Monday SOTD Thread - Sep 18, 2023

Sep. 18, 2023

Brush: Yaqi 26mm Synthetic
Razor: Karve Overlander
Blade: Sharp Durablade
Lather: Macduffs - Dark Sky Preserve - Soap
Post Shave: Macduffs - Dark Sky Preserve - Aftershave

Good shave. Very enjoyable scent and a soothing aftershave. This blade is at 12 uses and it’s probably time to retire it.

Razor: Schick Type A Blade: Schick Injector
Brush: Artesania Romera Manchurian Badger, imitation horn
Pre-Shave: Proraso Pre Shave Cream
Lather: Asylum Shave Works Flying Mango
Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
Additional Care: Alum Block

Another week and another shave, this time with the first model Schick.

Today’s lather; rich and fluffy and plentiful.

Smoked Almonds

Brush: Dogclaration LG 2022 Mystery Brush (B16)
Razor: Koraat Sparschweinchen (7/8″, “Sheffield-style” full hollow, carbon steel)
Lather: Cella – Milano Crema Da Barba
Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Almond Leather
Fragrance: Maison Margiela – REPLICA By The Fireplace

I can't get used to the scent of Cella, it's not for me. Almond Leather and BTF, on the other hand...

Sparschweinchen++;

Sparschweinchen++;

I see you're giving the Fili and the Böker a rest. Can't go wrong with a Koraat. The Sparschweinchen is one of the best deals going. All of the Koraat blade quality and none of the custom razor price. I'm surprised I don't see more of these in SOTDs.
- I’m surprised I don’t see more of these in SOTDs.
  
  That's a really good point. There are quite a few flying around on the sub, and indeed, they should get more use, given how good they are. I wonder whether it's one of those price anchoring situations, where it acts as "the cheap one" that justifies quickly getting a fancier one and relegating the Schweinchen to the drawer? I know I've been tempted to do that 😅
- Oh, and yes, I'm giving them a rest. I've already broken the "one straight" part of the "Sample Straightember: One Straight, Thirty Samples" tag line when the Böker arrived, so why not stray further :)

Monday, September 18, 2023 - Some Sample, Some September

Prep: hot shower
Brush: Omega 0146138 HI-BRUSH, 25mm Synthetic Shaving Brush
Razor: Gillette Flare Tip Superspeed A1 (1955)
Blade: Lord Super Chrome (3)
Lather: Barrister & Mann - Presto Shaving Soap
Post Shave: Nivea - Moisturizing Post Shave Balm

Was out of town for the weekend, and hadn't shaved since Friday morning. I usually shave every other day, and so this extra day off made it particularly satisfying.

2023.09.18 SOTD:

Prep: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleanser & Stirling Mentholated Pre-Shave Soap
Brush: AKA Brushworks Amethyst Watchman with 26mm AP Shave Co G5C
Razor: Henson AL-13 (+)
Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium Extra Stainless (2)
Lather: House of Mammoth Dammusi
Post Shave: Alum, Stirling Mentholated Unscented Witch Hazel and Aloe, House of Mammoth Dammusi Aftershave Splash, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream Extra-Dry

Good shave again today. The mild Henson is always a comfortable and easy shave. Hardest part of my shave this morning was keeping my cat from drinking the sink water while I was shaving.

My cat has never shown the slightest interest in my shaving gear - at the price of avoiding chicken and raw-fish scented soaps and after shaves.
- He's a curious guy. He doesn't care about the gear, he just wanted some water.

September 18, 2023

Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving 31mm x 57mm Moar Boar
Razor: Dovo Bismarck 6/8" Full Hollow Round Point (Straight Shave 330)
Lather: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Soap (53)
Post Shave: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Aftershave
Post Shave: Thayers - Lavender - Toner
Fragrance: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Eau de Parfum

3 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

This shave was good. Fili 14 good.

To keep with my personal theme this month, this Dovo has a new, refreshed edge. The previous edge was synthetic and this refresh was done completely on a single Jnat (a Nakayama Mizu Asagi Maruka Shouhonyama) with Asano naguras.

The visual quality of this edge is the best I have had on this razor and it is exceptionally sharp. I don't detect much difference in shave quality or shave feel from the previous edge, however. Shaving feels feather light and extremely comfortable. Beard is removed effortlessly.

This razor started as a disappointment and has become one of my favorites. The factory edge wasn't rubbish, but really did not impress me, nor live up to the razor's good looks [yes - if it's shiny, I'll like it]. But, no problem, I'm a hotshot honer, "I'll just put a new edge on it!". It got worse. I thought, "Perhaps I have a dud razor". @[email protected] has the same razor, and I had the chance to hone his. I produced an even worse result.

Obviously, I needed to change something. Finally, I decided to go back to basics. I would not leave the lowest grit stone until the edge geometry is properly established, nor would I advance from that stone until sharpness tests were where I want them to be. I also decided to manage slurry better; to always use it until final edge polishing.

I tried this strategy for my previous refresh of this edge. These changes worked wonders. The results were so good, I've applied this strategy to razors that I have sharpened since. The Jnat refresh that I did last night proved to me that I've learned something that is repeatable on this razor. I'm very happy with that.

Oh, I haven't used the Iron Chancellor in a while, I'll have to remedy that!

Sep 18, 2023 - Sample September: Kryptonite

Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
Brush: AP Shave Co. Ruby Ripple 22mm Faux Horse Knot
Razor: Blackland Razors Blackbird Ti
Blade: Personna Lab Blue [2]
Lather: House of Mammoth - Kryptonite - Soap
Post Shave: Noble Otter - The Night Before - Aftershave
Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Hygge v2 - Eau de Parfum

I asked ChatGPT for complementary scent notes for the notes listed in Kryptonite: lime, litsea cubeba, balsam fir, cedar, cypress leaf, and howood.

The response:

The scents you've listed include a mix of citrus, woody, and resinous notes. Here are some scents that could complement them:

Citrus Notes (Lime, Litsea Cubeba):
Lemon, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Orange

Woody Notes (Balsam Fir, Cedar, Howood):
Sandalwood, Pine, Vetiver, Patchouli, Oakmoss

Resinous Notes (Balsam Fir):
Frankincense, Myrrh

Herbaceous Notes (Cypress Leaf):
Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Lavender

Based on those generated scents, The Night Before seemed like a close match: Frankincense and Myrrh, Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Balsam Fir, Mistletoe, and Rosemary.

How was the pairing in practice? Well, it was better than expected, but I think that without the sweet orange and frankincense of Hygge tying everything together in the end, it might not have been as nice.

#mammothmonday

September 18, 2023

Brush: Summer Break Soaps w/Maggard 28mm Silvertip Badger
Razor: Blackland Era - Level 3 SB
Blade: My-Blades (2)
Lather: House of Mammoth - Tobacconist - Soap
Post Shave: Noble Otter - The Night Before - Aftershave

Second shave with "My-Blades". I got a very close and comfortable shave. In this razor it had a completely different feel. I can't argue with the results, but the mild blade in a mild razor didn't quite feel right to me.

September 18, 2023: Equine Greatest Hits Straightember

Preshave: Proraso Green Preshave
Brush: Semogue C3 Galahad Horse 🐎
Razor: Thiers-Issard 188 7/8 ""Coq et Renard""
Lather: Zingari Man Mousse Illuminée
Post Shave: Floid The Genuine
Post Shave: Nivea After Shave Balm

Today, I hesitated between Narcisse and Mousse Illuminée - the latter one out, because I didn't want to repeat. A very serviceable shave. I only did 2 passes, but it was good enough.

Have a good night!