I sort of wrote off Gillette when I started wetshaving because I don't like how P&G strung me along with bad shaves for so long, charging me an arm and a leg for each cartridge! I should be blaming myself, but wetshaving lets me use all sorts of other brands, so that's what I've decided to do. Still, sometimes Gillette blades end up in your drawer so you might as well use them. I'll tell you what -- this has been a really nice blade. It's too bad it's 1) Gillette, and 2) Made in Russia.
Today's shave has a couple of firsts; first use of Aranceto and first use of this ERN razor.
The Aranceto I purchased at the Maggard Meetup from u/WhollyKaw. For me its scent had the same wonderful fresh impact as PannaCrema's Nuàvia Verde and Nuàvia Nera, though it shares more notes in common with Nuàvia Nera. I need zero more soaps, but I could not resist this. And, the Crème Fraîche soap base is top-tier for me as a straight razor shaver. From a performance standpoint, it doesn't get better than this.
I purchased this Ern razor recently off of eBay. In fact, I purchased two of them. The other one was a surprise win. After learning something about Carl Friedrich Ern and his Hexe grinding machine, I've been wanting to add an Ern razor to my collection for a long time. Today's use of this razor was a test shave. Naturally, I made a video of honing this razor.
At the Maggard Meetup, I mentioned to u/raymoonie and u/J33pGuy13 that I would make a video covering a my approach to razor honing for those new to it. This is that video, so I'm tagging them.
Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving exclusive MOAR BOAR (31 mm × 57 mm bleached boar)
Razor: Weck Sextoblade Med Prep
Blade: Kismet Rostfrei, Polymer beschichtet
Lather: Barrister and Mann Seville in Omnibus
Aftershave: House of Mammoth/Noble Otter/Declaration Grooming Cerberus
Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company Seaforth! 3 Scots
God's Barbershop is the epitome of sophistication, a lovely symphony of exquisiteness, a carefully choreographed ballet of grace. Elite. 😉
I wouldn't have thought of matching it with Cerberus, but it is a very nice step in today's scent progression and brilliantly bridges the gap to 3 Scots.
I think both Seville and Le Grand Chypre are excellent. They’re so good that I kind of take them for granted and overlook them in my inventory. Nice to see you tout Seville for what it is.
Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes AS; Natura Siberica ASB gel
1 pass head shave. I actually had the luxury of shaving twice today - at morning under the shower with a cream and a disposable and now my "real" night shave.
So the funeral is coming up tomorrow. I chose my most fitting scent. Funny to say it, but I actually bought this as a sub exclusive and "meme soap" if one could call it that. Same as some people buy Midnight Stag just to annoy their wife/fiance. But over time, this scent has grown on me. As I said in a previous SOTD, despite the dark nature I find it oddly comfortable to wear. I even consider wearing the EdP tomorrow, weird as it may sound. Encre Noir a L'Extreme would be another contender due to the dark vetiver vibes. I'm currently not happy and I can't smell happy either. Sometimes it feels good to revel in your darker feelings...
That aside, I hope you're all well and wish you a happier weekend than mine. 🤝🏻