Welcome all to another installment of my blog and video log! The soap of the day is Proraso Green, a long standing soap in the wet shaving world. Is it worthy of a place in your rotation? Watch the video and see what happens!
SOTD 7/8/16
Hot Towel, Triple M Oil, Proraso Green, RazoRock Monster, RazoRock Bazooka, Astra SP (26), Cold Rinse.
A great shave was had today, you'd not know the blade was 26 days old!
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Greetings gents! Welcome to another post, with another video review of a fantastic soap. Below is a brief outline of the tools used today. SOTD 6/8/16 Phoenix & Beau Obsidian, Cadman 26mm Silvertip, RazoRock Bazooka, Astra SP (25), Cold Rinse. Simply stunning shave, scent to die for, performance that is second to none.
I enjoyed a lovely shave yesterday with 1805, and captured a review of the product as part of a SOTD. Let me know what you think of the cream if you've tried it before, and please feel free to ask any questions you may have about the cream!
As always, a huge thank you for watching, please like and subscribe for more!
So ladies and gentlemen, I have been trying a new soap, designed with summer in mind, to give you a nice chill! Check out the video to see my thoughts!
And to see how it compares to another stalwart in the shaving world (Proraso Green) in terms of cold, check out the below video where I simultaneously face lather both soaps.
If you have any questions about either soap, please feel free to comment on the relevant video or here and I will do my very best to assist!
WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT DOES IT DO? Phoenix & Beau Albion Shaving Soap - It's soap that enables you to shave!
APPLICATION METHOD AND DESCRIPTION: I've been testing Albion over the last 5 days to ensure I get to know it's foibles and idiosyncrasies. For the first two days I bowl lathered, and the second two days, I face lathered. Day 5 I chose my favourite method out of the two to lather...what is it I hear you ask? Well, the video review below will show!
SCENT: Albion was listed as having a predominantly bergamot, lavender and grapefruit profile, with patchouli in there to bind everything together. My initial response to the long slow inhale was wow. This is a very fresh and light scent, ideal for those who prefer a milder scented soap. Upon shaving with Albion for the first time, I was greeted with a very familiar aroma. A split second later I identified it as Earl Grey tea, which makes perfect sense given the presence of bergamot. It is a classy, light, elegant scent, very nice indeed.
LATHERABILITY: As is typical with Phoenix & Beau soaps, Albion lathers with criminal ease. A short 30 second load provides more than enough lather for 5 passes EASILY. I've learned that soaking my Cadman 26mm silvertip, then two gentle shakes provides the PERFECT amount of water to lather a P&B soap without the need for additional water. Rich, creamy lather is produced with this level of water in a bowl. For face lathering however, I suggest starting with less water as the sheer volume of lather created can overwhelm you if you're not prepared for it :D
PERFORMANCE: There is a stylised image of Her Majesty on the lid of Albion, and the performance matches the expectation of a soap more than worthy of a Royal Warrant. Those in Buckingham Palace need to try this soap, it would EASILY earn this accolade. Slick as you like, more protective than a 20 man protective detail, there is no flaw in the performance at all.
POST SHAVE: I'll say it again, a soap that provides a fantastic post shave is paramount for me. Albion does not disappoint. I'm sitting here stroking my face, trying to find a chink in the armour, but am coming up empty handed. I cannot fault the post shave feel at all. Smooth, no dryness, no tightness, nada.
CONCLUSIVE COMMENTS:
So, what do I think of Albion? Well, it is plain as the nose on my face
that it is a brilliant addition to not only my shave den, but the
product line from Phoenix & Beau. It has a delectable scent,
performance that other soaps can only hope for, and a post shave feel
that leaves you feeling GREAT! After the initial shave, I thought I'd
want a stronger scent, however, like a fine Earl Grey tea, the subtlety
of the aromas is key, for it is meant to be gentle. Give Albion a try,
it is truly fantastic.
Today I videoed my shave to highlight the wonderful MWF, and how to get a cracking lather from it. Is it rocket science or is it best to revert to basics for it? Find out below!
As always, thanks for reading and for watching my recent installments. Please like and subscribe if you find the content helpful or entertaining. Comments and criticism always welcome, every day is a school day!
I've lovingly prepared a video shave of the day
today. All the info is in the video, check it out guys and I'd very
much appreciate your likes and subscribes!
Here's a little video I put together for the forum members on TSR after a thread regarding the Erasmic stick and how bad it's lather is. Tested four different brushes to show how much of a variable the brush really is:
I hope it is useful to all of you who have never tried the Erasmic stick, or indeed are curious as to the difference a brush can make to the lathering of a given soap. If you find it useful, please give the video a big fat thumbs up, and possibly a subscribe too if you would be so kind!
WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
Cadman Brushes - Custom L7 Handle in Earth with 26mm Silvertip Badger Knots
THE BACK STORY AND INFORMATION:
OK, I remember when I first started using brushes, I knew no different, I had my Wilkinson Sword boar brush that cost less than lunch normally would. All was well with the world, I'd convinced myself I didn't need anything else. Fast forward several years, and I saw the brush as more than a functional device. I saw beautiful brushes from all corners of the globe and thought to myself that I wanted a piece of that, so I started looking. I acquired a few on my way to Cadman, namely a Bodyshop Synthetic, an Omega 49 boar and a RazoRock Monster. But at this point I wanted the elusive badger brush. I always had my eye on a Kent B4. It looked great and I couldn't argue with the reviews. Then I spotted Mervyn's brushes. A range of handle styles to choose from, a range of colours AND a range of knot configurations.
I'd spotted a handle Mervyn had made in a wonderful dark amber colour, with golden flecks running through it and thought WOW. So, I browsed Mervyn's website and spotted that you can have the brush with the Cadman logo in the base, or a custom design! This was almost too good to be true, a truly custom brush! I'd wanted something truly custom for some time, and knew I'd come to the right place. I'd spent plenty of time browsing SOTD posts on Facebook and The Shaving Room, checking out the brushes Mervyn makes. All good feedback, fantastic looking items. Cushty you could say. So, I got on the blower to Mervyn who advised he was currently between workshops and he had a bit of a delay in production. Not a problem at all for me, as I knew what I wanted and could tell it would be worth the wait. A good conversation was had about colour choices, knot options and whatnot and probably half an hour or so later, I'd given the order for two brushes, identical handles (in design and colour) and identical 26mm Silvertip knots. The unique aspect of these brushes meant a bit of digging for something for one of them, and a good couple of sheets of scribbles from me for the second. The unique part is clearly the medallion that is embedded in the base of the handle.
You see, it was my dad who taught me how to shave many years ago at the tender age of 11. He was (and still is) my hero, and I will say, would have thoroughly enjoyed my venture back to traditional shaving. I know I would have enabled him in terms of quality items, so, to honour that enabling that I would have done, I've got both him and I a custom brush, Father and Son brushes. To distinguish the two brushes (remember, handle and knots are identical), I decided to have them signed. Now it is difficult to get a new signature from my dad given his passing back in 2010, so I had to ask my mum to hunt down a quality copy of his signature I could use. This signature was on a document I'd never seen before, his discharge papers from the REME in 1981 when he and my mum found out they were expecting me (a quite fitting signature to use). It took Mervyn a fair bit of time to tidy up the image to present it as best as possible on the 1" disc. Mine took a little tidying, but not as much. All part of the Cadman service!
I asked Merv if it was possible to get some photos of the brushes in production, and he kindly agreed, here's a selection.
Now one thing Mervyn suggested to me was changing the colour scheme on the disc from black text on white to white text on black. I'm glad Mervyn did, here's how a white disc looked in the handle:
Now, for what I've spent and the wait involved, I could have purchased a few high end brushes and have them delivered next day, but where is the fun in that? The whole process of ordering from Cadman Brushes is why. It's not just a 'click here and buy now' process, it's an experience where you feel valued as a customer, and that to me, is a massive thing to feel when making a considered purchase. If you don't feel like your order matters, or that you're just another invoice ID in a system somewhere, you don't get that...je nais c'est quoi...that buzz when ordering. From the initial conversation to the much messaging throughout the workshop move and then the manufacturing process, I felt like as a customer, I mattered. During the manufacture process, Merv checked in with me to see if the first handle he'd produced fit my ideal that we discussed when ordering. Now it was fantastic, but Merv himself didn't feel like it was quite right, so he cast two more and would you believe it, they were PERFECT down to the last detail. Now Merv even admitted that in all the years he's been turning resin blanks, he's never had two turn out as close as these two have in final appearance. I honestly didn't expect them to be close matches (given they are hand cast and hand turned), but I am mighty chuffed they are as they are.
Here's a couple of photos with the original handle Mervyn turned (centre) with the final two (top and bottom) with the knots test fitted:
As you can see, they are fantastic! From here it was all a waiting game, for the discs to be completed, and the brushes to be assembled. It seemed like an age, akin to the wait you felt as a child waiting for Christmas. Anyway, time passed and Merv confirmed all was done and dispatched...Christmas Eve it felt like now!
The day of arrival was a tense one, I had the day off, and was busy doing bits and bobs, and the brushes were being delivered to work. I toddled off to wait, and ended up meeting the postman at the office door with the parcel. It was a magical moment, so headed home and recorded an unboxing and preview video:
And of course, it wouldn't be the same without some photos, so here they are.
So yes, initial impressions were very positive indeed, and I couldn't wait to use them in earnest. Having shaved that day, I had to wait until the next morning, where I used them both in the same morning to do a side by side soap comparison, and loved the feel. Soaked sufficiently to ensure proper use, they make mincemeat of soaps and creams alike.
The face feel is soft, with a little bit of something there behind the soft tips to give a reassuring feel. They hold plenty of lather when loaded well, and are simply divine for face lathering. I barely face lathered prior to having these brushes, and since getting them, there has been more face lathering than bowl. I alternate days for the brushes so as to get even use, and cannot discern a difference between either brush, testament to the knots themselves in terms of consistency. Lathering on the face or in the bowl is a breeze, the bristles hold plenty of water, and it only took a couple of days to figure out the right amount of flicking to keep the right amount of water in the brush to lather. Lovely stuff indeed.
I've only used these two brushes since they have arrived, and I can see why people hold the silvertip badger knots in high regard. They are superb in both the tips, the back bone, lathering, even the rinsing is easier than any other brush I own (I now have synthetics, boar and badger to compare). People often sit there and say can you really justify the cost of a high end brush over a budget brush, and I'll be the first to admit, I was in that camp at first. I was content with the budget brushes I had (none cost more than a tenner), but then curiosity struck, and now I appreciate the difference a GREAT brush can make to your shave experience. It is more than a brush. Granted, I am not sure quite what quantifies it as 'more than a brush', but whatever it is, it elevates the shave experience as a whole. They look amazing, feel divine and the fact that they are made to exactly my spec makes them even more special. I can tell that these will not be my only Cadman brushes, everything from start to finish ensured I am an extremely happy customer.
I'll leave you with a few more pictures of them in use as taken for some of my SOTD posts.
Today I present my first video to you all. I was given a sample of Nanny's Silly Soap "The Beef" in Lemon, Basil and Mandarin to test in pre-production. This sample is a 'tweaked' version, the tweak for which I was not privy to prior to testing.
So, without further ado, here's my first video! Apologies for the lighting issues in the video, the camera did not play nicely in the bathroom.
I hope you enjoy! Please comment on the video, subscribe if you like what you see, and definitely check out Nanny's Silly Soap, they are fantastic!
WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT DOES IT DO? Phoenix & Beau Spitfire - A tallow shaving soap with the apparent ability to bend time.
APPLICATION METHOD AND DESCRIPTION:
SCENT: When the soap was announced, I almost anticipated the profile as it was delivered. I expected leather, and tobacco, but not so much the gin (juniper). It makes perfect sense, the sharpness penetrates the smooth leather to bring balance to the profile. The tobacco is almost a supporting scent to my nose, acting as a mixer if you will. All in all, it evokes the true spirit that must have existed in the squadrons of pilots who so bravely piloted Reginald Mitchell's masterpiece (Reginald Mitchell is a local hero around these parts, Stoke on Trent). This is top draw scent profiling, I can see EXACTLY what Kerry was aiming for here. One thing to note, like many soaps that are a great blend of fragrances, face lathering changes how you perceive them. Try it, I personally love how it changes this scent, bringing to me, more tobacco to the front.
LATHERABILITY: I tested this soap with various brushes in both the bowl and on my face, and find this soap to be on par with the rest of the P&B range. Easy to load, easy to build, and almost foolproof. It doesn't take long at all to get a bowl or face full of rich, dense lather at all. Top marks yet again Kerry, guard this soap recipe with your life!
PERFORMANCE: Excuse the Uncle Albert moment here, but during the war, you needed an airplane that could do it all, and do it all well. During a shave, you need that too. This soap (as I've come to expect from P&B) delivers in spades in terms of slickness and in cushion. The soap allows the blade to glide across the face with almost reckless abandon, it is that good. I wouldn't of course recommend complacency when using any soap, but you get that level of reassurance that when you're feeling the results of the mess hall from the night before, Spitfire will guide you through the dogfight and safely out the other side.
POST SHAVE: When you have a great shave, you feel good, and when your skin feels good post shave, you feel even better. Here we have a soap that delivers that feel, gives that glorious finish that really shouldn't be possible given what your skin has been through. CONCLUSIVE COMMENTS:
We traditional wet shavers enjoy our shave. We enjoy not only the act of shaving, but the ritual and experience that come along with it. There is an experience to be had here that is very different from other soaps. Whilst some soaps have the ability to evoke powerful memories, this soap appears to have the ability to bend the space/time continuum. You're transported to a time gone by when men were men, when you stared death in the face and radioed back to base to 'cancel two late lunches', when Britain was truly Great. The soap itself is fantastic, the scent nostalgic, the experience? Magical.
WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT DOES IT DO? Phoenix & Beau 'TSR Limited Edition' Obsidian - It is a shave soap that invokes ancient Gods...
APPLICATION METHOD AND DESCRIPTION: As I've come to find with all Phoenix & Beau soaps, it is a moderately soft soap, which means it loads very easily, so a shortish load (brush dependent) and you're golden.
SCENT: I inhaled slowly from the tub and got a hit of the dirty, wet vetiver, with a hint of sweetness that I suspect was the frankincense coming through, with the almost fern like oakmoss hitting you last. Very primal scents. I proceeded to make a lather in the bowl with The Monster, and quickly found that the lather is of typical P&B excellence. The scent changes in the bowl, mellowing if you will, becoming more balanced. Upon the face, the earthiness strikes you first and foremost, with an image of smoky fire being conjoured as the complex scents dance their mystical way up your nose.
What struck me as I'd finished the shave was the scent changed again. Any remains of the scent left on my skin warmed to provide a woody, almost musky aroma. A very pleasant, but unexpected twist to the dark tale of Obsidian.
A simply stunning profile of scents here, make no mistake. I'll use this one sparingly so as not to run out...either that or I shall have to cross Kerry's palm with mucho silver and make offerings to various deities to obtain more!
LATHERABILITY: As briefly mentioned earlier, the whole range of P&B soaps are incredibly easy to lather. They are fairly soft soaps, so even the softest of bristles won't fail to take plenty of product. Again, P&B is thirsty soap, so ample water is needed during the build once you've created your proto lather which is nice and elastic. Even the greenest of wet shavers won't fail to get a good lather with this soap.
PERFORMANCE: Unlike the moniker of this soap, there is plenty of cushion on hand with this soap, ideal for sharper blades. When it comes to slickness, you'll find it here in abundance. Put it this way, you thought a politicians shoulders were slick given what slides off them, they haven't got a patch on P&B soap lather! I've found the overall shave performance quite simply sublime throughout, from the first pass with heavy growth, right down to the ATG pass in my trouble spots. Nay a hair of drama. Perfect.
POST SHAVE: You'll have noticed by now from reading my reviews, that Post Shave Finish is one of my primary factors when considering a soap purchase. Given the base soap is the great P&B tallow formula, I knew up front I was in for a treat, and I was not mistaken. As a pleasant afternote, the warmer woody scents developed once I'd rinsed and dried my face, always a nice touch.
CONCLUSIVE COMMENTS: I think Kerry and I need to have a 'Godfather' type moment, where I sit him down and make him an offer he can't refuse to make more of this soap (sadly a limited edition run of 50 tubs). This is quite simply exquisite. The imagery the name and scents invoke are quite spellbinding. As a younger gentleman (33), previously I wouldn't have thought the scent profile would have been my particular brand of single malt so to speak, but I was captivated by the promised profile. The performance cannot be questioned, Phoenix & Beau soaps sit atop the podium for me in every way, Obsidian is no exception.
I write this brief article from my hotel room at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole. Why am I here? Well, it's for a conference dedicated to the service desk industry, and how to make it brilliant. But I digress.
Whilst I am away, I still want to shave, so the dilemma is "what on earth does one take to shave whilst travelling?" I say dilemma, it is more torture. Whilst I am essentially a creature of habit, I crave variety in my shave.
Last summer whilst on a short break in Wales, I took a "one size fits all" shaving kit, and it worked well. I took my Merkur 39C, Proraso Green Soap, Wilkinson Sword Brush, balms, creams, alum and a melamine cereal bowl to lather with a cornucopia of items I've since forgotten. Fast forward to this week and I wanted something less bulky over all. So what to take?
I think it is important to consider that you don't want your shave experience to suffer, so take what works well. If you can, leave your lovely ceramic bowls and scuttles behind, and face lather. Bring one quality soap that leaves your skin in a very happy place, that way you may not need a balm or lotion to finish. Do bring a small brush and a single razor, but multiple blades. A synthetic brush is ideal for travel as it is quicker drying. By considering your shaving equipment carefully, you can limit your baggage to a manageable level (I had a single bag to take with me, limited in space).
I have taken with me:
Merkur 39C
Astra Superior Platinum Blades
Phoenix & Beau Citra Royale
Body Shop Synthetic Brush
And that is it. My shave is great, my skin feels superb and my overnight bag still has space for anything I want to bring back with me. Next time you travel, think critically about your shave, you may surprise yourself about what you truly need.
WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT DOES IT DO? Faena 'Mastic Tree' - 100% vegetable soap. If I need to tell you what a shave soap does, well, I think we need to start at the beginning!
APPLICATION METHOD AND DESCRIPTION:
It's simple. I choose not to bloom the soap as it is very soft (I moulded the puck with my thumb to fit the pot without any issue at all), a quick 10-15 seconds load on the brush and away to the bowl we go. Once built, I tend to lightly swirl on my face, then paint to get it even.
SCENT: The scent to me was the original drawing point to the soap. I had never heard of, nor smelled a mastic tree in my life. This of course piqued my interests, aroused my suspicions as to what it could smell like. Well, when it arrived, I had no expectation, so opened the pot and took a long slow inhale. I was very pleasantly surprised to find a fresh, heady scent, reminiscent of a herb garden (think rosemary) with a hint of cut grass. All together a very inviting, summery scent that could quite literally be found if you were to shave in your herb garden. Very subtle when lathered and on the face.
LATHERABILITY: With a quick 10-15 second load on my Body Shop synthetic brush, I got an copious amount of pre lather, thick and chewy in texture. In the bowl, it took a reasonable amount of water to make a yoghurty lather that was almost bereft of bubbles from the outset. A very pleasant soap to lather.
PERFORMANCE: I had high expectations from the naming of the product (Premium Handmade Shaving Soap), and for the most part, I agree. The lather is rich and creamy, providing more than adequate cushion against the blade. In terms of glide, the performance is not bad at all, very similar (if not identical) performance to other all vegetable soaps I own. It could use a little more glide, but it is not lacking, as the shave is performed without issue.
When a preshave oil (in this case olive oil) was used, the glide was perfect, nothing to note that could deduct points so to speak.
POST SHAVE: This is one of the most important factors for me in a soap, particularly on days where I don't want to wear a fragrance. I found that with the Faena, I didn't get the best post shave finish (when using the soap on its own), I got a mild amount of dryness/tightness after the shave. I get this with just about all vegetable based soaps, and some of the cheaper tallow soaps. Granted, I can negate this dryness with some balm, but it's worth noting that there must be something causing the dryness (comparable to that I get with Palmolive Sticks). I suspect it could do with either some more glycerin or another ingredient to enhance the post shave feel.
When used in conjunction with a simple preshave oil, the post shave finish is absolutely spot on, cannot fault in any way the feeling on the skin. It seems perfectly at home with a simple olive oil rub prior to lathering, in keeping with the Greek origin, my olive oil was of Greek origin. Lovely stuff.
CONCLUSIVE COMMENTS: Well, it's an unusual position I find myself in. I love the scent, I love the lather and in shave performance. I'm not 100% certain on the post shave finish, given what I know is out there. I'm not put off mind, as I know I can rectify the finish with a little balm or use of a preshave oil, so that one downside is a bit of a moot point. Would I buy it again? I would, as the scent is wonderful for summer or an evening shave, very fresh and the performance is good overall.
WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT DOES IT DO? RazoRock Bazooka DE Razor
It is a double edged safety razor, that shaves your boat race.
DESCRIPTION: Bazooka by name, Bazooka by nature. You can understand why it inherited the name it has when you first lay eyes on the razor. It is one huge hunk of metal. It is a heavy piece of metal too.
The handle is a solid stainless steel beast, nicely knurled and very solid. It adds some heft to the razor, allowing it to tip the scales at 5.6 ounces. It is not a long handle, rather it allows the razor overall to stand at a not so lofty 3 11/32 inches. The steel is polished in non knurled areas, and has a slightly rounded base.
Size comparison here, against my Merkur 39C (top) and an Edwin Jagger DE89 variant (bottom):
The head is of a closed comb design, and appears to be a plated pot metal, probably zamak. It is etched with the RazoRock logo on the top cap. Whilst the plating and overall finish of the two head pieces isn't up there with the likes of Edwin Jagger, Muhle and Merkur, it is not bad. The cap allows for reasonable blade alignment, nothing that would detract from the quality of the shave.
CONCLUSIVE COMMENTS: I was looking for a razor that was different from my slant, but emulated one of the properties I loved about a Mongoose, the hefty weight. This razor delivers in that department well! It is a joy to hold and a joy to shave with. The weight of the razor allows you to shave well with no pressure. It has a good amount of blade exposure, enough so that the blade almost sings as it slices through your whiskers. I first thought the short stature of the razor would present a problem, but I am glad to say it was not to be. Did it blow me away in any way? Well yes it did, the quality of the shave was superb. A fresh Astra Superior Stainless blade allowed for a close, but drama free shave. In one pass, it gets closer than my slantbar razor, not something I expected from what has to be considered a budget razor. Budget you say? Yes. It comes in for less than twenty Imperial Credits of the Realm. For a solid, quality stainless steel handle, and a nice shaving head, you'd expect to pay more.
RazoRock 'Monster' 26mm Plissoft Brush. It is a brush for lathering shaving software.
APPLICATION METHOD AND DESCRIPTION:
I'll start with the description. It is a substantial bit of kit. Solid, well made and well presented. It arrived in a RazoRock branded box, which looks classy.
When you take the brush out of the box, you immediately notice two things. The size and the weight. It is a heavy brush in comparison to my Omega 48 and Body Shop Synthetic. It is also large, very large. It dwarfs my Body Shop Synthetic in knot size and heft. It is rubbing shoulders in terms of size with the Omega as can be seen below.
The knot itself is very dense, and very soft. It has immensely soft tips, with a sensible amount of backbone to the bristles. The handle is a solid resin affair, very hefty, nicely polished and patterned with what appears to be a wood grain effect.
I find it best to dampen the brush lightly then load accordingly, adding water to achieve the desired lather as opposed to starting with it overly wet.
CONCLUSIVE COMMENTS:
Well, this is interesting. I've enjoyed using large brushes and I've enjoyed using smaller brushes. My first impression beyond size and weight was just how soft the tips are. They make my other synthetics seem scritchy in comparison. It is a very pleasant brush to apply to your face if you like soft brushes. If you like the scritch of a boar or lower grade badger, this may not be the brush for you. If you like holding a substantial handle, this will be right up your alley. To coin my initial SOTD using this brush, it rips a hole in both the soap and the space/time continuum!
It is a very capable bowl lathering brush, whipping up oodles of lather from creams, croaps and hard soaps alike. It is also at home face lathering. I must say, I prefer using it to bowl lather, but that's all personal preference.
Did I mention the price yet? No. Well, it can be had from Shaving Station for a very reasonable £17.49. Bargain? Oh yes, of a monstrous size!
