THEHTGAM/PPF/PH0ENIX/D0UGLAS/H0DGES/FRANCES Thread

[luv2shave]

I have a PAA Doc razor. When I got it initially a year ago, I did not get a decent shave from it and lots of irritation. I put it away in frustration after a few days.

Recently i brought out the razor again to give it another shot. Went through a lot of videos and reviews on forums.

Loaded a new Super Max Diamond edge blade. Its pretty sharp, not as much as a Gillette Russian yellow, or an Indian Gillette black or a feather.

I used zero pressure and first few strokes focused on the angle.

I found a sweet spot which is different from my other razors. It is at a higher angle.

I did a two pass with, xtg & atg shave with short strokes and buffing. I was surprised that my sensitive neck area Atg strokes were not a problem at all.

I got a smooth near BBS shave. A third pass and touch ups would be a very close and BBS shave.

Very satisfied with the razor and its coming back in to my regular rotation along with the PAA prismatic which is my best razor for buffing.

Also pulled the trigger on the new Nickel plated release of the DOC.

An alum block post shave did minimal sting indicating I've not had to go over some areas repeatedly.

While measurements can say a lot, I found that personal experience and finding the right angle worked for me. Far from not feeling the blade, the razor sings as it cleans the stubble. I am a happy fan now!

Sent from my MI MAX using Tapatalk

 

[ShavingByTheNumbers]

I have a PAA Doc razor. When I got it initially a year ago, I did not get a decent shave from it and lots of irritation. I put it away in frustration after a few days.

Recently i brought out the razor again to give it another shot. Went through a lot of videos and reviews on forums.

Loaded a new Super Max Diamond edge blade. Its pretty sharp, not as much as a Gillette Russian yellow, or an Indian Gillette black or a feather.

I used zero pressure and first few strokes focused on the angle.

I found a sweet spot which is different from my other razors. It is at a higher angle.

I did a two pass with, xtg & atg shave with short strokes and buffing. I was surprised that my sensitive neck area Atg strokes were not a problem at all.

I got a smooth near BBS shave. A third pass and touch ups would be a very close and BBS shave.

Very satisfied with the razor and its coming back in to my regular rotation along with the PAA prismatic which is my best razor for buffing.

Also pulled the trigger on the new Nickel plated release of the DOC.

An alum block post shave did minimal sting indicating I've not had to go over some areas repeatedly.

While measurements can say a lot, I found that personal experience and finding the right angle worked for me. Far from not feeling the blade, the razor sings as it cleans the stubble. I am a happy fan now!

Sent from my MI MAX using Tapatalk

That's great that the PAA DOC works for you.

 

[Ringer]

I've been itching to get my hands on some PAA soaps. I haven't seen too much around here on PAA, so looking to see if anyone has recommendations. Something that is high on the strength scale. The ones that look interesting to me are The Beach!, Gondolier, Speakeasy and Agharta. Generally I like leathery, musky, earthy, tobacco or other scents that give an old-school vibe to them. The Beach! is one I would make an exception on because I feel like it would be a great spring/summer scent, which I realize I don't have any soaps currently in that category.

 

[frstplce]

Generally I like leathery, musky, earthy, tobacco or other scents that give an old-school vibe to them.

Beach is good, but honestly I tire of the scent pretty quickly. For earthy, the Sangre de Drago might work. "Dragons Blood*, Sandalwood, Indonesian Oud (Agarwood), Benzoin, Tonka, Linaloe Wood, Spruce Hemlock, Amyris, Labdanum, Sage, Neroli and Tobacco Absolute."

There's also the "old-world" vibe of CaD, which is basically Barbasol, if you like the classic barbershop-type scent.

 

[Jaidmaster]

Go to their Scent Chart and poke around a bit.
La Tierra Mojada was a nice earthy scent, but my favorite (of the AS samples I got) was Coconut Oud.
Vetiver Planet was pretty nice as well.

Good luck!

 

[Mceuph75]

I LOVE Gondolier! Fresh, clean scent that can be worn year round. I’m not a fan of traditional barbershop scents, this one has a slightly citrus/floral quality.

 

[Badgerstate36]

I tend to gravitate towards scents the are Earthy, musky and with a bit of spice. I recently picked up PAA's Sandalwood, Pareidolia and Agharta and theyre all good ones in my book.

 

[Big Burly]

I love the Beach! It is one of my favorites. I have their AS as well. It is a "permanent rotation" soap for me, I can't imagine not having it on hand.

I've used PAA's coconut oud, and it was an awesome scent. Really there wasn't much coconut to smell in it, but I love oud, so it all works out for me.

I also like their Crown King soaps. I have their Lo Haiku soap, and it is a winner for me. It smells like Hai Karate, which I enjoy.

I am a big fan of their shaving soaps. You don't have to load very long with them, or you'll blow through the soap in a hurry!! So far, I have had no allergy issues with any of the PAA soaps that I have used.

 

[Grundi]

I LOVE Gondolier! Fresh, clean scent that can be worn year round. I’m not a fan of traditional barbershop scents, this one has a slightly citrus/floral quality.

+1 for Gondolier! And BIG +1 for SpeakEasy (this is my favorite scent from PAA). These are both somewhat cologne'ish scents, IMHO. To me, PAA performance is good (there's better and there's worse), but the scents really set them apart.

 

[SGWB]

PAA Cavendish is a strong pipe tobacco scent. It smells exactly like pipe smoke.

 

[Ringer]

Thanks guys. Are their scents pretty strong or towards the mild side of the spectrum?

 

[WildWest74]

I cannot jump into any PAA discussion without recommending Dapper Doc's and Tombstone. Two of my favorite scents, for sure.

Thanks guys. Are their scents pretty strong or towards the mild side of the spectrum?

The ones I have used are all on the strong side.

 

[Badgerstate36]

Thanks guys. Are their scents pretty strong or towards the mild side of the spectrum?

I would say most are mild but Ive had some samples that were pretty strong. Their Lavender Planet just about killed me and really turned me off to lavender soaps.

 

[gwsmallwood]

My favorites

• Gondolier
• Malbolge
• Otra
• The Beach
• CaD
• Speakeasy
• Clubguy

The three at the bottom have slightly lower scent strengths to my nose.

 

[Funkhauser]

I know you specifically asked for PAA recommendations, but since you said you like the smell of leather, I want to add Grooming Department Absinthe and Leather to the conversation. More information can be found here:

Grooming Department Absinthe and Leather Shaving Soap

The performance, scent and post shave feel are outstanding!

Sorry for going off the OP's topic!

 

[Ringer]

I appreciate all of the recommendations!

@Funkhauser Definitely sounds like something right up my alley. Grooming Department is also on my list, so hopefully I can get to this one soon. So many other soaps and samples to work through that I wish I was a daily shaver!

 

[juno]

Black Bot (Crown King scent)

This is a recreation of the infamous (or not) Black Belt from the same maker of Hai-Karate. I remember seeing this in stores but was not old enough to be using aftershave at the time. So I have no recollection of it from the era.
Upon opening the bottle it basically smells like soap. But as with most of their products, the scent changes when you apply it and then changes throughout the day.It is a very fresh and clean scent that dries down to a nice light musk. I put it on at work and my wife said I smelled great when I got home. She said it smelled rather feminine, but not too feminine. I will trust that PAA recreated this fragrance very well, as they usually do. I actually like it more than I thought I would. It was a toss-up between this and Lo-Haiku, which is their Hai! Karate! reboot. I chose this one and was pleasantly surprised. It is very clean and fresh smelling and then dries down to a somewhat lightly floral/soapy musky scent. Strength is good. 9 It lasts but is not overpowering. It was a crapshoot and hey! I won! Nice scent overall. One of my favorites. Reminds me of the locker room in middle school, but in a good way. The alternative to Brut, which instantly transports me to the swimming pool changing rooms in the late 70s. LOL Speaking of which.....The Beach is next!

I'm still working on The Beach. I know a lot of people like it. I want to do it justice so I will hold off on my comments on this one until I'm more familiar with it.

 

[juno]

I just got a new batch of scents: Harvest Moon, Porthos, Sacre Bleu, Lo Haiku and their newest one Pareidolia. Tried out Harvest Moon today. Its a winner! More later.

 

[Enemygod]

I just got a new batch of scents: Harvest Moon, Porthos, Sacre Bleu, Lo Haiku and their newest one Pareidolia. Tried out Harvest Moon today. Its a winner! More later.

Awesome, glad to hear you liked Harvest Moon. No Gondolier?! I'm so disappointed in you! I'm interested in Porthos and Sacre Bleue...cant wait to see your reviews.

I got a few more scents myself. Out of the batch Cavendish and Agharta were big winners. Both highly recommended. If you like a sweetish tobacco scent then Cavendish is for you. Loved it and already bought a full bottle.

 

[Enemygod]

Also, this is slightly off topic, but last night I was searching for Cavendish on their website and stumbled onto their "secret menu". They have a soap that mixes the scents of Gondolier and Cavendish called Cavolier, so of course I had to buy it.