Disappointed buys

This.
Postage across Melbourne is normally more than Spain to Melbourne for example.

My biggest disappointment was Henri et Victoria Cognac and Cuban Cigars. Amazing scent, but it irritated my face something rotten. Happily, it went to a good home.
I've been a little disappointed with the consistency of P&B. Some soaps excellent, some not so much. PAA and Catie's Bubbles the same.
Most razors I've been happy with - except for a few dodgy eBay vintage straights - and was mostly unhappy due to them being too mild (Red Tip, iKon X3, EJ89)

Postage from most places over there is $25 US which is what 35 AUD. Divide that by 2 or 3 is $12 each plus anothe $7.60 local ( if not in range for pick up) and your still $20 up at worst.
 
All stakeholders,

For me, Razorock missed the mark on performance. Great scents, but the cushion of a 1920's rocking chair.

I went on a barbershop scent binge recently, and at risk of being disowned by the forum, I have to say Mike's Naturals Barbershop scent was easily the worst.
 
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Hmmmm.

Worst Razor: Fatip Gentile V1 (defective item)

Worst Soap: None ( Fortunate never to have a bad soap only user error.)

Worst Razor Blade: Tiger (not the newer ones)

Worst Brush: DS Cosmetics ( sent me the same wrong colour, type,defective brush twice)
 
It's easy to be disappointed with soap buys. Even sample sizes of anything are costly in postage (on the rare occasions they're available domestically), so the temptation is always to gamble on buying a full tub.

I bought a tub of Barrister and Mann Cheshire on the basis of what they described as their goal - an evocation of Earl Grey tea, which even though I'm not a tea-drinker, I thought sounded great. However, I failed to read the ingredients list properly, and didn't notice the inclusion of patchouli, a scent I particularly dislike.

So needless to say, when I took the lid off the tub, all I could smell was patchouli.😦

Nobody's fault but my own, of course. I later came to not hate it, and of course the performance can't be faulted, so I've been using it up in a fairly profligate fashion and am now down to about a week's worth of shaves out of it.

Here's a thought: if anyone can bear the idea of a used soap, are there any takers out there for this as a sample? (No charge, of course)
 
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Here's a thought: if anyone can bear the idea of a used soap, are there any takers out there for this as a sample? (No charge, of course)

Yes! PM sent.
 

  1. It's easy to be disappointed with soap buys. Even sample sizes of anything are costly in postage (on the rare occasions they're available domestically), so the temptation is always to gamble on buying a full tub.

    I bought a tub of Barrister and Mann Cheshire on the basis of what they described as their goal - an evocation of Earl Grey tea, which even though I'm not a tea-drinker, I thought sounded great. However, I failed to read the ingredients list properly, and didn't notice the inclusion of patchouli, a scent I particularly dislike.

    So needless to say, when I took the lid off the tub, all I could smell was patchouli.😦

    Nobody's fault but my own, of course. I later came to not hate it, and of course the performance can't be faulted, so I've been using it up in a fairly profligate fashion and am now down to about a week's worth of shaves out of it.

    Here's a thought: if anyone can bear the idea of a used soap, are there any takers out there for this as a sample? (No charge, of course)
 
I guess this would qualify as disappointing:

Just a shonky bowl from AliExpress, but after waiting for it since April and having had them shift the date when I can open a dispute forward by one month when it looked like not showing up I was just glad to see it arrive. Until I opened it up.
 
I guess this would qualify as disappointing:

Just a shonky bowl from AliExpress, but after waiting for it since April and having had them shift the date when I can open a dispute forward by one month when it looked like not showing up I was just glad to see it arrive. Until I opened it up.

bunmer
 
I guess this would qualify as disappointing:

Just a shonky bowl from AliExpress, but after waiting for it since April and having had them shift the date when I can open a dispute forward by one month when it looked like not showing up I was just glad to see it arrive. Until I opened it up.
That sucks.
 
Unfortunately I experienced similar issues ordering a shaving mug from Aliexpress where the seller thought it would be wise sending a ceramic mug inside a postage bag (minimal bubble wrap) and twice it came in pieces. After 2 months of mucking around and instructions to at least wrap it securely in a box/label the item fragile, I gave up and found the same item for sale in AUS and although I paid extra, the item arrived in one piece and lesson learnt to never buy fragile items from China! Just no worth the hassle :(
 
, I gave up and found the same item for sale in AUS and although I paid extra, the item arrived in one piece and lesson learnt to never buy fragile items from China! Just no worth the hassle :(
Yeah I had a bit of a laugh at myself about it later... me being a cheapskate has prevented me from having a lather bowl for nearly 4 months, to save an amount that I regularly waste on other non-essentials! And now I'm back at square one. Won't happen again; no more Ali-non-Express for me. I like the look of the Fine lather bowls from Vshod.
 
Yeah I had a bit of a laugh at myself about it later... me being a cheapskate has prevented me from having a lather bowl for nearly 4 months, to save an amount that I regularly waste on other non-essentials! And now I'm back at square one. Won't happen again; no more Ali-non-Express for me. I like the look of the Fine lather bowls from Vshod.
I can highly recommend the Fine Lather Bowl as I own one but dont use it as much because I'm too worried the misses will break it :) It's sturdy, lathers well and you can dry your brush on the handle - only wish would be that it was deeper but still does the job with ease! (y)
 
... me being a cheapskate has prevented me from having a lather bowl for nearly 4 months, to save an amount that I regularly waste on other non-essentials! And now I'm back at square one.
I've been meaning to ask Robert Barron of Gooseneck Pottery (Kardella, VIC) to make me a shave bowl, either to my own design, or just let him do whatever comes to him. He does lovely work which he fires about twice a year in a truly impressive wood-fired kiln (well worth visiting just to see this), just using smoke and ash to produce the most beautiful glazes.

I'm pretty sure I can trust him to pack it properly 😊

In the meantime, I just use a large coffee-cup I was given (and which I would never consider drinking out of), which does the job. And I just tried the collapsible shaving bowl available from Artisan Arcade, and it works beyond my expectations.
 
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