Third and final shave with the UK LB. I've now used two blades, this one and the orange wrapped. Both gave excellent shaves. Next week I'll cycle through two more of these same blades.
GIVEAWAY! Participation PIF - A Tale Of Two Bridges
- Thread starter Grundi
- Start date
Light Brigade Blade One, Shave #6
Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Shavemac beagle 2-band (fan)
Soap: Haslinger’s sage
Splash: Pinaud clubman
Comment: Comfortable 9/10 shave today; and this fine blade should be good for at least one more shave!
Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Shavemac beagle 2-band (fan)
Soap: Haslinger’s sage
Splash: Pinaud clubman
Comment: Comfortable 9/10 shave today; and this fine blade should be good for at least one more shave!
London Bridge (Chinese) shaves 3 & 4 - Werewolves of London
The Chinese London Bridge continues to not be a good fit for me. Yesterday I used it in a Henson aggressive for shave 3 and it did OK. Hensons can bring out the best in blades, due to their great clamping. My whiskers prefer a sharper blade, but it worked and I got a good shave. Today I put it in the Athena and that was more rough. The blade is getting too dull. I got through the shave and the result was fine, but it is used up.
My impressions of the Chinese London Bridge is that it is more picky than the blades I like. Sure it did fine in the Henson, albeit a bit too dull. But it was rough going in the Game Changer-like razors and it was dead to me by the 4th shave. Hence the "werewolf" in my bridge/london/music shave report titles.I'm very glad that @Grundi and @AnimalCatcher gave me the opportunity to try this blade because I've learned that it doesn't work well for me.
London Bridge (vintage English) shave 4 - Blade is still going, but my song theme is not
The vintage London Bridge gave a very nice 4th shave with the Athena. It is sharp enough and smooth. The shave was FAR more comfortable than the 4th shave with the Chinese version yesterday with the same equipment. That blade has been binned, but I am going to keep going with the vintage London Bridge, even though I normally bin blades after 4 shaves.
I'll run this blade out, then start a comparison of the English London Bridge and the Light Brigade.
London Bridge UK Blade #1 Shave #9
The London Bridge UK keeps on chugging along. However, it seems not quite as efficient at the 9th shave as it was earlier, so I may retire it. Nine good shaves are nothing to sneeze at, though.
This is a very good blade. I can see why it has the reputation it does.
London Bridge China Blade #1 Shave #6
Got a fair two pass shave again today.
The blade has about had it so in the Bin it goes.
Wilkinson Light Brigade is up next shave.
Got a fair two pass shave again today.
The blade has about had it so in the Bin it goes.
Wilkinson Light Brigade is up next shave.
British London Bridge blade (2)
Wolfman WR1 .80 OC.
Wald A1
Passiflora
Great shave. The WR1 seems a better match for this blade than the WR2. Smooth and super close.
Wolfman WR1 .80 OC.
Wald A1
Passiflora
Great shave. The WR1 seems a better match for this blade than the WR2. Smooth and super close.
Participation PIF: A Tale Of Two Bridges.
Sixth shave with the Chinese London Bridge Super Stainless blade. Another quite reasonable shave this morning. No blood or redness and not much sting when applying my Alum Block. I am finding with other blades in these challenges some blades take a shave or two to settle in and then give me good shaves. I will easily get my seven shaves per blade out of this blade and if the other two blades that I have left do the same I would quite easily add these blades to a blade rotation. I like this blade on my first impression.Light Brigade Blade One, Shave #7
Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Rudy Vey/EverReady 2-band
Soap: Vito’s red
Splash: OS original
Comment: Good shave today (8.5/10), but enough ’tugging’ to show it’s time for a blade change after a fine run!!
Razor: Wolfman WR1
Brush: Rudy Vey/EverReady 2-band
Soap: Vito’s red
Splash: OS original
Comment: Good shave today (8.5/10), but enough ’tugging’ to show it’s time for a blade change after a fine run!!
Wilkinson Light Brigade Blade #1 Shave #1
Tools: Wolfman Razor, Mogno Soap, Plissoft Brush & Suavecito Bay Rum Aftershave.
Wow! Got an almost BBs Shave Today & I was not even trying for a BBS shave.
This blade cut so smooth & close that very little touch up was needed.
Got some moderate sting from the Bay Rum but not super bad.
Tools: Wolfman Razor, Mogno Soap, Plissoft Brush & Suavecito Bay Rum Aftershave.
Wow! Got an almost BBs Shave Today & I was not even trying for a BBS shave.
This blade cut so smooth & close that very little touch up was needed.
Got some moderate sting from the Bay Rum but not super bad.
I totally concur with this assessment. Really enjoy the the Wilkinson. Not sure what happened in the buffing pass today though. Will try the Light Brigade in the Henson ++ tomorrow.
Today's shave of the day:
| Pre-Shave | PAA cube and Grooming Dept. Lavender Preshave |
| Soap/Cream | Mitchell's Woolfat |
| Brush | APShave Co Ti/Aluminum/Brass with 28mm G5A knot |
| Scuttle | Pereira |
| Razor | Blackland Ti Blackbird with OC plate |
| Blade | Wilkinson Sword Light Brigade |
| 1st Pass Eval | 9 |
| 2nd Pass Eval | 9.2 |
| 3rd / Buffing Pass Eval | 6 |
| Razer, Blade and Cream Observations | First pass was amazing. 2nd was good. Tough to buff with the OC Blackbird...too aggressive. The buffing did little except add some irritation |
| Post Shave | Thayers, AofS Bourbon balm |
| Cologne/Fragrance | Chanel Alure |
| Overall Efficiency | 9 |
| Pre-buffing Smoothness | 9.4 |
| End of Shave Irritation (lower is better) | 2 |
| Nicks | 0 |
| Weepers | 0 |
| Overall Shave Rating | 9.3/BBS- |
| Comments | Only the 2nd shave with the Wilkinson. First shave seemed sharper. Maybe the blade had some water on it sitting in the razor for 3 days? |
UK London Bridge Shave #2
Fatip Grande
Cella Green Shaving Soap
I finally decided to rid myself of the last vestiges of the Covid Pandemic and world shutdown: I got rid of my goatee and mustache which I grew while in seclusion. Approaching this task with trepidation, my plan-of-attack at first involved using a hair clipper to remove most of my whiskers before finishing with DE razor and blade. However, at the last minute, the impulse for glory took over and the plan changed to a mad dash. No guts, no glory.
I made a fine bowl of Cella Green lather and took a warm shower and used some hair conditioner on my face. Afterwards the mission awaited. I'm happy to report the UK London Bridge and Fatip Grande proved up to the task. I had to pause frequently to rinse and unclog my Fatip but soon enough my face emerged naked for the first time in nearly four years. One small weeper, but that was my fault for pressing too hard on the corners on my mouth which is where I grow hair the heaviest.
I am pleased with the UK London Bridge and have said before I would buy this if it still were made. I will have to look into the German Personna which I believe was mentioned as an equivalent?
This is a 5 star blade. I can't imagine what the Light Brigade blade is like if it is reputed to be even better.
Fatip Grande
Cella Green Shaving Soap
I finally decided to rid myself of the last vestiges of the Covid Pandemic and world shutdown: I got rid of my goatee and mustache which I grew while in seclusion. Approaching this task with trepidation, my plan-of-attack at first involved using a hair clipper to remove most of my whiskers before finishing with DE razor and blade. However, at the last minute, the impulse for glory took over and the plan changed to a mad dash. No guts, no glory.
I made a fine bowl of Cella Green lather and took a warm shower and used some hair conditioner on my face. Afterwards the mission awaited. I'm happy to report the UK London Bridge and Fatip Grande proved up to the task. I had to pause frequently to rinse and unclog my Fatip but soon enough my face emerged naked for the first time in nearly four years. One small weeper, but that was my fault for pressing too hard on the corners on my mouth which is where I grow hair the heaviest.
I am pleased with the UK London Bridge and have said before I would buy this if it still were made. I will have to look into the German Personna which I believe was mentioned as an equivalent?
This is a 5 star blade. I can't imagine what the Light Brigade blade is like if it is reputed to be even better.
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Shave #1 on my second orange wrapped blade on 24 hrs growth. Very good shave. This light Al Lupo requires slight pressure but the blade did not punish. Very smooth. Quite efficient.
London Bridge (UK) Blade #1
Background
I am a 3-pass daily shaver. My skin is not especially sensitive. Nor are my whiskers difficult to cut. I regularly shave with vintage blades from the Golden Age of shaving.
Routine & Tools
I start every shave with a hot shower followed with Cremo as a pre-shave. For these blade trials I used my Semoque Mistura and vintage Yardley shaving soap exclusively. I used this blade with three different razors: Blackland Brass Bird Lite, Gillette Slim 64, and a Gillette 195.
Results
I used my Brass Bird for shaves 1 and 2. The sharpness of the blade was Good for both shaves and it yielded my standard 10-to-12-hour shave. I would describe the smoothness of the shaves as Okay. I had no nicks, cuts, or irritation from the shaves. All-in-all, the blade worked fine but it wasn’t as good as other blades I’ve used.
I switched to my Gillette Slim for shaves 3 and 4. I was hoping that an adjustable razor might help me find just the right exposure to get a really nice shave. The Slim was set to 4 for the first shave and 5 for the second. The sharpness of the blade was Good for both shaves. In addition to my normal three passes, I had to do some touch ups. The smoothness was Okay. The blade felt a bit tuggy during the 2nd and 3rd passes of both shaves and caused some irritation when the alum block was applied.
I switched to my 195 for shaves 5 through 8. The razor was set at 6 for all the shaves. The sharpness of the blade was Good. The smoothness was Okay. I received several nicks and experienced increasing irritation from my alum block during every shave. Some of this negative feedback was the result of operator error. I hadn’t shaved with the 195 for quite some time and I definitely needed some time to get comfortable with the razor.
Final Thoughts
The sharpness of the blade was mostly Good throughout the trials. Apart from the occasional tug, the blade cut my whiskers without too much effort. The smoothness of the blade was Okay. The razors never seemed to glide over my face and the nicks, cuts, and irritation I experienced during the latter shaves are not typical for me. I’m still looking for the magic setting on the 195. Next up, London Bridge (CHN).
Background
I am a 3-pass daily shaver. My skin is not especially sensitive. Nor are my whiskers difficult to cut. I regularly shave with vintage blades from the Golden Age of shaving.
Routine & Tools
I start every shave with a hot shower followed with Cremo as a pre-shave. For these blade trials I used my Semoque Mistura and vintage Yardley shaving soap exclusively. I used this blade with three different razors: Blackland Brass Bird Lite, Gillette Slim 64, and a Gillette 195.
Results
I used my Brass Bird for shaves 1 and 2. The sharpness of the blade was Good for both shaves and it yielded my standard 10-to-12-hour shave. I would describe the smoothness of the shaves as Okay. I had no nicks, cuts, or irritation from the shaves. All-in-all, the blade worked fine but it wasn’t as good as other blades I’ve used.
I switched to my Gillette Slim for shaves 3 and 4. I was hoping that an adjustable razor might help me find just the right exposure to get a really nice shave. The Slim was set to 4 for the first shave and 5 for the second. The sharpness of the blade was Good for both shaves. In addition to my normal three passes, I had to do some touch ups. The smoothness was Okay. The blade felt a bit tuggy during the 2nd and 3rd passes of both shaves and caused some irritation when the alum block was applied.
I switched to my 195 for shaves 5 through 8. The razor was set at 6 for all the shaves. The sharpness of the blade was Good. The smoothness was Okay. I received several nicks and experienced increasing irritation from my alum block during every shave. Some of this negative feedback was the result of operator error. I hadn’t shaved with the 195 for quite some time and I definitely needed some time to get comfortable with the razor.
Final Thoughts
The sharpness of the blade was mostly Good throughout the trials. Apart from the occasional tug, the blade cut my whiskers without too much effort. The smoothness of the blade was Okay. The razors never seemed to glide over my face and the nicks, cuts, and irritation I experienced during the latter shaves are not typical for me. I’m still looking for the magic setting on the 195. Next up, London Bridge (CHN).
Blade: London Bridge (CH)
Razor: UK Rocket
Soap: PdP #63
Brush: Semogue 730hd
Post-shave: Thayers Toner WH, Nivea Men Sensitive PSB
Another DFS today from 2-passes plus some buffing. Slowly approaching EOL.
Razor: UK Rocket
Soap: PdP #63
Brush: Semogue 730hd
Post-shave: Thayers Toner WH, Nivea Men Sensitive PSB
Another DFS today from 2-passes plus some buffing. Slowly approaching EOL.
Chinese London Bridge (edge 1 shave 5)
Wilkinson Sword Classic (plastic) razor; Captain's Choice Lime cream; Omega S-brush knot in homemade handle; Captain's Choice shaving bowl.
A shave too far.
Although I generally prefer soaps to creams, I rate the Captain's cream more highly than his soap. Even that couldn't save this shave, though. It was a pretty uncomfortable shave all told, and with a couple of (tiny) weepers. There was some post-shave irritation again, but again it was entirely minimal. It was only a socially-acceptable shave, though, and time to bin this blade.
I've used these blades before, so I'm going to concentrate on the vintage English-made blades for a while, not least because I'll be travelling the week after next, and will have to dip out of this for a bit.
Wilkinson Sword Classic (plastic) razor; Captain's Choice Lime cream; Omega S-brush knot in homemade handle; Captain's Choice shaving bowl.
A shave too far.
Although I generally prefer soaps to creams, I rate the Captain's cream more highly than his soap. Even that couldn't save this shave, though. It was a pretty uncomfortable shave all told, and with a couple of (tiny) weepers. There was some post-shave irritation again, but again it was entirely minimal. It was only a socially-acceptable shave, though, and time to bin this blade.
I've used these blades before, so I'm going to concentrate on the vintage English-made blades for a while, not least because I'll be travelling the week after next, and will have to dip out of this for a bit.
A Tale of Two Bridges
Blade: London Bridge (UK)
Soap: Em's Place Bay Rum
Brush: Semogue boar
Shaves with the UK London Bridge, still with my 3D Tech, were sharp as the Chinese blade and at least as smooth. I got an extra shave out of this one, though.
Blade: London Bridge (UK)
Soap: Em's Place Bay Rum
Brush: Semogue boar
Shaves with the UK London Bridge, still with my 3D Tech, were sharp as the Chinese blade and at least as smooth. I got an extra shave out of this one, though.
Razor- Karve CB pltC
Blade- Light Brigade blade 1 shave 2
Soap- Royal Shave
Brush- 24mm pure badger
Aftershave- Avon Everest
2nd shave with this blade was very nice! BBS with very little irritation.
Blade- Light Brigade blade 1 shave 2
Soap- Royal Shave
Brush- 24mm pure badger
Aftershave- Avon Everest
2nd shave with this blade was very nice! BBS with very little irritation.
I got weepers last shave which if I count face and head separately, was #5. With Feathers I get weepers on shave 4....; weepers indicate tossing the blade for me..... I may look a this under the microscope....they usually have chips on the edge.....
I just checked the blade: it had 3 chips (smallish on one side) but had 2 pieces of metal sticking out (small)
On the other side one chip was big , 2 small and 2 pieces sticking out (I don't remember seeing these pieces sticking out ever).
Just to compare, I checked a used Permasharp (not the smoothest) but the bevel was pristine.......
On the other side one chip was big , 2 small and 2 pieces sticking out (I don't remember seeing these pieces sticking out ever).
Just to compare, I checked a used Permasharp (not the smoothest) but the bevel was pristine.......
