5/19/24

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks w/ C&H V19 Fanchurian
• Razor: Hadoson Matsukura 60 7/8, Frameback Square Point
• Lather: Noble Otter - The Night Before
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - The Night Before Aftershave Splash

Man I love this scent. I wish I had it in a frag, I'd wear it all the time.

So good. Some days I get more tobacco out of it, and I love it even more those days. Yesterday was one of them.

5/18/24

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks w/ TNS 28mm M7 Fan
• Razor: Iberia 14 Doble Temple 8/8, Extra Hollow Square Point
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Shire 2
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Shire 2 Aftershave Splash

Close and comfortable shave, no nicks or irritation.

Yeah that price tag is a little of a 😬

But that stone is probably top tier. Not only really rare, it's kinda collectable I suppose too, as it has both Maruichi and Maruka stamps. Probably stamped during the transition of ownership from Kato (Maruichi) to Hatanaka (Maruka). Either way, either of those stamps guarantee quality.

You might be able to find something more reasonably priced, however. Ozuku, for example, are typically pretty damn hard. I don't think I've ever met a soft one (though admittedly I haven't met a lot 🤣). Other mines like Shobu and Aiiwatani are also pretty solid. You could find a really good stone for only a couple hundred to begin with.

One of the bigger price hikes on stones is mostly looks, believe it or not, over fineness. With exceptions, of course, like in the case of the rare and venerable Nakayama.

I look forward to when you take the plunge.

I go by feel mostly, but always have my microscope for that extra verification of consistency. I'm probably a lot more anal about it than I need to be.

That sounds like a solid progression!

from what I understand natural stones are a little bit on the soft side for honing stainless steel

You can definitely get some super hard jnats that work wonders with stainless. My Nakayama is 5++ and it married super well with Infernals 17.

I hope you try some naturals at some point. They're fascinating, doubly so jnats imo.

5/15/24

• Brush: Farvour Turn Crafts w/ C&H v12 Fanchurian
• Razor: Raido Star 10/8, Full Hollow French Point
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Roman Spice
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Roman Spice Aftershave Splash
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Roman Spice EdT

Damn this Roman Spice is some good stuff. There's only a couple of scents in my den that smell nice to Mrs. Pudding every day. This is one of them. She really likes this one.

My Roman Kamlash razor came back home the other day after being out on loan. I'm glad to have it back home. This chopper is a real joy to shave with.

Nice shave this morning.

Man, you had some solid stuff come in!

Solid haul and great job on the cleanup! That Henckels really is the star of that show. I'm sure that's going to make for a nice shaver.

Bummer about the 72½. That's great to hear it still shaves well, though. Vintage hunting can be such a crap shoot. Some issues are so hard to spot from pictures, and some people are really sneaky about concealing them.

What's your honing progression looking like?

Oh yeah, this one is 100% a keeper. Felt great.

I originally set out to find myself one nice razor to add to my collection. At first I was looking for a western grind Iwasaki kamisori, but then I found that NOS Iberia within my budget and jumped.

The Kobar 7 day was just happenstance. I had seen the lot on a small auction site and tossed a bid out there and ended up winning.

This razor was pure accident. I had just stumbled on it and just knew I just had to have it.

Only had the factory bevel on it by the time I got to it! This morning was it's first use in almost 100 years!

The Yoshihiro's I'd actually picked up quite some years before even getting in to wetshaving. I had originally grabbed them for my woodworking tools and kitchen knives. They had come recommended to me at the time from a gentleman I used to talk with quite a bit. The set came in 1k, 3k, 8k. They've been great stones. Very consistent. I have really enjoyed them.

Hey thanks for trying! I ended up getting help from a gentleman over on SRP for dating. Between 1925 - 1932!

I like GTB too. It's a little spicy to my skin, but that doesn't stop me. And now that you mention it, I realize I forgot to put that one in the pile 😩

5/15/24

• Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving Exclusive MOAR BOAR (31 mm × 57 mm bleached boar)
• Razor: Wüsthof 220 "Barber's King" 7/8, Extra Hollow Square Point
• Lather: Noble Otter - BarrBarr
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - BarrBarr Aftershave Splash
• Fragrance: Noble Otter - BarrBarr EdP

This Wüsthof just showed up the other night, and this is my first go with it. I love Barbershop scents. It was the Barbershop experience that ultimately led me to wetshaving. So when I saw this NOS razor, with "Barber's King" etched and gold washed on the face, I had to have it. With some help, I've been able to narrow down the date on this razor to between 1925 and 1932.

I set the bevel on a 3k Hayate Yoshihiro synthetic, followed by my Shobudani Suita, and finished on my Nakayama Kiita. I stropped on the Kanayama 80k suede/leather. It took a damn fine edge.

The resulting shave was wonderful. The feel was smooth and silky, as that vintage Solingen steel is known to be. The balance was great, and it was overall very comfortable to handle. Even if it was mid, I would've kept it, to be honest. It's just a plus that it's a great shaver.

BarrBarr is one of my favorite barbershop scents. I feel it perfectly nails that western Barbershop vibe. It's a sweet and refreshing scent, the kind that just makes you feel cleaned up.

What a nice shave this morning.

9th NOS vintage in just the last few days?

On the dot 😬 I'm expecting one other thing, but it's being made custom by Roman Kamlash so I'm not certain when that'll be done, much less make the trip here.

Have you held it next to a 14 to compare the geometry?

I ended up doing just that, after seeing you comment. It's about 1/4" shorter than my 14's, on top of being 7/8. There's definitely some similarities in the spine and tang, but some minor differences overall. I'm going to give it a whirl in the morning.

You're in luck, my funds are tapped... for now!

Oh fantastic! I'll be curious to hear what you think of it.

I need an Iberia to use it, though

For best results 🤣

5/13/24

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks w/ C&H V19 Fanchurian
• Razor: Iberia 14 Doble Temple 8/8, Extra Hollow Square Point
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Roman Spice
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Roman Spice Aftershave Splash
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Roman Spice EdT

Today is the drop day for Roman Spice. Absolutely recommend grabbing this one today. It's a great scent. Spearhead don't miss.

The Iberia and Highlands base is a top tier combo.

Nice shave today.

Hope it helps, my friend! If you want to send me more detailed pics, I can dig further.

I would recommend starting out just going with the grain on your cheeks. You need only extremely light pressure. Start your downward motion before making contact with your skin, and lift off before stopping. If you're regularly cutting yourself and it's not just the point doing it, you could be coming to a stop on your skin, and even the slightest sideways movement will open you up. Good luck!