What soap/cream did you use today?

Sunday, July 7, 2024 - Coate's Superior Almond-Sandalwood

 

Last two shaves have been stellar.  First was Spitfire which might be the best scent matching its story.  Leather, oil, tobacco.  Yes sir it smells like I’d guess a spitfire cockpit to smell of.
And this morning was Grapefroot a dirty Vetiver with a citrus top and I really like this one too.  I believe Caties Bubbles did this one for West Coast Shaving.  At any rate it’s right up there with Dom’s Black Velvet for a great Vetiver.

Still working with this creme before I give it to my barbers:


(actually, I have the Sandalwood version)

As you may know from my Review, this creme soap can handle an astounding amount of water.  Today, I shook out most all the water from my badger brush into the bottom of my lather bowl.  Then I loaded for about 40 seconds from the tub, way more than I needed for a triple pass shave.  As you can imagine, the soap started out with huge bubbles, but after about 60 seconds I had something that looked like a meringue.  A lot of meringue.  I did not bother to build it anymore on my face, but still gave myself a good scrub with the pure badger and started shaving.  I did four full passes with a Pearl SE razor and half DE Silvermax blade, paying particular attention to using as little pressure as possible and maintaining the correct angle for this razor (there is only one correct angle).  Probably had enough soap left for another full pass. Application of Cella alcohol based aftershave revealed no nicks, cuts or excessive exfoliation.  Shave was not BBS but very close.  I am putting that on the blade which has a few shaves on it.  So, I am concluding that once you know how to work this soap (Load like crazy, use a lather bowl and way more water than you think you should) it works pretty well in both the slickness and cushion departments.  Cushion not as good as a good tallow soap but good enough for a no drama quadruple pass shave with a half DE blade.  As I stated elsewhere, I can see how this could work very well in a barber shop. The aroma is nothing to write home about-somewhat industrial.

Route 66 / Barber Shop Hop

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Sunday July 7, 2024
Razor: Weber Polished/Tibam Ti Handle
Blade: Wizamet
Brush: Techichi "The Hive" Tuxedo
Soap: Stirling Bonaparte
AS : Witch Hazel + Stirling Bonaparte
Consecutive Daily Shaves - # 2,069

Spitfire (Phoenix & Beau) leather juniper
Shave 41

Great call, Lipripper660! Spitfire smells good and makes a solid lather. I’ve turned to it often. It never disappoints, and inexplicably it never expires. I’ve had my tub since 2016, and no matter how heavy I load my brush, there’s still plenty of soap left in the jar. It’s a cornucopia of lather and a testament of durability.

To do Spitfire the honor it deserves, today I whipped up the lather with one of my oldest brushes – a PAA Peregrino. Just shy of 700 lathers with that. And the scraping was done by my first DE razor, an Edwin Jagger DE89KN14bl. That one’s coming up on 800 shaves. It’s still just about the smoothest and closest tool in my shed. Makes me wonder why I spend so much time and money shopping for other scrapers.

Great affordable kit for today’s shave. I think I could replace them all – soap, brush, razor, and blades – for under $100.
____________
Brush Phoenix Shaving Peregrino (674) ・ Razor Edwin Jagger DE89KN (774) ・ Blade Derby Extra (3)

Monday July 8, 2024
Razor: Alpha Evolution Claymore
Blade: Feather Pro
Brush: Wolf Whisker Eagle Disco/Black Wolf
Soap: B&M Paganini's Violin
AS : Witch Hazel + CFG Ghost Town Barber
Consecutive Daily Shaves - # 2,070

Geo F. Trumper - Almond (Tallow)

I've had this stashed in an AOS wood bowl for probably eight years. I believe I've used it before, but only once. Mostly, out of sight, out of mind. It's a very light scent, almond oil, I suppose. In contrast, the current (miserably performing) Almond soap scent is quite different, it is a loud almond blossom accord.

Anyway, I realize why the Tallow formulation was so revered... I had a real Santa lather, it felt like a plush blanket. Firm and cushiony. A far cry from today's formula.