SOTD 21-27 August 2016

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Blackbird/Feather ~ Omega ~ Klar Kabinett ~ Pitralon Swiss

Saturday, August 27, 2016


Cobra Classic
Feather Pro #2
Shavemac Silvertip D01
Panna Crema Nuavia Blu
Mentholated Witch Hazel
Gold Bond Green Lotion
Fine Fresh Vetiver



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Proraso Green Pre/Post
Vintage Rubberset Handle with 24mm Maggards Plissoft Knot
Barrister & Mann Leviathan
Treet Maroon Bakelite Fat Handle / Gem stainless steel PTFE (Shave 3)
Thayers Superhazel with Proraso Green Pre/post followed with Proraso/Osage Rub splash

Prep: Lots of hot water to the face and a smearing of Proraso preshave
Razor: Gillette Slim
Blade: Super-Max Titanium (2)
Brush: Maggard Razors 24mm Purple Swirl
Lather: Dr. Jon's Anne Bonny
Post: Lucky Tiger then Agua Lavanda Puig

Lovely, lovely, lovely feeling shave. At first I was quite put off by the bay rum scent from Anne Bonny. But, as the shave went on, my dislike of it waned. I can't say I like bay rum, but I am not as averse to it as I was. For whatever reason, a Super-Max Titanium blade in my Slim is a great combo.

Mystic Water - Vanilla Sandalwood
BSB-Ti | HMW
Above The Tie S1 | Triad Rolling Hex
Gillette 7 O'clock Black (1)
Barrister and Mann - Beaudelaire

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Mystic Water is a soap that for some reason has eluded me.  A good friend kindly gave me 2 pucks, and tonight was my first opportunity to try it.  Needless to say, I've been missing out on an outstanding soap.  This was an excellent shave, but it didn't come without it challenges.  If I understand it correctly, this is the latest soap base formula from Mystic Water.  Initially, I really struggled to get any semblance of density.  As I face lathered, all I could come up with was a thin, watery, substance with visible bubbles.  It's a tallow soap, so I started with a barely damp knot and I loaded what I believed to be more than enough product to achieve 3 face passes.  My experience with this HMW knot is that rarely will I have enough lather for subsequent 3 head passes, so I anticipate reloading for the dome shave.  Regardless, I was getting nowhere despite small, incremental dribbles of water directly on the knot.  Undeterred, I started over before even attempting to shave with this poor excuse for a lather.  I then had a slightly more moist knot, but I decided to use tepid water.  I had started to sense I was getting a little brush burn on my neck, but I still proceeded to face lather for the second time with the knot loaded to capacity.  This yielded a much better looking lather, but it was still on the thin side.  I proceeded with the shave and instantly recalled my first experience with Dr. Jon's (Bandit).  The appearance was deceiving.  My skin felt like it had been buttered.  The slickness was unbelievable.  Everything was smooth sailing henceforth.  I achieved a very comfortable 3-pass face shave followed by an equally comfortable head shave after reloading.  I note that the residual slickness rivals that of probably any other soap I've used.  The Vanilla Sandalwood was a perfect balance and just smelled elegant.  I finished with Barrister and Mann's Beaudelaire, and it paired quite nicely bringing said elegance down to earth, if you will.

I look forward to using Mystic Water again, and hopefully, I'll remember to adjust my process to accommodate this unique soap.

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Mystic Water - Vanilla Sandalwood
BSB-Ti | HMW
Above The Tie S1 | Triad Rolling Hex
Gillette 7 O'clock Black (1)
Barrister and Mann - Beaudelaire

…I had started to sense I was getting a little brush burn on my neck, but I still proceeded to face lather for the second time with the knot loaded to capacity.  This yielded a much better looking lather, but it was still on the thin side.  I proceeded with the shave and instantly recalled my first experience with Dr. Jon's (Bandit).  The appearance was deceiving.  My skin felt like it had been buttered.  The slickness was unbelievable.  Everything was smooth sailing henceforth.  I achieved a very comfortable 3-pass face shave followed by an equally comfortable head shave after reloading.  I note that the residual slickness rivals that of probably any other soap I've used.

…I look forward to using Mystic Water again, and hopefully, I'll remember to adjust my process to accommodate this unique soap.

Highly enjoyable photos once again, and your description of Mystic Water Soap sounds familiar to someone who has only used it for a relatively short while. It’s a soap you have to load the living daylights out of, and hydrate carefully, but the residual slickness is truly something marvelous.

Highly enjoyable photos once again, and your description of Mystic Water Soap sounds familiar to someone who has only used it for a relatively short while. It’s a soap you have to load the living daylights out of, and hydrate carefully, but the residual slickness is truly something marvelous.

I couldn't agree more. Give Mystic Water's reputation, I can only assume, my "problem" was due to lack of experience with it. I did get an outstanding shave regardless.

Highly enjoyable photos once again, and your description of Mystic Water Soap sounds familiar to someone who has only used it for a relatively short while. It’s a soap you have to load the living daylights out of, and hydrate carefully, but the residual slickness is truly something marvelous.

I couldn't agree more.  Give Mystic Water's reputation, I can only assume, my "problem" was due to lack of experience with it.  I did get an outstanding shave regardless.

Getting a good shave from a new soap is always a wonderful thing, especially if the soap doesn’t have a reputation of being easy to dial in.

Even though variety is one of the spices of this hobby, switching products often can make it more difficult to reach consistency. I had the chance to participate in some Mystic Water Soap new formula testing a while back, and that forced me to get better acquainted with the qualities of this particular soap. I think it’s great that you were able to make such quick assessments on your first try, and get to the point where it all worked out well!

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