Aftershave: Noble Otter - Thé Noir et Vanille - Aftershave
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
I was in a slight rush today so I could not linger with the scent of TNeV as long as I wanted to during the shave. But the aftershave has been with me, reminding me of just how great this scent is.
I like it. I admit that some of that is the branding. I'd say that the only negative I find is that it is 5/8. I would prefer 6/8 and there are Dubl Ducks in that size. Also, on this one, the celluloid scales aren't in the best shape. If I see a more "mint" one, I'll probably add it to the collection. Which, for some reason, continues to grow :)
Brush: Мужской Материк Orange Stabilised Burl with 28mm Oumo boar knot at 57mm loft
Razor: Zwilling J. A. Henckels 14 (8/8", extra hollow ground, carbon steel)
Lather: Barrister and Mann – Atomic Holiday
Aftershave: Barrister and Mann Seville
Fragrance: Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Arancia di Capri
This big Twin 14 is the carbon steel predecessor of my favourite razor, the Friodur 14, and a cousin of the legendary Filarmónica 14. I got it as a birthday gift in fairly good condition, cleaned it up, polished it a bit and honed it (The big extra hollows hone up so easily, it's crazy).
What a joy it is to use! Just like I've learned to expect from the 14 form factor, this blade is almost soft to the touch. I've described the feeling of wiping stubble away with a feather and this is exactly that 😊
Arancia di Capri is a wave of citrus on a spicy base. It also reminds me of Pharaoh's Dreamsicle, a scent I really enjoy and recently used up. This edt is going to get a lot of just this summer, I'm sure.
That razor looks awesome! Congrats on the find! Arancia di Capri sounds perfect for the summer months. Very nice deuxième rasage de luxe, or as us Americans would say, "luxury shave part deux".
Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Tabak Oridjinal, now with 28 mm Gelousy knot
Razor: Zwilling J. A. Henckels Friodur Unnumbered 8/8" ( hollow ground, stainless steel, round point)
Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz Tabac Original
Aftershave: Mäurer & Wirtz Tabac Original
Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz Tabac Original
Talc: Pinaud Clubman Finest Powder
Birthday Tabac Tuesday shave 🎂, and I've gotten a pretty Henckels 14 (not the big Frio I'm using here, but an old vintage pre-Friodur Henckels 14) and a bottle of AdP Blue Mediterraneo Arancia Di Capri edt. My family has figured out that this weird Wetshaving hobby of mine makes buying gifts for me really easy! Yay new den additions 🎉
My lather with the vegan Tabac still isn't fully as good as what I used to get with the tallow version. Too fluffy. Some of it may be that more dialling in is needed. But unfortunately, I've also never really gotten warm with this floppy Gelousy knot. Maybe a bit of experimenting with boars and synths and re-evaluating the knot choice for this brush is in order.
Luckily, the lather issues were mostly cosmetic, and I got a comfy and smooth shave from the big Frio. Such a nice razor.
In other news, I'm getting pumped for the Lather Games and related shenanigans. Only one month away!
I think that Mäurer and Wirtz will have spent quite a bit of time on this new base to protect their market. I figure that with a bit of dialing in, we’ll all be happy with it someday.
So, what’s your take on your second big Frio? Beautiful, btw.
I figure that with a bit of dialing in, we’ll all be happy with it someday.
I bet you're right.
So, what’s your take on your second big Frio?
This one's great! We've discussed already at some point that these modern Frios don't have a good reputation, but this one's just fantastic. Absolutely zero complaints.
I wrote up a comparison to the 14s during last TabOKtoberfest.
Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Varen - Aftershave
Stirling++
Great shave. This blade is still working quite well, but I can tell that it's not going to last forever.
I wonder -- now that Gillette has decided to shutter their factories in Russia (I think I read that on the internet somewhere), is it more acceptable to buy Russian blades since whatever you buy won't be replaced by the distributor?