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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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!
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!
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.
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.
WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
Edwin Jagger DELLI14bl Lilac Double Edge Razor - Purchased for the wife as a gift after she expressed an interest in DE shaving. I will admit I've used it a few times myself, after all, when in Rome!
DESCRIPTION:
Blurb below direct from Edwin Jagger:
"The all new Edwin Jagger Lady's Pearl-Effect DE Razor is the only wet-shaving product designed specifically for women who are looking for a clean and effective shave, with a razor that reflects personality. A longer handle provides enhanced reach, for those trickier areas and a choice of four beautiful new pearl-effect colours means you can have a smooth shave without compromising on style. This razor will give you a soft and close shave when used with our Edwin Jagger shaving creams and lotions and we advise that you swap your blades regularly for optimal use. These fabulous, much talked about, DE razors are fitted with a precision Edwin Jagger DE blade head, a favourite amongst experienced wet shavers. The closed comb head is expertly engineered and is finished with high quality chrome plate. Dimensions:Handle Length 93mm(3.7in) Total Length 101mm(4in)"
I've taken some photos showing the individual parts of the razor and how they fit together. Notice the quality of the plating, the finish overall and the fit. It's a quality item make no mistake.
CONCLUSIVE COMMENTS:
This is a well built razor, mild in use and quite forgiving. For those starting out in traditional wet shaving, or those looking for a mild razor, you'd be hard pressed to beat the DE89 head from Edwin Jagger. The handle personally for me is a little on the slippery side, but not to the point it is rendered unusable. The colour too, as per the description from EJ, is really aimed at women or those who really like lilac! Not my personal taste, but my wife loves it. She is able to use it with comfort (as indeed can I), without feeling too much of the blade.
WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
Well, for those not in the know, it is a Mongoose Satin (B3), single edge razor, manufactured from stainless steel.
METHOD AND DESCRIPTION:
This was where I was expecting something quite different. I'm not sure why but I did. Anyhow, I digress. The angle is quite intuitive on this razor, and with the standard handle, it is nicely balanced. Because of the hefty weight of the handle, there is no inclination to use any pressure at all, something fundamental to a good shave. The standard handle is the ideal length for me as I have quite large hands, it fits perfectly. So, with the razor being comfortable in the hand, I had high hopes for a good shave. I wasn't to be disappointed. I'd done plenty of reading on the Mongoose as let's face it, the value of the razor means it's a significant razor-based purchase. I'd read that for some the head is very big, verging on too big. Some people said the handle was too heavy. All I noticed (coming from traditional DE shaving) that the extra width on the blade took some 30 seconds tops to get used to. The shave was very quick, too quick in fact. It was so smooth (with a Feather Pro blade) that I barely noticed the blade at all. Three passes (with, across and against the grain) were achieved in lightning speed, with ZERO drama. Even my trouble spots where anything less than a blade that is lethally sharp felt like they were being massaged by twenty vestal virgins as opposed to being attacked with a razor blade. In Yoda speak, blown away I was.
Now onto the razor description. This is clearly a very high quality item, machined to very close tolerances, and finished to almost perfection. The razor is a three piece unit, with lugs on the top cap to hold the blade securely between it and the head. Everything just fits like a glove. The handle screws securely onto the threaded stud without any force, and just holds itself perfectly in place. I'll let the photographs do the talking from here on in...
Top cap and base plate:
Together:
Paul (globalm from The Shaving Room) was kind enough to loan me two handles with the razor, the top being the standard, the lower being a Hempel Titanium (quite a bit lighter and a good half inch shorter):
Quality finish:
Hempel:
Razor built (sans blade):
With Hempel:
Loading a blade:
Loaded:
CONCLUSIVE COMMENTS:
OK, I wanted to be blown away by this razor for various reasons (mainly cost and the perceived hype), and I was NOT disappointed one bit. The shave is quite simply remarkable, and ultimately it would be this that was the deciding factor as to whether or not to purchase a Mongoose. Being a high priced item, buying one blind is a huge risk, but thankfully, the very generous nature of the wet shaving community (and in particular Paul who honoured me with the loan of this razor) allowed me to try before I buy. This razor, grouped with a quality Feather blade, and sublime soap (Phoenix & Beau) have given me the very best shaves of my life. I do not think that this can be improved upon. It is THAT good.
