Brush: Chisel and Hound – Ambrosia Maple (26 mm synthetic Maggard knot)
Razor: Rolls Razor Imperial № 2 with accessories
Blade: Rolls Blade E 45
Lather: Geo. F. Trumper – Rose
Post Shave: Noble Otter – Orbit
Fragrance: Mäurer und Wirtz – Tabac Man Gravity
A little extracurricular non-TabOKtoberfest shave for today's Theme Thursday. GFT Rose is pretty much the opposite of Stank with its delicate floral scent. No hint of spice, no aromatic sharp note, just gentle rose. The Rolls isn't just any Sheffield steel, but the Best Sheffield Steel, it says so right on the blade. The cooling agent levels in Orbit were higher than I remembered and I realise that I'm becoming less and less a fan of menthol and WS-23 in soaps and splashes. It feels like a gimmick. Love the scent, though. Gravity ++;
I’m becoming less and less a fan of menthol and WS-23 in soaps and splashes
I'm with you on this one. I find myself using Mammoth far less often because the soap reminds me of the matching splash even if I don't use the splash.
Good news then! Mammoth Ben mentioned on the Wetshaving discord that he started phasing out ws23 for large parts of his offer. Currently he's working on a batch on uncool Shire splash
I realise that I'm becoming less and less a fan of menthol and WS-23 in soaps and splashes. It feels like a gimmick.
For the most part, menthol and Koolada/WS-23 are gimmicks - they are often added to provide a "refreshing" feeling, the only good use case are very hot summer days were they provide a short relief from the heat. Natural peppermint oil is an entirely different case though, if used sparingly (1% at most) in products it has the same effect as it contains natural menthol. However, it's a bit counterproductive to shaving - peppermint and menthol mostly improve blood flow and improve hair/beard growth by proxy. A 2014 study in mice even showed that an oil mix consisting of castor, jojoba and a tiny bit of peppermint oil worked as good as Minoxidil for hair (re-)growth!
This is my first time trying these Bic blades. They performed just as well as some of my other regulars. No drama.
It was a lovely lather from Stirling as always, which was a relief after the frag burn I experienced yesterday.
I'm vaguely on theme with British Leather today, but I don't have any Sheffield steel or British soaps. I did have a tub of TOBS sandalwood from when I first started, but that's long gone.
Here is a photo that has my brush in it. The brush has more backbone than most of my badger brushes but it has soft tips. I really like this combination of features. Because I have Walds, C&H, Doglaration, Brad Sears, and others, this one does not get used enough.
Post Shave: Chatillon Lux - Delor de Treget - Aftershave
Post Shave: allMan - Refined - Balm
I almost forgot to post. This soap is always a bit surprising. Coconut is one of the top ingredients, yet the lather isn't puffy at all. I wish the scent was less aquatic and more tobacco, but it's still pretty nice and unique.