Fri Oct 11 2024

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Tabak Oridjinal, now with 28 mm Gelousy knot
• Razor: Dovo 41 Inox
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original
• Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original

Tough morning today, nursing a hangover and getting ready for the commute to work. Even though nice, a shave doesn't help take the edge off. I'm annoyed that I can't have a social life and wake up rested and refreshed the next morning anymore. Getting old --;

I like this little spartan Dovo. No frills, 5/8", round point. Stainless steel blade and scales. Utilitarian. I reminds be of the US army medical Weck Sextoblade, which I also enjoy. It's a pity that Dovo has discontinued these and instead produces decorated pretend-fancy razors like the Runde Sache.

Sun Oct 06 2024

• Brush: Zenith 506B MB (27 mm × 51 mm Manchurian badger)
• Razor: Thiers Issard 14 Médaille d'Or 1921 Exposition d'Algier Acier Spécial (7/8", extra hollow, square point, carbon steel)
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original
• Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original

Continuing my run through my 14s with this vintage TI. The razor hasn't been stored properly by a previous owner and has specks of surface rust as a result. The rust is purely a cosmetic issue though, and none of the edge is affected. Coincidentally, this TI 14 Médaille d'Or 1921 Exposition d'Algier actually came to me from a Moroccan seller.

This one feels a bit different than most 14s I've tried in that it's much less loud. Even though visually, the grinds look similar, this TI certainly sounds like a thicker grind. It feels more like a 17 than a 14 IMO, but that's just saying that it feels like a different fantastic razor.

Happy Sunday to you all!

Aye!

Fri Oct 04 2024

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Tabak Oridjinal, now with 28 mm Gelousy knot
• Razor: Zwilling J. A. Henckels Friodur 14 (8/8", extra hollow ground, stainless steel)
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original
• Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original

My new Böker 14er is waiting on the to-hone pile, but I still wanted some 14 goodness today, so I brought out the trusty Friodur, hands-down my favourite razor. The 14 form factor and it's stainless? What's not to love?

Unsurprisingly, I had a wonderful stankening with this tried and true hard and software.

Wed Oct 02 2024 – Victorian Stank

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Tabak Oridjinal, now with 28 mm Gelousy knot
• Razor: Victoria 4 (6/8″, half hollow, round tip, carbon steel)
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original
• Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac Original

En rechtige Giel het n Hegel em Sack.

Growing up in Switzerland, Victorinox Swiss army knives had a special significance, and ever since I was a cub scout over 30 years ago, I've been carrying one in my pocket. A habit so deeply ingrained that I've had to "donate" a dozen or so at airport security checks because I forgot to check them in.

Victoria was briefly (from 1909 on) the old name of Victorinox. In 1921, the company specialized in stainless steel so completely that they changed the company name to Victorinox (= Victoria + acier inoxydable), way before Friodur patented the cryogenic hardening process for knife steel, btw. This means that this pristine Victoria half-hollow with the pretty horn scales must have had very meticulous owner in the last 100+ years, because there is not a speck of rust on it. It looks like it was manufactured yesterday. The only give-away is the half-hollow grind without belly which completely fell out of favour sometime in the first half of the last century. I've only ever seen two Victoria straight razors for sale and the other one wasn't anywhere near this well preserved.

A wonderful shaver, this, and it feels similar to my Heljestrand (unsurprisingly also a half-hollow). It has the weight of a hollow with the sound of a wedge, which sounds like exactly the wrong combination (i.e., the opposite of a big 14) but it's just butter smooth unlike the tiny wedges like the Spike, which feel like a hard pencil on rough paper. And maybe I have a bit of a bias for sentimental reasons, too.

Oh this sounds good

Mon 02 Sep 2024

• Brush: Semogue Owner's Club (cherry wood and boar) (33)
• Razor: Zwilling J. A. Henckels Friodur 17 (NOS, 7/8", hollow ground, stainless steel)
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles – Reflection
• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles – Reflection
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – Weinstrasse

The CB premium base really lives up to its hype. So creamy, so slick, so easy to dial in.

Weinis and Reflection are a great combo.

Day 22/31 of Looking for Serenity in Austerity

• Brush: Semogue Owner's Club (cherry wood and boar) (22)
• Razor: Zwilling J. A. Henckels Friodur 50 (7/8", hollow ground, stainless steel, masonic deco) (3)
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Roman Spice
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Roman Spice
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Roman Spice

Single digits now, AA is flying by.

Day 20/31 of Looking for Serenity in Austerity

• Brush: Semogue Owner's Club (cherry wood and boar) (20)
• Razor: Zwilling J. A. Henckels Friodur 50 (7/8", hollow ground, stainless steel, masonic deco) (3)
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Roman Spice
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Roman Spice
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Roman Spice

The edge has hit its stride and – at peak smoothness now – is a joy to use. I like hollow grounds for their gentle touch, and I like heavy blades for their smoothness ATG. When a comparatively light blade like this one gives you a smooth fool's pass, you know the edge is on point.

I saw and photographed split tips in the brush a few days ago, but I can't find them anymore, and the brush seems in no hurry to start a mass splitting event. I'm starting to feel impatient.

$FriodomRiders $HoneMeisterschaft $RawHoggin

😆

Shiriode

• Brush: Boti Motherlode knot in laminated wooden handle
• Razor: Zwilling J. A. Henckels Friodur 72-V (13/16", quarter hollow or near wedge, stainless steel)
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Shire
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Shire 2

Despite what my autocorrect tries to tell me, the soap is not actually "Shite".

Joining u/EldrormR for a ShireFriodurMotherlode shave. This is a fantastic setup and feels a bit like shaving with a cheat code. Gentle lather monster, great soap base, silky smooth blade.

I'm happy to see that the straights are treating Eld well!

Koké again

• Brush: Zenith 506B MB (27 mm × 51 mm Manchurian badger)
• Razor: Zwilling J. A. Henckels Friodur 72-V (13/16", quarter hollow or near wedge, stainless steel)
• Lather: Abbate Y La Mantia – Koké
• Post Shave: Abbate Y La Mantia – Koké

Busy day, so a simple repeat of yesterday.

Koké++;