This is a community of enthusiasts, hobbyists and artisans who enjoy a traditional wet shave: brush, soap, and safety or straight razor. We are a part of the WetShaving community found on Reddit, Discord, and IRC.
New subscribers welcome!
Please visit our wiki, which is always and forever a work in progress.
https://gem.wetshaving.social/ - a nice modern interface
https://old.wetshaving.social/ - designed to look like old.reddit.com
Our sister Mastodon instance is https://wetshaving.social/.
https://uptime.splettnet.com/status/wetshaving
Be Respectful. Do not bully, flame, or harass others.
Malicious comments are not allowed but heated discussion and salty banter is okay.
Low effort replies and complaints about content will be removed.
Mail Calls, Simple Questions, and SOTD posts belong in the recurring weekly threads.
Posts must have sufficient content to generate a meaningful discussion.
Images, links, or videos must include additional text that summarizes the topic.
Use [First Impressions] in the title if your experience with the product is limited.
Use the [Review] in the title if you can provide comprehensive details with enough familiarity to answer follow-up questions.
Disclose how the product being reviewed was acquired (e.g., PIF, loan, or purchase). If the product was provided to you directly by the maker or vendor free of charge or at a discount, you must disclose this fact even if the item will later be returned to the maker or vendor.
Vendors are to keep marketing within the biweekly Deals/New Products threads.
Non-vendors may post topics about products if it will foster a compelling discussion.
Do not solicit donations or share fundraisers without mod approval.
All NSFW/L content must request mod approval and be flaired appropriately.
Non-shaving related NSFW/L content is not allowed.
November 15, 2024
Brush: Brad Sears Scotsman XL 28mm Super Badger
Razor: Hart Steel 6/8 Quarter Hollow
Lather: Noble Otter - Monarch - Soap
Aftershave: Noble Otter - Monarch - Aftershave
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
This was a test shave of the Crown & Sword razor. The edge, which I honed earlier today, performed beautifully. I'm quite happy with the result.
I enjoyed using Monarch again. I love the vibe that I get from this fragrance.
November 15, 2024
A luxury shave, but only because I have to wake up early and would rather just run out the door in the morning.
I added a nickle (possibly the thickest USD coin? Maybe 2x the thickness of a dime?) to the handle to raise the loft of this knot, and felt a big difference. It's either the slight increase in loft, or the knot broke in a little bit. Or both!
Either way, this knot is back in contention for permanent (temporary) installation.
Some people see Noble Otter as a brand with lots of popular, safe scents. I see it as the brand with Batters Up and Hamami, two of my favorites, and neither very popular or safe.
Friday, November 15, 2024: SLS - The Halfway Point
A comfortable and close shave was a great way to finish out a difficult week.
Oro Valley and Cologne Russe are, perhaps unsurprisingly, a great combination and quite complementary.
We're halfway through BBS November and I have to say: a man could get used to shaving twice a day. It's really remarkable -- I've gone from dreading a shave to deliberately making time in my day to shave. Funny how life works like that sometimes.
Off to the weekend!
Nov 15, 2024 - Fougère Friday - Prom King
Happy Friday!
SBS buddies :)
🍻
Delightful morning shave for three reasons:
I'm still working through my safety razor collection, but am almost done and looking forward to revisiting my straights. The 14er with a (now) muted tip will be the first up. I admit that I'm surprised by how much I like that razor. And it's all your fault that I have it! :)
I'm considering a run through all GEM razors. I've been planning one for a while, but it's a 14 shave commitment
The 14er is a flagship Böker, and if you ignore all the laser engraving and gold wash, it's a fairly conservative design. IMO, this is exactly what Böker does best; consistent geometry in good steel. I'm not surprised you enjoy it, and I sure enjoy mine 😊
Friday, November 15, 2024: FLS - Fougère Meets Stag Friday
Angelique is a lovely scent that highlights citrus and florals. In the end, I felt like a contrast, so I went with Midnigh Stag for the frag. It was an interesting contrast, for sure, but the strength of Stag completely overpowered the scent of the soap and splash.
No complaints.
The Super Speed gave excellent results this morning. This razor is a real winner as long as I remember to use a very light touch.
TFIF!
The Stag EdP is so surprisingly good. I think I'll go with the Stag trifecta for my SLS today.
I agree. It starts off so intensely but then dries down into such lovely smokey leather.
I just wish my wife enjoyed it as much as I do! :)
I'm the only one in the family who likes Stag. Using it is a great way to get some alone time :)
Friday, November 15, 2024
I somehow f-ed up the first pass - the lather was not slick at all, and not protective. I took refuge in MOAR SOAP MOAR WATER, and the rest worked better. The after-shave face feel with Ishtar is always very good, and same today. Next week, I will go back to the more exciting razors.
Have a good evening!
November 15, 2024
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
An early morning shave that I'm just getting around to posting. I always love the vibe that comes with SBS soaps.
u/EldrormR's razor handles very well, has great balance, and is smooth and comfortable. This one's definitely a keeper.
Valedictorian ++;
November 15, 2024
Excellent shave. The OG Guerilla always impresses me when I use it.
I de-knotted this brush handle yesterday (it used to have a Wolf Whiskers "Super Plush", but Peter set it too deep for my preferences. I love synthetic knots, and it was a really nice one, but I couldn't get behind the low loft.
I'm auditioning replacements, and this badger knot has been sitting in my medicine cabinet for a couple of years so figured I'd try it out. It was sold to me as "unknown", but I'm pretty sure it's a Maggard SHD. It has similarities to my other SHD knots, but there is some variation between all of them.
This one fits tight, so it stays in without adhesive. I wasn't completely sold on it, but since this was the maiden voyage for the knot I'll give it some time to break in before making a decision. Ultimately, I predict it'll end up with a Maggard Synthetic in it :-).
After Varen, I went with my other mutton tallow fougère soap for my second luxury shave. For some reason, button tallow really seems to agree with my face, and I can't get a bad shave with either Varen or Woesteling.
