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My Guess... 3017

It's picky about water in my experience. Wrong type or too much and you may as well start all over again. Get it right and it's a great soap - especially the post shave.


Todays shave I started with a dry brush and slowly added water. I think I had too much water the previous shave. This shave resulted in excellent lather and the post shave was fantastic. Thanks for the tip!
 
Stirling Hot Apple Cider is no more.
37 excellent shaves averaging about 4.5g per shave.
I have a tub of their Lemon Chill and a Weekend in Malibu still. Would i buy Stirling again??
Damn right i would....

Up next is a tub of TOBS Almond which has many 10-15 shaves remaining. I love the scent on it but i can get better lathers from soaps than i can creams.
 
Today was shave 7 with the Valobra Cologne and has been without a doubt the best seven shaves of my life. Considering I've been trying to find this soaps weak spot (over loaded, underloaded, very wet, dry, badger, boar, synthetic) so I know what to avoid and never had anything short of a great shave. Short of using the wrong end of the brush (No, I didn't try this) this soap has taken every challenge in stride and excelled every shave. Also I've been shaving daily which is a first since my face usually only allows every 1.5-2 days.
The only reason I'd not give this soap 10/10 is the scent, while not offensive, isn't my thing and the post shave is just ok. And could be better. (Just came from Stirling which I feel has an excellent post shave feel).
Hope everyone a great shave and a happy & safe 4th to those in the States.
 
Totally agree with you about Valobra. Top class lather, but they all smell like damp cardboard to me.
I've had trouble placing that scent but that's it. Cardboard with some cologne sprayed on it. Not a bad scent but not good either. I'll easily accept it for the quality of shave though.
 
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I think this new 24mm TGN 2 band finest knot played a big roll in maximizing this morning’s LEA lather. Dense and creamy.
 

strop

Now half as wise
After 2 months with Cade, I decided to go with Valobra Menthol for the month of July. It's been a few years since I used it, and I forgot how good it really is! Menthol is not as strong as I remember it, but that could be more a problem with my memory! I'll finish this up and then go back to th Cade.
 
After 2 months with Cade, I decided to go with Valobra Menthol for the month of July. It's been a few years since I used it, and I forgot how good it really is! Menthol is not as strong as I remember it, but that could be more a problem with my memory! I'll finish this up and then go back to th Cade.
New brick? I remember very mild menthol effect from a really soft soap. Pretty good performance.
 
It’s amazing what a great brush can do with a good soap.

+1. Ive been struggling a bit getting a consistently good lather from my stick of MW using a 2 band silvertip. Today I switched to a $9 Razorock synthetic I've had for a couple years and the quality of lather was just this side of stunning (if a lather can be stunning?).

Speaking of the MW stick. I'm admittedly loading heavily due to my lack of recent experience with shave sticks. The 2 oz MW stick is receding rapidly. While Im enjoying this 3017 effort greatly I'm forced to consider my next target. I dont know exactly what it will be yet, but I do know it will be another shave stick. If I get on a roll with sticks their are several I'd like to try that Ive no recent experience with;

Lea
La Toja
Valobra
Speick
DrH Arlington

...and of course I'd love to revisit the little Wilkinson Sword stick and try my hand at another homemade stick using Haslinger. A few years ago I grated Haslinger Aloe into a stick and it was phenomenal.

...and I just listed what amounts to about 2-3 years of shaving without touching my current stockpile. :001_huh::001_huh:
 
I’ve broken through the puck of Arlington and can see the bottom. I have been getting outstanding lathers from the Kent Infinity Silvertex synthetic. Let me tell you, it chews up soap as good as anything.
 
146 shaves so far on my 145 gr chunk of home made sandalwood soap. Should last almost until the end of the year, I find I'm using less than half a gram per shave these days. No idea what I will use next, as I won't be changing for a while.....

I do occasionally use something else for a change of pace, and I like the later recipes better, but this is good soap.
 
Coming to the end of my Grooming Dept. Dapper Mallard after 28 great shaves. I do a four-pass face and neck shave and two pass head shave. This is one slick soap.

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Nice to see Valobra has been getting some love. It's one of my favorites.

I have yet to try the soft version.

Can anyone share thier thoughts on Valobra hard vs. Soft?
 
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