Tuesday, February 17, 2015

A Closer Look at the Parker 92R Safety Razor

February 17, 2015 0

I’ve had the Parker 92R DE Razor in the wet shaving arsenal for a little while.  According an article on Sharpologist titled: The Evolution Of Parker Razors the 92R was introduced in 2011 (it’s also appears to be one of Mantic’s favorites)


As I’ve mentioned in a number of previous posts, Crystal Razor Blades have become my go to blade.  They’re the ones I reach for when I use my 92R (and pretty much any safety razor for that matter).  I’ve tried a bunch of other blades: Feather Razor Blades, Shark Super Chrome, Derby Extra Super Stainless Blades, Merkur DE Blades, and Dreadnought Razor Blades but I’m partial to the Crystal blades.

Parker 92R Pictured with Crystal Blade, Col Conk Brush, Game Day Mens Shave Cream, and Captain's Choice Bay Rum Aftershave.
The Parker 92R is a Twist-To-Open (or TTO)  with a black and chrome finish with a textured handle.  It measures about 4.25 inches from end to end and the handle measuring roughly 3.75 inches.  The 92R weighs 3.0 oz according to our scale.
Lengths of the Parker 92R and 26C Razor
To compare it to another popular Parker razor,  Parker 26C Open Comb measures 4 1/8 inches  from end to end with a handle that measures about 3.75 inches from the tip to the base of the razor head and this razor weighs in at 3.3 oz (on our scale)

 
Weights of the Parker 92R and 26C Razors according to our scale


We took a look at this razor in a short video.

Have you tried the Parker 92R?  What do you think about it? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Seattle Based DomeCare Solutions: Embrace the Dome

February 12, 2015 0
A few months ago I had been lucky enough to visit Seattle.  During my trip I had the opportunity to meet up with the founders of DomeCare Solutions.  I had never been there before and they suggested that we meet up for coffee. After all, what else do you drink while in Seattle? It was a rather casual night and we wound up talking about a variety of things: Seattle, Northeastern Pennsylvania, beer, books, coffee, music, and of course … shaving (Head Shaving Specifically).  
Once of the places I enjoyed seeing: Pike Place Market At Night
I had been using DomeCare Solutions’s (or DCS for short) products in the routine for a few months.  I like and enjoy using them, but wasn’t entirely sure what made it specific to the head.  DCS had educated me a bit more on their products and pointed out that DomeCare is formulated with anti-irritants to help prevent bumps that could occur from shaving, especially around the base of the neck area where this could be common. 
DomeCare Solutions Family of Products
Another question I immediately asked was how they came up with the idea for DomeCare Solutions?   Deserie, one of the co-creators, used to work for a cosmetics company and gained a lot of knowledge in the area of skin care.  Her husband and other co-creator, Richard, started shaving his head in his 20s to combat his thinning hair. Richard wanted to develop a line of products that could help promote a healthy looking shaved head so men could, to use a common saying at DomeCare Solutions, “embrace their dome.”  So, together Deserie and Richard set out to create a line of anti-aging skincare products designed specifically for the guy who shaves his head.   

DomeCare Solutions Dome Shave Gel:
The consistency of Dome Shave Gel reminds of some of the shave gels I’ve tried, such as Bulldog Natural Skincare Shave Gel or Bold for Men.  For me, what worked best for applying the DCS Shave Gel after taking a hot shower.  Using my fingers, I applied about a dime sized amount of the blue-greenish gel to my head.  

 
Dispensing a little of the Dome Shave Gel into a white bowl to get an idea of the greenish color

After applying, I wet my hands a bit and ran it over the gel. Dome Shave Gel had a nice slickness to it and the razor (whether I used a DE Razor or my HeadBlade) glided nicely over it.   This is a non-lathering shave gel intended to be applied with the fingers.  So, this may not be the product of choice for head shavers who prefer to use a shave brush.

DomeCare Solutions Dome Relief Calming and Hydrating Splash:
Dome Relief has a smell that I just can’t pinpoint.  To my girlfriend’s nose it reminded her of a fresh cut, crisp, tart apple … like a cutting into a granny smith.  DomeCare Solutions are free from dyes or fragrances, so the aroma comes from the blend of the ingredients used.  Personally, I do like the smell and I don’t find it to be overpowering.  I could smell it when my nose was up to the bottle but I didn’t notice any smell after it was applied.  Dome Relief is a clear liquid, so it applied smoothly and not gloppy and it didn’t leave an oily or tacky feeling.  

The Clear Dome Relief Calming and Hydrating Splash
After shaving, I applied Dome Relief to my head.  Dome Relief Calming and Hydrating Splash has what I would describe as a soothing feel rather than a bracing one of an aftershave splash.  It is free of menthol and alcohol so my head felt soothed and I also felt as if it didn’t need to apply moisturizer after applying Dome Relief.  I did try this post shave on my face as well.  Similar to my experience with post shave lotions, applying it alone didn’t feel satisfactory for my face.  I felt like my upper lip still craved the sting of an aftershave splash or a balm before this was applied.  This was just my preference.  As with all things wet shaving … your mileage may vary (YMMV).

Dome Shine-Absorber Anti-Aging Finishing Serum:
Like the name implies, it applied with a matte kind of finish.  DomeCare Solutions has informed me that there is a combination of ingredients in Dome Shine-Absorber that work together to hold and trap sebum which leaves a soft matte finish.  

The off-white colored Dome Shine-Absorber Finishing Serum

After applying it felt dry to the touch as if I had applied a light layer of baby powder to my head.  I thought it did a good job keeping down the oily look to a minimum. The longevity of that powdery feeling and matted look varied.  If I wasn’t prone to sweating the shine absorber would last awhile (in my experience 60 - 90 minutes …  again YMMV).  Thought, if I was out in the hot sun or exercising, my sweat would wash away the matte look much more quickly. To my nose, Dome Shine-Absorber has an extremely light scent.  I had to put it close to my nose to smell anything and I didn’t notice anything after it was applied.  

Dome Shine Anti-Aging Finishing Serum:
The Dome Shine product is more hydrating than the Dome Shine-Absorber.  So this was a product DCS recommended for me during the winter. DomeCare Solutions mentioned that one of the main moisturizing ingredients is a derivative of coconut oil that is an emollient which also has skin-repairing benefits as well as helps skin retain its moisture balance. 

A Couple of Pumps of the Clear Dome Shine Serum
Dome Shine also has silicone-based emollients in the formula which helps to lock in skins' natural moisture balance and prevent water loss. I felt it left a nice sheen, but not an oily shine.  Once applied it felt dry to the touch; not oily or greasy.

View of Seattle from Columbia Center - Hopefully will see this city again real soon
As the night came to an end I asked if they had any new products that we could look forward to.  They had mentioned that they have some products in the works but couldn’t provide specifics.  I guess we’ll just have to stay tuned to see what’s next with DomeCare Solutions.

Have you tried DomeCare Solutions products?  Feel free to leave a comment below.