Shave of the Day - 2024

due to the sublime shaves of the WR2 and BB, its a while since i got out the Rocca


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Pre-shave: Hot flannel, Pears soap
Brush: TroyCraft "Polar Nocturne" 28mm AP Titanium
Soap: MSC Frosted Lavender
Razor: PAA Starling (V2 I think) SB
Blade: Personna GEM Stainless
Post-shave: TND witch hazel, homebrew moisturiser, La Roche-Posay SPF50+ Invisible Fluid, Oxford & Cambridge cologne
COTD: Hamasil Village, Yemen

Despite the fact that I've been telling myself that I don't want any more blade-forward SE razors (I've lost that battle by putting my name down for a WR4), I've been looking forward to trying the Starling from the pass-around box for a few days. Simply, this razor looks fun, with its 70s retro purple anodised finish (for some reason my phone doesn't render purples very reliably). Pity about the grey cap, I reckon a bright orange would have really set it off. The head partners really nicely with my Sabre handle.

I was a little concerned at an apparent sloppy fit of the blade on the pins (located on the baseplate), but I just set the blade as far forward as it would go, then wound it up. For such an inexpensive razor, it's a surprising treat to use. Shaving angle is intuitive, and there's a noticeable amount of blade feel, without overdoing it. But superbly efficient, I ended up with a great 12-hour shave in just two easy passes, with no untoward scratches or scrapes. A real pleasure to use. (y) (y)

Tomorrow, I get to try the OC version. :eek:

The MSC soap works really well, but I'm not da menth head, and the frosty load was a bit outside my comfort zone.
 
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Pre-shave: Hot flannel, Pears soap
Brush: TroyCraft "Opalesque" 28mm AP G5C
Soap: Valobra + a drop of lavender EO (Lyndoch, SA)
Razor: PAA Starling (V2 I think) OC
Blade: Personna GEM Stainless
Post-shave: TND witch hazel, homebrew moisturiser, La Roche-Posay SPF50+ Invisible Fluid, Oxford & Cambridge cologne
COTD: Monsoon Malabar, India

This OC baseplate, another occupant of the pass-around box, was something of an object of suspicion from the first. The teeth are cut very "boxy" with no attempt to mute the corners. But given that its SB sibling performed so well yesterday, I was prepared to give it the benefit of the doubt.

The shave was an uncomfortable affair, and any extra efficiency accruing from the OC was very much offset by my having to hold back from contact, especially on top of my dome. Pity about that. 🫤

And then there's this...
 
klinker said:
I have various incarnations. This is the freshest one, and I only dip into it on rare occasions,
Click to expand...
Fair enough. I'm keeping my freshest incarnations vacuum-sealed for last, except for a rare NOS stick which is safely imprisoned in its original little glass jar. I'm guessing without any evidence that using the soaps at all starts the "freshness" clock ticking that much more decisively, so I'm using them up one at a time.
 
klinker said:
That's a pretty sound plan. And it may be my imagination, but it seems that very occasional use of the NOS version keeps it somewhat better hydrated.
Click to expand...
Fair point. The one I'm using at the moment has a distinctly crusty ring around the top of the puck that may never break down. But it had been lathered at least once before I got it, so who knows. It works and smells fine, so I'll just use and enjoy.
 
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Pre-shave: Hot flannel, Pears soap
Brush: TroyCraft "Opalesque" 28mm AP G5C
Soap: Castle Forbes Cedarwood & Sandalwood
Razor: Wolfman WR4
Blade: Schick Proline
Post-shave: TND witch hazel, homebrew moisturiser, La Roche-Posay SPF50+ Invisible Fluid, Oxford & Cambridge cologne
COTD: Monsoon Malabar, India

Last run with the WR4 before I send it back home to daddy. It's been an eye-opener to see just how effortless a perfect GBS can be. (y) (y)
 
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