Brush: Smog 1305
Soap/Cream: Proraso Red
Razor: Fatboy & Rocket HD
Blade: IP Red
After-shave: Lucky Tiger
Last free shave - before my return to the rigor (mortis) of work tomorrow, so I thought I'd do a little comparo. I, like most here, have succumbed to the P&C Master Seller (no not
@borked, but the Man
@Mark1966 ), so I bought a Fatboy as I preferred it to my Slim (which is still available
for sale/trade BTW). Mark was also kind enough to lend me a Rocket HD for trial. Since the time to pay has expired (thank you sabbatical!!!) I thought to myself would I trade the Fatboy back with Mark for the Rocket HD (not that he offered but...)? Hence today's test.
Before I move to the razors though, let's look at the lather. The 1305 is much lauded by Smog lovers..."90% Tops" they scream, don't know what that actually 'king means. I say to them, "yeah the brush is OK I s'pose". Bowl lathers just fine. I confess to not having used the Proraso for many, many months....why would you when you have such top shelf artisan soaps and creams. Well I tell you what, give it a go again lads. This 'Italian supermarket cream' is a winner. It's lather is thick, protective, cushioning with decent (not the best) glide. I like it. I was thinking of trading it out during this sabbatical but I think it deserves a place in my cabinet.
Now the razors. Rather than doing the one razor for each side of the face, noting a strong bias with my left or right side - because of my predominant hand, I opted for alternate strokes. Also I wasn't sure of the equivalent setting on the Fatboy. Visually, a "7" looks the equivalent blade gap, but on the face "5-6" feels about right - I went with "6" simply because I am a man. Bottom line the Rocket is smooth and quiet, the weight is more petite too. The Fatboy gives a more audible shave and it inspires confidence in the hand. In motorcycle terms, the Rocket HD is a Yamaha R1 or Suzuki GSX-R1000, while the Fatboy is a Harley. Both seem as efficient - though I'd give the edge to the Fatboy stroke for stroke. So a Rocket HD is an excellent choice for a carefree, smooth shaver. All-in-all a very nice comfortable non-threatening shave from both. So much so the Lucky Tiger seemed the perfect complement....which I usually reserve for non-surgical post-op procedures.
So do I need the care-free smoothness of the Rocket HD enough to trade away my Fatboy?...well, I do have the Weber PH, which I find both smooth and efficient. My thoughts as I type now, is that the Rocket HD offers me nothing the Weber can't, while the Fatboy complements the Weber with it's adjustability....and the R41 (in motorcycle terms the Dodge Tomahawk) for closeness and sheer exhilaration.
...so next comparison must be the Weber vs Rocket HD.
