Gillette (the all things Shaving Thread)

[BroSlinger]

SOTD:



Not sure what went wrong. bad shave all around.
1. Super Max Blue Diamond Platinum felt like window scraper. Looks like it's a 3 and done blade.
2. Water NEVER got hot. I think these "cold water shave" guys are playing one giant joke on everyone.
3. This Nomad soap must have been sitting around in the warehouse a while. Doesn't have much scent. Lather was kind of foamy/not slick. This can't be the new "Super formula". face still feels dry 2 hours later. It's not even very cold outside.
4. Got aftershave in my mouth. This sucked. Great smelling aftershave though. This is why I bought the soap.
5. This Razorock MJ-90 almost made this shave tolerable. This razor is a class act.

[ajaxlepinski]

I find that, using less water makes a thicker lather.
The only drawback is; less water in the lather causes the soap to dry out on your face faster... especially, in winter or in dryer climates.
I still like using soap, but for me, cream seams to be superior to soap.

I got a sample of Hipsterish shave gell and I tried it a few days ago. It was the first time I tried a gell (other than Gillette in a can).
While it didn't dry out at all, it didn't offer much in protection - it's more viscous than the canned Gillette gell.
Some manufacturers have been using Liquid Silk gell in their aftershaves and shave lotions. It doesn't work for me in either aftershaves or for shaving.
Liquid silk is a personal lubricant!

[newholland]

Dan, that sounds perfect. Get better soap. Actually, wait a few days and you’ll have better soap. I’m going to send you something fancy.

DOH! gene, yer a prince amongst men! yeah, i figured TOOBS would rock the soap as well as the cream... but sure ain't workin' out that way.

sometimes i wonder if , like ajax was sayin' a coupla days back, that badger's too soft for some things--- i.e. cake soap. maybe that's what pork bristles do best. badger sure SEEMS to like the creams mo' betta.

[BroSlinger]

Dan, that sounds perfect. Get better soap. Actually, wait a few days and you’ll have better soap. I’m going to send you something fancy.

DOH! gene, yer a prince amongst men! yeah, i figured TOOBS would rock the soap as well as the cream... but sure ain't workin' out that way.

sometimes i wonder if , like ajax was sayin' a coupla days back, that badger's too soft for some things--- i.e. cake soap. maybe that's what pork bristles do best. badger sure SEEMS to like the creams mo' betta.

Ooh, that could be a problem. I haven’t used a badger brush since around 2007.

Was boar all the way until i discovered razorock synthetics.

[newholland]

Dan, that sounds perfect. Get better soap. Actually, wait a few days and you’ll have better soap. I’m going to send you something fancy.

DOH! gene, yer a prince amongst men! yeah, i figured TOOBS would rock the soap as well as the cream... but sure ain't workin' out that way.

sometimes i wonder if , like ajax was sayin' a coupla days back, that badger's too soft for some things--- i.e. cake soap. maybe that's what pork bristles do best. badger sure SEEMS to like the creams mo' betta.

Ooh, that could be a problem. I haven’t used a badger brush since around 2007.

Was boar all the way until i discovered razorock synthetics.

the razorocks sorta halfway between the ubersupple badger and the corn broom pork brush?

[BroSlinger]

Dan, that sounds perfect. Get better soap. Actually, wait a few days and you’ll have better soap. I’m going to send you something fancy.

DOH! gene, yer a prince amongst men! yeah, i figured TOOBS would rock the soap as well as the cream... but sure ain't workin' out that way.

sometimes i wonder if , like ajax was sayin' a coupla days back, that badger's too soft for some things--- i.e. cake soap. maybe that's what pork bristles do best. badger sure SEEMS to like the creams mo' betta.

Ooh, that could be a problem. I haven’t used a badger brush since around 2007.

Was boar all the way until i discovered razorock synthetics.

the razorocks sorta halfway between the ubersupple badger and the corn broom pork brush?

soft like a badger
stiff like a boar
tips never sting
no wet, woolly butthole smell
they seem to last forever too.

It's the PERFECT solution. They're like $15 too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[newholland]

soft like a badger
stiff like a boar
tips never sting
no wet, woolly butthole smell
they seem to last forever too.

It's the PERFECT solution. They're like $15 too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah-- i just got one for my buddy... couldn't believe it was as cheap as it was! may haveta grab one at some point..

i've never had my badger brush smell like a wooly butthole though i dry it and hang it every single time, and it's fresh as a badger bunghole daisy and mines 10 years old at this point!

BUT.. i like the fact that you could travel with a synthetic. i usually use plastic fantastics when i travel, and i hate em... but i won't travel with a hunnet dollar badger brush- but a 15 dollar one... heeeeeyyy....

[BroSlinger]

The woolly butthole smell is at the very beginning of a badger brush's life. Not a result of misuse, age, or mold.

That said, a Boar brush always smells like a goat's asshole mixed with wet dog. It NEVER goes away.

[newholland]

The woolly butthole smell is at the very beginning of a badger brush's life. Not a result of misuse, age, or mold.

That said, a Boar brush always smells like a goat's asshole mixed with wet dog. It NEVER goes away.

that was my experience too!

i don't remember my brush being stanky.. but crap was that a long time back at this point. i am actually stoked that something exists beyond animal bristles though-- seems kinda win win, especially if its working out better! besides, who the hell wants to shave a badger or a boar?

[Steinmetzify]

Got confirmation emails just now from IB and Declaration....in the meantime, care package from Mean Gene showed up.

Dude you're a fuckin gentleman and a scholar.....that TFS? Holy shit, just from the smell alone I'm in love...I used the Baby Smooth yesterday and damned if it didn't do a hell of a job, I won't need to shave until at least Wednesday......but yeah, Wilkinson Sword and that TFS going RIGHT ON MY FACE!

Thanks brother, I appreciate you.



EDIT: curious to know......I remember you saying about the Abbate that you knew it was going to burn you as soon as you smelled it....what's the tip off? What about it made you think that?

[ajaxlepinski]

Gene is THE BEST!!!

[Steinmetzify]

Fuck it, couldn't wait.....Wilkinson Sword, TFS, Baby Smooth.....this is my 2nd with this razor, and I like it even more than the first time. Sword cut like butter.....and this TFS that Gene sent me is FUCKING AWESOME. Great lather, slickness, feel, and the scent......this is two I've tried from TFS and I love both of them, seriously great scents. I need moar.

[BroSlinger]

Got confirmation emails just now from IB and Declaration....in the meantime, care package from Mean Gene showed up.

Dude you're a fuckin gentleman and a scholar.....that TFS? Holy shit, just from the smell alone I'm in love...I used the Baby Smooth yesterday and damned if it didn't do a hell of a job, I won't need to shave until at least Wednesday......but yeah, Wilkinson Sword and that TFS going RIGHT ON MY FACE!

Thanks brother, I appreciate you.


EDIT: curious to know......I remember you saying about the Abbate that you knew it was going to burn you as soon as you smelled it....what's the tip off? What about it made you think that?

Rosy and floral ———> flamethrower

[BroSlinger]

Stein,

Did you use the vintage Wilkinson?

[Steinmetzify]

Stein,

Did you use the vintage Wilkinson?

Sure did.

[BroSlinger]

SOTD:




New TFS Soap. Annuendo. KILLER. Not sure if it's quite as good as Uncle Walter or Stupefacente, but it's probably the same base. I think this one needs a bit of use to get reconstituted a bit. Then, it should be closer to those superstars. Awesome scent, btw. Got it on ebay since IB is out of stock.

Fatip Piccolo. Damn, this is one aggressive lil sumbitch. Red personna.

RR New York Aftershave. THis is great stuff. Based on Polo Sport. That artificial, lemony, aquatic scent. Nice ! 'Twould pair quite well with Uncle Walter Soap.

BTW, I've started a spreadsheet. I'm cataloging what I use, and whether it was good.

I got the worst shaves using specialized pre shave stuff (creams/salves/etc). Not saying I hate them, but DANG, Noxzema in the shower is the best pre shave cream available. I'm convinced.

Post BTW:--------> Who's down for a "FFFMM (Fixed Four for March Madness)"?

This is where you pick one razor, one blade, one brush, and one soap for the whole month of March. I'm seriously considering it, but the indecision is washing over me. It would be refreshing to not pick something new everyday for everything. It would also help hone technique to perfection for the given software/hardware.

I'm thinking:
Razor: Fatip Piccolo
Blade: Red Personna
Brush: Butterscotch RR 400 Plissoft
Soap: Fine Lavender

[Steinmetzify]

I’m down after the Hawk shows.

[BroSlinger]

dude. Dude. DUDES!!

This shaving soap is THE SHIT!!! Smells like JPG Le Male. $9. Same formula/maker as Chiseled face. (which is basically the same formula as Wholly Kaw/Barrister&Mann/Stirling/Shannon's/Catie's/Declaration/Grooming Dept/etc.)

Wowzers. Great lather. GREAT scent. Great shave. Great post shave. It was just perfect. Buy this stuff. I think you can get it on amazon from Groomatorium if you don't want to do a huge order.

BTW, This Ikon Razor sure is nice. Pretty sure you can still get this head on ebay for like $30. It has two sides (OC and SB), and two aggression settings.

Fine Platinum = AWESOME. It's a Creed Aventus clone. It will take you higher. You won't need to ask what's this life for. You could create your own prison with it.

[Sasquatch]

that does look intriguing but it also looks like a highly-likely occurrence of bleeding scrotum and flashbacks from a wahl without a guard on.

[andvari7]

that does look intriguing but it also looks like a highly-likely occurrence of bleeding scrotum and flashbacks from a wahl without a guard on.

Just splash Listerine on it; that’ll make it nice and antiseptic.

[BroSlinger]

Dudes! Just got my Black Hawk. It's SLICK! I think the head design changed slightly, so I guess it's like a Hawk V2.1. It sort of looks like the angle changed, and the safety bar is deeper. I could be wrong, but maybe this is to make it compatible with more blades. I don't know. Can't wait to try it.

[ajaxlepinski]

Congrats and HNRD!!!

This is from the advertisement a the Italian Barber...

V2 update: We have updated the Hawk to a version 2 model. The shave geometry has NOT changed, so it will shave the same as our original Hawk, but we have made some noticeable improvements to the look, feel and blade loading of the razor. We hope you enjoy and appreciate them!

Here are the V2 changes:

The top cap has been rounded for a more organic and natural feel on your face. Shavers coming over to the SE world who previously only have DE experience will find the transition much more intuitive.
We have changed the blade guide posts to pins. The pins allow easier and better loading of the blades, especially the guarded style blades.
We have strengthened the safety bar on the base plate with a new three slot design. This will help prevent the leading edge from being dented if knocked around or if the razor experiences a small drop.
We have updated the handle to our Halo ring design for increased comfort and feel. The handle also now includes a butt end which can be unscrewed to allow for a shorter format. In the future, we may sell different style butt ends, possibly in different materials, to allow for some small customization. Please make sure to drop us an email with your feedback on the new handle.

[BroSlinger]

Yeah, I have 2 V2's, and this Black V2 that was supposedly updated a bit (thus the V2.1 moniker).

This black V2 head doesn't look identical to my Blue V2's I got months ago.

[ajaxlepinski]

Hopefully, the improvements really are improvements. Mine is scheduled for delivery on Friday... woooo hoooooo!!!!
This will be razor number four, in two months. I haven't GASed for shave gear in at least 4 years!

[Steinmetzify]

Dudes! Just got my Black Hawk. It's SLICK! I think the head design changed slightly, so I guess it's like a Hawk V2.1. It sort of looks like the angle changed, and the safety bar is deeper. I could be wrong, but maybe this is to make it compatible with more blades. I don't know. Can't wait to try it.

Noice! Mine should be here maybe Friday. Waiting until then to shave it!