Prep: Splash of Cool Water
Razor: Wolfman - WR2 Solid Bar .85 Brushed
Blade: Gillette - Platinum (10)
Lather: Barrister and Mann Omnibus - Four Horsemen - War
Brush: Thater - 4125-6 Fan Ivory (9 uses)
Post Shave: Pre de Provence - No. 63
䷀ General Notes
Slurry Lather with Omnibus today, and trying a huge badger as well. I'll load more next time, but I have full faith that these are great.
䷀ Razor and Blade Notes
(Wolfman - WR2 SB .85 Brushed ::: Gillette - Platinum ‹10 uses›)
Great combo! Just a tiny bit of blade feel, and excellent glide for the close cut.
Confirming here that for me, the Platinum works great in the Wolfman WR2 after just a day's growth.
Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)
䷀ Soap Notes
(Barrister and Mann Omnibus - Four Horsemen - War)
Them: "War is the strangest and, in some respects, the darkest of the four fragrances. Characterized by the aromas of hot metal and gunpowder laid over the core chypre accord that represents Death, the full fragrance encompasses notes of metal, aldehydes, gunpowder, leather, citrus, resins, clary sage, and amber. The peculiar, unsettlingly clean aroma of ozone and gun oil hangs over the scent of War like smoke on a battlefield, belying the foul, elemental hunger beneath."
Scent: The first time I used this soap, I had not heard that this soap smells like a certain herb to a bunch of people. Knowing that, the second time I used it, that still didn't bother me. It wasn't an exact match, and my brain was able to keep it separate, and focus on the elements of hot metal, gunpowder, resins, and moss. It seems that all those together smell like that herb, as it turns out.
That odd situation, where the sum of some parts makes something totally unintentional, reminds me of that other soap he made a couple of years ago, that smelled exactly like Copenhagen chewing tobacco.
Staying power: I did not notice anything different than other soaps by Will.
Scent Strength: 7/10, nicely present during shaving.
Lather... This soap hadn't been used in a while. So 50 swirls was not quite enough to gather enough soap with this brush.
I loaded a bit more, and gave it a little more water too.
I had three slick passes in pretty short order, but I'll increase load time to make the process a bit smoother next time.
Omnibus here is not going to be a problem for Slurry Lather fans, I'm certain.
Hydration: Dry End of Perfect (for me)
- 17 sec load with a Very Wet brush
- = 4 passes of lather
Bowl: No Bowl
䷀ Brush Notes
(Thater - 4125-6 Fan Ivory 35mm ‹9 uses›)
Not loading quite enough is very evident with such a big brush. It felt good, and I think proved that it won't take much for this thing to work well with the Slurry Lather technique.
However, one thing jumps out at me. The chief advantage of the Slurry Lather is speed in your shave. For guys who are short on time, and just need to get on to the next thing. Well, a super thick/dense/big brush like this one might be the opposite of what you would normally want for speed! Takes a while to rinse out all the suds at the end of the shave.
During the Shave Feel:
Cheeks: Almost Smooth
Neck: Almost Smooth
After the Shave Closeness:
Cheeks: Near BBS - About as close as I'll ever get
Neck: Cut flush to where I just see the tips (above average for me)
Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet
Prep: Splash of Cool Water
Razor: Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 Open Comb
Blade: Gillette - Nacet (Marathon) (537)
Lather: Barrister and Mann Omnibus - Smoking Bishop
Brush: Maggard Razors - Plisson-type Synth 22mm (4 uses)
Post Shave: Pre de Provence - No. 63
Gear Pic :: Video
䷀ General Notes
Final confirmation of the Maggards Plisson Synth doing a great Slurry Lather with Omnibus base.
䷀ Razor and Blade Notes
(Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb ::: Gillette - Nacet - M ‹537 uses›)
Same as usual with this old Nacet: maybe a tiny bit tuggy on first pass, but great afterwards. more passes were necessary if I wanted a better shave today, but I was fine with 3. Decent shave. Comfy. No irritation.
Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 2 out of 5 (Okay)
䷀ Soap Notes
(Barrister and Mann Omnibus - Smoking Bishop)
Them: "A Christmas Carol creates a particular image: cobbled London streets, swollen with carts and men in top hats and street urchins, all milling and shouting and running in the cold December air. You can practically feel the chill, see the clouds of steam as the crowds breathe, and hear the din of a thousand lives all playing out in the same space. It's a vivid, intensely nostalgic picture, one almost irrevocably associated with its author. ~ The story makes particular reference to a Victorian mulled wine known as 'Smoking Bishop,' so named because it's served heated to steaming, but not boiling, and drunk from warmed bowls or glasses (before you ask, we have no idea where the bishop part comes in). It's one of our favorite holiday punches here at Barrister and Mann"
"The soap version is a smooth, warm blend of wine, orange, grapefruit, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pipe tobacco that conjures images of sipping a stiff drink near a roaring hearth, the air redolent with the scents and sounds of food and drink and good company. Effortlessly charming and good-natured"
Me: I enjoyed it. I picked up on a little vanilla, and some spices, which I assume are the cinnamon and nutmeg. They were well-blended and not so spicy that I didn't like it.
I didn't pick up on any tobacco or wine notes in the fairly blind first impression, so those notes are not strong. But I did notice something like anise or oud, or in that family, that may have been the blend of those two. It grounded the whole thing and kept it interesting and from being just a flavor focused, monotone scent. I liked it.
But on my second shave with this soap, I did pick up the wine around the 3rd pass. A note has to gradually open up, it seems.
Scent Strength: 6/10, nicely present during shaving.
Lather... Great slurry lather today with the pair, the brush and this soap. Slurry in pass 1 and then it got more mature as we went through 3 passes. Super slick and fast.
I tried the new method of loading until the soap overflowed the tub a little, and that worked out great for getting enough soap for the shave.
Hydration: Perfect (for me)
Bowl: No Bowl
䷀ Brush Notes
(Maggard Razors - Plisson-type Synth 22mm ‹4 uses›)
Not too bad with this brush this time. I still like my naturals better, though. Since this knot doesn't hold as much water as some, I made sure to load without shaking any water out of it. That's the secret with this one.
During the Shave Feel:
Cheeks: Felt blade but comfortable
Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
Cheeks: Close Shave
Neck: Several hairs are showing some tip length (still a pretty good shave)
Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet