Shave of the Day 2015

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bald as said:
I am really pleased you are getting better with the Goose.

Now soap - no idea really. After seeing your collection I think you could lather road tar. I agree the soap probably is a bit dry for a straight and maybe we need to increase the addition of Glycerine. @razorguy seems to be pleased with his soap and uses a straight. If you are interested in sharing your recipe @razorguy I have a few I can reciprocate.
Great also @khun_diddy that you had a better shave with the injector. The Type E is a really nice razor.
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Don't get me wrong @bald as the lather is great, perfect glide and nice cushion - I am just aiming for the stars (y)
 
@alfredus I'm looking forward to making our next version with some lanolin. From our Sunday conversation I agree totally that getting that last little something out of a soap is what makes the move from good to exceptional. I also like the current version but the tinkerer in me wants to "add something" to achieve just what you are pointing out. I did find bowl lathering made a "wetter" lather for a straight. Maybe there are some soap formulas that perform better for brush or for bowl. I still have a leaning towards tallow as a component but do find it hard to argue with the practicality of the current recipe. So many choices :)
 
Preshave: Proraso Red
Razor: EJ DE89L
Blade: Feather
Brush : Semogue 1305
Soap: Soap Commander Courage
Post Shave: Soap Commander AS Balm Courage
Two pass shave no clean up. Don't often use the feather but it does give a close shave with only the two passes. Couple of weepers. The AS balm is great with the cooling of the menthol for about twenty minutes after application and then a non greasy feel.
20150812_225918 by Osman Mehmed, on Flickr
 
Pre-Shave Myrsol Emulsion
Brush Edwin Jagger Super Badger
Soap Shaver Heaven Coconut Citrus Sorbet
Razor Razorock Stealth Slant
Blade Gillette Silver Blue (3)
Post Shave êShave Orange Sandlewood After Shave Soother
Aftershave Myrsol F./Extra

The Myrsol Emulsion is a great pre-shave (also works well for post shave) lovely subtle menthol cool that built up while I was lathering. This is the opposite from what I usually get from the Proraso Green Pre-shave which tends to start strong then fade.
The F./Extra was a great end to a fine shave.
 
bald as said:
@alfredus I'm looking forward to making our next version with some lanolin. From our Sunday conversation I agree totally that getting that last little something out of a soap is what makes the move from good to exceptional. I also like the current version but the tinkerer in me wants to "add something" to achieve just what you are pointing out. I did find bowl lathering made a "wetter" lather for a straight. Maybe there are some soap formulas that perform better for brush or for bowl. I still have a leaning towards tallow as a component but do find it hard to argue with the practicality of the current recipe. So many choices :)
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The problem is I still don't understand enough about the ingredients to know if the tallow is needed or not. What I do know is, that most of the soaps I like are tallow based.

I think I should come over to your place one day with a bunch of soaps and brushes and we test lather everything and see how far we can take each soap. And if indeed bowl lathering makes a difference?

Also could people maybe chime in what other vegan soaps with TOP performance are out there? And please don't post about your favorite scent or how easy it is to lather - at the moment it is only about performance during the shave...

@bald as how about that bubble free version you made? Could you apply the same formula to the vegan recipe?
 
@alfredus As far as my limited knowledge goes - no, as the higher percentage of coconut oil in the recipe creates bubly lather quickly but not necassarily creamy lather. Creamy lather is maintained by the stearic acid percentage [I think]. Add the two together though and it creates a really good ratio for a shaving soap. I might revisit putting some clay in a version to see what that does to everything. :) Maybe we could just shave with glycerine :)

This is only my understanding but a shaving soap needs about 35 - 55% Stearic acid at minimum - maximum to acheive the character of an accepted profile. At these higher percentage of SA you then need bubbly oils or fats plus any specialty oils you want to add. A good shaving soap can be a bit like juggling chainsaws because you run out of available percentages quickly. Commercial guys end up making and testing dozens or many more versions over quite a period of time to get all the chainsaws and flaming balls rotating happily together.

Steve
 
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Lifes a Peach said:
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A tale of Three Oranges

Pre-Shave - Myrsol Emulsion
Brush - Semogue Mistura
Soap - Cold River Soap Works Jardine d'Orange
Razor - GEM Micromatic Open Comb
Blade - GEM (3)
Post Shave - Thayers Witch Hazel, Fine Orange Noir, and L'Occitane Cedre Oranger balm​
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I want ever bit of software here. Absolutely superb line-up mate (y)

Brush: Commodore X2
Lather: Shaver Heaven Summer Breeze (thanks @SydBJW )
Razor: AS-D2
Blade: Feather (3)
After-shave: Antesol

Fourth day with my fourth different ShaverHeaven soap. Anthony Macri , mate, you are making top notch soap here. The Summer Breeze is part of the silk range and bugger me it's a step up again! Edges Barrister & Mann IMHO.

Oh and how I love my Feathers!!!
 
Still the training wheels on with the straight. Straight was very smooth and I'm feeling the blade and the angle a bit better. Lather wetness is very important - for my comfort at least. I finished my shave with my 1912 and it went very uneventfully. I will have to try to make a particular soap for straight shaving, not certain how but that is the challenge.
 
stillshunter said:
I want ever bit of software here. Absolutely superb line-up mate (y)

Brush: Commodore X2
Lather: Shaver Heaven Summer Breeze (thanks @SydBJW )
Razor: AS-D2
Blade: Feather (3)
After-shave: Antesol

Fourth day with my fourth different ShaverHeaven soap. Anthony Macri , mate, you are making top notch soap here. The Summer Breeze is part of the silk range and bugger me it's a step up again! Edges Barrister & Mann IMHO.

Oh and how I love my Feathers!!!
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Glad you liked the soap. I think Shaver Heaven is right up there as one of the top soaps I have used. Has anyone tried the new cherry soap yet?
 
Razor: Maggad head with an elite handle
Blade: Perma-Sharp Super (0) thanks @JayDee for the blades
Brush : Love Your Shave Badger
Soap: Occams original, thanks for the sample @stillshunter
Post Shave: Nil

Quick two pass shave. First time using the Occams, I have a blocked nose so I didn't get a good sniff of the soap but what I did smell I liked. Performance wise it worked great. Good post shave feel. The blades I am starting to really like as well.
 
Brush: Satin Tip Black (thanks @MrT)
Soap/Cream: RazoRock Santa Maria Del Fiore Firenze (thanks @MrT)
Razor: Eclipse Red Ring
Blade: Personna Lab Blue [2]
After-shave: Myrsol Agua Balsamica

Thanks to @MrT for the loaned brush and sample of SMdF Firenze.

The Satin Tip is light (plastic handle) and the tips are very soft to the face. It's typical of a synthetic brush which has that springy backbone to it. It's not comparable to a Ploccintane but I don't think it's in the same price point. It seems to be a well made, nice looking (cheap?!) synthetic.

RazoRock's latest soap offering which is proving very popular is Santa Maria Del Fiore Firenze. A light cologne-like scent makes it great for spring/summer. It has lanolin, eucalyptus oil and menthol which makes a great combination. The lather was slick and great all-round. It took a lot of water. The scent picks up during the shave, and the menthol/eucalyptus oil builds up and is felt more at the end when you rinse your face. Post-shave is great (HT to the lanolin). This is - after a single shave - a great soap. The 250g glass jar with tin lid sells for US$20 only from Italian Barber (currently) which is notorious for charging a bomb for postage. (Mail Forwarders are your friend.) It seems to be a great buy...if you can get it. Many thanks to @MrT for the sample. [emoji106]
 
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