SOTD : Saturday 1st May to Friday 7th May 2021.

SoTd
Really enjoyed this one a short while back I ordered a 1kg brick of Vitos red extra coco..well it arrived this morning so have cut it up into chunks wrapped them in grease proof paper and put them in an airtight container ready to store in a drawer for as and when required...scraped the remnants from the plastic wrapper and spread it in the bowl ready for tonight’s shave !

What a fantastic shave I always enjoy using my Koraat near wedge and can’t wait to add another to the collection very soon..another item in tonight’s photo that I really enjoy using is the straight razor designs 3 inch latigo leather strop I picked it up at a great price here on the BST and use it every day...certainly money well spent, just an overall excellent shave superb results super smooth and feeling refreshed

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Tuesday 4th May

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French Pink Clay & Charcoal Face Soap
TFS Professional Shaving Soap
DSC w/Blonde Boar 24mm
Gillette Hybrid Tech w/RazoRock Radio Handle
Personna Med Prep (1)
Pinaud Lilac Vegetal

Urgh! That was not a good shave ...

Using the same brush, soap and razor combo as yesterday where I enjoyed a truly delightful shave with the Personna Platinum Chrome on its third (and best) run. Tonight, the Med Prep which I've always rated pretty lowly for delivering a rough, raw and tuggy shave with bags of post-shave irritation and irritable regrowth, but I'm challenging memories, assumptions and conclusions about blades I've placed by the wayside years ago.

It's not Personna, the brand. I like Personna. I especially like their GEM by Personna single edge blades which are seethingly sharp from the off and get better with every shave thereafter. Their standard stainless double-edge blade is quite the reverse. Not especially sharp, but smooth enough. I made two passes and still have stubble. Itchy stubble. Despite admirable efforts by arguably Gillette's best Tech, if it wasn't for my historical notes that the first shave is nasty and it's really only bearable by the third shave, I think I'd be inclined to ditch the blade right now. I'll persist ... but hoping regrowth isn't what I fear it will be.

TFS is a wonderful soap! Even lathered up with that nail scrubber of a brush, it goes on like a soft cloud. Absolutely lovely! Alas, my usual enjoyment of a good splash of 'veg was less so ... not just a violent sting, but it actually hurt! Another dose a good few minutes later was much enjoyed.

Nah! That was not a good shave. Still a 4/10 so far, right down there with the Astra Platinum, Tatra Platinum & Zorrik Talvar, and only a tick better than Muhle, Merkur, Willy's & Bai Li. Gawd! I have the TOMY and the Comfort Coated lined up next. I might have to rethink ...
 
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Todays Cold Water Shave Kit - Tuesday 4th April 2021

Shave Score 9.6/10.0


PreShave: Hot Shower
PreShave Cream: Proraso Refreshing
Soap: Batavia Barber
Brush: Yaqi 24mm - Purple Haze
Razor: RazoRock GC .84 OC
Blade: Gillette Nacet
Post Shave ASL: Batavia Barber
Post Shave Balm: LEA 3 in 1
Post Shave Cologne: John Varvartos - Artisan Pure

A great BBS this morning, I can still smell that Batavia Barber on my face even now:)

Joe

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Wed 5th SOTD
Soap Barrister & Mann TFMOM
Brush Yaqi 26mm Moka Express 2 Band Badger
Razor Karve Brass SB-D
Blade Gillette London Bridge 1st
Post & Aftershaves Ice Water + Stirling Witchhazel MitA + Hyaluronic + Barrister & Mann TFMOM Balm
Really special scented soap. Cigarish/Tobaccoish scented and kinda sweet? The lather was creamy and good slickness...
Shave with razor paired with the blade was very good. Very smooth and comfortable for 3passes without issues for a mostly bbs finish. Awesome cooling from MitA and the AS balm truly lasted and was able to enjoy the aromatic Cigarish/Tobaccoish scent for many hours.
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Prep: Shower, Palmolive olive oil soap
Soap: Figaro
Brush: 24mm Yaqi Sagrada Familia Tuxedo
Razor: Merkur 34C HD
Blade: Tiger (1)
Post: Tabac

Since I joined this forum, I've wondered how much difference there can be in a blade through different razors. Today showed me. While the Tiger is a dream through every razor I've tried so far, it clammed up in the Merkur. Not a "bad" shave, but not the level the Tiger normally gives me. Can't blame the soap - the Figaro performed well - it just felt harder work to get a passable shave. Back on the Parker for a day or two I think - restore my faith in the Tiger ;)
 
Todays Cold Water Shave Kit - Wednesday 5th May 2021

Shave Score 9.5/10.0


PreShave: Hot Shower / Signature Soaps-Patchouli Foaming Shower
PreShave Cream: N/A
Soap: Signature Soaps - Danum (Patchouli)
Brush: Yaqi 24mm - Purple Haze
Razor: RazoRock GC .84 OC
Blade: Gillette Nacet (2)
Post Shave ASL: Signature Soaps - Danum (Patchouli)
Post Shave Balm: Barts Balms - Ben Vorlich
Post Shave Cologne: John Varvartos - Artisan Pure

A DFS/BBS shave this morning, went for the all in Patchouli experience again today, and finished with a great peppery hit from the Barts Vorlich :)

Have a safe and great day all.

Joe

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A wonderful shave brought to you with the theme 'What a load of old Cobras'

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A load of money - Cobra
A load of cobblers - Kai Captain
A load of rubbish - Wee whisky barrel
A load of trash - Bath House Spanish fig and nutmeg soap
A load of old bollocks - Bath House Spanish fig and nutmeg EDC


'You said bollocks'


'Oh my. What are those?'

On a more serious level

Firstly many thanks to @Manstein for the very kind and out of the blue offer of the loan of the Cobra. I did loan one some years back from the monkey of the blade and recall it being very memorable in a very positive sense. This shave was to prove a return to shaving wonderment.

In theory the Cobra should be pretty useless in term of the art of the razor. The blade securing mechanism is savage and a clumsy piece of simplistic design. Not only that the word secure should be read as 'not secure'. Once 'secure' the blade wobbles like a drunken stroll at 2am and the finish takes some consideration. First impressions are 'mmmmm?' and 'bloody hell, that is a lot of Blade on show'

Not much going in its favour

After being so impressed with the Bath House Cuban Cedar and Lime soap the Spanish fig and nutmeg was always going to be on the books being as the EDC is a top scent. Exactly the same performance and absolutely superb. The whisky barrel brush once again proving its excellence with a hard soap. Soapy wonders out of the way and on to the shave.

In many ways the Cobra shaves very much the same as the Occams Enoch and when you see the two side by side their are some shared similarities. Again like the Enoch a little time is required to adjust and find the angle. But this is where reserved thoughts are dispelled and everything clicks in to focus. Find that angle, find the best way to hold the awkward handle, find the pressure required and boy oh boy, heaven awaits.

I can see every reason why the Cobra is such a 'want one'. It is the fact that it shouldn't work and the reality that it delivers exceptional results which makes this razor so fascinating. It is that edge of the seat approach and quirky mannerism which has me astounded. A real class act in every aspect of being closely shaved. It does have one holding one's breath in the initial strokes but once sorted perfection is there to be taken. I wouldn't call it aggressive but it is certainly not fluffy and friendly and does carry a few warning signs to respect the blade.

A couple of stealth weepers and other than that a flawless result. One of those 'wowser wowser wowser' shaves with massive grin factor.

I am sure other shaves will come along with betterment but I reckon the Cobra could probably deliver the same day after day. In this sense it reminds me of the Ikon B1 where excellence is a prerequisite more than a by-product.

An utterly enjoyable shave with a rarity of a razor and a big thanks for the loan Manstein.

Have a smashing and safe day folk

And because I feel so damn fine I will leave you in the capable musical hands of those damn fine ladies, 'Band Maid'







'And goodbye Mr Friendly and don't bother your arse returning'
 
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