Saturday, July 23, 2016

The Scent of True Rose: Soap Commander's Love

July 23, 2016 0

News of the discontinuance of Klar Kabinet shave soap started to spread in mid-2013.  While it has been discontinued, the Klar company still produces shaving soap in Classic (spicy-lemony), Almond, Lemongrass, Sandalwood, and Sport (leather notes) scents along with a Ginger scented shave soap designed for women.  Personally, I have never tried the Klar Kabinet soap.  Reviews have generally been positive. But, regrettably, I’ve never tried it or smelled it.  Perhaps Klar may reissue it one day.
Soap Commander's Love scent was inspired by the rose scented Klar Kabinet.
But until that day comes, there is always Soap Commander’s Love Shave Soap.  Love is Soap Commander’s attempt to duplicate the rose scent of the Klar Kabinet.  Since I’ve never tried Klar Kabinet, I can’t comment on how the scent compares to Love.  Though, I can say that Love is one of the better rose scents that I have sampled.   Just about every rose scented soap (bath soaps) I’ve encountered thus far have tended to smell perfumy, artificial, or manufactured.  To my nose, Soap Commander’s Love shave soap and aftershave balm smell very close to an actual rose.  Apparently, it smells like roses to my girlfriend’s nose too. When I asked her to smell it, she did and instantly asked why I haven’t gotten her flowers in a while. But that’s neither here nor there.
An off white colored soap.  A bit thirsty, but the headspace in the containers make for an easier lathering when using the Marco Method.
Love Shaving Soap is a fairly hard soap that is off white in color.  Like the other Soap Commander Soaps that I have in my den, Love performs the same way.  It’s a bit thirsty, but I do get a thick and full lather that has a nice slickness and protects well. I attribute the Shae Butter to my skin not feeling dried out after my shave.  I'll typically use the Marco Method (loading a very wet brush will very little water shaken out) when loading Soap Commander soaps.  I find that the extra headspace that they leave in the containers helps out when using this method.
The soap provides me with a rich lather that has a nice slickness.
The aftershave balm is a white lotion that I find smells just like the soap. It does contain menthol, but I don’t find that it compromises the rose scent.  Admittedly, I am more of a splash guy but will use a balm regularly.  Love can complement a splash that has a floral aroma.  Personally I thought the scents blended together well when applying Dr. Jon’s Aphrodite first and then applying the Love Aftershave Balm. Though I can’t say I felt the same way when using Clubman’s Lilac Vegetal.  
 
Thought the Love Balm complemented Dr. Jon's Aftershave Splash. But (for me) it seemed to clash with Lilac Vegetal scent.
Are you a fan of the floral scents? Have you tried Love by Soap Commander?  How does it compare to Klar Kabinet?  Please leave a comment below and let us know what you think.



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Saturday, July 16, 2016

A Closer Look at the iKon ShaveCraft Tech Razor

July 16, 2016 0

iKon’s ShaveCraft Tech Razor is considered by many to be an aggressive shaving razor. For me, I consider it almost as aggressive as my Muhle R41 or R102 Open comb razors, t that’s just my opinion.   The Tech weights about 3.7 oz. So, it weighs slightly less than my Merkur 38C. 
iKon ShaveCraft Tech Loaded with a Shark Super Chrome

 The Tech’s razor head is made of aluminum while the iKon OSS handle (this is the handle I have on my version) is made of 316L Stainless Steel.  Not knowing too much about the significance of the stainless steel numbering, I discovered a little more about it from a YouTube video about wire (check it out below). 

 Paraphrasing what the speaker had said: Medical/Surgical Grade stainless steel is graded in the 300s.   With 316L the L indicates lower carbons meaning longer life and doesn’t oxidize as quickly.  According to AZO Materials: “316L stainless steel is also easier to machine compared to 316 stainless due to its lower carbon content.”[1]  
Stainless Steel Handle and Aluminum Head, the Tech Feels Pretty Hefty at 3.7 oz
At any rate, I like the length of OSS stainless steel handle, which measures about 3.75” and is longer than the handles on many of the razors that I use.  I generally don’t have a preference. But sometimes I like going with a beefier hand and I think the OSS handle qualifies. 
Similar in Size to the Merkur 38C (right)
The Tech is similar in to the Merkur 38C in size and weight. Both measure approximately 4” from end to end. However the 38C weighs slightly more at 4 oz.  Personally, I think the heft feels similar. But the iKon feels a bit more streamlined than the 38C.  While I do like my Merkur Barber Pole Razor, it feels a bit cumbersome in comparison to the Tech.   I’ve had the tech in the rotation for a few months and am really liking it.  Thus far I have tried it with Shark Super Chrome and my go to Crystal razor blades.  But I am looking forward to trying it with others.


 Have you tried the iKon ShaveCraft Tech Razor?  Please leave us a comment below. Let us know what you think.

References:
[1] Stainless Steel - Grade 316L - Properties, Fabrication and Applications (UNS S31603)
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Saturday, July 9, 2016

7 AM Plus Hi Platinum Razor Blades: My Experience with 3 Razors

July 09, 2016 0
Reviews that I’ve seen on the 7 AM Plus Hi Platinum Coated Razor Blades seem to be mixed. Generally speaking, I’ve seen roughly an equal amount of greats, ok’s, and hates of 7 AM Plus DE Blade.   The “Swiss Quality” noted on the top and bottom of the tuck piqued my interest a bit.  After perusing their website it appears that the manufacturer, DuraBlade Industrial Corporation Ltd, is located in Switzerland but the blades manufactured in Bangladesh.  I figured I’d give these razor blades a try with three different razors that I view to have varying degrees of aggressiveness in order see where I feel in the spectrum of love and hate for this blade. 

Swiss Quality Noted on the Tuck Piqued My Interest
As with many DE Blades, 7 AM Blades were packaged in a cardboard tuck and each blade was double wrapped, where the blade was wrapped in a type of wax paper and then contained in a DE blade sized envelope. 

My first shave was with my Merkur 34C and decided to go with Soap Commander’s Confidence shave soap.  I had about two days of growth on my head and face and thought that it cut through it nicely with no irritation, no nicks, and no gouges.  I had a great post shave feel, no mild stings from the alum block.  I was pretty impressed with this first shave. But I found that the experience wouldn’t really be the same.

Blades Were Wrapped in a Type of Wax Paper and Then in a DE Sized Paper Envelope 
For my second shave I continued with the 34C that was loaded with the same from my previous shave and decide to use the same soap.  The blade just felt dull and I thought this was odd. The blade didn't tug; but it felt like it wasn’t cutting either.  I had about a day and a half of stubble growth and dragging it over my head shaved very little off.  I gave up and shaved whatever was left with my HeadBlade Sport.  I dragged the razor over face and while I got some spots shaved, it felt like it just wasn't cutting. I flipped the blade over to finish my shave. It did the job without irritation. But it didn't feel particularly close.  So,I blade banked it immediately after the shave.

Tools of Choice for This Shave (L to R): Merkur 37C, Muhle R41 Rosegold, Merkur 34C
I moved on to the Merkur 37C for my third shave and still continued with the Soap Commander Confidence soap. Even thought it was a new blade, it felt dull and I began to question if I had a proper angle for the razor. As with the last shave, it wasn’t particularly effective. Again, I just abandoned it and finished with my HeadBlade.  The face shave was ok; but not wonderful.  I had to go over the same spot a few times to get a decent feel.  But there wasn’t any tugging and no irritation.  Thinking this blade may have been a dud, I decided to bank it.
A Couple Of Times: Had to Bank it After a One Shave
Tried the 37C again with a new blade and continued with the Confidence shave soap.  This time it felt as if it cut better than the last time.  But it still did not perform as well as it did with my first shave with this blade.  It shaved well on my head. But when it came time for the face, it felt as if it had gone dull. So I banked it after only one use.

Moving on to the Muhle R41 Rosegold I decided to switch it up and use the Shaver Heaven Green Tobacco.  The first few with the grain (WTG) passes were just like the first time I tried the 7AM blade. It glided over and effectively took out stubble on my head.  I figured the last two might have been duds and was happy with how this was going.  The blade made it thru the rest of the shave, but last few passes it started to feel dull.  This time I did feel as some slight tugging.


Have You Tried the 7AM DE Razor Blade?
For the last shave in this test, I decided to use the same blade in the R41.  The WTG pass seemed ok. As expected, the blade seemed a bit dull. But I did not feel any l tugging; at least at first.  The tugging was noticeable when shaving above my my upper lip and I even managed to nick myself once.  When all was said and done, I had a slight amount of irritation on the corners of my head and above my upper lip.
Tended to use Soap Commander's Confidence Shave Soap Often During This Test. 
I went through 4 Blades and got 1 great shave, 1 very good shave, and 2 not so good shaves with a new 7AM blade.  I’d have to say that I probably fall somewhere in lower middle end of the scale for this blade. I could have had a bad batch, or maybe I haven’t found the correct technique or the proper razor for this blade. But, for me, blade quality seems a little inconsistent for my taste. I had my best luck with the Merkur 34C. So, if I used this blade again, the 34C, or something similarly mild, would be the razor of choice. I don’t hate them. But it definitely isn’t love. 

… maybe we’re just better off as friends

Have you tried 7 AM Plus Hi Platinum Coated Razor Blades by DuraBlade?  Leave a comment below to let us know what your experience has been with them.


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Sunday, July 3, 2016

A Little More On HeadBlade's HeadSlick Shaving Cream

July 03, 2016 0
When I first started shaving my head, there was a time in particular that I experienced a bad razor rash.  It was on the left side of my head mostly on my parietal ridge.  I would touch it and it felt like a cluster of small pins penetrating the first few layers of skin on my head.  I hated that feeling. In order to try to avoid, or at least reduce, this with future head shaves; I decided on the spot to start making changes in the routine.  This would ultimately point me to traditional wet shaving, but that’s a different story.
HeadSlick is Still In My Rotation, Usually on the Head Shave Polishing Pass
One of the changes I made was shifting from the canned goo from the dollar store to a new shave cream. I’ve tried many back then, one of which was HeadBlade’s HeadSlick which still remains in the rotation today.  I mostly use it on my head.  But as the tagline says, “use it anywhere you shave” … so I’ll occasionally use it on my face.
Where Can HeadSlick be Used?
I really like HeadSlick and I thought it was a good alternative to an aerosol shaving cream can.  For one I like the slickness of this cream over just about any aerosol shave cream I’ve tried.  In my experience when using some of the really cheap shaving creams it would not provide adequate slickness. As a result, when running a razor over my head, it would invariably get snagged on spot that wasn’t sufficiently lubricated and would wind up cutting myself.  This happened particularly when using the HeadBlade sport.  Since the Sport pushes the blade over the stubble it would catch on section that wasn’t properly lubricated I would get some nasty gouges. 
Applied With The Fingers, HeadSlick Provided a Protective and Slick Coating with a Nice Mentholated Feel. 

This is also a mentholated cream; which is an attribute that I like.  HeadSlick has a fairly strong (my opinion) mentholated feel as well as aroma to it.  Even after the shave and when rinsed off, the cooling feeling that it leaves behind makes it feel as if I can go without an aftershave, though I do use something  just out of habit.   

While it’s probably not really a product for the shave brush fan. Though, in a previous post and YouTube video (below) we did test it to see if it would lather with a brush.  Personally, I was surprised and pleased with the results. 

Overall, HeadSlick is one of those products that will most likely remain in the rotation.  It doesn’t leave my skin feeling dried out after a shave, I like the cooling menthol feeling, and I don’t find it to linger around.  So, I feel that I can use just about any scent of aftershave balm or splash without worrying about a clash of smells.  Because there are a lot of other products in the shave den that I like to use, I'll probably opt for the 5 oz bottle rather than the 8 oz, so I don't keep it opened and on the shelf for too long.
I Use A Number of Other Products in the Routine, So The Smaller Bottle is the Better Option for Me.
Have you tried HeadBlade’s HeadSlick shaving cream? Better yet, paraphrasing what is on the bottle … Do you use it anywhere you shave?  Leave a comment below and let us know.
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