2007.12.22 Shave of the Day

Shave of the Day Post

Category	Mfg	Item Name	Blog Link
	Shower
Hair Tonic:	Lucky Tiger	Special Formula Hair Tonic	[Link]
	Shave
Razor:	Feather	Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N	[Link]
Razor Blades:	Feather	Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N	[Link]
Razor:	Merkur	700 Futur Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Satin
Razor Blades:	Derby	Double Edged Razor Blades
Brush:	Omega	Boar Bristle and Chrome Handle Shave Brush
Bowl:	Mitsuwa	5" Blue swirl hand thrown Japanese Rice Bowl
Shave Cream/Soap:	The Gentlemen's Quarter	Spiced Lime Glycerin Shave Soap
Technique:		(Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
	Post Shave
Aftershave Balm:	Proraso	Liquid Cream Aftershave Balm
Aftershave:	Thayer's	Witch Hazel Aftershave	[Link]

Result: 4.5/5.0 Revisiting the Futur Razor. Glad to know my technique is not
gone. Darn close shave. TGQ soap performed up to standard.

What I Got For Christmas

3 Tubes of Crabtree & Evelyn Sweet Almond Oil Shave Cream
Remington Titanium Trimmer
Parfums de Coeur Designer Imposters for Men: Bring It (Unforgivable by Sean Jean)

[Link]

Top Notes
Basil, Citrus, Lavender,
Middle Notes
Sea Moss, Cashmere, Iris, Clary Sage,
Base Notes
Sandalwood, Amber, Tonka Bean,

2007.12.20 Shave of the Day

Shave of the Day

Category	Mfg	Item Name	Blog Link
	Shower
Shampoo/Conditioner:	Avalon Organics	Peppermint Revitalizing Shampoo w/Babassu Oil
Shampoo/Conditioner:	Avalon Organics	Peppermint Revitalizing Conditioner w/Babassu Oil
Bath Soap:	Dr. Bronner's	Peppermint Castille Soap
Facial Wash:	Neutrogena	Razor Defense Facial Scrub
Hair Tonic:	Lucky Tiger	Special Formula Hair Tonic	[Link]
Deodorant:	Tom's of Maine	Unscented Natural Deodorant
Floss:	Tom's of Maine	Naturally Waxed Antiplaque Unflavored Round Floss
Toothbrush:	Swissco	Badger Bristle Tooth Brush
Toothpaste:	Tom's of Maine	Cinnamon-Clove Whole Care Toothpaste Gel
	Shave
Razor:	Feather	Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N	[Link]
Razor Blades:	Feather	Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N	[Link]
Razor:	Gillette	1930s Brass 3 Piece Tech Knob End Double Edged Safety Razor	[Link]
Razor Blades:	7am	Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2	[Link]
Brush:	Crabtree & Evelyn	Edwin Jagger Made Brass & Faux Ebony Best Badger Shave Brush	[Link]
Bowl:	Mitsuwa	6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest	[Link]
Shave Cream/Soap:	Mama Bear	Eucalyptus Glycerin Shave Soap	[Link]
Technique:		(Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
	Post Shave
Aftershave Balm:	Aqua Velva	Classic Ice Blue Aftershave Balm	[Link]
Aftershave:	Aqua Velva	Classic Ice Blue Aftershave	[Link]
Cologne:	Saint Charles Shave LLC	SCS Blend 2-11 Eau De Toilette	[Link]
Aftershave Talc:	Pinaud Clubman	Aftershave Talc	[Link]

Result: 4.7/5.0 Minty Day! Took extra time and paid real close attention to what I was doing. BBS all the way. It's been real hectic and I needed to slow down. Almost time to pack up a few items to take home for a couple of weeks. Mama Bear's soaps are definitely better than her creams. This one I used today seemed to be one of the better soaps too. Tough to say sometimes. There are some Mama Bear product consistency issues I come across once in a while. Not as good as the TSD, QED, TGQ soaps IMHO. The scents a definite plus.

Posted to: The Shave Den

2007.12.19 Shave of the Day

Shave of the Day

Category	Mfg	Item Name	Blog Link
	Shave
Razor:	Gillette	1930s Brass 3 Piece Tech Knob End Double Edged Safety Razor	[Link]
Razor Blades:	7am	Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2	[Link]
Brush:	Crabtree & Evelyn	Edwin Jagger Made Brass & Faux Ebony Best Badger Shave Brush	[Link]
Bowl:	Mitsuwa	6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest	[Link]
Shave Cream/Soap:	Mama Bear	Spellbound Woods Shave Cream	[Link]
Technique:		WTG/45XTG/45XTG/ATG/Cleanup
	Post Shave
Aftershave:	Em's Place	Minty Menthol Aftershave and Body Splash	[Link]
Cologne:	Mama Bear	Spellbound Cologne	[Link]

Result: 4.5/5.0 Love the Spellbound Woods Scent

Posted to: The Shave Den

Aqua Velva Classic Ice Blue Aftershave and Balm

I can't believe I'm actually doing this. I'm going to catch a lot of flack for sure. First of all viva la AVCL (Anti Velva Citizens League). OK, I got that out of the way. The is the number one drugstore, supermarket, bargain bin aftershave sold in the world probably. OK, I don't know if it is or not but they sure sell a hell of a lot of the stuff. Let me make this clear. I DID NOT buy this. It was a gift along with the balm. :) My wife even tortured me with wrapping it up and re-gifting what was already something that was mine. Sheesh. Now, what do I think of it. Well, I do like to use it after exercising on occasion. It has really nice cool down properties after a creating a big sweat on the Treadmill. So, it does have at least one redeeming quality. Toilet bowl cleaner is another one. AV does have decent skin properties too. Should have used it in WW I for chemical warfare. War would have been over much quicker. It's been classified as an WMD. It's officially classified as a terrorist threat under Homeland Security rules. OK, joking aside. Many people like Aqua Velva and swear by it. Many people can't stand it. You have to try it for yourself and decide. Are you A.C.L.V. or H.A.V.O.C.? Seriously though for me it's a decent product once I get past the initial splash into dry down. The smell overpowers my sensibilities when it first goes on. Much tamer and pleasant once it dries and the room clears.

Now the balm is a different story. I'd put it on a par with a Nivea or Neutrogena over the counter products and it has a much tamer scent.

Saint Charles Shave Colognes, EDTs, and Aftershaves

SCS Blend 2-11 Eau De Toilette

I'm pretty picky about my colognes. I don't like them overpowering. I don't need to have them last all day. Since I work in an office with a lot of people, I have to keep it toned down. It used to be that my body chemistry made a lot of colognes smell poorly. The Saint Charles Shave line of colognes suit me perfectly. Subtle, last long, good skin properties and most of all, they smell great . Every one of them. Even my wife likes them on me and that is saying a lot. When I run out of these, I will be buying more. The one I'm hoarding the most is the Sandalwood which smells faintly of coconut for some reason. It's not made anymore. A shame since my daughter loves to smell it on me. There are several new scents I'm itching to try. I am a little disappointed that Sue tends to discontinue products on a regular basis once a market is saturated. No chance for second purchases. So don't buy something and expect to be able to get another bottle later. If you like it, buy another bottle right away and put it away.

Manufacturers Information:

Bay Rum With a Twist Eau De Toilette
Bay Rum With a Twist, combines the clean fresh scent of Lime with the warmth and spice of Bay Rum.

Embrace Eau De Toilette (Closing Out)
Embrace Eau De Toilette is a gentleman’s sensuous blend of sandalwood, touched with vanilla and musk, with a light splash of orange and cinnamon

Sandalwood Eau De Toilette (Gone) - My Favorite
Warm Sandalwood with a hint of coconut? It must be my chemistry. Very different but oh so nice smelling.

SCS Blend 2-11 Eau De Toilette (Gone)
A nice subtle citrus type of smell.

Embrace Aftershave Milk (Closing Out)
You can almost classify this as an aftershave balm. Very good skin conditioning properties.

Sandalwood Aftershave (Gone)
Haven't had a chance to try this yet. Didn't need to since the Eau De Toilette is so nice. Thought it might be overkill. I'll have to dig it out from the garage and see how it is.

Mama Bear Shave Soaps

Eucalyptus Oil Glycerin Shave Soap

Mama Bear shave soaps are what I started out with when transitioning from shave creams. Mama Bear glycerin soaps are a typical glycerin melt and pour soap that pretty much anybody can make at home with a decent soap base and some essential or fragrance oils plus a couple of other ingredients. I would suggest staying with the soaps that use essential oils. There are many many great scents to choose from as you can see from my shave locker. The performance of the soaps as I use more and more soaps from various manufacturers show me that they are not the best when it comes to performance. Although they are adequate, they lack some key ingredients for moisture and skin care. Batch consistency has also been an issue which means quality control needs to be addressed a little better. Once I use up these soaps, I will not buy them again. QED, Tryphon and especially, Saint Charles Shave LLC soaps, are much better.

Manufacturer's Web Site:

These are my favorites:
Doc's Northern Dragon Glycerin Shave Soap
Dragon's Blood Glycerin Shave Soap
Eucalyptus Glycerin Shave Soap
Marauder's Citrus Bay Rum & Tangerine Glycerin Shave Soap
Mayan Gold Glycerin Shave Soap
Spellbound Woods Glycerin Shave Soap
Unscented Glycerin Shave Soap - Great for super lathers

Note: There is really only one scent I don't like and that is the Woodland Pear. The other scents I like only a little less than my favorites.

Mama Bear Spellbound Woods Cologne

This cologne is a really nice match to Mama Bear's Spellbound Woods Shave Soap or Cream. Good moisturizing properties along with a scent that lasts all day. A good standalone subtle cologne. I have the winter aftershave balm and Issy's bath soap that goes with this. Love the scent.

Mama Bear Shave Creams

Spellbound Woods Shave Cream

Mama Bear branched out into shave creams a while ago and went through a couple of formulations for consumer purchases. It was a hit or miss thing. I'm not sure if she sells creams now since I have not seen them on her web site. I'll make some general comments about the creams and then add some specific notes. First, the first formulation was not that good. It lacked a lot of everything and was not considered anything special. The second formulation was much better but quality control was a definite issue. You were never sure what you were getting was going to be OK. I ended up getting four of these creams and then stopped. There are much better products out there. Go to her website if you want a description of the scents. I will not be purchasing any more of the Mama Bear Shave Creams.

Manufacturers Web Site

Spellbound Woods Shave Cream
This is the best of the bunch in terms of scent and quality. Good lather, cushion, great scent and so on. A keeper for sure.

Sandalwood Vanilla Shave Cream
This is the next best. Quality was a little less but the scent is just fine.

Irish Glen Shave Cream
This was an early formulation. The scent is almost non-existent and lacks a lot of other things. I'll be using this as a pre shave lather product to use it up.

Attar of Rose Shave Cream
Cross this off the list entirely. Rose is a tough scent for me anyway but this one just doesn't make it in any way. It was a first formulation product and pretty much fell apart. Definitely a pre shave lather only product. Maybe mix it in with a shampoo or something.

2007.12.18 Shave of the Day

Shave of the Day

Category	Mfg	Item Name	Blog Link
	Shower
Hair Tonic:	Lucky Tiger	Special Formula Hair Tonic	[LInk}
	Shave
Razor:	Gillette	1930s Brass 3 Piece Tech Knob End Double Edged Safety Razor	[Link]
Razor Blades:	7am	Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2	[Link]
Brush:	Crabtree & Evelyn	Edwin Jagger Made Brass & Faux Ebony Best Badger Shave Brush	[Link]
Bowl:	Mitsuwa	6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest	[Link]
Shave Cream/Soap:	Mäurer & Wirtz	Tabac Original Triple Milled Shave Soap	{Link]
Technique:		WTG/45XTG/45XTG/ATG/Cleanup
	Post Shave
Aftershave:	Em's Place	Minty Menthol Aftershave and Body Splash	[Link]
Cologne:	Mäurer & Wirtz	Tabac Original Men's Cologne	[Link]

Result: 4.4/5.0 Tabac Day and it was good. The Tech is mild so it's not going to get as close as the Feather ACD-N but it was pretty close to BBS. Face is still smooth but I can feel where it's going to come in faster than usual. For some reason, the smell of Tabac right now is making me want to smoke a pipe. A Cavendish type of aroma.

Posted to: The Shave Den

Tabac Shave Soap & Cream

Mäurer & Wirtz Tabac Original Triple Milled Shave Soap

Strong scented which you either love or hate. There is no denying however that this soap does it's job well for me. It lathers easy. It's slick and glide are well above average. It does not dry your skin out and the lather lasts on your face and in the bowl. I can get 4 passes easy out of my normal lather making routine without trying hard. This soap and the cream version are ones I enjoy coming back to time and again.

Mäurer & Wirtz Tabac Original Shave Cream

The only thing I have to add for the cream is the cushion and moisturizing factors go up. Otherwise is very similar to the soap. I could make a really nice super lather out of these two together.

Tabac Colognes

Mäurer & Wirtz Tabac Original Men's Cologne

Top Notes

Pepper, Petitgrain, Citrus, Neroli

Middle Notes
Lavender, Camomie, Geranium, Oakmoss

Base Notes
Carnation, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Moschus, Ambergris

A very nice compliment to the Tabac Shave Soap & Cream. A little strong going on but drys down to a nice subtle fragrance. Lasts maybe 3-4 hours.

Mäurer & Wirtz Tabac Culture for Men Eau De Toilette

Top Notes

Melon, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Cedar Leaves

Middle Notes
Rose, Geranium, Spice, Leather

Base Notes
Pine, Sandalwood, Ambergris, Patchouli, Oakmoss

Very weak and subtle. Does not last long. You hardly know it's there but good if you are ound a lot of people and don't want to offend them with a stronger cologne.

The Shave Den Secret Santa

Pre de Provence Shea Butter Shave Soap

Institut Karite 25% Shea Butter Shave Soap

Olbas Oil

Olbas Oil by Penn Herb Co, LTD, has a number of uses. Massage Oil, sinus clearing, sore muscles and an additive for customizing shave products to make them mentholated. I like to add this to shave creams of custom aftershave mixes. It;s god for when I have a sinus cold too. I put a few drops on a tissue and breath deep or a few drops on a cloth and put it inside my pillow case. Makes me sleep a lot easier when i can breath.

Manufacturer's Information:

The information provided by the manufacturer is too lengthy to put here so it's best that you click on the Manufacturer's Information link.

2007.12.17 Shave of the Day

Shave of the Day

Category	Mfg	Item Name	Blog Link
	Shave
Razor:	Gillette	1930s Brass 3 Piece Tech Knob End Double Edged Safety Razor	[Link]
Razor Blades:	7am	Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2	[Link]
Brush:	Crabtree & Evelyn	Edwin Jagger Made Brass & Faux Ebony Best Badger Shave Brush	[Link]
Bowl:	Mitsuwa	6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest	[Link]
Shave Cream/Soap:	Wilkinson Sword	Blue Glycerin Shave Soap	[Link]
Technique:		WTG/45XTG/45XTG/ATG/Cleanup
	Post Shave
Aftershave:	Em's Place	Minty Menthol Aftershave and Body Splash	[Link]

Sunday 2007.12.16 - No Shave

Result: 4.6/5.0 Still had the Treet in there and tried again. Nope. Pulled the blade and replaced it with a 7AM I had in the kit. Much better. The 7AM agreed with the 3 piece Gillette Razor. Thinner head so under nose shaving is easier. I'm happy now. Toss the Treet blade, it's not playing nice. Had to add Olbas Oil o the AS. The mintiness is gone.

Posted To: The Shave Den

Em's Place Minty Menthol Aftershave and Body Splash

When I first got this aftershave, I went Wow! This is one cooling aftershave and it feels nice, moisturizes and cuts down on irritation. Big menthol/minty splash. OK, this is still a great product after having it for about six months but it's lost it's menthol/minty. So, I added some Olbas Oil to spruce it back up. That worked. I'm not sure what happened so, I'm using it up and I'll let Em know it did that. It just might be the nature of the menthol beast.

Manufacturer's Information:

Skin freshener and astringent that can provide a tingling and cooling sensation which is normal due to the menthol content. This stimulating blend is especially good at the start of the day, during hot spells and anytime a lift is desired. Has a mentholated minty aroma with an herbaceous undertone. The pure witch hazel distillate and rosemary hydrosol is the real thing. #mn-wasm

Ingredients: Rosemary Hydrosol, Witch Hazel distillate (from Hamamelis virginana), Glycerin, Jojoba, Vit. E., Rosemary Extract, Black Willow Bark Extract, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Vit. C and Essential Oils of Peppermint, Rosemary, Spearmint and Frankincense.

Wilkinson Sword Blue Glycerin Shave Soap

Not really a soap since it depends on chemicals to create a lather. Nice fresh scent. Needs more water and soap to lather up than average. Creates a slick, long lasting lather that does not dry out your face. Definitely not top of the line but no slouch either. OK soap to have lying around. I wouldn't use it for travel though. Needs a brush. If you can find the shave stick version, definitely a plus+ since that is a much better and more natural soap.

Ingredients (Care of moviemaniac at The Shave Den):
Aqua, Stearic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Cocos Nuciferia, Parfum, Coconut Acid, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Amyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methypropional, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool

Crabtree & Evelyn Edwin Jagger Made Brass & Faux Ebony Best Badger Shave Brush

About a 21-22mm badger hair brush. Nice backbone, stiffness and loft size. Works well with creams or soaps. Not overly scritchy. Won it on an eBay auction at a decent price. It's made by Edwin Jagger for Crabtree so the quality is there. I keep it in my normal work rotation. Gets used about as much as my Crabtree & Evelyn BBB Brush.

2007.12.15 Shave of the Day

Shave of the Day

Category	Mfg	Item Name	Blog Link
	Shave
Razor:	Gillette	1930s Brass 3 Piece Tech Knob End Double Edged Safety Razor	[Link]
Razor Blades:	Treet	Double Edge Razor Blades (Blue Steel)	[Link}
Brush:	Shavemac	23mm Handmade Nickel Ivory Pure Badger Shave Brush
Bowl:	Mitsuwa	5" Blue swirl hand thrown Japanese Rice Bowl
Shave Cream/Soap:	Crabtree & Evelyn	Sweet Almond Oil Shave Cream	[Link]
Technique:		WTG/45XTG/45XTG/Cleanup
	Post Shave
Aftershave:	Thayer's	Witch Hazel Aftershave	[Link]

Result: 4.0/5.0 Lousy shave. I don't mean blood or irritation lousy. I mean the blade made the shave very very tough to pull off and what made it worse was I was short on time so I had to limit it to two passes. Reminded me of a bad cartridge shave.

Posted to: The Shave Den

Gillette 1930s Brass 3 Piece Tech Knob End Double Edged Safety Razor

This razor isn't in the best of condition but definitely serviceable. The picture doesn't bring out the brightness very well. This is brass which has a lower shine anyway. It's a three piece razor where the handle screws off and the head separates into two pieces. Pretty easy to use. It's a little light and thin but easy in the hand. Thinner head so under nose shaving is easier. Make a nice travel or finishing razor for me. I would consider it a mild razor.

Treet Double Edge Razor Blades (Blue Steel)

These are cool looking blades and all. Carbon steel and supposed to be very sharp. I can't stand them. They have failed in every razor I have put them in. They skip and chatter all over the place. It's only on my third pass do they begin to work. My other complaint is they rust. Unless you take them out of the razor and dry them off or throw the razor head into some alcohol, they rust. I've given up on these blades after twelve different razor combinations. Can't win them all.

7AM Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades v2

I've received a number of these blades from various purchases as "little extras." They're a solid blade but not one that works in everything for me. I had to try a number of razors with differing blade exposures to find the right match. I'm using them up but would not make a special purchase of them.

2007.12.14 Shave of the Day

Shave of the Day Post

Category	Mfg	Item Name	Blog Link
	Shower
Hair Tonic:	Lucky Tiger	Special Formula Hair Tonic	[LInk}
	Shave
Razor:	Feather	Artist Club DX Japanese Style Non-Folding Razor ACD-N	[Link]
Razor Blades:	Feather	Professional Blades for Feather ACD-N	[Link]
Razor:	Merkur	37C Slant Bar HD Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome	[Link}
Razor Blades:	Feather	High Stainless Platinum Double Edged Razor Blades	[Link}
Bowl:	Mitsuwa	6" Beige shallow hand thrown Japanese bowl with side rest	[Link]
Brush:	Crabtree & Evelyn	Edwin Jagger Made Small Best Badger Brush	[Link]
Shave Cream/Soap:	Crabtree & Evelyn	Sweet Almond Oil Shave Cream	[Link]
Technique:		(Feather WTG/ATG)/(DE XTG/Cleanup)
	Post Shave
Aftershave Balm:	Mama Bear	Unscented Summer Aftershave Milk	[Link]
Aftershave:	Thayer's	Witch Hazel Aftershave	[Link]
Aftershave Talc:	Pinaud Clubman	Aftershave Talc	[Link]

Result: 4.0/5.0 OK, the numbers don't show it but it was a wonderful shave. C&E Sweet Almond Oil creams come through again. The fault was me pushing the envelope with the Feather ACD-N. Damn, I got a close shave though. It's those tiny little nooks and crannies, even with stretching that make it so tough. I'm learning though. All this will pay off in the end when I do more with str8s. Each time I pick a str8 up my technique gets better.

Posted to: The Shave Den