Shave of the Day - 2024
- Thread starter alfredus
- Start date
silverlifter
Member
Houken 66 Deluxe 13/16 Half Hollow - Zenith Manchurian - Shannon's Barbershop - Floïd Vigoroso - Sukin Moisturiser
Gargravarr
Our resident snake charmer
Pre-shave: Hot flannel, Pears soap
Brush: TroyCraft "Opalesque" 28mm AP G5C
Soap: Valobra + a drop of jasmine absolute 3%
Razor: Blackland Vector
Blade: Schick Proline
Post-shave: TND witch hazel, homebrew moisturiser, La Roche-Posay SPF50+ Invisible Fluid, Oxford & Cambridge cologne
COTD: Hamasil Village, Yemen
Garry357
Member
Pears soap - Pre Shave? I use Pears Mint, Great value and a really good product.26 February to 01 March
Gargravarr
Our resident snake charmer
Pears is an excellent pre-shave. For those of us who don't have access to Valobra Glicerlanolina...
Garry357
Member
It is, I buy the mint or lemon bars from the Reject Shop, about $2Pears is an excellent pre-shave. For those of us who don't have access to Valobra Glicerlanolina...
silverlifter
Member
Cape 1372 13/16 Half Hollow - PAA Peregrino - MdC Fougère - Myrsol Antesol - Sukin Moisturiser
Gargravarr
Our resident snake charmer
Pre-shave: Hot flannel, Pears soap
Brush: CaYuen "Copper Ore" 30mm DSCosmetic G7
Soap: Valobra + a drop of rose EO 3%
Razor: Blackland Vector
Blade: Schick Proline
Post-shave: TND witch hazel, homebrew moisturiser, La Roche-Posay SPF50+ Invisible Fluid, Oxford & Cambridge cologne
COTD: Hamasil Village, Yemen
Phil Harmonica
Member
Ern "Master" 6/8 Hollow
Yaqi 24mm HMW Fan Badger
Areffa Soap "Kentucky Bourbon"
Rusty Bridges
Owns a betacord/betamax
Razor: Lambda Ares v2
Blade: Gillette Platinum
Soap: Barrister and Mann Reserve Fern
Aftershave/Post Shave: Barrister and Mann Reserve Fern/Thayers Unscented Witch Hazel
Brush: 32mm LS Silvertip Brush
Alum: NIL
Bowl: Pereira
Overall this was a fantastic shave!
This may be an older scent but it is a fantastic one in my opinion as to is the base and this brush never fails to impress. For a cheaper purchase brush it really sets the bar high.
Gillette Platinum (Russian) was wonderful as per usual and continues to be one of my favourite blades and when paired with the Lambda Ares it was wonderful.
Ordinarily I do not enjoy open comb razors but there is something about this one in particular that stands head and shoulders above the rest of the ones I have tried. There is no grating effect and whilst the blade remains present it is a pleasurable sort of way that does not translate to being blade forward on this open comb razor. There is a few reason why this razor is so smooth and that is perhaps due to the low blade exposure, curvature of the base plate and top cap that bends the blade to contour to the shape of the base plate which allows for excellent surface area contact on it smooth base plate.
As with the Athena razor there is a slight bit of blade overhang but not enough to really cause much or any issues at all.
The balance of this razor makes it easy to wield and whilst the grip remains fine even with wet hands as the vertical lines help to wick away water whilst the depth of the lined channels provides adequate grip.
The fit and finish of this razor is particularly high which remains consistent across to the excellent wooden case it comes packaged in which is a nice touch and just adds to the value of the razor.
I personally find this razor to be smoother than my Blackbird but just as efficient. Whilst there is a sweet spot to be found as far as angles go it is not as angle dependent as the Blackbird razor is and it is far easier to find an acceptable and smooth angle to use the razor and is therefore more forgiving. Mind you the Blackbird is no slouch either but for me this is far more comfortable even in comparison to the Blackbird lite. Take of that what you will and keep in mind that everything is subjective.
This shave was several days old now but I have just been busy with some other stuff and had a few issues to deal with but I am looking forward to my next shave.
Happy shaves everyone.
Gargravarr
Our resident snake charmer
Nice review. I used to eschew premium razors as a demonstration of the law of diminishing returns, but I have changed my mind. But I can do that, I have a lot of it to change. And I'm not in politics, so I can cheerfully admit when I was wrong.
Razor: Lambda Ares v2
Blade: Gillette Platinum
Soap: Barrister and Mann Reserve Fern
Aftershave/Post Shave: Barrister and Mann Reserve Fern/Thayers Unscented Witch Hazel
Brush: 32mm LS Silvertip Brush
Alum: NIL
Bowl: Pereira
Overall this was a fantastic shave!
This may be an older scent but it is a fantastic one in my opinion as to is the base and this brush never fails to impress. For a cheaper purchase brush it really sets the bar high.
Gillette Platinum (Russian) was wonderful as per usual and continues to be one of my favourite blades and when paired with the Lambda Ares it was wonderful.
Ordinarily I do not enjoy open comb razors but there is something about this one in particular that stands head and shoulders above the rest of the ones I have tried. There is no grating effect and whilst the blade remains present it is a pleasurable sort of way that does not translate to being blade forward on this open comb razor. There is a few reason why this razor is so smooth and that is perhaps due to the low blade exposure, curvature of the base plate and top cap that bends the blade to contour to the shape of the base plate which allows for excellent surface area contact on it smooth base plate.
As with the Athena razor there is a slight bit of blade overhang but not enough to really cause much or any issues at all.
The balance of this razor makes it easy to wield and whilst the grip remains fine even with wet hands as the vertical lines help to wick away water whilst the depth of the lined channels provides adequate grip.
The fit and finish of this razor is particularly high which remains consistent across to the excellent wooden case it comes packaged in which is a nice touch and just adds to the value of the razor.
I personally find this razor to be smoother than my Blackbird but just as efficient. Whilst there is a sweet spot to be found as far as angles go it is not as angle dependent as the Blackbird razor is and it is far easier to find an acceptable and smooth angle to use the razor and is therefore more forgiving. Mind you the Blackbird is no slouch either but for me this is far more comfortable even in comparison to the Blackbird lite. Take of that what you will and keep in mind that everything is subjective.
This shave was several days old now but I have just been busy with some other stuff and had a few issues to deal with but I am looking forward to my next shave.
Happy shaves everyone.
Another way I was wrong was in persisting with OC razors when I didn't need to. I shave every day, so an SB is fine, but you clearly have a different approach, so the OC makes sense.
Prep: Valobra Glycerlanolina Soap, Myrsol Emulsion
Brush: D.R. Harris H3 Best Badger
Soap: Dr Selby
Razor: Blackland Blackbird
Blade: Astra SP (2)
Post: Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel, APR Lavande Violette Aftershave Lotion
Terrific shave. @Gargravarr - you have turned me to the Dark Side (of lavender).
silverlifter
Member
Filarmónica 14 Doble Temple 8/8 Hollow - Zenith Unbleached Boar - SV Felce Aromatica - Speick Splash - Sukin Moisturiser
Gargravarr
Our resident snake charmer
I have been havering for so long over the WR4, telling myself that I didn't want another heavy blade-forward pickaxe AC razor. So when @Errol so generously offered me the opportunity to try his piece of polished perfection, I would have been an utterly churlish fool to refuse. My first impression - no, I'll backtrack: I had a worrisome moment finding the baseplate in that nifty black leather pouch, the components of the head were that slim. But find it I did, and when I put it all together, I was amazed at how light it is.
Imagine this: my Vector (which I used to think of as the essence of slimmed-down minimalism) weighs in on my kitchen scale at 78g. This WR4 weighs only 63g. I assume the WRH3 handle is hollow, but I struggle to see quite how they did that, given that the threaded hole for the post is only ~15mm deep. I can't see any evidence of a seam for a plug. Some clever workmanship going on there. The whole assembly is perfectly balanced. The finish is a flawless mirror-finish, which is not usually my thing, but I understand the attraction, given how well it's done here. It shows every fingerprint if I'm not careful. I've always been a bit doubtful about the Wolfman scalloped SB (never having used one), but I've always assumed that unless I've tried it, I wouldn't understand. I still don't, bit whatever.
There's one word to describe how it shaves: magnificent. Less aggressive than my Vector, but perhaps more efficient. If I were looking for niggles, I might say they could have made the lather channels a bit more generous, but that's all. Lovely, I'm impressed. Thanks @Errol
Today was also my first day exploring @Phil Harmonica's pass-around package. First up today was Tabac. Performance is pretty much up there with the best of the milled soaps. But the scent? Ladies' handbags are fine, just not on steroids.
The horror...
The horror...
Now I know.
MadFlava81
Member
Zenith 31mm 508A XL/Bristle for r/wetshaving
Karve CB-C
Gillette Nacet
Declaration Grooming Bangarang
Lúcido Aftershave
Apocalypse Now!
I have been havering for so long over the WR4, telling myself that I didn't want another heavy blade-forward pickaxe AC razor. So when @Errol so generously offered me the opportunity to try his piece of polished perfection, I would have been an utterly churlish fool to refuse. My first impression - no, I'll backtrack: I had a worrisome moment finding the baseplate in that nifty black leather pouch, the components of the head were that slim. But find it I did, and when I put it all together, I was amazed at how light it is.
Imagine this: my Vector (which I used to think of as the essence of slimmed-down minimalism) weighs in on my kitchen scale at 78g. This WR4 weighs only 63g. I assume the WRH3 handle is hollow, but I struggle to see quite how they did that, given that the threaded hole for the post is only ~15mm deep. I can't see any evidence of a seam for a plug. Some clever workmanship going on there. The whole assembly is perfectly balanced. The finish is a flawless mirror-finish, which is not usually my thing, but I understand the attraction, given how well it's done here. It shows every fingerprint if I'm not careful. I've always been a bit doubtful about the Wolfman scalloped SB (never having used one), but I've always assumed that unless I've tried it, I wouldn't understand. I still don't, bit whatever.
There's one word to describe how it shaves: magnificent. Less aggressive than my Vector, but perhaps more efficient. If I were looking for niggles, I might say they could have made the lather channels a bit more generous, but that's all. Lovely, I'm impressed. Thanks @Errol
Today was also my first day exploring @Phil Harmonica's pass-around package. First up today was Tabac. Performance is pretty much up there with the best of the milled soaps. But the scent? Ladies' handbags are fine, just not on steroids.
The horror...
The horror...
Now I know.
Nice mini-review.
I will forgive you for your blasphemy regarding the heavenly scent of Tabac.
Don’t worry grandma (tabac) will grow on you so badly, you’ll never escape from grandma.
I have been havering for so long over the WR4, telling myself that I didn't want another heavy blade-forward pickaxe AC razor. So when @Errol so generously offered me the opportunity to try his piece of polished perfection, I would have been an utterly churlish fool to refuse. My first impression - no, I'll backtrack: I had a worrisome moment finding the baseplate in that nifty black leather pouch, the components of the head were that slim. But find it I did, and when I put it all together, I was amazed at how light it is.
Imagine this: my Vector (which I used to think of as the essence of slimmed-down minimalism) weighs in on my kitchen scale at 78g. This WR4 weighs only 63g. I assume the WRH3 handle is hollow, but I struggle to see quite how they did that, given that the threaded hole for the post is only ~15mm deep. I can't see any evidence of a seam for a plug. Some clever workmanship going on there. The whole assembly is perfectly balanced. The finish is a flawless mirror-finish, which is not usually my thing, but I understand the attraction, given how well it's done here. It shows every fingerprint if I'm not careful. I've always been a bit doubtful about the Wolfman scalloped SB (never having used one), but I've always assumed that unless I've tried it, I wouldn't understand. I still don't, bit whatever.
There's one word to describe how it shaves: magnificent. Less aggressive than my Vector, but perhaps more efficient. If I were looking for niggles, I might say they could have made the lather channels a bit more generous, but that's all. Lovely, I'm impressed. Thanks @Errol
Today was also my first day exploring @Phil Harmonica's pass-around package. First up today was Tabac. Performance is pretty much up there with the best of the milled soaps. But the scent? Ladies' handbags are fine, just not on steroids.
The horror...
The horror...
Now I know.