SOTD: April 2026

[pjgh]

Thursday 30th April...

Tonight felt like a bit of a milestone on the shaving journey as 12 months approaches with my first try of Martin de Candres shaving soap. I had quite a lot of growth for me so went with an open comb razor and the blade was a Gillette Silver Blue #2.

Absolutely lovely to lather up (despite the fact that they had filled the jar to meniscus levels!) and it gave a really thick, cushioned lather for the shave. The lavender scent is very gentle compared to a similarish soap like Dr Selby but still quite distinct and clear.

It's a very luxurious shave and I really enjoyed that. Super smooth now. This soap may take some time to use up!

Enjoy your evening...

View attachment 147718

Luxurious, indeed. Great choice of splash to compliment.

Lovely selection of kit.

 

[Mike Smart]

Razor = Rockwell 6c ( R4 )
Blade = Super Shave X. ( 2 )
Brush = C&H V15
Soap = A&E Kaizen
with matching splash.
Balm = Loccitane Cedrat
Well what a difference a razor makes.
I don’t like this razor one little bit iv tried & tried but there’s just something that tells me it’s not for me.
It’s certainly not a patch on its big brother.
The Soap for me is first class and iv had this one since September 2020.
The strength of scent seems very similar to new
infact i can’t tell any difference but i guess i would need a new one to compare properly but that will never happen as i dont like A&E’s new bases.
Still an enjoyable shave but man this razor annoys me lol

 

[Mike Smart]

Thursday 30th April...

Tonight felt like a bit of a milestone on the shaving journey as 12 months approaches with my first try of Martin de Candres shaving soap. I had quite a lot of growth for me so went with an open comb razor and the blade was a Gillette Silver Blue #2.

Absolutely lovely to lather up (despite the fact that they had filled the jar to meniscus levels!) and it gave a really thick, cushioned lather for the shave. The lavender scent is very gentle compared to a similarish soap like Dr Selby but still quite distinct and clear.

It's a very luxurious shave and I really enjoyed that. Super smooth now. This soap may take some time to use up!

Enjoy your evening...

View attachment 147718

Congratulations on your one year in cuckoo land

 

[Mark12]

30th April 2026

Floris 89 (Vintage/Tallowate) Shaving Bowl & Muhle Silvertip Fibre
Muhle R89 w/Souplex Bakelite Handle & Timor Stainless (1)
DR Harris Mayfair Toilet Water

Oh, my ...

First use of my newly acquired vintage Floris and what stunning lather! Thick is not descriptive enough. Yogurt-thick, no Greek Yogurt-thick! The soap is the tallowate Floris from the mid-1980s (confirmed by the presence of two Royal Warrants on the box, HRH Prince of Wales granted in 1984) which is detailed as "Soap Base" on the back of the box. Some reading around and I'm pretty sure this soap base was from Kay's Soap Works who were one of the greats when it came to tallow soap bases. Sadly they went into liquidation in 2016 - here's a look around the factory: https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/kays-soap-works-ramsbottom-june-2018.113560/

Utterly delightful!

First, also (for me) with the Timor Stainless blade. This is a sharp blade, empirically one of the sharpest and from the off it was notable smooth also and felt very safe in the Muhle R89. One pass was almost enough. I could have got away with a few touch-ups but made a full second pass regardless. Solingen made, teflon-coated and ice-tempered, this really is my sort of blade. Shame it's so damn expensive!

Pretty much a straight-up 10/10 shave, that.

This factory is round the corner from my Mum and Dad's house. They live on the edge of Ramsbottom. The Kay name (assuming it's the same and I think so) is massive in Bury. John Kay invented the Flying Shuttle which turbo charged the textile industry and I think - although can't confirm on the internet - that the soapy people were descended from that line. That needs double double checking though. Roads named after them - Kay Brow - and a great big monument in the town centre. That link needs checking though. They might be totally different folks but it seems mighty odd given the name is like royalty in Bury

Can't believe Floris had soap made there

 

[pjgh]

This factory is round the corner from my Mum and Dad's house. They live on the edge of Ramsbottom. The Kay name (assuming it's the same and I think so) is massive in Bury. John Kay invented the Flying Shuttle which turbo charged the textile industry and I think - although can't confirm on the internet - that the soapy people were descended from that line. That needs double double checking though. Roads named after them - Kay Brow - and a great big monument in the town centre. That link needs checking though. They might be totally different folks but it seems mighty odd given the name is like royalty in Bury

Can't believe Floris had soap made there

Yep! Ramsbottom. It's the soap base that Kay's made ... they were huge and supplied soap base to all manner of names.

Gemini cited the following (although no links/sources):

The "Luxury" Portfolio​

• Floris London: One of the oldest family-owned perfumers in the world. Kay's produced the high-quality soap bases for their signature scented soaps (like 89 or Cefiro).
• Penhaligon’s: Another heavyweight of British perfumery. Kay's handled the manufacturing of their traditional hard-milled soaps for decades.
• Bronnley: Known for their "Lemon" soaps and royal warrants, Bronnley often outsourced specific production runs to Kay’s because of their specialized machinery in Ramsbottom.
• Crabtree & Evelyn: During the height of their popularity, Kay's was a key partner for their heritage soap lines.
• Yardley of London: While Yardley had their own massive facilities, Kay’s acted as a secondary manufacturer for specific specialty lines and gift sets.

With further interrogation, Gemini gave up that industry trade records and asset inventory listings at the point of liquidation and subsequent litigation effectively "outed" Kay's silent partnering with these names.

Gemini again ...

Because Kay's (Ramsbottom) was a private contract manufacturer, they didn't put their name on the packaging of their luxury clients. However, the "proof" of their work for Floris and Penhaligon’s comes from a few specific, verifiable sources:

1. The IPO Legal Testimony (The "Smoking Gun")​

In 2018, a legal case was brought to the Intellectual Property Office (Decision O/745/18) regarding the trade mark "Falcon." During this case, former directors and employees of Kay's had to provide witness statements about the company's history.

• The statement from the administrators confirmed that Kay's had a "diverse client base including multi-national companies and high profile UK retailers."
• In the specialized world of UK soap manufacturing, Kay’s was one of only three factories with the "triple-milling" equipment required by Floris and Penhaligon's. When those companies listed their manufacturing partners in audits, Kay's (Ramsbottom) Ltd was the name on the certificate.

2. The Roger Kenyon Connection​

Roger Kenyon, who worked at Kay’s for 58 years (starting as a chemist and rising to Managing Director), was the man who oversaw these specific recipes.

• In local history archives and industry interviews, Kenyon and his son (who also worked there) have discussed the factory's role in making "high-end" soaps.
• They were famous in the trade for being the only factory that would still use antique brass soap moulds. Floris and Penhaligon’s are famous for their unique, legacy shapes—shapes that modern, high-speed automated factories in Europe refuse to run because they slow down the machines. Kay's kept the old machines specifically for these luxury contracts.

... and I suppose on that final point, Floris' brass stamp is quite evident on my soap.

 

[pjgh]

... and given Kay's liquidation in 2016, this might well explain why Pen's (and C&E?) chucked in the towel on shaving soaps around that time. Likewise, 2016 was a VERY turbulent time for Floris who appeared to have no less than 6 (yes, six) variant formulations for their shaving soap in and around that year which I guess were fulfilled by all and sundry while they found a new permanent partner.

 

[BrianH]

... and given Kay's liquidation in 2016, this might well explain why Pen's (and C&E?) chucked in the towel on shaving soaps around that time. Likewise, 2016 was a VERY turbulent time for Floris who appeared to have no less than 6 (yes, six) variant formulations for their shaving soap in and around that year which I guess were fulfilled by all and sundry while they found a new permanent partner.

I believe Stephensons bought their soap base recipes

 

[Rip my flesh]

SOTD Thursday 30 April



Soap - Proraso Protective (blue) cream
Brush - Omega Roma ‘Lupo’ synthetic
Razor - Merkur Progress (1.5)
Blade - Astra SP (2)
Balm - Proraso Protective (blue)
EDT - Laghmani Mastermind (Home Bargains - quite nice but not long lasting)

Smooth, close, comfortable shave this evening. Great lather, efficient razor/blade and a leisurely 2 pass effort leaving my face feeling good and smelling great!

 

[skyracer]

Soap: Phoenix & Beau Star Noir
Brush: Simpson Chubby 2 Synth LE
Razor: Feather AS-D2S
Blade: Voskhod Teflon Coated
Post: T.N. Dickinson Witch Hazel Astringent

 

[SpeedyPC]

View attachment 147712
30 April 2026
Overall Rating: ★★★★★ (Epic Shave!)
Smoothness: ★★★★★ (BBS Perfection)
Irritation: ★☆☆☆☆ (Zero Burn)

Time of Day: Morning
Blade Uses: 1
Passes: 2

Razor: Charcoal Goods Stinger lvl 2
Blade: Gillette King C
Brush: Goodfellas Smile Wild Hog
Pre-Shave: Mr Myrsol Emulsion
Aftershave: Folk Soap Bay rum

Notes: A cracking shave with the Vintage Palmolive stick, the fact that it is now in my 3D printed case makes it a dream to use with no messing about with damp foil.
The Stinger performed fantastic as usual, in fact the shave was so good, I am going to use the same gear tomorrow.
Enjoy the night everyone.
Ps
Here's a better pic of the new shaving stick container.

View attachment 147713

You Grinchie Sticky Palmmie bastard