Shave of the Day Thread - 2016

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Prep: Musgo Real Soap
Brush: Shavemac 177
Soap: Shaver Heaven Citrus Garden
Razor: iKon Slant DLC
Blade: Astra SP
After-shave: GFT Coral Skin Food

First shave of the year. I was saving my beard for my new love, the iKon DLC Slant.
First shave with it and I used my go to middle of the road blade, the Astra SP. I still need to tweak technique a little, I felt the angle was a little off now and again, but a very good shave. Trouble spots (my cheeks for some reason) much closer than usual. Left my face feeling like I'd shaved with my EJ89 and a Feather, but with no stinging from alum at all. Can't wait to try a Feather in it to see how close it can get.
 
Speick week
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3P preshave
Honey Farm Finest Badger
Speick soap stick
Gillette #59 Rocket
Gillette Green (4)
Speick aftershave

I love the scent of Speick and it's been too long since I last used it. This should be a good week, if only palmolive smelt and performed this good!
 
Brush: Vintage Simpson Butterscotch
Soap/Cream: TABAC! Original
Razor: Vintage Gillette L1 Slim Adjustable (7)
Blade: Vintage English Wilkinson Sword (7)
Post-shave: TABAC! Original


[using an iPhone Instagram filter is as arty as I get :) ]

So my 'back to where it all began' theme too a detour this morning as the weather is kinda cold. bleak and miserable here in the PRC (People's Republic of Canberra) - the perfect weather for Tabac!

An all-time classic I've decided that if ARKO! can claim an exclamation mark TABAC! deserves one too :) Introduced in 1959 this is such an iconic product that the manufacturer's website includes a history page with images of print advertisements back to the launch and another page details of the changes in the bottle and packaging - clearly they are collectibles! Mine is the 2000 bottle BTW, not the current 2014 bottle ;)

How was the shave? Great of course, rich thick lather after rubbing your face with the stick and then face lathering. Vintage Wilkie still going strong and Slim always reliable.
 
Pre-Shave PAA Mentholated ICE Scentless Pre-Shave Soap
Brush The Grooming Co Synthetic
Soap Shaver Heaven Arctic Mango (thanks to @Osman)
Razor Gillette/Otto Roth New OC
Blade Permasharp
Post Shave Alum & Dickson's Original Witch Hazel
Aftershave Myrsol F./Extra

First shave of the New Year - had to remove 5 days growth without the trusty #102 slant so I turned to the New Long Open Comb - perfect for cutting through the stubble.
Shaver Heaven Arctic Mango is perfect for the warmish weather when you don't need the full menthol punch of Glacial, Obsidian or Cryogen.
A little too much pressure today as the alum stung a little more than I expected but no nicks so that's a plus.
Splash of F./Extra on the way out the door and I was ready to face the new year at work. Hope TSW gets some fine or Myrsol in stock before I run out of this.
 
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Face Wash : Musgo Real Lime Glycerine Soap
Pre-Shave : Proraso Green Pre-Shave
Brush : Shavemac Custom
Soap : Mystic Water Bay Rum
Razor : Filarmonica 13 Sub Cero
After Shave : Argan Oil, Alvarez Gomez EDC

Another great shave. It took a bit of tweaking to get a good face lather from the Mystic Water soap, but it was well worth the effort. The Filarmonica made the shaving effortless but effective - BBS without really trying. I'm bemused by the incredible prices Filarmonica razors are attracting these days. Don't get me wrong - they are very good razors indeed, but the money some people are asking for them would buy a stunning, probably superior Japanese straight, with plenty of change left over to spend on other things.

Finished it all off with a big squirt of the excellent value for money Alvarez Gomez EDT, with its zesty, lemony leading notes underpinned by some longer lasting woody complexity.
 
20160104_081637 by Osman Mehmed, on Flickr
Preshave: Top Seven Preshave emulsion
Razor Edwin Jagger DE89 with Windrose Handle
Blade: Polsilver SI
Brush: Semogue 1305
Soap: Mystic Water Viola di Bosco
Post Shave: Nivea AS Balm and Alt Innsbruck
Three pass shave with no irritation or cut or nicks and the result is a BBS face. The Top Seven is a mentholated emulsion and does feel very nice on the face with a cooling effect a little less than say the proraso green. The Mystic Water soap does need a little effort but well worth it, just a wonderful soap and in my top five. The Alt Innsbruck has become a favorite with good staying power and a fine scent.
 
Getting a heck of a lot better at being quicker in the mornings with my shave. I've also noticed the quality of my shaves having improved by making the 3rd pass XTG in the opposite direction to the 2nd pass.

Merkur 34C
Omega Boar Brush
TOBS Grapefruit (love the scent but not sure how I feel about the actual cream)
Feather Blade

Now I just need my new soaps to arrive!
 
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Face Wash : Musgo Real Lime Glycerine Soap
Pre-Shave : Myrsol Emulsion
Brush : Fine Synthetic
Soap : CRSW - "Fougere Moderne"
Razor : Jerry Stark Spanish Point
After Shave : Argan Oil, Musgo Real Orange and Amber

Fine shave, fine start to the day. The Fine synthetic brush helped the Cold River soap to produce a really comfortable face lather. I like the scent of this soap, particularly the fact that it doesn't clash with anything you use later in the shave. The Jerry Stark razor felt a little odd at first - after a few days in a row of "singing" extra hollow ground razors this was a quiet change : no singing and a different feeling tactile feedback. It delivered a wonderful shave though, thanks I'm sure to the steel Jerry Stark used. It takes a hell of an edge but remains soft and comfortable feeling.

Finished off with 2 drops of Argan Oil gently massaged into the shaved area, then a liberal splashing of the Musgo Real Orange Amber. This is an AS well worth tracking down : excellent value for money and a very pleasantly exotic scent.
 
Brush: Vintage Simpson Butterscotch
Soap/Cream: P.160 Sapone Speciale Per Barba Tipo Duro
Razor: Vintage Gillette L1 Slim Adjustable (7)
Blade: Vintage English Wilkinson Sword (8)
Post-shave: Pinaud Clubman Special Reserve

The shave I was planning for yesterday, still in the 'where it all began' theme.

Shaving Master: I can remember when P.160 was readily available

Shaving Padawan: You are very old and wise then master.

Ah, yes, P.160, the most legendary (?) discontinued soap of all time, the soap that will not die (see details on its history and re-birth here), the soap that the famous @Marco_SV indicates here as being 'one of the best tallow-based soaps ever produced anywhere' as he laments the passing.

My last 1kg 'brick' of P.160 purchased from a seller on eBay in Italy is also the only package I've ever received that was 'opened for inspection by customs' - would a square organic block from Italy look suspicious in the mail?

The lather was fantastic, as usual, and my TOBS tub of P.160 is still going strong and retaining its rich almond smell. A delightful soap to use that justifies its standing as a classic. Of course if you still want some there is the 'last' 1 kg block still on sale at ItalianBarber here.

As for the Pinaud Clubman Special Reserve like most of their line it is rich, complex and multi-layered. Different scent profile in the bottle, on the skin and then 10 minutes later! Profoundly nuanced and remarkable staying power - a great aftershave. Lilac Vegetal doesn't work on me (smells like 'cat's piss' as others also note) but this one does.

Happy days!
 
20160105_091008 by Osman Mehmed, on Flickr
Preshave: Top Seven preshave emulsion
Razor: Edwin Jagger DE89 with Windrose Handle
Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux
Brush: Shavemac 177 Black
Soap: Mystic Water and Proraso red
Post Shave: Nivea Balm and Proraso Green
Still a little Mystic Water left in the bowl so whipped it up added the Proraso red and a few drops of glycerin and voila enough uber lather for ten passes. Great cushion and glide for a two pass shave with a clean up under the chin area. Great fun.
 
Sharp: Schick Type E2 / Personna Injector (5)
Slip: B&M Latha / Omega S10108
Soothe: Nivea ASB

Just as I was finishing up I caught my nail on the blade. Otherwise, I reckon this blade would have a heap more shaves left in it.

Shaving with a DE forced me to improve the technique I used in the bad old days of carts. In the same way, straight shaving has forced me to improve my safety razor technique. Skin stretching, lightness of touch and minimising the number of strokes have all improved markedly and the result is a quality of shave that I never thought was possible.
 
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Brush: Ploccitane
Soap: Catie's Bubbles Midnight Dreary
Razor: Gillette Super Adjustable 'Black Beauty' S4 (1972)
Blade: Personna Lab Blue [1]
After-shave: Alt Innsbruck
After-shave Balm: The Stray Whisker ASB

My recent habit has been to take an adjustable DE in my shave kit when travelling and this times it's the "Black Beauty" (Gillette's last adjustable). With such dreary weather I decided to use my most recent purchase from The Stray Whisker to brighten the day. That it did, but the rain still pours down...

PS If anyone is born during October to December in 1972, I'm open to trades or offers for what would be your "Birth" razor.
 
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Pre-Shave: Occams pre-shave soap, cold water
Razor: RazoRock Stealth Slant V1
Blade: Voskhod (1)
Brush: Whipped Dog 24mm Synthetic
Lather: Mike's Lime
Post-shave: Alum, Stirling Coniferous alcohol free Witch Hazel, South Australian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil​

Hello from the rice fields - what a great razor and what a small brush :D :D :D
 
alfredus said:
Hello from the rice fields
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Hello! Seems like you've got lovelier weather than here in Sydney! Thailand? Indonesia? Vietnam? You're usually in SE Asia somewhere...

alfredus said:
...what a small brush :D :D :D
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It's all relative. You're certainly used to "meatier" brushes aren't you? [emoji38]
 
I guess I am...
 
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