And, here we go...
- Thread starter Buttercup
- Start date
Nice haul @Buttercup. I am planning a simular feat in October. Keeping it off the GRUME page, the overlords there tend to frown on discussions of liberal interpretation of restocking. I intend to the a treewalling day anyway. Haha
- Thread starter
- #323
I also noticed on my Your Shaving order that the SV Cosmo was referred to as a balm (see below). And having just used it in today's shave it comes across to me more as a liquidy balm than an after shave and there was zero of that after shave burn that we all love.It might be as simple as the language on the box! What isn’t said isn’t their problem. It’s only aftershave lotion after all.
"SAPONIFICIO VARESINO Cosmo after shave 125ml (Type after: Balm)"
My affections and delicate predilections are against the burn and sting of aftershave. That sensation informs me I’ve exposed nerve endings that prefer to be subcutaneous making my shave a failure.
On the other hand, the chill of the menthol is a highly treasured hedonism and “hee hoo brrrrr” without naughty karate is tops in my tome.
- Thread starter
- #325
13 Sep(p Kuss)tember 2023 - Face Shave - Twist 'n' Shout!
English Gillette Flare Tip Rocket
Gillette Nacet (3rd/Final Use)
Semogue SOC Mistura in Buttercups
Saponificio Varesino Cosmo Shaving Soap/After Shave Lotion
I can now say I finally get it, all the rave reviews and general hullabaloo for Saponificio Varesino shaving soap!
I think it's human nature when you buy something nice, something a little more expensive than normal, that you might harbor a spot of worry in the back of your mind wondering if it was the correct decision. The potential for buyer's remorse. I admit having a bit of those thoughts after my recent treewhaling when the items arrived. You can only fondle them for so long and eventually you've got to put your new toys to work.
I started with the three new brushes and while I was watching La Vuelta on my laptop, I gave them all a soak in water with a couple drops of dishwashing liquid, followed by a good rinse and then each got put through their paces bowl lathering followed by an hour long rest in lather.
After a healthy rinse, each brush was vigorously towel stropped and will be set aside to dry completely. Two days from now I will run them back through the routine again, which will be enough for the Torga Mistura. The two boars will continue with this two day cycle for a couple of weeks. Below is what they looked like when done today...good progress!
It was a lovely three pass face shave on three days growth using the SV Cosmo set! When I start with a new soap I'm always concerned with how much to load, until you get a feel for how the soap generally performs. I got some good advice from @JoWolf on tips for face lathering SV soap and it came in handy. I'll spare you the blow by blow, but in general loading directly from the soap and straight to the face for lathering worked out great. I had more than enough lather for the three passes and the soap's performance was outstanding. I will still need to experiment on how much water to add to get the lather where I like it, but make no mistake that today's was a fine start! My Buttercups Mistura was the perfect choice on my SV maiden voyage. The Flare Tip Rocket with Nacet blade was a mild shaver, yet nicely efficient with the sharp blade on its final usage.
It was a good shaving day playing with my new kit and very importantly, no regrets!
PS...super high drama on La Vuelta a España today with American Sepp Kuss still remaining in the overall race lead by a slim eight seconds...on his 29th Birthday. What made this a real soap opera is he lost that time to his teammates who essentially attacked him when he had a moment of weakness while the three were leading the stage on what is quite possibly the most difficult climb in any of the Grand Tours. Ironically, two years ago Sepp pulled his teammate up today's epic climb, thus playing a crucial role in that teammate winning the overall title. Today, the same teammate essentially attacked him and went on to win the stage. There were two sheepish looking cyclist being interviewed after the finish and well they should be!
#GCKuss
@Buttercup I'm a true believer in Saponificio Varasino shave soap, the scent is wonderful, the performance is amazing, whats not to like? Such wonderful photo's you posted! I especially appreciate Zenith brushes now too, for I have a Zenith Blue Chubby 28mm Manchurian Badger. I have the SV Opuntia variety, here is my my SV collection bellow. I'm so pleased that you appreciate refinement.
I'm glad seeing you enjoy all your shaving goodies, it brings a smile to my face. Keep the confidence in yourself, and your skills with a DE razor will just get better and better. And also, the more time goes on, the deeper in the rabbit hole you get, as you acquire for pretty razors and other shaving goodies. Its a fun hobby, and I am so glad that you enjoy it.
I'm glad seeing you enjoy all your shaving goodies, it brings a smile to my face. Keep the confidence in yourself, and your skills with a DE razor will just get better and better. And also, the more time goes on, the deeper in the rabbit hole you get, as you acquire for pretty razors and other shaving goodies. Its a fun hobby, and I am so glad that you enjoy it.
- Thread starter
- #327
Thanks for the upbeat words of encouragement, @Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker! I like your included pics of your SV and Zenith kit. I really like the Zenith brushes and that handle in particular. I can see my future including a Zenith Manchurian. I do have that same brush as yours, but in the Silvertip. I like it fine, but the knot is getting on the big size for me. I think my sweet spot is 24-26mm. I'm looking forward to shaving with the SV Felce Aromatica and Semogue Torga Mistura tomorrow!@Buttercup I'm a true believer in Saponificio Varasino shave soap, the scent is wonderful, the performance is amazing, whats not to like? Such wonderful photo's you posted! I especially appreciate Zenith brushes now too, for I have a Zenith Blue Chubby 28mm Manchurian Badger. I have the SV Opuntia variety, here is my my SV collection bellow. I'm so pleased that you appreciate refinement.
I'm glad seeing you enjoy all your shaving goodies, it brings a smile to my face. Keep the confidence in yourself, and your skills with a DE razor will just get better and better. And also, the more time goes on, the deeper in the rabbit hole you get, as you acquire for pretty razors and other shaving goodies. Its a fun hobby, and I am so glad that you enjoy it.
- Thread starter
- #328
15 Sep(p Kuss)tember 2023 - Head Shave - Slantember!
GRUMCAH! - Day Eight
Merkur 37C
Gillette Nacet (3rd/Final Use)
Semogue SOC Boar in Taj
Pinnacle Grooming Classic Cola
Stiling Lime
Considering all of the ongoing discussion about description vs direction of shave strokes, I'll keep it simple and say a solid result from a two pass head shave on three days growth. I'm giving some serious thought of going to a daily one pass head shave using the Leaf in October, for no particular reason.
I've never given the scent strength of this Classic Cola much thought, but after a few hours I could still smell it lingering in the bathroom. I nice, sweet scent. Another round of test lathers for the new Torga Mistura and the Zenith boars. There sure is a lot of boar hairs packed into the knot on the bleached Zenith, pretty dense. I'll give the Torga it's maiden voyage tomorrow along with first use of the SV Felce Aromatica set...I'm looking forward to it!
Seems like the heat has finally broken for good for the year (that sound you hear is me knocking on wood)! I like when the evening low is cool enough to open the windows overnight.
Tomorrow would appear to be the last chance for Sepp Kuss to lose La Vuelta a España. Now that his own teammates have finally stopped attacking him, it looks like he should wear the red jersey into Madrid on Sunday!
#GCKuss
- Thread starter
- #329
20 September 2023 - Face Shave
GRUMCAH! - Day Thirteen
English Gillette No. 58
Gillette Silver Blue (1st Use)
Semogue Torga C5 Mistura (1st Use)
Saponificio Varesino Felce Aromatica Shaving Soap/After Shave Lotion (1st Use)
Considering the seven days growth, a well enjoyed three pass shave with some lovely new kit. Still way too early to offer any conclusions on the Torga Mistura, but it did not disappoint. It will take a few more shaves to further break in the knot and get a feel for the shorter loft/handle compared to the SOC Mistura.
The scent and performance of the SV Felce Aromatica is very impressive! I particularly noticed the excellent post shave face feel of the soap itself and waited about an hour before applying the after shave lotion. The GSB blade performed admirably considering the excess growth. If someone walked in my house today and said this had to be your fixed four for the rest of your life...I would not complain!
I’m glad you’re enjoying the SV Bryan many of us will use no other.
- Thread starter
- #331
23 September 2023 - Head Shave
GRUMCAH! - Day Sixteen
Leaf
Astra SP snapped in half (2 of 2 Passes)
Zenith 505AK Bleached Boar (1st Use)
RazoRock Son of Zeus
Clubman
My first head shave in well over a week, two passes with the ever dependable Leaf. Thinking I'll start daily single-pass Leaf head shaves, if I can muster up the motivation. I haven't exactly hit my groove yet being a three month bachelor.
First use of this Zenith bleached boar brush. My intent was to bowl load, but by the time I had all the soap off the bottom of the bowl it was pretty much all lathered up. I think this is going to be a pretty good face lathering from-the-puck style brush! I'm really liking the density of hair and the shorter loft. It still has a way to go to break in, but I'm pleased!
Clubman...what a classic...nothing else to say!
With the temps dropping into the low 60s/high 50s, I open enough windows to allow the house to cool down over night. Good for sleeping. I'm lying here in bed and hearing a Barred Owl hooting "Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all!" somewhere in the backyard. Could be a pair of them communicating. Mother Nature is grand!
I favor boar brushes, and my Whipped Dog 24mm is as good as any knot I own of any material. Now, my frame of reference is 14 or 15 brushes — I'm a recovering minimalist — so I don't have a 200-brush collection to make extensive comparisons.
But I like the Whipped Dog more than any Omega or Semogue I own, and I like it at least as much as my B41 Zenith Short and Scrubby... though they're somewhat apples-and-oranges. As a person afflicted with absurdly coarse facial hair, that Zenith gets a lot of use, but the Whipped Dog boar feels luxurious by comparison.
That said, my Whipped Dog boar was the only brush I've ever had that was too gamey to use without extensive de-funking measures.* I always thought that people were being overly sensitive drama queens when I read complaints about funky natural-hair brushes, but the Whipped Dog boar taught me better. Still and all, it was well worth the effort to unstink it.
Sorry for hijacking your thread, @Buttercup. Y'all carry on.
*For the record, I have a Whipped Dog silvertip, too, and it barely had more odor than a synthetic.
My Whipped Dog boar was so much cleaner smelling than my Omega. The Omega started as a “you’re a little too late petting zoo” scent
I really like my Zenith boars, they're breaking in really well. No shedding and getting softer. I also have 3 AP Shave Co. synths which are great... soft and lather really well.
Now I have more boar brushes to look out once I exit the September GRUME. Hopefully the GRUME Overlords don't read the journal section. Haha.
The only synthetic I have that gets any use is an AP Shave Co. synthetic boar. I ordered it deep set in a handle for which the knot was the maximum recommended size. It's a little flicky, but it's the only synthetic I've found with enough backbone.
The tips don't feel great, but when I'm traveling and need a quick-drying brush, I'm glad to have it.
If they do, they’ll see we’re pushing you to choose between Whipped Dog, Yourshaving.com, and The Gentle Shave.
What about Maggard? It's blowing up on Boris' journal now.
Maggards rocks for sure, but we were gabbing about boar.
I also love myself some barred owls hooting. Sometimes they sit in the oak in our front yard. We have even caught them on our camera in the backyard during night. Pretty cool. Owls are neat.
