DevonStan
Forum GOD!
I can see the sense in that.... I shall look again and try to buy wisely. Thanks.
Your best/worst wetshaving purchase of 2016
- Thread starter Darkbulb
- Start date
Blackmass
Forum GOD!
You can buy samples which is a lot safer (and cheaper). Here's a couple of links to sites I've used.
https://www.scentsamples.uk.com/
https://www.fragrancesamplesuk.com/
https://www.notino.co.uk/fragrance-samples/
Lord Fatboy
Forgo Mud !
- Soap -
Best: Barrister & Mann Lavanille - Almost every time I enter, leave or walk past my workshop (where I keep my shaving stuff) I go in and sniff this as it dries on my bench. Even if it wasn't mad slick, I'd have bought it just for the awesome mystery of the smell, which is like vanilla sugar, old books and flaked rust sprinkled over an autumn forest floor by someone who has been drinking pastice and eating chocolate.
Joint best: I found two separate sticks of Imperial Leather shave soap this year, and tho' I haven't used it much it will always mean something to me. Imperial Leather was quite a posh soap in my house as a kid, and memories + smell = transcendent memories. It has lost some of it's scent over the 30 or 40 years since it was made, but it is still very slick and (fluffy with a little glycerine), and it came with an awesome Imperial Leather cologne, which smells of the 70s.
Worst: Figaro Almond. I wanna like it, but it does leave my skin a bit lightly toasted. I sometimes mix it with Derby limon, so it smells like a Mr Kiplings cake on my face, but only rarely and only really as an aromatherapy exercise.
Best: Barrister & Mann Lavanille - Almost every time I enter, leave or walk past my workshop (where I keep my shaving stuff) I go in and sniff this as it dries on my bench. Even if it wasn't mad slick, I'd have bought it just for the awesome mystery of the smell, which is like vanilla sugar, old books and flaked rust sprinkled over an autumn forest floor by someone who has been drinking pastice and eating chocolate.
Joint best: I found two separate sticks of Imperial Leather shave soap this year, and tho' I haven't used it much it will always mean something to me. Imperial Leather was quite a posh soap in my house as a kid, and memories + smell = transcendent memories. It has lost some of it's scent over the 30 or 40 years since it was made, but it is still very slick and (fluffy with a little glycerine), and it came with an awesome Imperial Leather cologne, which smells of the 70s.
Worst: Figaro Almond. I wanna like it, but it does leave my skin a bit lightly toasted. I sometimes mix it with Derby limon, so it smells like a Mr Kiplings cake on my face, but only rarely and only really as an aromatherapy exercise.
Bizzyberry
Forum GOD!
Love the the Barrister & Mann Lavanille description.
Imperial Leather was the posh soap in my house when I was kid too. I was always amazed and still am at how that label stays on to the end of the soap.
Acer89
James
Best Razor - Without doubt the General SE. It's oh so smoooooooth!
Worst Razor - Non. I've made a few errors in choosing incorrectly but that doesn't make them bad razors
Best Brush - Shavemac ATG Group Buy. Unique 2 band fan
Worst Brush - Some cheapo crap from China. Shed hairs everywhere.
Best Soap - Wickham's 1912 Parma Violet and Kiss My Face Unscented
Worst Soap - Dear Barber Shave Soap - Beating this stuff to death and still couldn't whip up a lather.
Best overall - My most cherished acquisitions of 2016 were those gifted to me. Thanks to @Looney12345, @missingskin, @MPF9 and @Thalasos Not forgetting my Secret Santa.
Best advice of 2016: @MPF9 and @Billyfergie for teaching me about injector razors.
Worst Razor - Non. I've made a few errors in choosing incorrectly but that doesn't make them bad razors
Best Brush - Shavemac ATG Group Buy. Unique 2 band fan
Worst Brush - Some cheapo crap from China. Shed hairs everywhere.
Best Soap - Wickham's 1912 Parma Violet and Kiss My Face Unscented
Worst Soap - Dear Barber Shave Soap - Beating this stuff to death and still couldn't whip up a lather.
Best overall - My most cherished acquisitions of 2016 were those gifted to me. Thanks to @Looney12345, @missingskin, @MPF9 and @Thalasos Not forgetting my Secret Santa.
Best advice of 2016: @MPF9 and @Billyfergie for teaching me about injector razors.
Last edited:
Thalasos
Forum GOD!
Razor: Best is MY OWN... What the heck!... 
Worst... None... wait... Maybe the SE's I tested. I dislike a lot this kind of razors with just one special blade. They remain me about multiblades, which actually I prefer to those SE.
Brush: I just bought one for me. What do you expect? I love the El Druida I gifted to my son, with a The Grossvenor similar handle, black with a sash in red and a Manchurian knot. OMG!
Soap: Musgo Real it was my most surprising purchase; very good hard soap, with no petrolatum; there is almost none out there like this Portuguese hard soap puck. Worst: one Nannys, French lavender LE and one LPL, Cologne Fougere, whose tin took rush and the soap, too, becoming black instead of remain white. Sorry, cause I love both of them, but sometimes things get worse. Not the case, of course. I have other presentations which works precisely and I am an evangelist of both artisan products.
Cream: Speick, which was my first tube of this brand and a wonderful finding, with top quality lather for a smooth price (5 euros for a 75 ml size).
After: Weleda AS. no doubt. This is a mix of AS and Balm, with the precise weigh of every ingredient; if you use a tiny amount for the first time, you avoid the risk for a grease feeling in your face; less is better in this case. Worst AS: DR K balm. Too fatty for a man, conversely a very good hand cream or face cream, if you are dwelling in a cool place where need further protection. Full fat product; not a balm, but another stuff.
Worst... None... wait... Maybe the SE's I tested. I dislike a lot this kind of razors with just one special blade. They remain me about multiblades, which actually I prefer to those SE.Brush: I just bought one for me. What do you expect? I love the El Druida I gifted to my son, with a The Grossvenor similar handle, black with a sash in red and a Manchurian knot. OMG!
Soap: Musgo Real it was my most surprising purchase; very good hard soap, with no petrolatum; there is almost none out there like this Portuguese hard soap puck. Worst: one Nannys, French lavender LE and one LPL, Cologne Fougere, whose tin took rush and the soap, too, becoming black instead of remain white. Sorry, cause I love both of them, but sometimes things get worse. Not the case, of course. I have other presentations which works precisely and I am an evangelist of both artisan products.
Cream: Speick, which was my first tube of this brand and a wonderful finding, with top quality lather for a smooth price (5 euros for a 75 ml size).
After: Weleda AS. no doubt. This is a mix of AS and Balm, with the precise weigh of every ingredient; if you use a tiny amount for the first time, you avoid the risk for a grease feeling in your face; less is better in this case. Worst AS: DR K balm. Too fatty for a man, conversely a very good hand cream or face cream, if you are dwelling in a cool place where need further protection. Full fat product; not a balm, but another stuff.
D
Deleted member 30
Guest
Best Razor - Was gifted a Icon X3 and has become my daily user. Thank you again @Paul your a star!
Worst Razor - None. Been rather fugal in the razor buying department.
Best Brush - Brush Guy - Barbershop brush with cheap black hair badger.
Worst Brush - Whipped Dog Synthetic, a real disappointment after reading inflated hype.
Best Soap - I sampled so many through out the year, and only one that grabbed my attention was a gift of Professor Blighty. Thank you @Neilo The soap really shocked me at just how good a glycerine based shaving soap could be.
Worst Soap - Quite a few that I had read good things about. I sometimes wonder that if I had not read anything then I would of not of had any preconceived expectation and may of enjoyed them for what they were.
Best overall - My most cherished acquisition has to be my Fine shaving bowl from my Secret Santa. You know who you are, thank you James.
Best advice of 2016: So much good advice was greatly received over the year, it helped to shape myself and Wickhams soaps. A big thank you to all, and most notably @pjgh @Mr_Smartepants @Darkbulb @Gordy @Mr Bigmem @Nishy @Nick_S @fly3k @chrisbd @Burgundy @Looney12345 @Scowley
Though this piece of advice from my Son is worth sharing. "Dad please stop smoking, I want you to live until your 300"
I tried so many times in the past, once stopping for 5 years. 2016 was a tough year for giving up, too many failed attempts. So on my Son's request, here's looking forward to 300 smoke free years, currently on day 26 and feeling confident.
Worst Razor - None. Been rather fugal in the razor buying department.
Best Brush - Brush Guy - Barbershop brush with cheap black hair badger.
Worst Brush - Whipped Dog Synthetic, a real disappointment after reading inflated hype.
Best Soap - I sampled so many through out the year, and only one that grabbed my attention was a gift of Professor Blighty. Thank you @Neilo
The soap really shocked me at just how good a glycerine based shaving soap could be.Worst Soap - Quite a few that I had read good things about. I sometimes wonder that if I had not read anything then I would of not of had any preconceived expectation and may of enjoyed them for what they were.
Best overall - My most cherished acquisition has to be my Fine shaving bowl from my Secret Santa. You know who you are, thank you James.
Best advice of 2016: So much good advice was greatly received over the year, it helped to shape myself and Wickhams soaps. A big thank you to all, and most notably @pjgh @Mr_Smartepants @Darkbulb @Gordy @Mr Bigmem @Nishy @Nick_S @fly3k @chrisbd @Burgundy @Looney12345 @Scowley
Though this piece of advice from my Son is worth sharing. "Dad please stop smoking, I want you to live until your 300"
I tried so many times in the past, once stopping for 5 years. 2016 was a tough year for giving up, too many failed attempts. So on my Son's request, here's looking forward to 300 smoke free years, currently on day 26 and feeling confident.
Last edited by a moderator:
D
Deleted member 30
Guest
300 years of new soaps Paul, I may just run out of ideas.Great! @Fox ... keep it up! Not smoking ... and new soaps
halvor
a most elusive fish
Looney12345
Forum GOD!
It's a shame you can't live until you're 300 so more people can enjoy your amazing soaps. As you know I'm delighted to have been involved and can't wait for the new stuff!!Best Razor - Was gifted a Icon X3 and has become my daily user. Thank you again @Paul your a star!
Worst Razor - None. Been rather fugal in the razor buying department.
Best Brush - Razor Guy - Barbershop brush with cheap black hair badger.
Worst Brush - Whipped Dog Synthetic, a real disappointment after reading inflated hype.
Best Soap - I sampled so many through out the year, and only one that grabbed my attention was a gift of Professor Blighty. Thank you @Neilo
Worst Soap - Quite a few that I had read good things about. I sometimes wonder that if I had not read anything then I would of not of had any preconceived expectation and may of enjoyed them for what they were.
Best overall - My most cherished acquisition has to be my Fine shaving bowl from my Secret Santa. You know who you are, thank you James.
Best advice of 2016: So much good advice was greatly received over the year, it helped to shape myself and Wickhams soaps. A big thank you to all, and most notably @pjgh @Mr_Smartepants @Darkbulb @Gordy @Mr Bigmem @Nishy @Nick_S @fly3k @chrisbd @Burgundy @Looney12345 @Scowley
Though this piece of advice from my Son is worth sharing. "Dad please stop smoking, I want you to live until your 300"
I tried so many times in the past, once stopping for 5 years. 2016 was a tough year for giving up, too many failed attempts. So on my Son's request, here's looking forward to 300 smoke free years, currently on day 26 and feeling confident.
Bizzyberry
Forum GOD!
Well done on the quitting smoking, it took me years to get around to it, been that long now I have stopped counting. So glad that I did, keep it up.Best Razor - Was gifted a Icon X3 and has become my daily user. Thank you again @Paul your a star!
Worst Razor - None. Been rather fugal in the razor buying department.
Best Brush - Brush Guy - Barbershop brush with cheap black hair badger.
Worst Brush - Whipped Dog Synthetic, a real disappointment after reading inflated hype.
Best Soap - I sampled so many through out the year, and only one that grabbed my attention was a gift of Professor Blighty. Thank you @Neilo
Worst Soap - Quite a few that I had read good things about. I sometimes wonder that if I had not read anything then I would of not of had any preconceived expectation and may of enjoyed them for what they were.
Best overall - My most cherished acquisition has to be my Fine shaving bowl from my Secret Santa. You know who you are, thank you James.
Best advice of 2016: So much good advice was greatly received over the year, it helped to shape myself and Wickhams soaps. A big thank you to all, and most notably @pjgh @Mr_Smartepants @Darkbulb @Gordy @Mr Bigmem @Nishy @Nick_S @fly3k @chrisbd @Burgundy @Looney12345 @Scowley
Though this piece of advice from my Son is worth sharing. "Dad please stop smoking, I want you to live until your 300"
I tried so many times in the past, once stopping for 5 years. 2016 was a tough year for giving up, too many failed attempts. So on my Son's request, here's looking forward to 300 smoke free years, currently on day 26 and feeling confident.
To anyone else reading this and having trouble quitting I can highly recommend the Easyway book by Allen Carr. Worked for me and few others.
Last edited:
