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

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Cal, I was looking at Fine Accoutrements web site. A growing number of their soaps are going out of stock. Their soap products are made in the Netherlands. I always thought it was made by De Vergulde. I heard a rumor De Vergulde is out of business. It's a shame because they've been in the business since 1554. I did a search and found De Vergulde products have been discontinued. This seems to fit my theory as to the Manufacturer of Fine Soaps. They are the only company in NL with the production capability to produce triple milled soaps. I hope Fine finds another company to produce their soaps. I think TFS might be able to do it. I love Fine Soaps, and I'm hoping that's not it for them.

It's a shame, Rave. In business since 1554. Amazing. Killed by Covid?

Amazing how hard it is (at least for me) to have any certainty at all about who actually makes the soaps we see under so many brands. I know many artisan soaps are made by the artisan but I suspect not as many are made in house as we might think.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Raven Koenes]

It's a shame, Rave. In business since 1554. Amazing. Killed by Covid?

Amazing how hard it is (at least for me) to have any certainty at all about who actually makes the soaps we see under so many brands. I know many artisan soaps are made by the artisan but I suspect not as many are made in house as we might think.

Happy shaves,

Jim

It's a fair bet that Covid did the company in. It's been in just the past year that their products have been discontinued. I bought my De Vergulde hand off of Amazon last year. It's never been easy to acquire without paying NL's exorbitant shipping. Then it seemed to become available in the US for a reasonable price. Now it's gone, and Amazon says it's been discontinued. I know all Razorock soaps are TFS. There are probably more like Phoenix Accoutrements. A lot of soaps seem to be made out of house.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

It's a fair bet that Covid did the company in. It's been in just the past year that their products have been discontinued. I bought my De Vergulde hand off of Amazon last year. It's never been easy to acquire without paying NL's exorbitant shipping. Then it seemed to become available in the US for a reasonable price. Now it's gone, and Amazon says it's been discontinued. I know all Razorock soaps are TFS. There are probably more like Phoenix Accoutrements. A lot of soaps seem to be made out of house.

It would be interesting and perhaps useful to know which are made where.

It's been suggested that all badger shaving brush knots are actually black badger chemically treated in various ways. For the record I doubt that, but who knows? Perhaps all soaps are made according to a very limited number of formulas/recipes by a very few manufacturers? I doubt that, too, but who knows?

My guess is the information is out there, but not very easy for consumers to find. Again, I'm guessing.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Cal]

SOTD

Brush: Semogue Torga C-3 22/49 Finest Mistura
Soap: TFS Italian Rhubarb
Razor: Worlds Finest Safety Razor
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (1)
ASL: Almond Splash

WFSR Shave 26:
Another excellent shave.

Cold Water Shave 7:
My seven cold water shaves have been very nice. I'm going back to my usual "warm water" next shave, to try and find out which I prefer (or if it's a tie).

The TFS Italian Rhubarb was very nice again. It mixed well with the Almond Splash, and I'm still getting the pleasant scent of that mixture an hour post-shave.

There was no drama with my first Wilkinson Sword blade, but then, I didn't expect there would be. All the teams I've picked to join the WFSR so far have excelled.

Happy shaves guys.

 

[Cal]

SOTD

Brush: Semogue Torga C-3 22/49 Finest Mistura
Soap: TFS Mandarino Tachibana
Razor: Worlds Finest Safety Razor
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (2)
ASL: Iced Orange

WFSR Shave 27:
A very nice shave.

Back to a warm water (vs cold water) shave today. Warm water wins! I prefer the feel of it and think it gives me a fractionally closer shave.
I did make up for it at the other end of the shave by using my Iced Orange ASL.

I'm really getting into the different shaving soap scents. That's something I thought would never happen. TFS is definitely the cat's meow for me (in all shaving soap respects). I'm now considering throwing some of my soaps out. If I do, first to go will be MWF, Williams, and Haslinger's Shafmilch... all perfectly good soaps but I don't like their sickly smell. In fact, if I could build up the courage I'd throw them ALL out barring my TFSs (and my MdC Citrus which is part of my "new-brush-prep-squad").


Happy shaves guys.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

SOTD
View attachment 1190034

Brush: Semogue Torga C-3 22/49 Finest Mistura
Soap: TFS Mandarino Tachibana
Razor: Worlds Finest Safety Razor
Blade: Wilkinson Sword (2)
ASL: Iced Orange

WFSR Shave 27:
A very nice shave.

Back to a warm water (vs cold water) shave today. Warm water wins! I prefer the feel of it and think it gives me a fractionally closer shave.
I did make up for it at the other end of the shave by using my Iced Orange ASL.

I'm really getting into the different shaving soap scents. That's something I thought would never happen. TFS is definitely the cat's meow for me (in all shaving soap respects). I'm now considering throwing some of my soaps out. If I do, first to go will be MWF, Williams, and Haslinger's Shafmilch... all perfectly good soaps but I don't like their sickly smell. In fact, if I could build up the courage I'd throw them ALL out barring my TFSs (and my MdC Citrus which is part of my "new-brush-prep-squad").


Happy shaves guys.

We're not using the same soaps but are having the same thoughts.

 

[Cal]

We're not using the same soaps but are having the same thoughts.

I should have known it! You've been influencing me subliminally again.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

You're thinking of culling, just as I've started expanding and stocking. How much more worldly turbulence does 2020 have in store?

I know what you mean though. I could easily do just Mitchell's Wool Fat, St James of London cream, Wickhams soap, and either Palmolive or Lea shave sticks. However, I think I seem more content than you do with "good enough". There's only La Toja here that doesn't meet the mark (of the ones I've tried), and that's probably due to those salts they added. Everything else is good enough, if only just for short intervals, and I'm happy to keep using them.

 

[thombrogan]

@AimlessWanderer becoming a Wickhams consumer. Next he’ll be getting a GEM Micromatic Open Comb and Bullet Tip!

 

[AimlessWanderer]

@AimlessWanderer becoming a Wickhams consumer. Next he’ll be getting a GEM Micromatic Open Comb and Bullet Tip!

Errr... no!

I've liked Wickhams for some time though, Thom. I got some samples a while ago (Shavedash, if you haven't already discovered them), and was quite happy with it. Personally, I think the performance of my primaries is better, but Wickhams do have some nice scents to add a bit of variety in the line up.

 

[thombrogan]

I’ll check back on this non-MMOC situation in 2021

 

[Esox]

I’ll check back on this non-MMOC situation in 2021

I'll try and work that into a subliminal subroutine as best as I can but Jim is better at telepathy. It's only taken three years to get Al started, now we just need to keep him rolling. We may even need to send in another pigeon...

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I'll try and work that into a subliminal subroutine as best as I can but Jim is better at telepathy. It's only taken three years to get Al started, now we just need to keep him rolling. We may even need to send in another pigeon...

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

 

[thombrogan]

Jim is better at telepathy.

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.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

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.

The Gem blade razors are probably as far off radar as the Wonky Chomp, because they use the wrong blades. DE blades are the only disposable blades I'll entertain. None of the single edged disposable blades interest me. I don't see any point in buying different blades, when the blades I have a lifetime supply of, give me the shaves I want.

 

[Somerled]

The Gem blade razors are probably as far off radar as the Wonky Chomp, because they use the wrong blades. DE blades are the only disposable blades I'll entertain. None of the single edged disposable blades interest me. I don't see any point in buying different blades, when the blades I have a lifetime supply of, give me the shaves I want.

You won't know if you don't try.

Thats about as subtle as I can manage on a Friday

 

[thombrogan]

I don't see any point in buying different blades, when the blades I have a lifetime supply of, give me the shaves I want.

Leap-frogging past Mike and me to join the MK1 Jones Shake Sharp Gang with @jmudrick and @never-stop-learning I see. Well met

 

[Cal]

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:

and post-prep:

---

SOTD

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.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

You won't know if you don't try.

But I do know I don't need more blade types, or want more blade types

Leap-frogging past Mike and me to join the MK1 Jones Shake Sharp Gang with @jmudrick and @never-stop-learning I see. Well met

I don't even know what that is, but it sounds... wonky

My only problem was figuring out how to move it from A to B when it was already covering both.

That's kind of how I felt with the Simpson Trafalgar T2, which is "only" 24mm, and more... together (less splayed). If a painting stroke is already touching goatee and lug hole, that doesn't really leave any room for swirls. I think if I tried that brush, Cal, I'd need a bigger face

 

[thombrogan]

Wonky would a Fatip Lo Storto Originale and I’d want one of those and know you wouldn’t.