This is a community of enthusiasts, hobbyists and artisans who enjoy a traditional wet shave: brush, soap, and safety or straight razor. We are a part of the WetShaving community found on Reddit, Discord, and IRC.
New subscribers welcome!
Please visit our wiki, which is always and forever a work in progress.
https://gem.wetshaving.social - a nice modern interface
https://old.wetshaving.social - designed to look like old.reddit.com
Our sister Mastodon instance is https://wetshaving.social.
Be Respectful. Do not bully, flame, or harass others.
Malicious comments are not allowed but heated discussion and salty banter is okay.
Low effort replies and complaints about content will be removed.
Mail Calls, Simple Questions, and SOTD posts belong in the recurring weekly threads.
Posts must have sufficient content to generate a meaningful discussion.
Images, links, or videos must include additional text that summarizes the topic.
Use [First Impressions] in the title if your experience with the product is limited.
Use the [Review] in the title if you can provide comprehensive details with enough familiarity to answer follow-up questions.
Disclose how the product being reviewed was acquired (e.g., PIF, loan, or purchase). If the product was provided to you directly by the maker or vendor free of charge or at a discount, you must disclose this fact even if the item will later be returned to the maker or vendor.
Vendors are to keep marketing within the biweekly Deals/New Products threads.
Non-vendors may post topics about products if it will foster a compelling discussion.
Do not solicit donations or share fundraisers without mod approval.
All NSFW/L content must request mod approval and be flaired appropriately.
Non-shaving related NSFW/L content is not allowed.
Sep. 18, 2023
Good shave. Very enjoyable scent and a soothing aftershave. This blade is at 12 uses and it’s probably time to retire it.
Another week and another shave, this time with the first model Schick.
Today’s lather; rich and fluffy and plentiful.
I can't get used to the scent of Cella, it's not for me. Almond Leather and BTF, on the other hand...
Sparschweinchen++;
Sparschweinchen++;
I see you're giving the Fili and the Böker a rest. Can't go wrong with a Koraat. The Sparschweinchen is one of the best deals going. All of the Koraat blade quality and none of the custom razor price. I'm surprised I don't see more of these in SOTDs.
Oh, and yes, I'm giving them a rest. I've already broken the "one straight" part of the "Sample Straightember: One Straight, Thirty Samples" tag line when the Böker arrived, so why not stray further :)
Any chance you just refreshed that edge? My approach has been new (as in new to me, and unused before September) straight razor, or previously used straight with a refreshed edge. [Bringing back the Dovo Bismarck today. Same model you have. I'll post as soon as I can sit in front of a computer.]
Nope, nothing new about this one. I just felt like using the piggy today, and it was a good decision 😊
I’m surprised I don’t see more of these in SOTDs.
That's a really good point. There are quite a few flying around on the sub, and indeed, they should get more use, given how good they are. I wonder whether it's one of those price anchoring situations, where it acts as "the cheap one" that justifies quickly getting a fancier one and relegating the Schweinchen to the drawer? I know I've been tempted to do that 😅
where it acts as “the cheap one” that justifies quickly getting a fancier one and relegating the Schweinchen to the drawer?
That makes sense. Of the three I have [I know. I'm out of control] I reach for the two custom-made ones more than the one I did not specify.
I reach for the two custom-made ones more than the one I did not specify.
Do you see much/any difference in shaving quality or feeling between the piggy and the 14-2 version?
I'm thinking about getting in the next year or so a Koraat, and I'm wondering about whether it's worth spending more for the 14-2. The thing is that I find the scales of the Spaarschweinchen rather ugly (at least on photos), and I'm afraid I might be superficial enough to let that interfere with my enjoyment.
I don't own the piggy. I have a 7/8 near wedge, a 6/8 full hollow custom, and a 14-2.0. They all feel differently in-hand, but shave equally well. The 14-2.0 is, well, magic, though [hint: @[email protected] 🙂]. I don't mind the looks of the piggy, but I completely understand your point of view.
Beautiful razors, all of those!
The 14-2.0 is, well, magic
That's no wonder: it has the power of the ice-age! 🦣🦣
Mammoth ivory razor scales are a needless expense ... until you have them :)
They are obviously better than camel bone scales - though probably not quite as cool as fossil dinosaur bone scales 😁
Loud and clear😅
I'm afraid I might be superficial enough to let that interfere with my enjoyment.
If you want to find out before you buy one, I'd be happy to loan you my Schweinchen.
I'm wondering about whether it's worth spending more for the 14-2
I don't have a 14-2, but if it's anything like a 14, and @gcgallant's makes me think it is, then it'll be a very different rescue than the thick Sheffield grind Schweinchen.
If you want to find out before you buy one, I'd be happy to loan you my Schweinchen.
I'm at the same time tempted and terrified: what happens if I transform your razor into a smoking piece of rust?
Let me think about it 🙏
what happens if I transform your razor into a smoking piece of rust?
That would be less than ideal 😅
But since you already have straights that haven't autocombusted spontaneously, I think I'm taking a very small risk here. All I'd ask you to do is sending it back in registered mail.
Let me think about it 🙏
Of course
If your offer is still open, I would gladly accept it. If I ruin your razor, I'll buy you another one. And I will send it back in whichever way you like.
Monday, September 18, 2023 - Some Sample, Some September
Was out of town for the weekend, and hadn't shaved since Friday morning. I usually shave every other day, and so this extra day off made it particularly satisfying.
2023.09.18 SOTD:
Prep: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleanser & Stirling Mentholated Pre-Shave Soap
Brush: AKA Brushworks Amethyst Watchman with 26mm AP Shave Co G5C
Razor: Henson AL-13 (+)
Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium Extra Stainless (2)
Lather: House of Mammoth Dammusi
Post Shave: Alum, Stirling Mentholated Unscented Witch Hazel and Aloe, House of Mammoth Dammusi Aftershave Splash, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream Extra-Dry
Good shave again today. The mild Henson is always a comfortable and easy shave. Hardest part of my shave this morning was keeping my cat from drinking the sink water while I was shaving.
My cat has never shown the slightest interest in my shaving gear - at the price of avoiding chicken and raw-fish scented soaps and after shaves.
He's a curious guy. He doesn't care about the gear, he just wanted some water.
3 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
This shave was good. Fili 14 good.
To keep with my personal theme this month, this Dovo has a new, refreshed edge. The previous edge was synthetic and this refresh was done completely on a single Jnat (a Nakayama Mizu Asagi Maruka Shouhonyama) with Asano naguras.
The visual quality of this edge is the best I have had on this razor and it is exceptionally sharp. I don't detect much difference in shave quality or shave feel from the previous edge, however. Shaving feels feather light and extremely comfortable. Beard is removed effortlessly.
This razor started as a disappointment and has become one of my favorites. The factory edge wasn't rubbish, but really did not impress me, nor live up to the razor's good looks [yes - if it's shiny, I'll like it]. But, no problem, I'm a hotshot honer, "I'll just put a new edge on it!". It got worse. I thought, "Perhaps I have a dud razor". @[email protected] has the same razor, and I had the chance to hone his. I produced an even worse result.
Obviously, I needed to change something. Finally, I decided to go back to basics. I would not leave the lowest grit stone until the edge geometry is properly established, nor would I advance from that stone until sharpness tests were where I want them to be. I also decided to manage slurry better; to always use it until final edge polishing.
I tried this strategy for my previous refresh of this edge. These changes worked wonders. The results were so good, I've applied this strategy to razors that I have sharpened since. The Jnat refresh that I did last night proved to me that I've learned something that is repeatable on this razor. I'm very happy with that.
Oh, I haven't used the Iron Chancellor in a while, I'll have to remedy that!
Sep 18, 2023 - Sample September: Kryptonite
I asked ChatGPT for complementary scent notes for the notes listed in Kryptonite: lime, litsea cubeba, balsam fir, cedar, cypress leaf, and howood.
The response:
The scents you've listed include a mix of citrus, woody, and resinous notes. Here are some scents that could complement them:
Citrus Notes (Lime, Litsea Cubeba):
Lemon, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Orange
Woody Notes (Balsam Fir, Cedar, Howood):
Sandalwood, Pine, Vetiver, Patchouli, Oakmoss
Resinous Notes (Balsam Fir):
Frankincense, Myrrh
Herbaceous Notes (Cypress Leaf):
Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Lavender
Based on those generated scents, The Night Before seemed like a close match: Frankincense and Myrrh, Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Balsam Fir, Mistletoe, and Rosemary.
How was the pairing in practice? Well, it was better than expected, but I think that without the sweet orange and frankincense of Hygge tying everything together in the end, it might not have been as nice.
#mammothmonday
September 18, 2023
Second shave with "My-Blades". I got a very close and comfortable shave. In this razor it had a completely different feel. I can't argue with the results, but the mild blade in a mild razor didn't quite feel right to me.
September 18, 2023: Equine Greatest Hits Straightember
Today, I hesitated between Narcisse and Mousse Illuminée - the latter one out, because I didn't want to repeat. A very serviceable shave. I only did 2 passes, but it was good enough.
Have a good night!
