Head & face shave.
Technique: WTG-->XTG-->ATG/clean-up.
Prep: Shower. Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements "Scentsless" Preshave Soap & Lather Booster.
Soap: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements "Speakeasy"
Brush: Semogue 1250
Razor: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Double Open Comb
Blade: Feather Hi-Stainless Platinum Coated (1)
Post: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements "Speakeasy" Aftershave & Cologne
Can you tell what came in the mail today? I ordered several things from Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements that I'll be trying out over the next few weeks.
Last week, I received the PAA Double Open Comb. It's such a beautiful razor, I was certain, it would perform well. To my dismay, it did not. It was barely touching my stubble. I did things I've never had to do before. I changed blades between passes --- nothing. I did an insane amount of buffing --- again, nothing. Finally, in the irrational pursuit of BBS, I did a 4th pass with a different razor (my reliable iKon #102). I was so disappointed in the DOC, but it was so beautiful, I wanted to love it. I've never had a razor I couldn't figure out. Sure, some perform better than others, but this one was useless. I gave it another try two days later, but I had the same poor results. I even used a considerable amount of pressure. Any other razor would have destroyed my skin with that much pressure, but I only had a small amount of irritation, and I believe that was from the comb contact and not the blade. I could see nothing visually wrong with the DOC.
Ultimately, I contacted Frances with Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements. I received a new razor. It turns out, my first razor was apparently a dud. I can't see any difference between the two razors, but for what it's worth, the "faulty" razor is 1.3 grams lighter than the replacement. At either rate the replacement performs beautifully. Naked with the stock handle, it weighs in at a light 55.2 grams. It's a very well-balanced shaver, so I don't see myself upgrading the handle. The knurling is crisp, but it doesn't snag your skin. The beautiful mirror finish resembles a rhodium plating. As others have noted, it's a very mild razor, although not quite as mild as my EJ. I don't normally do much buffing, but since the DOC is essentially made for such a technique, I did it quite a bit. It's impossible to knick yourself with this razor. I've gotten spoiled with slants, so I can't say it's the most efficient razor I've ever used. However, I'm considering this my actual maiden voyage with the Phoenix Double Open Comb since the first one really shouldn't count. I must say, Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements made the whole situation right.
Now on to the other gear…I'd never used a pre-shave bar before, so the "Scentsless" from PAA was new to me. I can't tell if it made any difference in my shave because there were too many variables. This was also my first use of PAA's soap, so the smooth and slick shave very well may have all been due to the quality soap. As a croap, it was easy to load with my yet-to-be-completely-broken-in Semogue 1250. I bowl-lathered and immediately noticed I was going to need a lot more water. It didn't take long to dial in the soap's requirements, and I quickly got soft peaks and a shiny, dense protective layer on my face and then my scalp. Initially, the scent was a powdery rose, but by the third pass, I began to detect some woodsy and maybe even merlot overtones. This was a very subtle scent, by the way, but I liked it. I'm glad I got the paired aftershave/cologne so I could keep enjoying it. The aftershave immediately gave me a pretty angry redness. It contains alum, and I've been known to respond to alum like that. It passed within about 5 minutes. My skin is now BBS and quite soft and moisturized.
Overall, this was quite an enjoyable first run with Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements, and I look forward to trying the other products in the coming weeks.