SOTD 7-13 January 2018

Saturday
Prep: Warm Shower-Stirling Bath Soap-Baker Street
Soap: Catie’s Bubbles La Terre Verte
Razor: Gillette “Black Beauty” Super Adjustable
Blade: Vintage Schick Plus Platinum (Shave #16)
Brush: RazoRock/Zenith Chubby Extra Silvertip-28mmx51mm
Aftershave: Bentley Intense EdT

WTG-XTG-ATG (adjusted angles for my beard)

Catie’s Bubbles La Terre Verte today. 20 seconds to load the RazoRock/Zenith Chubby Extra Silvertip brush. Easy, thick, slick, lather. Vintage Schick Plus Platinum still in the Gillette Black Beauty. Excellent smooth, close shave. I finished with Bentley Intense EdT.

Bob

Prep: Hot towel
Pre shave: Prep
Razor: Barbaros TR-1
Blade: Astra S/P
Brush: 'The Duke' (Duke 3 Best)
Soap: Grooming Dept: Mallard
Post: Cold water rinse / Witch Hazel / Tallow + Steel: Dark Aftershave

Well, Mallard lived up to the hype, and provided the base for an outstanding shave with the TR-1, a razor that I find to be on the aggressive side of the tracks... BBS, and feeling fine.

13 January 2018

* Blackbird Polished SB 101
* Iridium Super
* MS 2-Band + Doug Korn Amber Taca
* Jabonman/Eufros Ylang Ylang Tallow
* Unrefined Shea Butter
* Bergamot/Vetiver EO

Razor: Charcoal SS Level 1 / iKon 85MM
Blade: Polsilver (3)
Soap: B&M Le Grand Chypre
Aftershave: Stirling Tea Tree ASB
Bowl: Doug Smith Pottery
Brush: Wild West Brushworks Mountain Sky

Thoughts: Today, I am thinking about business models in the artisan shaving soap market (what can I say, I am currently doing my MBA), and how 4 oz soap tubs are piling up in my bathroom cabinet. I watched a video interview done by Mantic59 with Rod from Stirling, and believe it is quite instructive on how to think about the market. Then, there is the conversation about how 4 oz tubs are piling up. I am thinking, how did we end up with 4 oz (~100 shaves / 3 months use), is it truly optimal?

Cream: OSP Sicilian Lemon Grove
Brush: Ever Ready 100 restored by by Reyes Restores with a 22mm Maggards synthetic knot
Bowl: Homemade from a Salvation Army find
Razor: Ikon SBS head on an OSS handle
Blade: Pol Silver Super Iridium
After Shave: Liam Cruz by Stache Soap Works

First try with the SBS head this morning. Big thanks to MerelyMoe on this forum for giving me a really great deal in the BST section. I went with the grain and across the grain with the open comb side and finished off with an against the grain pass with the safety bar side. Made for a really enjoyable shave. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Unconditionally Superb
I used my Premier straight on my cheeks and the slant on my neck today. The shave was satisfying, smooth and comfortable. The US salve is a great pre shave - it doesn't improve lather, but it makes the post shave feel smoother. I'm very happy that this scent will eventually be a permanent feature for Declaration Grooming!

E.Jagger Razor / Astra blade
Trader Joe's shave kit synthetic brush (great for Williams soap)
Williams Mug Soap
Stetson aftershave
Lalique edt

Saturday AM 2018-01-13

Georgetown Pottery G20 scuttle (Jet Black)
Rooney 3/3 Ebony Finest #1 (26mm/66mm)
Acqua di Parma soft soap (current version)
Delta Echo Black Chrome-Nickel Feather AS-D2/Triad Satin Diamond Titanium
Polsilver Super Iridium (8)
Acqua di Genova 1853 aftershave

This was the final day of my comparison of original Acqua di Parma Colonia soap and the current version. This has been discussed elsewhere, so I won't belabor it, but while my impressions agreed with some from other shavers, they also differed in some respects. The original Colonia has the gold jar lid; the newer one has a brown lid. Briefly, for me the soaps had similar very slightly soft consistencies, and the newer one was whiter, while the original was somewhat translucent. Both lathered very easily, although the current version might have been just slightly faster. Both produced dense, rich lather that had great cushion and glide. Both left my skin feeling clean and soft; the newer formulation might have been slightly more moisturizing.

The area where I found the greatest difference was the scent. The Colonia had a noticeably stronger fragrance throughout the shave. It is more prominently orange and lemon citrus, while the current version is simpler and more aquatic. The older version also has a sweet rose tone that is lacking in the newer one, while the latter seems to have a little more lavender and jasmine. And the current version has a bit more menthol. Acqua di Parma has stated that the fragrance was "reformulated with a neutral and delicate scent," which I think is fairly accurate. Apparently this was done for marketing purposes rather than due to any health or safety concerns.

Others have said that they like the newer version and that it has improved organic ingredients. But in my opinion, the original Colonia is significantly better. As a lathering soap it works just as well for me, and I like its bolder and more complex fragrance much more. A good part of my enjoyment of shaving comes from the fragrance of the soap, and in this respect the Colonia is for me the clear winner.

LASSCO Black Rose
Semogue 620
'77 Gillette Super Adjustable
Personna Platinum (5)
Barrister's Reserve Cool