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PIF - Guess how long for me to 3017 my P.160

For having the guess so very far off the mark that his chosen end-date is probably best suited for a as yet undeclared PIF contest by a fellow B&B'r :tongue_sm, @spookmeister walks away with ...

Prize pack B) MenRock "Cut Throat" starter pack (shavette, synth brush, sandalwood cream, styptic matches)


Congrats to all the winners, and a big THANK YOU to everyone for making this journey so much fun for me. :ouch1:
With my essential tremors in my hands, I'm a li'l nervous but I'm gonna give this shavette a try! If it's bloody enough I might even post pics lol.

Thank you very much Sam, you're a very generous guy.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Here's an old thread about the soap... Mama Bears Lemon Rose review and lather pics

Thanks I'll give it a read.

I did use it last night and had yet another surprise. After a single shave its moved into my #1 spot. This is a very good soap. I prefer a thin and slick lather and this soap gives me that. Its a lighter lather, more like my PdP and Captains Choice creams than my WK or Wickhams soaps and my CRS cream. Its also the slickest of them all, and thats saying something! It really surprised me and I find very telling that I noticed that so quickly.

It does seem very hard, as hard as my PdP, but it loads in half the time. I'm amazed how much lather I had so quickly, although, that may partly be the brush.

The scent is very nice. Mild and light yet very present and doesnt linger. Clean and fresh is the first thing to my mind.

Post shave feel is right there with my top soaps and creams, excellent.

A great soap. Mama Bears just got a new customer.

I'll be interested in hearing how you like the S-Brush @Esox. It's my favorite synthetic out of the 4 that I've tried. A bit of a different animal from all of the other synthetics and I can see why a lot of people would not like it, but I do.

I've been using my 22mm Maggard Plissoft type synthetic exclusively for several months. Its replaced my Omega boar and my Yaqi 24mm Silvertip badger. Its as soft as the Silvertip, loads much more quickly and easily even with very hard soaps has enough backbone for me, little scrub and no scritch at all. It also splays very predictably.

The S Brush is the same in softness and lack of scritch and scrub but it seems to have slightly more backbone, is slightly less predictable to splay and is slightly more floppy. All of that may change after a few shaves though.

Maggard left, S Brush right.

IMG_3078.JPG


By my measurements, the Maggard has a 52mm loft, the S Bush a 54mm loft. Not much difference. I like and will use them both, but if forced to pick one, I'd take the Plissoft. Ask me again in a month or two and you might get a different answer. They're both very similar and the differences are minor.
 

rockviper

I got moves like Jagger
I'm glad you like your prize pack, @Esox. Otherwise, you would have my permission to give the person who chose it a good kick in the shins! :tongue_sm

Some of the older/veteran soap makers (who are very good at what they do) tend to get overlooked when the "latest and greatest" comes out. There's a good reason why Mama Bears and Saint Charles Shave are still in business. :thumbup1:
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Some of the older/veteran soap makers (who are very good at what they do) tend to get overlooked when the "latest and greatest" comes out. There's a good reason why Mama Bears and Saint Charles Shave are still in business. :thumbup1:

I agree. Many overlook a lot of soaps in the hunt for "The Best" but they'll be missing some very good soaps along the way. My Saint Charles Shave soap from @Mr Bingle is still on my shelf too. ;)
 
Wow! It's here already. Picked up my prize at the P.O. today. I don't know how long it had been there. I'll be using the B&B boar brush tomorrow.
 
Used the B&B Essential this morning. Had a bit of lather dissipation for the 3rd pass, but the brush is totally usable. I'm going to enjoy feeling this brush break in shave by shave. Thanks for the great PIF Sam. It will be a while before I try the Mama Bear's as I'm finishing up a sample of DR Harris Arlington.
 
Look what I got yesterday!!
IMG_20190507_155511.jpg

Cut throat shavette is an accurate description. Hands were a little shakey last night, and there was blood, fun though, and that cream is very slick.

Thanks Sam.
 

rockviper

I got moves like Jagger
You are welcome, Rob. Did you need to use one of the styptic matches? :tongue_sm

A shavette will definitely teach you what "a light touch" truly means.
 
Nah! I wore the blood like a badge of honor. :)

I'll come clean though, I only did one side of my face with it because of bleeding out concerns. I'll try the other side next time. There's a mole I've been meaning to have removed.
 
Look what I got yesterday!!
View attachment 978968
Cut throat shavette is an accurate description. Hands were a little shakey last night, and there was blood, fun though, and that cream is very slick.

Thanks Sam.

Those Pakistani made shavettes are not too bad. A lot of turkish barbers use them daily. Takes a steady hand though, and a smooth blade like a Derby or Gillette Platinum.
 
steady hand though, and a smooth blade like a Derby or Gillette
When I was learning to straight shave in 2007, I used a shavette. The same advice regarding blade choice was also given: a moderately sharp DE blade like Derby Green. While I can understand why this advice is given, I think it should be modified a bit.

Blade choice when using a shavette should be the same as when choosing for a DE. Buy a blade sampler with a wide sharpness range and find one that works for you. In my case, the Derby Greens just weren’t sharp enough; they tugged like crazy. It was only when I went to a much sharper blade that the shavette became more comfortable.

IMO, when you are at razor level of sharpness, you are not more likely to cut yourself with a sharper blade than a less sharp blade. If what you are doing is going to cut you, it’s going to cut you whether it’s a Feather or a Derby. What does change is comfort. Some guys like a sharper blade, others less sharp. Try them all and find one you like.
 
When I was learning to straight shave in 2007, I used a shavette. The same advice regarding blade choice was also given: a moderately sharp DE blade like Derby Green. While I can understand why this advice is given, I think it should be modified a bit.

Blade choice when using a shavette should be the same as when choosing for a DE. Buy a blade sampler with a wide sharpness range and find one that works for you. In my case, the Derby Greens just weren’t sharp enough; they tugged like crazy. It was only when I went to a much sharper blade that the shavette became more comfortable.

IMO, when you are at razor level of sharpness, you are not more likely to cut yourself with a sharper blade than a less sharp blade. If what you are doing is going to cut you, it’s going to cut you whether it’s a Feather or a Derby. What does change is comfort. Some guys like a sharper blade, others less sharp. Try them all and find one you like.

A milder blade is not recommended to avoid cutting yourself. It's still a razor blade and will bite you when provoked.

Idea behind milder blades is less skin exfoliation with more passes, resulting in less razor burn despite excessive buffing and pressure (something beginners do).

When I have Gillette Platinum loaded in the Fatip Testina Gentile, I shave carelessly and aggressively like with carts. Impossible to get a rough shave.
 
A care package arrived in the mail today from Ontario....Just in time to celebrate the 35th biannual anniversary of my entrance to this continuum....

Thank you @rockviper !!! Mama Bear smells great, and has a nice little den. The EJ Superbadger has a very soft feel to it. I'm looking forward to trying them

@lancre plays it safe, leaving the shavette for the final sucker winner, and chooses for his upcoming 35th Bday ......

Prize pack C) Edwin Jagger Super badger brush 23mm, Mama Bear wood soap dish, Mama Bears Grapefruit Ice

rockviper_pif.jpg
 
I've used the B&B Anniversary brush for about 22 shaves now. It started perfectly usable and has gotten very soft now. No special break in other than just face lathering every day. I expect it will still improve even more from here.
 
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