Pre: P.A.A. Cube 2.0 w/ Cube Dock
Razor: Wade & Butcher 5/8
Razor: Atelier DURDAN "Le Maurice" (dual-comb 0.8 Ti)
Blade: Gillette Nacet Stainless
Soap: Barrister & Mann Muir(e) Wood
Brush: Omega Boar 10005/80005
Bowl: Bluff Cove Pottery
Post 1: P.A.A. Alum No-Slip Grip System w/ Dry Dock System
Post 2: Dickinson's Enhanced Witch Hazel Deep Cleansing Astringent w/ Menthol & Eucalyptus
Aftershave: Guerlain Vetiver
I've been waiting for this day for a long time. I've been patiently waiting on a pass-around list for this (early) version of the Le Maurice razor. This is a razor that's been made be a relatively new artisan hailing from Aveyron in the south of France.
For this special occasion I decided to also use my vintage Wade & Butcher straight. I thought about using the "Le Maurice" by itself but am really wanting to continue walking the "straight" line.
I did my with and across the grain passes with the W&D. It was a fun and without issue. I then switched over to the L.M. for the rest of my shave.
I thought I'd start with the 0.8 gap polished titanium head and work my way up. I also thought seeing as the head is dual-comb, I'd use the open comb on my right side and the closed comb (safety bar) on my left side.
I proceeded to do a full three-pass shave because I really wanted to see how this razor felt. I paired this razor up with my most familiar blade, the Gillette Nacet. This is a blade known to be on the sharper side so I want surprised to see that I ended up with a few weepers. For me this tends to happen when I shave with a new razor for the first time. There's definitely something to be said about familiarity and experience.
Initially I thought the 0.8 gap would make this a super smooth, carefree shave but my assumption was wrong. I will admit that I was pretty rough and willy-nilly with the razor. I did fast, carefree strokes and ultimately felt the irritation for doing so.
The open comb does give just a touch much more blade feel versus the closed comb, so keep this in mind, if you're deciding to purchase. There are also four types of metal to choose from. Also note that now there are 4 more handle patterns and two handle lengths to choose from! You can also specify pattern preference for both the lower and higher portions of the handle as well as a satin or polished finish!!
The B&M Muir(e) Wood soap was also new to me this shave and boy am I in love. I genuinely can't tell you how much I've instantly fallen for the scent of this soap. It's manly and smooth, yet sophisticated and divine all at the same time. I'm very curious about the aftershave and am going to be in real trouble when my sample runs out.
All in all, I experienced a great shave and look forward to trying the other gap/materials as well as using this epic Barrister & Mann Muir(e) soap again.
Happy holidays everyone. Enjoy your shaves.