You should be good with the Sterling samples, then, since they are really generous at 1 oz. each. They are slices of a full-size soap puck. Each should last you several weeks, easily.This is a very good point that I had failed to appreciate. Then again, I can always PIF whatever I’m not totally in love with. I’m going to pick one Stirling fragrance, go all in on it with it - AS etc, and get samples only of others I am interested in. Hopefully that strikes a good middle ground on being able to try different scents, and not need a new house to store them (or a loan).
First DE shave ever…generally horrible!
- Thread starter headshvr
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #62
This brings me to yet another question. Wow. I know I must be pushing things here. Thank you for your patience.
I have that tub of unopened Truefitt & Hill Grafton shave cream in the first pic I posted. I also have the Castle Forbes 1445 AS balm. I was going to swap the T&H cream today for matching CF 1445 cream. Good idea? Bad idea? Who cares? Lol.
That was all part of my initial, pre-B&B purchase. I want to still keep patronizing that shop, but I am also going to heavily branch out, first into the Stirling lineup.
I know the view here is that it’s overpriced, but any comments good or bad about the T&H CF swap idea? If I do it, I have to do it today.
Thanks!!!
I have that tub of unopened Truefitt & Hill Grafton shave cream in the first pic I posted. I also have the Castle Forbes 1445 AS balm. I was going to swap the T&H cream today for matching CF 1445 cream. Good idea? Bad idea? Who cares? Lol.
That was all part of my initial, pre-B&B purchase. I want to still keep patronizing that shop, but I am also going to heavily branch out, first into the Stirling lineup.
I know the view here is that it’s overpriced, but any comments good or bad about the T&H CF swap idea? If I do it, I have to do it today.
Thanks!!!
Interesting start. I started head shaving with a cart or disposable and stuff out of a can; took me a while to get to the point where I did not miss any spots without overshaving or doing too many passes.
Then I got DE razors and all the stuff that comes with it.....
It can become an addiction......
Enjoy the ride.
Then I got DE razors and all the stuff that comes with it.....
It can become an addiction......
Enjoy the ride.
Hahaha, I did that last year and felt guilty so my wife kept the boxes and distributed them amongst the kids to give them back to me, so I didn't get to use the items until Christmas!
I haven't tried Kent of Inglewood or Mature Gents yet. I had planned on visiting the Kent of Inglewood bricks and mortar store in Ottawa, but unfortunately it was closed.
It runs for every month so go out and explore and then come back to settle.Hahaha! Interesting thread. Restraint. What a concept. If I had even a tiny portion of what @Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker has, I’d be in a better position to join in. Unfortunately (or fortunately
- Thread starter
- #66
Not sure if this is appropriate but I’m going to respond to my own post.
Any issues, scent-wise, with mixing and matching Grafton and 1445? That’s the easiest solution. Saves me a trip to the store.
The scent on most soaps and creams will wash away when you are done shaving. Mixing and matching is not usually a big deal.
I think I only have 2 matching soap and splash combos. I mix and match soap and aftershaves on almost every shave, so its no big deal.
Great job, you survived your first shave. Now comes the fun part, shaving a second time, a third time, & on & on! Keep practicing & you'll be getting terrific shaves & loving this daily necessity of shaving. Welcome to B & B, enjoy your shaves!!!
Me too!
I can relate in the fact that I’m fairly new to DE/ wet shaving myself. Been in this for a couple months now. I believe you’ll find it more and more enjoyable as I have. It only gets more addicting.
You’re certainly on the right track, because you’ve joined this forum.
I’ll leave the rest of the advice up to these wonderful veterans of wet shaving.
Good luck sir!
You’re certainly on the right track, because you’ve joined this forum.
I’ll leave the rest of the advice up to these wonderful veterans of wet shaving.
Good luck sir!
- Thread starter
- #72
Do you try to generally match the scents, or scent families, so they don’t clash (even though the match isn’t exact), or does it make no difference because there is nothing left of the soap scent to clash with the splash, whatever it is? I assume though that you find that the splash lingers, which may make it tricky matching a fragrance? Or no?
The Stirling lineup is attractive (to me) because it leaves no guesswork. From hand soap to shave soap to splash to balm to EdT. No potential to mess up, scent-wise.
Sorry guys. Being born with OCD is a total curse
Do you try to generally match the scents, or scent families, so they don’t clash (even though the match isn’t exact), or does it make no difference because there is nothing left of the soap scent to clash with the splash, whatever it is? I assume though that you find that the splash lingers, which may make it tricky matching a fragrance? Or no?
The Stirling lineup is attractive (to me) because it leaves no guesswork. From hand soap to shave soap to splash to balm to EdT. No potential to mess up, scent-wise.
Sorry guys. Being born with OCD is a total curse
Happy Monday @headshvr Hopefully you had an awesome weekend!
To answer your question, yes, I do try to match scents when I can, and sometimes, I will use another brands product, because it smells the same. For example, I have Stirling Executive Man shave soap and EDT cologne, but I don't have their aftershave. Executive Man, is just Stirling's take on Creed Aventus. But I do have a bottle of Captains Choice Venture aftershave, which as it turns out, is also a Creed Aventus inspired product. So after using Stirling EM, I just splash on some CC Venture. Happy times!
Think about it, if I had a bottle of aftershave that matched all 13 shave soaps I have from Stirling, I'd go bankrupped by now lol. Sometimes, I am forced to NOT match scents, because I don't have a matching scent. Perfect example, recently I used Stirling's Hot Apple Cider shave soap. I don't have an apple scented aftershave. But apple is a fruit, and I do have Pinaud Clubman Citrus Musk, citrus is fruity scents, so I just applied that. And while it may not have been a perfect match, it was a far better match then if I had just used Bay Rum lol.
I too concur with you wanting to go with Stirling for all your soap and aftershave needs. I started with Tabac, Prorasso, Captains Choice, and Stirling. In the end, the brand that won me over, for both the performance of the soaps, the scents of the soaps, as well as the overall value you get for the money, is Stirling. Even Stirling's EDT cologne's cost less then most colognes do on the market.
Just to let you know, I have OCD as well, so I know where you are coming from. Yes, sometimes having OCD can be a curse, if not controlled. Having said that however, having OCD also means that you do some things better then others, due to greater attention to detail. If a store manager asked us to stocks shelves, our OCD helps to insure that all labels face forward, to secure the best sales. I worked in retail for awhile at a hardware store years back, you wouldn't believe all the new kids who got hired there, they would just toss the product on the shelves. I go walking by, and I had to read the labels on the shelves, to tell what the product was. Had to do many a correction in that regard lol.
At the end of the day, were all different @headshvr, use what works for you. But for me, I try to match when I can, and if I can't, I don't lose sleep over it. Now tonight I need to do a shave, I am starting to get scruffy again, and I don't wanna look like a scruffy looking nerf hurder like Han Solo.
- Thread starter
- #74
Awesome response. Thank you. En route to the mountains or I would type more. Really appreciate the adviceHappy Monday @headshvr Hopefully you had an awesome weekend!
To answer your question, yes, I do try to match scents when I can, and sometimes, I will use another brands product, because it smells the same. For example, I have Stirling Executive Man shave soap and EDT cologne, but I don't have their aftershave. Executive Man, is just Stirling's take on Creed Aventus. But I do have a bottle of Captains Choice Venture aftershave, which as it turns out, is also a Creed Aventus inspired product. So after using Stirling EM, I just splash on some CC Venture. Happy times!
Think about it, if I had a bottle of aftershave that matched all 13 shave soaps I have from Stirling, I'd go bankrupped by now lol. Sometimes, I am forced to NOT match scents, because I don't have a matching scent. Perfect example, recently I used Stirling's Hot Apple Cider shave soap. I don't have an apple scented aftershave. But apple is a fruit, and I do have Pinaud Clubman Citrus Musk, citrus is fruity scents, so I just applied that. And while it may not have been a perfect match, it was a far better match then if I had just used Bay Rum lol.
I too concur with you wanting to go with Stirling for all your soap and aftershave needs. I started with Tabac, Prorasso, Captains Choice, and Stirling. In the end, the brand that won me over, for both the performance of the soaps, the scents of the soaps, as well as the overall value you get for the money, is Stirling. Even Stirling's EDT cologne's cost less then most colognes do on the market.
Just to let you know, I have OCD as well, so I know where you are coming from. Yes, sometimes having OCD can be a curse, if not controlled. Having said that however, having OCD also means that you do some things better then others, due to greater attention to detail. If a store manager asked us to stocks shelves, our OCD helps to insure that all labels face forward, to secure the best sales. I worked in retail for awhile at a hardware store years back, you wouldn't believe all the new kids who got hired there, they would just toss the product on the shelves. I go walking by, and I had to read the labels on the shelves, to tell what the product was. Had to do many a correction in that regard lol.
At the end of the day, were all different @headshvr, use what works for you. But for me, I try to match when I can, and if I can't, I don't lose sleep over it. Now tonight I need to do a shave, I am starting to get scruffy again, and I don't wanna look like a scruffy looking nerf hurder like Han Solo.
- Thread starter
- #75
Update: I bought a Henson Mild and used it tonight. Brilliant. And that’s a huge understatement. It was worlds apart from my 6S, in a very good way. That has to be one of the best beginner razors out there.
I also bought a ton of Stirling stuff online the last two days - a pretty massive amount (for me at least, maybe not for you guys).
It will be interesting to see how it stacks up against my Castle Forbes lineup. I know the CF is viewed as snake oil here, and hey - it probably is - but wow - I am blown away on every single front. The 1445 cream and balm were absolutely gorgeous. I’m prepared to be convinced otherwise when the Stirling arrives, and hope I will be, but we shall see.
I did a 3 pass head shave with a tiny amount of cream (maybe 1/6 of a teaspoon) and still had a ton left at the end. I took the advice from here and kept feeding it water. Not a single tingle from the alum block afterwards, and really close to BBS.
I had so much fun tonight. I absolutely love this new hobby. Can’t wait for my Stirling shipment to arrive.
But wow - that Henson did not disappoint! And neither did the CF 1445 cream and balm. I can’t stop rubbing my head. It’s as smooth as silk and feels incredible. I have never experienced such silky smooth softness anywhere. It feels like there is a layer of cushioning or something all the way around my skull. Not sure if that’s from the soap, the balm, or both, but it’s really mind blowing.
I also bought a ton of Stirling stuff online the last two days - a pretty massive amount (for me at least, maybe not for you guys).
It will be interesting to see how it stacks up against my Castle Forbes lineup. I know the CF is viewed as snake oil here, and hey - it probably is - but wow - I am blown away on every single front. The 1445 cream and balm were absolutely gorgeous. I’m prepared to be convinced otherwise when the Stirling arrives, and hope I will be, but we shall see.
I did a 3 pass head shave with a tiny amount of cream (maybe 1/6 of a teaspoon) and still had a ton left at the end. I took the advice from here and kept feeding it water. Not a single tingle from the alum block afterwards, and really close to BBS.
I had so much fun tonight. I absolutely love this new hobby. Can’t wait for my Stirling shipment to arrive.
But wow - that Henson did not disappoint! And neither did the CF 1445 cream and balm. I can’t stop rubbing my head. It’s as smooth as silk and feels incredible. I have never experienced such silky smooth softness anywhere. It feels like there is a layer of cushioning or something all the way around my skull. Not sure if that’s from the soap, the balm, or both, but it’s really mind blowing.
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No, Castle Forbes is much respected and liked by many colleagues on here. It is one of the great classic high-end Creams with scent and performance which is excellent. The Lime Essence is almost spookily authentic to the scent of real lime, even down to the oily bitterness of the skin. Genius how they captured that subliminal, fleeting scent/smell/almost taste thing.
Glad you have found a razor that works for you!
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- Thread starter
- #77
One thing I am not sure of is how much to tighten the Henson handle once loaded with a blade.
I am a decades long, year round, avid mountain biker and learned long ago to not over tighten anything. I use a torque wrench for everything.
That said, the more I tighten the handle, the less the blade gap is. I assume the razor is designed to be tightened all the way down (within reason). That said, maybe it doubles as a poor man’s adjustable. Wish I knew how much to tighten it. I stopped cranking on it before it hit the end, out of fear.
I am a decades long, year round, avid mountain biker and learned long ago to not over tighten anything. I use a torque wrench for everything.
That said, the more I tighten the handle, the less the blade gap is. I assume the razor is designed to be tightened all the way down (within reason). That said, maybe it doubles as a poor man’s adjustable. Wish I knew how much to tighten it. I stopped cranking on it before it hit the end, out of fear.
- Thread starter
- #78
*sorry*
double post
double post
IMO, the Henson AL13 is perhaps the best beginner's razor out there, that can help convert a previous cartridge razor user, to the awesomeness of DE safety razors. Cart users tend to apply far too much pressure when they use cart shaves, this is because the razors design requires you to do so. With a DE razor, you do not need to apply pressure, and its recommended that you do not do so.
My Henson AL13 Medium razor in Steel Blue!
My Henson AL13 Medium razor with an
upgraded Razorock Halo handle!
The Henson AL13 is a fine razor indeed. Its made out of aluminum, and therefor is quite light. While I am personally not a fan of super light weight razors, like that of the Henson AL13, I do however enjoy the ability to flip this thing around like it aint no thing. This razors set blade angle, means that you don't have to think about your angle. Some might view this as a bad thing, because it doesn't teach you proper technique, for using other DE safety razors. But my view on it is, learning blade angle will all come in time, and no need to force things right away.
The benefit to this razor is, its fairly mild, with hardly any blade exposure at all, which makes it super safe for beginners to use. Additionally, this razor allows one to quick shave with it, thats what I use my Henson AL13 for BTW. If I am ever in a sticky situation, where I need to shave quickly, because I don't have time to do a standard 3-pass shave with bowl lathering and all that, I will whip this sucker out, and do a quick WTG pass shave, you'd be amazed how capable this razor is with short 1-2 day stubble! I am glad to hear that you had a really nice shave with it, way to go woohoo!
With a traditional DE razor, the rule of concept is, tighten the razor handle down to snug, and just make sure its not lose. If the handle comes lose, you will invite blade chatter, and that will turn your face into a 15yo suffering acne disorder, so yeah, make sure its tightly snug, but don't go crazy on it, cause it is fine thread afterall.
I am an engine mechanic, this is always the recommended approach, never overtighten anything, and use a torque wrench when required. Torque ratings depend on the type of thread, and what your threading into. So, for example, you can make things pretty tight with steel and a grade 8 bolt. With aluminum, you better just get it tight and stop. With plastic course thread, you better just make it snug. lol
What you are describing is a tension spring mechanism, which most DE razors do not have. I would like to re-iterate, most DE razors, get the handle tightened down snug, and do not let the handle get lose. There is an exception to this rule, and it happens to be my most recent razor acquisition...
PAA Copper Ascension Twist Adjustable In Rose Gold!
This is an double open comb razor, which uses a unique tension spring mechanism. If you take a close look at the head, you will notice that its arched over quite a bit. The top cap keeps constant pressure on the blade, up against the base plate. This razor, allows you to alter the gap, by loosening the handle, up to no more then 1/2 turn out, and allows you to adjust the aggression, without sacrificing safety.
The beauty with this razor is, you can tighten the handle all the way down, and its mild enough for any beginner to use! At the same time, it can be adjusted for a higher aggression, to increase efficiency. Proper shaving angle with this razor is 30 to 35 degrees, or in between steep and shallow. Its a magnificent razor, and its the only razor that I own, that I have given the highest level of recommendation for, on B&B.
PAA Copper Ascension Twist Adjustable Razor - A Truly Amazing Razor! (An SWCT Review)
Welcome everyone, to yet another SWCT razor review! PAA Copper Ascension Twist Adjustable Razor For those who know me on B&B, they know that I was seeking this razor, with a passion that would only be rivaled by true love. 😍This razor was chosen to be the last razor that I ever buy, and I am...
www.badgerandblade.com
Once you've used your Henson AL13 for several weeks, I can't wait to hear your full review on it! I've tried several different blades in my Henson AL13 Medium, I think my favorite blades really are the Wizamets. Wizamets are a bit expensive for a beginner to be buying however. Gillette Silver Blues are just as good, and I think it cost me 20 bucks to get a 100 pack of them.
- Thread starter
- #80
Thanks S_W_C_T. As usual, great comments, that were a pleasure to read.IMO, the Henson AL13 is perhaps the best beginner's razor out there, that can help convert a previous cartridge razor user, to the awesomeness of DE safety razors. Cart users tend to apply far too much pressure when they use cart shaves, this is because the razors design requires you to do so. With a DE razor, you do not need to apply pressure, and its recommended that you do not do so.
My Henson AL13 Medium razor in Steel Blue!
My Henson AL13 Medium razor with an
upgraded Razorock Halo handle!
The Henson AL13 is a fine razor indeed. Its made out of aluminum, and therefor is quite light. While I am personally not a fan of super light weight razors, like that of the Henson AL13, I do however enjoy the ability to flip this thing around like it aint no thing. This razors set blade angle, means that you don't have to think about your angle. Some might view this as a bad thing, because it doesn't teach you proper technique, for using other DE safety razors. But my view on it is, learning blade angle will all come in time, and no need to force things right away.
The benefit to this razor is, its fairly mild, with hardly any blade exposure at all, which makes it super safe for beginners to use. Additionally, this razor allows one to quick shave with it, thats what I use my Henson AL13 for BTW. If I am ever in a sticky situation, where I need to shave quickly, because I don't have time to do a standard 3-pass shave with bowl lathering and all that, I will whip this sucker out, and do a quick WTG pass shave, you'd be amazed how capable this razor is with short 1-2 day stubble! I am glad to hear that you had a really nice shave with it, way to go woohoo!
With a traditional DE razor, the rule of concept is, tighten the razor handle down to snug, and just make sure its not lose. If the handle comes lose, you will invite blade chatter, and that will turn your face into a 15yo suffering acne disorder, so yeah, make sure its tightly snug, but don't go crazy on it, cause it is fine thread afterall.
I am an engine mechanic, this is always the recommended approach, never overtighten anything, and use a torque wrench when required. Torque ratings depend on the type of thread, and what your threading into. So, for example, you can make things pretty tight with steel and a grade 8 bolt. With aluminum, you better just get it tight and stop. With plastic course thread, you better just make it snug. lol
What you are describing is a tension spring mechanism, which most DE razors do not have. I would like to re-iterate, most DE razors, get the handle tightened down snug, and do not let the handle get lose. There is an exception to this rule, and it happens to be my most recent razor acquisition...
PAA Copper Ascension Twist Adjustable In Rose Gold!
This is an double open comb razor, which uses a unique tension spring mechanism. If you take a close look at the head, you will notice that its arched over quite a bit. The top cap keeps constant pressure on the blade, up against the base plate. This razor, allows you to alter the gap, by loosening the handle, up to no more then 1/2 turn out, and allows you to adjust the aggression, without sacrificing safety.
The beauty with this razor is, you can tighten the handle all the way down, and its mild enough for any beginner to use! At the same time, it can be adjusted for a higher aggression, to increase efficiency. Proper shaving angle with this razor is 30 to 35 degrees, or in between steep and shallow. Its a magnificent razor, and its the only razor that I own, that I have given the highest level of recommendation for, on B&B.
PAA Copper Ascension Twist Adjustable Razor - A Truly Amazing Razor! (An SWCT Review)
Welcome everyone, to yet another SWCT razor review! PAA Copper Ascension Twist Adjustable Razor For those who know me on B&B, they know that I was seeking this razor, with a passion that would only be rivaled by true love. 😍This razor was chosen to be the last razor that I ever buy, and I am...
Once you've used your Henson AL13 for several weeks, I can't wait to hear your full review on it! I've tried several different blades in my Henson AL13 Medium, I think my favorite blades really are the Wizamets. Wizamets are a bit expensive for a beginner to be buying however. Gillette Silver Blues are just as good, and I think it cost me 20 bucks to get a 100 pack of them.
I got two similar emails yesterday, not of the BF/Cyber Weekend variety. One was advising that my local, quaint little bespoke shoppe, just got a Konsul in, and the other was from Henson, advising that the next gen Ti, with tapered corners and everything else, is now in stock.
Hmmm to both of these…
At this rate, I’m either going to go bankrupt or need a new place with a bigger washroom…
Thought I would at least shift the financial burden and unloaded a crap load of Ariana & Evans and Noble Otter offerings onto Santa!
I’m going to need an intervention soon. And I just started!
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