SOTY awards 2019

Boycie83 said:
It might just be in my head but I'm convinced it's softer. Works fantastically with soaps and provides a lovely silvertip feel softness when used.
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Do you have the Yaqi Rainbow/Faux Horse? I have that brush and the tips are incredibly soft, but I find the fibres to be very soft, maybe too soft if anything. The Yaqi brush I tend to use the most is the Plissoft one as I prefer the fibres as they are thicker than the Faux Horse ones, and prefer the face feel of thicker fibres (as I do for boar brushes as well)
 
donnie_arko said:
Do you have the Yaqi Rainbow/Faux Horse? I have that brush and the tips are incredibly soft, but I find the fibres to be very soft, maybe too soft if anything. The Yaqi brush I tend to use the most is the Plissoft one as I prefer the fibres as they are thicker than the Faux Horse ones, and prefer the face feel of thicker fibres (as I do for boar brushes as well)
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I've just conducted a very scientific test on your behalf: 24mm Yaqi Plissoft vs 24mm Yaqi Tuxedo vs 24mm Yaqi New Brown vs 26mm Yaqi Horse Synthetic. The test involved finger and face rubbing.

Conclusions:
The Plissoft definitely has the most backbone and the thicker feeling fibres. This is closely followed by the Tuxedo. The Mew Brown definitely feels softer than these two and has a little less backbone. The horse synthetic feels a little less scritchy than the Mew Brown (although the Mew Brown is not a scritchy fibre) but has a bit more spring rather than backbone if that makes any sense
 
Well, this could change (especially as I'm waiting for a Gillette New Standard in the post). It's also relative to DE shaving; as I seem to have been favouring that this year, due to purchases. But at time of writing...

Razor - Gillette New No. 88
Blade - Gillette Silver Blue
Brush - Yaqi Tuxedo 24mm synth
Soap - Phoenix and Beau Denali
Post shave - Thayer's
After shave - Fine American Blend

I do have a fondness for the vintage Gillettes Whether it's the Techs, Olds, and New. Also , the GSBs have been a revelation (it was a close thing between them and Personna Med Preps).

The Yaqi brush has performed well this year: it lost a bristle or two early on; but probably due to quality control and it's settled down. Slightly stiffer than my RazoRocks; but still a good face latherer.

Phoenix and Beau Denali is a great soap, imo. It has an almost ‘gummy' quality and provides a lovely cushion and glide. Quite the face freezer too.

Finally, Fine's American Blend really is a cracker. Unusually for an after shave, its scent hangs around for quite some time.The usual ingredients; water, menthol, alcohol and fragrance. The scent, allegedly, is supposed to be a nod to Rive Gauche by YSL (which I haven't experienced). It also provides a smashing post-shave feeling.

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Boycie83 said:
I've just conducted a very scientific test on your behalf: 24mm Yaqi Plissoft vs 24mm Yaqi Tuxedo vs 24mm Yaqi New Brown vs 26mm Yaqi Horse Synthetic. The test involved finger and face rubbing.

Conclusions:
The Plissoft definitely has the most backbone and the thicker feeling fibres. This is closely followed by the Tuxedo. The Mew Brown definitely feels softer than these two and has a little less backbone. The horse synthetic feels a little less scritchy than the Mew Brown (although the Mew Brown is not a scritchy fibre) but has a bit more spring rather than backbone if that makes any sense
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That's an excellent test! Thanks for posting it and it makes a lot of sense as well.
 
Boycie83 said:
I've chosen products that were new in 2019. The picture may look like a SOTD but it captures something from each category:

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Razor: EJ 3one6 - it's British, looks amazing and I really enjoy the shave it gives.

Brush: similar to @FrankieG I think Yaqi have been a stand out this year. Great synthetic brushes at great prices. My favourite is the Purple Haze Mew Brown.

Soap: @BrianH may have been producing this prior to 2019 bit Signature Soaps have been a revelation and it's probably fair to say the awareness of these has peaked in the latter part of 2019. My favourite is Hibernia.

Pre-shave: I love the Proraso pre-shave creams. Last month saw the arrival of the Blue pre-shave. Same great performance but with a nicer modern scent.
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Thanks for all your support Chris. Have a great Xmas and all the best for the New Year
Regards Brian
 
Satanfriendly said:
This past weekend saw the BBC have their annual 'Sports personality of the year' award with the winner being the man who managed to make even those not enthrawled with the game of cricket (me) sit glued to the TV, Ben Stokes. Good choice.

So what about a 'Your Shaving personality of the year'? Any item or items which have made your shaving experience all the better throughout this past year.

It could be a single product, a piece of advise, a person, technique or something you found out for yourself. Absolutely anything.

No eventual winner and no awards ceremony to endure.

I'll start with my pick of this past year and first up is this fine piece of craftsmanship....

View attachment 49842

Obtained in an exchange on the BST section and from the offset it changed my thoughts about razors. A razor this big and with this kind of weight shouldn't feel comfortable, but it does. To look at it gives the impression it is aggressive beyond aggressive, but it is just so sweet and amazinly tactile to use. Other than all that it just delivers one great shave after another and re-introduced Feather blades back in to my life. A superb bit of kit.

A special mention for @BrianH and his signature Soaps. For a relatively new kid on the block Brian has managed to make a sledgehammer impact. Not through being pushy but simply producing a really super product which speaks for itself. I haven't seen one unfavourable word and praise from one end of the planet to the other. Keep up the great work Signature Soaps.

One final mention 'Cold water'. Simple and changed my shaves forever.
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Thanks Chris for all your supportive and kind words. Have a great Xmas and All The Best for the New Year. Regards Brian
 
donnie_arko said:
I've bought a fair few bits and pieces this year. My favourites are the following.

Razors - Fat Handle/Ball End Tech
Brush - Omega 11819
Soap - Signature Soaps
Blade - Gillette Winner

Not the most exciting picks, but I've come to appreciate I'm a man of simple tastes with a Tech, shaving soap stick & boar brush being the items I seem to frequent the most. A special mention to Brian's Signature Soaps that are truly exceptional.
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That's kind of you
Have a great Xmas and all the best for the New Year
Regards Brian
 
Having started “proper” shaving earlier this year and already RAD inflicted my approach to this is what would I happy to use on its own.
Well I'd happily use only my Timeless razor, and more than happy to use only Brian's Signature soaps. In fact I only use other soaps occasionally and as a reference and then only for a day at a time.
 
paulmc said:
Having started “proper” shaving earlier this year and already RAD inflicted my approach to this is what would I happy to use on its own.
Well I'd happily use only my Timeless razor, and more than happy to use only Brian's Signature soaps. In fact I only use other soaps occasionally and as a reference and then only for a day at a time.
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Cheers Paul. Happy New Year
Regards Brian
 
My favorites of the year:

Razor : Tatara Masamune - Pretty much the only Razor I use now, wonderful craftsmanship and a nice mild shave.

Soap : Barrister and Mann Le Grand Chypre - My favorite soap scent ever it's so strong and heady. The soap base itself performs great although i have noticed it takes me longer to lather than most soaps.

Brush : Simpson's Chubby Synthetic - I only use synthetic brushes now and this is my favorite knot. The densest synthetic i've ever come across and creates huge lathers.

Blade : Thai Gillette Super Thin - The combo of this blade and the Tatara are virtually all I use. I've stocked up on plenty of these blades now, they've overtaken the Rapira Plantinum Lux as my favorites.
 
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