What do you have in the post right now?

Added another order from Top of the Chain onto my haul from Canada at Christmas.

Maol Grooming Heliopteris Aftershave
Noble Otter Texaus Soap and Splash Set

Also have preordered a Canadian Wet Shaving Exclusive collaboration between Tallow & Steel and Maol Grooming soap and splash set.
I believe the soap is made by T&S and the scent and aftershave is by Maol Grooming.
 
Dustin L said:
Added another order from Top of the Chain onto my haul from Canada at Christmas.

Maol Grooming Heliopteris Aftershave
Noble Otter Texaus Soap and Splash Set

Also have preordered a Canadian Wet Shaving Exclusive collaboration between Tallow & Steel and Maol Grooming soap and splash set.
I believe the soap is made by T&S and the scent and aftershave is by Maol Grooming.
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Totc doing alcohol again?
 
tim33z said:
Couldn't not get the Noble Otter Texaus LE soap, so along with this, also added in the Barr Barr soap from Maggards.

If the potential for any local stockists gets any of the aftershave splash, i'll jump at it :)
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Wearing that 2018 Sabbatical Fail banner with pride :)
 
Mark1966 said:
Oh to be able to rub that around my face!
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Ambergris is actually quite hard, you crack the pieces with a small chisel then grind them forcefully in a pestle and mortar. It's quite hard work as the parts can be very resistant and need to be ground very fine. If your Ambergris is soft, what you most likely have is fake or low grade semi-rancid whale fat that has very low ambreine levels.
 
todras said:
Ambergris is actually quite hard, you crack the pieces with a small chisel then grind them forcefully in a pestle and mortar. It's quite hard work as the parts can be very resistant and need to be ground very fine. If your Ambergris is soft, what you most likely have is fake or low grade semi-rancid whale fat that has very low ambreine levels.
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Thankfully it smells better than it looks....

HHRhF5X.jpg
 
todras said:
Ambergris is actually quite hard, you crack the pieces with a small chisel then grind them forcefully in a pestle and mortar. It's quite hard work as the parts can be very resistant and need to be ground very fine. If your Ambergris is soft, what you most likely have is fake or low grade semi-rancid whale fat that has very low ambreine levels.
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Hmmm, kinda ruins the punch line when you are trying to be a smart alec and know NOTHING about what you are talking about! :)

So why don't they sell it in powder form given what you have said? That would seem more sensible? Is it about confirming what it is that it is left alone?
 
Mark1966 said:
Hmmm, kinda ruins the punch line when you are trying to be a smart alec and know NOTHING about what you are talking about! :)

So why don't they sell it in powder form given what you have said? That would seem more sensible? Is it about confirming what it is that it is left alone?
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Two and a bit reasons:

1. Fraud and oxidation - The Ambergris market is rife with fraud, dilution as much as the Mysore Sandalwood market, no one in their right mind would pay $35-$55 per gram for something in powder form as even if it were pure it would be highly oxidated due to being ground and not placed in solution immediately. Ambergris is highly prone to degradation once it has cured and is removed from the ocean.

2. Every piece of ambergris is different, perfumers prize the largest pieces possible as it ensures a supply for a formulation in a knowable quantity at the end of the tincture process. If you run out of Ambergris, you lose the ability to recreate the design forever. Occasionally you will see articles in the newspaper where some lucky couple find a 5 kilo piece and sell it for $200,000 through licensed Ambergris brokerages and this is why - large perfumeries need to ensure they have an identical size in as large quantity as possible and need to be 100% sure it is genuine (as do I when spending fraction of this money).

2(a). A 10 gram piece of Ambergris may only produce 3 grams of usable material with the other 7 grams being pollutants, detritus and so on - a 100 gram piece 30 grams etc, etc . An ambergris tincture takes 12 months to 4 years to mature (after it has matured we filter and weigh the residue as this is un-usable, subtract from the original amount and calculate solution percentage) therefore its a big investment and a lot of time, if your piece is garbage adulterated or poor you have wasted time and lots of money. The larger the piece the larger the concentration of the desired lipids and the lesser chance of oxidation. Perfumers buy the largest pieces they can - often having to buy a much larger piece than they need as no vendor will break them up.

Soft ambergris is generally fresh ambergris and very few perfumers will touch it. The most prized (and often used) is heavily oxidised from floating in the oceans for years and has a grey/white hard, slightly powdery coating.

Edit: I cant resist putting in a plug for the next edition from réserve privée due next year, it will use the Ambergris I have had in tincture for the past 14 months :)
 
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