#1

Martin Man
Honolulu, Hawaii
HoosierShave usually gets this annual thread going, but it looks like he's especially busy this year. My apologies if I'm treading on sacred turf, but I'm so curious to see what made the grade in your den in 2024. 

What worked well in Boukiville in 2024:

Artisans
Abbate y La Mantia (49 uses) stole the show in 2024. It’s a fun soap. But when I use it I have to stick with a Feather SoftGuard blade, and that’s a pincher. May have to go easy on this brand in 2025, for the sake of my skin. Frank’s Ethos Grooming Essentials trailed close with 43 uses, a worthy contender made by the nicest soap cooker in all shavedom, while Joserra, the new kid on my block, clocked in at 39. Altogether, I dipped into 31 brands, which is a lot of soap for one bony old face.

Soaps
Martin de Candre Fougère (bol en frêne) sat on its wooden throne and sneered, “Is that all you’ve got?” Thirteen uses later, it weighs more than it did when I bought it. A miracle or a curse, who’s to say? The shaves are sublime, but the soap is practically immortal. A bunch of other soaps showed up for a week or so of shaves: Eufros’ Argos, Joserra’s Bernardo de Gálvez, Barrister & Mann’ Le Grand Chypre & Seville, and Mammoth’s Tobacconist.

Razors
Blackland’s titanium Vector dominated for the second year, with 45 uses. Pair it with a Feather ProGuard blade, and it’s perfect: one pass, no irritation. Karve’s aluminum Bison (35) and stainless Overlander (34) followed like loyal deputies. And then there’s the Lambda Athena in bronze. A work of art, really. It shaves like a dream but sits on the shelf like a trophy. Too beautiful for this world.

Blades
Wizamet Super Iridium, 55 times. Derby Extra, 51. Astra Superior Platinum, 49. Blades, blades, blades. They come, they go, they cut. Not a whole lot of difference between them. I’ve found that only a guarded blade can keep my irritation at bay.

Brushes
The Vielong American stormed onto the scene in early 2024. With 71 uses, its floppy tuft and barbershop handle made short work of the hardest soaps. The Phoenix Shaving Peregrino (34) soldiered on, nearly 700 shaves in and still standing. And Plisson’s Cade synthetic (34), a decade-old relic from L’Occitane, proved you don’t need a big price tag to punch above your weight.

Post
Postshave products? Nope. My skin said, “Hard pass.” I gave some away, poured others down the drain, and let the rest age on a shelf like a doomsday prepper’s canned beans. The only thing I use nowadays is an occasion splash of bay rum. It burns at first, but for some wonderful and mysterious reason, it doesn’t bring on a rash.

Discoveries of the Year
Joserra and Mammoth were welcome additions to the den – scents to die for, lathers like melted marshmallow. Zingari Man impressed, too. But my skin’s getting cranky about superfatted soaps. Old age is a party pooper.

Goals Met, Goals Set
Last year’s big goal? Finish one soap. In July Phoenix & Beau’s Spitfire finally gave up the ghost after eight long years. A solemn farewell, but no tears. Over the years I had stocked up on several P&B soaps. They lathered like a dream, sure, but innovation outstripped them. For me this brand is done and dusted.

For 2025 my big goal is to use a jar of Martin de Candre's Absinthe at least every other day.

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#2

Member
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Like a dooms day prepper’s canned beans!  Hahahaha

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#3

Member
Woodstock, VT
(This post was last modified: 01-03-2025, 03:24 AM by vtmax. Edited 4 times in total.)
Small Batch:
Eufros
Joserra

Soaps:
Haslinger Tallow     Andreas Haslinger created a masterpiece.
Valobra                     Genoa Italy. C&S and AOS perfection.
Fine Classic             Triple milled V1 made in the Netherlands.
Tabac Tallow           The classic jewel.

Razors:
Karve Bison
Karve Overlander

Blades:
Wizamet Super Iridium

Brushes:
M&F’s
Rooney 2 & 3 xl
Wald A1’s

Post:
ABC Balms

Discoveries:
Opening my NOS vacuum sealed triple milled soaps and realizing these are pucks of gold.
Discovering Martin de Candre again.

2025:
3017

HoosierShave, Dave in KY, Matsilainen and 9 others like this post
#4
(This post was last modified: 01-04-2025, 05:52 PM by Tedolph. Edited 4 times in total.)
Artisans:
Once again I was let down by artisans. I tried products from Spearhead Shaving, Jabon Mann and Stirling. Some were just OK, and some horrible . Wound up PIFing some of it, and trying to plow through others.

Soaps :
We lost so many good mass market tallow soaps this year or so: Fine Accoutrements, Williams, Tabac, MWF, etc. It left Cella as the only man standing. I am OK with that because I really like Cella


Razors;
Got two new SE razors both using half DE blades: Pearl "The Sleek" and ColorLamb Forester folding travel razor. They both shave OK (had to modify The Sleek to get it to work) but nothing to write home about. My Gold Dollar 300 continues to impress me. It is a true "singing" SR and has a slightly thinner spine than my old GD 208. I believe this gives me a finer edge (maybe not as long lasting) for a better AGT pass. Very impressed with this for the $12.00 cost. I keep thinking about re-scaling it like I did with my 208 but I doubt I will ever get around to it.


Blades:
Nothing new to report here. I plan on honing some of my used carbon steel Feather SE blades for my Valet Auto Strop and One Blade and see how that works out.


Brushes:
Finally stripped all the chipped and peeling paint off my beloved Semogue 1305 and gave it a natural finish. I really did a poor job but it doesn't matter. If I could figure out a justification, maybe I would get a SOC boar bristle replacement. Maybe some day the handle will split and the knot will fall out? Well, then I probably would just get a replacement handle......


Post:
Confirmed that I don't like aftershaves with glycerine. It is keeping me from buying a bottle of Floid "The Genuine". I should do it anyway. Tried a true bay rum (Glacier Bay) and discovered that I really don't care for it as an aftershave.

Discoveries of the Year:
Learned that I hate, and I mean hate Cremo. Discovered that I love true bay rum as an after bath splash and as a fortifier (dilluter? ) for a bootleg mix of sweet/gourmand alcohol based aftershaves.

Goals Met, Goals Set:
Need to plow through some soaps so that I only have a tub of Cella Bio and a tub of Cella Crema Sapone Professionalle left. Need to get a new Lady Friend with a nice bathroom so I can take about half of my shave den stuff and put it in her bathroom. That will make room for/allow me to justify buying more new stuff. Did get a new Lady Friend but her bathroom is a dump. Goal met in buying a travel razor that takes half DE blades so I can stop using horrible drug store brand disposable SE razors. Maybe I can get it through TSA. Also got a cheap One Blade razor on order to put in my gym bag so that I don't have to use their horrible Dorco twin blade disposable razors..........man, those things are bad.

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#5

Posting Freak
Canada
(This post was last modified: 01-04-2025, 04:16 PM by celestino. Edited 3 times in total.)
Soaps: Mystic Water, Stirling (Sheep/Bare Naked), RazorRock (Green, Red, Yellow, Blue & Black Labels)

Razors: Weber DLC, Blackbirds, Shield DE SS closed comb (Face Shaves)
            Phoenix DOC Aluminium, Henson Mild (Head Shaves)

Blades: Wizamet Super Iridiums

Brushes: Too many to list; look at my SOTD pics, but 99% 2-Bands

Post: Unrefined Shea Butter + Bergamot/Veitver EO

Discoveries of the Year: Haven's tried many new things, but it would have to be RazorRock's
                            tripled-milled soaps, which are fantastic, especially, for the price 

                            and the Shield DE, which is a  great shaver. Completely surprised me. 


Goals: With regards to shaving, to shave every day and enjoy it.  Big Grin

MaineYooper, TommyCarioca, bbssboss and 5 others like this post
Celestino
Love, Laughter & Shaving  Heart
#6

Scentsless Shaver
Oakland, ME
SOAPS Top 5 for almost 65% of all shaves
Stirling Sheep
Mystic Water Soaps Sensitive Skin
Zingari Man unscented
Murphy & McNeil Nil
Canada Shaving Soap 

RAZORS Top 5 for 45% of all shaves
Karve Overlander SS and aluminum
Yaqi Romulus
Karve Bison
Tatara Masamune

BLADES Top 5 for 71% of all shaves
Personna Platinum Chrome
Schick Injector
Personna GEM PTFE
Tatara Platinum 
Personna Comfort Coated/Schick Proline P-30 (tied)

BRUSHES
Too much variety!

POST SHAVE
Zingari Man Recovery Splash unscented
Zingari Man After Shave Balm

DISCOVERIES
Yaqi Romulus and Occam's Razor SE-noch artist club razors
Muhle STF XL knot, Independent knots, and Pure Bliss knot, all available from AP Shave Co.

GOALS
Shaved every day and will continue that, and as celestino said, Enjoy the Shaves!
In 2024 I wanted to use up soaps purchased in 2021, and did finish 3, with 2 others in the previous December (2023) when I set the goal.
Soap goal for 2025: only buy replacements, of which I can only think of 2 right now.

HoosierShave, ewk, Bouki and 3 others like this post
- Eric 
Put your message in a modem, 
And throw it in the Cyber Sea
--Rush, "Virtuality"

Overloader of brushes, Overlander fanboy, Schickhead, and a GEM in the rough!
#7
So glad to see the thread started. For the first time last year, using MaineYooper 's data entry form, I logged all 491 shaves of 2024 (I shave both head and face, so each counted as a separate shave; Useful for keeping track of blade use).

Top 5 razors: (Blackland (23%) and Karve (7%) razors accounted for 30% of all 2024 shaves)
Blackbird - 40 shaves - 8%
Vector - 40 shaves - 8%
Saber - 24 shaves - 5%
Overlander - 19 shaves - 4%
Christopher Bradley - 14 shaves - 4%

Top 5 blades: (accounted for 50% of all shaves)
Nacet - 23%
Accutec (GEM) - 11%
Suneko - 6%
Feather Professional - 5%
Astra SP - 5%

Top 5 brushes: (46% of all shaves)
Rudy Vey AS3M bog wood - 12%
Wald Calyx - 10%
Paladin (Chief & Sumo) - 11%
Blackland - 7%
Zenith Zenith 606BC - 7%

Top 5 soaps: (38% of all shaves)
Tabac - 12%
B&M Passiflora - 8%
Proraso green - 7%
Tatara Honour - 6%
Stirling Peach - 4%

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#8

Scentsless Shaver
Oakland, ME
ewk, isn't it fun to see all those stats?! And others in the household scratch their heads and ask Why? My answer, it's part of the fun and obsession!!  Big Grin

ewk, Bouki, TommyCarioca and 3 others like this post
- Eric 
Put your message in a modem, 
And throw it in the Cyber Sea
--Rush, "Virtuality"

Overloader of brushes, Overlander fanboy, Schickhead, and a GEM in the rough!
#9
FOR SCIENCE !!

Nero, TommyCarioca, Tedolph and 4 others like this post
#10

Posting Freak
Soap Artisan: LJDJ
Soap: Ethos Grooming Dragonsblood
Thu°Rose°day soap: AOS Rose cream
Soap base: TALLOW
Razor: Karve CB B plate
Brush Artisan: Paladin
Knot: Allen Long 28mm bulbs [2 band badgers]
Razor blade: Astra SP
AFS Artisan: Myrsol
AFS serum: Ethos
AFS balm: ABC Apricot Hull
2025 goal: Learn how to make tallow Haslinger/Tabac
2024 Discovery: Tatara blades & Marley Machine Works handles

[Image: 8b5b49144cadbc5a5aad8fc5adfafd23.jpg][Image: 4d8a95b8ef137f4d0c87068844bd2cae.jpg]

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