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I get lots of nice things in the mail. Let's face it, that's half the reason I'm in to wet shaving. Can you imagine if you could just get all that gear at the corner shop in one swoop? Boring! One day there was this little unwrapped, unmarked blue box in my letter box and a PM from fellow P&C member Drubbing explaining that he basically liked the contents of the Bluebeards Revenge "Jolly Roger" tub but couldn't run with it because it disagreed with his skin. It obviously wasn't all Jolly Roger for Drubbing! These things happen. It's simply not possible to put together a product with that many ingredients and not get somebody with a slight allergic reaction to one of them. In order to get a broader perspective on the product, Drubbing asked me if I could try it as he felt that his experience was possibly atypical.
Instead of using just Bluebeards Revenge for a solid week, I decided to put it in a rotation consisting of a stick of Speick, Proraso (in the big green tube) and just recently a stick of Lea (el cheapo Spanish soap), to see how it compared. I ran this for a period of roughly two weeks.
I only face lather in the strictest sense. Just rub the product, soap or cream, in my face and lather away using brushes with every conceivable bristle from boar to boar/badger to pure, best and finest badger. I also use SE razors. So what I hear you ask. Well, I find that the rather large heads of SE razors have a similarly large contact area with your face. A lather that doesn't provide enough lasting smoothness, slickness, creaminess however you wish to describe it, will end up forgotten in the back of a drawer somewhere.
The Scent
I have to admit that it takes you back to start with. I'm not good at describing scents but this one straight from the tub is strong, has a hint of lemon I guess and sort of reminds me of the more pleasant odours in an organic chemistry laboratory. As I said I'm not very good at describing scents. However after a couple of uses it really grows on you and I look forward to opening it up and taking a big whiff before dipping my fingers in for ripping out the customary "almond sized" amount. In fairness there aren't many soaps and creams I like the raw smell of. Proraso perhaps but Speick I think is off putting even now.
It's a different matter once it's fluffed and lathered. The strong smell seems to disappear and just gently, pleasantly lingers in the background.
The Lather
Bluebeards Revenge lathers beautifully. It's a thick, creamy almost gooey lather that holds up, provides plenty of slick protection and stays hydrated throughout. It takes and holds a lot of water, particularly compared to Proraso and Lea. The latter in comparison really did look like the cheap vegetable based soap that it is. Bluebeards Revenge I think in terms of providing smooth protection is comparable and possibly out performs Speick, a tallow based and highly regarded soap.
The Economics
Bluebeards Revenge will cost approximately $30 delivered to your doorstep. I tend to use a little bit more than the average almond sized chunk becasue I like to keep hydrating right up to and including the last pass but if used in a bowl by somebody who knows what they're doing it really is economical. It's far more economical than Proraso and that ain't exactly cheap stuff either. If used by itself I'd say you could get 5-6 months worth of shaving out of a tub. If used in rotation you're talking a couple of years worth of having the skull and corssbones in your den and that is most definitely worth the outlay.
Overall
I like it, I like it a lot. Bluebeards Revenge is a different experience to the classic vegetable based soaps such as Proraso or Lea and strangely enough is thicker and creamier than a tallow based soap like Speick. I'd be happy just to have this by itself but what I really like about it is that it provides such a different lather to the more classical soaps and creams that I use and gives you an appreciation of the vast range and differing characteristics of the soaps/creams that are out there. It provides a great shaving experience and will be in my rotation without a shadow.
