Anherb Aftershave Conditioner

There is a matching aftershave gel to this product and either one of them will work fine for those times you really need some skin conditioning after you blew a shave and roughed yourself up. There are three things you can reach for when your face is left in bad shape. Raw Shea Butter, 99% Aloe Vera Gel and this. This conditioner is very expensive but works very well without a lot of stickiness. I use it very sparingly though. You don't need much but it really is for special situations unless you have money coming out of your ears. It's also tough to find but usually someone on the boards knows someone who is selling it.

Institut Karite 25% Shea Butter Shave Soap

A really nice shave soap made in France. It has all the qualities of a well made shave soap with a nice light fresh scent and the added benefit of shea butter. Price wise , it's a little on the expensive side with being @ $14.25 for a puck without a bowl. I'd compare it favorably to a C&E or Taylor of Old Bond Street Soap.

Thayers' Witch Hazel Facial Toners

Many many uses for this product. I primarily use it as a post shave facial toner and a dry skin moisturizer. Either way, it a great product to have around. I have the Lavender, Original and Rose Petal versions and I need to get the Cucumber version. The Lavender and Rose Petal versions are lightly scented and fade fairly quickly so you don't walk around all day smell like flowers but they do complement and Rose or Lavender shave creams/soaps you used. As a moisturizer, I find these products to work well for light-moderate dryness and if you pair them up with a heavy moisturizer you get the a better result IMHO.

Kent Lanolin Shave Soap

This soap is also known as Mitchell's Wool Fat Soap. It's the same soap but can be usually found a little cheaper. This soap is a little different kind of animal as it is lanolin based versus the normal glycerin based shave soap. It has very little scent to it and can be tough to get the lather right. I suggest definitely putting a some water on this soap to soak a little for trying to lather off of it. It will go much better for you. The glide, comfort and everything is quite nice. Some shavers say it drys out there skin a little but I find it to be fine. I think because I go to the trouble of soaking the soap and making sure there is enough water in the lather on my face. Good soap to have in your rotation but this soap may not be for everyone.

Merkur 500 Progress Adjustable Double Edged Safety Razor Chrome

A

Hand's down the best DE I have for shave quality and feel in my hand. It's my Go To razor. Other Merkur razors come real close or might be better in certain situations but as an overall razor it's the one I reach for. I have this in Gold and a Mergress (Custom Steel Knob) version too. The one quirk it has is the adjustment numbers all the way down don't go to 1. Always a little higher depending on the blade I have in it. You get used it that quirk pretty quickly. I also think Merkur should get rid of the plastic knob and go with metal. Cosmetic, I know but worth a few extra bucks.

Pinaud Clubman Classic Virgin Island Bay Rum Aftershave

One word. STRONG. Man this stuff can sting and it lasts a very long time. Love the scent and all but a splash of water with it or wait a few minutes before putting it on helps a lot. For God's sake, close your pores! OK, if you like Bay Rum, you'll probably enjoy this stuff. Feel the Burn!

Ogalla Bay Rum Glycerin Shave Soap

This is a tough one. I love the scent and the glide and skin conditioning is very nice but I have an issue with the cushioning and lather stabilization of this soap. The lather does not have staying power. It's looks and feels real nice when you lather it up and then it wants to skip town. It doesn't matter how thick you put it on. Two passes if you're lucky and you need to recharge the brush. It's not just my face. It fades in the brush too. I need to sacrifice half a puck and turn it into a scream by mixing it with Kiss My Face Unscented Shave Cream as an experiment.

Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Herbal Shave Soap

OK, first of all, this soap is not cheap. It's considered top shelf and there is a reason for it. It's just plain great. Lather, glide, comfort, scent all are top notch. The only downside is the price and that is why I give it a 4/5 rating. I need to use it less so it will last longer.

Truefitt & Hill Luxury Shave Soap (Bowl Refill)

Purchased on The Shave Den Forum. I've heard nothing but good things about this soap. If it's anything like the creams I have then this soap should do quite well.

2008.05.06 - First shave with this product. I wasn't disappointed. I took a risk on this because even though something is supposed to be top notch and it costs more than average, it should be great. The lather, glide, cushion and skin care were all there. If you want scent, forget it. It's a nice clean, fresh, "soap" scent. Now, the trick will be to use this back to back with say the Institut Karite and the Crabtree & Evelyn Soaps for comparison. At first impression, I'd say this soap should hold it's own.

Custom Afzelia Burl Wood 24mm Silvertip Badger Shave Brush

This Afzelia Burl wood Silver Tipped Badger hair shaving brush was hand turned. This 24mm Silver Tipped Badger hair brush has extra stuffing and long hair. The brush and handle together are 5 1/2" tall. The Badger brush is 2 1/4" wide and 2 1/2" tall. The shaving brushes' finish is durable, highly polished cannot be penetrated by water.

Afzelia Burl is a rare and beautiful wood with colorful wood and wavy flow in the burl. This piece has an interesting combination of lighter sap wood and darker heartwood--very striking. Depending on your view, this brush is like looking at two different pieces of wood.

Here a some comments about this brush after about a 10 days of usage. The handle is outstanding. Beautiful wood and craftsmanship. Light and fits my hand well. A little tall for weight so I have to watch out for tipping. Finish is excellent. The knot is the one weakness to this brush. The loft is fine. The bristle softness is fine but the density of the brush should be more and it looks like the trimming and placement distribution of bristles are a little lopsided. You can tell when you load up the brush where the flaws are in the knot. Also, the brush is advertised as a 24mm knot but I'm guessing it's a little smaller. I need to measure it but putting it next to my other 23mm brushes it looks a little small. I would love to get some more of these handles from this maker and have someone else supply the brush knot.

Kent BK8 Large Ivory Silver Tip Badger Shaving Brush

Outstanding brush. Works for both creams and soaps. Hasn't shed, holds a lot of water and lather, soft and has good backbone. I load this up and I have enough lather for 3-4 passes easy. The BK8 is the mid size brush in this line. There is the smaller BK4 and the larger BK12. I've had a BK4 and would get one again. I can't imagine how big a BK12 is since I would consider this brush at the upper limit of my brush sizes.

Shavemac 23mm #157 Handmade Black Brown Finest Badger Shave Brush

Black/Brown
Height: 4.3 inch
Finest Badger Hair
Knot Size 23 mm

Manufacturer's Item

The Gentlemen's Quarter Shave Soaps

Of all the glycerin based shave soaps that I have, not including the really high end ones, these soaps I consider the best for me. The scents, the lather, the glide, cushion and skin care are all well above average. Once I trim down my shave soap collection I will be buying much more of these soaps. I made the mistake of getting sample pucks and I use them a lot so, I'm sure I will need to get more soon. There are some very unique scents and the product consistency is always there. I use these soaps more often on the weekends than any other shave cream or soap.

Manufacturer's Information
TGQ’s Shaving Soaps are made from the finest quality base on the market today and are unique in that they are a “soap” not just a glycerin base filled with detergents. Our shaving soap is 100 % natural with added Kosher glycerin from a vegetable source. We add no synthetic detergents, chelators, foaming enhancers or artificial colors to our base. What we do add is a Custom blend of rich creamy goat’s milk, moisturizing shea butter and skin soothing aloe vera along with our own special blend of the finest ground Kaolin, Bentonite and Rhassoul clays to provide superior slip and glide without drying your skin. Our custom shaving soap has gained a reputation for its superior lather, cushion, and beautiful slip....as one customer so eloquently stated, “ the razor danced over my face like Hans Brinker on his Silver Skates.”


Manufacturer's Web Site

Wilkinson Sword Glycerin Shave Soap Stick

A much better product then the Blue Bowl. A little bit awkward for some people because of the shave stick format but, great for travel. It is a more natural soap with much better lathering, glide and shave properties. If you can find them, pick up one or two.

Ingredients (Care of moviemaniac at The Shave Den):
Potassium Stearate, Sodium Stearate, Potassium Tallowate, Potassium Cocoate, Aqua, Sodium Tallowate, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoate, Parfum, Lanolin, Potassium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool, CI 51319, CI 74160, CI 77891

Crabtree & Evelyn Shave Soaps

Rating:

Since the properties of the all the shave soaps Crabtree & Evelyn offers are similar, I make some general comments and then some I'll add some specific comments for each scent. These soaps are my number one choice out of my Top 5. They consistently give me a wonderful shave whether I am using a DE, a str8 or the Feather ACD-N. Even better is the family likes to gives these to me as presents. I guard them jealously. But, these soaps are not for everyone. There are two comments made that you hear. One is that people don't like the scents. An example is the Sweet Almond Oil. It doesn't smell like almonds. Not true. If you crush raw almonds and smell them, it smells just like it and not like some sickly almond pastry. The same with the other scents. They are very close to a natural scent and lasts a long time. The second comment is they leave your face a little dry. I personally find these soaps very slick and luxurious . They do finish off dry during the shave like so many French milled soaps but do not make your face dry out. Glide is right on. Comes in a Teakwood bowl with refills available.


Manufacturer's Information:

Featured Ingredients:
Palm kernel oil (emollient), glycerin (moisturizing), Vitamin E (soothing, antioxidant), fragrance notes: sandalwood oil, cedar and vetiver

Sweet Almond Oil Shave Soap

The best of the best. Love the scent. This was my first soap and prompted me to buy the other versions. It has never let me down.

Premium sweet almond oil shave soap produces a rich, conditioning lather for a luxuriously smooth, close, comfortable shave.

• Premium sweet almond oil
• Traditional shave soap
• For use with a shave brush.
• Rich lathering
• Skin comforting formula
• Antioxidant Vitamin E
• Helps prevent irritation from razor drag
• Teakwood Bowl
• Re-fill soaps available

Scent: Sweet spring fragrance with a hint of bitter almond.

Nomad Shave Soap

Rich-lathering formula with Vitamin E, conditions skin and helps protect against razor burn and irritation. Leaves skin scented with a refreshing blend of ginger, citron and bamboo.

• Traditional shave soap
• For use with a shave brush.
• Rich lathering
• Skin comforting formula
• Antioxidant Vitamin E
• Helps prevent irritation from razor drag
• Teakwood Bowl
• Re-fill soaps available

Scent: Woody aromatic blend of exotic ginger, citron and green bamboo.

Sandalwood Shave Soap

Rich-lathering brushless formula enriched with Vitamin E, conditions the skin and helps protect against razor burn and irritation. Leaves skin subtly scented with warm sandalwood – a prized aromatic for over 4,000 years.

• Traditional shave soap
• For use with a shave brush.
• Rich lathering
• Skin comforting formula
• Antioxidant Vitamin E
• Helps prevent irritation from razor drag
• Teakwood Bowl
• Re-fill soaps available

Scent: Woody aromatic blend of sandalwood oil, cedarwood and vetiver.

Sienna Shave Soap

Rich-lathering formula enriched with Vitamin E, conditions the skin and helps protect against razor burn and irritation. Leaves skin scented with a masculine blend of leather, citrus and spice.

• Traditional shave soap
• For use with a shave brush.
• Rich lathering
• Skin comforting formula
• Antioxidant Vitamin E
• Helps prevent irritation from razor drag
• Teakwood Bowl
• Re-fill soaps available

Scent: Masculine blend of leather, citrus and spice with a hint of fire and herbs.

Rooney 22mm Style 2 Small Ivory Super Silvertip Badger Shave Brush

Alert! This is not a hard shave soap brush. It has nice loft and it's very soft and certainly is a quality brush but it lacks solid backbone and I don't like mashing it on a cake of hard soap. Soft Glycerin softs are OK. The head shape is flat which makes it more of a face painter. Similar to my Shavemac Custom Brush. You can see a comparison here between the two.



I acquired this brush from Leisureguy and have been happy with it. Throw it at a nice cream and it really flourishes.

Personna Double Edge Super Platinum Chrome Razor Blades

Another Wal-Mart purchase. This time it was $1.57 for 10 blades. I can't beat that. They don't have the sharpness of a Feather and maybe not as smooth as a Derby but they're not bad either. I threw these into a Merkur 38C Razor this week for the fun of it and they performed just fine. So, if you run out of blades (not likely to happen) or just want to try something on the cheap. Give these a go.

Merkur 38C Classic HD Long Handled Doubled Edged Safety Razor Chrome

This razor has the geometries of the Merkur 34C razor I like so much with a longer handle. Since I'm comfortable with a heavier razor, this just suits me fine. It's the razor I will use at home most often on the weekends when I tend to do quick shaves. It's one of my Top 5 Merkur Razors and one that I can use a wide range of blades with. Solid construction throughout. Some people don't like the balance on this razor but like I said, I tend to like a little heavier razor and it fits nicely in my hand.

Shavemac 23mm Handmade Nickel Blue Silvertip Badger Fan Shaped Shave Brush

It's the one on the right. I have a Rooney Style 2 Small next to it for comparison. Probably the best brush I have dollar for dollar. I love this brush. A real face painter. It doesn't have as much stiffness as a Shavemac Best Badger but who cares. I use this brush and just want to paint, paint, paint. The fan shape let's it whip up even more lather and there is more exposure to the face. I can do either soaps or creams with this brush but it really shines with a quality cream. A+ all the way and I paid < $80 for it custom made on a special deal.

Manufacturers Web Site

Kiss My Face Moisture Shave Creams

You're probably wondering why I have this off the shelf shave cream. Why? Because it's good stuff and versatile. I make super lathers with it, I use it as a pre shave lather and I use it to bail out poor performing soaps. It lathers quick, It has cushion and nice thick lather and good moisturizing properties. It's marketed to women for the most part but it is one you will find in a lot of men's shave cabinets. It's also good for experimenting with for the mad scientist in you. It doesn't compare to one of the three T's be any means but it's no slouch either and well priced. I have the unscented, mint and patchouli. I need to get some lime.


Manufacturer's Information:

Our Fragrance Free Moisture Shave contains a moisturizing formula with antiseptic Peppermint to cool and stimulate, emollients Olive Oil and Coconut Oil and Aloe Vera for healing. Goldenseal heals and acts as an antiseptic. Arnica aids circulation. Lady's Mantle is an astringent and has styptic properties. Sage, Horsetail, and Orangeflower act as astringents and refreshers. Soapwort is rich lathering, effective with acne, and like Lemon Grass, cleansing. Vitamins A, D, and E, the nutrients so important for healthy skin, complete the shave.

As always, our products contain no animal ingredients, artificial colors, or unnecessary chemicals and were not tested on animals.

Manufacturer's Web Site