Post your shave of the day here

[BourbonBinder]

Matt, that first pic brought a tear to my eye. Great to see where he's at today. I can see the love and happiness in his eyes in the second pic. In my country we would strap that owner to a tree and take a machete to him. Heartless bastard.

As far as my routine, I usually sprinkle a few drops of hot tap water on the soap, and soak my brush in hot tap water while I'm showering. I give the brush three shakes and start working the soap. Its takes about 30 seconds then I have enough soap on my brush to start. If it needs more water I just add a few drops at a time. If there is too much water I just keep working the soap until I have enough on the brush. I work the soap on my face until a nice thick lather develops, about 1 minute or so. To be honest with you I have never had any problems with my lather. I have gotten beautiful, thick, creamy lather from all my soaps.

I just let the weight of the razor do all the work. I never press the razor into my face. I think I've only had razor burn two or three times and this was in the beginning when I was starting out.

Stirling soaps are great and usually take very little effort to get an excellent lather.

Keep at it.

Thank you. . I wish I lived in a country like that. The owners; both a man and a woman (because they certainly aren't parents) saw their day in court. Unfortunately this country has such lax animal abuse charges, so I think the worst they got was a fine and maybe community service. Just look at that scumbag Michael Vick.

Thanks, i will give that method a whirl with the Stirlings. I got really spoiled with the ease of RazoRock XXX, arguably the easiest soap to work with. At least I know I always have a fallback, and hopefully a few more with the help of Stirling. I know for a fact what 2 soaps I will be buying next: Stirling Executive Man and Stirling Glacial Lemon Chill.

 

[BourbonBinder]

@UPTOWNSMOKE I read somewhere online that back in 2015, Stirling Shave company switched their Lanolin suppliers for all of their current lines. I think people were complaining that post shave produced a beef stew (ew lol) aroma and they took that feedback seriously. Just curious to see if any of the samples that I tried were of the old lanolin??? I just shaved with my favorite; Lemon Chill and tried your loading method. It didn't work with the water quality that I am forced to work around. What I did was start off with a near soaking brush with a bubbly lather and agitated the brush against my hand which firmed up the lather to a thick non pasty consistency. I think I will be trying a bowl lather next time as my Omega 10066 is quite large for face lathering. I think I will be getting a smaller knotted brush soon. I'm considering between the Semogue 830 and Semogue 620. I believe you have the 830. How do you like that? The Omega 10066 is a wee bit big for face lathering. My head is on the smaller side compared to the rest of my body (not pinhead but you get the idea). Weird cause I wear a size 13 shoe and have big hands (hmmm).

1. The Omega 10066
Height: 106 MM
Loft: 56 MM
Knot: 24 MM

2. The Semogue 830 Pure
Height: 100 MM
Loft: 55 MM
Knot: 23 MM

3. The Semogue 620 Pure
Height: 95 MM
Loft: 50 MM
Knot: 21 MM

The 830 (which you have) isn't really that far off from the Omega 10066 in MM. I love the affordability of a Boar Brush but most of all the backbone. I have a feeling you agree with me.

 

[UPTOWNSMOKE]

@UPTOWNSMOKE I read somewhere online that back in 2015, Stirling Shave company switched their Lanolin suppliers for all of their current lines. I think people were complaining that post shave produced a beef stew (ew lol) aroma and they took that feedback seriously. Just curious to see if any of the samples that I tried were of the old lanolin??? I just shaved with my favorite; Lemon Chill and tried your loading method. It didn't work with the water quality that I am forced to work around. What I did was start off with a near soaking brush with a bubbly lather and agitated the brush against my hand which firmed up the lather to a thick non pasty consistency. I think I will be trying a bowl lather next time as my Omega 10066 is quite large for face lathering. I think I will be getting a smaller knotted brush soon. I'm considering between the Semogue 830 and Semogue 620. I believe you have the 830. How do you like that? The Omega 10066 is a wee bit big for face lathering. My head is on the smaller side compared to the rest of my body (not pinhead but you get the idea). Weird cause I wear a size 13 shoe and have big hands (hmmm).

1. The Omega 10066
Height: 106 MM
Loft: 56 MM
Knot: 24 MM

2. The Semogue 830 Pure
Height: 100 MM
Loft: 55 MM
Knot: 23 MM

3. The Semogue 630 Pure
Height: 95 MM
Loft: 50 MM
Knot: 21 MM

The 830 (which you have) isn't really that far off from the Omega 10066 in MM. I love the affordability of a Boar Brush but most of all the backbone. I have a feeling you agree with me.

I have read the same about the old Stirling soaps and the smell, fortunately I bought these soaps June of 2016. As for the Semogue 830, I purchased mine on EBAY from seller Portuguesefactory located in Portugal for $20. I would have to say it is my favorite brush. I use it more than my most expensive brushes.

 

[bwhite220]

 

[UPTOWNSMOKE]

Never tried Soap Commander. How do you like it?

 

[bwhite220]

Never tried Soap Commander. How do you like it?

I'm a fan. I just got the 6 oz can in last week and have been using it every other day. I really like the smell and the slickness on my neck when shaving. I have a beard so I'm only shaving my neck and my upper cheeks. I also like how easy it is to remove from my beard so I can clearly see the beard line when shaving. Some soaps are so dense/heavy that it just cakes in and makes seeing the line impossible.

A few years ago (pre-beard) I signed up for the Wet Shave Club and they sent a bunch of Soap Commander samples and I really liked all of them. You can load your brush up quickly and a little bit goes a long way. This new 6 oz can should last me 8 years if I keep this beard. haha

 

[BourbonBinder]

I have read the same about the old Stirling soaps and the smell, fortunately I bought these soaps June of 2016. As for the Semogue 830, I purchased mine on EBAY from seller Portuguesefactory located in Portugal for $20. I would have to say it is my favorite brush. I use it more than my most expensive brushes.

Hopefully its little brother (the 620) is of the same quality. I'm buying it for dual purposes. One I need a smaller brush and two, it would be awesome for travelling.

 

[BourbonBinder]

Wow we have similar tastes: I have that exact same stand, a gold Merkur 34HD and Soap Commander (Respect)

 

[UPTOWNSMOKE]

Hopefully its little brother (the 620) is of the same quality. I'm buying it for dual purposes. One I need a smaller brush and two, it would be awesome for travelling.

Man, That's a beauty.

 

[UPTOWNSMOKE]

This early morning's SOTD.

Soap: Barrister & Mann's- Bay Rum Sample
After Shave: Stirling's- Bay Rum Sample
Balm: Paraso, not pitcured
Razor: Gillette Open Comb
Blade: Rapira
Brush: Whipped Dog Badger

 

[BourbonBinder]

This early morning's SOTD.

Soap: Barrister & Mann's- Bay Rum Sample
After Shave: Stirling's- Bay Rum Sample
Balm: Paraso, not pitcured
Razor: Gillette Open Comb
Blade: Rapira
Brush: Whipped Dog Badger

View attachment 103592

Wow that's quite a lather you got going on there. I hear Barrister & Mann works wonders with hard water. Namely the "Latha" series. I believe they manufactured it specifically with hard water in mind. My kinda soap!!

 

[UPTOWNSMOKE]

Wow that's quite a lather you got going on there. I hear Barrister & Mann works wonders with hard water. Namely the "Latha" series. I believe they manufactured it specifically with hard water in mind. My kinda soap!!

Yes indeed, great lather and the scent was just as great. I must say though that I get amazing lathers with all my soaps.

 

[BourbonBinder]

Yes indeed, great lather and the scent was just as great. I must say though that I get amazing lathers with all my soaps.

Well I wish I could share in all that lather but my hard water here in my town is making that difficult (water being a huge component obviously). I just tried my soap commander for the first time and got an excellent pillowey lather with the perfect consistency, but not one ounce of slickness in there (which let to irritation). Plus I hear RazoRock XXX changed up their tried and true formula to one with lanolin and a somewhat muted lemon scent. I think i may have to treasure what I have left of the old formula that started me down the fun road of wet shaving. Ive found that lanolin is a tricky thing to get right, hopefully they got it right with such a universally loved soap (XXX)

 

[UPTOWNSMOKE]

Well I wish I could share in all that lather but my hard water here in my town is making that difficult (water being a huge component obviously). I just tried my soap commander for the first time and got an excellent pillowey lather with the perfect consistency, but not one ounce of slickness in there (which let to irritation). Plus I hear RazoRock XXX changed up their tried and true formula to one with lanolin and a somewhat muted lemon scent. I think i may have to treasure what I have left of the old formula that started me down the fun road of wet shaving. Ive found that lanolin is a tricky thing to get right, hopefully they got it right with such a universally loved soap (XXX)

I was reading last night on one of the shaving forums that Stirling and B&M love hard water. I think I will order a tub of Bay Rum soap and after shave from Stirling. Love the scent . I can still smell it 5 or 6 hours later.

 

[BourbonBinder]

I was reading last night on one of the shaving forums that Stirling and B&M love hard water. I think I will order a tub of Bay Rum soap and after shave from Stirling. Love the scent . I can still smell it 5 or 6 hours later.

That's probably why i got along so well with Stirling. I just have to try and work around the funk that I get from my brush after I shave. I don't notice the smell before or during, hmmm. I think if I had less of my chemically rich water to the brush, which then touches the soap; that might work. All I can say about Barrister & Mann is that the "Latha" series was designed for tough water, I can't say that about the rest of their soap lineup though, as I have't heard anything of the like on the forums I follow.

 

[BourbonBinder]

Considering it has been awhile since the lat post I'd figure I would share my latest shaving purchase (or haul as I guess it's called)
I was in the market for a new soap that would experience explosive lather no matter how soft or hard the water was. I was going to just save myself the headache and buy RazoRock XXX but found out that they changed their formula to one with Lanolin, so that was out. The reason I can't have lanolin is that it has a weird reaction to my water and creates an awful wet-dog hair smell to it during the post shave. Weird I know, but I've had some complaints so I'm just trying to be mindful of those I live with. I experienced this with Stirling which was so unfortunate, as it was such a great versatile soap, and has so so so many scents offered. So I hit up google and started to research like a fiend. There was 3 soaps that were very well-received in not just the hard water community, but those that have allergies to lanolin. They were Catie's Bubbles, Barrister & Mann "Latha" and Maggard Artisan Soap. I ordered from Maggard Razors ( https://www.maggardrazors.com/ ) and recieved some of the best customer service out there. They had every sample I could ever dream of and when the time comes again, they also stock over 60 of Stirling Soaps.

 

[UPTOWNSMOKE]

Considering it has been awhile since the lat post I'd figure I would share my latest shaving purchase (or haul as I guess it's called)
I was in the market for a new soap that would experience explosive lather no matter how soft or hard the water was. I was going to just save myself the headache and buy RazoRock XXX but found out that they changed their formula to one with Lanolin, so that was out. The reason I can't have lanolin is that it has a weird reaction to my water and creates an awful wet-dog hair smell to it during the post shave. Weird I know, but I've had some complaints so I'm just trying to be mindful of those I live with. I experienced this with Stirling which was so unfortunate, as it was such a great versatile soap, and has so so so many scents offered. So I hit up google and started to research like a fiend. There was 3 soaps that were very well-received in not just the hard water community, but those that have allergies to lanolin. They were Catie's Bubbles, Barrister & Mann "Latha" and Maggard Artisan Soap. I ordered from Maggard Razors ( https://www.maggardrazors.com/ ) and recieved some of the best customer service out there. They had every sample I could ever dream of and when the time comes again, they also stock over 60 of Stirling Soaps.

Maggards is excellent. Got my first samples from them, still have a few. Their customer service and very quick delivery is why so many in the hobby love them. Think I will have to place an order also.

I heard Mama Bears soap is also excellent.

 

[BourbonBinder]

I first tried Catie's Bubbles after contacting Chris Cullen directly and picking his brain on his soap and the demands I had. I will tell you that this man is a saint and has one hell of a product. I love how his soaps are vegan based (like Soap Commander) and contain no Tallow or Lanolin. The 2 ounce samples that I ordered come in huge 4oz containers (which give you room to load up). I went with "The Royal Garden" which gives off scents of Rose and Pine. I've only used it once but the experience was very pleasant. I still have yet to experience the kind of slickness from the original XXX formula or that of Stirling. At $8 a sample it was worth it, but wasn't expecting it to be so much.

The 2nd soap I tried was "Latha" from Barrister and Mann in the Limon scent. I'm not really a fan of this tallow soap, and it has nothing to do with the Tallow. It's one of the most requested soaps for hard water (even advertised as such on their website) but I had no luck with my water quality. The smell kind of got a little over-bearing which smelled like cheap lemon Italian Ice after awhile. I paid $2.80 for a little itty-bitty sample but worth it.

Finally third soap I tried was Maggard Razors own Artisan Soap (made by a reputable soap maker in Detroit I believe). This one came in almost like a cream and needed to be air-dried. I should mention that all three samples I ordered are croaps. This one smelled like fresh lilac flowers and really brought me back to my childhood. Unfortunately it burned my face kind of like the TOBS Grapefruit did (but not as bad). I made it through 3 passes of easy explosive lather but it left it's mark on my face for several days in the form of irritation. In it's defense I was using a new brush so that might have something to do with it. They sent me the wrong soap by mistake (but sent me the right one free of charge...maggard rules!!), so I'm gonna re-try with my broken in Omega next time.

 

[ckay]

I'm going to take a hot shower when I get home and shave with cream and not the shave butter I've been using lately.

 

[UPTOWNSMOKE]

I first tried Catie's Bubbles after contacting Chris Cullen directly and picking his brain on his soap and the demands I had. I will tell you that this man is a saint and has one hell of a product. I love how his soaps are vegan based (like Soap Commander) and contain no Tallow or Lanolin. The 2 ounce samples that I ordered come in huge 4oz containers (which give you room to load up). I went with "The Royal Garden" which gives off scents of Rose and Pine. I've only used it once but the experience was very pleasant. I still have yet to experience the kind of slickness from the original XXX formula or that of Stirling. At $8 a sample it was worth it, but wasn't expecting it to be so much.

The 2nd soap I tried was "Latha" from Barrister and Mann in the Limon scent. I'm not really a fan of this tallow soap, and it has nothing to do with the Tallow. It's one of the most requested soaps for hard water (even advertised as such on their website) but I had no luck with my water quality. The smell kind of got a little over-bearing which smelled like cheap lemon Italian Ice after awhile. I paid $2.80 for a little itty-bitty sample but worth it.

Finally third soap I tried was Maggard Razors own Artisan Soap (made by a reputable soap maker in Detroit I believe). This one came in almost like a cream and needed to be air-dried. I should mention that all three samples I ordered are croaps. This one smelled like fresh lilac flowers and really brought me back to my childhood. Unfortunately it burned my face kind of like the TOBS Grapefruit did (but not as bad). I made it through 3 passes of easy explosive lather but it left it's mark on my face for several days in the form of irritation. In it's defense I was using a new brush so that might have something to do with it. They sent me the wrong soap by mistake (but sent me the right one free of charge...maggard rules!!), so I'm gonna re-try with my broken in Omega next time.

Hey Matt, another Artisan that has excellent soaps and also has vegan and Emu oil soaps is Van Yulay. I have a bunch of her soaps and love all of her scents and the soaps performance for me are top notch. She sells samples of all her soaps and at $2 and change per sample you can't go wrong especially when you can get 6 to 7 shaves from each sample.