SOTD: Saturday 2 December - Friday 8 December 2023.

My first go with a Karve Christopher Bradley, in a smart black and red aluminium.
I went for the C Base plate but @Mike Smart was kind enough to provide two others.


The shave felt very intuitive; it was like using an aluminium Tech (although with a more premium feel to it).
The blade I chose based on knowing it will give me a sharp and close shave without being fussy on the razor.
I got a very close and easy shave without having to think about what I was doing. No weepers and just mild irritation under the chin (I tend to push razors and/or blades when trying them out for the first few times).

I'm very taken with the colour scheme and simple design of the Karve CB. I don't know if it's powder coated and how well that will stand up to regular use over the years; I'd be interested to try their brass models too.

Rating: 4 / 5


Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley (red and black aluminium)
Blade: London Bridge Modern
Brush: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Amber Aerolite Stygian Synthetic
Pre-Shave: Asda Smartprice hand soap (tablet)
Lather: Kent/Mitchell's Wool Fat
Additional Care:
Aqueous Cream
 
Sunday 3rd December

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Boots Old English Lavender (Vintage) Shaving Bowl & Mohawk w/PurTech Synthetic 22mm
Muhle Rocca (Polished Head) w/Souplex Bakelite Handle & BIC Chrome Platinum (3)
Brut Splash-On

Well, colour me impressed!

I'm tentatively saying that the BIC Chrome Platinum has ramped into third place in my list of favourite blades behind the Treet Platinum (1st) and Personna Platinum Chrome (2nd) and I say tentatively since I do need to run a few more through to confirm, but I'm experienced enough to get a very good sense of what's going on. The first shave is quite harsh, but I'm used to that drill with the GEM by Personna blades in the likes of a 1912. The second onwards are absolutely lovely! I've read of folks continuing for several more shaves saying that the blade just doesn't dull ... even read of one person rotating every four weeks, while another a staggering 37! Somewhat like those '80s turbo bricks where you'd stamp on the loud pedal and have to count to three before you got a kick in the back and you left the world behind in your rear view mirror, that lag in performance is actually part of the character ... I think that translates certainly to the GEM blade and to this BIC blade.

Curious, very curious as I've quite literally hated this blade from trying it out quite early on when I came to traditional shaving (recalling the name BIC from my disposable days) and a few harsh runs through since, but most recently a couple of lovely shaves in the Leaf Twig and what I think is the perfect marriage of blade and razor in the Muhle Rocca. While on the Muhle Rocca, my polished V4 head sitting on the Souplex bakelite handle is absolutely sweet! Applying the Highlander principle (as in "there can only be one") ... it's "the one", edging ahead of the Gillette Hybrid Tech and Gillette Ranger Tech sitting there in 2nd and 3rd places.

... and so, give what I can clearly establish as my top 3 razors and my top 3 blades, I'm wondering if I'm finally at that point that I could say I've finished? Haha! Nah! Not me.

The picture is the same as yesterday but I did switch out the Potter & Moore Lavender for the Boots Old English Lavender tonight ... and so ends my week with lavender which was those two this weekend and Dr Selby throughout the week, Ach Brito and Brut providing the splashes. Lovely! Onto a sandalwood themed week next.

Best of, for the coming week Gents.
 
My first bit of scribbling away in the name of shave reporting, as I start the new week of SOTD's with the sink time themed, 'Elgin marbles and other childish government games'

20231203_105317.jpg

Tying string around your conkers and having someone thrash the living daylight out of them with a hardened kernel is not healthy. No end of padded gloves are ever going to prevent tears. And broken nuts.

Marbles - 3ONE6
Conkers - Feather
Hide and seek* - Hive-2
Hopscotch - Abbate Y Mantia Matteo
Beating the shit out the next street - Collegen


'The world's hardest conker kicking champion had more than just a point to prove'

A very nice start to this new week even if it was a bit on the hop between jobs here at work. And you try shaving while hopping.

The blade was on its last leg, but to get five shaves from a Feather is a minor miracle. It still managed a decent finish despite more tugging towards the end than I can manage when not at work. Acceptable enough for me after a couple of days being unable to find some razor time.

Happy all the way

So happy you can have a double header of those pretty and talented ladies, Steropony









And I love you all
 
SOTD Sun 3 Dec 2023

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Some normality had returned, then SWMBO put my precious Irn-Bru towel in the wash!?!

Prep - shower, bar soap face wash
Lather - Proraso Red in glass bowl with Yaqi green 24mm synthetic brush
Razor - Merkur 38C with Shark SS blade (2)
Post - cold water, alum, Forest Fresh ASL, Nivea ASB, Mastermind Vintage EDT

A good Sunday night 3 pass comfortable shave with not much tidying and no discomfort, hoorah!

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You’re back then.
Not that you care, you put me in that place again for 2 whole days!
Look, you were warm, fed, walked by the staff, and I know they all make a fuss of you, and you had a nice bath.
You know I hate water and the driers.
Yes but you love being towelled dry and you smell really nice.
Humph!
Still not friends?
Talk to the paw!
Oh.
 
Razor = Rockwell 6s
Blade =Silver Star ( 3 )
Brush = Shavemac 400 & 24mm Boar knot.
Soap = Vintage Greek Shave Stick
Splash = Boots Freshwood
Balm = Greek Olive Oil Balm
IMG_0155.jpegAnother brilliant 3 pass have with is wonderful stick.
These soaps sticks are like hens teeth and
they are pretty much unobtainable.
.
Clearly the soap was the star of the show but i just love the rockwell,
doesn’t matter what blade i put in it never fails.
I’m a tied boy so not saying much
now it’s 05,34 for me so bed time
it’s been a long week
Adios
 
SOTD 05-Dec
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Brush: MOAR Boar
Soap: SSC Oro Valley
Razor: RR Wunderbar
Blade: Treet Platinum
Post: SSC Oro Valley Balm & TEV 470

Wonderful shave for what will be a lazy day, had to book random days off to use up some leave. Might chill or muck around in the garage just for the fun of it.

Of course there's still time for all of that to change, the Mrs hasn't started work so there might be a list that hasn't made it into the light just yet.

Hope everyone has a grand day.

Cheers

Marc
 
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