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The Search for Shaving Zen

I’m excited to try Kai as well. My next 3 will be Kai, Wizamet SI, and BIC CP though I’m unsure of what order yet.
I just binned a BIC CP after about 3 shaves. The first one was pretty nice, then it continued to drop from shave-to-shave. I'll be trying their Astor Stainless blades next, I'm curious to see how they'll compare head-to-head, I haven't tried more than one from the same brand yet!
 
Monday morning mail call! All 3 of these scents are incredible and will be jumping high on my list of favorites. I wasn't sure what to expect with Future Fiction but it may be the first full set I pick up.

I hear really good things about the PAA Cube and Tube and am excited to try it with some of my slightly lower performing soaps, especially Stirling Varen which I really want to like as it has such a unique green scent.

Also, no sooner than I had stated I was sticking with my brush rotation of RV 23mm STF and SOC Mistura I went and did a thing... More info to come.

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Blackbird Ti
Perma-Sharp (3)
PAA Garden of Bali
Rudy Vey 23mm STF

A rare morning shave for me; I was wiped out last night and hit the hay early. Tackled 3 days of growth with 3 passes (WTG, XTG, ATG) and some minor touch-ups and got a mostly BBS result with some very minimal stubble under my jawline. I didn't have a shower before as I usually do, just a few splashes of warm water and I let the lather sit on my face for a couple of minutes before my first pass. Could've been the reason for the stubborn jaw-line whiskers. Had some minor irritation under my chin and one weeper at the corner of my mouth.

The Perma-Sharp blade performed very well across all 3 shaves and I ordered a 100 pack for less than $10 from Amazon; exceptional value for the performance in my book.

First use of my new PAA Garden of Bali; it's such a fun scent! It's definitely floral forward so depending on your preferences you're either going to love it or hate it. I get the orange blossom and a honeysuckle scent off the top; with some of the salty beach and cedar/bamboo on the backside. The citrus as a whole is there in the background but none of them are prominent. My kids told me it smells like peanut butter so YMMV. :lol1:

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Blackbird Ti
BIC CP (1)
Mammoth Indigo
SOC Mistura

First use of the Mammoth Indigo and the scent is intoxicating but don’t ask me to describe it ha. Performance seemed to be good but I couldn’t do a thorough eval, more on that below.

It was also my first time using a BIC CP and I can’t say that I’m a fan at all. It wasn’t very smooth and I experienced a lot of tugging. Did 2 passes (WTG, ATG) and result was still DFS but I’ve got moderate irritation and redness, especially on my neck. I see many say it’s sharper on the second use so I’ll give it another go but unless it’s dramatically better I will bin it.

So far my blades ranking is as follows:

Nacet, Perma-Sharp

Feather

Astra SP, BIC CP

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Blackbird Ti
BIC CP (1)
Mammoth Indigo
SOC Mistura

First use of the Mammoth Indigo and the scent is intoxicating but don’t ask me to describe it ha. Performance seemed to be good but I couldn’t do a thorough eval, more on that below.

It was also my first time using a BIC CP and I can’t say that I’m a fan at all. It wasn’t very smooth and I experienced a lot of tugging. Did 2 passes (WTG, ATG) and result was still DFS but I’ve got moderate irritation and redness, especially on my neck. I see many say it’s sharper on the second use so I’ll give it another go but unless it’s dramatically better I will bin it.

So far my blades ranking is as follows:

Nacet, Perma-Sharp

Feather

Astra SP, BIC CP
Well that's not great. I hate to hear the Bic CP didn't go well. Perma sharp is definitely smoother but Bic has been more efficient for me. Are you planning to try Wizamet SI? I feel like it was between Perma sharp and Bic. I was pleasantly surprised by last two shaves with Feather in the BB Ti. I still need to write up my shave report for today.
 
Well that's not great. I hate to hear the Bic CP didn't go well. Perma sharp is definitely smoother but Bic has been more efficient for me. Are you planning to try Wizamet SI? I feel like it was between Perma sharp and Bic. I was pleasantly surprised by last two shaves with Feather in the BB Ti. I still need to write up my shave report for today.

Yes, Wizamet and Kai are the next two I will try. I need to give Feathers another run at some point too. I want to try the Lab Blues that come with the Bird too.
 
Blackbird Ti
Bic CP (2)
A&E SoCal Hipster
Rudy Vey 23mm STF

Final verdict is the Bic CP is definitely not for me. I took it really easy and it was still really uncomfortable and caused irritation. I'll call the results CUS (Close Uncomfortable Shave). I had to really back off around my chin so results there would probably fall under SAS.

On the positive front SoCal Hipster is always a treat and I tried the PAA Tube 2.0 for the first time tonight. I think the first pass was more slick but was tough to really tell with the Bic. I don't think I'll use it every shave but I think it will be helpful for the times I don't shower right before.

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I also didn't love the Bic CP. First shave was decent, but the quality dropped off with each consecutive shave before I binned it at 3.

I'm traveling with the aluminum lupo this weekend, but when I get back I'm taking the permasharps for a spin. I'm excited because similarly the nacet is my favorite as of now - great deals on nacets and permasharps right now!
 
I also didn't love the Bic CP. First shave was decent, but the quality dropped off with each consecutive shave before I binned it at 3.

I'm traveling with the aluminum lupo this weekend, but when I get back I'm taking the permasharps for a spin. I'm excited because similarly the nacet is my favorite as of now - great deals on nacets and permasharps right now!

If you like Nacets I think you'll like the Perma-Sharp. They feel very, very similar and are my top two blades so far. I'm actually going to go back to a Perma-Sharp for a few shaves before trying anything else new.
 
Lupo 95 OC
Timeless Ti Crown handle
Perma-Sharp (1)
PAA Garden of Bali
Rudy Vey 23mm STF

Decided to switch things up and go back to the Lupo for a shave. I went with a fresh Perma-Sharp and it was just as smooth as in the Blackbird Ti. Went with 3 passes (WTG, XTG, ATG) and some minor touch-ups for a near BBS result. Took a few strokes to dial back in to the Lupo; it definitely prefers a much shallower angle than the Bird. Have some minor irritation on my neck but I believe that's a remnant from the Bic last night. I should probably take a couple of days off to heal.

Garden of Bali was a treat to use again; I could close my eyes and feel like I was standing in a tropical garden. The CK-6 base is excellent and lathers the second the wet brush touches it.

PAA.jpeg
 
Blackbird Ti
Perma-Sharp (2)
Zingari Nomad
AP Shave Co G5C

After the "traumatic" experience with the Bic CP I was just overjoyed to experience the TiBird with a Perma-Sharp again. Just a smooth, comfortable 3 passes to near BBS with zero irritation.

Honestly, a blade would have to just absolutely blow me away to unseat the Perma-Sharp and Nacet. The results at less than 10c a blade are incredible.

First use of the AP Shave Co G5C. It doesn't build lather nearly as well as the Mühle STF, which is not to say that it's bad, but on the face it performs wonderfully. It excels in the looks department too! Seems to be a winner for me and will definitely be included in the rotation.

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The last of my purchases arrived today - another Rudy Vey brush with a Sea Blue handle and 25mm Mühle STF. Pictures don't do the subtle depth of the handle justice.

RV 25 STF.jpeg


I'm pretty excited about my synthetic line-up now.

23mm RV STF, 24mm AP Shave Co G5C, 25mm RV STF
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The last of my purchases arrived today - another Rudy Vey brush with a Sea Blue handle and 25mm Mühle STF. Pictures don't do the subtle depth of the handle justice.

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I'm pretty excited about my synthetic line-up now.

23mm RV STF, 24mm AP Shave Co G5C, 25mm RV STF
View attachment 1517544
Sharp looking collection. We seem to share some similar tastes in the blue color family. I am deep in research mode for an upcoming Rudy Vey brush. Too many great options :)
 
Blackbird Ti
Perma-Sharp (3)
Mammoth Indigo
Rudy Vey 25mm STF

First use of the 25mm STF and to no surprise it performed wonderfully. Aside from the obvious size difference the 25mm knot is much denser with a bit more backbone than the 23mm. It still retains softness and splays nicely which is what’s important to me. I do prefer the slightly taller handles of this brush and the AP G5C to the shorter 23mm STF. The 23 will probably become my travel brush with occasional use at home.

Quick two pass (WTG, ATG) shave tonight but still near BBS result. With a blade I enjoy the Mammoth Indigo is definitely on par with my tier 1 soaps.

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Just went through your first month. Thanks for sharing! You sure dived into the rabbit hole head first!
The way you describe the smell of all those soaps, I'd so much like to sniff them (out of 12 samples I bought over the last months, at most one could qualify for a full tub purchase. Primarily due to the smell of the products).
 
Just went through your first month. Thanks for sharing! You sure dived into the rabbit hole head first!
The way you describe the smell of all those soaps, I'd so much like to sniff them (out of 12 samples I bought over the last months, at most one could qualify for a full tub purchase. Primarily due to the smell of the products).

Appreciate it! Yes, I got sucked down the rabbit hole fast; much faster than I was planning ha. I think it might have worked out though as I am very happy with my current setup and don't currently have any desire to try anything else. I will probably pick up one of the new Blackbird Ti OC plates that was just announced yesterday though.
 
Blackbird Ti
Perma-Sharp (1)
DG After the Rain
AP Shave Co G5C

With last nights shave the Blackbird Ti surpassed the Rockwell 6S as my most used razor; and honestly I don't see that ever changing. The Bird is just so easy to use and I can get an irritation free BBS shave in two passes. With the announcement from Blackland of the Ti OC plate coming out this month I think I'm probably going to sell the Lupo too.

I'm still figuring out the G5C and I overhydrated my lather from the start. It and the 25mm STF hold a lot more water than the 23mm STF but I don't have many uses on any of them yet so I'm not worried about figuring it out.

I've been trying to further work out a ranking of my soaps and it's been much harder to do than I expected. I weeded out the few that just didn't work as well for me and while the remaining 7 all perform great and will remain in the rotation an obvious top 3 has emerged. I do still have a tub of 345 Estes I'm saving for the fall which as long as it performs up to the reviews will definitely join the rotation and a few samples I haven't used yet, the top of which is PAA Future Fiction which could easily contend for a top 3 spot.

Top 3:
1. A&E SoCal Hipster
2. Zingari Nomad
3. PAA Garden of Bali

Remaining in rotation:
4. SW Pomona
5. Mammoth Indigo
6. B&M Le Grand Chypre
7. DG After the Rain

Those that didn't work for me:
- NO Two Kings (performance good, lacking scent)
- Stirling Varen (performance okay, like the scent)
- Stirling Haverford (performance not up to par, love the scent)
- Stirling Gatlinburg (performance not up to par, like the scent)
- Stirling Island Man (performance not up to par, lacking scent)

After the Rain.jpeg
 
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