Josh's 3017 Journey

[nelsonic21]

I finished reading your journal and admire your discipline to "use" your soaps and creams rather than being a "collector".
Next month I am going to be in GRUME and will try using one cream for a full week instead of randomly using a different soap every day.

Nice, one of the reasons I started this journey was to keep myself from buying more soaps/creams. While I've never had 20 or more at once it was enough for at least a couple years. Since I started this journey I have bought a few more and received some as gifts, but wet shaving products are no longer a monthly purchase.

 

[nelsonic21]

September 2

The Shannon's soap is gone



It lasted for 57 shaves. The performance and scent remained the same right up to the end. Overall I think the soap was a good value even though it didn't last quite as long as I hoped. This was probably due to breaking in a new brush and the soap separating a bit. This might seem a bit strange considering the last soap cost less per shave and lathered just as well, but the scent is what put this one over the top. It is great to see that there are artisan soapmakers putting out good products at a good price.

So on to the next soap which will be the first shaving soap I ever used and take me into the fall.

 

[thombrogan]

Van der Hagen Deluxe?

 

[nelsonic21]

Van der Hagen Deluxe?

Yes.

 

[nelsonic21]

September 3

I started a new puck of Van der Hagen Deluxe shave soap.


When I first started DE shaving in December 2013 I purchased a puck of this soap along with their green handled boar brush. After it was gone I got some other soaps then eventually bought a few more pucks of this on clearance. It became a soap kept in a shaving mug used in rotation with other soaps/creams. It was always a reliable soap.

So I decided to revisit it see how long this 2.5oz puck lasts. It doesn't come in a tub so I put it in a plastic container for easier lathering and storage. The puck is almost as hard as a triple milled soap and smells like shea butter and bath soap. According to the box Each hypo-allergenic Deluxe Shave Soap contains over 40% moisturizing ingredients, as well as Aloe Vera & Shea Butter, to help tackle even the toughest beard while leaving your skin feeling soft and smooth.

The shave started lathering with my Semogue 1470 and I needed 15-20 seconds to get a good load. Face lathering was easy with the shea butter scent being prominent. After 30 seconds I got a pretty thick lather that was more like sour cream than whipped cream.


I shaved with my Gillette Red tip and a Wilkinson Sword blade. The soap protected well with no nicks or irritation. Rinsing left my face feeling like I had just put on a thin layer of moisturizer which was most likely due to the shea butter. I finished with some Skin Bracer and the shea butter scent was still noticeable though not overpowering.

First impression is this soap is better than I remembered. I had thought of this as being good for a quick shave and a generic product. Maybe my lathering technique was lousy years ago because this is a good performing soap for a very low price. Obviously this is a mass produced product, but I can see why it's been around for a while. So I'll continue with this soap and it looks like a great value already.

 

[nelsonic21]

September 12

It's been over a week using the Van der Hagen deluxe soap. I've used my other brushes and found that my 2 boars work best due to the stiffness of the bristles and water retention of the knot. My badgers took a little longer to build a good lather and needed more moisture. Fortunately the lather doesn't fall apart with a little more water. It has become easier to load, but still takes longer than the last few soaps. And if I don't load enough there is more lather in the tub.



Today's shave was with my Semogue 1470 and Gillette Red tip. The shave went well with my skin feeling pretty soft afterwards. I noticed the scent has diminished though it is noticeable in the tub. The puck is in good shape so hopefully it lasts into next month.

 

[nelsonic21]

October 3.

Still using the Van der Hagen soap. The performance has remained consistent and there is still plenty of soap left. The puck has not softened up so loading and face lathering is still a bit longer. I used my Razor Emporium badger for a few shaves in a row and it took about a minute to build a good lather. The shea butter is still leaving my face feeling soft after though the scent has continued to weaken.



Today's shave was with my Semogue 1470, Skin Bracer and newest razor a Razorock Lupo 58. I did get one nick which was due to me still getting used to the extra weight of the razor. Post shave was nice though and I should get at least a few more weeks out of the soap.

 

[nelsonic21]

November 2

The Van der Hagen soap is gone. The scent and performance remained consistent until the end thought the second pass did start to get a little thin. It lasted 60 shaves making it an excellent value. This is a solid low budget soap which unfortunately isn't as widely available as it was years ago. I can still find it online though.

So I'll start a new one tomorrow which is my most recent soap purchase.

 

[nelsonic21]

November 3

I started a new container of Barrister and Mann Amazelnut soap.


This is a seasonal soap that was released last year and is no longer available on their website (it is available through a few vendors on the date of this post). This is a brand I have been interested in checking out after reading so many good reviews, but the starting price of $19.99 for a 4oz container has kept me away. The soap was available for half off earlier this year and does use their Omnibus base so I figured it was a good time to purchase.

According to vendors this soap is:

One of our favorite releases from the Soft Heart series returns for the cooler months! Amazelnut is a creamy, woody blend of vetiver oil and hazelnut, with touches of vanilla to bring depth and warmth. We like to think of it as the olfactory equivalent of running your hand over your stubble while sipping hazelnut coffee in the morning (there's no coffee in it, but hazelnut coffee is a shop favorite). A little rasp, with a touch of sweetness, it's the perfect way to either get going in the morning or relax and unwind a little after a long day. Ideal for the cooler months and especially for days when you feel like a little coziness is needed, Amazelnut is one of the most comforting scents we've ever produced, and we're delighted to have it back.

The soap smells like hazelnut which I find very nice for colder months. It has a hard consistency (almost like a triple milled soap) and comes in a large enough container for easy loading. I loaded the soap for 20-30 seconds with my Semogue 1470. Face lathering took a little more time than usual and required a bit of water. The quality of the lather was good having a sour cream consistency.


The scent remained after lathering and the soap protected well in the first pass. When lathering for the second it was obvious I needed to go back to the container which I always find awkward. That lather wasn't as good, but still protected. There was enough left for a final touch up which had no issues. The lather rinsed off cleanly and I did notice a bit of scent remaining.

It will probably take a few shaves using different brushes to get a good impression of this soap. The lathering issue is most likely due to the soap needing to soften up which will hopefully happen in future shaves. So I'll keep using it and provide updates.

 

[nelsonic21]

November 14

So I've tried out the Barrister and Mann soap with my other brushes. I used a different one every shave and started loading with a wetter brush sometimes adding a bit when face lathering. What I found is that the soap performed a lot better. A 10-15 second load produces some good suds in the container and face lathering builds a nice creamy lather pretty quickly.



I noticed a nice sheen to it that I don't get from most soaps with the scent being noticeable though not strong. Protection has been good on every shave with it rinsing off cleanly and there has always been enough lather for 2 passes with a touch up. So first impressions have been very good and it looks like the puck should last a while. The puck is still pretty hard with a little derpression forming in the middle. Time will tell though.

 

[nelsonic21]

December 5

It's been a month using the Barrister and Mann soap. I've rotated through my brushes again and have noticed some difference in lather quality. The Simpsons, Shavemacs and Semogue perform well with a quick shake after soaking with a 10-15 second load getting good results. My Razor Emporium badger does struggle a bit with the soap being a bit finicky. I used the brush with different amounts of moisture, but haven't been able to dial it in since my first use with the brush. There's a thread in the soap section on the Omnibus base where this issue is discussed. So I'll have to try starting with a dryer brush with this one.

Today I used the Semogue and had a good lather and shave. The scent has remained strong and there looks to be over half the soap left in the tub. It hasn't softened up any more and I'm hoping it will last well into next month.

 

[nelsonic21]

December 25

Merry Christmas to all!!!

The Barrister and Mann soap has developed the standard hole in the middle. This started early last week and has grown. I've noticed that loading time is a bit longer (especially with the boars) and the lather is a tad thinner though it still protects. Hopefully it will last a for another week or two.



Today's shave was with my Supply injector, Omega boar and Lucky Tiger aftershave. The boar did struggle a bit loading due to less surface area on the soap and the Schick blade has dulled a lot after 3 weeks requiring more touch ups. Fortunately there was no irritation.



So I guess it's time to start thinking aout my next soap/cream. Unfortunately I was unable to make it to my parents' house this year due to the weather, but my wife and I will stop by the in laws for dinner. I hope everyone is having a good holiday and will have a wonderful new year.

 

[nelsonic21]

January 12

I finished the Barrister and Mann soap today.



It lasted 71 shaves and continued performing well up until the end. Final thoughts are that this is a very good soap that's on par with other artisans, but I don't find it to be the amazing product others do especially with the lathering issues. At $9.99 + shipping it's a good value though not at $19.99. Fortunately they sell soaps on sale occasionally and have some 5oz bars available at $16.99.

So on to the next soap/cream tomorrow.

 

[nelsonic21]

January 13 & 14

I started a new tub of Art of Shaving Eucalyptus shaving cream.



This was a Christmas gift from my brother 2 years ago. It may seem strange that it took me this long to get to this one, but I have so many others to choose from. This scent is no longer available through Art of Shaving's site though they do have others starting at $28 for a 5oz tub. According to Pasteur's site The Eucalyptus Shaving Cream generates a rich and foamy lather, helps refresh your senses and leaves your skin feeling smooth. This is a product that I have high expectations for considering the price.

On the 13th I tried the cream for the first time. In the tub the cream isn't as thick as Taylor of Old Bond Street, but not quite as thin as whipped cream. The scent reminded me of Noxzema with some eucalyptus and a bit of plastic which might be due to the cream's age. I put an almond sized amount in the bowl an lathered with a wet Simpsons Berkeley brush. A good lather was built within 10-15 seconds in the bowl and I face lathered for 20 more. It build a really nice lather and eucalyptus scent became more prominent though I didn't get the tingling sensation that I get from some other similar scented products.



The shave with my Gillette Superspeed went well with the cream providing good protection and it rinsed cleanly off my face. Lather on the 2nd pass was just as thick and there was plenty left over for a touch up. My skin felt nice after and there was a little of the scent left. This seems like a cream that would pair well with Proraso green aftershave. So my first impression was good.

The next day I put a peanut sized amount in the brush and lathered entirely on my face. It took a little longer than the previous day with adding a bit of water to the brush to get that whipped cream consistency. The shave was the same as before. I was impressed with how much lather I got from such a small amount of product. It performs as well as TOBS which makes me wonder if it's worth the extra cost, but time will tell. So I'll continue using this cream and hope to get plenty of shaves.

 

[flask28]

Your lather shots are great!

 

[nelsonic21]

February 1

Been using the Art of Shaving cream for a couple weeks. I've used most of my brushes with this cream testing how much water it can take. I found that bowl lathering works the best. Putting cream directly in the brush and face lathering took longer with the brush not releasing lather as easily.

Here's a couple of pics with badger and boar brushes.



I noticed that boar brushes were a bit easier to use. A quick shake after soaking and working up an almond sized amount in the bowl for 20-30 seconds created a good lather that I paint on my face. Badgers take a little more work requiring more water to build the same consistency. I add just a little since it can thin out quickly. Scent and protection have remained good. There's plenty of product left in the tub so I'm hoping this will last for more than a couple months.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

With creams, I tend to bowl load, but not bowl lather. Just staying with the bowl long enough to get the bristles well covered, as if loading from a soap. I then do the rest of the work on the face as normal.

If I bowl lather, it invariably ends up too airy, and is far less slick than it would otherwise have been. Conversely, if I just blob some cream on the brush and go straight to the face with it, I end up with brush burn off the uncoated bristles.

Also, wetting the bowl seems to help me too. I scoop up some water and dump it back out before adding the blob of cream. For whatever reason, I don't tend to get that blob of product lodged in the knot, that doesn't then want to come out, if I start with a wet bowl.

 

[nelsonic21]

March 20

Still using the Art of Shaving cream. The performance has remained good though the eucalyptus scent has gotten weaker and it has more of a medicinal smell. What's surprising me is how much of the cream is left. I shaved just about everyday using about an almond sized amount and get plenty of lather. Here's a pic of the container from this morning.



It looks to be about halfway through so I think the cream is looking like a good value. Many soaps I've used would be getting close to the end after 2 months. You're able to control more the product used by removing it from the container before lathering plus it reduces the moisture left in the jar. So I'll keep using it up until it's gone.

 

[nelsonic21]

May 19

It's been some time since my last update. Mainly because nothing has changed with the cream until last week. A few weeks before I tried face lathering again by putting a small amount of cream onto the brush with my finger. This worked well with all but my largest brushes. I used this method for half my shaves.

Recently as I've started to see the bottom on the tub, the cream has begun to dry out a bit. Face lathering isn't working as well though bowl lathering is fine. It is taking more product to develop the thick lather I experienced earlier. Protection is still good though the scent is pretty much gone and slickness has reduced. Here's the tub now.



The product is getting down there and I'll probably load directly from the tub to clean out the sides. Still I'm impressed with the longevity of this cream.

 

[nelsonic21]

June 7

The Art of Shaving cream is gone. For the last week I was lading directly from the tub and was able to get all the dried cream off the sides of the tub. The lather quality wasn't as good though it still protocted enough. The scent was pretty much gone, but there was still some slickness.

As far as longevity I missed several days shaving due to changing to a 3rd shift work schedule so a conservative estimate would be that it lasted 130-135 shaves. This cream retails for $30-35 and it lasted almost twice as long as many other soaps/creams so it was an average value. The price puts it in the luxury category (I'm not sure what defines a product as luxury besides the price). It's not a cream that I would pick up unless there was a deal. Don't get me wrong the cream worked well just not better than many others.

So I'll start a new soap tomorrow. Considering I just went to the Maggard's meetup it's a good time to get back into all those samples that have been sitting in my den for awhile.