My Fatip, Joris, Schone, Collection and Journey 2018 and Beyond.

[Raven Koenes]

SOTD:
Razor: Fatip Grande n
Blade: Silver Star (2)
Brush: APShaveco Silksmoke
Soap: De Vergulde Hand Scheerzeep
Aftershave: Figaro Monsieur Gold Splash

Who am I kidding De Vergulde Hand is a cheap mass produced shaving soap, and that Proraso and Tabac are vastly superior in ease of performance. Even Arko is easier to use. It is a step up from Van Der Hagen and Godrej Shaving Round imo. I say it is not as good as Proraso because it takes a lot more work to dial the soap in. Once De Vergulde Hand is dialed in it is as good and protective soap as any of these soaps. The post shave feel is also very nice.

How to dial it in face lathering: 1. Load it like you hate it. 2. Work up the lather on your face for a couple of minutes. 3. Dip the tips in water work in and repeat until the lather is wet enough (3x for me). 4. Reload from the tub again for about 35 seconds then work that into the lather to build cushion. 5. Good to go.

That seems to work. It may be a cheap budget soap but my shaves with it have been superb. It works really well when dialed in. The question is; is the effort it takes for this soap to shine worth it? Oh, the scent does stay with the lather. That was very nice and clean.

 

[Raven Koenes]

SOTD:
Razor: Fatip Grande n
Blade: Silver Star (3)
Brush: APShaveco SynBad
Soap: De Vergulde Hand Scheerzeep
Aftershave: Figaro Monsieur Gold Splash

I have SWB in my signature line for a reason. It is an acronym for Shaving White Belt courtesy of cal. It is a reminder of the beginners mind. Today's shave with De Vergulde Hand. I just loaded the soap for a longish time. It was enough for three passes. I build the lather on my face to the consistency I like. I find it is a good soap but not very protective. The protection seems to get better after I rinse and lather subsequent passes. By the third pass is about perfect. I'm getting good shaves with this soap. There is just a lot of blade feel. This is a usable soap with a good scent. I guess I'm getting spoiled by all the good soaps I have that are so much better, easier to deal with, and less finicky.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

 

[Raven Koenes]

SOTD:
Razor: Fatip Grande n
Blade: Silver Star (4)
Brush: APShaveco uBrush Tuxedo
Soap: De Vergulde Hand Scheerzeep
Aftershave: Figaro Monsieur Gold Splash

Today's shave was nice. All my products are dialed in and things are going good. I'm at peace with De Vergulde Hand Shaving Soap and am appreciating it for what it is. The Silver Star blade with my Fatip Grande is a real balanced combination. Today my first hundred lot of Lord Platinum should arrive. Next week I'll definitely be trying one of them. The other stuff I will be using for next week will be announced tomorrow.

 

[Raven Koenes]

SOTD:
Razor: Fatip Grande n
Blade: Silver Star (5)
Brush: APShaveco uBrush Cashmere
Soap: De Vergulde Hand Scheerzeep
Aftershave: Figaro Monsieur Gold Splash

I had such a fun week dialing in a soap that offers such blade feel and lack of glide. I was quite proud of myself. I eventually think I got the best out of this soap that it has to offer. Over all my shaves have been slightly better than normal this week. I'd like to think, as a shaving white belt, this means that I can shave with just about any product and have it work. Next week I think I'll use WK King of Oud just because it smells so damn good. I was going to go with the two soaps I ordered first Schermonnik Delfts Wit or B&M Cheshire. The scent of this soap co-opted all reason. I will also use Lord Platinum Class blades for the first time, my Omega S-Brushes and Pinaud Clubman Original as I think that scent would pair really well with King of Oud.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

If you have it, try this with KoO...



If you don't have Special Reserve it's worth trying. It's not for the faint of heart, Rave. Strong it is. Bold. Heavy.

It's quite inexpensive, too, so it's not too dear to give a spin. I've seen it in some local beauty supply houses, too.

I think of it as being like the regular Clubman stuff on steroids with tattoos, but that makes it sound perhaps more crude than it is. It's not crude, but it is heavy. It also smells much better five minutes after I apply it than it initially did.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Raven Koenes]

If you have it, try this with KoO...

View attachment 1008440

If you don't have Special Reserve it's worth trying. It's not for the faint of heart, Rave. Strong it is. Bold. Heavy.

It's quite inexpensive, too, so it's not too dear to give a spin. I've seen it in some local beauty supply houses, too.

I think of it as being like the regular Clubman stuff on steroids with tattoos, but that makes it sound perhaps more crude than it is. It's not crude, but it is heavy. It also smells much better five minutes after I apply it than it initially did.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Pinaud Clubman original is right on the verge of being too strong for my wife. Special Reserve says it is a aftershave cologne. Cologne is what has held me back in favor of Island Bay Rum.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Pinaud Clubman original is right on the verge of being too strong for my wife. Special Reserve says it is a aftershave cologne. Cologne is what has held me back in favor of Island Bay Rum.

I get it.

Special Reserve has been said to have a fecal smell (yes, you read that right). I can buy that it might when it's first applied, but the scent really become nice after a few minutes. It's one of my favorites. I've also had a few people comment on liking it. There are interesting and somewhat polarized reviews of both SR and CP on Amazon. They're kinda fun to read. Neither is universally admired but I like both.

One thing I like about SR is how well it persists. I'm very much not in the school of wanting to be known for a scent or a cologne. I like to be the main person who notices that I'm wearing one. I deal with people all day long but am usually not as close to them as, let's say, a dentist might be. I sure hope I'm never "that guy" who is known for his cologne.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Raven Koenes]

SOTD:
Razor: Fatip Grande n
Blade: Lord Platinum (1)
Brush: Omega S10077
Soap: WK King of Oud
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman Original

This was my first usage of two items; WK King of Oud and Lord Platinum blades. WK King of Oud was an absolute fantastic treat. The scent really came to life when I lathered it. It is a fantastic scent. I could hardly wait to relather for my subsequent passes just so I'd get the aromatic experience all over again. This soap is also very, very, slick. it may be my slickest soap in my arsenal. I loaded a little long, perhaps, on my first time using this soap. It definitely did not seem like a 10 second load time soap like SV would work for this soap. I could be wrong but it seems more like a 35 second load time soap? Any thoughts @Chan Eil Whiskers ?

The other stand out was the Lord Platinum blades. Where have these blades been all my life? I upped the amount of blades I purchased to 300 before I even tried them. It was a chance, but a calculated one. Silver Star is one of my all time favorite blades and it's made by Lord. It is also a stainless blade and I figured the Lord Platinum would be the same but smoother. I was not disappointed. The Lord Platinum blade was super smooth. Gillette Yellow comes close but Lord Platinum beat it out. My shave was as close as it gets. @Esox was as close as anybody comparing them to the Gillette Yellows. I think most reviews of the blade are a bit off. A lot of folks claim it is a smooth blade but on the dull side. This is a contradiction in terms. A blade cannot be both dull and smooth. Anybody that has any kind of experience working with utility knives knows that. My sense, after one shave, is that these blades are sharp and very comfortably smooth. I look forward to shaving with them, and I hope to for the foreseeable future to really get to know them. It may be a silly concept, but it may be "the blade".

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Rave, I've not used the veggie WK soaps at all. I don't remember loading the tallow KoO for all that long, but it's been a while since I used it.

Some soaps require more loading time. That's for sure.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

Lord Platinum are very smooth, as smooth as any blade I've used. A bit sharper than Rapira Platinum Lux but not as sharp as Perma-Sharp Super or Bic Chrome Platinum. I liked them but they didnt shave me as close as some other blades from what I remember. I havent used one in about two years though. Maybe I'll see if I have any left and load one in my Regent.

 

[Esox]

I just used my Regent with my last Lord Platinum and WK DM.

First pass N>S, a little tuggy below the jawline, more tuggy around my chin.

Second pass S>N. A little tuggy again throughout the shave.

Third pass ATG. Still tuggy, especially around my chin.

First clean up ATG, slightly tuggy, a little harsh over my swirls.

Second clean up ATG, repeat of the first only a smaller area.

I finished with a BBS shave, quite close too but thats no surprise with this razor. My swirls had some light irritation thats most likely gone by now.

A nice shave and a nice blade but I need sharper, or maybe, more rigidity.

 

[Raven Koenes]

I just used my Regent with my last Lord Platinum and WK DM.

First pass N>S, a little tuggy below the jawline, more tuggy around my chin.

Second pass S>N. A little tuggy again throughout the shave.

Third pass ATG. Still tuggy, especially around my chin.

First clean up ATG, slightly tuggy, a little harsh over my swirls.

Second clean up ATG, repeat of the first only a smaller area.

I finished with a BBS shave, quite close too but thats no surprise with this razor. My swirls had some light irritation thats most likely gone by now.

A nice shave and a nice blade but I need sharper, or maybe, more rigidity.

View attachment 1009595

How strange. I don't find them tuggy at all. Maybe blond hair is easier to shave, even thick blond hair, even though mine is mostly whitish now? I'm curious because I find these blades smooth. I find them a sharper blade than Derby. Maybe they like your Grande better?

 

[Raven Koenes]

SOTD:
Razor: Fatip Grande n
Blade: Lord Platinum (2)
Brush: Omega S10019
Soap: WK King of Oud
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman Original

Another nice shave on day two of using WK King of Oud and Lord Platinum blades. I'm still finding them sharp and smooth, and the result was bbs with a dfs on my neck. More thoughts on these blades with further shaves. I'm really interested in longevity of them. If they go ten and out and retain comfort and closeness I'll be more than happy. Oh, WK KoO is still a top tier soap with a fantastic scent. It sure is a thirsty soap though.

 

[Esox]

Maybe they like your Grande better?

That is the question. I'll find that answer next shave.

 

[Raven Koenes]

That is the question. I'll find that answer next shave.

Thank you Mike!

 

[Esox]

Thank you Mike!

 

[Johnnynroy]

My experience with DE blades recently seems counter to what most shavers experience. I have been using DEs consistently for a few months now. In that time, I've tried several different razors: Merkur 37c has gotten the brunt of the workload, Gillette Slim (second in workload), Razorock Wunderbar, and Parker Variant. The Wunderbar is unlikely to remain in the den. Very efficient, but my technique isn't up to the challenge it provides. I've used a number of blades in all of these razors. Two used to be my go to blades: voskhod and Astra sps. Those two work ok in the variant, the Astra is decent in the slim. Both are atrocious in any of the other razors. The blade that has become my go to, and hasn't failed me in any of these razors (or any of my other DEs)? Perma sharp supers. Sharp, smooth, great feel on the skin. It feels like I shouldn't even attempt other blades, as I don't think I'll find a blade that is consistently sharper, that is also smoother with good face feel. Funniest part? I bought a 100 pack of the Turkish Perma sharps by accident which are supposedly inferior to the Russian made ones. My first pack with the 37c was Russian made, and haven't noticed much difference between them yet.

I think we should probably add a third dimension to our blade descriptions: face feel. I used it up above to describe the perma sharps. I'll see if I can give some examples of why it should be added. Voskhod: slightly less sharp, tugs on occasion so less smooth, somewhat prickly skin feel. Astra sp: sharp, occasional tug, sharp feeling on skin. Perma sharps: sharp, buttery smooth, almost soft feel on my skin. I have had the perma sharps tug on my chin hairs with lower settings on the slim and if my angle isn't perfect with my other razors. I doubt that the third aspect will catch on (and it needs descriptors to be useful).

I think my blade experience is odd. I have a tuck of lord platinums somewhere that I'll have to try out. I think I'll end up using my variant a lot, as it seems to be very forgiving in what blade it'll let me use. I can get a decent shave with a voskhod in it, unlike my other razors. Used a shark platinum today in the slim. Middle of the road sharpness, fairly smooth with some tugging here and there, slight prickle on the skin but I set the slim to 6 for the whole shave on 24 hours growth (usually too much for my skin).

As I stick with setups for longer, I'm noticing how the shaves keep improving as you go further along with a setup. Still not to Rave's level of one setup per week, but getting closer. I'll be downsizing the den for sure here soon, hopefully things sell this time... Enjoy the shaves all!

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Raven Koenes]

SOTD:
Razor: Fatip Grande n
Blade: Lord Platinum (3)
Brush: Omega S11745
Soap: WK King of Oud
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman Original

I have to back off on the load time with the WK. I'm getting way to much product. This stuff is so very slick it's a pain to clean the brush when you over load it. Hopefully tomorrow I'll find the right balance on that. it is such a good soap and I love the OuD scent.

I had one of the smoothest shaves ever using a Lord Platinum on day three. There was absolutely zero tugging. Most of the time I had to make sure the angle was right. It was, I'm just not used to a blade being that smooth. It was a joy to use. The thing I have to be careful with is keeping a light touch, don't over think the areas being shaved, just do the passes light and quick. Reminder: You are getting closer than you think. I think one area where Mike @Esox and I might have a slightly different experience with these blades is that I shave ever 24 hours and he shaves every 48 hours.

 

[Raven Koenes]

My experience with DE blades recently seems counter to what most shavers experience. I have been using DEs consistently for a few months now. In that time, I've tried several different razors: Merkur 37c has gotten the brunt of the workload, Gillette Slim (second in workload), Razorock Wunderbar, and Parker Variant. The Wunderbar is unlikely to remain in the den. Very efficient, but my technique isn't up to the challenge it provides. I've used a number of blades in all of these razors. Two used to be my go to blades: voskhod and Astra sps. Those two work ok in the variant, the Astra is decent in the slim. Both are atrocious in any of the other razors. The blade that has become my go to, and hasn't failed me in any of these razors (or any of my other DEs)? Perma sharp supers. Sharp, smooth, great feel on the skin. It feels like I shouldn't even attempt other blades, as I don't think I'll find a blade that is consistently sharper, that is also smoother with good face feel. Funniest part? I bought a 100 pack of the Turkish Perma sharps by accident which are supposedly inferior to the Russian made ones. My first pack with the 37c was Russian made, and haven't noticed much difference between them yet.

I think we should probably add a third dimension to our blade descriptions: face feel. I used it up above to describe the perma sharps. I'll see if I can give some examples of why it should be added. Voskhod: slightly less sharp, tugs on occasion so less smooth, somewhat prickly skin feel. Astra sp: sharp, occasional tug, sharp feeling on skin. Perma sharps: sharp, buttery smooth, almost soft feel on my skin. I have had the perma sharps tug on my chin hairs with lower settings on the slim and if my angle isn't perfect with my other razors. I doubt that the third aspect will catch on (and it needs descriptors to be useful).

I think my blade experience is odd. I have a tuck of lord platinums somewhere that I'll have to try out. I think I'll end up using my variant a lot, as it seems to be very forgiving in what blade it'll let me use. I can get a decent shave with a voskhod in it, unlike my other razors. Used a shark platinum today in the slim. Middle of the road sharpness, fairly smooth with some tugging here and there, slight prickle on the skin but I set the slim to 6 for the whole shave on 24 hours growth (usually too much for my skin).

As I stick with setups for longer, I'm noticing how the shaves keep improving as you go further along with a setup. Still not to Rave's level of one setup per week, but getting closer. I'll be downsizing the den for sure here soon, hopefully things sell this time... Enjoy the shaves all!

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

You definitely have put Perma Sharp Supers on my radar. I may have to rethink my one set-up per week as far as soaps and creams are concerned. I have way too many. By the time I get around to a soap again a year will have gone by if I use 1 soap 1 week. All the other stuff I can keep on a weekly rotation. I seem to be only wanting to use my Nickel Fatip Grande as of late. I don't know when I'll get around to switching it out.