Mountain Man & The Hawk:

Today's shave was good. Stirling Soap makes a killer soap and their Mountain Man scent is incredible. The scent is Stirling's take on Creed's Silver Mountain Water cologne. And to finish off this shave, I went with Aqua Velva's new aftershave balm:

The Hawk was good but I did get a touch of razor burn from it. The balm is doing what it's suppose to do which is a good thing. I guess that half pass on my neck area was a tiny bit too much.

Optimism & The Doc:

Today's shave was great. I decided to go with Soap Commander and their Optimism which has a Pear, Plum & Bergamot scent to it. And to finish off this sweet smelling shave, I paired it with the matching aftershave balm which adds a touch of menthol to the shave:

The doc was perfect. I got a squeaky clean post shave feel in 3 passes. There's at least one more shave on this blade which is about normal. The doc is a bit of a blade eater. It's not like my slant which makes the blade stiffer and lasts much longer. But considering how cheap DE blades are, I'm not complaining at all. In fact I just looked at the new Gillette Proshield cartridges not long ago and they will set you back $45 U.S. Dollars for 8 cartridges. Granted they last much longer than the Proglides do, but still I can buy 200 Feather DE blades for that price which does include shipping. Gillette I like the Proshield cartridges, but I simply can't afford them.

Volcano & The Black Diamond:

Today's shave was great. It's been a while since I've used Tiki Bar so after showering, I went with her Volcano scented vegan soap which has an incredible semi sweet tropical fruit scent to it. And to finish it off, I paired it with my usual aftershave splash:

The black diamond was great as well. It will be the only straight razor you will see until I can get some more and it won't be smaller than a 6/8's either. Those smaller blades simply don't have enough weight behind them to go through my barbed wire type of beard anymore.

Hot Lather 101:

I was mentioned in a Tweet by Wet Shave Review yesterday and someone mentioned having ordered a shave scuttle. So before I get started with my shower and shave, I thought I would do a blog post about the pros and cons of the shave scuttle. 7 years ago, I went back to my old barbershop which had a new owner and equipment and after getting my hair cut exactly the way I wanted it, my barber goes over to this device that looks like a toaster oven and pulls out this steaming hot towel. He then walks back over and places it on the back of my neck and holds it up to my sideburns. After that, he goes over to the Conair hot lather machine applies it to the back of my neck and sideburns. After he held it there for a couple of minutes, he whips out the mini shavette with the Personna mini Injector blades and shaves the back of my neck and sideburns with it. I've been hooked on wet shaving and hot lather ever since. So after I started wet shaving with DE's and straight razors, I looked into shave scuttles and people swore by them and I do as well after ordering this Royal Blue shave scuttle from Straight Razor Designs which is basically a miniature double boiler. Mine was made specifically for face lathering instead of the usual bowl lather:

There's only 2 drawbacks to this specific scuttle. The first is that you have to lather up to build your lather and the lather isn't warm or hot when you first apply it. So basically if I haven't showered before shaving, I do just that and work the lather in my beard with my fingers while the scuttle warms my lather up. The other drawback is that it can and often does dry your lather out but that's an easy fix. All you do is put in a couple of tablespoons of water in the bottom of the scuttle where your brush goes and you will be fine. The positives far out weigh the negatives. My beard gets a lot softer and easier to remove when I use the scuttle and I get a much closer shave as a result.

Le Petit Chypre & The 37:

Man oh man what a shave. I got to craving Barrister & Mann so after I nice hot and relaxing shower, I went with Le Petit Chypre which has a very rich Oakmoss & Cyprus wood scent. And to finish it off, I went with the Witch Hazel based matching aftershave which adds a touch of menthol to the equation and it's very soothing and refreshing:

The German 37 was perfect. I got another "ice rink" post shave feel in just 2 passes. These Feather blades are great. So come pay day, I will be getting me a bulk back of Feather blades. I've also decided to retire my wedge razor. It simply doesn't have enough weight behind it to go through my beard even though it's wicked sharp.

Renewal & The Jr. Torrey:

Today's shave ended up being great. More on that in a moment. Soap Commander saved today's shave and their "Renewal" scent is phenomenal. It's a Floral Fougere' scent. And to finish off today's shave, I went with Brut and the matching aftershave balm:

This was the last shave with the Jr. Torrey. I ended up going to my back up razor that I keep in my bathroom which done a fantastic job. This Jr. Torrey simply won't hold an edge no matter who hones it. Dr. Matt honed it and done an extremely good job on it and it only lasted for 2 shaves. My friend Craig Minor gave the razor and he put a really wicked Arkansas edge on it and it only lasted for 3 shaves. I've got a tough beard but my Black Diamond straight razor holds an edge and has lasted for quite a while now. My wedge also holds an edge but lacks the weight to go through my beard. So it looks like the black diamond will be my only straight razor you will see from now on. I'm through with vinatge straight razors from here on out.

Lemon Chill & The 42C:

Today's shave was great. My face feels like an ice cube thanks to Stirling Soaps and their lemon chill scented soap which has an incredible semi sweet lemon meringue scent to it. And I finished it off with the matching aftershave balm:

The Merkur 42C (1904 classic closed comb) razor was really sweet today. This is the 4th razor in a row that I've gotten a comfortable shave with using Feather blades. It's very clear to me now that I do indeed have to switch to these blades to keep from getting irritation which was what has been happening with my Perma-Sharp blades. My beard got tougher and in order to get a close clean shave, I've been having to make too many passes and my sensitive skin doesn't like that at all. Going to a sharper blade has resolved this issue. So if your favorite blade isn't getting it done anymore, don't be afraid to buy another sampler pack and trying other blades. You might surprise yourself.

Fortitude & The 38C:

Today's shave was really sweet. It's been a while since I've used Soap Commander's Fortitude scented soap which has an incredible aged hay, tobacco and dark rum. It kindly takes me back to my grandfather's farm where he raised cattle and tobacco for many years. And to finish off this shave, I paired it with Soap Commander's Purpose which is a Bay Rum scented aftershave balm. Unfortunately Purpose is no longer available:

The Merkur 38C was perfect. I got a squeaky clean post shave feel in just 2 passes. These Feather blades have proven to be a must have in all of my razors now. And unlike the previous occasions that I've used them, they're actually a very comfortable blade.

Confidence & The Doc:

What an incredible shave I just had. Good old Soap Commander always has delivered a top shelf performance. This one is Carrie's least favorite, Confidence which has an incredible overly sweet honey, musk and patchouli scent to it. The scent of the honey is calmed down by the musk and patchouli but it still comes through towards the end for a rich and balanced scent. And I went with the matching aftershave balm which also adds a tiny bit of menthol to the equation:

The doc with a fresh Feather blade = magic. I got another "ice rink" post shave feel in just 3 passes. This has been one of my favorite razor and blade combos of all time. Guaranteed a comfortable and stupid slick shave using this razor and Feather blades period. In fact, I personally know that this is the only razor that some people can use Feather blades in.

Pipe Smoke & The Black Diamond:

Today's shave was great. I was craving a tobacco scented soap so I whipped out Uncle Jon's Pipe Smoke which has a phenomenal premium cherry pipe tobacco, vanilla and spice scent to it. And to finish it off, I paired it with Stirling Soap's Barbershop scented aftershave splash:

The black diamond was excellent. I got a squeaky clean post shave feel in 3 passes. The J.A. Henckles black diamond is my best straight razor hands down. The weight of the razor is perfect for me and my beard. Even though I like my Steampunk wedge and Jr. Torrey, I still prefer this one over the ones I mentioned. I love the 6/8's and heavier straight razors. They're easier to hone for the most part and for some reason, I get a much better edge on the larger straight razors than I do with the 5/8's and smaller straight razors.

Feather Blades Are In:

Earlier today, I paid my uncle a visit and I just happened to remember that bulk pack of Feather blades I got him which he has used quite a few of them. So he gave me a couple of packs of them. They're exceptional in the German 37 compared to the Perma-Sharps and was what the doctor ordered. My shave was effortless and irritation free earlier today. There was no tugging or pulling and unlike in the past, the first shave was actually comfortable:

Here's another combination that I've missed greatly. Phoenix Artisan Accoutrement's Doc razor & a Feather blade is nothing short of Phenomenal:

^ I've gotten many of a good shaves with this combination here. I've also been looking at some larger straight razors as well. 5/8's are just not getting it done anymore which is why you've not seen my Steampunk wedge and Jr. Torrey razors anymore. They don't have the weight needed to go through my beard anymore despite being wicked if not evil sharp like my J.A. Henckles black diamond razor does. I just need to get some heavier razors.

Le Man's & The 37:

Today's shave was great. Deluxe Shaving Company makes some fabulous soaps and their non mentholated Le Mans is no exception. To my nose I get a masculine citrus cologne scent. And to finish off this shave, I went with AV's new balm:

The German 37 was outstanding. I managed to get an "ice rink" post shave feel in just 2.5 passes. This new blade choice made a difference for the better. More on that in another blog post.

Al Sapone & The Doc:

Today's shave was great. After a nice hot and relaxing shower, I went with good old RazoRock and their Al Sapone scented soap which has an incredible light citrus cologne scent to it. And to finish off this shave, I paired with good old Clubman:

The doc was great. I got another "ice rink" post shave feel in just 2.5 passes. It seems that I might just need to buy 1 or 2 packs of Feather blades for my German 37 because today's shave was great and the razor had no trouble removing my beard. I've also had similar results with my Merkur 38C & 42C. So it's looking like Feather blades are going to be for my German 37 only. I'll eventually get the German 37 tuned to my liking.

366 & The 37:

Today's shave was great. K Shave Worx makes some killer soaps and today, I went with their 1 year anniversary soap, 366 which has an incredible cherry almond scent. Unfortunately, this soap is no longer available. And to finish off this shave, I paired it with my usual:

The German 37 was great. I got a really nice shave in 3 passes. It's also pretty much confirmed that I will definitely be switching to the Feather DE blades. My beard has gotten so tough and grows so fast that my current blades are starting to cause irritation and weepers. The blades grab and pull now instead of cutting through cleanly like they use to. So Feather has pretty much become my "go to" blades now due to an ultra tough beard.

C.O. Bigelow & The Hawk:

Today's shave was great. Sorry for the delay ladies & gentlemen, my Internet went down earlier. Today is Proraso Friday over in the How To Grow A Moustache Google+ community. I don't have anything that has the Proraso label but I do have C.O. Bigelow which was made by Proraso exclusively for them. This is the Proraso Green formula shave cream which has an incredible menthol & eucalyptus scent to it. And to finish off today's shave I paired with good old Skin Bracer aftershave splash which made the post shave feel even better:

The hawk was great. I got another "ice rink" post shave feel in just 3 passes. I've decided on what I will be ordering this next go around when I get paid. I will be getting some more DE blades, an ILR natural water stone and a puck of Proraso green. I feel that the puck will last me a lot longer as compared to the cream which I burn through rather quickly.

Turkish Bath & The 42C:

Today's shave was nothing short of phenomenal. If you have not tried Jeeves of Hudson Street's soaps, shame on you. The ultra thick "yogurt like" lather and the slickness is off the page. I got their Turkish Bath scented soap which is a 1920's barbershop style scent with a top note of tobacco. And to finish off this shave and add a touch of sweetness to it, I went with Stirling Soap's barbershop scented aftershave splash:

The Merkur 1904 classic closed comb was extremely good if not perfect. I got another "ice rink" post shave feel in just 3 passes with zero irritation. In fact I didn't get any burn from the aftershave splash which is alcohol based. Wow what a shave.

C.O. Bigelow & The Black Diamond:

Tonight's shave was great. After a nice, hot and relaxing shower, I went with C.O. Bigelow and their Menthol & Eucalyptus which was very nice. And to finish off tonight's shave, I went with Barbasol Brisk aftershave splash:

The black diamond was great if not perfect. I got a squeaky clean post shave feel in just 2.5 passes. The Shoubandini edge is great but there is a bit of a learning curve to it. Once you get the hang of it though, almost no other edge will do.

Honing Time!

After some thought, I decided to do a little honing on my Japanese natural stone. So after I built a slurry using my diamond plate, I did 30 seconds worth of half strokes (the Esposito method) followed by 10 round trips to clean up the edge. The beverage is Dunkin Donuts' Decaf coffee :

After I finished this method on all 3 of my straight razors, I did 12 round trips on the smooth leather side of my strop which should be plenty.

Optimism & The 38C:

This morning's shave was great. I decided to go with Soap Commander and their optimism scent this morning which has an incredible scent of sweet pear, plums, and bergamot. And to finish off this shave, I went with the matching aftershave balm:

The Merkur 38C was great this morning. I got a squeaky clean post shave feel in 3 passes. This is probably one of the best shaves I've ever gotten with the 38C.

Honor & The Doc:

Tonight's shave was extremely good and honorable. Good old Soap Commander delivers yet another stellar performance. Their Honor scent is a barbershop scent which to me smells like I paired Fine's American Blend and Phoenix Shaving's C.a.D.. This soap is somewhere between those 2 scents. And to finish off this shave, I went with the matching Aftershave balm:

The doc was great. Got another "ice rink" post shave feel in just 2.5 passes. Of course the doc also has a fresh blade in it so naturally it will be really good. It's looking good for the Feather blades. The only reason I don't use Feather blades now is because I don't like to get razor burn which I often do with those specific blades. I'll get over it eventually.

Jack Frost & The 37:

Today's shave was great. I went with Steambath Factory's soap today and their Jack Frost scent which has a mint, vanilla and sugar scent to it. And to finish it off, I went with my usual aftershave splash which I find very refreshing:

The German 37 was great. I managed to get a squeaky clean post shave feel in just 2.5 passes. I've also decided to switch back to the Feather blades again. All of my razors are now struggling to go through my beard including my straight razors. So I have to put a much sharper edge on them and upgrade to sharper blades. I'll see what happens tomorrow regarding my Hawk single edge razor. I have a feeling that the Kai blades that I'm using might be okay.

Dragon's Blood & The Jr. Torrey:

Today's shave was pretty good. Reef Point Soaps pretty much kept this shave going and saved my face. More on that in a bit. It's been a while since I used Reef Point Soaps and I went with their Dragon's Blood scent which has a killer vanilla, incense, amber and blood orange scent to it. And to finish it off, I went with Aqua Velva's new aftershave balm:

The Jr. Torrey didn't quite do too hot. Even though it was fresh off the stones, I still couldn't get it where I needed it to be so I switched to a back up. I'll be looking at 2 new shaving toys when I get paid next month. A Belgium Coticule from the Superior Shave and a Gillette Trac 2 razor which I can get from Amazon for a reasonable price. But I'm not sure if I will get the Trac 2 yet. It depends on what I can afford after the bills are paid. So I will be doing some research. The Gillette Trac 2 is what I started shaving with in 1990 when I was 13. Not to worry ladies & gentlemen, I have no plans to go back to cartridges anytime soon.

Some Honing & Coffee:

For some reason, I wasn't confident enough in the last edge I put on the Jr. Torrey. So after I brewed me a hot cup of Dunkin Donuts decaf coffee, I broke out my Shapton 12K & the Shoubandini type 100 Japanese natural and did 40 subtle "X" strokes on each stone using just the weight of the blade. I stopped at 40 when it got really sticky on each stone:

After that I did 12 round trips on the smooth leather of my strop. I love my Jnat but sometimes, I can't get it sharp enough to my liking. So when I get a chance, I'll be getting some stones.

High Jump 47 & The 37:

Tonight's shave was great. I was craving Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements so after a nice, hot and relaxing shower, I grabbed High Jump 47 which has an incredible citrus cologne scent to it or at least that's what my nose tells me. And to finish off this shave, I paired it with AV's new aftershave balm which I find very soothing after a shave:

The German 37 was perfect. I got a squeaky clean post shave feel in just 2.5 passes which is really nice. Right now this is the only Phoenix Shaving soap that I have. I ran out some time ago so to keep from getting burned out, I took a bit of a break from them for a while until my friend gave me this one. Plus this was the first puck of their new 3.0 formula that I tried which is awesome. So when I get a chance, I will be getting more of their soaps.

Influence & The 37:

Today's shave was great. Right now I'm under the influence of my favorite brand, Soap Commander. The scent is an incredible blend of premium tobacco, cherry and black tea. And to finish off this shave, I went with the matching aftershave balm:

The 37 did great. 6 multi pass shaves is the limit for me with Perma-Sharp blades. Even though I got a squeaky clean post shave feel today after 3 passes, I had to do some touch ups which is a strong indicator that the blade was done, so I'm putting in a fresh blade. I've also got to face another reality as I turn 40 years old in less than 2 months. These Perma-Sharps are stupid comfortable and sharp but I've noticed that my beard has gotten even tougher and even with an exceptional pre-shave routine to prep my beard, I still have to make more passes than I would like which means that I will be buying some Feather DE blades again. I knew this was coming but didn't expect it to be this soon.

Lemon Chill & The Wedge:

Today's shave was great. I was having some serious allergy problems this morning so I went with Stirling Soaps and their Lemon Chill scent. The scent on this soap is a semi sweet lemon meringue scent and the menthol chill is epic which really helps open up the sinuses. And to finish off this shave, I went with Stirling's Glacial Lemon Chill aftershave balm which is not as strong as the soap is in terms of menthol strength but it's still present:

The wedge was good. I ended getting a really nice shave in 3 passes. So after my shave, I did 40 subtle "X" strokes on my Shapton 12K and 2 sets of 40 subtle "X" strokes after diluting the slurry between each one on my Shoubandini Type 100 Japanese natural stone. So that should bump it up to where I want it to be.

Mountain Man & The German 37:

Today's shave was great. I decided to go with Stirling Soaps today and their Mountain Man scent which is their take on Creed's Silver Mountain Water cologne. And to finish off this shave, I paired it with Aqua Velva's new aftershave balm which was the icing on cake for this shave:

The German 37 was excellent. I'm totally impressed with this razor in every way possible. First I got an "ice rink" post shave feel in 2.5 passes which is NOT normal with this many shaves on a blade. Second this was the 5th shave in a row on this blade and it still shows NO SIGNS of slowing down anytime soon. Normally with other slant and open comb styled razors, you would be looking at replacing your 2nd blade by now, but not this razor. So lets do some math here. If this was the only DE safety razor in your collection and you got 5 multi pass shaves on one blade, that means that a 100 pack of blades would give you 500 multi pass shaves which is nearly 2 years worth of daily shaving. I'm going to keep using this razor until the blade gives out to see how many more shaves I can get on it. I've already went past the other DE safety razors I have in my collection which was 4 multi pass shaves and the Doc was only 3 multi pass shaves. I'm hoping to get 3 more shaves out of this blade because if I do, then that will mean that a 100 pack of blades will equal 1K multi pass shaves before having to restock my blades.

Turkish Bath & The German 37:

Today's shave was outstanding if not perfect. I was craving Jeeves of Hudson Street this morning and the only one I have at the moment is Bryon's Turkish Bath which has an incredible pipe tobacco and 1920's era barbershop scent to it. Speaking of barbershop, I finished off today's shave with Stirling Soap's Barbershop scented aftershave splash:

The German 37 was perfect. I got another "ice rink" post shave feel this morning, but I did have to make 3 passes because I had 2 day's worth of beard growth. But it was an extremely comfortable shave which brings me to the surprise I got this morning. This was the 3rd shave on this blade and it showed no signs of needing to be replaced at all during my shave. Normally with any other open comb and/or slant, today's shave wouldn't have been anywhere near as comfortable, but this one was. So 4 shaves in this razor with a tough beard = impressive to me.

Pipe Smoke & The German 37:

Today's shave was great. Today I went with Uncle Jon's Soap and his Pipe Smoke scent which has a really rich premium cherry pipe tobacco, vanilla and spices scent to it. And to finish off this shave, I paired with my usual aftershave splash seen below:

The German 37 was great. I was squeaky clean after 2 passes. It's also looking like this razor may be a blade eater but we'll seen with the next shave.

German 37 Torsionshobel

What an incredible and phenomenal experience I just had with RazoRock German 37 Torsionshobel DE safety razor. As everyone already knows, I have a tough beard that grows extremely fast and with mild razors, I would be required to make a minimum of 2.5 passes and in some cases 3 passes. So far this specific razor and my Hawk SE razor are the only exception to this rule. Any razor that removes my beard in 2 passes or less is a plus for me because my skin is far less irritated than it would normally be:

Okay the 1st detail that I noticed was that it weighs more than the Merkur 37C slant. I would put it somewhere between the 37C & the 39C. Another really good thing that I noticed is that it's a 3 piece razor and not a 2 piece like the Merkur razors are which is why I no longer have my 37C. The lock ring got jammed down inside the handle and I couldn't get it out to save my life. So I ended up tossing the 37C as a result. With this German 37 being a 3 piece razor, this eliminates that factor. So unless the razor breaks which I find highly unlikely, this razor will last a lifetime. Another thing that I noticed was the handle itself. It has way more grip to it than the 37C does and this handle is also much longer than the 37C is. The handle is also made from 316L solid stainless steel and the head is made from chromed zinc alloy so this razor will definitely last. The cost is $19.99 U.S. Dollars + shipping which is less than half of what both the 37C & 39C will cost you. The post shave feel is way better than the 37C with this specific razor. I would recommend this for an intermediate wet shaver who has been using a DE for roughly around 2 to 3 months give or take a little. But I would NOT recommend this for a beginner. I'll know more as I shave with it more frequently but it's looking like you might be able to shave with it daily if you make 2 passes or less. But if you plan on making more than that, then NO I don't recommend it for daily use.

Renewal & The German 37:

Tonight's shave was nothing short of phenomenal. After a nice, hot and relaxing shower, I was craving a Fougere' scent so I went with Soap Commander and their Renewal scented soap which has an incredible floral fougere' scent to it. And to finish off this shave, I went with good old Brut aftershave splash and the matching aftershave balm from Soap Commander:

The German 37 was outstanding. I'll do a more detailed blog post shortly after I finish this one. But I couldn't be happier with the results of this razor. Wow what a shave.

Mail Call!

Today's mail call is from Italian Barber and I couldn't be happier with it. Joey Rock has delivered yet again. Thanks Joe. One of the problems with having a tough beard is the fact that more often than not, more than 2 passes have to be made which causes me some serious skin problems. So I went to doing some research and found that this was my best option. So lets get started:

USPS Priority mail is slow compared to the 1st class mail which I often forget:

I love the packaging that RazoRock uses:

It an awesome razor. It's similar to the Merkur 37C but it's a lot longer than the 37C is which is a very good thing. That was one of the problems I had with the 37C:

Unlike the 37C, this is a 3 piece razor. The 2 piece design is why I don't I have the 37C anymore. The lock ring got jammed inside the handle and I couldn't get it out to save my life so I ended up tossing it. This 3 piece design eliminates this issue:

And just like any new DE safety razor I buy, it gets a bath as well:

I'm so glad I broke down and bought this razor and I really can't wait to use it which will be here in a few minutes after it gets done soaking and I put a blade in it. The price was $25 U.S. Dollars shipped which is very nice and budget friendly. I've missed owning a slant DE razor.

Le Petit Chypre & The Hawk:

Today's shave was great. I was craving Barrister & Mann this morning, so I went with their Le Petit Chypre scented soap which has an incredible Oakmoss & Cypress wood scent. And to finish off this shave, I went with the Witch Hazel based matching aftershave:

The Hawk was exceptional today. I got an "ice rink" post shave feel in 3 passes. It also done an extremely good job on my neck area to which is where I have the most trouble out of. I was also impressed at how well it cleaned up my moustache area with no irritation which is an extremely sensitive area for me. The razor seems to do better with about 2 days worth of beard growth which is just about what I had after yesterday's shave. I got a nice shave yesterday, but it was no where near what I normally get because it was the last shave of that specific soap. So I had quite a bit left over yesterday and when you add a full 24 hours of beard growth, I had just about 2 day's worth give or take a little.

#3 of 2017:

Well chalk up another soap in the books for 2017. Just finished this one off after 3 years of use and I am going to miss it. Don't know when I will be able to order it again and that's if she doesn't quit making it which I'm sure she's not getting rid of this one anytime soon:

I've got one Tiki Bar soap left and that's Go West which has a fresh leather jacket scent to it.

Kilted Tiki & The 42C:

Today's shave was pretty good. Tiki Bar and their Kilted Tiki scent was great. Kilted Tiki has some unique qualities. The first thing is that instead of lye water, Amanda Stott takes Scotch Whiskey and boils the alcohol off and uses that instead of the traditional lye water to make the soap. The second unique quality is the peat moss scent. Peat moss is used to smoke the grains in making Scotch. And to finish off this shave, I paired it with my usual aftershave splash:

The 42C was great. I didn't make but 2 passes which is socially acceptable. I've also got a mail call coming sometime this week. I'll check the tracking number here in a few minutes to see the rough estimate as to when it will be arriving.

TTFFC Mixed & The Black Diamond:

Today's shave was perfect. I was craving Through The Fire Fine Craft by Maria Arman, so I whipped out my mixed soap container. I am completely out of her soaps other than this container right here. So when I can, I will be ordering some. And to finish off this shave, I went with my Aqua Velva aftershave balm which is really nice:

The black diamond was extremely good. I went ahead and re honed the razor using my full progression including my Shapton 12K and when I got to the 12K all I did was subtle "X" strokes and it worked extremely well to. I got a really nice shave in 3.5 passes. It's a pass and a half more than I want to make but considering how close I got today as a result, it will be fine. I also did the same thing with my other 2 straight razors. So we'll see how I did on the others.