Search found 51 matches
- Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:42 am
- Forum: Shaving Creams & Hard Soaps
- Topic: Review - The Art of Shaving
- Replies: 16
- Views: 11327
Re: Review - The Art of Shaving
I just finished a full tub of Ocean Kelp cream and was very impressed with the product. It's the only North American lathering product I have used since C&E discontinued their sweet almond oil (which still sits in my craw - it was that good). AOS scents are very strong - so they can be a bit of...
- Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:38 am
- Forum: Shaving Creams & Hard Soaps
- Topic: Col Conk Soap -- a plreasant surprise
- Replies: 8
- Views: 5555
Re: Col Conk Soap -- a plreasant surprise
I think the reason these soaps worked for me (though I haven't tried the Col Conk brand) is that I want maximal lubricity and minimal cushion. I normally make my lather on the wet side to get this combination of characteristics, which, in turn, works well with a mild razor. When I get more cushion,...
- Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:34 am
- Forum: Shaving Creams & Hard Soaps
- Topic: Col Conk Soap -- a plreasant surprise
- Replies: 8
- Views: 5555
Re: Col Conk Soap -- a plreasant surprise
I've used Conk soap successfully about 20 some odd years ago. But since I've aged and gotten more sensitive I can't use it anymore. Tried it once in the last year (old cake from bygone days so may be a factor but seemed to be alright) and it caused a lot of irritation. It also lacked the cushion I ...
- Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:30 am
- Forum: Shaving Creams & Hard Soaps
- Topic: Williams Mug Shaving Soap is still horrible
- Replies: 29
- Views: 24560
Re: Williams Mug Shaving Soap is still horrible
That's been my experience as well. If you use it daily such that it never dries out... it's not a problem to lather Williams. It's actually one of the best shaving soap values out there. Plus it foams in hard water... not many soaps can easily do that. Williams was my Sunday morning soap for several...
- Thu Sep 19, 2019 11:27 am
- Forum: General
- Topic: Pre shave oil
- Replies: 18
- Views: 13354
Re: Pre shave oil
I hate to be a cynic but I fear its a way for vendors to make an extra chunk of change off newbs. Read these forums and count the numbers of recs they get from people not selling them. If you must have some; look at the ingredients: it's easily reproducible in any supermarket. They do seem to have ...
- Mon Sep 16, 2019 4:40 pm
- Forum: Colognes & Aftershaves
- Topic: Vetiver
- Replies: 36
- Views: 27774
Re: Vetiver
Pure vetiver oil is inexpensive, and like patchouli, it doesn't necessarily need anything else with it. Good, quality vetiver has an earthy aroma similar to patchouli without the floral notes. I use it alot in an aromatherapy diffuser, and it's great for creating a meditative atmosphere.
- Mon Sep 16, 2019 4:37 pm
- Forum: Colognes & Aftershaves
- Topic: Ambergirs sold for 11,000
- Replies: 4
- Views: 11513
Re: Ambergirs sold for 11,000
Not really surprising, that stuff has always been highly prized. What is surprising is the EU would still allow it's use. Whales aren't harmed in its production- it's usually nothing more than whale hairballs that wash up on the beach. There's so many synthetic substitutes now days like Ambroxan, t...
- Mon Sep 16, 2019 4:32 pm
- Forum: Colognes & Aftershaves
- Topic: Alcohol based aftershave
- Replies: 16
- Views: 14884
Re: Alcohol based aftershave
Aqua Velva has some glycerin, but the Ice Sport would probably be something you would appreciate I found Adidas aftershaves to be very good for being alcohol based. Also, not all balms are alcohol-free. Afta has a slight alcohol burn to it, but it's mostly a balm. I use it alot just because it's a h...
- Mon Sep 16, 2019 4:29 pm
- Forum: Colognes & Aftershaves
- Topic: Does witch hazel expire?
- Replies: 9
- Views: 28892
Re: Does witch hazel expire?
2 years over the expiration date should still be OK. There's nothing really in there to feed bacteria, and witch hazel doesn't exactly make a happy home for them, anyways.
- Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:25 pm
- Forum: Colognes & Aftershaves
- Topic: Superior 70 mentholated
- Replies: 16
- Views: 17990
Re: Superior 70 mentholated
I live in an Hispanic neighborhood and I can buy this at any market around here for about $3 a bottle.
It's a very simple bay rum, so it won't have alot of silage. It's mostly used for skin irritation or on the hair. It's wonderful stuff, a natural aftershave or hair tonic.
It's a very simple bay rum, so it won't have alot of silage. It's mostly used for skin irritation or on the hair. It's wonderful stuff, a natural aftershave or hair tonic.
- Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:18 pm
- Forum: Colognes & Aftershaves
- Topic: canoe, revisited
- Replies: 2
- Views: 7399
canoe, revisited
I just tried a bit of an old bottle of Canoe. OMG is this stuff terribly, sickeningly sweet, even though I diluted it first and only used a tiny amount. What was I thinking when I used to wear this stuff years ago? It's very much an unrelenting assault of geraniol and tonquin, like a psychedelic ver...
- Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:24 pm
- Forum: Shaving Creams & Hard Soaps
- Topic: The state of the current English Shaving soaps
- Replies: 44
- Views: 33556
Re: The state of the current English Shaving soaps
I've been underwhelmed by any of them I've tried.
Maybe years ago when there was not much out there besides drugstore offerings like Williams, but today there are so many other choices that cost less. Unless you are an Anglophile, there's no reason to buy them.
Maybe years ago when there was not much out there besides drugstore offerings like Williams, but today there are so many other choices that cost less. Unless you are an Anglophile, there's no reason to buy them.
- Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:21 pm
- Forum: Shaving Creams & Hard Soaps
- Topic: boars for soaps, synthetic/badger for cream?
- Replies: 9
- Views: 4940
boars for soaps, synthetic/badger for cream?
It does seem to be working that way in my experience, as a general rule.
- Sat Sep 14, 2019 6:25 pm
- Forum: Shaving Brushes
- Topic: experience with vintage badger
- Replies: 10
- Views: 10375
Re: experience with vintage badger
Looks decent enough. I like the handle, it reminds me of the Vulfix line. Good luck with the reknotting. Chris Do you think it needs reknotting? The brush still seems to work OK- it actually lathers very well compared to the brushes I own, better at face lathering than synthetic brushes I have used...
- Sat Sep 14, 2019 4:33 pm
- Forum: Shaving Brushes
- Topic: experience with vintage badger
- Replies: 10
- Views: 10375
Re: experience with vintage badger
Here's the picture of the brush. It's made in the US, "pure badger".
https://www.dropbox.com/s/04fj7iinowgmc ... 5.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/04fj7iinowgmc ... 5.jpg?dl=0
- Sat Sep 14, 2019 6:29 am
- Forum: Shaving Brushes
- Topic: experience with vintage badger
- Replies: 10
- Views: 10375
experience with vintage badger
I picked up some vintage shaving brushes- I plan to get into refurbishing old brushes with new knots and selling them on eBay. And even though I have ethical objections to badger, I figured it was important to buy a few vintage ones to experiment with, to learn how badger feels. So, I got a beautifu...
- Sat Sep 14, 2019 6:18 am
- Forum: Shaving Creams & Hard Soaps
- Topic: Col Conk revisit
- Replies: 10
- Views: 5554
Re: Col Conk revisit
What's interesting is watching the artisan soap market drift toward detergents (B&M, Saponifico Varesino) and huge amounts of glycerin (many, many examples). The goal seems to be both instantaneous surfactant/foaming effect and huge amounts of slickness, plus replacing the glycerin that occurs ...
- Sat Sep 14, 2019 5:32 am
- Forum: Shaving Creams & Hard Soaps
- Topic: Williams Mug Shaving Soap is still horrible
- Replies: 29
- Views: 24560
Re: Williams Mug Shaving Soap is still horrible
At the risk of digressing: So many times have I heard, or have I thought to myself, how agreeable the old-fashioned soapy Williams scent is that it is really surprising that no soap maker (e.g. Haslinger) ever seems to have thought of producing a similarly smelling and sized shaving soap that works...
- Sat Sep 14, 2019 5:30 am
- Forum: Shaving Creams & Hard Soaps
- Topic: Williams Mug Shaving Soap is still horrible
- Replies: 29
- Views: 24560
Re: Williams Mug Shaving Soap is still horrible
I've never had that much trouble. The secret is to hydrate a new puck for a long time, quite possibly overnight, ideally with distilled water. Eventually, the cake gets softer and it's easier to lather. As far as soaps go- I've used worse (I actually think Godrej, for instance, is far worse- it lath...
- Sat Sep 14, 2019 2:19 am
- Forum: Safety Razors & Blades
- Topic: Titanium coated blades?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 5268
Re: Titanium coated blades?
I happened to look at the Qshave adjustable razor (Merkur Futur clone) web page at Ali Express today, and it mentioned that it came with a pack of five US-made titanium coated blades. Does anyone know who would be making these? My educated guess is Personna. And the first page I found when looking ...