This is exactly what I have been doing for a while now - AOS or Xpec unscented and add a decent quality EO. I’ve made rose, sandalwood, neroli and geranium this way. I tend overload the EO a bit and make the scent good and strong. I’ve never noticed any significant drop in performance of the creams ...

Alcohol is less likely to damage plating than is water. Soft lint-free cloth and iso propanol is fine.

I’ve been using the ash handle version of this brush for several days now. Very impressive performance, it seems as if this really does capture the best features of badger and boar without any of the downsides of either one. Not inexpensive but still good value IMO.

I ended up buying one of the mixed knot brushes from Semogue - I'd still like a caravela sometime but at least have now tried this "50/50" knot and like it.

Title says it - I would like to buy one of the LE Semogue owner’s club caravela brushes. It’s a mixed bristle brush. A similar knot brush is available new but I’d prefer to try the original if anyone has one they’d be willing to sell.
Thanks.

Great blades John, at least 20 shaves without pulling. I only wish that the offer of the 9 x 12 print of the Battle of Waterloo print was still valid. I imagine that those went years ago! If only Wilkinson had been in business at the time of the Battle of Hastings history might be very different.

For all practical purposes they have already discontinued HB- the current version is a weak rendition of the vintage juice IMO. They are going for high volume items.

I spent a very pleasant and interesting 3+ hours touring a private perfume bottle and perfume museum today. It’s at the Sanfillipo Estate a few miles northwest of Chicago. It is a very large private home that hosts events including organ recitals and other things. The income is used for charitable w...

SOLD

Holy Black Red Ruby Creeper aftershave ONLY. Unopened with wax intact. Limited edition of 300 made. The creeper provides a nice menthol cooling effect without the scent of menthol. CONUS only. $55 shipped. Might consider a straight trade for an unopened Castle Forbes Lavender BALM only. Prefer to se...

Interesting. The Maurer and Wirtz site lists it as “a fragrance for the man who takes matters into his own hands.” Further down the page they list EDT, aftershave, shower gel and deodorant but unfortunately no soap. Clearly not “a fragrance for a man who has many vices.”

Seem to be on a Spanish kick this week. Myrsol Agua Balsamica soap and aftershave, Alvarez Gomez cologne, Semogue boar bristle bush, paradigm 17-4 with feather.

About 2 years ago I bought a tub of Myrsol Agua Balsamica soap. I like the AS once in a while and looked forward to trying the soap. The scent was spot on - just like the AS. The lather was less successful. It made a very greasy, thin, liquid - hard to even get enough on the brush to apply, almost l...

A good quality titanium razor handle. Very well made with deep knurling and well finished. The threading seems to be generic since it fits just about every head I have tried it on. Approx. 94 x 16 mm, 67 grams. $70 CONUS.

Very nice idea. My 90th anniversary Astor gets regular use in the rotation - it's a great brush. Perhaps some kind of LE (100 pieces?) to kick things off? My personal sweet spot is ~22 mm fan - I don't like "mega brushes" like the BK12 although they are impressive when bloomed. Which way to go is a ...

That's a great point Gary. I think that some of the artisan makers are producing soaps that are the equal of some vintage classics. Barrister and Mann for example lathers every bit as well as tallow first Pen's IMO. So do some of the other niche makers. I still like the Pen's partly because it is a ...

An interesting article on making perfume bottles. quickly and inexpensively as well!

https://ceramics.org/ceramic-tech-today ... xpensively

AOS stuff is good but I very rarely bought anything in the store. I used to buy a couple of tubs of unscented cream usually online now and then to mix with high quality rose or sandalwood oil to replenish my old AOS tubs. About a year ago I switched to Xspec unscented for this purpose. Comparable or...

John, if you decide to split these I’d be interested in the soap but not the balm. If someone else is thinking the opposite it could work for three of us.

I survived Plague Doctor - actually enjoyed it!