Most Used Gear for 2023

I was just curious as I have a Shavemac Unique 2-Band knot, which is just a denser version of their standard Silvertip 2-Band. It has more backbone then the standard version which I much prefer. However, having said this, the standard Silvertip 2-Band that I have is a fantastic knot, but I think the XL size knot compensates for the lack of backbone I find in these knots. Nonetheless, Shavemac offers some superb knots.

I so need to learn to make a spreadsheet and work with them...

Dave in KY you can always keep it nice and simple.  Here's a screenshot of what I use.  Obviously, you could add/delete whatever fields you like.  I used to track whether I used alum, balm, witch hazel, bowl or face lather, etc but it got to be a little overwhelming.  Plus, if I do forget to log something, I can go through the pix on my phone and update the spreadsheet.  One of the nice features for Excel is that it will recognize what you have previously typed into a column and auto-fill.  That way, you don't HAVE to have an inventory of your den (but seriously, why wouldn't you do that, I mean it's a lot of fun to categorize all that shave gear )

Another nice thing about this format is that you can use it to figure out simple calculations.  Or, set it up as a Table and let Excel do all the heavy lifting for you.  Once you learn to work with PivotCharts and Tables, things get really fun with Excel!  

So I have Excel available at work and can import it to home on my Computer but for now got Sheets which is minimal but does the job for me. If I do it on Excel I can play with it and get some experience for using Excel at work to add to my skills. MaineYooper and HoosierShave Thanks for the nudge to do this and perfect time to start at the beginning of the Year. This pic doesn't get the full sheet but gives an idea I got off my butt and started one 

I so need to learn to make a spreadsheet and work with them...

Dave in KY you can always keep it nice and simple.  Here's a screenshot of what I use.  Obviously, you could add/delete whatever fields you like.  I used to track whether I used alum, balm, witch hazel, bowl or face lather, etc but it got to be a little overwhelming.  Plus, if I do forget to log something, I can go through the pix on my phone and update the spreadsheet.  One of the nice features for Excel is that it will recognize what you have previously typed into a column and auto-fill.  That way, you don't HAVE to have an inventory of your den (but seriously, why wouldn't you do that, I mean it's a lot of fun to categorize all that shave gear )

Another nice thing about this format is that you can use it to figure out simple calculations.  Or, set it up as a Table and let Excel do all the heavy lifting for you.  Once you learn to work with PivotCharts and Tables, things get really fun with Excel!  

So I have Excel available at work and can import it to home on my Computer but for now got Sheets which is minimal but does the job for me. If I do it on Excel I can play with it and get some experience for using Excel at work to add to my skills. MaineYooper and HoosierShave Thanks for the nudge to do this and perfect time to start at the beginning of the Year. This pic doesn't get the full sheet but gives an idea I got off my butt and started one 

I didn't track counts, but based on a quick glance from my SOTD photos, I think my most used products are as follows:

• Blade: Wizamet
  
• Razor: Rex Konsul
  
• Lather: Declaration Grooming Massacre of the Innocents
  
• Aftershave: Declaration Grooming Massacre of the Innocents
  
• Brush: Semogue SOC-C5 Texugo Finest Badger
  

I think the most used brush will certainly change, as I have gotten several much nicer artisan brushes (incl. DG, CH, MF, a TNS that is on the way, and a GB handle and TNS Tip V8 knot that are both on the way). I've basically stopped using the Semogue. I may clean it and put it in a PIF starter kit for someone that I'm trying to get into wet shaving.

I don't keep specifics but here goes:

Soap - Cutting Edge Soap (multiple scents) - I find that this is the perfect combo between cushion and slickness. It's extremely moisturizing too.
Blade - Gillette Platinum or Silver Blue
Brush - Turn-n-shave Angel Knot on an Elite Razor handle
Razor - Karve Overlander - After over a couple dozen razors I've owned or tried and over a decade in wet shaving.... this is the razor to measure against all other razors. It is amazing.

Boring here... but seeing another post about the Overlander, I thought I should make a showing for Karve's crowning achievement.

I have a very finite setup. One razor currently, two post shaves which get used every shave together, and a pair of soaps I rotate between. So it's easy to tell what I used most often ... and equally easy to cut and paste into the 2024 list and beyond. Lol.

Karve Aluminum Overlander

Stirling Glacial Balm / PAA Menthol Star Jelly

MacDuffs Aspen Parkland or Zingari Man Unscented

Personna Comfort coated blades

I do rotate a few brushes, so I couldnt say which had the most play... also the rotation has gone through fine tuning over the last few years. So I figure they're probably all even to some extent - I have 8 (currently).




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Boring here... but seeing another post about the Overlander, I thought I should make a showing for Karve's crowning achievement.

I have a very finite setup. One razor currently, two post shaves which get used every shave together, and a pair of soaps I rotate between. So it's easy to tell what I used most often ... and equally easy to cut and paste into the 2024 list and beyond. Lol.

Karve Aluminum Overlander

Stirling Glacial Balm / PAA Menthol Star Jelly

MacDuffs Aspen Parkland or Zingari Man Unscented

Personna Comfort coated blades

I do rotate a few brushes, so I couldnt say which had the most play... also the rotation has gone through fine tuning over the last few years. So I figure they're probably all even to some extent - I have 8 (currently).




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Paul, I still think you should make a spreadsheet for your shave stuff

HoosierShave, I love when this thread comes around each year. Thanks for getting it rolling. The most surprising thing about 2023 was that I shaved every day. Didn’t miss a one. My goal was to figure out how to shave each morning without tearing my face apart, and for the most part I succeeded, although I still encountered some irritation from time to time. I reduced my passes from three to one and a bit, and that helped a lot.

Here are the tools I used the most:

Artisan Martin de Candre (49), followed by Abbate y La Mantia and Barrister & Mann. These three soap cookers accounted for about half of all my shaves. All told, I used 34 different brands of shaving soap. Insane.

Soap Martin de Candre Vétyver (28), followed by Martin de Candre Fougère and Phoenix & Beau Spitfire. Each of these soaps was the focus of a longish run. I didn’t finish any of them, but I got to know them pretty well.

Razor Blackland Vector Ti (90), followed by Blackland Blackbird Lite Ti and Karve Aluminum Christopher Bradley. The Vector is becoming my go-to scraper. I can usually get a close shave with only one pass and a smidgen of touch up. The fewer the passes, the less the burn.

Blade Wizamet (104), followed by Derby Extra and Feather Soft Guard. A late arrival, though, takes the cake. The Feather ProGuard didn’t appear on my scene until a couple months ago. It’s turning out to be one of my favorite blades. Expect to see a lot of it in 2024.

Brush Phoenix Shaving Peregrino 24mm Roswell Hybrid synthetic (81), followed by AP Shave Co. Blue Lagoon 24mm SynBad synthetic and Phoenix Shaving Solar Flare 24mm Nexus Hybrid synthetic. I bought a bunch of brushes in 2023, but none was better than my trusty Peregrino. It’s cheap, well balanced, and makes a perfect lather every time. And even after more than 650 shaves, it still looks brand new.

Post I bought a lot of aftershaves, but I hardly used any. Something in them bothers my hide, especially in this damp climate.

Discovery of the year I’m afraid this isn’t good news. I learned that D. R. Harris’s hard pucks start off well but about half way through, they seize up and stop making lather. I read about this in other threads, but I didn't really give it credit until I saw it with my own teary eyes. After they stopped lathering with a shaving brush, I transferred three of them to the hand soap department, and in each case I pitched it before it was gone. It just didn’t work any more. Heart breaking, but at least the wooden bowls are cool.

Goals for 2024 I’d like to finish a soap. One soap.

Goals for 2024 I’d like to finish a soap. One soap.

Come on now, Bouki. How about something attainable?

When I read this in HoosierShave ’s opening post on this thread I had a WTF moment. 

“Discovery of the Year:  this was the year I realized that 1 and 2-pass shaves can be awesome!  I don't chase BBS anymore.  Sure, if there is a special occasion or it's date night, I'll do a 3-pass with clean-up to get that BBS shave.  Otherwise, I just no longer feel the need to go for anything other than a DFS”

I don’t know how many times I’ve told guys new to wet shaving to not chase the dragon of the BBS shave.  I’d been down that road. Five pass shaves that lasted two days and left my skin glowing red. Don’t do it. You can rinse that remaining lather down the drain. Well, I had relapsed. I wasn’t doing five pass shaves but I was doing BBS three pass shaves complete with super smooth often irritated skin so when I read HoosierShave discovery of the year it hit me right between the eyes. I was doing it again and I had to stop. I’ve been doing one pass plus cleanup shaves all month and I’m really enjoying it. There’s nothing wrong with a five o’clock shadow at five o’clock. And all those razors that are too aggressive for a three pass shave are just fine for a one pass shave.  Thanks for the wake up call