Author Topic: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)  (Read 741477 times)

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1335 on: June 25, 2015, 03:09:57 PM »
Dapper Dragon Soaps' Summer 2015 Ltd. Edition "Festival"


Head & face shave. 2 days growth.

Technique:  WTG / XTG / ATG/clean-up.

Prep: Shower. RazoRock Artisan Bar Soap "XXX" in Soap Commander's Soap Net

Soap: Dapper Dragon Soaps - "Festival - Summer 2015 Ltd. Edition"

Brush: Ever-Ready 100T restored by Thomas Burgess with TGN Finest Badger knot

Razor: RazoRock Stealth Slant v4

Blade: Treet Platinum Super Stainless(2)

Post: Cold tap water rinse.  Dapper Dragon Soaps - "Festival" Scale Polish

This is my second time using the RRSS.  It wasn't a fluke.  This razor is definetly a keeper.  In other razors, I get 2 passes maximum out of the Treet blades.  (Remember that's covering head and face, 3 passes each.) This second day on the Treet, towards the end, was stretching its lifespan a bit, so next time it will be one and done.  That's the beauty of the inexpensive blades.

I love Dapper Dragon Soap.  Until now, the only scent I have by them is "Black Dragon" which is truly an intoxicating scent.  I find myself opening the container and taking a whiff even when I'm not shaving.  I recently noticed Dapper Dragon was offering their aftershave product, "Scale Polish".  It sounded intriguing.  While I was in their Etsy store, I noticed "Green Dragon" that had an interesting scent profile, and then "Festival" that's available until the Fall Equinox.  I'm a sucker for "Limited Edition", so I had to pick that up, too.  I thought I might as well pair both the Green Dragon and Festival with their Scale Polish counterparts.  But what about my pre-existing Black Dragon?  I need a paired Scale Polish for it as well!  So, I fell down the Dapper Dragon rabbit hole and purchased all of them.  The only real risk there was the Scale Polish.  I already know I love their soaps' performance.

The scent profile for Festival according to Dapper Dragon is, "…summer blooming honeysuckle, watermelons, strawberries, and an intriguing base of smoke and gunpowder to evoke the feeling of summer festivals around the world."  Who couldn't pass that up?  Clearly, I need to go to some of the summer festivals that Eric Honaker attends, because there are a few other aromas associated with summer festivals I won't soon forget...sweat, cheap beer, marijuana, and do you remember Zima?  But I digress…

I don't like to be tainted by a manufacturer's scent profile, so fortunately, I'd forgotten it as I was using it.  Straight off the puck I immediately was struck with a single-faceted cucumber aroma.  It wasn't offensive, but frankly, it reminded me of cosmetic facial creams.  I've been doing this long enough to know that the scent off the puck is often quite different from what it blooms into after lathering it.  As I loaded with a moderate amount of water in the TGN knot, the scent quickly evolved to watermelon.  This is not a contrived "chemical" watermelon scent like that of candies and chewing gum.  It genuinely smelled like someone had just split open a warm watermelon.  As I transferred over to a bowl-lather, hints of honeydew crept in.  A truly delightful aroma filled the shower.  Festival maintained this scent into the second pass, and towards the end, a heavier floral muskiness came through which quite accurately reproduced honeysuckle---specifically, the blooms that are turning a deep yellow.  Despite the scent profile, I detect no strawberries, smoke, or gunpowder, but it's an incredible scent without those elements.

For those that aren't familiar with Dapper Dragon Soaps, they are a soft soap.  They're not quite as firm as Soap Commander and not quite as soft as RazoRock.  Dapper Dragon soaps also holds up well to shipping in warm climates.  My only experience with Dapper Dragon is with their tallow formulations, but they do have vegan as well.  As far as the tallow goes, it has a very flexible range maintaining durability from both light and fluffy to thin, dense, and slick.  I tend to like it on the thinner side.  There's enough residual slickness that clean-up passes on my scalp are often accomplished with just a wet hand.

Scale Polish is a very interesting product.  The consistency reminds me of a homemade concoction I made long ago that was an aloe gel base with witch hazel and tea tree oil added.  I used it as a rescue product.  It worked, but it didn't smell great, and it left a tacky feel to my scalp that I typically would feel the need to rinse off a couple hours later.  Scale Polish is much more refined than my little concoction.  It's an aloe gel thinned down with witch hazel, jojoba oil, dimethicone, and menthol.  While this was a comfortable shave, I can imagine it would be very soothing to a bad one.  It's thin and slick---much thinner than most balms I've used.  I see why it's sold in a small 2 oz. container.  There would be far too much waste with a pump or tube.  To cover my entire scalp and face, I needed only touch my index finger to the product such that enough adhered, and then I swiped the product across my scalp and spread it with my palms.  The initial wetness dissipated about as quickly as most alcohol-based splashes, but the coolness lingered for much longer.  The only exception, in my experience, would be the high-menthol splashes like Fine's Snake Bite, but without the harshness. It was comfortably cool, but not numbingly so.  The scent of the Scale Polish matched the soap perfectly.  About 2 hours out, I still detect hints of honeydew and honeysuckle, and my skin feels moisturized and soft with no tackiness.  I could see myself applying this product just as a cool-down refresher regardless of whether or not I'd just shaved.

I'm still feeling the excitement that comes from using a razor that lives up to its hype.  This community is just bursting with talent from artisans churning out hardware and shaving products.  Thanks Dapper Dragon and RazoRock for being a part of it.


Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1336 on: June 26, 2015, 09:11:34 PM »
Mel,  why do our Treet Platinum SS's look different?

Hi Matt:  I am not sure.  I believe that you have the newer packaging.  I am sure that it is still the same great DE blade.  Enclosed is a pic of my Treet Platinum.  Show me yours when you get a chance.


WARHAWK O0
Tough times don't last but tough people do!!!


Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1337 on: June 26, 2015, 09:23:29 PM »
Friday, June 26, 2015 SOTD

Razor:  iKON Shave Craft #102

Blade:  Treet Platinum

Soap:  Mike's Natural Soap:  Lemongrass & Eucalyptus

Brush:  Simpson Duke 3

Dessert:  ice cube rub, refrigerated WH, refrigerated Osage Rub

I absolutely enjoyed my shave today that I did not want it to end.  The iKON Shave Craft #102 is an incredible razor that gives me some great head shaves.  One thing that I love about this razor is that it is very easy to find the angles on my head shaves.


WARHAWK O0
Tough times don't last but tough people do!!!


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1338 on: June 26, 2015, 10:53:25 PM »
Mel,  why do our Treet Platinum SS's look different?

Hi Matt:  I am not sure.  I believe that you have the newer packaging.  I am sure that it is still the same great DE blade.  Enclosed is a pic of my Treet Platinum.  Show me yours when you get a chance.


WARHAWK O0
Blade looks the same.  Guess it's just different packaging.  I bought a 200 brick.

Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1339 on: June 28, 2015, 06:51:09 PM »
Sunday, June 28, 2015 SOTD

Razor:  Mongoose w/ BRW Bull Mastiff Deluxe Handle

Blade:  Feather Professional

Soap:  Mike's Natural Soap:  Lemongrass & Eucalyptus

Brush:  TSN Semogue 2012 LE

Dessert:  Ice cube rub, refrigerated WH, refrigerated Old Spice

For those who have not tried Mike's Natural Soap . . . I say "get it".  It is a great soap that provides nice lather, cushion, and glide.  The scent of the lemongrass is very clean, refreshing, and natural.  Love it!!!



WARHAWK O0
Tough times don't last but tough people do!!!


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1340 on: June 28, 2015, 07:34:02 PM »
Now, you're just teasing me with Mongoose.  I can't wait for mine to come in.  I also have 2 Triad Rolling Hex handles on order, but he's about 2 mos behind.  I couldn't decide on the finish, so I ordered 1 titanium and 1 brushed stainless.  From the looks of them, they'll be worth the wait:


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1341 on: June 29, 2015, 07:33:58 PM »
Head & face shower shave. 4 days growth. A little mishap between my scalp and the carport meant I had to take a break from shaving for a few days.

Technique:  WTG / XTG / ATG/clean-up.

Prep: Shower. Lucky Tiger Face Wash

Soap: Saponificio Varesino "Flying Mango" TheShaveNook.com Ltd. Edition

Brush: Ever-Ready 100T restored by Thomas Burgess with TGN Finest Badger knot

Razor: RazoRock Stealth Slant v4

Blade: Treet Platinum Super Stainless(1)

Post: Fine American Blend

I'm a big fan of Saponificio Varesino, specifically Manna di Sicilia.  Thus far, it has been the benchmark of my artisan soaps.  I can consistently use SV-MdS and skip any post products.  Admittedly, sometimes that leads to some conflict, because I have so many pleasurable aftershaves that I often use them anyway.  Until now, MdS has been my only experience with Saponificio Varesino.  I recently picked up a couple of the TheShaveNook.com-branded Limited Edition "Flying Mango".  Given it's still the Beta 4.0 formulation, I expected similar results in addition to a neat limited edition tin.  The scent off the puck was purely cedar to my nose.  Experience dictates one should never base their opinion of a soap's scent off the puck.  You must lather it to get a sense of it.  I go one further and say you probably need to shave with it a couple times to fully appreciate it.  That said, with my maiden voyage of "Flying Mango," the only scent I could pick-up on was cedar---that's it.  Now, it was pleasant enough.  I would say it’s a "clean" cedar with a touch of soapiness as opposed to having pungent notes---much like "Clean Vetiver" compares to "Fresh Vetiver".  It's not soapy like Pre de Provence soapy, mind you. I don't know what I really expected from the scent, but it remained mild and single-faceted throughout the 3-pass shave.

As to performance, it definitely has a different consistency from MdS.  I assume this is the result of the inclusion of mango butter.  It was a very dense paintable lather.  It's easy to let this lather be on the dry side because it behaves differently in the lathering bowl than it does on my skin.  I just dribbled a little water on the brush tip and proceeded to do a little scalp lathering to achieve a more manageable lather.  It was quite luxurious.  I was able to paint a dense, even, slick coat on my skin with an almost blinding sheen.  Cushion and glide was spot on as expected from SV.

I was easily able to achieve BBS with only minimal touch-up needed.  The RazoRock Stealth Slant with a fresh Treet Platinum really showed its brawn on 4-days growth.  There was zero tugging even on the first pass.  This was a very nice combination.

The post-shave feel was nice, but maybe not quite as soft as what I experience with MdS.  While it's very similar, this is clearly a different soap from MdS.  Since this was my first use of Flying Mango, I'll wait until I have a few more shaves with it before I make a final declaration, but for now, it falls just behind Manna di Sicilia.


Offline AJ Q-Ball

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1342 on: June 29, 2015, 08:53:10 PM »
I'm loving the pics Matt and Mel!  I just bought a DE razor off eBay a few days ago and should receive it any time now.  I'd like to join you guys in posting once I get acquainted with the razor. 

Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1343 on: June 30, 2015, 10:07:13 PM »
@ Matt:  Congrats on those razor handles.  Toby does great work.  I hope to get one of his handles one day.  Glad that you are loving the TSN shave soap Flying Mango.  BTW . . . I was able to pull the trigger on the RazoRock Santa Maria shave soap two days ago.  Guess what?  It is already sold out as of today.  I cannot wait to try it out.

WARHAWK O0
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Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1344 on: June 30, 2015, 10:14:23 PM »
@AJ:  Congrats on purchasing a safety razor.  Remember to be patient.  It took me about a week to get comfortable with my face shaves and about a month to get comfortable with my head shaves.  Enjoy the journey.  I know I am.

WARHAWK O0
Tough times don't last but tough people do!!!


Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1345 on: June 30, 2015, 10:22:16 PM »
Tuesday, June 30, 2015 SOTD

Razor:  Mongoose B1 w/ UFO Torpedo Handle

Blade:  Feather Professional

Soap:  Cold River Soap Works Select:  Puro Fresco

Brush:  Semogue 620

Dessert:  Ice cube rub, refrigerated WH, refrigerated Phoenix Artisan Accoutrement Al Fin

Another great soap is the CRSW Select: Puro Fresco.  The performance is great and the post shave effect is amazing.  Love the scent of this soap.


WARHAWK O0
Tough times don't last but tough people do!!!


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1346 on: July 01, 2015, 06:00:08 AM »
Mel, in preparing for my Mongoose which has now shipped, I ordered a Mongoose Sampler from tryablade.  I understand you prefer the Feather Pros.  I get 1-2 shaves out of most DE blades (head & face with dense coarse hair).  I think I understand that I should get more life out of artist club blades, though.  Is that correct?

Offline AJ Q-Ball

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1347 on: July 01, 2015, 06:37:49 PM »
My DE razor came in the mail today. I immediately took it out and used it for my shave today.  I put an Astra SP blade that I had ordered several months back for my shavette. I have to say there's definitely a learning curve but am excited to learn.  I ended up finishing up with my Mach 3.

How does Astra rank in comparison to other blades like Feather and Shark? Astra and Derby are the DE blades I've tried to date.

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1348 on: July 01, 2015, 07:04:48 PM »
Blades are so subjective, you'll never really get an answer that'll be accurate or satisfactory.  You just have to try them out for yourself.  For instance, I'm not usually a fan of Feathers, but Warhawk love's 'em.  In some razors, however, Feather's are the best for me, but these aren't razors I use often.  My favorite blade for the longest time was Astra Superior Platinums, but Warhawk introduced me to Treet Platinum which has now surpassed Astra SPs as my new favorite.  I recommend you go to tryablade.com and get some very reasonable prices for blade samples.  You really need to use a blade several times consecutively and in the same razor to develop an accurate assessment.  Then, when you've decided a blade isn't for you, quit using it for a while.  Then when you think you've found your blade, go back to the one you didn't think you liked before.  Often, your technique will have improved such that the old blade you didn't like is now favorable.

Then when you use a different razor, the process really resets.

Keep in mind your prep plays a huge role in the comfort and effectiveness of your shave.
« Last Edit: July 01, 2015, 07:07:35 PM by 120inna55 »

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1349 on: July 01, 2015, 07:14:40 PM »
RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore | Ever-Ready 100T (TGN Finest) | RazoRock Stealth Slant V4 | Treet Platinum Super Stainless (1) | Soap Commander Integrity Aftershave Balm| Nicole Pangas "Ghost Skulls" Shaving Bowl