Paste & Cut Travelling Box #4A - Reviews and Comments

Razor: Gillette Tech
Blade: GSB (1)
Brush: St James of London 24mm synthetic
Soap/Cream: Shaver Heaven - "Lilith"
Aftershave Splash: Myrsol - "F/Extra"

Well, I finally got around to using the Gillette Tech I got from @Blackie. He gave it to me as a bonus when I bought a Gillette New from him. And from the first stroke it became clear that I had hugely underestimated this razor!

It is light, which is not for me.
It is mild, which is not for me.
Yet it gives a stunningly good shave. No irritation. No fuss. Just a great shave and I'm out the door.
I doesn't shave as close as most of my other razors. But, if I need a risk-free and comfortable shave, the Tech is high up on my list.
I'd say it would also make an excellent travel razor.

It's worth noting that I think the Tech might struggle a bit if I have a lot of growth, just due to it's mildness.
But, it may just take an extra pass. No biggie.

I used a Gillette Silver Blue blade in the Tech.
I was worried about using a sharp blade. But, I needn't have worried. The Tech is so mild that I think it really benefits from the extra sharpness.
It slices through the hair without ever feeling like I was at risk. Very nice.

Shaver Heaven's "Lilith" is just an excellent soap.
The scent is quite unique. It seems subtle and uninteresting at first. But then you feel the urge to sniff it again and again. Each time getting just a little more out of it. The scent description is: "Honeysuckle, Vanilla, Rosewood, Sweet almond"
It is well balanced. Sweet, soft and savoury all at the same time. Just really really pleasant with a lingering rose-like quality without being feminine.
Mix that with the great Shaver Heaven (tallow v2) performance, and we've got a winner.

I followed up my excellent shave with a splash of Myrsol "F/Extra".
I didn't care for the scent. It kind of smells like last night's Jack Daniels and coke*; in the bottom of a half-dried glass left on the counter.
Not unpleasant... just kind of flat.
The performance was OK. It had a nicely cooling menthol chill to it and it was certainly worth using. But it wasn't amazing.

Verdict:
  • Razor: I love it. This little guy will definitely get more use in the den. He's punching well above his weight.
  • Soap: I love everything about this soap. I would buy it.
  • Splash: I would use it if it was on-hand on a warm day and I didn't have other mentholated splashes available. But I won't buy it. If I were going to buy a Myrsol, it would be the formula "C" over this one. Purely because I preferred the clean mintyness of the "C".

*For the record, I like Jack Daniels and coke.
 
Razor: Gillette Tech
Blade: GSB (2)
Brush: St James of London 24mm synthetic
Soap/Cream: Phoenix & Beau - "Spitfire"
Aftershave Splash: APR - "Acqua Di Sydney"

I've been trying to get my hands on a Phoenix & Beau sample for about six months now.
So, I was elated when I found a sample of "Spitfire" in the box.

The scent is one of the more unique I've experienced. (link to product description)
It was designed around the memories of the creator's Grandfather, a WW2 veteran of North Africa and Italy.
The scent transports you straight to an old spitfire, with accords of leather and cedarwood wrapped in tobacco. Honestly, it's probably my imagination at this point. But I swear I can smell old oily fuel as well. The creator did a fantastic job of rendering a scene from scents alone. Just wonderful.

To give perspective, I will say this isn't your all-round scent. It's very masculine and raw. More at home riding a motorcycle than sitting in the office. That said, I have only tried the soap, and the scent of soaps typically doesn't linger too long after a shave. (I can't speak for the cologne)

The performance of this soap is, in a word, magic.
It lathered very easily and built a confident and ample lather which resulted in an above-average first pass shave.
Then, I noticed something very interesting... In the second application, the lather was significantly thicker than the first. Perhaps I rushed the initial build? Perhaps it needs to rest? I'm not sure. But, between the first and second passes, the lather went from "this is pretty good stuff" to "Whooooah!". And I'm not just writing that for effect. I literally had a Ted "Theodore" Logan moment.

The splash: "Acqua Di Sydney" from APR. I already wrote about this in one of my recent posts. Suffice to say that this is an ambitious scent. I like it and I credit it (and "Suitably Attired Australian") with giving me eyeball-dilation moments of clarity. I don't know if I just witnessed APR upping their game or if I've finally used enough software now that I get more nuance from quality products. Either way, I'm happy.

Verdict:
  • Razor: Still love it. The little Tech is full of heart and has earned a permanent place in my den.
  • Soap: The scent is interesting, but very 'real' and probably polarising. I like it, but wouldn't use it every day. And, again, the performance is unquestionably excellent. You know it's good because I'm going to use it again tomorrow.
  • Splash: Lovely as usual. For the first time, I have an interest in aquatics.
 
lerenau said:
Razor: Gillette Tech
Blade: GSB (2)
Brush: St James of London 24mm synthetic
Soap/Cream: Phoenix & Beau - "Spitfire"
Aftershave Splash: APR - "Acqua Di Sydney"

I've been trying to get my hands on a Phoenix & Beau sample for about six months now.
So, I was elated when I found a sample of "Spitfire" in the box.

The scent is one of the more unique I've experienced. (link to product description)
It was designed around the memories of the creator's Grandfather, a WW2 veteran of North Africa and Italy.
The scent transports you straight to an old spitfire, with accords of leather and cedarwood wrapped in tobacco. Honestly, it's probably my imagination at this point. But I swear I can smell old oily fuel as well. The creator did a fantastic job of rendering a scene from scents alone. Just wonderful.

To give perspective, I will say this isn't your all-round scent. It's very masculine and raw. More at home riding a motorcycle than sitting in the office. That said, I have only tried the soap, and the scent of soaps typically doesn't linger too long after a shave. (I can't speak for the cologne)

The performance of this soap is, in a word, magic.
It lathered very easily and built a confident and ample lather which resulted in an above-average first pass shave.
Then, I noticed something very interesting... In the second application, the lather was significantly thicker than the first. Perhaps I rushed the initial build? Perhaps it needs to rest? I'm not sure. But, between the first and second passes, the lather went from "this is pretty good stuff" to "Whooooah!". And I'm not just writing that for effect. I literally had a Ted "Theodore" Logan moment.

The splash: "Acqua Di Sydney" from APR. I already wrote about this in one of my recent posts. Suffice to say that this is an ambitious scent. I like it and I credit it (and "Suitably Attired Australian") with giving me eyeball-dilation moments of clarity. I don't know if I just witnessed APR upping their game or if I've finally used enough software now that I get more nuance from quality products. Either way, I'm happy.

Verdict:
  • Razor: Still love it. The little Tech is full of heart and has earned a permanent place in my den.
  • Soap: The scent is interesting, but very 'real' and probably polarising. I like it, but wouldn't use it every day. And, again, the performance is unquestionably excellent. You know it's good because I'm going to use it again tomorrow.
  • Splash: Lovely as usual. For the first time, I have an interest in aquatics.
Click to expand...

Another great review!

P&B do a solid cologne - so you can get it into Australia! Does yourself on Spitfire goodness all day then :)
 
It seems I've managed to end up with some samples from this box so I'll be adding some reviews here.
The soaps I scavenged are:
  • APR - Mycroft
  • P&B - Spitfire
  • Klar - Classic
  • Tremonia Meisner - Morrocan Rhassoul
  • Squadron Soap - Spitfire
First off I've been trying to keep things consistent with my previous shaves. I shave the night before as it means I have more time and I'm not rushed.
The only changes to my gear will be the soap I'm testing and the blade. (I'm currently trying out blades too, so I'll be keeping it until I feel it needs to change but I will try to revisit the soaps later to minimise the impact of this).

bNVaiRS.jpg

Razor: Muhle R89 Razor Head on a Elite Razor handle.
Brush: Elite Razor 24mm (Manchurian White 2 Band) brush
Bowl: Captains Choice lather bowl. (I'll be scooping out soap and lathering in the bowl).
Blade: Astra Platinum (This will be shave 7)
Soap: APR - Mycroft

So tonight I used APR Mycroft. I haven't used any APR soap before, but based on the positive feedback from others I was expecting the results to be above average. Also before trying this I purchased a Coolabah set and Lightning Ridge based on a sniff test of LR and the recommendation of Coolabah from the Canberra meet.

Lather - Lathered very well, ended up with a nice creamy lather.
Scent - Hard to describe but it smells clean to me.
Shave - Plesant 2 pass shave WTG and XTG. (I'm not familiar enough with soaps to judge cushion/glide/slickness etc. but overall I had a really good shave).
Post-Shave feel - Maybe a touch on the dry side, but very close to neutral.

Overall this is a great soap and I'm looking forward to adding it to my regular rotation.
 
Kaeckerut said:
It seems I've managed to end up with some samples from this box so I'll be adding some reviews here.
The soaps I scavenged are:
  • APR - Mycroft
  • P&B - Spitfire
  • Klar - Classic
  • Tremonia Meisner - Morrocan Rhassoul
  • Squadron Soap - Spitfire
First off I've been trying to keep things consistent with my previous shaves. I shave the night before as it means I have more time and I'm not rushed.
The only changes to my gear will be the soap I'm testing and the blade. (I'm currently trying out blades too, so I'll be keeping it until I feel it needs to change but I will try to revisit the soaps later to minimise the impact of this).

bNVaiRS.jpg

Razor: Muhle R89 Razor Head on a Elite Razor handle.
Brush: Elite Razor 24mm (Manchurian White 2 Band) brush
Bowl: Captains Choice lather bowl. (I'll be scooping out soap and lathering in the bowl).
Blade: Astra Platinum (This will be shave 7)
Soap: APR - Mycroft

So tonight I used APR Mycroft. I haven't used any APR soap before, but based on the positive feedback from others I was expecting the results to be above average. Also before trying this I purchased a Coolabah set and Lightning Ridge based on a sniff test of LR and the recommendation of Coolabah from the Canberra meet.

Lather - Lathered very well, ended up with a nice creamy lather.
Scent - Hard to describe but it smells clean to me.
Shave - Plesant 2 pass shave WTG and XTG. (I'm not familiar enough with soaps to judge cushion/glide/slickness etc. but overall I had a really good shave).
Post-Shave feel - Maybe a touch on the dry side, but very close to neutral.

Overall this is a great soap and I'm looking forward to adding it to my regular rotation.
Click to expand...

Great review and wise choice on the soaps. Definitely would of been my pick on the scents.
APR are excellent for me and complex scents which I only truly discovered after using them for months :unsure: Also too note the later APR soaps have an improved soap base so may experience a better result with your newer acquisitions.
@Mark1966 can you confirm the difference?
 
RustyBlade said:
Great review and wise choice on the soaps. Definitely would of been my pick on the scents.
APR are excellent for me and complex scents which I only truly discovered after using them for months :unsure: Also too note the later APR soaps have an improved soap base so may experience a better result with your newer acquisitions.
@Mark1966 can you confirm the difference?
Click to expand...

This sample was taken from my Mycroft when purchased commercially - so you might need to check with @todras if the soap has changed since then.
 
Blade: Astra Platinum (This will be shave 8)
Soap: Meissner Tremonia - Morrocan Rhassoul (will be referred to as MTMR)

This a brand I've been interested in trying and was also highly recommended by @lerenau . So I had relatively high expectations going in.

Lather - Lathered very well. Knowing this is a hard soap I used less than what I would normally and still got a good lather.
Scent - I would say a warm spice scent. I'm not a fan of spices (unless it's in Chai) and I would have guessed cardamon, but it turns out it's cloves.
Shave - I didn't add enough water at the start, so although it looked good in the bowl, on the face I didn't get the lather I'm used to. I still did a two pass shave (WTG and XTG). Added water and got a nice lather for a 3rd XTG clean up pass. Overall a good shave. Side note: I might have gotten some mild irritation from the soap, however I can't say for sure as my face was drier than usual going in which could have affected results).
Post-Shave feel - See shave side note above. Face feels about the same after. I will need to do another shave to properly determine post-shave, but I'll say neutral for now.

Sadly for now I'm going to have to say I'm not a fan of MTMR. I will be revisiting this soap after the other 3 and see if this changes, as conditions weren't fair. Meissner Tremonia - Pots of Milk is still one I want to try and I won't be ruling out the brand based on this experience.
 
Blade: Astra Platinum (9)
Soap: Squadron Soap - Scramble!

This will actually be my second shave with a Squadron Soap, the first being 'Dutch Resistance' (DR), which I purchased along with Sweetheart. When I used DR the first time I felt it was quite drying, but I had only been shaving with a DE for a short time so I could also blame technique, blade, my skin getting used to a different razor or a bunch of other things.

Lather - Lathered very well. (3rd time I've said that, but so far all 3 have been able to produce a nice stable lather). I thought this was going to be a harder soap but while scooping out a bit, I noticed it was softer and used a teeny bit more than normal.
Scent - Delicious. I've been trying to work out what appeals to me about this scent as it's not really described as a food/gourmand scent. I think it's the combination of vanilla and spice. One of my favourite fragrances is Tom Ford - Noir Extreme which is said to have a Kulfi note (an Indian ice-cream with spices) and I think this scent has some similarities. This being a stripped down, much lighter version.
Shave - I normally do a 2 pass shave, WTG and XTG. I did that but I loved the scent I did another XTG clean-up pass with an ATG jaw and chin. I do feel it is missing something though, slickness/glide/cushion? I'm not really sure, but I still enjoyed my shave.
Post-Shave feel - I'm going to say neutral. After letting my face settle for a bit, I don't feel the need to add anything.

I went in expecting performance similar to my early shave experience with 'Dutch Resistance' (I'll blame it on lack of experience) but I'm really happy with how this performed. This will definitely be one I buy a full tub of.

Note: I actually went and sprayed some TF-NE on my arm while writing this and comparing to the soap in the container they're very different, but both smell delicious to me.
 
Blade: Astra Platinum (10)
Soap: Klar - Classic

I've never used Klar before but when I started DE shaving it has been one I've been tempted to buy a full tub of, because I heard they mill it five times. It's also one of the reasons I bought my Captain's Choice soap locker. Supposedly the tins the soap comes in are considered impractical and better to be moved to another container to load from (, luckily something I don't have to worry about with the travelling box).

Soap - Special mention, this stuff is hard and not something you can easily scoop out into another bowl. The other soaps were either softer or easy enough to break a piece off of. I managed to break off a few small pieces using a finger nail to add to the bowl and flatten.
Lather - Yep, lathered very well. I did screw up and added too much water so I was getting a very airy lather. I couldn't see remaining soap, so I added a bit more and got it to a good consistency. At the end of my shave I noticed a few pieces remaining, so I might not have needed to add more.
Scent - Does this have a scent? It has a smell, but it smells how I expect bar soap to smell and doesn't come across as being scented (even though bar soap is still likely scented). Basically you wouldn't be buying this for the scent.
Shave - I did a 2 pass shave, WTG and XTG. The shave was average, nothing really positive or negative to say. It started off a bit rocky, (it could be the blade is due for a replacement), but halfway through my first pass it was fine. Upper lip which normally would experience tugging if it was a dull blade, cut cleanly, so I'm not sure.
Post-Shave feel - A bit on the dry side.A balm or something else I feel is needed.

I think you could get a lot of shaves out of a tub of this, as it's quite a hard soap. However, the lack of a distinguishing scent or great performance compared to the competition, makes this an average soap in my opinion. It's the sort of soap you use to get the job done.
I'm thinking I will skip doing a re-review of this one, unless someone want me to, as I don't see it moving position.
 
Monsta_AU said:
Astra Greens should go no more than 4 shaves. Change the blade!
Click to expand...
Hahaha, I will the moment I notice a change in it. At the moment I'm also sampling/testing blades and seeing how many comfortable shaves I can get from one before replacing. Personna Reds are the current winner at 13. Whether or not I continue to go to an extreme post testing I'll let you know in a year or so.
 
Kaeckerut said:
Hahaha, I will the moment I notice a change in it. At the moment I'm also sampling/testing blades and seeing how many comfortable shaves I can get from one before replacing. Personna Reds are the current winner at 13. Whether or not I continue to go to an extreme post testing I'll let you know in a year or so.
Click to expand...

You are triggering my OCD.

@Mark1966 please hand this man a vintage Wilkie and see if he can do a year with it.
 
Monsta_AU said:
You are triggering my OCD.

@Mark1966 please hand this man a vintage Wilkie and see if he can do a year with it.
Click to expand...
Hahaha, sorry. I don't understand how, but I do imagine using more than a few shaves a blade is considered a faux pas. @Mark1966 has generously given me a pack from the last meet. Are you saying that should be my next blade to trial? ;)
 
Kaeckerut said:
Hahaha, sorry. I don't understand how, but I do imagine using more than a few shaves a blade is considered a faux pas. @Mark1966 has generously given me a pack from the last meet. Are you saying that should be my next blade to trial? ;)
Click to expand...
You might not feel it, but once the blade goes past a certain point you will get irritation and ingrowns. You may not feel it pulling either but it probably is not cutting cleanly, lifting the hair and then dragging through the hair at an acute angle which leave you open to ingrowns.

I am all for getting blade life, but I get 12 shaves out of Vintage Wilks, and then blades like Spoilers and Gillette Plus Platinum get 1-2 more. Most of the older blades go well over 10, and a few of them I can eke out a few extra shaves more if I am careful. Eventually I notice the irritation growing and I need to swap it out.

13 out of a Red... jeebus. 3 and they are binned for me. Maybe the Personna Super Stainless Ultra Chrome is what you need, should go 100 shaves for you as I got 16 out of one once. First shave is lightsaber sharp, second is lasers. 3rd it settles down to 'Damn sharp' level.
 
Thanks for the info @Monsta_AU . I did shave with month old cartridge razors not so long ago, so either my facial hair is on the softer side, or I need to gain more experience with blades.
 
Blade: Astra Platinum (11)
Soap: Phoenix & Beau (P&B) - Spitfire

I've used one P&B soap previously, their Citra Royale. I got it as a sample knowing that in the UK forums the brand makes a lot of 'top 5 soap' lists. My initial reaction to Citra Royale was disappointing, the scent didn't wow me like I was hoping it would and a couple weeks later, the grease paper the sample was in, was sticking to the zip-lock bag. It now lives in my Captain's Choice soap locker where It doesn't appear greasy so it could have been something due to transit. Because of this, I jumped at the chance to review another of their soaps.
Important note: You do buy the soap in a tub, so what I've just mentioned shouldn't impact your decision. I found it interesting that it happened, which is why I've included it.

Lather - Yep, lathered very well. Like Klar, I messed up and added too much water so I ended up adding more soap. It's what's described as a putty texture, so I used a bit more than average and a bit more later as I added too much water.
Scent - This doesn't appeal to me but I know someone who would love the scent. I get smoke and gasoline, but looking at the scent description on the site, I think this is just my mind playing games with the leather and tobacco, both of which are scents I don't like in fragrances.
Shave - I did a 2 pass shave, WTG and XTG. I wanted to do a cleanup pass, but I had already started rinsing the brush out as I really dislike the scent. Shave experience was good (ignoring scent).
Post-Shave feel - Neutral. Maybe a touch on the moisturised side. Great post-shave.

P&B is a brand I want to like, but out of the two I've tried, I just haven't found a scent that appeals to me. I had considered blind-buying Denali, Oberon, Pall Mall or Albion (, even Citra Royale before I got a sample), but now I'll wait until I've sampled (at least sniff tested) it first.
Sorry if this review seems negative, I really enjoyed the post-shave of the soap and had no issues during the shave. I'll keep my eyes open for samples. If I find a scent I like, I'm sure I'll be getting a tub.

----
I originally planned on doing a second review of the soaps from this box, however, looking back now, I think the only one I should re-review is the Meissner soap as it wasn't similar conditions.
APR and Squadron I already have purchased. Klar and P&B I'll be skipping as scents haven't really appealed to me, though I'll keep an eye out for a P&B scent that does appeal to me.

Next review will be MTMR and likely the last of mine for this travelling box. I did get Local Gent, Kona Colada and Lime Street from the box, let me know if you'd like a review of those. Though I might use something else before then as I've been fighting the urge to use stuff I've bought until I've done the travelling box reviews.
 
Kaeckerut said:
Blade: Astra Platinum (This will be shave 8)
Soap: Meissner Tremonia - Morrocan Rhassoul (will be referred to as MTMR)

This a brand I've been interested in trying and was also highly recommended by @lerenau . So I had relatively high expectations going in.

Lather - Lathered very well. Knowing this is a hard soap I used less than what I would normally and still got a good lather.
Scent - I would say a warm spice scent. I'm not a fan of spices (unless it's in Chai) and I would have guessed cardamon, but it turns out it's cloves.
Shave - I didn't add enough water at the start, so although it looked good in the bowl, on the face I didn't get the lather I'm used to. I still did a two pass shave (WTG and XTG). Added water and got a nice lather for a 3rd XTG clean up pass. Overall a good shave. Side note: I might have gotten some mild irritation from the soap, however I can't say for sure as my face was drier than usual going in which could have affected results).
Post-Shave feel - See shave side note above. Face feels about the same after. I will need to do another shave to properly determine post-shave, but I'll say neutral for now.

Sadly for now I'm going to have to say I'm not a fan of MTMR. I will be revisiting this soap after the other 3 and see if this changes, as conditions weren't fair. Meissner Tremonia - Pots of Milk is still one I want to try and I won't be ruling out the brand based on this experience.
Click to expand...

This is my re-review of MTMR.
Blade: Astra Platinum (12)
Soap: Meissner Tremonia - Morrocan Rhassoul (will be referred to as MTMR)

Lather - Like before, good lather. Seemed to thicken up on my 2nd pass which was very nice.
Scent - Hasn't changed :)
Shave - Did a 2 pass WTG and XTG shave. I didn't notice irritation like last time. Looking for it, I did notice some very mild tingling, but it was so mild that it could have just been my imagination. 2nd pass wasn't any worse, so I do think this was my imagination.
Post-Shave feel - I think Neutral, a bit on the moisturised side maybe.

This soap has improved since my last review. I'm not a fan of the scent, but with a different scent it would definitely be one I add to my rotation.

My travelling box results:
Australian Private Reserve and Squadron Soap will be finding a place in my rotation.
Meissner Tremonia and Phoenix & Beau I like the shave performance of. I just have to find an agreeable scent before adding them in.
Klar sadly will be one I'll skip. Not a bad soap (there is worse), just an average soap in a world with lots of great artisans.
 
Kaeckerut said:
This is my re-review of MTMR.
Blade: Astra Platinum (12)
Soap: Meissner Tremonia - Morrocan Rhassoul (will be referred to as MTMR)

Lather - Like before, good lather. Seemed to thicken up on my 2nd pass which was very nice.
Scent - Hasn't changed :)
Shave - Did a 2 pass WTG and XTG shave. I didn't notice irritation like last time. Looking for it, I did notice some very mild tingling, but it was so mild that it could have just been my imagination. 2nd pass wasn't any worse, so I do think this was my imagination.
Post-Shave feel - I think Neutral, a bit on the moisturised side maybe.

This soap has improved since my last review. I'm not a fan of the scent, but with a different scent it would definitely be one I add to my rotation.

My travelling box results:
Australian Private Reserve and Squadron Soap will be finding a place in my rotation.
Meissner Tremonia and Phoenix & Beau I like the shave performance of. I just have to find an agreeable scent before adding them in.
Klar sadly will be one I'll skip. Not a bad soap (there is worse), just an average soap in a world with lots of great artisans.
Click to expand...
12 shaves on an Astra!? Yikes!
3-4 shaves on any DE-blade and I'm done... Thought that might be related to my Lupine-esque coat.
 
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