Razor: GEM Micromatic Flying Wing w/ Guiding Eye
Blade: GEM Duridium (vintage) (D1)
Lather: Elysian Soap Shop Pine And Pepper
Brush: The Wet Shaving Store Faux Horn
Bowl: Bluff Cove Pottery
Post 1: P.A.A. Alum Block w/ No-Slip Grip System & Dry Dock System
Post 2: Dickinson's Enhanced Witch Hazel Deep Cleansing Astringent w/ Menthol & Eucalyptus
Aftershave: Elysian Soap Shop Pine And Pepper
Finish: Elysian Soap Shop Pine And Pepper EdP
What a great shave! This combination of hardware and software came together in such a perfect way.
The Elysian Soap Shop Pine And Pepper shaving soap is outstanding. The soap base is one of the best I've ever used and the fragrance is crafted by one of the best artisan fragrance creators out there.
The scent is genuine, classy, and nuanced. Obviously, it has notes of (Grey) Pine and (Black) Pepper, but also has notes of Juniper, Peppermint, Lavender, Geranium, earthy Vetiver, and a hint of Vanilla. I'm telling you this is some good stuff! And if you think this fragrance isn't for you, go check out their other offerings. I guarantee you'll find something you like.
The GEM razor and blade just work. You really can't get a bad shave with them. This shave was a good test though as I have some of these vintage blades and have been curious about them. Based on this shave I'll say they're pretty darn good. They're strong and sharp and I'll continue to use them to get a better feel for their limit. As of now, I feel like I can trust this blade's edge more than some current-day production ones. So that's saying something.
Thanks for reading and enjoy your shaves.