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As always the “Prima Rasito” is with no other products other then the title’s Name-Bearer to ensure it is “experience as is”.
First off, Don, LOVE this scent. The balance of mild peppermint, eucalyptus, camphor and menthol is very soothing. No to mention the mild freeze on the skin.
But the Aftershave, man ohhh man the aftershave! My eyes teared a little and I LOVE IT!
Immediate mild burn followed by the freeze is when you go from “Home Alone face” the first few seconds right to “aheago” (don’t google this at work. NSFW!!) the moment the freeze kicks in.

The Masamune with the Nodachi Top Cap with a Feather Blade.
Yeah, the title says it all.
How does it feel? Like you are shaving with a Rockwell on R2 … with a blade gap of 0.63mm. (Rockwell R5 equivalent)

I still don’t feel the much of the blade, well you do, just a slight kiss but as you glide the razor down, with the Feather, you only feel very, very slight resistance from your growth and as the blade does it’s thing, it’ll just mow your growth off with hardly any effort.
And for the most part, you will have that urge to press harder (don’t!) simply because there’s hardly any blade feel, especially if you are using good soap with excellent glide.
This shave for the most part was done by audio feedback.
You’ll hear the blade sing, and fall silent when there is nothing left for it to take off.

Chased true glass BBS (but of course), already did that in the morning at o200hrs and now again at 1530hrs. I normally settle for a DFS or a BBS with maybe a micro stubble here or there on trouble spots.
So I expect some feedback from alum application.
Zero. Nada.
So not only was the shave a true BBS, the kind you can tell that it’s truly glass smooth even before you apply alum, there was zero irritation.
Pretty sure corking the Feather Blade helped a bunch with the smoothness as well but damn this razor freaking rocks now that it has a slightly better blade geometry. (YMMV!)

I am impressed and pissed.
Tatara should have made the Nodachi Top Cap as the default.
Luckily you can now purchase a “customized” Razor with the parts you want as a set.

• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Pre-Shave : Shower
• Soap : WTF’s Mr Warlock
• Razor : Tatara Masamune-Nodachi w/Corked Feather Blade
• Post Shave : WTF’s Mr Warlock’s Aftershave

With the Nodachi top cap the Masamune’s blade Geometry is now true neutral from negative 0.13mm. Its still feels very smooth and very little blade feel but it does clean up my trouble areas with less trouble now.
True glass BBS with zero feedback from alum application.

• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Pre-Shave : Shower, PAA’s Cube
• Soap : PAA’s Al Fin
• Razor : Tatara Masamune w/Nodachi Top Cap w/Lord Platinum Blade (3)
• Post Shave : PAA’s Al Fin Star Jelly Aftershave, Aftershave Cologne
• Others : PAA’s Al Fin Deodorant and EDP

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Bowl is just there for size scaling.
Items dropped :
Wet The Face’s Tobacco Vanille Croap and Aftershave, Valerian Steel Croap and Aftershave, Mr Warlock Croap and Aftershave, Vintage Barbershop Aftershave (wasn’t available when I bought the croap), Himitsu Bath Soap Bar.

Soap Commander’s Endurance and Vision Aftershave splash. I think I’m the only mad mofo who brought it over the pond to Asia.
Going to really enjoy using these.

Stetson’s Cooling Moisture Aftershave

Clubman Pinnaud’s Gent’s Gin Aftershave

Whole bunch of Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements samples. Going to see what I don’t like. God help me if I like them all.

And another 100 of Shark’s Stainless Steel blades. My son uses these as well, I use them as a 2 evening shave blades and recycle. Not even going to try to stretch the blade when they cost 6 cents each.

Its kind of funny that one of the most successful fragrance scent today is inspired by a man who almost made France an Empire.
Love or hate the original Creed scent, this particular scent DNA is now everywhere and you can’t really escape from it.

The Ascension is the best buffing and because of it, the most consistent razor for true BBS chasers.
Double open combs might look intimidating but if the razor has good blade geometry, they’d give some of the best shaves, you’ll experience.
Never nicked myself on the Ascension since I have bought it.
Love this thing.

• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Pre-Shave : Shower
• Soap : PAA’s Doppelganger Grey (Aventus)
• Razor : PAA’s Copper Ascension DOC w/Lord Blade (3)
• Post Shave : PAA’s Doppelganger Grey’s Star Jelly Aftershave, Aftershave Cologne
• Others : PAA’s Doppelganger Grey Deodorant, Al Haramain’s L’Aventure (Aventus Clone)

Off day shave but I had a whole lot of running around to do and might as well do it looking good and smelling fantastic.

The Masamune when paired with a sharp blade is a joy to use. smooth, with almost no blade feel, you have to resist pressing down on it, just let it glide and mow growth off.
True Glass BBS, no irritation nor feedback from alum application.
Fanfrackingtastic shave.

• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy Dual Band Manchurian badger, by Frank Shaving
• Pre-shave : Shower
• Soap : PAA’s Copalli
• Razor : Tatara Masamune w/Lord Platinum Blade (2)
• Post Shave : PAA’s Copalli Star Jelly Aftershave, Aftershave Cologne
• Others : PAA’s Copalli Deodorant and Solid Cologne

Wife caught something and passed it on to me. Feeling like a whipped dog with a Russian commander’s throat, raspy and hoarse after decades of vodka and smokes.

Decided to go with something simple and a throwback to the when I restarted wet shaving, before heading to the doctors.

Yeah, I reached for the old Merkur.
2nd razor that I bought, is still kept in good condition, and as always, a joy to use.
If not for the Rockwell 2C / 6C, I would still be recommending this as anyone’s first razor but the Rockwells are better value.

• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Pre-Shave : Shower
• Soap : Taylor of Old Bond Street Platinum (Barbershop)
• Razor : Merkur 34C HD w/Rockwell Blade (2)
• Post Shave : Nivea Men Deep Comfort Aftershave splash, Prep
• Others : Taylor of Old Bond Street Platinum Cologne
  

Start of a new work week, so it’s getting up at 0200hrs to get ready for work.
Face lathered, had a great shave, meaning the usual true glass BBS. |
Gotta chase that true “I keep touching myself” BBS.

Tom Ford’s scents are kinda hit and miss. Some like Grey Vetiver are really, really good, while other more niche stuff like Black Orchid, well, lets say, those are kinda of an acquired taste with a dash of salt.

WTF’s Grey’s Vetiver is a very good reproduction of the Tom Ford’s scent that it gets its name from.

• Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy Dual Band Manchurian Badger by Frank Shaving
• Pre-Shave : Shower
• Soap : Wet The Face’s Grey’s Vetiver (Tallow)
• Razor : PAA’s Copper Ascension DOC w/Rockwell Blade (1)
• Post Shave : WTF’s Grey’s Vetiver, PAA’s Mysterium Serum
• Others : Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver EDP

Going full monty on the Old Spice scent today. And its AWESOME!

Using the Ascension, its at the moment the head of my “Holy Trinity” of shavers (Ascension, Rockwell 6S, Tatara Masamune) giving that perfect true glass “I keep touching myself” BBS shave while not causing any discomfort or irritation.

With this particular blade which is smooth but mid range in sharpness, buffing is needed to get that BBS and the Ascension is the King of buffing razors.
Feeling and smelling fantastic is an effing great start to the day!

• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Pre-Shave : Shower, PAA’s Cube
• Soap : PAA’s Cold Spices
• Razor : PAA’s Copper Ascension w/ Rockwell Blade (1)
• Post Shave : PAA’s Cold Spices Star Jelly Aftershave, Aftershave and Cologne splash
• Others : PAA’s Cold Spices Deodorant and EDP.

Funny how a name and a trick with scent notes can make you think of cold prestine virginal snow melted water when you smell essentially blackcurrants and green tea.
Love WSP’s rendition as it is as spot on as my memory is able to remember how it smelt like.

Now Al Haramain’s L’Aventure Blanche is NOT an exact clone, instead they substituted iris, jasmine and rose notes (most obvious) with a hint of lemon and lavender that for all intents and purposes made it a better, smoother (in my opinion) version Creed’s Silver Mountain Water.

The Masamune as always, made this morning’s shave effortless and extremely comfortable and with a little extra cleanup, true glass BBS.
I have the Nodachi Top Cap on the way, and with it to bring the blade exposure of the Masamune to true neutral from neg -0.13, should give the blade better contact against the skin, still remain smooth and requires less clean up.
We’ll see.

• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy Dual Band Manchurian Badger by Frank Shaving
• Pre-Shave : Shower
• Soap : WSP’s Matterhorn
• Razor : Tatara Masamune w/Rockwell Blade (1)
• Post Shave : WSP’s Matterhorn Aftershave Splash and Balm
• Others : Al Haramain’s L’Aventure Blanche (Creed Silver Mountain Water clone)

Model T stored till the replacement part arrives and dugged out the 6S.
Shaving with it on the R3 plate I am quickly reminded just how good this razor is. Very smooth, just right blade feel, extremely comfortable and even with the Rockwell blade which isn’t the sharpest on the block still able to take off everything for a glass BBS shave.

And WSP’s soaps really should get more love by more people. Scent and performance is so freaking awesome!

Feeling great, smelling great, ready to start the day!

• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving’s Macy Dual Band Manchurian Badger by Frank Shaving
• Pre-Shave : Shower
• Soap : WSP’s Gaelic Tweed
• Razor : Rockwell 6S-R3 w/Rockwell Blade (2)
• Post Shave : WSP’s Gaelic Tweed Aftershave Splash and Balm
• Others : Al Haramain’s L’Aventure Knight (Green Irish Tweed Clone)