the precious essential oil of African Geranium, backed by notes of Tobacco, Coffee, Hash, Oud, Incense and Carnation. It is the olfactory story that Mastro Michè, the master soap maker and creator of creation, has elaborated by condensing life and travel experiences. Intense and enveloping, never intrusive.

I did have a couple of, what I thought would be, challenges with the new soap and brush. The soap is in a standard TFS diameter tub (84mm [>3¼"]), but this one's only 30mm (<1¼") deep... and full to the brim. That, combined with the massive (to me) 26mm and bloomed brush knot, appeared to be a possible problem. Fortunately, foreknowledge of the likely problem turned it into an opportunity and loading was easy.
Of all the great teams I've had backing up the WFSR so far, I think this one is probably the tops.


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Cal]

SOTD

Brush: DS Cosmetic 26/49 Two Band
Soap: TFS Kathmandu
Razor: Worlds Finest Safety Razor
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (5)
ASL: TFS Kathmandu

WFSR Shave 30:
Another super shave.

My intended 30 shaves with the WFSR are up. It was a great experience. I'm wondering if my next shave will be with a different razor, or not. At this moment I feel like I could continue with the WFSR forever and be very happy... but being fickle, we'll see what happens next shave (when it happens).

All the team performed great today, again.

Third shave in and I'm enjoying my massive (to me) brush. It's certainly different to any brush I've used before. I'm glad to say that it's a lather monster, and amazingly I haven't lathered my ears (so far).


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

SOTD
View attachment 1191934

Brush: DS Cosmetic 26/49 Two Band
Soap: TFS Kathmandu
Razor: Worlds Finest Safety Razor
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (5)
ASL: TFS Kathmandu

WFSR Shave 30:
Another super shave.

My intended 30 shaves with the WFSR are up. It was a great experience. I'm wondering if my next shave will be with a different razor, or not. At this moment I feel like I could continue with the WFSR forever and be very happy... but being fickle, we'll see what happens next shave (when it happens).

All the team performed great today, again.

Third shave in and I'm enjoying my massive (to me) brush. It's certainly different to any brush I've used before. I'm glad to say that it's a lather monster, and amazingly I haven't lathered my ears (so far).


Happy shaves guys.

Big brushes are easily learned. Then, they're easily used. Next, they take over the world.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Cal]

SOTD

Brush: DS Cosmetic 26/49 Two Band
Soap: TFS Kathmandu
Razor: Worlds Finest Safety Razor
Blade: Polsilver Super Iridium (1)
ASL: TFS Kathmandu

An excellent shave.

The only change today was the blade. I'm changing each blade after five shaves, just to see if I notice any great difference between them with this razor... so far nothing worth mentioning.

I'm really loving the Kathmandu scents. I keep on going into the bathroom and sniffing the soap and the aftershave... and get disappointed because I only get the top notes. Sitting here now (about an hour and a half after my shave) I'm really enjoying the base and middle notes.
If I wasn't crazy I'd be worried about myself.


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Cal]

SOTD

Brush: DS Cosmetic 26/49 Two Band
Soap: TFS Kathmandu
Razor: Worlds Finest Safety Razor
Blade: Polsilver Super Iridium (2)
ASL: TFS Kathmandu

Another fine shave.


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Cal]

SOTD

Brush: DS Cosmetic 26/49 Two Band
Soap: Aleppo 50%
Razor: Worlds Finest Safety Razor
Blade: Polsilver Super Iridium (3)
ASL: TFS Kathmandu

A different, but superb, shave.

I've been using Aleppo 50% soap (the percentage indicates the amount of laurel oil in the soap, the rest [50% in this case] being olive oil) for hands, face, body, and hair for the past six weeks. I must say it's an excellent soap, and the best shampoo bar I've ever used. It's unscented, but its natural "earthy" fragrance does take some getting used to. Having, at last, acclimatized to the scent I decided to see how it performed as a shaving soap...

Most Aleppo aficionados appear to recommend using it for just about EVERYTHING including shaving. As expected, shavers rate it as "the best," "the worst," and everywhere "in between." So, the only way to find out how it works for me was to try it.

Lathering up on the soap bar was easy. Face lathering, it appeared to be there... then gone. The lather was gone, but the slick 'n' thin coating was definitely still there. Shaving was a breeze, and of course so much easier being able to see exactly what's going on (like the blade pushing the cut whiskers, etc).

Post-shave, the earthy fragrance of the Aleppo soap combined with the TFS Kathmandu aftershave is really nice (he said, still sniffing it albeit faintly two hours on).


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Esox]

I've been using Aleppo 50% soap (the percentage indicates the amount of laurel oil in the soap, the rest [50% in this case] being olive oil) for hands, face, body, and hair for the past six weeks. I must say it's an excellent soap, and the best shampoo bar I've ever used. It's unscented, but its natural "earthy" fragrance does take some getting used to. Having, at last, acclimatized to the scent I decided to see how it performed as a shaving soap...

It may even pass as a cheese...