• Pre-Shave : Cold Shower, PAA Cube Face wash
• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Razor : Tatara Masamune Base + Nodachi Cap + Bulldog Handle w/Asco Platinum Blade
• Post Shave : Cold Shower, WTF Vanilla Tobacco Aftershave Splash, Thayers Gentlemen Aftershave Balm
• Others : Menthol in Salt Grinder

Hot, hot tropical day, so its a cold shave starting with a cold shower to take off the heat and perspiration.
If you guys haven’t tried WTF Vanilla Tobacco, you really need to get a sample to try.

With scent notes of Tobacco Leaf, Vanilla Bean, Spices, Tobacco Flower, Cocoa, Dried Fruits (raisin and berries?) and Woods, it’s good take on Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille, which is to say, a fantastic awesome scent.
Helps that it also makes fantastic top grade lather.

Got a freebie Asco Platinum blade that came with the Derby USTAs, so giving that a go with my most comfortable razor the Tatara Masamune with the Nodachi cap for that neutral blade geometry shave.

From the first pass on I knew I was going to like the blade. Extremely smooth, with that “resistance is futile” feel of growth just melting off the blade.
To be fair, with the Tatara, most blades perform very smoothly, but this is pretty close to what I get with a Nacet / Bic / Corked Feather. Perhaps a tad less sharp but feeling extremely smooth.
Just that tiny bit of resistance when growth meets blade, then its just shaving based on audio feedback as its so smooth.

With even my usual trouble areas coming off true glass BBS without too much effort, and with absolutely zero feedback from the alum, I might consider this blade a good alternative to my favorite blades.
YMMV of course.

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• Pre-Shave : Shower w/Old Spice Original Shower Gel, PAA Cube
• Brush : Friendship Shaving Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Soap : PAA Cold Spices
• Razor : Blackland Vector w/Feather Pro Super Blade
• Post Shave : PAA Cold Spices Star Jelly and Aftershave Cologne
• Others : PAA Cold Spices Deodorant, Solid Cologne and EDP

I make no secret that the original Shulton’s Old Spice is one of my favorite scents and PAA’s Cold Spice is one of the best reproductions out there, with a touch of menthol!
And, if you want the “Full Monty” experience from bath to body scented products, PAA delivers, oh do they deliver. I am missing a few stuff like shampoo and bath soap though. 😁

Grabbed the Vector that still has that Feather Blade from a month or so ago that I have used on / off for most of my night shaves. Blade finally gave up the ghost and while I think I could still get a few more shave with it, it took a few more strokes than it should to clean everything up, so decided to toss after this shave.
Gotta Love SE blades.

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• Pre-Shave : Shower, PAA Cube
• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Soap : Van Yulay Black Dragon
• Razor : PAA Copper Ascension Double Open Comb w/Bic Chrome Platinum Blade
• Post shave : Van Yulay Black Dragon Aftershave splash and Balm
• Others : Menthol in salt grinder

Van Yulay’s Black Dragon is a Dragon’s Blood type scent and one that smells fantastic. Soap base while still good and makes creamy lather, is being overshadowed by some of the new bases by other artisans. I do however still enjoy using their offerings.

The CATA-DOC with a Bic is just awesome.
Easy true glass, no irritation BBS.

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• Pre-Shave : Shower
• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Oumo 26mm SHD Silvertip Badger
• Soap : Ginger’s Garden Dragon Spice
• Razor : Tatara Nodachi Base + Masamune Cap w/Zaza Blade
• Post Shave : Ginger’s Garden Dragon Spice with Osage Rub

Asking for and creating custom scents can sometimes be great and other times, you get something other than what you originally expected.
Dragon Spice is a custom blend I got Irena to do for me by merging Dragon Blood and Spice Bomb and is one such.
Yes, its a very very spicy and while I had hoped that the resinous wood notes would balance the amount of spice, that didn’t happen.
Still, I liked the scent I got but I do tamper with it now and then to see what I do with it.

Today it’s with menthol and eucalyptus.
Decided to add a very tiny drop of eucalyptus and grind in a bit of menthol.
And actually really like the results.
Yeah, I’m a menth-head but that extremely fresh-spice scent is quite good and very pleasant to shave with.

Went with the more aggressive Tatara that’s balanced with the Masamune Cap to bring a negative blade exposure just shy of neutral (-0.03mm) and paired it with the Zaza blade.
I am lucky I think, that I have little issues with most blades, with the exception of a few, most blades just work for me.
The Zaza is no different and does a great job.
Smooth, easy and zero irritation, BBS is just gravy on top.

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• Pre-shave : Shower, PAA Cube
• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Oumo 26mm SHD Silvertip Badger
• Soap : WTF Valyrian Steel
• Razor : Blackland Vector w/Feather Pro Super Blade
• Post Shave : WTF Valyrian Steel Aftershave
• Ohers : Menthol in Salt Grinder, Twin Girls Florida Water

Another one of WTF soaps that smells great and pairs well with Florida water.
Added enough menthol that it was short of glacial (15 min after the shave and I still feel the cool) which is kinda needed at the time. Though the Tropics being the Tropics, it looks like we are going to have a huge thunderstorm in a bit.

The Vector as always, is awesome, very nimble, and precise even with that large area blade. Lost count on how many times I have used this particular blade but it is still taking growth off like a champ. Clean true glass no irritation BBS shave.

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• 

• 

• Pre-Shave : Shower
• Brush : Friendship Shaving Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Soap : WTF Grey’s Vetiver Tallow Puck
• Razor : Tatara Masamune Base + Nodachi Cap w/Tiger Platinum Blade
• Post Shave : WTF Grey’s Vetiver Aftershave
• Others : Menthol in Salt Grinder, Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver EDP

Hot muggy day, so decided to forgo the balm. Went with a nice, “summer” scent and Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver is just the thing.
Just needed the add a little menthol to complete the shave.

Gotta love Don’s Tallow puck, lathering up is just epic.

Went with the milder Tatara and it easily and very comfortably took off all and any growth without any irritation.

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• 

• 

• Pre-Shave : Shower, PAA Cube
• Bowl : 5′ Stainless Steel Mixing bowl
• Brush : Oumo 26mm SHD Silvertip Badger
• Soap : Sauvecito Whiskey Bar Soap
• Razor : Parker Variant -S3 w/Derby Premium
• Post Shave : Sauvecito Whiskey Bar Aftershave, Thayers Gentlemen Aftershave Balm

And again a more or less Singapore “locally available” shave with the exception of PAA’s Cube and Brush, everything else you can get from a barber store (The Panic Room) store or from Singapore’s Amazon service.
Bowl is from a $2 convivence store.

Sauvecito’s offering is actually not too shabby, given that’s it’s S$13 (US$9.50) and the lather made is actually more than serviceable.
Go thick rather than thinner, and thin it down with a little water at a time to get that shiny slick on the face.
It does however lack that final “Oooommpph!” you get from using an artisan soap but for the price I paid (and zero shipping!) I can’t really complain.

Scent is a wonderful Whiskey Eaucalyptus, with a little camphor so there is a slight “mentholated” feel to it but it’s just barely there, which can be fixed with ground in menthol if you like mentholated soaps or leave it as is for a whiskey-fresh shave.
All in all, I like it!

And I have finally got a blade that best matched the Tiger Platinum.
For me, that’s Derby Premium.
So for those of you who are wondering what it’s like, yeah, either one is exchangeable with the other. I’d probably not be able to tell which blade is which in a blind test.
YMMV of course. Blades and scents are the most YMMV in shaving.

And it’s back to regular “shave of the day” only posting.
No more shave spam.

• Pre-Shave : Shower, PAA Cube
• Bowl : Van Yulay Resin
• Brush : Friendship Shaving Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Soap : WTF Himitsu
• Razor : Parker Variant -S3 w/Derby USTA
• Post Shave : WTF Himitsu Aftershave, Thayers Gentlemen Aftershave Balm

One of my favorite scents from WTF, and one that the wife loves as well.
Hitmitsu as long as it is available, will NEVER, EVER be missing from my stash.
If you haven’t tried it, I’d suggest you get a sample to try.
Beautiful spiced lemon and rose scent that will fill your bathroom especially if you use a warmed scuttle and the scent carries into the day especially with the Aftershave as it does last quite a while.

I will still be on the Parker for a while to get a proper comparison for the Tiger Blade, today running with what I thought was the closest match. I was however wrong. The Tiger is slightly sharper though about as smooth as the USTA. With the USTA in the same razor, same setting, there is just that tiny bit more resistance that puts the Tiger slightly ahead in sharpness for me.

Still with WTF’s fantastic lather, it was a very easy, 2 application shave. WTG, XTG, ATG with the first, pick-ups with the second.
Perfect, clean, no feedback on alum, glass BBS shave.

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• Pre-Shave : Shower
• Soap : JS Sloane Shave Cream
• Razor : Parke Variant -S3 w/Tiger Platinum Blade
• Post shave : Thayers Lavender Witch Hazel, JS Sloane Aftershave Lotion

I usually don’t post my “2nd” shaves or I’d be spamming, but a supply drop came in and had a few interesting stuff.

Everything above with the exception of the Thayers and Tiger Blades can be bought locally here in Singapore from The Panic Room .
While Thayers is available locally as well, its easier to just get it and DE Blades via Amazon.

First thing you’ll probably notice is, Steve, where’s the brush?!
And that’s the thing about this shave cream, it’s a brushless, latherless, smear it on your wet face and shave type of cream much like Thayer’s Shave cream if you have used that.

Essentially, you just scoop a little with your fingers, work it into your growth, and on the skin and it forms a layer of slickness that is surprisingly quite good. How slick? Fingers with alum had a little trouble getting a proper grip on skin to stretch.

Its also lightly lavender scented with a touch of menthol, so far so good, so what’s its downside?
Being lather-less, it does not have much in way of cushioning, just glide and slide.

So for those of you who have to use a brush or if you don’t feel comfortable without a lather, this cream is not for you.
Post shave feel however is very good, again, like Thayers Shave cream, feels kind of like shaving with skin food.
Post shave lotion just adds to that moisturized feel.

Took out the Variant and set it to 3, which for me, is just about where any further and it’s a little too much blade on skin.
Well I might go 3.5 but definitely not higher. Those of you who have used the Variant know that like the Merkur Progress, the blade exposure kind of ramps up quickly at the higher settings.

YMMV but for me, 2.5 / 3 is just nice balance of aggression (mild), blade on skin feel and smoothness.

Blade and Razor combo was much better than with the Morning’s Merkur, still feeling very smooth but this time, took everything off for a true glass BBS and post shave with alum application gave zero feedback. Win Win.

• Pre-shave : Shower, PAA Cube
• Brush : Friendship Shaving Macy G4 Synthetic by Frank Shaving
• Soap : PAA Agharta
• Razor : Merkur 34CHD w/Tiger Platinum Blade
• Post Shave : PAA Agharta Star Jelly Aftershave, Aftershave Cologne
• Others : PAA Agharta Epic Solid Cologne

Got home from work and lots of stuff to take care of. It’s going to be one of those 36-48hr day.

Agharta!
From Label, to lather to scent, this soap screams excellence from the get go.
Scent is best described as an ambergris, vanilla and sweet sandalwood barbershop, and yes, smells as good as it sounds.
Actually, it’s better. 😁

Picked up the Grand Old Dame today, the Merkur 34CHD. Its one of my earliest purchases along with a DE-89 which I sold to a friend to get him into DE shaving.

As suspected, the Tiger Blade was very smooth in the 34C, but because it’s not as sharp as say Feathers, the shave was a DFS.
Almost BBS if not for some spots that still had micro-stubble that you can feel if you run your finger over them.
However, there was zero irritation as the blade felt extremely smooth, so that’s a plus.

I’ll switch up to a more aggressive razor for the evening shave before comparing it to the blade I think matches it the closest, the Derby USTA for tomorrow.

Now its off to do stuff.
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