Author Topic: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)  (Read 741730 times)

Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1440 on: September 18, 2015, 09:54:36 PM »
@Jdub:  Welcome to the Safety Razor Section of the Forum.  That is a great pic. 

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Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1441 on: September 19, 2015, 08:57:39 PM »

Offline J_Dub

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1442 on: September 21, 2015, 12:44:24 PM »
Thanks Warhawk!!!

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1443 on: September 21, 2015, 08:44:43 PM »

Head & face shower shave. 2 days growth.

Technique:  WTG / XTG / ATG/clean-up.
Prep: Shower. Manhandle - "Mr. Burgundy" bath soap
Soap: Chiseled Face - "Cedar & Spice"
Brush: Every-Ready 100T w/ TGN Finest
Razor: RazoRock Stealth Slant V4
Blade: Gillette Nacet Stainless(2)
Post: Dapper Dragon Soaps - Scale Polish Unscented

Chiseled Face's latest offering is their classiest yet.  "Cedar & Spice" is an all-natural tallow soap fragranced only with essential oils.  Before addressing the scent, for those unfamiliar with Chiseled Face soaps, the performance is beyond its price point. It boasts and easy, dense, protective, and durable lather with a moderate amount of slickness.  While the dial-in is pretty intuitive, I find I don't have to play with the water content as long as I bloom the puck and give my soaked TGN finest badger knot a single, aggressive pump before taking it to the puck.

Now, to the scent.  Off the puck, cedar is the dominant scent, but vetiver is faintly present.  As the lather builds, however, cedar takes a back seat to spicy, dark, and earthy vetiver.  I've not experienced a vetiver like this since Jabonman's Tierra Humeda.  During the second and third passes, as the lather cooled, gentle lime notes broke through, and finally a smoky pungent black pepper wafted in and out.  About 1 hour later, I'm getting hints of wheat and black pepper with the underlying spicy vetiver never really leaving the forefront.  This is an outstanding soap both with respect to performance and scent.  I look forward to the splash which I understand is in the works.

Ingredients/details:  According to Chiseled Face's website, the essential oils used are: cedar, guaiacwood, Haitian vetiver, patchouli, black pepper, juniper berries, lime, clove, and ginger.  The other ingredients are: stearic acid, aloe vera juice, potassium hydroxide, beef tallow, coconut oil, castor oil, glycerin, mango butter, avocado oil, and silk powder.  The price is $13.75 for 4 oz. in an oversized tub allowing for plenty of room for protolather on a new puck.


Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1444 on: September 23, 2015, 08:00:55 PM »

Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1445 on: September 25, 2015, 10:50:11 AM »
Hi Matt:  As always great SOTD pics my friend.  BTW . . . just recently pulled trigger on some Gillette Nacet blades.  Can't wait to try it out.  I also posted a WTB on a RazoRock Stealth Slant razor on B&B and TSN so far no luck.  I'll keep you posted on how the Nacet blades perform.

WARHAWK O0
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Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1446 on: September 25, 2015, 02:34:44 PM »
Hi Matt:  As always great SOTD pics my friend.  BTW . . . just recently pulled trigger on some Gillette Nacet blades.  Can't wait to try it out.  I also posted a WTB on a RazoRock Stealth Slant razor on B&B and TSN so far no luck.  I'll keep you posted on how the Nacet blades perform.

WARHAWK O0
Yeah, I ordered 2 tucks from tryablade just to try them out.  But now I need to go ahead and order bulk.  I like them a little better than Treets and they last longer.

Good luck on the RRSSV4.  Although, you may want to hold off as Joe is about to release version 5 with "UberGlide" coating.  It's scratch resistant.  He used it in the sand at the beach and it came out flawless.  I expect to see him release it in a few weeks.  Here's a pic:


Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1447 on: September 25, 2015, 05:24:48 PM »
Hi Matt:  Thanks for the heads up on the upcoming RazoRock slant.  I think I may just hold off until the new version becomes available.

WARHAWK O0
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Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1448 on: September 25, 2015, 05:30:58 PM »
Friday, September 25, 2015 SOTD

Razor:  iKON ShaveCraft #102 w/ Weber Wave Handle

Blade:  Treet Platinum

Soap:  RazoRock Santa Maria del Fiore Firenze

Brush:  Simpson Duke 3

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



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Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1449 on: September 27, 2015, 07:03:01 PM »
Sunday, September 27, 2015 SOTD

Razor:  iKON ShaveCraft #102 w/ BRW Bull Mastiff Deluxe Handle

Blade:  Gillette Nacet

Soap:  Petal Pusher Fancies:  Sandalwood

Brush:  Semogue 2012 Special Edition

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

Thanks to our very own Matt, I recently pulled the trigger on a few tucks of the Gillette Nacet blades.  Tonight was my 1st time trying it.  Glad that I did because I had a great shave.  Of course... it is not as sharp as the Feather blades but I love how smooth it is.  I know it is early but I can tell  that I am going to love this blade. 



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Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1450 on: September 27, 2015, 08:41:14 PM »
That BRW handle on the 102 looks like it was made for it.  Nice!

Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1451 on: September 29, 2015, 09:46:55 PM »
Barrister & Mann - Leviathan

With the profile, "Leather | Coffee | Sandalwood" I figured this was a no-brainer.  I'd have to love this. Man was I surprised.  Off the puck, Leviathan had a very off-putting artificial sweet smell that essentially stuck at the back of my throat---much like the taste that hits you when your respirator mask fails the saccharine test. I'm careful not to judge soap scents off the puck, though.  However, during and after the shave, I couldn't shake that initial, almost offensive, scent.  My wife wasn't too impressed either.  At that point, I'd decided I finally found a good performing soap that I would avoid solely based on the scent.  I proceeded to use the matching splash, which again, performed well, but the scent gave the same impression.  I couldn't pick out leather, coffee, or sandalwood.  As the day, progressed, I kept picking up on the scent in my Van Dyke, and I started liking it.  I came home and smelled the puck again, and to my surprise, it smelled the same, but it was no longer off-putting, but actually pleasant.  I would even say it is intoxicating.  I think I developed a "taste" for it.  My wife likes it now, as well.  I know what you're thinking.  The scent just unfolded and settled down, but I swear it smells the same, only now it's pleasant.  It's just plain weird.  Despite Leviathan's description, I still can't really pick out coffee or sandalwood, but maybe leather.  I feel like some attributes of coffee are in there somewhere, but not enough to make me think of coffee.  I'm going to use this again next shave and see if the results are the same.

This was my first experience with a Barrister & Mann product.  It performed as well as most of my other soaps (tallow and vegan alike).  I think the closest soap I would compare it to would be Wholly Kaw with Wholly Kaw having the edge in the slickness department.  B&M is an excellent soap at either rate.




Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1452 on: October 05, 2015, 09:23:37 PM »
Head & face shower shave. 2 days growth.

Technique:  WTG / XTG / ATG/clean-up.
Prep: Shower.     
Soap: Barrister & Mann - DFS Limited Edition
Brush: Ever-Ready 100T (TGN Finest)
Razor: RazoRock Black Mamba with UberGlide Coating (iKon Bamboo Handle)
Blade: Gillette Nacet Stainless(1)
Post: Barrister & Mann - DFS Limited Edition

So, let's start with the hardware.  I've been exclusively using my beloved RazoRock Stealth Slant V4 since August 24.  If I could have only one razor for the rest of my life, the RRSS would be it, without question.  I recently had the opportunity to pick up the elusive Black Mamba directly from ItalianBarber.com.  As many of you know, these are limited stock razors, and scalpers are well known for flipping these on eBay for insane amounts of cash.  ItalianBarber/RazoRock proprietor, Joseph Abbatangelo, has gone to great lengths to thwart this unethical practice by instituting a VIP program of sorts.  The process requires patience, but you can be sure you won't pay more than retail, and it will be a new product direct from ItalianBarber. Well my time came up, so I jumped on the opportunity, and the Black Mamba arrived today.

I won't even try to compare the Black Mamba to the RRSS because they are vastly different.  The Black Mamba will inevitably, and more appropriately, be compared to the RazoRock Baby Smooth.  The Mamba is not just a heavy Baby Smooth with a slick coating.  The Mamba's head has a much lower profile making it far more maneuverable in tight spaces.  I also find the Mamba to be quite a bit more efficient and, dare I say, smoother than the Baby Smooth.  I don't know what the UberGlide coating is, but I can say it eliminates almost all drag.  The entire burden is on the blade where it should be, and the head, with it's innovative baseplate posts, keeps the blade chatter-free and rigid.  The posts also ensure there are no alignment issues.

As of this writing, the Black Mamba is not being shipped with an original handle, but rather an iKon handle with matching UberGlide coating.  The iKon logo on the bottom of the handle is still present.  I thought the later versions were the OSS handle, but mine came with the Bamboo.  I'm fine with it either way.  My stock iKon Bamboo handle weights in at 74.1 grams, while the one with the UberGlide coating is 73.9 grams. Yes, you read that correctly.  The handle with the coating is 0.2 grams heavier.  Now, that is probably within the tolerance margin, but at least you can rest assured that the coating doesn't seem to add any appreciable weight.  The Mamba's head weighs in at 35.8 grams, for a gross weight of 109.7 grams (without a blade). (I calibrated my scales and they are accurate to the tenth.)

The Black Mamba with the iKon Bamboo handle is well balanced and has an intuitive, albeit generous effective shaving angle.  I found myself placing most of the top cap on my skin while shaving irritation-prone areas like my neck, while using a steeper angle where I needed more aggression.  Given the lack of drag from the head, and the tightly mounted blade, the resonance is conducted down the handle resulting in more tactile feedback than auditory.  This is why I feel like this is a unique shaver, but with a familiar and intuitive nature.  I'm going to put the Black Mamba though the paces for a few weeks, but I admit it will be difficult being away from my RRSS for any amount of time.

Now, if you're still with me, lets move on to the software.  DFS LE is only my second Barrister & Mann soap.  Given what I've read about Barrister & Mann soaps, I share the expected experience of a high-quality, luxurious soap with superior protection and post-shave feel and moderate slickness.  B&M indicates on their site that their soaps are "thirsty", but I really don't find them any more thirsty than Stirling or Wholly Kaw.  You can't easily destroy the tallow-based lather like you can with Stirling, though.  The need for more water is quite easy to detect with B&M.  If it's too dry, it's sticky and pasty and can't be confused with a usable lather.  When the right amount of water is reached, it suddenly pops with a lustrous sheen.

DFS is a limited edition product line from Barrister & Mann celebrating the inauguration of damnfineshave.com available to members only.  The scent profile was left entirely up to Barrister & Mann artisan, Will Carius.  B&M are known for their unique scents that are often polarizing.  DFS will probably live up to that.  The scent profile is "apples, cinnamon, cloves, oak, and berries."  Certainly, each of those elements can be detected individually, but in concert they impart a distinct aroma that is no doubt intended to evoke festive memories of the Fall and Winter holidays.  For some this will be a pleasant intoxicating, multifaceted scent of which they simply cannot get enough.  For me, it quickly becomes an annoying, overzealous holiday potpourri candle that permeates the home such that I feel the need to microwave freezer-burned cod just to cut the monotony.  See?  Polarizing.  I do applaud Barrister & Mann for being bold and putting it all out there, instead of settling for a muted, run-of-the-mill, satisfy everyone, vetiver/sandalwood offering.

The DFS alcohol-based aftershave splash has the same ingredients of B&M's other splashes with skin friendly goodies like witch hazel, matricaria, and calendula.  The scent is perfectly matched to the soap.

Despite the DFS scent, this was an enjoyable shave.


Offline warhawk

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1453 on: October 07, 2015, 08:13:05 AM »
Hi Matt:  Congrats on the Black Mamba!!!  That is a sweeeet looking razor. Guess what razor that I scored on???  It took a good while but I finally have it. 8)  I'll post my thoughts about it later.  Look forward to hearing more of the Black Mamba.

WARHAWK O0
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Offline 120inna55

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Re: SAFETY Razor Shave of the Day (SOTD)
« Reply #1454 on: October 08, 2015, 05:39:59 AM »
...It took a good while but I finally have it. 8)  I'll post my thoughts about it later.
I'm guessing the RRSS.  Can't wait to hear how you like it!  Which version did you get?