My Grande Journey

[AimlessWanderer]

Interesting how much scent plays into the soap particularly if we're not wild about the scent.

I have not tried any 1912 soaps other than Magnum, Cashmere, and the rose (in a sample). I like all three okay, but Magnum the best. I should order a bunch of the Wickham samples sometime to see if there's one I like better.

I've sampled most of the Wholly Kaw soaps and am so glad I got King of Oud. Most of the WK scents are not to my liking, but KoO is lovely (still, it took some getting used to).

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As much as I generally like bay rums and as much as I like the WSP soaps, I don't like their bay rum at all. Not a bit! The ones pictured are much nicer to my nose. They all take some work to hydrate to my liking, but that's okay.

I suspect rose to be a very tricky scent, and more so for men.

Happy shaves,

Jim

I find the though of any prominent scent, whether I like it or not, to be something I wouldn't want in a shave soap. I really like sticking with one soap, and not needing to keep swapping about so I don't get sick and tired of it.

Tabac would be a good example of a soap that I have zero interest in trying, purely because of its prominent scent. Cella is another. When I do eventually get some samples to try, I'll be very selective of which to get, and will actively be avoiding ones known for their scent.

I accept we're all different, but a soap's function in providing slickness (NOT "cushion", whatever that's meant to achieve) is all I'm interested in. The scent is a distraction I don't need. I'm not too concerned about short lived barely noticeable fragrances, which don't overwhelm the attention or overstay the process itself, but the "Wow this smells fantastic/awful" soaps have no place in my bathroom.

 

[jmudrick]

French Perfector-Fine Marvel frankensituation. As you might guess wide clamping distance, gap, exposure make for a very efficient razor.

 

[Esox]

Interesting how much scent plays into the soap particularly if we're not wild about the scent.

I have not tried any 1912 soaps other than Magnum, Cashmere, and the rose (in a sample). I like all three okay, but Magnum the best. I should order a bunch of the Wickham samples sometime to see if there's one I like better.

I've sampled most of the Wholly Kaw soaps and am so glad I got King of Oud. Most of the WK scents are not to my liking, but KoO is lovely (still, it took some getting used to).

View attachment 934847 View attachment 934852

As much as I generally like bay rums and as much as I like the WSP soaps, I don't like their bay rum at all. Not a bit! The ones pictured are much nicer to my nose. They all take some work to hydrate to my liking, but that's okay.

I suspect rose to be a very tricky scent, and more so for men.

Happy shaves,

Jim

If I didnt want to indulge and spoil myself a bit I'd be completely content with any soap really. Stirling is a good example. A multitude of scents so you'll never get bored, the performance is... good enough, and its inexpensive.

The yawning chasm between a Stirling soap and CRS or Wickhams you'd need a rocket to get across, and neither is expensive, so why not live a little.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Not that Stirling is bad either. I have very few soaps which aren't actually quite good.

 

[Esox]

Grande. Fresh Polsilver.

CRS Rose.

Maggard synthetic.

47 hours since last shave.

Why havent you bought any of this cream yet? Go buy some, now!

Face lathering this CRS Rose is wonderful.

I planned on a 3 pass+ shave just to enjoy the cream and feel how my Grande behaved, but that only took 2 1/2 passes, my norm.

N-S WTG/XTG and again I had to slow the razor down. I've never noticed this with any other soap using my Grande. Normally I very lightly guide it down helping the effect of gravity. Using this cream, like the MMOC, I had to slow the razor down slightly against gravity. The first stroke went quickly and easily to the base of my neck. Steep angle, little pressure. Because that first stroke was so easy and so comfortable, all remaining strokes as I worked my way across had considerably more pressure behind them. The result of that first pass was one small weeper right side swirl from shaving to quickly and, arguably, my closest first pass ever.

Second pass S-N, very light buffing over my ATG areas. Quick, easy and comfortable long strokes XTG. No issues.

Third pass ATG from my jawline down buffing until I got no feedback. Wipe and check, one more quick clean up left side jawline and my swirls and done.

I have a really nice BBS finish. My skin is cool but I did have some very slight redness over my swirls that was gone in seconds. I can feel that I have shaved and my skin is a tiny bit dry, like its been over exfoliated. The weeper was very minor and was closed up before I toweled off. Both the slight redness and the weeper, some may see as a weakness of technique and to a point I'd agree. If I shaved slower and more cautiously than an inmate in a prison shower I may not have had either of them. On the other hand, I havent had either shaving with the MMOC just as quickly and even more aggressively. Why not?

RIGIDITY!

In this case, simply the difference in rigidity of the blade. It cannot be ignored and is plain as day.

However, this cream, and the Wickham soap, have stirred things perhaps best left unstirred lol. I may even take my R41 for a twirl again just to see what I see. As I said before, soaps with this level of slickness really make razors with a lot of blade exposure come to life. Even bringing them back to life.

Same shave next, but I'll be using Wickham.

 

[rabidus]

RIGIDITY!

Does it come in a can or bottle?

 

[Esox]

Does it come in a can or bottle?

That depends on the razor. My R41 is an Espresso cup, the MMOC a 5g pail lol.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Really good soaps make a difference. Well, really good lathers actually, but there's no such thing as a really good lather unless the hydration and slickness are quite good. Both are right easy with some soaps.

Following today's shave I wiped off the remaining lather, rinsed my skin with cold water, towel dried my skin on a clean towel, rinsed with witch hazel, and applied my splash. Still, I can smell just a little whiff of Wickham 1912 Magnum around the edges even now. Nice!

Not disparaging the scent but the great thing about 1912 is its slickness and all round stellar performance.

I wonder about the soap vs the cream in the brand you're using?

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

Really good soaps make a difference. Well, really good lathers actually, but there's no such thing as a really good lather unless the hydration and slickness are quite good. Both are right easy with some soaps.

I think the best lather can only be as good as the soap its made from. CRS, Wickham, WK and PdP are standouts of all I've yet used. Of them all CRS and Wickham are the top two, but if performance is the only criteria, Wickham 1912 is the winner. It really is a great soap. Thanks for turning me on to it, Jim.

I wonder about the soap vs the cream in the brand you're using?

The CRS soap vs the CRS cream I can only guess at, but the cream is absolutely top shelf and only slightly behind my Wickham.

My tub of cream is pretty firm. I could stick a butter knife in it and it wouldnt fall over. I'd bet I could lift the tub by the knife handle.

As I understand it, and I could be wrong, shaving cream is a wetter version of the same soap recipe. The dryer it gets, the harder it becomes. I was thinking about that today trying to load my brush. I started pushing the tips straight into it and even bent my brush without really picking up any cream. Then I did the same and just before the knot gave and bent, I twisted it a half turn. Doing that gave me more than enough for my shave.

I just opened it to look at it and it smells like a dozen red roses in full bloom have been waved around my living room.

 

[Tokyospike]

My R41 is an Espresso cup, the MMOC a 5g pail lol.

And my SE1 and Artists’ Club blades are a tanker truck . . .

 

[Esox]

And my SE1 and Artists’ Club blades are a tanker truck . . .

Have you named it MACK yet? lol

 

[Tokyospike]

Actually . . . I have!

 

[Esox]

Actually . . . I have!

I shave with a Mack truck, and proud to do so.

Ha!

 

[Esox]

An eyeopening shave...

Grande. Polsilver, flipped

Wickham 1912 English Rose.

Maggard synthetic.

48 hours since last shave.

This soap beggars belief.


I dipped my brush completely, squeezed it then shook out all the water I could. I wet my face and left it dripping wet. I loaded half as much as I did when I last used this soap, 15 swirls around the tub with the brush splayed, then started face loading. It went on like spackling, thick and heavy. I let it sit, flipped my blade, puttered around, cracked my bathroom window a bit for even more air circulation with the furnace running. Then I dipped the tips and started lathering. POOF. I had lather for 3 shaves.

First pass N-S. As soon as the razor moved I knew was in for a nice shave. Slick beyond belief. Long, easy, full length strokes staying with a steep angle. By the time I was on my third stroke my pressure had doubled. I was shaving as steeply as I could and even felt the blade disengage when I tried to shave steeper. By the time I got to my left cheek I was pushing the razor into my cheek with enough force I felt the comb on my teeth lol. No issues.

Second pass S-N staying as steep as possible with an absurd amount of pressure. More pressure in fact than I use shaving with a shallow angle. I wiped my face with a dripping hand, twice. I dipped the tips again. I got even more lather and it was slicker again. Quick buffing on my cheeks ATG, around the sides of my mouth and over the face of my chin ATG. Still staying with as steep an angle as I possibly could with far more pressure than I usually use, even over my swirls. I was pretty much done after that pass but I felt a bit of stubble left at my swirls and left side jawline.

Third pass. ATG as steep as possible with the same amount of pressure. I made sure my face was dripping wet, I dipped the top half of my knot into the sink and lifted it to my face while it was still dripping. Even more lather was created. I started buffing right side at the top of my jawline working towards the side of my mouth. Now this soap is even slicker lol. I still cant believe it. It was so thin it was running down my fingers and wrist and running down my neck and chest. Buffing over my swirls and jawline in two directions while staying as steep as possible.

Wipe and check, done. I have a shiny face, the face and corners of my chin especially. My skin is cool and comfortable. This was my best shave yet with this razor and this blade. Amazing soap.

This soap has tamed my Grande by 2 or 3 steps. Not once was I aware of the blade and this is only the second shave, not the 4th where I usually feel Polsilvers smooth out.

Something else I noticed. I dont normally get the lather right up to the very bottom of either nostril. I dont like soap in my nose lol. Because of that the first highest strokes there, N-S WTG, usually tug a bit. I can feel the blade cutting. Today I wanted to see if that changed just from the application of soap so I got it right in there lol. Those first 2 or 3 strokes tight under my nostrils, with a very steep angle to get as close to my nose as possible, I felt nothing. No tugging, no cutting action. Nothing. It just wiped the lather off and the stubble with it. A seriously great shave.

@rabidus and @Tokyospike. If you find your SE2 a bit too much of a good thing, you might try this soap.

 

[Cal]

... you might try this soap.

OK, OK! I just purchased a tub.

 

[Esox]

OK, OK! I just purchased a tub.

Now the wait begins.

 

[Somerled]

Mike the Soap Enabler. (MtSE)

I like the 1912 well enough, but CRS takes way more water.
This makes it #1 for straight shaving, in my book.

 

[Tokyospike]

Mike the Soap Enabler.

OK, so, yes, soap is my weak spot, and Mike’s opinion is not to be discounted. Hmm, Wickham 1912 also has a Russian Leather and a Shamrock Tweed . . .

 

[AimlessWanderer]

OK, so, yes, soap is my weak spot, and Mike’s opinion is not to be discounted. Hmm, Wickham 1912 also has a Russian Leather and a Shamrock Tweed . . .

Once again, we think alike, Spike. Those were the two I was thinking I'd be most likely to get samples of later next year.

 

[Clay S]

Just noticed unscented is on sale from their web site for 8.99 pounds or euro? lowercased f with a line at the bottom £

OK, so, yes, soap is my weak spot, and Mike’s opinion is not to be discounted. Hmm, Wickham 1912 also has a Russian Leather and a Shamrock Tweed . . .

Once again, we think alike, Spike. Those were the two I was thinking I'd be most likely to get samples of later next year.

Those do sound good, several of theirs do in fact. Is a sampler available from anywhere?