Trying the Parker SRB again...

What a way to start out my week!  Perhaps the best shave so far.  

I opened up the sample puck of Stirling Coniferous and pressed it down into my Old Spice mug.  I limbered up the Parker SRB and placed the Merkur 34HD in reserve.  Lathering was pretty easy and I soon detected the scent of southern pines around my face.  

I made a little more progress with the Parker, shaving both cheeks and jaws, cleaned up around my mustache and then down my neck on either side of my adam's apple.  I got a little jumpy when I got around my jugular so I put down the Parker and finished up with the Merkur.  I did 2 more passes then I squeezed the remaining lather from the brush and had it in my left hand and went chasing stubble on the back of my jaw and on my lower neck.  Much neck contortion was implemented and soon I was done.  Absolutely no prickles or missed spots anywhere!

I finished up with the Old Spice aftershave.  I've used Old Spice Cologne for years but have not used the OS aftershave for quite a few years.   It smells about the same, but the AS doesn't stay around like the cologne.  I'll have to add some cologne if I intend to seduce the Mrs.

Sterling Glacial - Mini Review

In a previous post, I mentioned that I received a huge package of soaps as the recipient of a PIF thread on the Shave Nook.  I chose the sample of Stirling Glacial to start out.  I've used the soap 5 times and have about 1 more shave to go before it is all done.

 I used it for 2 full head shaves and 3 full face shaves.

My initial impression upon peeling off the wrapping was that it smelled minty.  I also noticed that the soap was much softer than I expected, not that this was a problem.

I pressed the soap down into my shaving mug and pondered what I ought to do.  I decided to put a little water on it and let it set for a few minutes while my brush soaked.

When I took the brush to the mug, the scent of mint became much stronger.  It took quite a while to make much lather and the lather, while slick and creamy looking, seemed a bit thin.  I brushed it on my head for the first shave and my eyes started watering and my skin felt cold!  I finished up the shave in somewhat stunned cold silence.  I was impressed by how cold it was.

My subsequent shaves were very similar, however, I was able to get a thicker lather each time.  The last two lathers were augmented with the addition of a bit of Van Der Hagan glycerin soap with the thought that I might be able "thicken" up the lather.  I think it worked.  I also think that it cut the menthol and mint down just a bit as my eyes did not water as much.

All in all, the Stirling Glacial was a superb introduction to Stirling Soaps.  Stay tuned for the next installment when I review the next sample in line.

Gillette Weekender

SoTD - 2/22/14

Today's shave was not great.  Not bad, but not great.  This was my first use of this particular blade.  I can't say that I liked it.  Will try again tomorrow with better face preparation.

Gillette Tech

Gillette Super Thin

Stirling Glacial soap

Omega 31025 boar bristle

Captain's Choice Bay Rum aftershave.

Sort of straight and narrow

I purchased a Parker SRB shavette this week.   It takes replaceable blades.  I thought I wanted to give a try at shaving with it and see if straight razor shaving might be something I want to do.

I realized that I likely wouldn't want to do a complete 3 pass shave with the Parker, so I kept my Merkur 34HD handy.  I prepped up with a warm face wash and started soaking my brush and the Stirling Glacial soap.  I also soaked up my puck of Van Der Hagan glycerin soap to help cut down on the menthol eye burning. 

It worked!  I made a good lather in the mugs and painted up my whiskers.  I opened up the Parker and got going.  It really wasn't as hard as I expected.  I was fairly tentative but did not open any gaping wounds or cause any weepers.  I had absolutely no issues with using my left hand to shave the left side of my face.

After pass 1 with the Parker, I picked up the Merkur and finished up the shave in easy fashion.  I completed the whole shave with an application of Captain's Choice Cat O 9 Tails.  The combination of ice cold Glacial and the sting of the Captain's Choice made for a wonderful face feel.  I really liked it.

Stirling Glacial Shave Soap - Headshave

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I received a massive gift box of shaving and bath soaps.  I decided to give one a try tonight for shaving my head.

Stirling Soaps makes natural, tallow based soaps.  The samples I received are nicely sized and you can tell by looking at them that they are natural and handmade.  I chose the sample of Glacial for tonight's headshave.

I decided to use my Merkur 34HD tonight.

I was impressed by the "minty" smell when I removed the package.  The soap is relatively soft so I decided to press it into my Hull Pottery Old Spice #3 mug.

I soaked my Omega shaving brush in the sink for about 5 minutes while I prepped the soap and my scalp.  I then shook out most of the water from the brush and started swirling it in the mug.  I swirled for about a minute, adding drops of water as the lather developed.  It became thick and creamy looking and the brush appeared to have plenty of lather.

I then took the brush to my head to continue developing the lather.  I swirled, painted and slapped the lather on my scalp.  The lather was slick and thick and immediately the menthol in the soap began to cool my scalp. 

The shave proceeded smoothly.  I did notice that as I shaved away hair, the resulting bare skin felt really cold, almost stingingly cold.  That's not a bad thing.  I ended up doing a 2 pass shave, meaning I shaved my head completely, rinsed my scalp, re-lathered and shaved again.  I did not nick myself at all.  

I think it turned out very well.  

Wet Shavers are so generous!

The wet shaving brotherhood (can I say that?) is really wild.  We all buy too much stuff and then feel the desire to share with others.

I won a little Pay It Forward (PIF) contest over at the Shave Nook late last week and this massive amount of shaving soap arrived in the mail today!  Apparently a group of wet shavers in the Austin, Texas area actually break the "virtual" mold and get together in person to talk about shaving and sharing their loot.  They brought together a bunch of stuff and put together 2 similar sized giveaways.  I happened to be fortunate enough to win this one!

I have no idea about the retail cost of this, but it is huge.  And, Bob covered the postage cost to boot!

I hope to give a few mini reviews of each product as I try it out and use it up.  That ought to cover the next several years!

Better go start shaving!

SOTD - 2/18/14

Quiet shave this morning.  No issues at all.  Paired a Gillette Fat Handle Tech with a Wilkinson Sword blade and it worked well.  The tech is a nice razor.  Face lathered the soap sample and got along fine.