minimalist quest for the #1

[Ckmaui]

OK decided to start this

this place has been great !!

I was planning on finding the #1 of each I needed but finding I am OK with a couple of each much like pans/knives or bicycles its Ok to have a couple for choice so yeah I failed at that quickly and OK with it

my theory so far is kinda keeping my top two or so favs of anything and moving them forward keeping some of my ones that did not make the cut to bring up test/use again every month or so just to make sure

also one just has to try it for themselves this is like tasting food ONLY you can know what you like and hope you find a few who kinda align with what you like as you try new things !
my goal will be a few favs and no collecting

 

[Ckmaui]

some of these are going to be a bit post dated but wanted to share the info


Razorback BBS did not make the cut and is sold
I prefer Titanium handle the Timeless Crown is what I am using with most every razor
do think one needs to try every razor they are curious about this is like describing taste of pizza


I prefer my GC 68 and my 68 timeless (and others) based on overall shave such as getting under nose and comfort
Blade angle is very narrow compared to my GC or Timeless and the fall off of that angle is much quicker
I love the looks
very little blade feel (like a Henson to me)
Easy to load blade
all Razorock are amazing build quality for price and they offer so many styles of razor very worth checking into any of them


Italian Barber chart

RazoRock Razor Scale - The Bottom is the Mildest and The Top is the Mo – ItalianBarber

If you are looking for placement on the scale for the new RazoRock Superslant razors, please see below:L1, L1+, L1++, L1++OC - MILD-MEDIUM(L1 being the ...

www.italianbarber.com

BBS and HD Handle

 

[Ckmaui]

Stirling shave soaps and creams
ordered samples and a few full size items to try
again a bit post purchase but sharing info

THE SCENTS:
Ben franklin - NO yuck to me
Stirling spice - no also
Island man - pass prefer other more but not bad
executive man - at first pass but grew to like it quite a bit
bay rum - yes lots of posts here as bay rum is like lasagna everyone is different and everyone has their thoughts
Coconut lime - yes great light fun island smell
barbershop - yes but its powdery side of the barbershop scents


THE STUFF:

witch hazel:
did not like these at all ! just not for me to runny to odd prefer to go balm or splash but if you like witch hazel might be for you

after shave:
has a bit more oily/conditioning (not sure the word I want) or maybe moisturizing post feel to it than some others that are more drying as a after shave and not the balm feel that has that coating on top feel so yeah top notch post feel
I had posted before it felt nicer than the Fine Accoutrements which I love the smell of
but I did have some allergic reactions and really red skin from a couple (Ben Franklin was one forgot the other) so won't be buying any again I reckon

the soaps:
OK Executive man and Coconut lime were my two fav love the scent !
but the performance fell below Razor Emporium and PAA CK-6 and Proraso cream and TOBS so with those being better for me & my face & my water so they are off the final list as my plan is just to have a couple I love with performance being first scent second

the texture is much like the Fine Accoutrements almost a translucent appearance that is softer than hard but not as soft as croap again so so many reviews on this on the forum with many loving them and I can see why

a huge pro is they seem to have any scent you would like and the scent from soap to the splash is very good consistent etc.. and I found a bit stronger than some soaps so if you like that for sure worth trying with so many great reviews and folks loving them !

non shave:
I also tried the shampoo bar but again not for me a touch drying but I live in Arizona now and everything is dry here its holding up really well and if you like shampoo soap yeah give it a shot also
I find I need a dual conditioner when I shampoo which is every few showers
I tend to like Cremo shampoo these days love the scent and works well for me (hair is only 1/4 keep it really short)

the body butters got one in bay rum and fun to use once in a while quite strong scent again and very nice feeling and absorbs well etc.. wish I got a different scent now but its fun and nice once in a while

the biggest hit was not for me the Peppermint heel and palm balm for the wife and she loves it !

 

[Ckmaui]

Lucky enough to be chosen for $50 Xmas

GIVEAWAY! - Christmas contest!!!

We are going to run this a bit earlier so the winners - wait, winners? - yes winners plural will have time to get their gift from The Captain. There will be three winners chosen by random.org after just a few days. This is CONUS only please. Each winner will have a $50.00 credit to buy...

www.badgerandblade.com

Mail arrived today so update time with pic on the generous contest/giveaway

So been wanting one of these bowls

I also picked up some Venture soap and splash

I did run up and put some of the splash on for a 3 pm pick me up NICE ! really nice feeling on the face and its not sitting on my face or drying it out as some do !

They also threw in some samples (thanks) two soap and a AS splash also got a nice little atomizer setup that would be perfect for travel etc.. that is that silver item

The samples are awesome I love the smell of the Italian (red cella nostalgia fan)
island time being from the islands I was super curious about this one love it bright clean fruity
side note I used to live/work on boats on the “PINEAPPLE ISLAND” ! Aka Lanai so very very fitting and yeah spot on

I know what I am using for tomorrows shave ! A new bowl a new soap and a new splash !!!

Cant wait and again thanks so much to Captain and crew

 

[Ckmaui]

duplicate post here : reckon keep my journal of thoughts also here

Wolfman Owners Club

I was so impressed with this 0.86 today. Needed a quick shave for a day that included work and being on camera mid afternoon. Needed quick, efficient and no bleeding! This thing was remarkable. One pass Atg and I was smooth all day with zero irritation. Very impressed.

www.badgerandblade.com

SO first shave today with the WR2 0.95
blade used a Gillette platinum blade as that is my good to go blade in most things but plan on testing all my sample blades to know
handle used my timeless crown Ti

I prefer Ti razor heads like my Timeless and am OK with stainless head with Ti handle I find all stainless to heavy ? but will try this with a stainless and see what I think

impressed for sure and SO SO SO SO glad I jumped into the Wolfman now rather than a few months like I was planning and can see why its dangerous to try them as that rabbit hole you just took a turn and it is much deeper than you thought hahahahah

thoughts its got the best of all my razors features I like all wrapped into one

comfort: smooth easy like my Timeless 68
blade feel: like the GC with perfect feel of knowing where it is what its doing with none of the negative ! never felt like it was going to get me granted 0.95 gap but this is what I love and was hoping for
efficiency: in the lupo 72 territory without the blade burn for my tender face 9 hours later I know I have some shave tomorrow but kept clean nice all day and reckon I can get it a bit closer but I like shaving daily !
ATG: super comfy like Henson comfy
feedback: WOW another winner I Love my Timeless for audio feedback and tactile through the handle something the GC and Lupo and Yates have but in tiny amounts compared and yeah this was like my timeless ! its the small things I find that separate the razors from nice to great I like feeling and hearing my face under the razor
Angle: with such great feedback it was easy to feel/hear what its doing with angle change and will keep playing but yeah no issues for my first run of course will keep playing around and learn/find what works for me and my tender face

I think its fun/good to get those first impressions down and see how they change as I learn the razor and find the blades and so on

 

[Ckmaui]

some general thoughts on razor comparisons​

having been at DE shaving for just a year I can say this might be more to those like me still on the hunt !
I also say try them try ANY and ALL you are curious about as only you can tell !
if my thoughts line up on a few razors you have tried then this might be more useful for you !
I was lucky to find a few folks on this forum I lined up thoughts with and helped out some when deciding what to try next !

I also believe that I can tell if I am going to like a razor rather quick ! as a few have been amazing from day one and a few have been horrid from day one and even keeping them for months that feeling stayed the same !
the OK razors just took a bit longer to find the blades that worked best !

so far I have been getting a razor trying a few blades I found worked well and seeing how they do and get a good shave with it then do some shaves for a week get the feel then compare to my current favorite doing one side one day then switching sides
both using my favorite all around blades and the blades I found work best in each razor

I do use my favorite best working soap to equalize out the soap and I do use my two favorite AS splashes
so I keep the pre shave and lather and post shave consistent

again YMMV
I am Swedish by decent so red/blonde hair and at 58yr old about 2/3 grey now and very precious/sensitive face ahahahah
I have some allergies so have had some bad reactions with only a couple splashes !
very smooth skin I look way younger no wrinkles very smooth soft skin I would say
5'11" 175 lbs so slender build and some angles no Adams apple sticking out very tiny bump to get over thank goodness

I do think knowing a bit about ones face is important I am not a thick dark hair beard guy that gets a shadow an hour later I do not have that leather skin ! I did work on boats over half my life though and would get wind and sun burnt easy if I was not careful ! (in the islands or Caribbean) again with red/blonde facial hair you can't see my shadow
pattern is all over the place like many have with my left side being way worse than my right !

 

[Ckmaui]

my loopy RR Lupo trials ​

.72 and 95
may two current fav razors are the Wolfman 0.95 basic polish
Timeless Ti 68 plates comb then straight polished with polished scallop cap
I use the timeless Crown handle on both razors I love that handle !


so I can see why folks love the RazoRock Lupo razors !
I do say I think the RR are the best bang for buck razors out there ! in looks quality and styles of razors you can get

so the Lupo 72
compared to my GC 84 I find it sits just above the GC 84 in both efficiency and blade feel and if one likes that blade forward feel the Lupo might be your razor ! I would say buy both plates if you try one !
I do not like that blade forward feel !
I like to feel the blade but not this much !

this thing is so nice and slim just easy to maneuver and get under nose see feel what's happening
feedback is good not great (not as much as my Wolfman or as much as my Timeless Ti)
I did find it finicky on what blades I use unlike the GC whichI can use most blades and get good shaves or great shaves
the lupo I find is horrid or good no in-between
in comparison the Wolfman a horrid blade is still a OK shave
the Timeless Ti is a bit better on blades than the GC not as good as the Wolfman if a blade is not comfy !
ONLY reason I am including this last bit again is for the newer shavers like myself as I do know and I read blade choice can make or break a razor and also give you a very different shave ! allowing one to be more efficient or more comfy so narrowing down blades IMHO is just as important as a good razor !
and of course a great razor with a great blade is my goal !

the 95 all I can say is take that 72 and bring it up a notch on blade feel and efficiency !
I can say it is the best longest lasting shave I have ever had !! it beat out the old winner the Rex Ambassador !

as far as comfort during the shave I had read some prefer the 95 some have said they are very close !
I have to agree the comfort is very close much closer than say the GC 68 to 84
and can see why some like the Lupo 95 more than the 72
if I was to only do a one pass shave this might be a razor to keep but I enjoy the shave process and like doing a few passes !
I also found I can get the same shave with two passes WTG and XTG with my Wolfman and get the same DFS- shave and be way more comfy during the shave and post !

if I was to keep a plate on the Lupo I might say the 95 only cause the comfort is close but the efficiency and closeness is better with the 95
both of these plates I feel like I have to be careful compared to my other razors so both will be leaving my collection but so glad I tried them !

I do think the Lupo and GC are a very solid razors and cay say with confidence by both and buy the two straight plates for both and try use them to give a solid comparison and base to know what you do and do not like

 

[Ckmaui]

my Game Changing Game Changer !​

in quick the 84 will be set aside to go to another home I reckon
this weekend the 68 goes up against the Wolfman ! but I know that razor very well and do think its also going to be leaving
as the timeless offers superior feedback (still have to get and try the timeless 95 plates) and the Wolfman hits this perfect blade feel of the 68 and efficiency better than the 84 with the comfort of my timeless


why bottom line for me the Wolfman for me beats it in every way ! and my timeless Ti offers insane audio and feel through the handle feedback !

the GC is in my top 3 razors I do think the 68 plate compared to the timeless is so close both are great just the timeless gives better feedback and more comfort but is more $$ I could be happy with either but as said the Timeless Ti is like a sports car the on face feel and feedback is tops ! and the Wolfman being better in comfort and efficiency and more the blade feel of my GC 68 I would just grab the Wolfman first and timeless 2nd so far ! so in some ways the Wolfman kicked out the GC and my timeless is still not decided ! I can say the Wolfman is in #1 by a solid margin !



having both plates gives you a ultra comfort daily shaver with the ability of the 84 to give a bit more out of your razor

GC looks and profile again easy to maneuver great feel on the face super easy to find and use angles !
68 has just enough blade feel to know what the blade is doing and where it is ! the GC 84 of course just ups the feel over the 68 without loosing comfort but you can tell it is a 84 over the 68 again both are great !

 

[Ckmaui]

I think my Timeless 68 bars have lost ? they are so close !
I do think I like the looks of the scallop top and comb or scallop the best
did see a pic of the Wolfman in scallop but sounds like a custom and a maybe not a for sure

the timeless straight bar is very very comfy but does need a bit more clean up than the .95 wolf so in the end I think the extra touch up passes put the end comfort in the same place or even a touch behind so for sure the 95 plates will have to be tried and see what I think

I do wonder about the scallop on the wolf ? the timeless is so so smooth the Yates not as smooth you can feel the teeth !
what is the wolf like ? hmmmmm

still going to do the scallop 68 bar to be fair to it but it was kinda behind the straight and the comb when going against themselves ! (the comb being my fav) as it is a great I only want ONE bar setup but I found I either wanted that ultra smooth straight or the bit more aggressive feeling comb which gets those tough spots a little easier

to me the timeless 68 are not enough difference to keep again will trade off and see what the 95 brings ?
and of course still have to try other gaps of the Wolfman to find which one I like best and then the combs and OH going to be a journey for sure

 

[Ckmaui]

figuring out blades for the wolfman .95
so this is my failed for sure ! first time nothing good
have a pile of blades that gave me a great shaves and a pile of good shaves now to go back through those ! and start finding the fails

for sure the wolfman is surprising me with some blades that gave me a great shave that did not in other razors !
most know its very important to try the blades yourself

example in my timeless the yellow 7 O'Clock did better than the green ones but for the wolf its flipped the Nacet I did not like that much did one of the best in the wolf the derby premium below in the GC 68 were nice and comfy in the wolf not so much

 

[Ckmaui]

OK the once over with all my blades is finished and now on the go back over and cull down find my true favorites

a bit behind on the days started with the green 7 O'Clock as I know that was one of the best so going to do some back and forth with various blades as I cull down to my top top favs

fail sadly
the feather as it just is kinda rough or lacks the comfort balance I want

 

[Ckmaui]

the second blade that went in the box of misfit to come out again one day with another razor as I do think this journey is important to do with each new razor

compared to my green 7 it was as comfy but a touch less sharp and noticed the cutting feel drag pull whatever you want to call it was a touch behind the green 7 and lacked that balance I want

I love the packages of these ahhaahah silly yup but just do ! 1980s Russian arcade is what my brain thinks when I see it

 

[Ligeti]

Sorry, the quoting doesn't seem to work at this moment for me. But you mentioned:

"1980s Russian arcade is what my brain thinks when I see it"

For me, that's so spot on. Finally, I understand why I really desparately hope and want to love this blade!

 

[Ckmaui]

Sorry, the quoting doesn't seem to work at this moment for me. But you mentioned:

"1980s Russian arcade is what my brain thinks when I see it"

For me, that's so spot on. Finally, I understand why I really desparately hope and want to love this blade!

it always does well in tests never quite makes it but never a total failure which is good
have thought about getting 100 because of that reason for how cheap they are under $10 usually at amazon

 

[Ckmaui]

todays cull down and banished to the box
counted my blades today and have 40 to cull down


the yellow did well in my timeless ? go figure again so interesting how blades vary so much
the astra stainless have never been good for me in anything ? but I know folks love them so not saying any of these are bad blades they just did not make it for me !
comparing against each other
yellow 7 to tuggy and not really comfy has that sharp blade scrape feel
blue astra less tuggy but not as comfy as the yellow 7

todays shave the yellow did not even make it through half just way to uncomfy so dropped in the astra to see if I could finish and NOPE not even close to the green 7s or the voskhod so why bother putting myself through more ahhahahaha again have used all the blades a few times this is more the one more time final cull 3x your out kinda cull

so dropped in a persona blue which always do well not the best in my wolf but very good and have 100- of them

 

[Ckmaui]

So updated pic of the failed or did not make it
went ahead and ordered 200 permasharp going to use those in my main narrow down the soaps I like
also ordered 100 of the green 7 O’Clock and 100 Nacet I would have ordered more of the Nacet but the shipping time frame went way up

have a few more comparisons AND going to go back revisit some blades later for the fun that were good not great also have 100 bought last year of shark platinum and shark stainless persona blue and Gillette Platinum (best in my timeless)

did a quick Bolzano today and while hard to get and expensive compared to the others they are so post comfy
I have the German ones and think the others are egypt ? Need to try the other country ones and might pick up a few hundred to rotate in
also need to try the wizamet I hear so much about

finding the ones I did not like was easier than the ones I did kinda figured that would be the case and ended up liking more than I wanted BUT sure over time will narrow this down and sure I will also lean back toward the others who knows maybe winter summer kinda thing and still plan on a few more razors so will have plenty blades soon

 

[Ckmaui]

My order came in excited to try hope no duds they all seem legit with what I know ? I always worry that and think WHO counterfeits blades hahahahah

This I add to what I already have

So plenty supply to work with
I still have a lot of samples and a few more to try but more for fun and just when bored

these have worked across my timeless and GC and Lupo so reckon the only thing as I repeat need to try wizamet
Most likely will give these a run for a bit and buy some more just to have on hand so one day I will be that old guy that has a huge lot of OLD blades

 

[Ckmaui]

So a few more comparisons on the last few trying to make a stand
the bolzano I loved and still have a soft spot for some reason has lost
today it lost to the Nacet

the one blade that I am also liking and might get 100 for the long run is the wilkinson in the black plastic just great all around

while I wanted to narrow down the blades more I am OK with where I am
many are so good they deserve much more time to narrow down

 

[Ckmaui]

Little back and forth with two of my main blades and yeah both are great both are different
persona more comfy I reckon and Perma more sharp and a dif feel hmmmmmmm

the Saponificio got a super deal on this one so scent is not my fav
the performance is very good and the residual is off the charts good OH need this little area get your fingers wet and rub it and swishhhhhhhh its SLICK
PAA and Razor Emporium are still above this for me especially at the cost
I again have slowly pulled away from the total minimalist shaving thing for a while and will let time narrow down vs hard choice since this is so much fun and finding so many things work well
so again more going for the when I do not like something it gets cut rather than the hard choice of the stuff I like small mind shift change ya could say

that said I do think this is a soap every shaver should buy once to experience cause that tin just brings smiles to my face with its beauty and the performance is up their with the best I might say so far really seems to last well and most likely just for the striking tin will find a better scent and give it a spot in my favs
think of going to 3 top espresso places in Italy with friends ! Why visit all 3 that is how I am starting to feel on this shaving stuff much to my arrrrggghhhhhhhhh I need to cut down anxiety

Brickell is OK not bad not wow so this would be a %100 personal thing if you love it to me a light rub on the face post it has this tiny bit of feel your fingers kinda stick in spots but not sticking just grip then release then grip then release lightly do not like that something on my feel that said most likely will just use it up and never rebuy if I truly did not like it would be gone Nivea balm beats this for me easy as example

The wolfman is still just WOW so so so glad I tried it so glad I tried like 15 other razors so I understand and know just how good this is
after my shave with the Timeless 68 and back to this I am really not even wanting to try the 95 since the comfort of my woflman is greater than the 68 timeless for my face !

so in my quest
Brickell is a fail wont buy again
Saponificio is a try for everyone
the blades time will decide not sure yet


NOW not pictured been using moisturizer after shower good ol dry Arizona

and have some stirling butter stuff and Cerave
and the stirling is a fail tried tried and tried and just not for me

 

[tehnothing]

Brickell is OK not bad not wow so this would be a %100 personal thing if you love it to me a light rub on the face post it has this tiny bit of feel your fingers kinda stick in spots but not sticking just grip then release then grip then release lightly do not like that something on my feel that said most likely will just use it up and never rebuy if I truly did not like it would be gone Nivea balm beats this for me easy as example


Brickell is a fail wont buy again

Sorry the Brickell didn't work out for you. I like the feel, but, not the fact that it's unscented scent overpowers my splash. I use it now only when I have cut myself because it feels better than Nivea which I use more often.

In regards to Wizamet it is one of my favorite blades, but, the shave is to my face almost the same as Perma-Sharp which are much cheaper. ~10 bucks for 100 Perma-Sharps vs ~44 bucks for 250 Wizamet.