Josh's 3017 Journey

[nelsonic21]

October 16

I finished the Zingari Man sample. Overall impression is that it was an okay soap. After the first couple shaves it started to become pretty thin. It still protected fine with the scent remaining strong, but the post shave feel wasn't as nice. I was surprised a how quickly I went through this sample. I'm sure a full size tub would leave me with a better impression, but the price is a little out of my range. Well onto the next soap.

 

[nelsonic21]

October 17

Started a new sample today. This one is Siliski Soaps Questionable Origins. I got this one at Maggard's 2019 meetup. Unfortunately they don't seem to be making shaving soaps anymore (though they are still making other skincare products). Andrew from Siliski in 2019 mentioned on Reddit that making shaving soaps was more difficult than bar soaps and customers expected more complex scents. Plus I imagine the crowded market factored into discontinuing shaving products.

Anyways the sample is 1 -1.5 oz and is in a tub that I'm able to load from. It's a soft soap that has hardened a bit. The scent is very earthy with some floral.



I gave this a good 20 second load with my Omega boar, face lathered then went back to the tub for another 5 second load. The scent was medium with a bit of citrus emerging. The lather remided me of the last sample with a little more whipped cream texture.



The shave with my Gillette Red Tip went well with the soap protecting well and leaving a little residual slickness on my cheeks. The scent was gone after rinsing and I finished with Harry's post shave mist. First impression that this is a nice soap on par with other artisans that I'll keep on using.

 

[nelsonic21]

November 1

Still have a lot of this sample left. I've noticed that I can't get enough soap on my brush for 3 passes requiring a reload after the first pass. I imagine this is due to the small jar size. This is only a small inconvenience with the scent and protection remaining good. Today's shave was with my Omega brush, Schick type E and Harry's balm.



This is my second shave with this razor and I saw a Youtube video where it was described as being very aggressive. However I found it to provide a comfortable shave with it only a little more aggressive than my Hydro-magic. Today the shave was nice with no nicks/irritation and the soap working well.

 

[nelsonic21]

November 23

Finished the Siliski soap. The scent and performance were good right up until the end. I did have to reload after the first pass on most shaves. Overall it was a solid soap though not quite as good as ther artisans like Stirling. It did last while, but I can't figure out a value since it's no longer being made. So onto the next soap.

 

[nelsonic21]

November 24

I decided to start back with full size shaving products. To begin is Boti sandalwood shaving cream. I got this with a puck of Boti shaving soap for $10 a few months ago. This is available through Aliexpress and I haven't seen it anywhere else. The site doesn't list any ingredients or give much of a description other than some basic info that could be said about any cream. Plus the reviews didn't say much so I was a little apprehensive about this one.

The cream comes in a metal tin with foil covering the product and is 3.5oz. Upon initial inspection it looks like other creams with a fairly thick texture and a mild sandalwood scent. Sandalwood essential oil and shea butter is on the label, but there is no ingredient list.



I took the same amount of cream I would use as toothpaste and bowl lathered with my Simpsons Berkeley. After adding a little water it built a foamy whipped cream lather after 30 seconds. I worked it into my face and it was a little thin, but did not dissapate.



Today's shave was with my Schick injector type E and it went along fine. The scent wasn't noticeable during the shave thoough I could smell it on the brush. Protection was good with the lather on the 2nd and 3rd passes being thicker than the 1st. I finished with some Harry's balm and a nice post shave feel.

First impression is that this is nice cream similar to Proraso though I wish the scent was a bit stronger. I just wonder how it will hold up in future shaves.

 

[Balin]

I had to zoom in your face pick because I thought you had a bunch of air bubbles, but it was stubble poking through the lather!!

I forget that not everyone has grey whiskers along the jawline .

 

[nelsonic21]

December 5

I've been using the Boti cream for a couple weeks and the lather has improved. While it's not the same quality as TOBS it is better than some budget creams. An amount slightly larger than a pea lathered with a wet not dripping badger brush produces a enough lather for a 3 pass shave. Scent and protection have remained unchanged.



Today's shave was with my Simpsons Berkeley and Razorock Lupo. I would rate it a 7/10. I've been using the same brush with this cream and I'll try a boar in a few days.

 

[nelsonic21]

December 15

I used My Semogue 1470 and Omega boar brushes for the last 5 shaves. Results were mixed, but it worked out by the end.

Day one Semogue: Bowl lathered with a pea sized amount of cream. Good first pass, second was very thin and third was barely enough for a touch up. Plus I had some mild irritation.

Day two Semogue: Odd start since I face lathered before I realized what I was doing. I tend to use boars with shaving soaps and face lather exclusively. I added a bit more cream after another thin second pass to get a full third. Less irritation.

Day three Omega: Bowl lathered the same as day one and the results were just as disappointing.

Day four Omega: Face lathered (intentionally this time) with a bit more cream. Had enough lather for all passes and the shave was much better.

Day five Semogue: Bowl lathered with the same amount as the previous day. The shave went as well with no irritation.

So boar brushes work with this cream, but do require a little more product. I also had to watch the water amount. A couple shakes after soaking, but not squeezing the knot gave me the best results.

 

[nelsonic21]

January 23

Still using the Boti shaving cream. I meant to update my journal earlier, but have been procrastinating. The past 30+ shaves have been with my badger brushes. I was expecting all of them to work as well as the Berkeley, however that has not been the case. The others haven't worked consistently well with this cream.

With each shave I soak the brush in my lathering bowl while I shower (badgers don't need a pre soak, but it's something that's become a habit). Then I give the brush a quick shake, put about an almond sized dab of cream in the bristles and bowl lather for 30 seconds. Then I work the cream into my face for another 15-20. Here's a pic of my badgers.



So here are the results from left to right.

Simpsons Berkeley: No issues here. This one has been used the most and the lather has had a nice whipped cream consistency every time.

Simpsons Duke 2: The first shave performed well then a couple others produced a thin lather that required a bit more cream.

Rudy Vey Shavemac finest: First shave had a thin lather. The next shave went better after I gave the brush a couple more shakes. Most of the other shaves have gone well. A couple needed a little more water after i noticed little lather buildup in the bowl.

Shavemac pure: Basically the same as the finest with a bit more consistent results. This is probably due to more water retention with a slightly larger knot.

Razor Emporium best: This one I used the least due to poor results. I just haven't been able to get a good lather. I tried starting with a drier knot and adding water. I tried adding more cream. The lather has always been thin. This must be due to the 26mm knot. This is my largest brush and has more water retention. Though I never had issues using it with soaps.

I have some more of this cream left so I'll use it up and give the Razor Emporium brush a few more tries.

 

[nelsonic21]

February 15

I'm still using the Boti shaving cream and the bottom on the tub is now visible. This cream has lasted a lot longer than expected (I thought it would be at most 3 months). Scent and consistency have remained the same. Using a little more product has yielded consistent results with the lather with most brushes. So I'll use up the rest an give some final thoughts and it's looking like a very good value.

 

[nelsonic21]

February 15

I'm still using the Boti shaving cream and the bottom on the tub is now visible. This cream has lasted a lot longer than expected (I thought it would be at most 3 months). Scent and consistency have remained the same. Using a little more product has yielded consistent results with the lather with most brushes. So I'll use up the rest an give some final thoughts and it's looking like a very good value.

I just realized it hasn't been 3 months since it started this cream. Though I'm pretty sure there's another few weeks left in the tub.

 

[nelsonic21]

March 27

The Boti shaving cream is gone. I loaded directly from the tub these last few days to make sure I used it all. My work schedule changed last year so I usually shave 6 days a week. So I would estimate that this tub lasted for 110 shaves which is really good for the price. It's still available on Aliexpress for $12 for 2 creams or $11 for a cream and a soap.

The scent remained noticable for the entire run and it protected well. The lather consistency was hit or miss with a little too much water making it thin. This usually didn't happen and at the price adding more cream wasn't an issue. So overall it was a good budget cream, but not something that would replace TOBS in my den.

 

[nelsonic21]

March 28

Started a new soap today. This one is a 2oz tub of Catie's Bubbles Irish coffee.



I got this from the pay-it-forward table at Maggard's so I'm not sure of its age or how much is left (my scale shows 2.7oz in the tub). I used their Saturday Morning before and thought it was a very good quality soap at a decent price. This one is currently available in 2 and 4oz sizes.

The soap is putty like and I was able to press it down easily. It smells like coffee and cream which is nice though I was hoping for some whiskey scents. I loaded directly from the tub with my Simpsons Berkeley for 10 seconds and face lathered for about 45. I didn't get any lather shots, but it was a bit thin. This might have been due to blooming the soap and not giving the brush a good shake. I loaded for another 5 and lathered again which helped a little. Lathering did bring out more of a coffee scent.

The shave was with my Schick Hydro-magic and finshed with Harry's post shave mist. The soap protected as well as most others and rinsed away cleanly leaving a little scent behind. There is an Irish coffee aftershave on the their site which I imagine would pair well. So I'll have to give this one a few more shaves to get a better impression.

 

[nelsonic21]

April 3

Been using the Catie's Bubbles soap for 5 days. I've been using the same setup for all shaves. The soap has softened up and lather has improved. It's thicker with a sour cream consistency. I'm still loading for 10-15 seconds with scent and performance remaining the same. Today's shave went well with there being enough lather for 3 passes. I'm going to start using my boar brushes within a couple days and see how they perform.

 

[cajunrph]

April 3

Been using the Catie's Bubbles soap for 5 days. I've been using the same setup for all shaves. The soap has softened up and lather has improved. It's thicker with a sour cream consistency. I'm still loading for 10-15 seconds with scent and performance remaining the same. Today's shave went well with there being enough lather for 3 passes. I'm going to start using my boar brushes within a couple days and see how they perform.

View attachment 1823205

I count the number of swirls of the brush, 30-40 is what I do. Others can chime in on the time component, but I think 10-15 seconds is a tad on the light side. Maybe more swirls would help the performance.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I count the number of swirls of the brush, 30-40 is what I do. Others can chime in on the time component, but I think 10-15 seconds is a tad on the light side. Maybe more swirls would help the performance.

Mine varies greatly, depending on the soap an brush. With one of my mixed hair Vulfix brushes, and some softer tub soaps, 10 times round the soap dish might be way too much. With other soap/brush combinations, it seems to take ages. As such, no counting or timing for me, I just try to not go overboard as I think it spoils the lather. If I need more, I go back for more.

 

[nelsonic21]

I count the number of swirls of the brush, 30-40 is what I do. Others can chime in on the time component, but I think 10-15 seconds is a tad on the light side. Maybe more swirls would help the performance.

I'll give that a try, thanks.

 

[nelsonic21]

April 24

I've been using my Omega boar with this soap for a couple weeks. Tried counting the number of swirls, but this proved to be more difficult than I though due to how fast I go. I figure at least 30 each shave. The results have been very good with a little more water being needed sometimes. Scent and protection have remained the same. Today's shave was with my Fatip SE and finished with Lucky Tiger splash.