I've ordered two pucks of the "original" (as per the label) Tabac shaving soap. Not a panic purchase, as I was literally scraping the bottom of the bowl this morning.

Lodge still makes cast iron cookware, both with and without enamel. I bought one of their Dutch ovens earlier in the year and it's done a superb job handling everything from sourdough bread to baked beans.

(I have no financial interest in Lodge.)

After two and a half weeks of impatiently waiting for Canada Post to return my Boker Schwarzgold to me, it finally arrived yesterday afternoon. This morning's shave was a real treat; the shaves with this razor have suddenly gone from "pretty decent" to "oh my, what a shave!" While waiting for the ra...

While I haven't used the new formulation lavender, the sandalwood, Marlborough, Arlington, and almond are all unchanged from their classic scent profiles. I'd expect lavender is the same. I can vouch for the Arlington. Great lather, intoxicating scent, and the accompanying after shave puts the cher...

...But there is pride in ownership, and the incentive to strop more carefully and thoroughly. I've spent several times the cost of this trio on other strops over the years, and all I've done is to prove, once again, the cheapest thing to do is to buy the best at the outset rather than to get there ...

I bought a Simpsons Beaufort B5 while on vacation last year. I know I paid too much for it, but hey: (a) it was a vacation purchase; and, (b) it's a Simpsons! I found that if I apply too much pressure when loading the brush it'll lose 2 or 3 hairs, but the way it creates lather and the face feel are...

I am ever so grateful for your efforts - thank you. I'm eager to have the razor back home to give it a whirl and then I'll provide an update. For those curious to see what it looks like, here's a link to the Boker site: https://www.boker.de/en/schwarzgold-140612 In the associated video you'll see th...

I dearly love the fragrance of a good pipe tobacco.

If I make it to 85 I might pick up my pipes again. (At that age I won't have a whole lot to lose.)

Update: Dr. Moss has identified two issues: The edge was quite ragged because the spine was initially taped for honing and when that practice ceased, the trailing edge of the first bevel - not the edge itself - was being honed. Uneven and excessive pressure on the blade during honing caused the ragg...

FYI: Before I read this I replied to Dr Moss in a new PM that I didn't want the spine taped; it's a working razor, not a show piece.

Thank you! I've sent it via Canada Post this (Monday) morning; it should arrive at your door by the end of the week. Let me know what you discover (e.g. is the bevel set correctly) and what you did to hone it (what type of stones and grit, and number of passes). Please share what you find with the g...

I have a follow-on question to Dr. Moss' post about honing, but first I'll provide a little background: I retired at the end of April this year, so now I've got lots of time in the morning to use a straight razor 5 or 6 days of the week. My first two SRs, a Genco and a Torrey, hone easily and provid...

I must be the outlier here. At age 74, maybe I'e been brainwashed. If I don't shave every morning, I look scuzzy and feel as if I don't matter. Shaving, grooming, and dressing makes me feel good about myself. I don't mean getting "dressed up," just something upscale from PJs or sweats. I'm fine wit...

This is interesting: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/poli ... ompetition

The FTC's decision was unanimous (bipartisan), which is refreshing to see in these polarized times.

Nice work on the brush! I have a number of brushes with resin handles, most of them have neat swirls in them. Still, they don't capture my imagination like a nicely-figured wood handle.

A homemade brush? Nice work!

Great review - thanks for sharing! I'll have to take a closer look; after all, Christmas is coming up soon.

Agreed, I just don't see how washers on the inside would be of benefit. Keep in mind that my experience with straight razors is limited to two vintage models (but I plan to look for other old-timers in need of restoration that I can include in my rotation).

They're nice-looking razors!

I did not put washers between the blade and the scales (only on the outside, under the peened ends of the pin).