Shave of the Day Thread - 2019

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DIY lemon myrtle pre shave oil
KarveD w/Polsilver
Yaqi silvertip fan
PAA Amber
Sacred Earth splash

I have this same brush in the bulb knot and I have to say the fan shape is the one I prefer. This goes for two band badger and synthetics too. I just find the face feel of the fan shape nicer and the performance is also better.

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Pre: Hot towel, Pre shave oil (Nico's home brew)
Razor: Timeless, S/S, 0.68 Scalloped base plate
Blade: Feather
Bowl: Timeless
Brush: RazoRock Silvertip Synthetic
Soap: Squadron Coronet Fougere
Post: Squadron Coronet Fougere splash

Mr Iggns (Boss cat) loves the scent from the Squadron Coronet Fougere soap and splash. Also the shave was fanbloodytastic



 
Pre: Hot towel, Pre shave oil (Nico's home brew)
Razor: Timeless, S/S, 0.68 Scalloped base plate
Blade: Feather
Bowl: Timeless
Brush: RazoRock Silvertip Synthetic
Soap: Squadron Coronet Fougere
Post: Squadron Coronet Fougere splash

Mr Iggns (Boss cat) loves the scent from the Squadron Coronet Fougere soap and splash. Also the shave was fanbloodytastic



Holy shit! You’ve been shaving with miniature gear again....
Or...
That giant feline must weigh 100kg??!!??
 
Pre-shave: Hot shower
Brush: Vintage butterscotch Simpson shaving brush
Razor: Gillette NEW head on TSW Bren handle
Blade: Personna 'Lab Blue' (1)
Soap/Cream: Phoenix & Beau Spitfire shaving soap
Post-shave: Phoenix & Beau Spitfire aftershave balm
Fragrance: Phoenix & Beau Spitfire EDP

As I opened up the tub I was immediately taken back to Duxford in 2014. I was walking toward to furtherest exhibition when I heard that distinct Merlin sound and looked over my shoulder to see a Spitfire bouncing along the grass before taking off. I was far more excited than I expected, it was my first up close look at this iconic plane.

Of course later I discovered there was a whole hangar of them, and that is where the smell comes in, engine oil, British engineering, leather, covered fabric etc.

One of my first and still one of my favourite artisan soaps. It performs really well, an easy to lather soap, and the lotion and solid cologne are both great - wish I could get the splash. Definitely a 'desert island' soap for me - although I'd be hoping the island had some cooler months! Everyone simply must have some P&B in their collection - if only for the cool graphics!

Well done @Kerry@Phoenix&Beau (y)(y)(y)

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First use of this tub of soap too -

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Declaration
WMg + Uf0
Rubie
Chiseled Face
Zoologist Rhinoceros


So you've got a few of the Zoologist range. What's your favourite? Any you don't like?
I love their labelling/packaging. I guess part of the question is does the soap scent/performance justify the cost? I like how a few artisans step out of the standard range to do something special/different which of course means they have to increase pricing to make it worthwhile.
 
So you've got a few of the Zoologist range. What's your favourite? Any you don't like?
I love their labelling/packaging. I guess part of the question is does the soap scent/performance justify the cost? I like how a few artisans step out of the standard range to do something special/different which of course means they have to increase pricing to make it worthwhile.
I always wondered if it was the same soap base as the standard Chiseled Face line?
 
DIY lemon myrtle pre shave oil
KarveD w/Polsilver
EJ STFv1 25mm
Squadron - Warden
Sacred Earth Splash

New blade loaded into the Karve and it was a sublime shave! I guess I lost track of the last blade and pushed it a bit too much.

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So you've got a few of the Zoologist range. What's your favourite? Any you don't like?

I have Dragonfly and Civet (Shelly Waddington) and Rhinoceros (Paul Killer). Both of these people are great independent niche perfumers. I can't speak highly enough of their work and the Zoologist releases.

I love their labelling/packaging. I guess part of the question is does the soap scent/performance justify the cost?

Zoologist is a niche perfumery house who invites noses to create the scents that they release, the company embodies the ethos of artisan perfumery and is stocked by specialist retailers around the globe with a majority of their fragrances costing around $195.00 per bottle in Australia. They are a small concern who releases work from award winning artisan perfumers, outside of the large perfumery corporations. Their ethos and ideals I thoroughly support, they make superb fragrances and are competing with massive entities in the market. They also refuse to use animal derived materials.

Ron who owns and runs Chiseled Face in the US managed to negotiate the release of a handful of the Zoologist releases as shaving soaps, some of the perfumers did not want their work put into a soap base while others agreed. A perfume house agreeing to let their product be put into a shaving soap has the potential be a risky proposition, Zoologist is a small artisan company who could not afford to have it's brand or reputation damaged if the product was not executed in line with their perfumes. They are competing on a very unequal footing with large multinational perfume companies.

The Chiseled Face/Zoologist Soaps retailed for $37.00 USD or thereabouts and the soap base is a great performer. The sets were (presumably) released in the manner they were as to match the perfume bottles, they are simply glass jars with foil printing on them which while expensive in Australia, is far cheaper and more accessible in the US. I have paid $50 AUD + postage for a Eufros release with a single note fragrance so these releases for me didn't require a seconds thought.

I like how a few artisans step out of the standard range to do something special/different which of course means they have to increase pricing to make it worthwhile.

Recently discussion has been focused around the 'singularity of soap base performance' being reached. Simply, there are a number of top tier soap bases with very little room remaining for discernible performance increases to be had. The consensus is that the artisans within the tier who can skilfully design fragrances for their products are the ones who will remain viable and will grow. I have experienced directly as the AP Reserve F2 base ala @nsavage is widely considered to be in that top tier class along with 7 or 8 other artisan soap bases.

So I am the first to acknowledge AP Reserve is minuscule in comparison to the leading US Artisans on the metrics of sales numbers, production scale and stockists however due to my fragrance design we continue to grow, even with the cost of air-freight to the US, exchange rates and the seemingly endless constraints of doing business in Australia.

The folks out there who churn out releases using pre-blended fragrances (someone else has designed and made) it is mostly agreed, are not sustainable in the long term no matter how good their soap is if they continuing pricing their products the way they are, wet-shavers are becoming increasingly more educated about fragrances and how they are made for shaving products. While most forums will edit or censor discussion about specific vendors doing this, there are places where these things can be discussed, including the practice of pitching releases to the market using the language, terminology and notes of perfumery when it's glaringly obvious that it is a complete load of horse shit and a pre-blend or 'dupe' has been used.

However, there is a very healthy and entirely legitimate market segment for pre-blend releases and it thrives for artisans who sell their releases labelled honestly, and at a substantially lower price than an artisan who is designing with the materials of perfumery (and the countless hours of development and material cost) as simply not everyone wants or cares about the authenticity of their perfume. The same applies to pure EO or natural perfumery, it can never compete with the range of compounds available to the perfumer but then it need not, there is a segment of wet-shavers who are happy with something simple and no more.
 
Pre: Hot towel, Pre shave oil (Nico's home brew)
Razor: RAW RS-10, Mild Plate
Blade: Astra Superior Platinum Double Edge
Bowl: Handmade bowl, Mk2
Brush: RazoRock Silvertip Synthetic
Soap: Squadron Group Captains Blend
Post: Squadron Group Captains Blend Splash

 

Prep: Hot shower
Brush: The Stray Whisker Silvertip Badger
Soap: Haslinger Honig
Razor: Rockwell 6C (R6)
Blade: Vintage NOS Gillette Spoiler (5)
Post: The Stray Whisker Alum block, Aramis

Loving the Haslinger Honey sample from the P&C meetup box. Very easy to build a delightful slick lather; yet another great soap to add to the wish list.
 
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