Oz Shaving - Wicked
Oz Shaving - Emerald City | Black Synthetic
Ever-Ready 1912 | Delta Echo | Gem PTFE
Oz Shaving has been on my list to try for a while, but my timing to obtain my target scent, Wicked, has been off. Everything aligned right last week when the vendor posted a photo of the Emerald City brush on Instagram. I don't have a green brush, so that was reason enough to try again, and sure enough, Wicked was back in stock. The package came in the mail yesterday, so the a full-tilt Oz shave was in order.
If I understand correctly, Oz Shaving has recently upgraded their packaging to the standard plastic tubs, thereby abandoning the oft maligned tins. The labels are waterproof and well-executed, devoid of bubbles and alignment issues. The tub also has a side label.
They refer to Wicked as their "black tie" scent. I know there are several absinthe and leather scented products out there, but this was a first for me. I really like this fragrance. It opens with spicy leather and is topped by a very accurate crisp, cool, and slightly resinous absinthe. While I can't specifically pick out the documented black pepper, I assume it contributes to the spiciness of the leather. The absinthe burns off rather quickly leaving a pleasant, albeit light, leather fragrance.
Granted I'm using this brush for the first time, but I started with a barely damp knot for this vegan soap. It loaded quite easily, but more water was needed right away. I face lathered, and it was still a fairly dry lather, so more water was forthcoming. Finally, the sweet-spot was achieved, and a moderately dense paintable lather with a lustrous sheen was had. I spent a bit of time working it to give it the best shot on its first go. The result was an overall good shave, but nothing outstanding. The density was good, but the first-pass slickness was only adequate. Residual slickness was not good enough to risk touch-ups in the absence of visible lather. I proceeded with two more passes and was rewarded with a BBS head and face shave.
I performed my usual routine of smearing the pulled lather on my head and face and let it remain while I cleaned up my gear. There was zero irritation and despite the average-level shave, the post shave was a bit above average.
I used the matching alcohol/aloe/witch hazel aftershave tonic. It's pretty standard and moderately scented. The fragrance is an exact match to the soap, and I really like it. Unfortunately, it only lingers for a couple hours maximum.
Now, with respect to the Emerald City brush, I must say this was a little disappointing. It may well be due in part to my expectations and not having asked enough questions prior to the sale. The picture on Instagram and on Oz Shaving's site appeared, at least to me, that the faux ferrule was polished metal. In fact, it's just clear acrylic with black swirls. I understand that is just subjective, but I also feel the craftsmanship is a bit lacking or maybe a bit rushed. To be fair, I'm spoiled by the artisan brushes already in my small collection (Wolf Whiskers, Driven Legend, Island Bladeworks). The texture feels unfinished and even a little tacky. Some of the grooves are deeper than others. There are dimples in the ferrule section and notches on the bottom face that appear to be where the handle was gripped by a tool---perhaps the lathe. Overall, it just feels unfinished and certainly unpolished.
I have no idea as to the source of the black synthetic knot, but it's very similar to the Noir Plissoft knot in my RazoRock 400. The loft is the same as well, but the Oz knot is a little stiffer. It's also documented to be 24 mm, but I measured it and was pleased to note it's 26 (I measured the Noir Plissoft for comparison, and it holds true to spec at 24 mm). Otherwise, the two knots feel the same with regard to softness. If I didn't have the RazoRock 400 immediately available for comparison, I doubt I would be able to tell the difference. I am quite pleased with the knot and thus the overall performance of the brush as a whole.
So, my first experience with Oz Shaving was a mixed one. The brush just looks amateur to me, but I may be being too harsh. It does perform well and the knot mounting was done well. The soap is a good bit away from being competitive with the elite artisans, but that's only because I've grown accustomed to uncanny slickness from most of them. That's not to say this isn't a very good soap, and its post-shave is remarkable. I will use this again, just to be sure the slickness deficit wasn't a result of my unfamiliarity with the soap. I will not, however, be purchasing any more gear from this artisan.