The Shaving Thread

[BillyBatts]

Wondering what’s on tap for today’s Christmas shave?

Mele Kalikimaka! @BillyBatts

Enjoy your day!

Funny you should post that. I was looking at some of the shaving Forums and amazed at the number of Christmas decorative shaving mugs, scuttles, you name it. I'll have to do SOMETHING. Give me an hour or two as I need to shower and shave this morning. I'll try and make it Christmas special somehow.
Stay tuned.

 

[BillyBatts]

Best I could do combining Hawaiian and Christmas themes;

Christmas morning shave:

Iced Pineapple Stirling Soap - Big Pro Omega Boar Brush - Iced Pineapple Aftershave - Gold Dollar Red Scale Razor

Mele Kalikimaka!

 

[Zeego]

Best I could do combining Hawaiian and Christmas themes;

Christmas morning shave:

Iced Pineapple Stirling Soap - Big Pro Omega Boar Brush - Iced Pineapple Aftershave - Gold Dollar Red Scale Razor

Mele Kalikimaka!

Wow. Great pic and those supplies look stellar! I'm dying to get some pineapple flavors for the summer.

 

[BillyBatts]

Wow. Great pic and those supplies look stellar! I'm dying to get some pineapple flavors for the summer.

Stirling Soap Company is a FANTABULOUS company. Their product is superb. They usually ship extra samples, and Rod (the owner) is a stellar guy.
I highly recommend them.
www.stirlingsoap.com

I'm currently hooked on the Iced Pineapple AND the Orange Chill. I have Orange Chill coming out the ears. I have the shaving soap, aftershave, Witch Hazel and Aloe Blend, BATH SOAP, Deodorant and Balm. It's perfect for Summers and in tropical climates. Both have menthol in them, thus the "CHILL" and "ICED" in their names.

 

[Zeego]

Christmas pick-ups...



- The CLASSIC Proraso aftershave. All of the hype is 100% accurate on this stuff. Not overpowering, refreshing, crisp, and the burn is glorious. Gives my Speick a run for the money for sure.
- Taylor of Old Bond Street Lavender - not too much to say about this. Everything they do is great. The lavender is no exception. Amazing lather. Perfect for the before bedtime shave.
- Semogue 1305 brush - Boars hair. Have yet to try out. Gorgeous brush though. Stay tuned.
- Semogue 1470 brush - Loving this one. Perfect size, great feel, effective for my face. I love the scrubbing qualities of a boar brush. A keeper.

 

[Zeego]

Stirling Soap Company is a FANTABULOUS company. Their product is superb. They usually ship extra samples, and Rod (the owner) is a stellar guy.
I highly recommend them.
www.stirlingsoap.com

I'm currently hooked on the Iced Pineapple AND the Orange Chill. I have Orange Chill coming out the ears. I have the shaving soap, aftershave, Witch Hazel and Aloe Blend, BATH SOAP, Deodorant and Balm. It's perfect for Summers and in tropical climates. Both have menthol in them, thus the "CHILL" and "ICED" in their names.

Thanks for the recommendation BB. Will be ordering and I'll mention you to Rob. While we're on the subject, I'm about to get some stuff from The Long Rifle Soap Co. The products they make look incredible and I love supporting the bespoke/boutique operations. I'm starting off with the Hunting Lodge.

 

[BillyBatts]

Long rifle is a good company as well! I have never ordered DIRECT from them, but I have bought one or two of their soaps from Pasteur's Pharmacy in NYC.
You won't be disappointed.

Rod founded Stirling after a trip to Scotland where he discovered "Natural" soaps for bathing and shaving, and wanted to duplicate that here in the US. He and his wife run a wonderful company, with great product and amazing customer service. Their soap is TALLOW based, not Glycerin based, so it really lathers up a storm! And his scents are UNIQUE to say the least. I mean, ICED PINEAPPLE? Coconut Lime? Margaritas in the Arctic? You gotta' love the creativity. He also makes a line fragrance called "Island Man". SWMBO loves that and says it "Smells like Hawaii". I think there is Plumeria scent in there, that's probably why.

 

[BillyBatts]

Christmas pick-ups...

View attachment 1372289

- The CLASSIC Proraso aftershave. All of the hype is 100% accurate on this stuff. Not overpowering, refreshing, crisp, and the burn is glorious. Gives my Speick a run for the money for sure.
- Taylor of Old Bond Street Lavender - not too much to say about this. Everything they do is great. The lavender is no exception. Amazing lather. Perfect for the before bedtime shave.
- Semogue 1305 brush - Boars hair. Have yet to try out. Gorgeous brush though. Stay tuned.
- Semogue 1470 brush - Loving this one. Perfect size, great feel, effective for my face. I love the scrubbing qualities of a boar brush. A keeper.

All I can say is

Santa was VERY good to you.

 

[Zeego]

Long rifle is a good company as well! I have never ordered DIRECT from them, but I have bought one or two of their soaps from Pasteur's Pharmacy in NYC.
You won't be disappointed.

Rod founded Stirling after a trip to Scotland where he discovered "Natural" soaps for bathing and shaving, and wanted to duplicate that here in the US. He and his wife run a wonderful company, with great product and amazing customer service. Their soap is TALLOW based, not Glycerin based, so it really lathers up a storm! And his scents are UNIQUE to say the least. I mean, ICED PINEAPPLE? Coconut Lime? Margaritas in the Arctic? You gotta' love the creativity. He also makes a line fragrance called "Island Man". SWMBO loves that and says it "Smells like Hawaii". I think there is Plumeria scent in there, that's probably why.

Heck Yeah! If you ever go back to the city, let me know. I'll send ya c-note to make me a care package! Pasteur's sounds like a place to spend hours in.

 

[Nightcleaner]

Why do hairs grow so fast out my ears like i remove them and the next day there back.

Made me smile Island man Fragrance Smells like Hawaii. I bought some cheap fragrance in the Pound Shop once. The smell reminded me of somewhere We went In London. "Billingsgate Fish Market"

My misses shaves.

 

[chicks]

Got a Panasonic electric wet 'n dry shaver for Xmas. Wet, it has no advantages vs a blade, IMO. Takes just as long, doesn't get as close, doesn't have the handling of a blade; much clunkier; like driving a giant SUV vs a motorcycle. Dry, it is faster than a blade, so there's that...

As a QUAD ESL-63 owner, I got a chuckle from the model number: ES-LA63.

 

[8xlaxx]

Shave of the Day...

Just received some Clubman Pinaud in the mail today and of course I had to dedicate a Friday shave to it. I found it a bit strong so, I mixed 1 parts Pinaud to 6 parts Thayers Original in a little Bushmills whiskey bottle. I had to drink the whiskey before the shave in order to have mixing vessel. I just couldn't for the life of me find anything else to put the mixture in.

Came out really nice. What a classic smell. My beloved boars hair Ever Ready brush broke earlier this week so I had to use my Omega Synthetic which I'm not a fan of. Nonetheless, had a wonderful shave. Very happy with the Clubman Pinaud. Great stuff for the price. Now I have to see if my wife likes it or not.

View attachment 1326541

@Zeego

Nice seeing a few of your shaving choices up in here. We share a lot of the same products.

I thoroughly enjoy the Astra blades and will not go with anything else. Also, the Thayers Witch Hazel is amazing! You must try the Lavender scented one though. Without question it is pure heaven and is incorporated in my daily post-shave routine.

 

[BillyBatts]

Got a Panasonic electric wet 'n dry shaver for Xmas. Wet, it has no advantages vs a blade, IMO. Takes just as long, doesn't get as close, doesn't have the handling of a blade; much clunkier; like driving a giant SUV vs a motorcycle. Dry, it is faster than a blade, so there's that...

As a QUAD ESL-63 owner, I got a chuckle from the model number: ES-LA63.

That's a good comparison, Chicks. I had a Remington electric and a Panasonic electric wet shaver to try a few decades ago. Quickly went back to a blade.

 

[8xlaxx]

@BillyBatts

The wife purchased this for me over Christmas. Thought you might dig it. The scent is very subtle and earthy. Bourbon, Oak Vetiver and Spiced Citrus. No burn,... again very subtle and very cheap.

 

[BillyBatts]

@Zeego

Nice seeing a few of your shaving choices up in here. We share a lot of the same products.

I thoroughly enjoy the Astra blades and will not go with anything else. Also, the Thayers Witch Hazel is amazing! You must try the Lavender scented one though. Without question it is pure heaven and is incorporated in my daily post-shave routine.

Blades are the enigma. No ONE blade will work for everyone. Skin type, beard type, shaving style, razor reveal and the person's prep and supplies (like soap) are all different.

Voskhod blades (Russia) are a nice compromise for ME when I have a razor that has a very aggressive blade reveal (large blade opening), or when I'm putting a blade in a Shavette. Feather blades are my favorite for a BBS (baby butt smooth) shave with a razor with a mild blade reveal. If I were to put a Feather Blade in a Shavette, I'd probably cut my face to ribbons.

Also love Bolzano blades and Lord Super Chromes are a nice compromise FOR ME between the ultra-sharp Feather and the mild Voskhod. Your Mileage WILL vary.

Thayers Lavender is a favorite of mine for NIGHT time shaves before bed. SWMBO tells me that Lavender is a natural sleep enhancer and I have to agree.

 

[kaplang]

I hate shaving with a passion and wish my growth had an on/off switch. Since I still have too I decided to get away from an electric shaver and got a Merkur adjustable double with a life time of their blades. As long as I am careful and go slowly (especially with a new blade ) It gives me a good close comfortable shave. I use the cheapest shaving cream I can buy, The latest can cost 88 cents.

 

[BillyBatts]

@BillyBatts

The wife purchased this for me over Christmas. Thought you might dig it. The scent is very subtle and earthy. Bourbon, Oak Vetiver and Spiced Citrus. No burn,... again very subtle and very cheap.

OK, this is a nice tip! First, GREAT GIFT! Second, I love Cremo product. I went through a super busy phase a year ago where I just did not have time to luxuriate in the shaving den. I'd just slather on some Cremo Cooling with my hand, rub it in, run a double edge over my face three pass style, and then put on Cremo aftershave balm. As you know, Cremo is not known for big lather, but more for super slick low lather.

I did not know about this gift set nor the scent. I will find it and order it immediately.

MAHALO!

 

[8xlaxx]

OK, this is a nice tip! First, GREAT GIFT! Second, I love Cremo product. I went through a super busy phase a year ago where I just did not have time to luxuriate in the shaving den. I'd just slather on some Cremo Cooling with my hand, rub it in, run a double edge over my face three pass style, and then put on Cremo aftershave balm. As you know, Cremo is not known for big lather, but more for super slick low lather.

I did not know about this gift set nor the scent. I will find it and order it immediately.

MAHALO!

You're going to really like this Cremo Reserve Edition product.

I actually tried the 'Cooling' one that you had recommended earlier in the thread and I do like that as well. Very low foam, almost non-existent for me. I was thinking about trying my badger or synthetic brush with it, to improve lather, but have not done so as yet.

Target had the gift pack and it was super super super cheap. Comes with the cream tube, after-shave balm and solid cologne bar. You're gonna like,...

 

[8xlaxx]

Blades are the enigma. No ONE blade will work for everyone. Skin type, beard type, shaving style, razor reveal and the person's prep and supplies (like soap) are all different.

Voskhod blades (Russia) are a nice compromise for ME when I have a razor that has a very aggressive blade reveal (large blade opening), or when I'm putting a blade in a Shavette. Feather blades are my favorite for a BBS (baby butt smooth) shave with a razor with a mild blade reveal. If I were to put a Feather Blade in a Shavette, I'd probably cut my face to ribbons.

Also love Bolzano blades and Lord Super Chromes are a nice compromise FOR ME between the ultra-sharp Feather and the mild Voskhod. Your Mileage WILL vary.

Thayers Lavender is a favorite of mine for NIGHT time shaves before bed. SWMBO tells me that Lavender is a natural sleep enhancer and I have to agree.

Excellent points @BillyBatts

I tried the Derby Blade and it was just too aggressive with the Merkur. I have a Jagger razor too, same issue. I have heard the same about the Feather Blades so I avoided them. My brother introduced me to the Astras and I haven't looked back. A great blade.

I highly recommend that all those AK members reading this thread try a Sampler Pack of blades when purchasing a wet-style/safety razor (usually offered with purchase). For me, there 'is' a difference in blades. YMMV

 

[BillyBatts]

Excellent points @BillyBatts

I tried the Derby Blade and it was just too aggressive with the Merkur. I have a Jagger razor too, same issue. I have heard the same about the Feather Blades so I avoided them. My brother introduced me to the Astras and I haven't looked back. A great blade.

I highly recommend that all those AK members reading this thread try a Sampler Pack of blades when purchasing a wet-style/safety razor (usually offered with purchase). For me, there 'is' a difference in blades. YMMV

Absolutely! There is a HUGE difference in blades. And you won't know what blade works for you until you try them. I probably went through 25 blades before I found the ones that worked for me. Sampler packs are the way to go if you have not found the perfect blades. I say blades because if you have more than one DE Razor, you need to try each blade in each razor.

Feather are my favorite blade in my mild razors like the Edwin Jagger DE89. If you put a Feather in my Merkur Futur (even at the lowest blade reveal adjustment) I'll get the razor burn from hell if I am not careful. With Feather you MUST let the blade do the work. You can NOT push. But put them in a mild razor, do three passes with no pushing and wow. Baby butt smooth!