A Motel Shave & The Doc:

Sorry for the ultra late posting but under the circumstances, it was unavoidable. This morning's shave occurred at 7 AM before mom's doctor appoint which went extremely well and it was epic. I went with Soap Commander's commitment and it was a beast due to the softer water at motel we usually stay at when we go to UVA. Commitment is their Indian Sandalwood scented soap and unfortunately, it's no longer available and the Phoenix double open comb did well:

The post shave feel was great but not quite an ice rink and I stopped after 3 passes because I didn't want irritation. I could have gotten away with another pass easily but it's best to quit while your ahead and just look presentable. After we got back in town, we went ahead and checked the mail and there's still been no word about my medical review as to whether I get to keep my disability benefits and today was the last day to be notified for the month of April. I'm really thankfull that Mom does NOT have to go back to UVA as a patient and that all they saw on the minature probe was some slight damage from acid reflux and that what's been causing her grief has been that along with complications from diabetes which is about normal after 11 years.

Number 14 of 2016:

Well it's been roughly around 3+ weeks since I've killed off another soap and this time I completely finished off what was left of my Soap Commander Endurance shave soap. It was a great soap and will definitely be added back to my collection here pretty soon. 14 soaps in 3 months has got to be a record. I'm not sure exactly when it will be before I buy some more soap but it will be soon because with me killing and eating all of these soaps, I'm running low:

Endurance & The 208:

Today's shave was great. The 208 done a really good job at removing my tough beard though it did start to slightly pull a bit, but considering that I ONLY went as high as 8K, it's doing real good to hold its edge which proves the elitists wrong once again which I still hear once in a while. Soap Commander's Endurance was up next in my rotation which has an epic 1938 Vintage Old Spice scent to it:

The post shave feel is good, but it could be much better. I've also ran some errands today and there's still no word on my medical review as to whether or not I get to keep my disability benefits and it's been weeks since I was sent a notice about this review along with a letter stating that I had a case agent and a case number. I'm pretty certain that I will get paid for the month of April but after that is anyone's guess. I'm also packed for a trip to UVA for mom's appointment tomorrow morning, so tomorrow's shave will be with the Phoenix Double Open Comb:

I'm still sending prayers to the entire Seibert family and I'm also still praying about my medical review going in a favorable direction for me. Even though it's pretty much too late for me to be cut off for April's benefit payout, it still does NOT mean they can't cut me off later on despite the fact that I've got upcoming doctor appointments here pretty soon.

Vision, Aqua Velva & The Doc:

Hot lather anyone? This morning's shave was epic. First I started out with a nice hot shower using TTFFC's bath bar in the toasted marshmallow scent which was needed to relieve some minor aches and pains this morning. Next I followed that epic experience with a hot lather shave using Soap Commander's "Vision" which is my top soap out of my entire collection. It has an aqua, amber and mint scent to it but there's no menthol in the soap. If you want to know what it's like with menthol, try the matching aftershave balm. It puts it over the top in terms of the post shave feel of the soap:

After that epic shave, I followed up with some Aqua Velva's classic ice blue aftershave splash and then I used the matching aftershave balm which was the icing on the cake. The post shave feel itself is great. Very little was left behind in terms of trouble spots which will change once I go to Feather DE blades in this specific razor and I'm still considering getting both the Mongoose and a slant razor. There's still no word yet regarding my medical review in terms of whether or not I get to keep my disability benefits and time is running out before the month of April's benefit payout is processed. I'm still praying about it and I'm also still sending prayers and positive vibes towards the Seibert family.

Fortitude & The Doc:

Today's shave was great. Soap Commander's Fortitude was up next in my rotation and it has an amazing aged hay, aged tobacco, and dark rum scent to it. I'll be using the Phoenix double open comb safety razor for a bit until I heal up:

In terms of post shave feel, today's shave was great. Not quite an ice rink but pretty close to it. That will change once I get some Feather DE blades. These Perma-Sharps are better suited for a slant style DE safety razor. My Gold Monkey Jinhou straight razor seems to NOT want to hold an edge and it also takes longer to hone. It's not been that long since I've honed it and here it is a couple of weeks later needing to be re-honed once again. My Gold Dollar 208 is the complete opposite and is still shaving somewhat comfortably. It can use a bit of a touch up only on something like a pasted strop or CBN compound emulsion system which still won't be needed for at least several more shaves if not more. The Jinhou made my eyes water yesterday when the point dug into my neck and cut me and it was already starting to pull and tug something fierce. There's still been no word yet as to whether I get to keep my disability benefits or not. If I don't hear anything by this Thursday, I'll get paid this Friday. After that and if I don't hear anything, I will guess that I get to keep my benefits that I worked hard for since my early teens. I've been praying about it and I've also been praying for the Seibert family as well.

Resolution & The Jinhou:

Today's shave was great but I'll have to use a safety razor for a couple of days because the point of the Jinhou got my neck so I'll be sending this one out to have the heel and the toe ground a little more to keep it from biting me and it will need a j-nat edge on it. This Resolution is fabulous. It has a mistletoe, Frasier fir and semi sweet cranberry scent to it:

Post shave feel is great but not quite an ice rink. Just to right and above my Adam's apple didn't quite get cleaned to where I would like it.

Integrity, The Beach & The 208:

Today's shave was great. I went with Soap Commander's scentless soap and aftershave which is their integrity product line. I also decided to take the commander to the beach with Phoenix Shaving's "The Beach" aftershave splash. For those that have never used this splash the scent is amazing. It has a sun tan lotion, salt water, sand, ozone, and coconut scent to it and it lasts a really long time to say the least. After picking up my shirt the next day, I can clearly smell it which is 24 hours after applying it. That's how strong the Phoenix Shaving aftershaves are:

In terms of post shave feel, I got another "ice rink". Nothing left behind at all and my aftershave splash DID NOT BURN when I applied it. That's the type of shave you want but often don't get. I've been extremely busy these last few days and since I couldn't go to the beach, I took my shave to the beach. I've not been to the post office yet today, but there's still no word yet on whether I get to keep my disability benefits yet.

Confidence & The Doc:

This morning's shave was really sweet. Soap Commander's "Confidence" was up next in the rotation. For those wonder about the scent that have never used it you need to get this sweet honey, musk and patchouli scented soap. Today is Good Friday and I wanted to use a DE this morning because I figured I might not have a lot of time to shave today:

In terms of post shave feel, it's definitely time for a blade upgrade for the Phoenix double open comb razor. This was a fresh Perma-Sharp blade and it took a lot to get the bottom of my chin clean and I still didn't quite get the ice rink type of shave. Even after 3 full passes, some areas had to be hit again but most of those got cleaned up really well. For this specific razor, I have chosen Feather DE blades. I'm also getting a slant razor after I get my honing stone situated which isn't far off. These next 2 stone purchases will pretty much finish up the progression. There's still no word on whether or not I get to keep my disability benefits. They've got till Thursday to let me know because I'm suppose to get paid next Friday.

Refreshment & the Jinhou:

Today's shave was great. Not quite an ice rink but it was nice, close and comfortable. Soap Commander's Refreshment was up next in the rotation and it has a sweet tea with lemon scent to it and it's phenomenal. I do plan on getting some more Soap Commander products in the near future:

Post shave feel is great. As I mentioned earlier, not quite an ice rink. My neck area didn't quite get as smooth as where I would like it mainly just to the right and left areas just above my Adam's apple area along with just below the jaw line. I'll probably use the Phoenix tomorrow since it's Good Friday and I will more than likely be busy and won't have a lot of time for a straight razor shave. There's still no word yet as to whether I get to keep my disability benefits or not.

Commitment & the 208:

Today's shave was fantastic. This soap should be in Soap Commander's core line up if you ask me. Commitment is their Indian Sandalwood scent and it's the ONLY exclusively sandalwood scented product that I can use with NO ISSUES like I have with other soaps and creams that's out there. If it's in an ultra small amount and/or mixed with something, there's a good chance that I can probably use it but have a slight bit of irritation that will disappear in about a couple of hours. I don't get that with ANY of Soap Commander's products at all :

In terms of post shave feel, I got another "ice rink". The edge on my Gold Dollar 208 is exactly where I like it. Nice and buttery in terms of comfort but sharp and no problems getting a really close and smooth shave. Still no word yet in regards to my disability medical review to determine whether or not I get to keep my benefits. I have been and will continue to pray that I get to keep them.

Purpose & Jinhou:

This early morning shave was great. I'm a little late posting because I had to shave and go out the door to run some errands and I just got done. Today I was in a Bay Rum mood so I went with Soap Commander's "Purpose" and unfortunately, this scent is no longer available for purchase. To me this is the best bay rum because it's really just about the only one I can use due to my sensitive skin:

The post shave feel I got today was epic. That edge I put on the Gold Monkey triple 6 is phenomenal and was extremely comfortable. I also got another "ice rink" type of post shave. Ultra smooth and close with zero razor burn and no stubble left behind.

A Legend Has Returned:

This is awesome seeing the Phoenix Double Open Comb back in my shave cave once again. I for sure have missed it being here especially now that my beard has gotten significantly tougher since the last time I used it which up until today was a almost a year ago. One of the best shaves I ever got with a DE safety razor was with this safety razor and a Feather blade. The other one that tied that shave was with a Merkur 37C Slant a Perma-Sharp blade which I also miss having as well. I prefer straight razors these days but when I need to shave and don't have the time to use a straight and/or I'm not feeling to well, I'll grab a DE safety razor preferably the one seen below in terms of comfort:

Feather blades will be bought when I go on a soap buying spree provided I still get to keep my disability benefits which I have been praying about. But first some Shapton water stones. I've still got quite a few Perma-Sharps left. Hopefully by the time I'm done, I'll have 7 safety razors and 7 straight razors then I'll be done with the hardware section.

Gusto & The DOC:

Today's shave was epic and pretty close to an "ice rink" if I had the right blade in there which already had one shave on it. But as promised I went with Soap Commander's Gusto which has an incredible raspberry pink lemonade scent. I heard that Luke Seibert walked 100 feet today which is an amazing feat after what he's been through and really good to hear. So I am continuing to say prayers for the family and I'm also continuing to use Soap Commander's products until Luke gets to come home from the hospital:

The post shave is great. I have missed this little razor. I just need a larger handle for it and some Feather blades which I will be getting later on after I finish getting my honing stones together which will just about be done after my next stone purchase.

Surprise Mail Call:

Today's mail call is from Frankie L. over in the Google+ community, how to grow a moustache. Basically he had a Phoenix double open comb that he wasn't using and wanted to PIF it to me which I more than accepted and appreciate. The surprise was the soap itself. He included PAA's 11235 which has incredible scent. I get a classic but clean and fresh citrus cologne scent. Then there's the legendary Barrister & Mann's Latha limon scent. It's a lemon, orange and rose scented soap. I am truly humbled by this mail call. Thank you Frankie L. This means a lot:

Going with Synthetic Stones:

While I truly love the edges that natural stones provide, there's really no way to determine exactly what the grit or hardness of the stone is and it often takes a really long time to determine what type edge it provides. So with that being said, I have decided to go with Shapton's Water Stone products. This also includes the natural Arkansas oil stones as well. Even though they're much more affordable compared to the Japanese water stones, they still are not quite what I've been looking for: 

The reasoning behind this decision was based upon last night's honing session. It took a really long time to set a bevel on my Soft Arkansas oil stone with the Jinhou. I was pretty much wiped out after that and it really wasn't where I wanted it, so I started over using my old Norton 4/8K combo stone. For those that are new to honing their own straight razors, avoid the naturals until you get you get some time in with the synthetic stones first and have learned the basics and do NOT go cheap either if you can help it. 4.5 hours to hone 2 straight razors is unacceptable and I can't really afford a Japanese water stone. The surgical black is somewhat affordable, but I really need to get back to what I know truly works. All of my experimenting is done at this point.

Ouch:

Well as you guys know who hone their own straight razors, mishaps are bound to happen. And last night about halfway through that epic honing session, my 208 got me pretty good. Surprisingly it did NOT hurt but it sure did bleed a lot. So if you are new to honing, please be careful:

My 208 grabbed the stone some and then slipped right into my right index finger.

Fortitude & DE 89:

After last night's epic and very tiresome honing session and due to a recent Google Hangouts message, I decided to use a DE for a couple of days. You will see why in tomorrow's shave. First I started off with a hot and very relaxing shower using TTFFC's bath soap (toasted marsh mallow scent) which is definitely what was needed. Next I followed that up with a very nice and close shave with Soap Commander's Fortitude which is epic and one of my top scented soaps. It has an aged hay, aged tobacco, and dark rum scent to it:

The post shave feel is great. I have to stretch the skin like I do with a straight razor on my neck area now which is why it got cleaned up in 3 passes. I really can't wait to see what's in the mail tomorrow.

Honing Session Completed:

Well I started on this around 9 PM, and I just now got done re honing both of my straight razors. I did my usual routine on both the Norton 4/8K and the Soft Arkansas stone you see below 3 times on each stone and each side of the stone. I have decided exactly which stones I'll be getting when and/or if I get paid again. Those stones will be a 500 grit Shapton Glass and a 15K grit Shapton Professional water stone :

All though I enjoy honing and it's kind of a form of meditation for me, I can't spend this kind of time on just 2 straight razors. It would be one thing if I had about 10 or more straight razors and they all needed a lot of work, but for just 2 straight razors which is unacceptable in my humble opinion. So I will be cutting my honing time in half with those 2 stones I mentioned above.

Endurance, Jinhou & DE 89:

Today's shave was OK. The Endurance shaving soap and aftershave balm saved today's shave. This is Soap Commander's vintage Old Spice scented line and it's simply amazing. If you don't have this soap in your shave cave, then shame on you. I've got just about a sample's worth left from my tub. This the 1st Soap Commander product I ever bought:

The first couple of passes was with the Jinhou and they were OK. But after the 3rd pass, I switched to the DE 89 seen below and it wasn't too good either. Just had enough for an extra with the grain pass on this DE blade:

So a new blade is going in the DE 89, and I will be doing a full honing session from start to finish using ALL of my stones. Post shave feels pretty good. Not quite cleaned up on the very bottom of my chin area as I would like it to be but still socially acceptable.

Resolution & DE 89:

Today I didn't have a lot of time on my hands to shave, so I grabbed my Edwin Jagger DE 89 with my go to blade choice which is the Perma-Sharps . I went with Resolution this morning. This was Soap Commander's 2014 Christmas scent and it's incredible. It has a mistletoe, fraisier fir and cranberry scent to it. The post shave feel is great. I managed to get a lot closer than I normally do with this razor this morning, but not quite an ice rink type of shave that I usually get with my straight razors. Sometimes I get too close with those:

Speaking of straight razors, I have decided to get a synthetic bevel setting stone and a synthetic finishing stone. I'm going with the Shapton professional series stones. A 1K grit Shapton professional series stone is a really fast but smooth cutting stone compared to the glass version which is a fast cutter but people often claim it to be harsh. I'll fill you guys in on what progression I'll be going with. But I can tell you that the Soft Arkansas will be directly after the 1K bevel setting stone.

Vision & The 208:

Today's shave is my all time top shave. If you told me that I could only have one soap, aftershave splash and balm to use for the rest of my life, you are looking at my choice. I'm still praying and sending positive vibes towards the Seibert family. Vision is an incredible scent and post shave feel. It has an aqua, amber, and mint scent to it and there's no menthol in the soap but there is in the aftershave balm which is epic and puts the post shave feel over the top. I've tried dozens of both artisan and mainstream soaps and creams this still comes out on top every time:

The post shave feel of the Soft Arkansas is good and somewhat smooth, but can be much better. Yesterday's touch up session did smooth out the razor some but not a lot. As I learn more about this stone, I'm realizing that my initial thoughts were sincerely wrong mainly because it's NOT a fast enough cutter to set a bevel and it's NOT high enough in grit to be a finishing stone and would take much more time on it to make it shave ready than even my Norton combo stone will. So this will more than likely be my low to mid range stone after I set the bevel on a Shapton Glass 500 grit stone.

A Killer & Fast Touch Up:

Wow is all I can really say at the moment. But I can tell you this, I am sold and hooked on oil stones at this point especially these Arkansas natural stones. Even though I got a really good shave today, the razor I used did tug some but not much though. So I decided to use my Soft Arkansas oil stone for a quick touch. It went lightning fast because after I got done, BOTH razors wanted to grab, dig and pull after I stropped them. Tomorrow's shave will be interesting:

Now for the Gold Monkey Jinhou I did 50 round trips followed by the usual 30/30, 15/15, 8/8 seconds with 15 round trips or clean up strokes after that I did 10 seconds worth of circles on both sides of the razor and then I stropped it. Next on the Gold Dollar 208 I did 25 round trips followed by the usual 20/20, 10/10, 5/5 seconds with 10 round trips to clean up the edge a bit then I also did 10 seconds worth of circles on the 208 and then I stropped it. The secret to Arkansas oil stones is shown below. I've NEVER seen a natural stone cut this fast before ever:

The slurry this stone has with the 3 in One oil was simply amazing and very fast but smooth cutting power. I did NOT use my little blue Norton water stone case for this touch up. I held the stone in my hand instead and the feedback I got was epic :

All in all I'm loving these Arkansas oil stones tremendously and the shave tomorrow will basically tell me how I did. The ONLY thing I use a loupe for is to see if there's any chips, nicks and/or burrs in the blade's edge. Other than that, I could care less about the scratch pattern. As long as the razor provides a nice, smooth and comfortable shave while shaving and after shaving, I'm happy. There's really NO NEED to invest in a 200X USB microscope. Of course that's just my opinion. Do what makes you happy in terms of equipment and stones.

Integrity:

Today's shave is for the Seibert Family and specifically Luke Seibert who was in a horrible car accident the other night and was very seriously injured. I have said prayers and have wished them well and will be behind them 100% as they endure this long recovery process. As another fellow wet shaver has done, I have decided to use Soap Commander's products until Luke Seibert is out of the hospital and home recovering. So for today's shave, I went with their scentless line which is called Integrity which is truly scentless. This is my hunting shave of the day:

Today's shave was also an "ice rink" type of shave. I couldn't have gotten any closer. I will continue to send prayers and positive thoughts to the Seibert family.

1K:

This morning's shave was great. PAA's 1K was up in the rotation and it has been a while since I have used it. It has a Anise and Licorice scent to it and it's incredible:

The post shave I have today is really good and extremely comfortable. I didn't get my moustache area quite as smooth as I would like, but it's more than socially acceptable. Still no word yet regarding my medical review, but no news is good news and I'm hoping and praying that they'll leave well enough alone and let me keep my benefits that I worked hard for all of those years.

I'm Off The Waiting List:

Got an email earlier today from Maggard Razors concerning my reservation of the Alumigoose. I had no choice but to cancel my reservation due to both the lack of funds and other reasons. It looks pretty sharp and elegant:

The price alone pretty much kills the cobra classic. This is less expensive than even my Feather Artist Club shavette currently is and what it was 2 years ago when I bought it and it uses the same blades minus the Feather Artist Club light blades. Those are the only ones listed on Maggard Razor's website that can't be used with this razor:

Here are the specifications of the Alumigoose razor:

Here's the email I got from Maggard Razors. Very cool company to buy supplies from:

I was told that Alumigoose will be available in 4 to 6 weeks.

Confidence:

Today's shave was great. Soap Commander's Confidence was up next in my rotation which has a sweet honey, musk and patchouli scent that's simply amazing. The post shave feel I have is also great. Not quite an ice rink, but it's extremely comfortable and more than socially acceptable. For those who are worried that I might be getting low on these soaps, please don't. I am NOT anywhere near close to even being half way. In fact it looks like I've not even touched these soaps:

I will be going on a soap buying spree provided I get to keep my disability benefits and I can finish buying my honing stones.

Refreshment:

This morning's shave made me question as to why I don't use a DE safety razor more often instead of a straight razor. First I started off with a nice and relaxing hot shower using Dr. Teal's lavender and chamomile mentholated body wash. Next I followed that up with Soap Commander and their "Refreshment" scented soap which has a sweet tea with lemon scent:

The post shave feel of today's shave was great, but it still wasn't quite as good as a straight razor shave. Even though these blades have no problem removing my beard, this DE safety razor does. So I subscribed to be notified when the Phoenix double open comb is back in stock. I was told 14 days almost a month ago, but I'm guessing he had machine shop trouble again. Which is pretty common because for some reason, machine shops don't like machining safety razors. Several razor manufacturers have stated the same thing.

Volcano:

Today's shave was great. That extra round of stropping made a world of difference in the edge on my Gold Dollar 208. Today I also needed a Tiki Bar fix and Volcano was up next. It has a freshly sliced sweet tropical fruit scent to it and this one is more of a cream so there's no need to bloom this one. And it loves water as well:

In terms of post shave feel, I got my usual "ice rink" type of shave in 3 passes which is perfect. I prefer just 2 passes but until I get my honing stone set up situated, I'll have to settle for a 3 pass shave for now.

The Handle Bar Grip:

One of the questions I get asked a lot is how do I do what's called the Fool's Pass or what I like to call it instead, The Money Pass on both the chin and moustache areas. It's all in the grip. What I do is I grab the spine of the razor at the heel with one hand and at the toe with the other hand as seen in the photo below and just simply go against the grain. Once I seen that in YouTube videos and tried it, it made things a lot easier and I started getting better shaves in those areas:

My Honing Oil:

Today while I was out, I decided to pay the hardware section in Walmart and get this for my Arkansas stones that I will be getting later on down the line as well as any other oil stones that I may acquire in the near future. It's perfect for honing. It's not too thick and not too thin and only costs $2.50 U.S. Dollars. This will save me a ton of money on shipping:

Number 13 of 2016:

Well I don't what else to say except to say hello to my 13th soap of 2016. This was my Devil's Cut scented soap which does smell like the KY Bourbon:

I had a little bit left to scoop out and now I'm down to just this:

It's almost hard to believe that in 3 months that I have polished off 13 shave soaps. The scary part is that I have more coming here pretty soon.

Devil's Cut:

Today's shave was great. It was a tiny bit harsh because I didn't strop my razor enough but other than that it was great. Today I felt like using Through The Fire Fine Craft's soap and the last one I have is the Devil's Cut scented soap. The scent is definitely what it says, Jim Beam's Devil's Cut Kentucky Bourbon. It won't be long before I will have to go on a soap run either:

The post shave was a little bit harsh mainly because I didn't strop my razor enough, but I also think that edge isn't quite where I want it to be just yet either, but that will have to wait. Once and if I get paid again, I will be going on a stone buying spree if you will.

Touch Up Completed:

Well after this morning's shave, I could clearly tell that more time on the stones was needed so I did a touch up. First I started with the Soft Arkansas and I did 40/40, 20/20, 10/10, 5/5, and 10 clean up strokes on the Gold Dollar 208. Then I did 60/60, 30/30, 15/15, 8/8, and 15 clean up strokes on the Gold Monkey Jinhou. After that I went to my Norton 4K side and I did 20/20, 10/10, 5/5, and 10 clean up strokes on the Gold Dollar 208. Next I did 30/30, 15/15, 8/8, and 15 clean up strokes on the Gold Monkey Jinhou. Now I did the full amount on the 8K side:

I did the usual 40/40, 20/20, 10/10, 5/5, and 10 clean up strokes on the Gold Dollar 208. Then I did 60/60, 30/30, 15/15, 8/8, and 15 clean up strokes on the Gold Monkey Jinhou. This soft Arkansas is a really good and smooth stone and it's great as a finisher after setting the bevel on a different stone and progressing up from a 1K stone. The 2 stones I recommend for setting a bevel are either a Naniwa Professional (New Chosera) 600 grit or you can go with a little less expensive stone in the form of a Shapton Glass 500 grit which is what I will be going with. Those are your pre bevel setters and they will cut your honing time down significantly. The Shapton is a much faster cutter than the Chosera 600 grit is but the Chosera 600 is smoother.

Chocolate Bourbon:

This morning I needed a chocolate fix so I went with PAA's chocolate bourbon scented soap. The shave was pretty good off of the Soft Arkansas oil stone, but I could tell it clearly needed more which I've already finished doing on the stones this morning and will be another blog post. The scent on this soap is amazing and it's an old school chocolate cake batter scent that was mixed with an electric mixer. The post shave feel is also pretty good. I could have gotten closer with one more pass, but that would have caused some irritation:

Alumigoose is in Production:

This was a surprise today, but I got an email from Mongoose Razors about their Alumigoose. They're just now getting started with production on this razor. So there's no telling when it will be available and they will be offering first dibs to those on the waiting list which I've been on for quite some time now. In my opinion, I would suggest that they offer just the head of the razor in both aluminum and stainless steel which would allow more to be produced per run and people can choose which handle they want from various retailers. I personally think it would help with meeting the demand:

This razor is a very nice razor and to me it's worth every penny they're asking for it. Apart from the Feather AC shavettes that are available, these are the only razors available that can use the famous Feather Artist Club blades (except for the Feather AC Light which is noted on Maggard's website) and the Captain Titan blades. I've also noticed that there's very little to almost no complaints about this razor which is a good thing.

Mail Call:

Today's mail is simply gorgeous and comes from Best Sharpening Stones. What you see below is an 8 by 3 inch Soft Arkansas stone and I was NOT expecting this kind of presentation at all. This stone only cost me $35.90 SHIPPED! I paid a lot more than double that for my Norton 4/8K combo stone and it didn't even come packaged like this at all. I am truly blown away and very pleased with this purchase. They have exceeded my expectations. The first thing I noticed about this stone compared to my Norton is that it's much smoother and flatter. No lapping is needed on this one which is awesome. This stone is also very hard compared to my Norton:

It did come with a small sharpening guide which will be going into storage:

They packed and sealed this one for nuclear war to insure that it wouldn't break:

The quality of the wooden box that this gorgeous stone came in is epic. They had the logo of their company engraved and etched into the wood along with the type of stone in the lid. The build quality was also epic. No loose joints and no chipped corners or anything like that as well. I could NOT have gotten better quality than this at all:

In terms of actual size, it's the same as my Norton 4/8K combo stone which is 8 by 3 inches:

In all I am extremely pleased and blown away with this mail call. Between the gorgeous presentation, the quality of the packing for safe shipping and the quality of the actual packaging itself, I'm look forward to ordering another Arkansas stone here soon. They also can get away with charging more for this stone than a mere $36 U.S. Dollars shipped as well. I paid nearly $90 dollars for my Norton 4/8K water stone and it didn't come in packaging like this at all or in a nice presentation like this. All it had was a mere laminated piece of cardboard with the Norton logo on it that was simply wrapped around the case. The next test will be to see how well it hones which will be later on today.

Fougere' Santal:

This morning's shave was great. It was also pretty close to being an ice rink type of shave but there's a couple of areas I could have hit again but didn't. For today's shave, I decided to use Reef Point Soaps and their Fougere Santal scent was up next in my rotation. Brut pairs very nicely with this specific scent. This shave was definitely needed because it was past looking bad and I was going through withdrawal symptoms of not shaving:

There will be 2 more blog posts today after this one. I've got a couple of things to write up.

Bought Some Glycerin:

Since there was no shave for me today, I thought I would go out and enjoy the gorgeous weather we are having today and buy some glycerin. This has an unknown number of uses and NOT just in the shaving world either. Some auto manufacturers use it to make anti freeze and various other automotive chemicals. It's also used in the medical world, vaping, and it's also a by product and used in the soap making world as well. So if you have a shave soap or cream that's having trouble lathering, add 2 drops of glycerin to the soap or brush and you have a lather monster on your hands. I will be using it with my new soft Arkansas stone instead of the usual honing oil:

Basically what you do is add water to your stone like normal and add 2 drops of glycerin to the stone and work it in and you will have a nice and ultra slick honing stone that will NOT ruin your water stones. It will be like using an oil stone but will still allow you to use water. Once you use honing oil on a stone, that is all you can use with that specific stone.