Synthetic v. Silvertip: Round 2 complete

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Continuing the series of testing badger v. synthetic on Declaration Grooming’s bison-tallow soaps, this morning I chose Phoenix Artisan’s Green Ray as the brush. It’s a close cousin of the Solar Flare brush that began this series. Again, the synthetic brush show no sign of “gripping” the soap, unlike the badger brushes. It moved easily over the surface of the soap and, in this case, made a better lather than yesterday’s badger brush did.

Perhaps Declaration Grooming’s Milksteak soaps, like Barrister & Mann’s Reserve soaps, work better with synthetic knots. More experimentation is required. In the meantime, today’s lather was luscious, and I do like this fragrance: “a blend of leather, tobacco flower, cedar, anise, oakmoss, and patchouli.”

The razor today has a RazoRock Lupo head and a Tradere handle. The Lupo is an excellent razor for me: lots of blade feel but still quite comfortable and non-threatening, and highly efficient. Three passes to perfection — and the lather’s consistency made it clump nicely on the razor until rinse (no drooling of lather into the sink).

A splash of Geo. F. Trumper Spanish Leather augmented with a couple of squirts of Grooming Dept’s Aion Hydrating Gel and the weekend is launched.

The coffee this morning is Fantanstico’s Carrizal: “Approachable and Easy Drinking. Full Bodied and Balanced With a Combination of Milk Chocolate, Praline and Caramel.”

Checking brush action

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After yesterday’s experience of feeling the (silvertip badger) brush sort of “grab” the soap, I wanted to explore the phenomenon a bit further. So today I picked another silvertip badger brush — the Prince, from Wet Shaving Products — and another example of Declaration Grooming Bison-tallow soap, though this soap is their Milksteak, which has a newer formula, which still includes bison tallow:

Stearic Acid, Water, Castor Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Vegetable Glycerin, Bison Tallow, Mango Butter, Avocado Oil, Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Lanolin, Bentonite Clay, Yogurt, Buttermilk, Egg Whites, Coconut Milk, Goat’s Milk, Tocopheryl Acetate, Maltodextrin, Milk Protein, Salix Alba L. (White Willow) Bark Extract,  Arctium lappa (Burdock) Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Silk Amino Acids

I do think I detected the brush clinging to the soap a bit, so tomorrow I’ll use a synthetic brush with this same formula.

The lather was terrific, and After the Rain has a pleasant fragrance: “notes of wet pine, muted lavender, cedar, and white pepper.”

The razor head this morning is the Marvel, which once was offered by Fine Accoutrements. They seem to have discontinued selling razors altogether. I do miss their aluminum slant. The Marvel is good, but nothing really exceptional except the look of the head. (The handle is a RazoRock stainless-steel UFO.) Still, it is comfortable and efficient, and I got a very good shave.

A drop of Grooming Dept Rejuvenating Serum, and Friday begins.

The tea this morning is Mariage Frères Smoky Sakura: “This grand tea is smoked with Japanese cherrywood using artisanal methods. The delicate liquor floods the palate with woody notes accentuated by fragrant wisps of incense and liquorice. Issued from a family garden in the region of Shizuoka, near Mount Fuji.”

More shaving discoveries, albeit minor ones

In yesterday’s shave, I used this same soap formula but with a different fragrance: Unconditional Surrender then, Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli now. The first discovery came when the (damp) brush hit the soap. Yesterday I used a synthetic brush, today a Plisson HMW 12 silvertip. The brush today sort of grabbed the soap. The initial feeling was that the brush was clinging to the soap. Yesterday, no such sensation: the brush moved readily across the soap and loaded easily.

Loading was also easy today, butt the feeling was that I was getting more interaction between soap and brush — and perhaps the lather was a little better. In any case, it was a superb lather.

However — second discovery — I found that I like Unconditional Surrender’s fragrance substantially more than Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli. I do like YRP, but I like US a lot more.

Another discovery accompanied the actual shave. The razor is The Razor Company’s stainless steel razor, a razor I like a lot: it’s very comfortable, both on the face and in the hand (and I like the feel of the handle, fluted at the top, plain at base), and it’s highly efficient. Its efficiency led to the discovery: a couple of areas on my neck always require a little extra attention — I think I’ve shaved them well, but when I feel the two places, I almost always discover some roughness that requires a little more work.

Not with this razor. When I moved my fingers across the two trouble spots, I was surprised to find them both already smooth. Credit for that should probably be shared by soap and razor — very good prep helps the razor perform at its best — but I think this razor’s head design is exceptionally good. It has a hint of Henson, but so far as I can tell is an original. (And I’ll note that the ends are flat, not rounded. IMO, flat is better.)

So: a really fine shave. A splash of the Chatillon Lux Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli aftershave lotion, and the day begins.

The tea this morning is Murchie’s Hairy Crab Oolong: “Named for its leaves, which are serrated like a hairy crustacean, this oolong is delicate, refreshing and incredibly fragrant. Delicate and refreshing, this semi-fermented Oolong tea has a lovely ripe peach overtone and a fragrance comparable to [but unlike – LG] that of Jasmine.”

Unconditional Surrender & Goodfellas’ smile Legione slant razor

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My Phoenix Artisan Solar Flare brush made an exceptionally good lather from Declaration Grooming’s bison-tallow shaving soap. This was one of the soaps Declaration Grooming made in partnership with Chatillon Lux, which provided the fragrance and made the aftershave. The fragrance is extremely appealing to me, though fragrances have an ineluctable YMMV aspect. The lather, however, would please any shaver: thick, creamy, and slick. The fragrance will please those who like the combination of “amber, tonka bean, amyris, cedarwood, agarwood, vetiver, cigar tobacco, black tea, jasmine, and geranium.” 

I don’t fully understand the logic of the razor’s name: Goodfellas’ smile Legione slant. Why isn’t “smile” capitalized? “Legione” seems to refer to the handle style. Also available at Italian Barber:

• Goodfellas’ smile Gladio razor (bar guard or comb guard)
• Goodfellas’ smile Impero razor (ditto)
• Goodfellas’ smile Italico razor (ditto)
• Goodfellas’ smile Styletto aluminum razor

Regardless of the name, though, this is an exceptionally nice slant: extremely comfortable and non-threatening, while also highly efficient. The shave this morning was such a pleasure I’m thinking of getting one of the others in the Goodfellas’ smile line — a Gladio or Impero or Italico. I would go with a bar guard. Those are all priced at US$38, which is reasonable. (The slant is $45 — and well worth it, IMO. The Styletto is $80.)

Three passes to perfection, and then a splash of Chatillon Lux’s Unconditional Surrender aftershave lotion to finish — and again the fragrance was a rush of olfactory pleasure.

The coffee this morning is Fantastico’s Carrizal: “Approachable and Easy Drinking. Full Bodied and Balanced With a Combination of Milk Chocolate, Praline, and Caramel.”

Tobacco Road and the Stealth

RazoRock’s Keyhole brush is an admirable instrument, and this morning it brought forth a rich lather from Arianna & Evans’s excellent Ultima formula, this one with their Tobacco Road fragrance: “Hinoki, Honey, Bay Leaf, Tobacco, Smoke, Amber.” The lather is thick in consistency, slick in feel, and very nice to one’s skin.

The RazoRock Stealth, now a vintage razor, is exceptionally comfortable and efficient, and the angle, with the handle held close to the face, is always a bit of a surprise. But it easily smoothed my face in three passes.

A splash of Tobacco Road aftershave, and the day began (some hours ago — I forgot to post this).

The tea this morning is Murchie’s London Afternoon: “Fragrant rose petals are interwoven with smoky Lapsang Souchong, sweetened with creamy vanilla and a touch of bright bergamot to create a comforting blend.”

Phoenix Artisan Haiku and iKon stainless slant

I enjoy my Omega Pro 48 every time I use it, and today it made a wonderful lather from Phoenix Artisan’s Haiku, a CK-6 shaving soap. The lather quality was very high — CK-6 — and I do like this soap’s fragrance:

• Top notes: lavender, bergamot, lemon, rosemary, anise
• Middle notes: geranium, fern, carnation, cinnamon, cedar, heliotrope
• Base notes: oakmoss, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, musk

iKon’s stainless steel slant, now made with the head coated as shown (though mine has a DLC coating, which was superseded by the B1 coating), is an amazingly good slant — extremely efficient (because it has a good degree of slant) and very comfortable and non-threatening if you maintain a good angle (with the handle far from the face). Three passes produced perfect smoothness with never so much as the threat of a nick.

A splash of Haiku aftershave augmented with a couple of squirts of Grooming Dept’s Aion Hydrating Gel and the week begins.

The tea this morning is Murchie’s Queen Victoria: “rich Darjeeling and Ceylon, smoky Lapsang Souchong, and sweet Jasmine.”

Agharta and the Parker 78R

My Plisson brush with a synthetic “Plissoft” knot easily created a superb lather from Phoenix Artisan’s Agharta shaving soap (“Talc, Ambergris, Amyris, French Vanilla Bean, Japanese Sandalwood, Cedar, and Oak Moss”) in the CK-6 formula. I like this fragrance a lot, and of course CK-6 is a favorite. I just noticed that the tubs are 5 oz. Given the amount and quality of the soap, I would say $20 is a bargain price.

I just received a Parker 78R razor, which I ordered after reading the review in Sharpologist. The review promised that the slender handle would not be an issue — and also that the razor delivered a comfortable and close shave — and based on today’s experience, the review is right. The handle, though slender, is quite grippy, and the head design is first-rate. The head covers the ends of the tabs, and the ends of the head are slightly rounded, which I seem to be encountering more often: RazoRock Lupo, Phoenix Artisan Ascension and also Quantum, and this Parker all favor rounded ends.

Thre passes left my face smooth and the entire shave was a pleasure. A splash of Agharta aftershave finished the job. 

The coffee this morning is the last of the El Salvador – Mauricio Salaverria: “Well-rounded, Silky, Rich. Graham Crust, Malted Chocolate, Baked Apple, Green Grape, Soft Berries.”

Spitfire, Rooney 2 Finest, and the Baby Smooth

My Rooney Style 2 Fiinest brought forth the fine-grained lather I find I get from Phoenix & Beau shaving soaps, and the fragrance of this one — leather, juniper, and tobacco — is quite pleasant.

The Baby Smooth is for me a marvelous razor and three very comfortable passes left my face perfectly smooth. Mr. Taylor’s Gentleman’s Aftershave Lotion seemed a good match for the spirit of this shave.

The coffee this morning is Fantastico’s Sun-Dried Malinal Nayarita: “Caramel, golden raisin with soft berry, gum drop, and stonefruit notes. Silky, creamy, honey-toned mouthfeel.”

Mallard Almond Vanilla and Above the Tie’s slant

The little New England Shaving Company brush has a resilient synthetic knot and a knurled handle. It did a fine job with Grooming Dept Mallard Almond Vanilla shaving soap, which has a wonderful fragrance: “Bergamot, Heliotrope, Cumin, Almond, Lavender, Jasmine, Vanilla, Sandalwood, and Amber.” As you see, almond and vanilla do not fully describe the fragrance. The lather also was superb in consistency and how nicely it treats your skin. The soap’s ingredients:

Water, Stearic Acid, Duck Fat, Kukui Nut Oil, Goat Milk, Castor Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Cupuaçu Butter, Kokum Butter, Glycerin, Jojoba Oil, Myristic Acid, Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance, Coconut Milk, Tamanu Oil, Lauryl Laurate, Carnauba Wax, Beeswax, Allantoin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Betaine, Sodium Lactate, Silk Amino Acids, Oat Amino Acids, Sesame Oil, Macadamia Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tocopherols, Silk Peptides.

Above the Tie’s slant is barely slanted — it deserves the monicker “Semi-Slant” much more than the Parker razor — but it still does a very good job. Three passes to a perfect result.

A tiny squirt of Aion Skincare Nourishing Balm (also from Grooming Dept), and the shave is complete.

The tea this morning is Murchie’s CBC Radio Blend: “A blend of choice Ceylon and China black teas, Jasmine, and other green teas with a touch of citrus.”

Ariana & Evans Tobacco Road — an Ultima formula shaving soap

A person on Mastodon recommended the Ariana & Evan Ultima formula, so I decided to try it. I ordered the Tobacco Road version, and I’m glad I did. The lather I made with the little RazoRock Amici brush was exceptionally thick and slick, and it felt good on my skin. The fragrance also was very nice: “Hinoki, Honey, Bay Leaf, Tobacco, Smoke, Amber.” The formula:

Stearic, Tallow, Glycerin, Beer, Shea Butter, Kokum Butter, Shorea Butter (India), Sunflower Oil, Castor Oil, Cupuaçu Butter (Brazil), Mango Butter, Cocoa Butter, Palm Fruit Oil, Emu Oil, Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil, Xanthan Gum, Agave, Sodium Lactate, Fragrance

Three comfortable passes with my doughty iKon Shavecraft #101 left my face perfectly smooth, and a splash of the Tobacco Road aftershave finished the job. This aftershave needs no help from the hydrating gel — take a look at the ingredients in an Ultima aftershave:

Aloe Vera Juice,  SD 40B Alcohol, Rose Hydrosol, Vegetable Glycerin, Emu Oil, Calendula Extract , Red Clover Extract, Chamomile, Plantain Leaves, White Willow Bark, Vitamin E, Hyaluronic Acid,  Caprylic Triglycerides ( combination of plant sugars and fatty acids derived from palm and coconut oils for silkier feel and as a natural preservative).

The first ingredient is Aloe Vera Juice, a remarkable amount. The aftershave feels good on my face, and it comes in a 5-ounce bottle. 

The coffee this morning is Fantastico’s El Salvador – Mauricio Salaverria: “Well-rounded, Silky, Rich.  Graham Crust, Malted Chocolate, Baked Apple, Green Grape, Soft Berries”

A shaving soap from a company 200 years old

Lea shaving soap always produces an excellent lather, though the fragrance is ordinary — a clean but anonymous fragrance, vaguely soap-like. But I love the lather. I noticed only this morning the “Since 1823” on the lid, making this year the company’s 200th anniversary. 

My Wet Shaving Products Baroness shaving brush is quite good, and it ably assisted with lather production.

The razor today is iKon’s Shavecraft X3 head, made of cast aluminum, mounted on RazozRock’s stainless-steel Barber Pole handle, a pleasant combination. The shave was smooth and easy and delivered a perfect result, with lather and razor both doing an excellent job.

A splash of Fine’s L’Orange Noir aftershave, augmented with a couple of squirts of Grooming Dept’s Aion Hydrating Gel, and the job is done. The day is cool and somewhat overcast — good walking weather. (Yesterday was a 2-mile walk.)

The tea this morning is Murchie’s Storm Watcher, an appropriate choice as I observe the debt ceiling debacle the GOP currently presents. Storm Watcher is a blend of Yunnan and Ceylong teas, producing a cup described as “Full-bodied with low astringency, a selection of tea terroirs blended for a brisk, satisfying mug. Slightly smoky with toasted malty notes.”

Sandalwood Nobile and the superb iKon stainless steel slant

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The soap this morning is Grooming Dept’s Sandalwood Nobile, made with the Kairos formula:

Water, Stearic Acid, Beef Tallow, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Kokum Butter, Castor Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Tucuma Butter, Avocado Oil, Glycerin, Coconut Milk, Goat Milk, Cupuaçu Butter, Shea Butter, Apricot Kernel Oil, Collagen Peptides, Whey Protein, Betaine, Fragrance, Lauryl Laurate, Jojoba Oil, Lanolin, Colloidal Oatmeal, Rice Bran Wax, Soidum Hydroxide, Meadowfoam Oil, Linoleic Acid, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Isostearic Acid, Allantoin, Sodium Lactate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tocopherols, Silk Peptides.

The lid label is the 1919 Bauhaus logo designed by Oskar Schlemmer, the original being white on black. 

My Antica Barbieria boar brush is breaking in nicely, and it’s quite a good brush, if not in the same league as the Omega Pro 48. But if feels good, has good capacity, and made quite a fine lather today — perfectly satisfactory (though it costs three times as much as the (better) Pro 48). 

iKon’s first stainless steel slant is a great razor, and I do like the head’s high polish. If used with light pressure and a good angle, this is among my most comfortable and most efficient razors. Nowadays it is sold with the head having a black B1 coating and still is excellent.

A drop of Grooming Dept Rejuvenating Serum serves as the aftershave, and my skin now feel great: perfectly smooth and wonderfully supple.

The tea this morning is Murchie’s Queen Victoria: “rich Darjeeling and Ceylon, smoky Lapsang Souchong, and sweet Jasmine.”

Warm Woods and Testina Gentile

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Meißner Tremonia’s Warm Woods is the newest of my MT soap and the end of this run through my collection of their soaps. As you see, the label has been revised, with “Tremonia” demoted to much smaller letters beneath “Meißner.” The name of the soap is also now smaller, and fragrance notes or interesting ingredients are no longer listed. Again, clay is included in the formula — here, both Kaolin and Brown clay, along with sea salt and talc.

Stearic Acid, Cocos nucifera oil *, Aqua, Potassium hydroxides, Orbignya Oleifera oil *, Sodium hydroxides, Macadamia ternifolia oil, Glycerin *, Juniperus Mexicana oil, Bulnesia Sarmientoi Extract, Styrax Benzoin Sumatra, Alcohol, Amyris Balsamifera oil, Cedrus Atlantica oil, Pinus Cembra oil, Kaolin, Talc, Simmondsia chinensis oil *, Maris sal, Brown clay, Limonene. *) organic quality

The fragrance is of wood and/or crushed evergreen needles, a balsam fragrance — pleasant and warm — and the lather is again thick and slick.

My Fatip Testine Gentile is a good little razor, high in both comfort and efficiency. Three passes easily produced a BBS result, and a splash of Saint Charles Shave Woods, an aftershave with that same balsam note, finished the job. 

The  coffee this morning is Fantastico’s Carrizal: “Approachable and Easy Drinking. Full Bodied and Balanced With a Combination of Milk Chocolate, Praline, and Caramel.”

I like this better than the Sumatra Nusantara I had Thursday morning. The tasting notes of the Sumatran coffee were undetectable to me, though the coffee was smooth.

Bay Rum all the way

Meißner-Tremonia’s Natural Bay Rum has a pleasant fragrance. I had to look up litsea, a type of laurel that may be deciduous or evergreen. True to MT tradition, the soap contains clay — for this soap, two clays: Kaolin and Brown Clay (and also sea salt, just as did Himalayan Heights).

Aqua, Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera oil*, Glycerin*, Potassium Hydroxide, Pimenta Racemosa oil (and) Litsea Cubeba oil (and) Eugenia Carophyllata oil, Orbignya Oleifera oil*, Sodium Hydroxide, Macadamia terifolia oil, Talc, Kaolin, Citric Acid, Simmondsia chinensis oil*, Maris sal, Brown Clay, Eugenol, Citral, Limonene, Linalool, Geraniol.    —  * Organic

My 22mm H.L. Thäter brush did a fine job, and I’m still liking this Meißner Tremonia lather.

The iKon stainless steel open-comb razor is a terrific little razor. It is now sold with the head having a black B1 coating. Three comfortable passes removed all traces of stubble, and a splash of TOBS Bay Rum finished the job.

The tea this morning is Murchie’s No. 22 Blend: “a superb blend of green Gunpowder and Jasmine, as well as Keemun and Ceylon black teas. All the flavour of our world-famous No. 10 Blend, with a touch of bergamot to brighten the flavour, and Ceylon to strengthen the brew.”

 

Dark Limes and the T2

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I continue my Meißner Tremonia trek today with Dark Limes, whose fragrance — “Sensual, black. Fresh lime juice, grassy and bitter scent of limes. Herb-fresh citrus notes from Petitgrain, Litsea Cubeba and Limette.” — is quite present in both soap and lather. I use my 30mm (!) H.L. Thäter shaving brush. I have to say I do like the Thäter dome-shaped knots — and the handle design, which seems to be the same save for color and size for all their brushes. I’m tempted to get more of these. 

The lather was luscious and again both thick and slick. This one uses Black clay (and also has talc as an ingredient — I was careful not to inhale any soap or lather). 

Stearic Acid, Cocos nucifera oil *, Aqua, Potassium Hydroxide, Lime juice, Orbignya Oleifera oil *, Sodium Hydroxide, Butyrospermum parkii *, Glycerin *, Citrus Aurantium Leaf oil, Talc, Citric Acid, Litsea Cubeba oil, Black clay. *) organic quality

Rockwell’s T2 adjustable is a fine razor. At the setting I use — in the photo you can see it’s just past “3” on the way to “4” — there is some blade feel, but the razor remains comfortable while providing a shave of excellent closeness.

A splash of Geo. F. Trumper’s West Indian Extract of Limes After Shave, augmented with a couple of squirts of Grooming Dept’s Aion Hydrating Gel, and the (greatly satisfying) job is done.

Normally today is a tea day, but I bought a new coffee yesterday and could not wait to try it: Fantastico’s Sumatra Nusantara: “Chocolate Cake, Rum and Raisin, Dried Currants, Warm Savoury Spice.” I also had it ground (at the “stovetop espresso” setting) at the store instead of grinding it myself. The grounds were much finer and much more even than what I can produce in my spice & herb grinder (and I don’t have the room for a burr grinder). I may switch from beans to ground coffee and buy it in smaller amounts (12 ounces instead of 16) so it doesn’t have time to go stale.

It’s very tasty, and my understanding is that Sumatran coffees in general are low-acid coffees and thus are “smooth” in taste. It’s certainly true of this cup, which also lacks bitterness.

Meißner Tremonia Himalayan Heights and Maggard Razors V2 Open Comb

The soap’s cedar fragrance is present but not forward, and I don’t detect an odor of salt at all, but the salt’s role may not be fragrance. The formula is relatively simple:

Aqua, Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera oil*, Glycerin*, Potassium Hydroxide, Cedrus Deodora oil, Orbignya Oleifera oil*, Sodium Hydroxide, Macadamia terifolia oil, Kaolin, Talc, Citric Acid, Simmondsia chinensis oil*, Maris sal, C.I. 77007. Eugenol

*Organic

All the MT soaps seem to contain some type of clay, here Kaolin. Once again the lather was noticeably dense and slick. I have to say that I do like MT soaps — probably that’s why I have so many. (The series will continue tomorrow.)

My Maggard Razors V2 Open Comb is a fine little razor, here with a Maggard Razors MR-7 handle. Like virtually all that razors I’ve kept in my rotation, the V2OC is both comfortable and efficient, and in three passes it produced a BBS result.

A small squirt of Aion Skincare Nourishing Balm finished the shave and left my skin feeling tiptop.

The coffee this morning is again Fantastico’s El Salvador Maurico Salaverria, but I’m nearing the end of the jar. Today I’m going for a new variety.

How those metal blocks get such precision fits

This is a very interesting video, and the end segment on Henson Shaving’s razors is also good.

Indian Flavour and my iKon #102

My G.B. Kent BK4 is a fluffy little brush — look at that knot! — with a gentle touch, but it was easily loaded from Meißner Tremonia’s excellent Indian Flavour shaving soap — coriander, mint, and lemongrass, oh my! Great fragrance and wonderful lather.

It was interesting using my iKon #102 slant the day after using the RazoRock Superslant L1++. I have to say that in the comparison, the iKon holds its own against the new boy on the block. Both razors are super-comfortable and both are highly efficient. For me, there was no significant difference between yesterday’s shave and today’s. The advantage the Superslant offers is a range of baseplates that allows you to better match your preference. Some have said that the iKon #102 is too mild for them, and I imagine they would say the same about the Superslant L1++ that I like. But with the Superslant they can get a baseplate in the 2 series (2, 2+, or 2++) or the 3 series (3, 3+, 3++) that suits their needs and tastes. (For me, the 2++ was too aggressive, but men vary a lot.)

Three passes produced a perfectly smooth result, and a small splash of The Shave Den’s Patchouli Rose aftershave, augmented with a couple of squirts of Grooming Dept’s Aion Hydrating Gel, finished the job.

The tea this morning is Murchie’s Balmoral Blend: “a strong, traditional, rich blend of bright Ceylon and malty Assam teas.”

Sharpologist has my review of the Quantum razor

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My review of the Phoenix Artisan Quantum razor has now been published in Sharpologist.

I always get a lift when my Superslant comes around

Have a good variety of brushes, soaps, razors, and aftershave in rotation means that custom does not stale their appeal, and when they come around again, the prior absence amplifies the pleasure felt on renewed acquaintance. That’s something I noticed in particular with this morning’s shave, beginning with the brush, my well-loved Omega Pro 48, great in all respects — well, not all: the handle could be better. But in terms of feel on the face and performance with soap and lather, it can’t be beat. 

It’s good also to be using Meißner Tremonia’s Exotic Elemi again. The elemi tree exudes a gum resin that has a woodsy, lemony, incense-like aroma, and this soap combines that with (as the label says) Javanese cananga blossom, from which comes the fragrance ylang-ylang. Wikipedia:

The fragrance of ylang-ylang is rich and deep with notes of rubber and custard, and bright with hints of jasmine and neroli. It is sometimes described as heavy and sweet with a slightly fruity floral scent. 

The combination of elemi and ylang-ylang in the soap (and lather) results in a wonderful fragrance. And again the MT lather seems exceptionally good in terms of structure and glide.

I am always delighted when my RazoRock Superslant shows up for another shave. This is truly one of the best slants every. I have the L1++ and for me that’s perfect. You can buy other baseplates, and I did try an L2++, but I much prefer the L1++. Three very easy, very comfortable passes left my face perfectly smooth, and I didn’t even have to pay any extra attention to the couple of trouble spots I have, where the roughness seems to hide from most razors, making me have to seek it out.

A splash of Stetson Classic, and a new week begins.

The tea this morning is Murchie’s Queen Victoria: “rich Darjeeling and Ceylon, smoky Lapsang Souchong, and sweet Jasmine.”