Hi from Scotland

silverlifter said:
How does the Sub Cero shave compared to the DTs? I've always wondered if they were something I should pursue...
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I think they shave better than the DT's. Of the three I have I would rate them in the order they are on the photo from top to bottom in terms of shaving ability. I have a suspicion the top one shaves better because it has a slight smile.

The 13's shave great, but I don't think they are special, apart from the fact that they are Fili's. I have similar German razors that shaves as well, if not better.

I think the magic of the Fili 14 has something to do with the specific geometry, grind and the right amount of stiffness in the blade.
 
Jaco said:
I think the magic of the Fili 14 has something to do with the specific geometry, grind and the right amount of stiffness in the blade.
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Yep. There is an intangible there that just makes for such a comfortable, satisfying shave. I generally prefer a slightly thicker grind, but every time I pick up a Fili 14, I grin after the first stroke. :)
 
StratMan said:
Here are my two synthetic knots that I have and absolutely love..

Pictured on the right is my 26mm G5C knot (fan knot made in Japan) which i purchased from AP Shave Co the other pictured on the left is a 24 mm Lansky HD (bulb knot) which i purchased from a store in Australia. What differs these from the yaqi synthetics is way they feel on the face when face lathering. They mimic the face feel of a natural badger brush (not quite but reasonably close), so they dont have the fake springy feeling of the yaqi giving it a more natural, luxurious feel when face lathering.

I, like you, also much preferred a synthetic to a badger when I started wet shaving but this changed once I got my first decent quality badger and learnt how to properly face lather with one. I love using both badger and synthetics equally but have to say that lathering with a nice badger is the most luxurious feeling you can get..

Does the badger make better lather? in my opinion, no.. the lather quality is the same but face feel is much nicer on the badger.... In saying that I still believe it is easier to build a lather with a good synthetic

Out of the G5C and the Lansky HD I cant really say I prefer one over the other but I do love both a lot and each do have a different feel when face lathering. If i was to get another it would probably be a lansky HD but in 28mm, just for variety

Handles for both knots were made here in Australia by our talented resident brush maker @TroyTools

52620574166_bf891363da_b.jpg
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Found the Lansky website in China and asked for a quote on a synthetic brush. They don't show prices. :)
 
Welcome Jaco. Nice Filis you have there, hope you enjoy your time here, I certainly am.

Very much a straight razor shaver myself, the only thing I don't do - compared to you - is make my own strops. Why would I? A friend on line, very, VERY handy with these things, created a series of Horween Cordovan strops, one of which I own, and I could never in a million years improve upon that.

Restoring razors, now, that is something I love doing. I need to make myself a nice workbench, which is something that I will start as soon as the ladies go back to work/school, because the conditions I've been working in for the last three years (since I started restoring) are rather poor.

Will get there.

Welcome!
 
Welcome aboard @Jaco, good to have another (well-shaven) face here. :) You mention the local lager, but do you eat your own weight in fried food like a real local? :LOL:

I once heard that Scotland used to have lots of oil, but they used it all for deep-frying :ROFLMAO:

Glad you got your image posting sorted. There's also Postimages, which I find to be pretty decent for hosting pics.
 
Welcome to P&C @Jaco - great to have you here (y)

If I may on the topic of synths vs natural hair (badger): synthetic hair cannot hold water and therefore does not hydrate the lather in the way a badger does.

I have tried many synthetic (incl the new 5GXYZ or whaterver they call them) - get a decent dense badger and you will see the difference.

Yes a synthetic my seem to produce lather faster, but you will never have the same quality lather in the knot...

Great for travel though, when you don't have time to dry the brush 😉
 
Gargravarr said:
Welcome aboard @Jaco, good to have another (well-shaven) face here. :) You mention the local lager, but do you eat your own weight in fried food like a real local? :LOL:

I once heard that Scotland used to have lots of oil, but they used it all for deep-frying :ROFLMAO:

Glad you got your image posting sorted. There's also Postimages, which I find to be pretty decent for hosting pics.
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Well as a South African, I am no stranger to rich food, everything tastes better with cheese!

I do like to celebrate Burns Night with some Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, with a wee dram of the best. Translation: Sheep organs, stuffed in a stomach, and boiled, eaten with mashed parsnips and potatoes and chased with a good Whisky. Burns night is a big thing here, to celebrate their famous poet. The only local breakfast ingredient I am not fond of is Black Pudding, made from blood, oatmeal and some spices. Locals love it! The other famous dish is a deep fried Mars bar, battered and fried, could never bring myself to try it.

On a night out some snacks were served, and I was really impressed with the mini sausage rolls. Asked the waiter where they are from and he said the local butcher made them. First opportunity I bought some, warmed them in the oven and enjoyed them. Great! On the third occasion I forgot about them in the oven and when I went back, the bits of pastry were floating on a lake of fat! I was shocked with the amount of fat, at least 50%. I still eat them, they are very tasty, but on rare occasions. :)
 
Mastropiero said:
Welcome Jaco. Nice Filis you have there, hope you enjoy your time here, I certainly am.

Very much a straight razor shaver myself, the only thing I don't do - compared to you - is make my own strops. Why would I? A friend on line, very, VERY handy with these things, created a series of Horween Cordovan strops, one of which I own, and I could never in a million years improve upon that.

Restoring razors, now, that is something I love doing. I need to make myself a nice workbench, which is something that I will start as soon as the ladies go back to work/school, because the conditions I've been working in for the last three years (since I started restoring) are rather poor.

Will get there.

Welcome!
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Yeah, I developed an interest in Shell Cordovan strops, and couldn't understand why they are so expensive, so I decided to make my own. I enjoy working with leather and making a strop is hardly a challenge, so I started doing some research and found three sources of Shell Cordovan - Horween, an English company that no longer exist and Spanish Shell cordovan. I started with a shell from the English company and made a strop, really liked it, and later came across the Spanish version. The Spanish version is completely different, the leather is much more oily, with a lot more draw and thinner. Very stretchy, so I thought it will not last long, but gave it a try. It was a lot cheaper, so I made a strop from that, and has been using it going on for three years, with no sign of it showing any cupping or wear. Strong stuff!

I know now why they are expensive. The shell is very expensive and you don't get many strops from one.

This is the English leather:

https://imgur.com/ZqfdJKR
 
alfredus said:
Welcome to P&C @Jaco - great to have you here (y)

If I may on the topic of synths vs natural hair (badger): synthetic hair cannot hold water and therefore does not hydrate the lather in the way a badger does.

I have tried many synthetic (incl the new 5GXYZ or whaterver they call them) - get a decent dense badger and you will see the difference.

Yes a synthetic my seem to produce lather faster, but you will never have the same quality lather in the knot...

Great for travel though, when you don't have time to dry the brush 😉
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Like I said in my first post, SR shaving is such a skill set that you never get bored. Unfortunately it's also filled with many rabbit holes that you actually enjoy going down.

Razors, stones, strops, soaps, been there, done that. The one I stayed clear of, so far, is the brushes. Think I only own three, all Yaqui, all synthetic. I think it's because I really like them and so far didn't see any reason to throw money at something that I am not sure I will like.

Maybe I have been missing out, and should give a badger a try!
 
Jaco said:
Well as a South African, I am no stranger to rich food, everything tastes better with cheese!

I do like to celebrate Burns Night with some Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, with a wee dram of the best. Translation: Sheep organs, stuffed in a stomach, and boiled, eaten with mashed parsnips and potatoes and chased with a good Whisky. Burns night is a big thing here, to celebrate their famous poet. The only local breakfast ingredient I am not fond of is Black Pudding, made from blood, oatmeal and some spices. Locals love it! The other famous dish is a deep fried Mars bar, battered and fried, could never bring myself to try it.

On a night out some snacks were served, and I was really impressed with the mini sausage rolls. Asked the waiter where they are from and he said the local butcher made them. First opportunity I bought some, warmed them in the oven and enjoyed them. Great! On the third occasion I forgot about them in the oven and when I went back, the bits of pastry were floating on a lake of fat! I was shocked with the amount of fat, at least 50%. I still eat them, they are very tasty, but on rare occasions. :)
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Speaking of the Burns Night, are you a Freemason?
 
@alfredus my badger lathering has improved a lot since I started but wanted to check with you that I am doing it right.. I soak my badger around 5-10 mins in warm water then I grab the knot and squeeze it so the water is out but still damp

is this correct or should I be leaving more water in the knot. I find myself adding water while lathering as I do the synthetics
 
SpeedyPC said:
Just asking, because, every year we have a Masonic Burns Night and we drank so much bloody Scotch Whisky after dinner.
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I have never been invited to a proper Burns club, but it is steeped in ancient tradition. The haggis get's piped in by a piper and is then sliced open with a Scottish dagger, the one they wear in their sock called a Sgian Dubh pronounced scee doo. Very formal, proper kilts only, and yes they drink large amounts of single malt whisky, but it is frowned upon to act drunk. :ROFLMAO:
The town I live in, Peterhead, is a major fishing port, and someone told me the lodge were one of the first ones, so very old.
 
StratMan said:
@alfredus my badger lathering has improved a lot since I started but wanted to check with you that I am doing it right.. I soak my badger around 5-10 mins in warm water then I grab the knot and squeeze it so the water is out but still damp

is this correct or should I be leaving more water in the knot. I find myself adding water while lathering as I do the synthetics
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I do the same.

If you don't squeeze the water out initially, it also works, but on the way there you have to deal with a big puddle of mess 😉
 
It's the best way to do it, no matter whether you're using synthetic, badger, boar or kitten: squeeze as hard as you can, load, then add water slowly. Unless you like making a mess... :LOL:
 
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