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What straight did you use today? Now with PICTURES

Hello everyone! The cub and I are, considering the bleak situation for all of us, well and I do hope that you are too.

As you might have noticed I use the same razor for seven consecutive shaves. The effect is that my shaves get a tad better and that I fully get to appreciate the unique qualities of each razor.

I also shift shaving soap once a week. The soap of the passed week is worth a special mentioning. It was “Toivo” a Finnish tar scented shaving soap. These days it can be bought from the Nordic Shaving Company under the name "NSC Shaving Soap Pine Tar". I got it about five years ago, but only shaved with it once. This due to that my then dying wife asked me where the nauseating stink came from and asked me to get rid of it. At the time I had my shave den in the basement and she was one floor and about fifteen yards away. I put the soap in two sealed plastic bags and then in a waterproof plastic container. Even so I could still smell it. The years passed by and my wife sadly enough passed away. So when I last week saw the soap in its box I took it up and sniffed the plastic container. I could still feel the tar scent, but not as much as back then. I decided to take a chance. I got the soap out. The smell was still potent, but not as it once had been. It lathered really well and I was surprised to find that the soap was an excellent shaving soap.

The to me not unpleasant tar scent sent me down memory lane back to the army in the last years of the cold war. In the summertime up above the Polar Circle there was only one repellent that could keep the billowing clouds of stinging insects away. The main ingrediency was tar. Everyone’s face and arms were striped with tar that wasn’t possible to wash away, but that was better than the alternative. We also waterproofed our boots with grease mixed with tar. In short everyone reeked of tar, sweat, weapon grease and mud.

The soap itself was surprisingly good. Actually I’d put it up among the top tier in every aspect but the scent. The first morning I woke the cub to have breakfast as I do every day after having shaved. He sniffed and asked me why there was a smell of burning faeces in our home. I rose from my chair, got the soap from the bathroom, opened the lid and let him have a sniff. He coughed and kindly asked me to put it away. I did, but I’ve used the soap all week since then. This is a soap made by and suited for the sons of the veterans of the Winter War. Actually I have found another soap with an interesting description on maker’s homepage: Birch Shaving Soap: Clean and fresh birch scent brings alive the finest elements of Finnish summer: birch, sauna and fresh summer breeze.

This week's shaves will be more ordinary shave wise: A Heljestrand No.24 quarter hollow, an excellent shaver in experienced hands, and Klar Sandalwood Shaving Soap, a top of the line soap that aren’t that easy to come by. The best about the Klar soaps is however the picture on the lid with me and the cub having a bath.
I wish you all a very nice weekend.

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View attachment 1079596
Wonderful read Arne and thank you for letting us in on a glimpse of your past.
 
Hello everyone! The cub and I are, considering the bleak situation for all of us, well and I do hope that you are too.

As you might have noticed I use the same razor for seven consecutive shaves. The effect is that my shaves get a tad better and that I fully get to appreciate the unique qualities of each razor.

I also shift shaving soap once a week. The soap of the passed week is worth a special mentioning. It was “Toivo” a Finnish tar scented shaving soap. These days it can be bought from the Nordic Shaving Company under the name "NSC Shaving Soap Pine Tar". I got it about five years ago, but only shaved with it once. This due to that my then dying wife asked me where the nauseating stink came from and asked me to get rid of it. At the time I had my shave den in the basement and she was one floor and about fifteen yards away. I put the soap in two sealed plastic bags and then in a waterproof plastic container. Even so I could still smell it. The years passed by and my wife sadly enough passed away. So when I last week saw the soap in its box I took it up and sniffed the plastic container. I could still feel the tar scent, but not as much as back then. I decided to take a chance. I got the soap out. The smell was still potent, but not as it once had been. It lathered really well and I was surprised to find that the soap was an excellent shaving soap.

The to me not unpleasant tar scent sent me down memory lane back to the army in the last years of the cold war. In the summertime up above the Polar Circle there was only one repellent that could keep the billowing clouds of stinging insects away. The main ingrediency was tar. Everyone’s face and arms were striped with tar that wasn’t possible to wash away, but that was better than the alternative. We also waterproofed our boots with grease mixed with tar. In short everyone reeked of tar, sweat, weapon grease and mud.

The soap itself was surprisingly good. Actually I’d put it up among the top tier in every aspect but the scent. The first morning I woke the cub to have breakfast as I do every day after having shaved. He sniffed and asked me why there was a smell of burning faeces in our home. I rose from my chair, got the soap from the bathroom, opened the lid and let him have a sniff. He coughed and kindly asked me to put it away. I did, but I’ve used the soap all week since then. This is a soap made by and suited for the sons of the veterans of the Winter War. Actually I have found another soap with an interesting description on maker’s homepage: Birch Shaving Soap: Clean and fresh birch scent brings alive the finest elements of Finnish summer: birch, sauna and fresh summer breeze.

This week's shaves will be more ordinary shave wise: A Heljestrand No.24 quarter hollow, an excellent shaver in experienced hands, and Klar Sandalwood Shaving Soap, a top of the line soap that aren’t that easy to come by. The best about the Klar soaps is however the picture on the lid with me and the cub having a bath.
I wish you all a very nice weekend.

View attachment 1079597
View attachment 1079596


That is funny Arne as last week I was looking at that soap well, In fact, both of them the tar as well as the birch soap as it pricked my interest working on the UK roads I love the smell of hot Asphalt. As I go home the smell comes with me and the wife has gotten used to it and that's not a bad thing, And like yourself, under the current conditions I hope and pray that everyone stays safe....
 
Took the little Swede for a spin. A 4/8 Eriksson & Björklund. Really nimble razor that must be handled with due care and attention as it has a tendency to bite.

I came across this on the auction site while looking for chisels and paid a fair price for it. Couldn't cut when I got it but the film soon sorted that out. IMG_20200329_120353.jpg
 
Decided to show the whole kit today
IMG_20200329_110607-01.jpeg

Wade & Butcher FBU
Ever-Ready Heritage Collection
West Coast Shaving Fougere
Home brew post-shave oil
C. O. Bigelow Elixir White Ultralight Body Lotion
Old Spice Classic

Picked up the Fougere on a PIF table a while ago. I'm so disappointed that I waited months to try it. Tremendous, rich, earthy scent. And mounds and mounds of rich, slippery, fluffy, fragrant lather. A total winner in my book.
 
Interesting. I still have the link to this soap you sent me. I use pine tar soap as a shampoo which is the best shampoo I’ve ever used. I used coal tar soap until some creatures made it illegal. I grew up in a coal mining area and the scent is very nostalgic for me. Hej to Erik.
Steve
Thank You Steve. :001_smile

Wonderful read Arne and thank you for letting us in on a glimpse of your past.
Thank You Dean. We all have a past, thankfully some of the memories fade over time while the happy ones hopefully stay.
That is funny Arne as last week I was looking at that soap well, In fact, both of them the tar as well as the birch soap as it pricked my interest working on the UK roads I love the smell of hot Asphalt. As I go home the smell comes with me and the wife has gotten used to it and that's not a bad thing, And like yourself, under the current conditions I hope and pray that everyone stays safe....
Scent memories are the most vivid ones. I guess that explains my passion for Tabac. It's bottled memories of my father and his father before him. Warm very dear memories. If I was You I'd buy the soaps. Most likely I'll buy the birch version myself sooner or later.
Took the little Swede for a spin. A 4/8 Eriksson & Björklund. Really nimble razor that must be handled with due care and attention as it has a tendency to bite.

I came across this on the auction site while looking for chisels and paid a fair price for it. Couldn't cut when I got it but the film soon sorted that out.View attachment 1079977
That's a very fine razor and a pretty uncommon one too. I've only got one Eriksson & Björklund in my collection. Eriksson & Björklund were two craftsmen that left Heljestrand and set up a two man business of their own making very fine copies of Heljestrand razors, but with a twist.
 
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That's a very fine razor and a pretty uncommon one too. I've only got one Eriksson & Björklund in my collection. Eriksson & Björklund were two craftsmen that left Heljestrand and set up a two man business of their own making very fine copies of Heljestrand razors, but with a twist.
Thank you for the information. I can't seem to find much information on Eriksson and Björklund. I also haven't seen many of their razors come up for sale. Do you know what years the company was producing razors?
 
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