My mom rooooocks!

I was on the phone telling my mom about how I found my 1917 Aristocrat in a antiques store, and she said "Oh, I was given an old Gillette razor by your grandma's sister. Her husband worked for Gillette." Needless to say, my ears perked right up. So, she went and rummaged through a drawer for all of a few seconds and pulled out a perfect, brand stinking new British Gillette Aristocrat! As near as I can tell it was a 1953 model, but this remains to be seen once I can look at the date code and find more information on it. I've never seen the likes of the case. So, she's sending it to me! Needless to say I'm more than a little thrilled and can't wait for it to get here!

First scents!

Well, I just completed making my first scented soap and pre/post shave oil. I'm pretty pleased with the results! The scents are awesome and just what I was looking for. One was lavender/peppermint/rosemary and the other lime/peppermint. I did one bar of each, using the unscented soap from classicshaving.com. I'm pleased with how well their soap melts down and allows the oil to mix. Couldn't be happier. I'll have to fuss a little with the oil ratios in the future to get it "just right" but for now they're great and I'm thoroughly excited to try shaving with the new soaps.

My next trick will be a bit more... tricky... as it requires 100 proof vodka. I have no clue where to get that. I intend to make my own cologne! That'll be a bit trickier, but should be a lot of fun.

Once I've tried that I intend to actually make my own soaps out of the bare ingredients, then scent them to my specifications. If all goes well, I'll have my own from-the-ground-up soap and cologne! Should be fun.

The oils are a bit expensive to start up with, but when you're only adding, say, 7 drops to a bar of soap, 1oz of each should last quite a while.

Be the first to get in on the pre-order list! haha Just kidding.

Nancy Boy Cooling After-Shave Gel

Here's the linkie: http://www.nancyboy.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_15&products_id=4

This stuff is fan-freaking-tastic! They threw in a sample bottle of the stuff when I got my shaving cream from them. Today, after I finished my shave I initially put some Ogallala Bay Rum & Sandalwood on. But, I didn't like the rather tight feeling it left my face with. So, I opted to get something a bit more moisturizing.

I remembered being pretty happy with the results of the first time I tried it a few days ago, so said "what the heck!" and threw some on over the Bay Rum. I'm totally happy with the results. The scent is just absolutely phenomenal. I won't say too much about it because I'll start gushing. Suffice it to say that I *really* like it. And my face feels cool without a hint of tightness. The scent did push out the smell of the Sandalwood, but it was worth it for how it feels. Granted, upon leaving the house I'd probably still opt for the Bay Rum since it lasts a good bit longer than the Nancy Boy stuff.

Regardless, they are both just bang-up products. I wring my hands with eager anticipation until the next time I get to use either. I just wish Nancy Boy would produce a cologne with their signature scent. If I could get this aftershave to last the day, it would be soooo awesome. Blennheim Bouquet got nothing on it! ;)

WOW! 1917 Gillette Aristocrat

So, Kara and I went to Planted Earth so she could buy a couple flowers. What I didn't know was that PE is an antiques store. What I *also* didn't know is that hidden in a display case was a 1917 Gillette Aristocrat razor. I had a feeling when I was hunting around that there was something nice, somewhere.

The razor was in its original case. The case wasn't much to look at, but it's original. The razor was extremely tarnished, as well. (The 1917 Aristocrats are triple-plated silver.) I mean bad. I thought it was pitted, too. Still, I couldn't help but take it home with me. I know that Aristocrats are highly coveted in the classic shaving realm. So, it was worth the risk to see what kind of shape it was really in.

Which... was... AWESOME! I gave it a good bath to get rid of the tarnish and can NOT believe the condition of this razor. It's 93 years old, but looks like it's been used for a year, maybe. Apart from micro scratches that are pretty much a fact of life with silver that is used to constantly slide over something (like stubbly skin) it's just in great shape. No bends, nicks, etc. Apart from the slightly used (but not worn) finish, it's phenomenal. I just can't get over how nice it is.

Some poking around on the forums confirms that this is an extremely rare find. I've already gotten a letter of interest from a collector, but I really don't know what it's worth yet. They are hard enough to find pictures of, so I don't imagine that asking for at least $100 is even remotely unheard of. Time will tell. Of course I'll have to shave with it at least once. ;)

Oh my lather...

So, in the classic shaving world there's this thing called "superlather" that's basically what it sounds like. More lather than you can normally drum up with just a cream. It's done using both shaving soap *and* shaving cream. The soap is applied to the brush first, normally higher up on the bristles and closer to the knot, then you put your normal cream allotment into the mug and make lather as normal.

I tried this yesterday with a Palmolive shave stick soap and my new Nancy Boy Signature scent shaving cream. The results? Wow! I'm amazed at how much good lather I got going that route. It was phenomenal. Slick, protective... just a great shave. I have to also say that I'm thrilled with how much I like the Nancy Boy cream. I'm actually going to try my hand at making a couple cakes of shaving soap that are similar to the Nancy Boy formulation for their cream. (In terms of scent.) I've got a couple unscented cakes enroute from Classic Shaving and purchased the proper essential oils separately. I'm so excited to try it. If Palmolive/Nancy Boy yielded such great results, it only stands to reason that a soap scented similarly to Nancy Boy will be even better.

Obviously, I'll let you know how it goes. ;)

BTW, the Palmolive shave sticks are great. They have a... well, more soapy smell than the more expensive creams, but it's a nice, pleasant scent. They lather quite well, and generally do a good job. These are my first shave sticks, and I quite like them. One of the perks is that they seem like they'll last a while - which is great. They're also pretty cheap if you can find a good way to get them in bulk or shipped cheaply. If you're in Europe you can find them for around $1, which is phenomenal. Unfortunately, you do pay for the privilege of having them here. The cheapest I found them was on superlather.com at 2 for $7. Not bad. But they charge more for shipping/handling there than the actual costs of the sticks which kinda sucks. Props to ma/pop businesses though, so I tip my hat to them. If you can find them cheaper elsewhere, let me know.

P.S. - Grr. I found that you can get 3 sticks shipped from the UK for just over $16 which is certainly a better deal per-stick. Buying these in bulk from the UK would definitely drive the costs down. Maybe a bulk buy? Anyone?

Ogallala Bay Rum Sampler

Got my sampler yesterday. I was super excited! Didn't quite play out the way I planned, though. As you know from my previous post, I love the Bay Rum & Sandalwood. I was quite stoked to get 2 more ounces in their sampler of my fav. But what about the others?

Well, it's like this. It turns out that Bay Rum is predominantly two scents: clove and cinnamon. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of either of those spices. For me, clove is just too powerful. It's hard to smell anything beyond that. Which is probably why cinnamon is added. If anything can get around the smell of clove, it's putting in a little cinnamon as well. It makes for a very unique scent, but it's one that I'm not really a fan of. One of these days I'll go ahead and try a full splash of the Bay Rum on my face, but odds are that it'll end up sitting at the back of the bottle "pile" until I find a new home for them.

The other scent they offer is Bay Rum, Lime, and Peppercorn. This one is pretty nice. It's not the killer for me that the Sandalwood is, but it's still pretty good. A much lighter scent. The lime gives it a nice, light top end, while the peppercorn is subdued enough to not be overpowering. Interestingly I just don't notice the clove/cinnamon in either the lime/peppercorn or sandalwood variants. The lime & peppercorn may definitely be one you consider trying out if the clove/cinnamon doesn't sound like it'll be your thing, either. But, who knows? I may decide the pure Bay Rum is pretty nice after all. I was a tad bit torn on the sandalwood at first, and now it'll have a permanent home in my cabinet. So, I may change my tune about the Bay Rum at some point.

The good folks at Ogallala also threw in a sample bar of their Bay Rum Body Soap & Shampoo bar as well as a 2oz bottle of their Bay Rum air freshener. They are definitely catered towards customer service and getting/keeping new customers. I'm heartily happy with them as a company. If you haven't checked them out already, go do so now.

Scents rule!

I've simply fallen in love with Ogallala Bay Rum & Sandalwood Aftershave. It's part of what I look forward to when I wake up in the morning. It's got a classic, well blended fragrance. The best part is that it last for a good amount of time but isn't overpowering. I've ordered their sampler, which includes 5 samples of all their fragrances, plus a couple variances. I'm looking forward to receiving it and will post my thoughts here.

I think you can find a 2 oz sample bottle of any of their scents at their website for about $2. It's certainly worth picking one up, if you're interested. It definitely will appeal to some, and others won't be satisfied unless their wearing the latest named-after-the-latest-celebrity cologne. I hear the new M. Tyson aftershave comes with a free ear. Excellent!

Shave o' the day.

Good shaving, today. Switched from the Astra to a Gillette 7 o'clock. (Thanks to the sampler pack ordered from BullGoose Shaving.) Did 3 passes. No nicks and only the tiniest bit of razor burn. I even got my neck really close with no (current) discernible irritation. And for me that's fantastic. I'm not sure where the Gillette's fall in terms of aggressiveness, but it'll be interesting to see how they play out for the next coming week. I may switch to the ultra-aggressive Feathers next week, but we'll see.

FIRST SHAVE!

Well, I just completed my first shave the "old fashioned" way. It was... interesting! There's definitely a lot more that goes into it than just slapping on Gillette Foamy and grabbing your Mach 5. Here's the details:

Equipment:
Edwin Jagger DE86 razor
Astra Superior Platinum blade
Edwin Jagger Black Badger brush
TOBS Avocado Shave Cream
Thayers Witch Hazel w/Aloe
Burt's Bees Aftershave
Ogallala Bay Rum & Sandalwood Aftershave

I will say that I'm proud of myself! haha Sort of... I didn't nick myself once, which is probably pretty good for a first-timer. I can feel a couple hot spots indicating that I did cut a bit too close a couple times. My neck is still pretty bristly - but no more than using a Mach 5 or similar.

I used *way* too much shave cream. Built up a ton of lather - far more than I needed. Still, better too much than too little. Still, I'll have to throttle back and be more careful next time I'm getting it on the brush. Perhaps I should go to measuring it (almond size dab) until I'm more familiar with how much goes how far.

Following the shave, I used a cold, wet towel to "close the pores" then applied the witch hazel. After letting it dry for a few moments, I slathered myself nicely with the Burt's Bees, followed by a splash of the Ogallala Bay Rum. I would have to agree that it's more invigorating than my standard shave, and I suppose I do feel slightly pampered. But, I'm not one of the "OH MY GOSH" converts yet. Still, the results were as good as any that I got with the standard stuff, and in the long run it'll be cheaper, so count me in. Hopefully as time goes by it'll get better and I'll enjoy it more as I get more comfortable with the procedure. Still... Success!

New Toiletries

Paid a visit to Good Earth today and procured some more voodoo items to help with my razor burn and general face discomfort. Snagged a bottle of Thayers Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel w/ Aloe Vera and some Burt's Bees Aftershave.

I'm thrilled about the Burt's Bees. I didn't know they made such a thing. Traditionally, I love the Burt's Bees products. They are starting to churn out so many items, though, that I worry about their quality. I hope they aren't "selling out."

bullgooseshaving.net

Just wanted to throw out a pitch for bullgooseshaving.net. The owner, Phil, has some of the best customer service I've experienced. Not only did he personally respond to my order, his shipping was super fast and he even threw in a sample of Ogalla Bay Rum Aftershave. (Worth checking out, BTW.) Really fantastic customer service. You don't see that a lot these days.

Domestication pt. 1

Whilst searching for a way to make shaving more popular, I discovered this.

Well, more appropriately I discovered a forum that linked to that stating that since switching to double-edged safety razors, they had had much better skin with less irritation. I figured it was worth a shot.

Unfortunately, startup costs are a little high! Fortunately, the big costs are a one-time thing. Here's the layout...

Edwin Jagger DE Safety Razor
Taylor Old Bond Street Avocado Shaving Cream
Razor Sampler
Edwin Jagger Black Badger Brush

My hopes are high. I will post results when I have tried out the new system.