The Wanderer's Journey

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

To stray from minimalism, is to stray from happiness for me, Jim. Well, in terms of shaving anyway.

I don't mind the presence of my few occasional use curios, but I find simplicity of the regular use items preferable. Jagger for home, Merkur for short stay, and WSC for longer stay. That'll do for me. I do still like having the straights, shavette, hollow ground SEs, and birth quarter TTO kicking around for novelty shaves though.

I hear you, Al.

Just ribbing you, my friend.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I know buddy

 

[Esox]

As someone with a balance disorder, I can confirm that gravity is a b1tch sometimes Nice acquisition all the same, Mike.

Yeah, I'm not out much, and it gives me something to pass on to a potential newcomer.

The father of the friend that gave it to me died a year or so ago. His father bought it brand new so in a few months I'll ask him if he wants it back. I cleaned it up and put it away. It looks pretty much brand new after just a quick scrub.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Nice work!

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Tried the Tech again today for a full three pass shave. I think that might be my last shave with it. It did the job, but every other DE I have, does the same job better.

I could of course prat around trying different blades with it, but don't see the point. If it works well with some of my favourite blades and not others, that will break my current situation of being able to use any of my blades in any of my razors.

Haven't tried to see how well the Merkur fits in that pouch yet.

 

[Esox]

I think this was my last use of a Tech...

48 hours since last shave and back to 'just shaving', for the moment...

Post war tech/Fat handle. Fresh Feather.

Proraso Green.

Maggard synthetic.

Standard 3 pass++++ shave.

First pass N-S. Second pass S-N. Third pass directly ATG. No buffing at any point.

First clean up at and below my jawline, buffing ATG.

Second clean up pass below my jawline, buffing ATG.

Third clean up pass and back over my jawline at a 45° angle and buffing over my swirls.

Fourth clean up pass lol, 45° the opposite direction and buffing over my swirls.

In the end I needed to start all over again hahaha.

I have very comfortable skin and a very nice BBS shave, but I damn well better after that much work! Mild razors are just that mild. Easy on the skin but not what I'd call efficient. It was an enjoyable shave, its hard to dismiss that much comfort, but at the same time its maddeningly frustrating.

I'll use it again the next time I feel like whittling a Totem Pole...or something.

I much prefer my one and done with my Grande or MMOC.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I think this was my last use of a Tech...




I much prefer my one and done with my Grande or MMOC.

Oooh! You mention fat handle in that post. Maybe I should try it on the Jagger handle. If it's compatible and makes enough improvement, it might be worth keeping as a spare head. If it shaves the same, I'm back to it being a donor for a noob.

 

[Esox]

Oooh! You mention fat handle in that post. Maybe I should try it on the Jagger handle. If it's compatible and makes enough improvement, it might be worth keeping as a spare head. If it shaves the same, I'm back to it being a donor for a noob.

I prefer the fat Tech handle of all my Gillette handles. Its the right length and thickness and they're very grippy. It makes shaving easier than the smaller Ball End handles but it doesnt increase blade exposure lol.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I prefer the fat Tech handle of all my Gillette handles. Its the right length and thickness and they're very grippy. It makes shaving easier than the smaller Ball End handles but it doesnt increase blade exposure lol.

You're quite right. I tried it this evening, and while it made handling easier, the results were no better

 

[Rosseforp]

I've been having a few days by the coast, and so have been away from my usual kit, shaving with my even more minimalist than normal array.

View attachment 1019962

As well as the Merkur 985 and blade tuck with used blades slot I tend to use for travel, I also had a slice of Palmolive shave stick, a synthetic brush, and a small tache comb.

This, for me, is a tried and tested travel kit, and has given me many great shaves when away from home.

But not today.

There was no failing of the kit, or significant failing of the operator. The only reason that it failed to give me a great shave, is that I used something else instead. Quite unplanned, I spotted something in the window of an antique shop I was walking past yesterday.

Quite unlike me, I bought something I didn't specifically need.

I'm also not entirely sure what kind of razor I've ended up with.

View attachment 1019964

View attachment 1019965

The case is in great condition, and the contents appear to be in reasonable nick too, although a bit of a clean and polish wouldn't go amiss, as there is a little bit of tarnishing. Some items specify being made in Sheffield, while some others just specify being in England. Certainly worth the £10 I handed over for the set, in my opinion.

The Gillette razor only specifies being made in England, and has no date codes to advise when. Would I be right in assuming this is some form of Tech? The handle for it is aluminium.

View attachment 1019966

View attachment 1019967

I gave the razor a clean with some alcohol hand gel, followed by soap and water, then took it for a test drive. It certainly needs driving differently to my regular razors, in as it needs an angle that would be way too shallow with the usual kit.

Not my greatest shave ever, but quite respectable for my first use of a razor.

Not being an expert on Techs, I do happen to have a few Tech's from across the pond. One of them is just like yours, I have posted a picture of it along side of my 1967 Tech (M4), as they are virtually identical. The main difference is the US made Ball End Techs have a ring on the end, whereas the Made in England Techs do not have the ring. Both are very mild, I use a 25 gram titanium handle with my Tech, when I use it........

My other Made in England Tech also does not have a date code, however when pictured next to my US made 1953 Tech (Y 2), it appears virtually identical. However, because my US Tech (56 grams) was made during the Korean Conflict, it has a steel baseplate and is almost 6 grams lighter than it's English(62 grams) counterpart.
My 53 Tech is my favorite post-war tech.
I also have a Merkur15C open comb that is in my daily rotation, that when compared to the Techs, is a much more efficient razor.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Not being an expert on Techs, I do happen to have a few Tech's from across the pond. One of them is just like yours, I have posted a picture of it along side of my 1967 Tech (M4), as they are virtually identical. The main difference is the US made Ball End Techs have a ring on the end, whereas the Made in England Techs do not have the ring. Both are very mild, I use a 25 gram titanium handle with my Tech, when I use it........View attachment 1022261View attachment 1022262

My other Made in England Tech also does not have a date code, however when pictured next to my US made 1953 Tech (Y 2), it appears virtually identical. However, because my US Tech (56 grams) was made during the Korean Conflict, it has a steel baseplate and is almost 6 grams lighter than it's English(62 grams) counterpart.
My 53 Tech is my favorite post-war tech.
I also have a Merkur15C open comb that is in my daily rotation, that when compared to the Techs, is a much more efficient razor.
View attachment 1022269View attachment 1022266

Thanks for that, Doug. Yes, the first one looks the same, so I'll use your findings as a rough date of manufacture for this one. I don't have any idea of weight on mine.

I believe the head on that 15C is the same as my 985, and you're quite right - it's far more efficient.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I had around 4 days growth to shift today, which is not exactly ideal with my regular closed comb razor. Ordinarily, I'd ever either battle through regardless, or switch the head to the open comb from my Merkur, but I reached for the Dovo shavette instead.

I only did the first pass with the Dovo, then switched to the Jagger for the rest. What surprise me, was how fluent I felt with the Dovo. No staring in bewilderment into the mirror between different zones, trying to figure out what grip I need to shift to next. It just happened. It wasn't entirely thought free, but somewhere between the usual straight format intensity of concentration, and the blissful absent minded automation of a Jagger only shave. Maybe I should feel liberated and pleased with that, but I don't. Even though that was yet another bloodless shave, it was too complacent for straight format use, and I need to get out of that kind of sloppiness before I plunge into skin.

What I am pleased with though, is that this was a very successful straight shave with the oft maligned "disappearing lather" craft soap, which works great for me with DE, but not always as well with a straight format. I usually switch to the Palmolive stick for a straight format shave, but had already lathered up before deciding upon the Dovo. Whether that's better use with the lather, better use with the shavette, irrelevance as it was still a ptfe coated blade rather than raw carbon steel, or just a fluke - I don't know. I'm just happy with the result.

Zero tingle from the aftershave, which was my final application from that bottle. So cheerio to the ultra cheap Superdrug Forest Fresh aftershave, and hello to it's Sierran Breeze scented sibling. For the tiny cost, I must say that I've been very happy with that last bottle, which has lasted me the best part of a year, I think, albeit not used at every shave. It's probably my first bottle of aftershave lotion for 15 to 20 years, an while it hasn't transformed my shaves much, for £2.49 a bottle, it's a nice "conndiment" to have to hand. A nice clean feeling finisher, with a pleasing scent that is neither obtrusive nor outstays it's welcome.

The Sierran Breeze is more citrussy than the foliage scented Forest Fresh, which I had planned on starting in late Spring, but I was still perfectly happy with the other. I'm not sure if I'll like this one as much, but until it hits skin, it's not easy to judge.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

UGHHH!! That's grim!

While the Superdrug cheapo Forest Fresh aftershave was really quite pleasant, the other one in the line, Sierran Breeze, is disgusting!

I've never tried Arko, but this smells like every description I've read by those who hate it. And it won't go away. Like I've fallen face down in a urinal, and can't get up. This is the first shaving product I think I've ever tried, that leaves me loathing the smell of my own face.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

After the bad experience with the toilet cleaner labelled as aftershave, I decided to place my first order with Connaught. I ordered a bottle of Phoenix and Beau Spitfire aftershave, plus a few samples from Wickhams and DR Harris. I figured after exploring whether premium soaps were worth the money, I'd see if there's any noticeable difference in skin feel from these aftershaves, compared with the cheapo one I've been using for the last several months.

I've also been missing The Fat. Really missing it. It's been many months since I last used it, but I don't have any spare bowls to drop in the new cake that's still sealed up and lurking in the drawer - and once I start that, that's roughly 500 shaves to use it up. So, I decided to bite the bullet and also order one of the proper Mitchell's ceramic dishes that comes complete with a soap. That way, I can have a few shaves with it every now and again, without having to wait another year to clear the backlog, and just pop the lid back on and back to the other stuff.

All combined, it came close to what's needed for free shipping, so a couple of soap samples of Wickhams and P&B were added to nudge me over the line. I have no intention of buying full soaps in any of those flavours, but when I abandoned the soap exploration a few months ago, I did say that I'd use samples just to break up the routine every once in a while.

Not really an expense I wanted after just paying for a short break a few weeks ago, but worth it in the long run I reckon. Assuming the P&B Spitfire works for me, that is.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

UGHHH!! That's grim!

While the Superdrug cheapo Forest Fresh aftershave was really quite pleasant, the other one in the line, Sierran Breeze, is disgusting!

I've never tried Arko, but this smells like every description I've read by those who hate it. And it won't go away. Like I've fallen face down in a urinal, and can't get up. This is the first shaving product I think I've ever tried, that leaves me loathing the smell of my own face.

I had to take another shower to get rid of the horrible scent of Tabac (and I know some guys like it). Even so, now, years later, I can still smell it in my mind's nose sometimes. Horrible, evil scent, pervasive and persistent!

There have been only two or three shaving products I've really hated.

Others I've not much liked to begin with, but found them growing on me as I continued using them. I didn't hate them at all to begin with, but it was surprising to find them becoming favorites. One of these is WK King of Oud.



Arko is a soap I tried. I could understand the urinal cake description some gentlemen apply to its scent, but it was not a disagreeable scent to me. Instead it seemed to me to be a rather industrial scent like in a cleaning product. I was very surprised at how good a shaving soap Arko seemed to be, but wasn't inclined to persist with it.

Tabac also performed well for me, but I would ship every puck ever made to Mars if it were up to me. Scents are very "individual" and also get deep within some primitive brain cells. We relate to them of deep levels.



Another contentious scent is The Veg. Its scent has been described as smelling like cat p*ss which I can appreciate, but there's something about it which grows on some guys including me. I like it on occasion.



Special Reserve is sometimes described as smelling like the rotting floor of a nasty jungle. Others smell a fecal tone to it. I can appreciate both but somehow nevertheless like the stuff.

In other words I think the whole scent thing is weird. I like what I like and hate what I hate.



More recently I've begun to appreciate more sophisticated and complex scents created by folks who are true experts. While its performance is the main reason I like Dragonsbeard Skin Food Splash, the scent is perhaps the most complex and interesting in my collection, and the one I've received the most compliments on (more than all others combined and DBSFS is new to me). I really like it.

The image of you in the urinal is not one I will keep in mind, Al. I prefer a more musical picture of you.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[AimlessWanderer]

View attachment 1024400

I had to take another shower to get rid of the horrible scent of Tabac (and I know some guys like it). Even so, now, years later, I can still smell it in my mind's nose sometimes. Horrible, evil scent, pervasive and persistent!

There have been only two or three shaving products I've really hated.

Others I've not much liked to begin with, but found them growing on me as I continued using them. I didn't hate them at all to begin with, but it was surprising to find them becoming favorites. One of these is WK King of Oud.

View attachment 1024401

Arko is a soap I tried. I could understand the urinal cake description some gentlemen apply to its scent, but it was not a disagreeable scent to me. Instead it seemed to me to be a rather industrial scent like in a cleaning product. I was very surprised at how good a shaving soap Arko seemed to be, but wasn't inclined to persist with it.

Tabac also performed well for me, but I would ship every puck ever made to Mars if it were up to me. Scents are very "individual" and also get deep within some primitive brain cells. We relate to them of deep levels.

View attachment 1024399

Another contentious scent is The Veg. Its scent has been described as smelling like cat p*ss which I can appreciate, but there's something about it which grows on some guys including me. I like it on occasion.

View attachment 1024402

Special Reserve is sometimes described as smelling like the rotting floor of a nasty jungle. Others smell a fecal tone to it. I can appreciate both but somehow nevertheless like the stuff.

In other words I think the whole scent thing is weird. I like what I like and hate what I hate.

View attachment 1024403

More recently I've begun to appreciate more sophisticated and complex scents created by folks who are true experts. While its performance is the main reason I like Dragonsbeard Skin Food Splash, the scent is perhaps the most complex and interesting in my collection, and the one I've received the most compliments on (more than all others combined and DBSFS is new to me). I really like it.

The image of you in the urinal is not one I will keep in mind, Al. I prefer a more musical picture of you.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Cheers Jim

While I've been at this wet shaving lark for approaching 3 decades, I've not been that adventurous in terms of products. I stayed fairly bland and conservative in choice for most of that journey. Since signing up here though, I have heeded the warnings on Arko, Tabac, and the Veg, and stayed well clear. I hadn't picked up on the comments of the Special Reserve, but a compost/agricultural scent might not be offputting for me. How it smells when it's sat on my skin, is a different issue of course, as I think you have to be "chosen" for all scents, not just the Veg.

The P&B Spitfire is the only post-shave in this Connaught order that's a full bottle. Leather, juniper and tobacco sounds like I couldn't possibly dislike it. About as safe a bet as I can make for an online scent purchase, besides which, it wasn't available as a sample. Everything other Harris and Wickhams aftershave sample that's in that order, is arriving as a sample. I wouldn't feel as certain in buying those without trying a sample first. They sound like they might work for me, but as you say, scent is very personal, and I'd rather ditch a £2.50 sample that doesn't work for me, rather than a £15-£25 full bottle.

It's worth noting that each of those samples costs the same price as a full bottle of the Forest Fresh aftershave I've just finished, which did the job just fine. The samples I'm ordering would therefore need to really impress me, in order to warrant buying a full bottle at many multiples the cost of that cheapo one. Till they arrive, I'll be using plain old witch hazel and a squirt of EdT.

 

[Esox]

Like I've fallen face down in a urinal, and can't get up.

I have a feeling you'll like Wickham a bit better Al lol.

 

[Somerled]

My favourite tipple.

Ordered a bottle directly from India a couple of years ago and it's still over half full, dispite me using it a lot more than the other scents I have.

My dad always used Old Spice, so, I grew up with the smell. The hint of Lime makes it even better.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

View attachment 1024473

I have a feeling you'll like Wickham a bit better Al lol.

You nailed it, Mike!

I've got six different scent inbound (see below), so hopefully a few of them will be more to my taste.

My favourite tipple.

View attachment 1024490

Ordered a bottle directly from India a couple of years ago and it's still over half full, dispite me using it a lot more than the other scents I have.

My dad always used Old Spice, so, I grew up with the smell. The hint of Lime makes it even better.

That might be the first time I've seen that stuff, Doug. Although I did see that my local Tesco has the regular stuff. I'm pretty sure I'll have been gifted a bottle at some point, but have no recollection of what it smells like. While scent is supposed to be the longest memory in most people, my DNA never got the memo. Is that lime version available nearer to home?

Not that I'm in any need for any more smelly juice at the moment. I got the confirmation earlier that my order has shipped, so either tomorrow or Friday, I'll have the Spitfire lotion, plus samples of Wickhams' Russian Leather and Citrus Musk, and Harris' Arlington, Bay Rum, and Sandalwood.

I should also say at this point, I may have been a little harsh on the Sierran Breeze. When I lathered up for my shave today, it was like I could smell part of it. I checked to make sure I'd put the lid back on properly, then realised what I could smell was my lather. I've never had an adverse response to the scent of that soap (cedarwood and lime scented), but today I didn't like the scent. I suspect the stench from yesterday was the combination of that aftershave and that soap. I might try it again another day with an unscented soap if I'm feeling brave, and see if it's as vile second time around.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Just 30 hours after ordering, a parcel arrived.

I'm not using the Mitchell's today though. I'll let it sit in a few mm of water overnight, then flip the softened side to the top for the first shave tomorrow.

The pump dispenser makes the Spitfire lotion look suspiciously more like a balm, which is OK as I haven't opened another since I discarded the L'Oréal stuff I'd been using, but not what I expected. I'll go for a shave with Palmolive shortly, and see just how the Spitfire comes out.