LMAO! Great scores my Friend
CBLindsay's Journey into Mixed Blade Mastery
- Thread starter CBLindsay
- Start date
True I've seen it happen. What do you think of the scents on the fine? I think they are pretty darn good match to the aftershave. I can't decide which to use tomorrow.
Woohoo!! Looking forward to your thoughts on the soaps Chris.
Sent via Tapatalk from phone
Sent via Tapatalk from phone
- Thread starter
- #484
I like both. The platinum is definitely a cologne type scent, I may need to get the AS to complement it because I don't have any cologne or AS in that profile. The green vetiver is the fresh vetiver revised, I still have enough of that AS I should be able to pair it up ...god help me I might have to buy the soaps and AS's in pairs now. I broke down and ordered the orange noir stuff from the supplier that had it shipped and all for a very decent price, I'll order soap IF I like it.
Yeah Pete, tough break I think I have to go with the Cosmo in the morning ...I couldn't decide on which fine so I decided to stick with the original plan.
Fine platinum aftershave is my wife's favorite scent and strength. It always works [emoji6]
- Thread starter
- #487
Pre: Musgo Glyce
Berta (CBL Custom #1)
Outlaw Strop 25/50 (50/50 post)
WD24mm Silver Tip
SV COSMO
CBL Medi/Menthol Witch Hazel (New batch)
SV COSMO AS Serum
If you shoot for the stars you just might hit the moon! I finally broke out the infamous Cosmo today and I DO have a story to tell. First I must say the scent, although subtle, is a truly lovely thing. The soap seems to have a different top note than the AS, I get a quick hit of sage(?) from the aftershave while I never got that at all from the soap. The most interesting thing about the scent is how unique AND familiar it is at the same time. I swear I have experienced this scent before but at the same time it feels totally new to me. Both the Aftershave and soap have a very subtle intro but come on stronger after more time, I really thought the AS would have too little scent so I sprayed on some Bill Blass (I like Bill Blass, it reminds me of a simpler time AND I think I might work with the Fine Platinum ...but I am about as good at matching scent as I am at matching clothes), only after another 3 to 5 minutes did I start getting whiffs of the Cosmo, and I have been getting the same Cosmo/Bill Blass interplay all day.
So the story I promised. Well it seems today's Latherista was not very good at his job of producing a high quality lather despite the tools at his disposal (SV soap and a silver tip brush). The Latherista achieved what appeared to be a wonderful face lather however that lather became thin and airy beyond the first pass ...we are talking failed Williams type of lather here. Now the proof that this formulation of soap is truly superior is that no matter how thin or airy the lather became after application it remained slick enough for the pass to continue. The combination of the Cosmo's excellent qualities and Berta's keen edge provided for a very enjoyable (although frustrating on some level) 3.3 pass shave.
My verdict on the day: Berta's edge was smooth as if I were drawing a thin wire across my face rather than a sharp blade, this was both enjoyable and potentially problematic because the blade WAS sharp. The smooth wire like feel made me feel as if I needed to press harder against my skin, an urge I fought the whole time. With the inexplicably failing lather (too little product I presume) I was in a constant lather battle that kept me from settling in on a rhythm. Despite the somewhat significant issue, the strength of the soap itself and Berta's edge proved capable of overcoming it all, rendering a very close BBS result.
A couple of small side notes. I did some touch up on the Vorpal last night using the Coticule and Vosges (brown thuringen) finishing stone, only when accompanied by a few strokes on CrOx did the edge pop hanging hairs. As compared to the edge on Berta which is truly mirror smooth at 20x, the Vorpal still far to go. I am tempted to go to the Welsh stones I did so well on before just to get the polished look. As an side, I did some work on the Challenger (still much to do), I followed the bevel setting with by messing around on a slate which I made a slurry on with a Japanese Tomo ...the speed with which the edge polished was amazing (this was just an experiment and only a subjective observation).
One last thing. I made significant progress on one of my GD66 mods, I can't show the photo of the work in progress (VERY Top Secret) yet but I assure you, overcoming this hurdle was a big step. I will (might have already) place clues as to the eventual final product(s) appearance and function in my photo's posted in my journal. ...ssshh don't tell anyone.
Berta (CBL Custom #1)
Outlaw Strop 25/50 (50/50 post)
WD24mm Silver Tip
SV COSMO
CBL Medi/Menthol Witch Hazel (New batch)
SV COSMO AS Serum
If you shoot for the stars you just might hit the moon! I finally broke out the infamous Cosmo today and I DO have a story to tell. First I must say the scent, although subtle, is a truly lovely thing. The soap seems to have a different top note than the AS, I get a quick hit of sage(?) from the aftershave while I never got that at all from the soap. The most interesting thing about the scent is how unique AND familiar it is at the same time. I swear I have experienced this scent before but at the same time it feels totally new to me. Both the Aftershave and soap have a very subtle intro but come on stronger after more time, I really thought the AS would have too little scent so I sprayed on some Bill Blass (I like Bill Blass, it reminds me of a simpler time AND I think I might work with the Fine Platinum ...but I am about as good at matching scent as I am at matching clothes), only after another 3 to 5 minutes did I start getting whiffs of the Cosmo, and I have been getting the same Cosmo/Bill Blass interplay all day.
So the story I promised. Well it seems today's Latherista was not very good at his job of producing a high quality lather despite the tools at his disposal (SV soap and a silver tip brush). The Latherista achieved what appeared to be a wonderful face lather however that lather became thin and airy beyond the first pass ...we are talking failed Williams type of lather here. Now the proof that this formulation of soap is truly superior is that no matter how thin or airy the lather became after application it remained slick enough for the pass to continue. The combination of the Cosmo's excellent qualities and Berta's keen edge provided for a very enjoyable (although frustrating on some level) 3.3 pass shave.
My verdict on the day: Berta's edge was smooth as if I were drawing a thin wire across my face rather than a sharp blade, this was both enjoyable and potentially problematic because the blade WAS sharp. The smooth wire like feel made me feel as if I needed to press harder against my skin, an urge I fought the whole time. With the inexplicably failing lather (too little product I presume) I was in a constant lather battle that kept me from settling in on a rhythm. Despite the somewhat significant issue, the strength of the soap itself and Berta's edge proved capable of overcoming it all, rendering a very close BBS result.
A couple of small side notes. I did some touch up on the Vorpal last night using the Coticule and Vosges (brown thuringen) finishing stone, only when accompanied by a few strokes on CrOx did the edge pop hanging hairs. As compared to the edge on Berta which is truly mirror smooth at 20x, the Vorpal still far to go. I am tempted to go to the Welsh stones I did so well on before just to get the polished look. As an side, I did some work on the Challenger (still much to do), I followed the bevel setting with by messing around on a slate which I made a slurry on with a Japanese Tomo ...the speed with which the edge polished was amazing (this was just an experiment and only a subjective observation).
One last thing. I made significant progress on one of my GD66 mods, I can't show the photo of the work in progress (VERY Top Secret) yet but I assure you, overcoming this hurdle was a big step. I will (might have already) place clues as to the eventual final product(s) appearance and function in my photo's posted in my journal. ...ssshh don't tell anyone.
Fantastic Read Chris and Love that Razor my Friend, I think SWMBO may be uncontrollable if I am ever able to wrangle enough to get the Cosmo, she is a sage addict LOL
- Thread starter
- #490
Fantastic Read Chris and Love that Razor my Friend, I think SWMBO may be uncontrollable if I am ever able to wrangle enough to get the Cosmo, she is a sage addict LOL
Do what I did. Go on a hike in our local mountains and grab a good amount of fresh blue sage. Make a firm roll like a cigar (like the Natives of the area would do for smudging) and hang it to dry. Take that dried roll and put it in a container of Vodka (you could use the perfumer's alcohol but what's the fun in that) and let it steep for a good long time. You'll have a great sage scent on hand for anything...add some to your witch hazel for a cool smell.
Great read. And cool frag tip with the sage!
- Thread starter
- #492
Thanks. I do a lot of self-made things. It's not because I'm super creative and one of those guys who can do anything (that's Stan/KQY61, I'm pretty sure he can make anything), it's because I really WANT a lot of things but I am REALLY cheap. I grew up without a lot of money and learned that I could pretty much make something close to "the real thing" for less than buying it. ...so if I see something I like/want, I figure out how to make it. This is why I like the GD66mod thing and all the tips and tricks I've learned from Nate & Pete (and some others). Some of my creations and self made items are way better than anything I could buy...others are just cheaper, and others are pretty useless.
As for the fragrance thing. I started several extracts this time last year. Some of the better ones include peppercorn (pink and/or black NOT white ...white stinks), bay leaf (cooking kind), wild sage, clove and a couple different pipe tobaccos. Many of these aren't expensive to buy proper essential oils, and those oils work better for a lot of things but throwing these spices in some cheap vodka is better than DRINKING cheap vodka.
Outstanding Tip, I never thought of using vodka to distill one of my Smudge Sticks, that is a grand idea and I thank you for the mention above my Friend. I am very similar in mindset with trying to make what I can by hand where I can and when I have the time to do so. I have found that not only do these items last longer, but they hold much more value as well knowing that you made it yourself and if something goes haywire, you can fix it without having to have a reverse engineering degree LOL
Nice going, Chris, for sure. You've given me an idea now. I wonder how rosemary and lavender would do for a homemade frag? (Got plenty in the yard right now). Kind of a nod towards MdC original, or, Myrsol AB. Hmmmm, just thinking out loud.
WOW Man, you must have super hearing!!! Me and SWMBO Were just talking about that seconds ago, also Clove and Sage
- Thread starter
- #496
The fresh Rosemary on my radar for awhile but I have yet to start a distillation. I wanted to use it for homemade soaps. The thing with working with these different plants is, some volatile elements dissolve into water others into alcohol and others into oil. If you aren't getting the results you want or expect try steeping in oil. Rosemary and lavender generally work well with Vodka ...and a lavender infused vodka might be fun for summer drinks.
- Thread starter
- #498
Pre: Musgo Glyce
Vorpal
Outlaw Strop 25/50 (50 on linen post)
WD24mm Synthetic
SV COSMO
CBL Medi/Menthol Witch Hazel *SKIPPED TODAY*
SV COSMO AS Serum
The scent was so intoxicating and the performance of the 'failed' lather was superior to many other soaps at their best, I just had to return for another taste of the COSMO. Before hopping into the shower I wetted the top of the soap and poured the standing water off into the coconut in which the synthetic brush was placed to soak/warm, leaving the container inverted on its lid. After a thorough prep I shook the water from the brush and lightly squeezed most of the remaining water into the coconut (for future use as needed) and swirled the damp brush on the damp/soft surface of my new friend, COSMO. The act of wetting the surface had made loading much easier, a mix of bubbles and proto-lather began to form immediately and I could smell the scent fill my nostrils. I kept swirling expecting the bubbles to dissipate and the proto-lather to thicken but that never really happened. I wiped the loaded brush onto my face, making room for more to be loaded onto my brush and pushed the brush back into the pile of bubble that has formed, gathering everything I could. (Funny thing is, as I "double dipped" all I could think of was how this meant I wouldn't be sharing THIS soap with anyone. I try not to double dip so I can keep my soaps "clean" for sharing ...its soap, I know). Now that I had plenty of soap loaded onto the brush, smeared onto my face and even scraped into the coconut, I worked up a lovely lather. To say the Beta 4.2 is better than the Beta 4.0 is something I am not able to do, I CAN confirm that the two Saponoficio Verificio soaps I now own are of the highest caliber ...and that COSMO has a superior scent (or at least a stronger one that I can detect more easily)
Shaving with a great lather makes a big difference too, each of the three primary passes and all of the minor touch ups occurred with much greater ease than the shaves I had a week ago with the poor/dry lather. As far as the technique involved in each pass, I have reverted to the basic directional N:S, E:N, S:N with a wiper move included in the neck and touch-ups on the neck typically include a down stroke with the blade angled like " / " and or a sliding slicing motion . The N:S pass below the jaw line does have a slight inward (Ear to AA) bias but it isn't incredibly dramatic or purposeful in presentation. I found that pulling upward on the cheek will lift the neck skin higher, allowing some or all to be shaved while above the jaw bone (we all know this and play with this kind of stretching) but I also noticed that I can stretch in a way that a simple N:S stroke achieves a down stroke with a bias like \ or /. If I need to, I can purposefully add a slight bias and achieve even greater results.
This morning's shave yielded a very nice BBS+, possibly a grail quality shave. I only hesitate to label what is clearly a BBS plus as a grail because it lacked the "magic" feel.
Two days ago I touched up the edge on the Vorpal using a light slurry on the Coticle (resting on the bench) followed by numerous laps on the French finishing stone, including laps with a light soap application. I followed the stones with CrOx, and the "labrax carpet" (FeOx/Diamond). The re-touched edge on the Vorpal was keen enough to get the job done but did seem to be less comfortable than I desired, although I can't pinpoint what it is I am looking for.
Oh I can hardly wait, I even woke up twice last night thinking about it. One of the GD66 mod project razors is SO close to being ready to test shave and show off. I assure you loyal followers, you will see it here first AND what you will see is quite unique.
Vorpal
Outlaw Strop 25/50 (50 on linen post)
WD24mm Synthetic
SV COSMO
CBL Medi/Menthol Witch Hazel *SKIPPED TODAY*
SV COSMO AS Serum
The scent was so intoxicating and the performance of the 'failed' lather was superior to many other soaps at their best, I just had to return for another taste of the COSMO. Before hopping into the shower I wetted the top of the soap and poured the standing water off into the coconut in which the synthetic brush was placed to soak/warm, leaving the container inverted on its lid. After a thorough prep I shook the water from the brush and lightly squeezed most of the remaining water into the coconut (for future use as needed) and swirled the damp brush on the damp/soft surface of my new friend, COSMO. The act of wetting the surface had made loading much easier, a mix of bubbles and proto-lather began to form immediately and I could smell the scent fill my nostrils. I kept swirling expecting the bubbles to dissipate and the proto-lather to thicken but that never really happened. I wiped the loaded brush onto my face, making room for more to be loaded onto my brush and pushed the brush back into the pile of bubble that has formed, gathering everything I could. (Funny thing is, as I "double dipped" all I could think of was how this meant I wouldn't be sharing THIS soap with anyone. I try not to double dip so I can keep my soaps "clean" for sharing ...its soap, I know). Now that I had plenty of soap loaded onto the brush, smeared onto my face and even scraped into the coconut, I worked up a lovely lather. To say the Beta 4.2 is better than the Beta 4.0 is something I am not able to do, I CAN confirm that the two Saponoficio Verificio soaps I now own are of the highest caliber ...and that COSMO has a superior scent (or at least a stronger one that I can detect more easily)
Shaving with a great lather makes a big difference too, each of the three primary passes and all of the minor touch ups occurred with much greater ease than the shaves I had a week ago with the poor/dry lather. As far as the technique involved in each pass, I have reverted to the basic directional N:S, E:N, S:N with a wiper move included in the neck and touch-ups on the neck typically include a down stroke with the blade angled like " / " and or a sliding slicing motion . The N:S pass below the jaw line does have a slight inward (Ear to AA) bias but it isn't incredibly dramatic or purposeful in presentation. I found that pulling upward on the cheek will lift the neck skin higher, allowing some or all to be shaved while above the jaw bone (we all know this and play with this kind of stretching) but I also noticed that I can stretch in a way that a simple N:S stroke achieves a down stroke with a bias like \ or /. If I need to, I can purposefully add a slight bias and achieve even greater results.
This morning's shave yielded a very nice BBS+, possibly a grail quality shave. I only hesitate to label what is clearly a BBS plus as a grail because it lacked the "magic" feel.
Two days ago I touched up the edge on the Vorpal using a light slurry on the Coticle (resting on the bench) followed by numerous laps on the French finishing stone, including laps with a light soap application. I followed the stones with CrOx, and the "labrax carpet" (FeOx/Diamond). The re-touched edge on the Vorpal was keen enough to get the job done but did seem to be less comfortable than I desired, although I can't pinpoint what it is I am looking for.
Oh I can hardly wait, I even woke up twice last night thinking about it. One of the GD66 mod project razors is SO close to being ready to test shave and show off. I assure you loyal followers, you will see it here first AND what you will see is quite unique.
