Apollo at Ginger’s Garden
Fine shave once again, but the true pleasure’s in the process. Ginger’s Garden makes a very nice “shaving cream soap“, along with various other products for men, including shave sticks, aftershave splashes, glycerin-based shaving soap, and so on. The Almond Creme shaving cream soap I used today produced a good lather easily with the H.L. Thäter brush, and the Apollo Mikron with its Swedish Gillette blade did a fine three-pass shave. This is one of the razors that I had to learn—when I first started using it, I would get nicks more often than usual—but after a while, those problems vanished and now it’s another excellent shaver and a favorite: very heft, very solid, like a Progress on steroids.
Three smooth passes, then a dab of Al’s Shaving Palermo aftershave balm. I do like the fragrance—and the balm, for that matter—but it’s very thick and quite difficult to get out of the container. Perhaps mine has dried somewhat, or I just got a stiff batch. I did manage to get some out, though, and I enjoyed the effect.
Hello Michael,
(I hope it’s OK to range slightly OT in a comment – if not, please delete this.)
I saw somewhere in a Sharpology thread that you had been planning on getting a Weber ARC razor head, and on coming back over here I found that you had.
I recently started shaving, with a DE razor, after decades of wearing a beard, and am really enjoying it. Alternating at present between an EJ, a Gillette TTO from, I think, the early ’60s, and a Krona of probably the same vintage — the latter two inherited from my father. It’s astonishing how quickly a razor wish-list has taken shape, and I’m intrigued by the Weber razors.
And I am beginning to see where the money I am theoretically saving on cartridges for the nonexistent cartridge razor I didn’t buy is likely to go
So I was curious about your take on the ARC Weber vs the DLC, and/or perhaps vs the EJ89 … if you have time and are inclined to go into it. I can see you really like the ARC…
Thanks!
Best,
Josh in CA
Josh in CA
30 July 2012 at 4:19 pm
For me, all three are excellent razors. I think the Webers are a cut above the EJ, as it were: for me a little more comfortable, a little easier cutting. The DLC has a fine feel against the skin—a kind of smooth pull—and certainly it has a dramatic appearance. But the ARC, which has a chromium-based coating mainly used on medical instruments, is currently my favorite razor, I would say: it really does a terrific job. I’m not sure why—so far as I can tell, the heads of the DLC and the ARC are identical in shape, so I assume it’s some magic from the coating.
Note, however, that this is likely to be within the boundaries of YMMV territory. But for me, I like the ARC.
LeisureGuy
30 July 2012 at 4:26 pm
the Balm is thick so I leave my face wet and this seems to spread the Balm better across the face. Also you only need about 2/3 drops of it to really work well. Al also does a lighter version but I’ve not tried this so can’t comment. I’ve just ordered 5 different fragrances 3 to match the shaving creams I’ve already got and another 2 to try. I’ve liked all the scents so far
Tony The Blade
31 July 2012 at 5:48 am
Michael – I got such a chuckle when you said Webers are a cut above EJs. Razors — a cut above — what a pun!
Of course, I happen to agree, but that’s immaterial. It is the pun that was hilarious.
Craig
31 July 2012 at 10:26 am