What soap/cream did you use today?

Up to bat today - Stirling "Barbershop". There's about a half-dollar sized hole in the bottom, showing off the green of the tub. I loaded fairly heavy, and worked a decent amount of water into the lather. Great goopy goodness. Plenty of protective, slick stuff for today's shave. Performance isn't even a question with Stirling. Would "Barbershop" be picked as my soap of choice for the last shave ever? Naw. It's a pleasant enough scent, and I understand why it's a crowd pleaser. If someone wants to play it safe, this would be a good choice. Without knowing the sales stats, I'd almost bet a paycheck that it's Rod's most popular scent. 

Cool, how's the performance and scent?

From the jar I can hear lavender and the smell of a good tree. In the foam, lavender fades into the background. And I hear a very good woody scent. Performance-wise, I expected more. Very high quality cream, top tier. But, I like Kaizen better.

Eufros Tobacco shaving soap (tallow)

I found myself singing Hall and Oates She’s Gone as I loaded the last of the Poggio dei Pini.  So long old friend.  I promise to have a replacement but not until I get some of this cache of soap cleared.  Finished a tub of TOBS Lavender, tube of Trufitt West Indian Lime, a puck of Haslinger Sage which I never enjoyed the scent so it died as a bath bar, and a tub of AOS unscented.  Pretty good progress but who could even tell?  I also gave away about a dozen soaps and creams to friends and family and yet the bathroom cabinet is still chucked full and the two crisper drawers in the garage refrigerator are loaded.  I know, ridiculous!  But hey, Me and mine are still well fed, the 401k is still growing, and I have a wad of ready funds.  My wife doesn’t care although she wonders what screw needs tightened.  Who’s getting hurt by letting a fella have choices?  Pine Hill, you were/are a fine soap.  Catch you later.

You write a wonderful and touching obituary, Lipripper660. And the song you picked ... just perfect. I could feel my Adam's apple getting heavy as I read your post. Great thoughts for a great soap. I went through a tub of Poggio dei Pini several years ago, and like you, I loved every shave. And also like you, I'm pulling out the Gillette New razor today. That long comb just looks wicked, and it seems like a good match for my swashbuckling bay rum fixation of late. And finally, congrats for finishing up so many fine soaps this year. You know how to pick them, and you know how to use them, too.

Orbit by Noble Otter. I really enjoyed the scent profile of this one with its fresh, airy mixture of cedar wood, woody vetiver and mild, near transparent rose combined with a odorless synthetic coolant that gives the soap a gentle tingle on the face. Performance was excellent, but maybe just a step behind “top tier.” All-in-all a winner that I will look to use often.

1st time using the "new" Kaizan base...not sure I could've chosen a better scent

1st time using the "new" Kaizan base...not sure I could've chosen a better scent

Interesting, I was thinking she might be on the cutting block, but I'll have to pull her out and see how seasons change (everything).

Mike’s Bay Rum t. (Mike’s Natural Soaps) bay & bergamot

Four Frost Drops (Stirling) add a pleasant chill without messing with the scent. Mike’s Bay Rum is fairly mild, after all, so it wouldn’t take much to throw the fragrance off kilter. But the Frost Drops, taken sparingly, just sort of leave you feeling cool and clean. And they don’t affect the lather, either. One hundred and forty swirls on this rock hard puck gave me another top notch lather that took most of the bite out of the blade.
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1930s Gillette New Long Comb ・ Astra SP ・ Phoenix Shaving Peregrino ・ St Johns Bay Rum ・ YTD: 341 g