SOTD 24-30 July 2016

[align=center]Tallow + Steel "Dark"
BSB-Ti w/HMW Extra Dense
Above The Tie S1 w/ Triad Rolling Hex 316 Stainless | Gillette 7 O'clock Black (1)

Once again — a great review with impeccable photos! I really appreciate your contributions here, Matt, and I know I’m definitely not alone.

[Image: GUecQ1V.jpg]

Shavemac D01 Silvertip ~ Gillette Single Ring ~ Personna Lab Blue (4)

Sapone di Paolo Agrume ~ Swiss Pitralon

RazoRock Tobacco #2 soap
Silvertip badger in burl box elder
Crown King scuttle
Geneva Cutlery 9/16 full hollow
Stirling Mountain Man splash



Freshly cleaned, polished, repinned in original scales and honed...Another great shave from "the box"

Great review, Matt-makes me want to go and get a T&S-sounds great. And beautiful photos! Thanks!

[align=center]Tallow + Steel "Dark"
BSB-Ti w/HMW Extra Dense
Above The Tie S1 w/ Triad Rolling Hex 316 Stainless | Gillette 7 O'clock Black (1)

Once again — a great review with impeccable photos! I really appreciate your contributions here, Matt, and I know I’m definitely not alone.

Great review, Matt-makes me want to go and get a T&S-sounds great. And beautiful photos! Thanks!

You gentlemen are so kind. Thank you for the encouraging words. My photography skills certainly pale in comparison to most of what I see here.

Sunday "hangover" SOTD

Celebrated my Bday yesterday, feeling it today! Wanted a simple, no fuss darn near error proof shave. Plus the scent is refreshing and not overpowering. This and half a pot of coffee later I'm starting to feel human again!

Stirling Kong
Merkur 34C
Gillette Silver Blue
Fine American Blend
Fine American Blend splash
[Image: KvEgV8q.jpg]

Stirling Vanilla Sandalwood soap
Silvertip badger in burl box elder
Crown King scuttle
Lee Manufacturing "Magnetic Steel" 5/8 half hollow
Stirling Vanilla Sandalwood splash

I got a few old razors in the mail today, and this was the first one I chose to shave with. It took a really nice edge after a little work getting the bevel set. It isn't perfectly even, but it is sharp along the whole length, so I will let it even out over time and subsequent honings. It's shaving well along the whole edge, so a little uneven thickness is better than creating a frown trying to even it out...

I was going to polish this one up, but the etching is in really good shape, and the patina on both the scales and the blade cleaned up beautifully with just some steel wool and light elbow grease. I think I'm going to keep the patina in tact...

Anyhow...an excellent shave!

Great looking razor, Chris!  It looks like it cleaned up really nice.  I think it looks good with the patina that is left.  It gives it character!  Congrats!

Tallow + Steel "Dark"
BSB-Ti w/HMW Extra Dense
Above The Tie S1 w/ Triad Rolling Hex 316 Stainless | Gillette 7 O'clock Black (1)

[Image: 8KUyu8V.jpg]

This was my first time using Tallow and Steel products.  Due to the performance I experienced today, they're instantly in my rotation, but first let's discuss the superficial.

The packaging is classy and professional complete with simple yet striking waterproof labels and the company logo imprinted on the puck.  Choosing the scent required very little contemplation.  They essentially had me at, "dark".  The notes are printed directly on the tub, "coffee, cocoa, vetiver, ginger, benzoin, and peppermint". Strait from the puck, there's an unmistakable York Peppermint Pattie scent.  Lathering initially didn't change that.  It's pleasant for sure, but you may not want to smell like a dark chocolate-covered mint candy for very long.  It turns out, that's not an issue because nefore the first pass was even through, it gained more depth and the chocolate was replaced with a light roast coffee.  The peppermint sustained but was more muted.  As I was lathering for the second pass, the entire profile turned on its heel.  Cedar became the foremost scent.  I have no idea where it came from because cedar is not one of the listed notes or oils.  There was a slight sweetness to it.  I imagined a cedar box filled with chocolate-covered coffee beans, and this was the primary scent for the remainder of the shave.  I actually never picked up on vetiver.  Since I'm not a professional, I could be missing the boat here. I can't definitively say I would be able to tell you what benzoin EO smells like, but I am familiar with benzoin tincture.  I did not detect a benzoin scent.  It very well could be the benzoin combined with the vetiver that's giving me the illusion of cedar.  It was pleasant for sure, but just surprising.

I used a slightly damp knot and about 4-5 drops of water directly on the puck.  The loading was quite easy.  This is one of the firmer croaps I have used, but still not in the hard soap category. The lather was quickly forthcoming.  It yielded a dense and very creamy ivory lather that's a little sensitive to additional water (don't drown it).  Slickness was good.  I would say it's about an 8 on a 1-10 slickness scale.

There was no drama with this shave.  BBS and weeper-free.  The post shave feel is also very good, but I probably couldn't get away without some form of post shave product for my scalp at least.  Fortunately, the paired water-based splash has lots of good stuff for your skin.  Cooling wasn't needed due to the peppermint in the soap, but the splash has it as well.  The scent of the splash is still cedar-forward with only hints of peppermint in the background.

While "Dark" may not be the scent for everyone, I absolutely enjoyed it despite its being a surprise.  "Dark" in this case does not equate to dirty or smoky but rather a clean scent.  Tallow + Steel did not disappoint with products that perform as well as they look.

I couldn't decide which pic to use, so here are the rest of them:

[Image: 1CyAeYE.jpg]

[Image: BJnAavP.jpg]

And for my artsy pic for the day:

[Image: rpmnilK.jpg]

This is certainly the most detailed and welcome and comprehensive report I have seen.

Every photo adds to the value of the report.

Thank you,

Mickey

[Image: IMGP6977%201.jpg]


BRUSH: Satin Tip - The Purest.
SOAP: R.P. Williams Shaving Cream. Popsicle stick extractor - chocolate.
BOWL: Yoresh Electric.
RAZOR: GEM Damaskeene.
BLADE: Personna GEM Stainless.
PASSES: 3 + Touch up. A little too much needed. 11 shaves. One more try on blade.
SHAVE: Superior.
AFTER SHAVE: Aqua Velva Ice Blue.

Mickey

Great shave this morning:

Brush, Maggard Granite 26 (Gorgeous brush, though I like the smaller Maggard ones better)
Gillette Flair Tip - Just got this the other day. What an awesome razor - has me realizing that I may not have a preference for aggressive razors.
Mitchell's Woo Fat w/ a couple of drops of essential oil
Home made shaving oil - four parts Olive oil and one part baby oil
Feather Blade
Aqua Velva



[Image: SOTD%207-31-16_zpsmzh1inkz.jpg]

Tallow + Steel "Dark"
BSB-Ti w/HMW Extra Dense
Above The Tie S1 w/ Triad Rolling Hex 316 Stainless | Gillette 7 O'clock Black (1)

[Image: 8KUyu8V.jpg]

This was my first time using Tallow and Steel products.  Due to the performance I experienced today, they're instantly in my rotation, but first let's discuss the superficial.

The packaging is classy and professional complete with simple yet striking waterproof labels and the company logo imprinted on the puck.  Choosing the scent required very little contemplation.  They essentially had me at, "dark".  The notes are printed directly on the tub, "coffee, cocoa, vetiver, ginger, benzoin, and peppermint". Strait from the puck, there's an unmistakable York Peppermint Pattie scent.  Lathering initially didn't change that.  It's pleasant for sure, but you may not want to smell like a dark chocolate-covered mint candy for very long.  It turns out, that's not an issue because nefore the first pass was even through, it gained more depth and the chocolate was replaced with a light roast coffee.  The peppermint sustained but was more muted.  As I was lathering for the second pass, the entire profile turned on its heel.  Cedar became the foremost scent.  I have no idea where it came from because cedar is not one of the listed notes or oils.  There was a slight sweetness to it.  I imagined a cedar box filled with chocolate-covered coffee beans, and this was the primary scent for the remainder of the shave.  I actually never picked up on vetiver.  Since I'm not a professional, I could be missing the boat here. I can't definitively say I would be able to tell you what benzoin EO smells like, but I am familiar with benzoin tincture.  I did not detect a benzoin scent.  It very well could be the benzoin combined with the vetiver that's giving me the illusion of cedar.  It was pleasant for sure, but just surprising.

I used a slightly damp knot and about 4-5 drops of water directly on the puck.  The loading was quite easy.  This is one of the firmer croaps I have used, but still not in the hard soap category. The lather was quickly forthcoming.  It yielded a dense and very creamy ivory lather that's a little sensitive to additional water (don't drown it).  Slickness was good.  I would say it's about an 8 on a 1-10 slickness scale.

There was no drama with this shave.  BBS and weeper-free.  The post shave feel is also very good, but I probably couldn't get away without some form of post shave product for my scalp at least.  Fortunately, the paired water-based splash has lots of good stuff for your skin.  Cooling wasn't needed due to the peppermint in the soap, but the splash has it as well.  The scent of the splash is still cedar-forward with only hints of peppermint in the background.

While "Dark" may not be the scent for everyone, I absolutely enjoyed it despite its being a surprise.  "Dark" in this case does not equate to dirty or smoky but rather a clean scent.  Tallow + Steel did not disappoint with products that perform as well as they look.

I couldn't decide which pic to use, so here are the rest of them:

[Image: 1CyAeYE.jpg]

[Image: BJnAavP.jpg]

And for my artsy pic for the day:

[Image: rpmnilK.jpg]

Amazingly clean and clear photographs.