Pre-Shave : Cold Shower, PAA Cube Face wash, Proraso Wood and Spice Pre-shave
Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Friendship Shaving Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
Soap : Proraso Wood and Spice
Razor : Rockwell Model T w/ Bick Chrome Platinum Blade
Post Shave : Cold Shower, Proraso Wood and Spice Aftershave Lotion and Balm
Others : Menthol in Salt Grinder

The other Proraso soap that I will have in my rotation as long as they still make them is Proraso’s Wood and Spice.
This cream smells fantastically awesome!
Performance is “not the best but more than good enough”, which I can live with, that since it smells so good.
Ground in some menthol for that much needed cool shave.

I have heard that Proraso has reformulated and their new creams are much slicker now. I wonder if they have done the same for their Tubs and Single Edge Creams. Hopefully we’ll see “New and improved Super Formula” for those too.

Picked up the Parker Variant with a Bic Chrome Platinum Blade.
Took my time, slow and easy, and enjoyed the lather and shave.
Finished up with another cold shower, then applying aftershaves which smells fantastic and from memory, with that fantastic scent that last quite a long time.
Freaking AWESOME!

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• Pre-Shave : Cold Shower, Proraso Green Pre-Shave
• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : PAA Peregrino
• Soap : Proraso Green
• Razor : Vikings Blade Emperor Augustus w/Bic Chrome Platinum
• Post Shave : Proraso Green Aftershave Splash

A simple back to basics shave today and you just can’t go wrong with Proraso Green.
Love that feel, love that scent!

Picked up the Empress today with the Bic and its a good razor. Better than most I would say. Good heft, good feel in the hand, textured handle actually works and you can easily grip it with soapy hands.
What most people don’t mention is the Asymmetric head :

Easy, enjoyable BBS shave.

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• Pre-Shave : Cold Shower, PAA Cube
• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Soap : PAA Al Fin
• Razor : PAA Copper Ascension w/Bic Chrome Platinum (TSOA!)
• Post Shave : Cold Shower, PAA Al Fin Star Jelly Aftershave, Aftershave Cologne
• Others : Menthol in salt grinder, PAA Al Fin Deodorant, Epic Solid Cologne and EDP

At last!
Finally the last work day of the week for me and I think, it’s time for PAA’s Al Fin.

Its hard to describe this scent as it is one of contrasts, fresh and bright notes with a darker note to give it just a touch of bite.
Notes from the site :
Rose, Bay Leaf, Lemon Myrtle, Vetiver, White Clover, Cypress, helichrysum (Sunflower),  Ambrette, Geranium and Tobacco Absolute.

The only thing that I think would have made it even better if it had been given a touch of menthol.
But I am a menth-head.
No reason not to grind in some myself of course.

Given the already epic lather and scent, it is only fair ensure that I get that perfect glass, no irritation, “I keep touching myself”, BBS shave that the Copper Ascension paired with a Bic Chrome Platinum blade gives.

While I can, these days do WTG, XTG and ATG in a single pass, I just took my time to enjoy the lather, re-lather and shave.
It was glorious!

Enjoy your shaves gentlemen, and ladies!

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• Pre-Shave : Shower, PAA Cube
• Brush : Friendship Shaving Macy Dual Band Badger by Frank Shaving
• Soap : Soap Commander Ambition
• Razor : Blackland Vector w/Feather Pro Blade
• Post Shave : Pinaud Clubman Whiskey Woods Aftershave

Today’s Shave is brought to you by “Oh frack, I overslept!”

Just grabbed whatever, nothing fancy.
SC’s Ambition is very lightly scented but it does remind me of Green Irish Tweed, lathered up easily with a thick creamy layer of slick.

The Vector handled WTG, XTG and ATG in that one pass and with a clean-up pass, I got my glass BBS. Need to replace the blade tonight.

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• Pre-Shave : Cold Shower, PAA Cube
• Brush : Friendship Shaving Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Soap : PAA John Frum
• Razor : Rockwell 6S-R4 w/Derby USTA blade
• Post Shave : Cold Shower, PAA John Frum Star Jelly Aftershave, Aftershave Cologne
• Others : Menthol in Salt Grinder, PAA John Frum Deodorant and Epic Solid Cologne

PRAISE JOHN FRUM!
One of the best release last year, John Frum is a fantastic citrus, spice, musk and sandalwood scent. As it is another really hot tropical day, I decided to grind in some menthol.
CK-6 soap base needs no introduction and is one of the best I have used, paired with an equally epic musk scent that isn’t overpowering musk, if that made sense, is one shave I knew I was going to really enjoy.

Brought out the old Warhammer. She’s a fantastic workhorse, and still in my opinion one of the best razor system one can buy. Paired with the Derby USTA blade, made for a very comfortable easy shave.
Zero irritation, true glass, “I touch myself” BBS shave.

Feeling great, smelling fantastic.

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Pre-Shave : Cold Shower, PAA Cube
Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
Brush : Friendship Shaving Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
Soap : Van Yulay Enter the Dragon
Razor : Tatara Nodachi Base + Masamune Cap w/Derby Premium Blade
Post Shave : Van Yulay Enter the Dragon Aftershave Splash and Balm

Still on the Spice trail, Van Yulay’s Enter The Dragon is slightly more powdery, greener “Old Spice” lite.
Lather while not as voluminous as the more recent Artisan releases, is still a good yogurt creamy texture that offers great glide and cushioning.
What Van Yulay soaps do really well though, is smell fanfrackingtastic!

Went with the more aggressive Tatara today and from the pic, you can really see that 0.90mm gap.
While the Default Nodachi setup already feels quite smooth even with its 0.13mm blade exposure geometry, the Nodachi Base + Masamune Cap configuration brings that exposure to negative -0.03mm to allow the blade to just barely kiss the skin on your face.
It is as gloriously smooth as you’d think it’ll be.

(Note that if you use the current Masamune Cap, I am not sure if they will change this in the future, you will have to use one of Tatara’s proprietary handle. It will not match with Standard handles like the Nodachi Cap would)

Easy, no irritation perfect glass BBS shave.

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• Pre-Shave : Cold Shower, PAA Cube
• Brush : Oumo 26mm SHD Silvertip Badger
• Soap : Soap Commander Endurance (Old Spice)
• Razor : Blackland Vector w/Feather Professional Blade
• Post Shave : Soap Commander Endurance Aftershave Splash and Balm
• Others : Vintage Shulton Old Spice EDT

Old Spice day!
Soap Commander’s Endurance is to me, the soap that I have found to be the closest match to the vintage scent (PAA Cold Spice coming a very, very close second) and it’s aftershave also as close to the original Shulton aftershave as you can get, though as with shaving and even especially with scents, YMMV.

The scent always brings a smile to me, with memories of long passed on uncles who represented a type of men that we rarely see today.

Went with the Blackland Vector today for precision.
With the lather smelling epically old school awesome and a dense and slick layer, the Feather Blade making it a very easy a one pass and pick up, no irritation and extremely enjoyable BBS shave.

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• Pre-Shave : Cold Shower, PAA Cube
• Brush : PAA Peregrino
• Soap : PAA Copalli
• Razor : PAA Copper Ascension w/Personna Platinum
• Post Shave : Cold Shower, PAA Copalli Star Jelly Aftershave, Aftershave Cologne
• Others : PAA Copalli Deodorant and Epic Solid Cologne

One of the most unique scents you can shave with and use as a personal scent, herbal, woody, resinous incense and a little fruity, the scent is as heady as it is adventurous.
I know Douglas loves those 1950s Sci-Fi / Adventure themes for his soaps and scents but this easily fits in with what you’d think Indiana Jones would use and wear.

The CATA-DOC does its thing again, this time with a Personna Platinum. A little less sharp than the blades I prefer but it still is smooth sailing. Just needed a little more buffing to get that clean true glass BBS shave.

Essentially a 1 pass (WTG, XTG & ATG buffing) + clean up shave, given the CK-6 lather with Cube Prep

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• Pre-Shave : Cold Shower, PAA Cube
• Brush : PAA Peregrino
• Soap : PAA Doppelganger Black (Dior Sauvage 2015)
• Razor : Blackland Vector w/Feather Pro Blade
• Post Shave : PAA Doppelganger Black Aftershave Cologne

Off day shave, so keeping it simple, and went with a favorite today, PAA’s Doppelganger Black, a homage to Dior Sauvage 2015.
The moment you uncap the soap, you’ll get a face full of that distinctive Sauvage scent.
PAA’s soaps are generally muscled scented and I Love it!

Went with the Vector today with the still sharp Feather Pro Blade.
SE blades last a long time and you can usually get an ungodly amount of shaves from them.
With SE blades I just stop counting and replace when they start to drop in performance, which could be anywhere between 10 to 30 shaves.

Easy, lazy, no irritation BBS.

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• Pre-Shave : Cold Shower, PAA Cube
• Brush : Oumo SHD Silvertip Badger
• Soap : WSP Rustic Blackbeard
• Razor : Tatara Nodachi Head + Bulldog Handle w/Rockwell Blade
• Post Shave : WSP Blackbeard Blackbeard Cooling Aftershave and Balm

Been awhile since I used a WSP soap, and chose to go with Blackbeard today.
That Spice Cherry Tobacco scent just pops out right at you, WSP never fails with that scent strength. Unless of course, you are one of those who prefer lightly scented soaps.
Me, lay it on me!

WSP’s Aftershave, is the type that Ken would go “Ohhhh the BUUUUURRNNNNN!!”
Yeah, feels good man!
And when the Balm goes on, layering on that second layer of menthol, prolonged burn baby!

Went with the default Nodachi today. There is a bit more blade feel but its still very smooth and I while I know that many hate the Rockwell blade, it worked perfectly in the Default Tatara.
Easy glass no irritation BBS shave.

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