Paste & Cut Travelling Box No. 2 - Reviews and Comments thread

Monsta_AU said:
I don't think you need to. Just get a Merkur 15C and throw a longer, custom handle on it and you would be getting pretty close to what the razor is.

I am 99% sure it is a Merkur 15C/25C head..... just need one to compare it to, however based on photos I believe that is what it is. That said, I am pretty sure that the 15C/25C would have a different balance due to a different handle construction & base material.
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Hmmm…I hear the Merkur 3-pc razors - i.e., 15c/25c are pretty mild though….true?
 
I don't know if you would call the Proto as mild.... but then again it is not the most aggressive thing I have used. I would have said it would rate around a 6-7 on the Fatboy, but with the OC benefits of a generally closer shave.

I would have said that the 3-piece Merkur closed comb razors were milder.
 
Where, oh where is the Travelling Box now?

Oh where, oh where can it be?
 
Keeping an eye out, with some small hope that it'll turn up at the post office tomorrow and be collectable. Knowing Australia Post, I will be disappointed and have to console myself with beer. What a shame.
 
Mong. said:
After being adequately consoled on the weekend, the box turned up today. Thanks Jug. First review tomorrow night.
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... and ???
 
...and it was a good one! But I've been busy, so not much time for writing. Without further delay...

Exceptional first outing with the Travelling Box. I was keen to have a crack at the Pureman open-comb, because I really haven't had much experience with open comb DE razors. The closest that I've come is the GEM MMOC (terrifying) and the iKon OSS (mild to the point of harmless). I was a little bit nervous about the prospect of irritation from the open comb, so I stuck a 4th shave Gillette 7O'C Super Platinum (Black, from India) blade in it. I wasn't expecting much of the Black blade, but it's actually proving to be a decent enough shaver. It's provided five pretty good shaves, and combined with the open comb, it made for a pretty mild and comfortable time. I suspect that the Pureman OC could be capable of a little danger with a sharp blade, but it's got great balance and a fairly natural blade angle. A very nice razor, and it may prompt a renewed effort to find an open comb plate for my iKon.

I started out with the Nanny's sandalwood soap, because I was curious as to how it might stack up against Mike's. As it turns out, it more than competes. The Duke 2 loaded quickly and easily, and making a thick and creamy lather was exceptionally easy. If moisturising is Mike's forte, then ease-of-use is Nanny's. I've always been skeptical when you see people write on other shave forums about lather explosions and eruptions and whatnot, but the Nanny's did come together mighty quick and I was impressed at the high standard of cushion and protection it provided. It didn't excel in the glide department (although it was okay, and as good as most soaps) and lacked a little bit for skin care (no wonder list of skin-loving ingredients), but I'd be happy to spend my money there. Potentially a good go-to for someone interested in trying out an artisan soap because it's just so easy to get a good lather from it. I didn't much like the sandalwood scent, but it's quite old school and not my thing. It wasn't offensive, I'd just go for something else.

Finished off with the Simpsons aftershave balm. This stuff is kind of unremarkable, but it does everything you could ask of an aftershave balm. Little or no scent, moderate skin hydration and moderate soothing qualities. It's entirely effective; it just doesn't have any standout qualities. I was slightly impressed at how non-greasy and naturally absorbed it was, there was no trace of product left on the skin after fifteen minutes. It's a product that I'd be happy to use frequently, but probably wouldn't buy it because it didn't wow me. I don't know what would be an improvement; maybe something a little more conditioning. I want to see how the Arlington Milk compares, I've never tried a milk-style aftershave before.

That'll do it for now. A pretty good first outing I reckon, I'm quite impressed with everything I've tried so far. Up next will probably be the Kiss My Face cream (good chatter elsewhere) or the Occams, and I might see how the Pureman goes with a fresh and sharp blade.
 
I think I'm next. I'll add lots of goodies for those downstream. There's 6 on the list after me. I presume the box then goes back to Mark after that. Is that right?

I'm away for the next 8-9 days so no rush to get the box to me until early August.
 
Not sure if I marked the container but I put a spray bottle of Floid in for you all to try. It's great for winter.
 
Forgive my ignorance, this is my 1st TS box...

Does the contents of the Travelling Box get auctioned or donated or sold off at the end? Proceeds could go somewhere helpful... Charity? Overseas aid?

What happened after the first box?
 
filobiblic said:
Forgive my ignorance, this is my 1st TS box...

Does the contents of the Travelling Box get auctioned or donated or sold off at the end? Proceeds could go somewhere helpful... Charity? Overseas aid?

What happened after the first box?
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@Mark1966 doesn't have to buy any shaving shit for the next 200 years :) Anyway fear not Filo, I am second last on the list so there is not likely to be much left to auction off :)
 
filobiblic said:
Forgive my ignorance, this is my 1st TS box...

Does the contents of the Travelling Box get auctioned or donated or sold off at the end? Proceeds could go somewhere helpful... Charity? Overseas aid?

What happened after the first box?
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Some items may be in the box simply for people to try out, such as the Pureman razor. These are expected to come back to their owners and as such are not donated goods to be given away or auctioned off.
The instigator of the box (in this case @Mark1966) has put it all together at his own expense and is considered the owner of the box and its contents.
 
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Thanks @JugV2 - I didn't know it came from @Mark1966's pocket.
Thanks so much for your generosity in sharing with us @Mark1966!
 
Second shave with the box this morning.

Razor: Pureman OC
Blade: Astra SS
Brush: Simpsons Duke 2
Cream: Kiss My Face
A/S: D.R Harris Arlington Milk

I wanted to try an aggressive blade in the Pureman OC, but after my ambitious BBS effort last time I've come up with a small patch of ingrown and red hairs on my neck. Another reminder to chill out and just go for a good shave instead of trying to be super smooth. It was another good outing for the razor, which is a bit more aggressive with a new blade than I expected. A little bit more care and attention were required around the traditional trouble areas of adam's apple and lower jawline. All worked out well, and the one-passer with touch ups is pretty smooth.

Anyone have a user-grade Gillette NEW long comb? I think I need to try out some more open combs after this. Fairly impressed.

For consistency of comparison, I kept the Duke 2 on-deck. The Kiss My Face cream is extremely thick and dense, and as such, requires quite a lot of work to actually coax it to mix with water. It needed a hell of a lot of mixing to try and thin out, and though it did provide decent cushion and protection, it was just too finnicky and dense to be a winner in my book. I probably used too much product, which does reflect well on value for money as a little definitely went a long way. Another good example of an artisan product, and nice to see some creams emerging in that market, but just not for me.

The D.R. Harris Arlington Milk was pretty good at soothing a slightly red neck. Like the Simmo balm, it provides effective soothing qualities and isn't greasy or tacky. It's doing well in the skin care department at the moment, my skin feels a little bit tighter and softer than after the Simpsons stuff. The scent isn't unpleasant, but it's quite deep and old-school masculine. Leather, deep wood, that kind of thing. All in all, a good product but another that I probably wouldn't buy. I'd opt for something like Skin Food over the Milk, just because I think it provides better skin care and healing at the slight cost of some greasiness or residue.

Up next, the Occams Original. I might also have a crack at adding some of the 444 menthol balm to the Simpsons and see what that's like.

I want to send this on by the middle of next week if that's an option, so @possumbelly, if you could get my your postage details over the weekend that would be great.
 
I put the milk in. It's nice enough, but I've got others I prefer for face care.

Shouldn't be anything leathery or woody about Arlington. It's all citrus and fern. Marlboro is their saddlery fag end flavour.
 
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