What straight did you use today? Now with PICTURES

[Polarbeard]

8-12-2020

Late afternoon shave today..

Revisor 6/8
Scrupleworks Vegetable Tanned Horsehide .. 40/60
Klar Kabinett Shave Soap
Morris & Forndran L7 in Blonde Badger
Bloc Oama .. as a proof
Thayer's Witch Hazel .. Rose
Knize Ten EdT

Best soap, best brush, and a great edge off the La Grosse Blanche coticule. The only thing missing was a Rose scented splash.. I must remedy that.

Some years ago I bought one Revisor razor (it's a 6/8 thumb notch like yours but a different configuation). Ever since then I've had your razor at the back of my mind, that or the same razor with the red Kronenbacke scales.

Tonight's shave was bad. Really really bad, and I'm a f'ing idiot.

6/8" blades grim straight. So I've used this a handful of times maybe 7 times and the edge is dull as hell now. I could have had a more comfortable shave with sandpaper. So this razor doesn't seem to hold an edge very well.

Tony Miller steerdovan 3" strop

Lowborn Supply walnut with 26mm TGN silvertip knot. This was my first Lowborn handle and what got me in the rabbit hole loving Lowborn. The knot is still a nice soft knot.

RazoRock mudder focker soap

Crowne and Crane tobacco Amber balm. Holy hell I got balm because I figured since my face was ran through a meat grinder and water burned like hell that the balm would be best and no alcohol so I thought I wouldnt want to slam my fingers in the top of a door just to relieve the pain. Well it's not just alcohol that will make you want to chop your ankle off with a table spoon. Steric acid will as well and since it was in a balm it lasts longer than Pinaud clubman. I'd rather RIP every tooth out of my mouth with pliers then pour a quarter cup of salt in my mouth than make that mistake again.

I should have stopped and grabbed a different razor. Please learn from my idiocracy and dont do what I did.

View attachment 1139070

Ouch, I hope that your face is feeling better now. Your post sent me down memory lane to the day when I had my first shave with my then brand new Mühle R41 version 2011.

View attachment 1139239
Wacker Old Sheffield
Arko stick (13 of 13 for Arko August)
Rick Montalvo
Hazlet's Apothecary 1888

Superb shave this morning. Be well all!

I looked at the photo of your gorgeous Wacker, recalled the many times I've looked at it their website but you can't have them all.

 

[Polarbeard]

A short note on shaving soaps by The Grumpy Old Bastard (that below proves that he deserves that epithet).

When I read how much appreciation some budget shaving soaps get at B&B I often wonder if my recollection of how I have perceived their performance might be totally wrong. It’s even happened that I’ve bought new specimens of soaps I’ve sworn to never touch again just to try them once more. Every time I’ve been reminded of what Einstein once stated: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Lately I’ve dug deep into my soap drawer and have been shaving with low cost shaving soaps, and yes there are good shaving soaps among them like LaToja, LEA (I recall that it should be the same soap as LaToja), Macarot, Nivea and others. They are really good, but often not quite as good as more expensive soaps. However there are popular low cost shaving soaps, that I hopefully never will be stupid enough to put onto my face again. I guess that part of the answer to why some cheaper soaps get so good reviews is due to that they are the first shaving soaps new wet shavers try out and everything is better than the canned goo that is the only reference they’ve got.

Having stated the above; There are expensive shaving soaps that I’ll never buy again too, like the classic British three “T”:s. I never managed to get Trumpers’ Rose to lather for instance.

On to my razor for the coming week. I love the engraving (not etching) on this old Kobar razor. It’s nothing fancy but the maker had obviously set out to do as functional a product as possible. I love the sound of a really hollow razor and this one makes the stubble scream out loud in agony while being moved down.

I face lathered with an Omega 49 synthetic brush using Wickham Shangri La shaving soap (musky Rose scent). This is not one of the cheap soaps mentioned above, but it’s one of my favourites.

After the shave I used my usual Bison horse butt strop, Nivea face cream and ended by putting Aramis Calligraphy Rose EdP on my face. I like rose scents, always have and always will. I don't care much if some men don't find rose scents to be manly enough. I've never bothered about what men think of rose scents as long as their wifes like it when I wear them.

I wish you all a very nice weekend.

 

[camoloc]

A short note on shaving soaps by The Grumpy Old Bastard (that below proves that he deserves that epithet).

When I read how much appreciation some budget shaving soaps get at B&B I often wonder if my recollection of how I have perceived their performance might be totally wrong. It’s even happened that I’ve bought new specimens of soaps I’ve sworn to never touch again just to try them once more. Every time I’ve been reminded of what Einstein once stated: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Lately I’ve dug deep into my soap drawer and have been shaving with low cost shaving soaps, and yes there are good shaving soaps among them like LaToja, LEA (I recall that it should be the same soap as LaToja), Macarot, Nivea and others. They are really good, but often not quite as good as more expensive soaps. However there are popular low cost shaving soaps, that I hopefully never will be stupid enough to put onto my face again. I guess that part of the answer to why some cheaper soaps get so good reviews is due to that they are the first shaving soaps new wet shavers try out and everything is better than the canned goo that is the only reference they’ve got.

Having stated the above; There are expensive shaving soaps that I’ll never buy again too, like the classic British three “T”:s. I never managed to get Trumpers’ Rose to lather for instance.

On to my razor for the coming week. I love the engraving (not etching) on this old Kobar razor. It’s nothing fancy but the maker had obviously set out to do as functional a product as possible. I love the sound of a really hollow razor and this one makes the stubble scream out loud in agony while being moved down.

I face lathered with an Omega 49 synthetic brush using Wickham Shangri La shaving soap (musky Rose scent). This is not one of the cheap soaps mentioned above, but it’s one of my favourites.

After the shave I used my usual Bison horse butt strop, Nivea face cream and ended by putting Aramis Calligraphy Rose EdP on my face. I like rose scents, always have and always will. I don't care much if some men don't find rose scents to be manly enough. I've never bothered about what men think of rose scents as long as their wifes like it when I wear them.

I wish you all a very nice weekend.

View attachment 1140250

yup,

don't care what others think that I like Rose scents (see today's soap!).

I'm in a place in life where I neither have to prove, confirm, or question my level of "Manliness."

liberating place to be.

camo

 

[Gamma]

1/2 Hollow W&B Celebrated FBU 8/8

 

[Steve56]

I wholeheartedly agree @Polarbeard - a lot of folks who haven't experienced a good sampling of really fine soaps tend to believe that low end or standard barbershop soaps are well, better than they are.

If I had to start over, I’d do exactly what I recommend to people starting to experience the range of shaving soaps. That is, ‘Start at the top’. Get some Acqua di Parma, ABC, I Coloniali, and Valobra tallow (if you can find them), Martin de Candre, the newest Floris hard soaps (and creams). Why? You’ll end up spending less money to experience a range of soaps and will accumulate far fewer mediocre soaps in the long run, and as a result save a lot of money.

No soap is expensive except compared to other soaps. Soap is just not an expensive product, and even the most expensive of shaving soap cost less to use than one daily latte. The fragrances added to some of them can bump up the cost, but a good fragrance (to me at least) is a joy, Floris, Acqua di Parma Colonia, Dior Eau Sauvage....

JMO

 

[Polarbeard]

yup,

don't care what others think that I like Rose scents (see today's soap!).

I'm in a place in life where I neither have to prove, confirm, or question my level of "Manliness."

liberating place to be.

camo

Indeed

 

[Polarbeard]

I wholeheartedly agree @Polarbeard - a lot of folks who haven't experienced a good sampling of really fine soaps tend to believe that low end or standard barbershop soaps are well, better than they are.

If I had to start over, I’d do exactly what I recommend to people starting to experience the range of shaving soaps. That is, ‘Start at the top’. Get some Acqua di Parma, ABC, I Coloniali, and Valobra tallow (if you can find them), Martin de Candre, the newest Floris hard soaps (and creams). Why? You’ll end up spending less money to experience a range of soaps and will accumulate far fewer mediocre soaps in the long run, and as a result save a lot of money.

No soap is expensive except compared to other soaps. Soap is just not an expensive product, and even the most expensive of shaving soap cost less to use than one daily latte. The fragrances added to some of them can bump up the cost, but a good fragrance (to me at least) is a joy, Floris, Acqua di Parma Colonia, Dior Eau Sauvage....

JMO

I agree. To me the "must have" list also includes Sapofinicio Varesino. Thanks to a great man and frequent poster in this thread I also still have Valobra AOS Sandalwood soaps and one Il Coloniali Mango. I'm saving the Coloniali for some very special occasion.

 

[mrlandpirate]

 

[Suhrim21]

A short note on shaving soaps by The Grumpy Old Bastard (that below proves that he deserves that epithet).

When I read how much appreciation some budget shaving soaps get at B&B I often wonder if my recollection of how I have perceived their performance might be totally wrong. It’s even happened that I’ve bought new specimens of soaps I’ve sworn to never touch again just to try them once more. Every time I’ve been reminded of what Einstein once stated: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Lately I’ve dug deep into my soap drawer and have been shaving with low cost shaving soaps, and yes there are good shaving soaps among them like LaToja, LEA (I recall that it should be the same soap as LaToja), Macarot, Nivea and others. They are really good, but often not quite as good as more expensive soaps. However there are popular low cost shaving soaps, that I hopefully never will be stupid enough to put onto my face again. I guess that part of the answer to why some cheaper soaps get so good reviews is due to that they are the first shaving soaps new wet shavers try out and everything is better than the canned goo that is the only reference they’ve got.

Having stated the above; There are expensive shaving soaps that I’ll never buy again too, like the classic British three “T”:s. I never managed to get Trumpers’ Rose to lather for instance.

On to my razor for the coming week. I love the engraving (not etching) on this old Kobar razor. It’s nothing fancy but the maker had obviously set out to do as functional a product as possible. I love the sound of a really hollow razor and this one makes the stubble scream out loud in agony while being moved down.

I face lathered with an Omega 49 synthetic brush using Wickham Shangri La shaving soap (musky Rose scent). This is not one of the cheap soaps mentioned above, but it’s one of my favourites.

After the shave I used my usual Bison horse butt strop, Nivea face cream and ended by putting Aramis Calligraphy Rose EdP on my face. I like rose scents, always have and always will. I don't care much if some men don't find rose scents to be manly enough. I've never bothered about what men think of rose scents as long as their wifes like it when I wear them.

I wish you all a very nice weekend.

View attachment 1140250

That is a beautiful razor. I beg to differ it is a fancy razor. I do however get the feeling you have for it. Some razors adhere to the acronym KISS. The razors are not gorgeous like the Dorko or fili razors, but instead look plain but will provide shaves that put you on cloud 9. Same with soaps. Some of the cheap soaps will rival the expensive artisan made stuff.

I think for a lot of us we have become functional collectors, in the sense that we love getting new things to add to the collection we have. When we start collecting we tend to go for the fancy items and leave the plain items to the newbies. If you think back to when you first started a lot of us had razors that were just plain but worked very well. As we kept watching the razor acquisition and brush acquisition and reading about soaps we quickly decided that new fancy razors and soaps would automatically give us better shaves.

With all of that said it still is fun to get new "shiny" items and try new soaps.

 

[johnb65]

Trying out the new TI today, 6/8 with olive wood scales. It was shave ready, though I stropped it a little first. A touch of FeOx before tomorrow will make it a little more to my taste. The other Dreadnaught was there just in case.
The brush is a SOC that I am doing my best to get to like.
Soap is Boellis Panama 1924

 

[bluesman 7]

Saturday's Shave
'Feathers & Bones'

 

[RumpleBearskin]

Joseph Smith
Caisson Shaving Co., BOHICA Blend
Rudy Vey 2020 B&B Contributor's Brush
TOBS Eaton College AS

Nice shave today. This Joseph Smith near wedge really knows how to handle whiskers.

The soap is from a new artisan (Cassion-Shaving.com) and today was the first try after a test lather last night. The test with my Maggard's Black & White and a rice bowl was stellar. The lather today with the badger and my scuttle was less so. Could have been due to heat from my scuttle. Could have been a lack of familiarity with the right amount water. But the lather just collapsed between passes. I ended up face lathering directly off the puck.

But with that said, the lather was really nice. Great slickness and residual slickness. And the scent was great; earthy, yet aromatic.

Rinsing was a bit of effort until I realized that the soap was gone and I was trying to rinse off my well moisturized skin. Patting dry with a towel left me with a very, very nice post-shave face feel.

I'm planning on going back for more and see if I can dial this soap in with bowl lathering and/or my scuttle. I'll post a full review after another shave or two.

 

[eezee]

11/16 Chaussis Torpedo #270

 

[Matt O]

I wholeheartedly agree @Polarbeard - a lot of folks who haven't experienced a good sampling of really fine soaps tend to believe that low end or standard barbershop soaps are well, better than they are.

If I had to start over, I’d do exactly what I recommend to people starting to experience the range of shaving soaps. That is, ‘Start at the top’. Get some Acqua di Parma, ABC, I Coloniali, and Valobra tallow (if you can find them), Martin de Candre, the newest Floris hard soaps (and creams). Why? You’ll end up spending less money to experience a range of soaps and will accumulate far fewer mediocre soaps in the long run, and as a result save a lot of money.

No soap is expensive except compared to other soaps. Soap is just not an expensive product, and even the most expensive of shaving soap cost less to use than one daily latte. The fragrances added to some of them can bump up the cost, but a good fragrance (to me at least) is a joy, Floris, Acqua di Parma Colonia, Dior Eau Sauvage....

JMO

No SMN? You savage!

Vr

Matt

 

[Steve56]

No SMN? You savage!

Vr

Matt

Lol, I knew I was forgetting one Matt!

 

[stone and strop]

Are you sure that's not a 2020. It looks brand new.

I picked it up at an antique market a while ago (2018), I know it was under 30.00 but don't remember exactly how much.
Very little cleanup. It presents well, but its not perfect. Worth much more than I paid for it.

 

[bigred80]

Bartmann razor
Griffith Strop
TOBS soap
Cold River AS
Simpson Duke 3 Manchurian brush (missing)

 

[evnpar]

Sunday Morning Shave: Max Sprecher 8/8, Doug Korn Synthetic, and Sē'bŭm Aqua.

​

 

[Mr Bedlington]

Michael Waterhouse Custom FBU Smiler
Strop Martin J. Rubin 4601 New York
Omega EVO shaving brush Special Veteran Synthetic
Soap SV Tundra Artica
Viktor & Rolf Spice Bomb Balm
Viktor & Rolf Spice Bomb Extreme Edp ​

 

[CRISANTO]

Cedric Christ @Alis blade, carbon steel, 8/8, 1/4 hollow, stabilized wood scales.