Mike’s Rants and Raves

I recently found an online barber supply house that has Pinaud Clubman products available at some really great prices, so I placed a small order with them.

I really like Clubman aftershave, so I ordered some of their other scents - Virgin island Bay Rum, Musk, Vanilla and Special Reserve.

All right, all right, so the order wasn’t so small after all. But the prices were good enough that I figured I may as well stock up.

I managed to purchase a 16 oz. bottle of Clubman for only 26 cents more than I generally pay for a 6 oz. bottle at the local pharmacy. And the way I go through the Clubman around here, that’s a great bargain.

If you’re interested in another source for shaving supplies, I picked this order up from Appleton Barber Supply. It worked out even better than I had hoped, as I managed to get this package overnight, via regular ground service UPS. How can you beat a deal like that?

After living here nearly 6 years, I’ve finally decided to start adding some color to the walls. I’m sick to death of all the white. I’m still looking for the ‘perfect’ color for the master bath, but the theme for the room has already been determined. Old-style barber shop. So I even ordered a Barbicide jar, as part of the decorations for the bath.

I had been keeping my collection of shaving cream tubes on the countertop and I needed to move them to the shave cabinet I recently installed. As I was storing them in the cabinet, the tube of Proraso called out to me.

As mentioned a few days back, I’ve been doing some ultra-secret and high-tech shaving soap testing for Mama Bear. I’ve developed quite a collection of Mama Bear shaving soaps and have been having excellent luck with them. I had been using a small Vulfix shaving brush that was a bit stingy about sharing lather with me, so I talked to Giovanni at Barbieria Italiana about a new brush. He recommended an Omega 33175 brush to me. And now, I’m recommending it to you. Wow, this brush is really nice. And, as you can see, it’s a good looking design, as well.

Since I’ve been trying all of these Mama Bear soaps, I had yet to try this new brush out with a cream, so tonight was the night.

I did my usual hot towel treatment and then mixed up an amazing bowl of Proraso lather. I was astounded at how well this brush worked with the cream. I’ve been quite impressed with how it was working with soaps and didn’t anticipate it working so well with creams. A very pleasant surprise.

As you can already guess, I had a Derby blade loaded into my Merkur 23C razor. I did my usual three- pass shave and then followed that up with a cold water rinse and a healthy splash of Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum aftershave.

Wow, I’ve been getting some really great shaves of late, but I’m not so sure this wasn’t the best of the lot.

I’ve seen some gents make the comment that a BBS shave isn’t necessary, but when I’m producing that kind of shave on a regular basis, it’s pretty difficult to accept anything less.

I’ve three, very nice straight razors in my possession now. And I’ve been getting some practice with how to best use them, but a true BBS shave is not in the cards just yet. And that ends up being a problem, because I know I can get a smooth as glass shave with my Merkur/Derby combination. So, when deciding to use a straight razor, I’m admitting to myself that I’m going to end up with less than perfect results.

I need to stop thinking that way, so I don’t get negative about using a straight razor. The blades are far too nice to just let them sit around un-used.

I’ve been watching Leisureguy’s blog and keeping track of his progress with using oil for a last pass clean-up. It sounds interesting, but with the results I’m getting, I can’t see what I would gain by trying this technique.

I’ve got a new bath soap order placed with Mama Bear, so I’ll report on those when they arrive and I get a chance to use them.

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This has really been a down weekend for me. The weather is miserably cold. Our current temperature is 10° / -12° with a windchill figure of -10° / -24°. The sun is shining brightly, but you certainly don’t want to step out doors for any reason.

So the weekend has been a bit on the dull side.

I did manage to get my 2007 federal and state tax returns figured. Maybe that is why the weekend seems so bad?

Last evening’s shave was certainly a bright spot in an otherwise colorless day. I tried a shaving stick, supplied to me by Giovanni at Barbieria Italiana and really didn’t have a lot of luck with it. I’m pretty set on mixing lather in a bowl and it’s pretty difficult to properly load a brush with soap, when using a shave stick. I suppose using a shaving stick to face-lather is another story. The soap really smelled great, but I ended up with a pretty thin lather. I made my usual North-South pass with my Merkur 23C and a Derby blade, noticing the razor was gliding nicely on the little bit of lather I was able to produce. After the first pass, it was obvious I was going to need to go through the entire brush loading process again. I rinsed out the bowl and the brush and grabbed a tub of Mama Bear’s Turkish Mocha. A couple minutes later, I was working with a bowl of rich lather. I finished up with two more passes, a cold water rinse and a splash of Pinaud Clubman aftershave. Ahhhh, another excellent shave.

Send warm weather.

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Those that know me are fully aware of how much I enjoy drag racing. I was lucky enough to be involved in the sport for over two decades and once it’s in your blood, there’s no escaping it.

And those reading this blog have probably sorted that I really enjoy spending some time each evening, trying to produce a perfect shave.

So I thought it was appropriate to post some pictures of a drag car that is sporting a brand-new sponsor.

The images below are of a Fuel Funny Car owned by John Force Racing and driven by Mike Neff. And the new sponsor on the car is none other than Old Spice.

After one session of qualifying at the National Hot Rod Association’s 2008 season-opening WinterNationals in Pomona, California, Neff is qualified number four at 4.850 seconds and 321.65 MPH. And yes, that is elapsed time and speed in 1320 feet. These Funny Cars are not so funny, eh?

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You’ve probably noticed I mention Mama Bear’s bath soaps and shaving soaps quite often. Well, it’s a long story, but I contacted Mama Bear about a dry skin condition I was suffering each winter. I figured there was an even chance she would ignore my e-mail, but that wasn’t the case. Not only did she reply, but she prescribed a technique that provided instantaneous relief. (Remind me to tell you what a mess adding olive oil to bathwater can be!)

I was so thankful for her help, that I placed an order on the Mama Bear Web site, for some of her bath and hand soaps. I was pretty cautious about things, because I was used to buying large packages of some commercial pseudo-soap, when they were on sale. I looked through her site and picked out a bar of Energy soap for the shower, a bar of Tea Tree, Lavender & Hemp soap for pre-shave washes and a bar of Vanilla Latte Exfoliating kitchen soap. (If anyone has ever wished they could get rid of the onion smell on their hands, without resorting to lemon juice, then the answer is the Vanilla Latte bar. It works great and smells even better!)

I had been getting super results with my Tabac shaving soap and the Proraso, Palmolive and Arko creams, so I wasn’t all that interested in trying any other soaps. I had that ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’ mindset going on.

The water here at the condo is incredibly hard and the way the utility area is constructed, there is precious little room for any type of water softener. As a result, I had been putting up with bath soaps that never lathered all that well, all the while blaming the poor results on the water.

As soon as I got the Mama Bear soaps, I was amazed to see how well they lathered up. It was like night and day. When I reported this to Mama Bear, she laughed and suggested I try one of her shaving soaps, to see what real lather is like. I did just that and the rest is pretty much history. I’m a confirmed Mama Bear soap junkie. In the kitchen, in the shower and during those blissful moments whilst shaving, Mama Bear gets the exclusive nod.

What is interesting about all this is that I’ve struck up a good friendship with Mama Bear, a.k.a. Mama Sue, a.k.a. Sue Bear. And I’ve been bending on her ear for a few weeks, reporting my findings on the various Mama Bear products I’ve been trying. And I’ve just looked through my Mama Bear inventory and realized I have three of her soaps, ten of her shaving soaps and four of her aftershaves. So, as you can see, there has been considerable communication between here and the Mama Bear international headquarters.

But there is some really great news that has come out of all this communication. Mama Sue hasn’t just been letting my reports run in one ear and out the other, she’s been listening to what I’ve been saying. A couple of things I’ve been saying to her are how great I think offering Dragon’s Blood and Bay Rum fragrances in her bath soap line would be. She already offers Dragon’s Blood in one of the little, foo-foo guest soaps, but a big guy like me needs a big-guy bar of soap.

WOOT! In a few short weeks, there will be a Dragon’s Blood bath soap offered in a regular bar and there will also be a Bay Rum bath soap, as well. I’ve already told Mama Sue that I was queued up for some of each. And when these soaps arrive, then you’ll experience even more good news. I won’t be able to type when I’m in the shower, so the blog entries will slow waaaay down. As long as there is hot water and a bay rum-scented soap, I’m liable to never dry off.

There are a lot of cottage industries that have sprung up around soap-making, but I highly recommend Mama Bear’s products to ladies and gents alike. When I needed relief from dry, itchy skin, Mama Sue didn’t try to sell me anything, she just told me to pour olive oil in my bath and soak for a while. She could have gone into a sales pitch and I would have bought in, just hoping to find relief.  Or she could have told me to pound sand.  Instead she helped me out, free of charge. And she created a customer for life. I’ve had such good experiences with her fine products, I’ll never look anywhere else for my soap products.

Are you using Mama Bear soaps yet? If you’re not, you have no idea of what you’re missing.

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I guess I must be a dragon kind of fellow.

A couple weeks back, I picked up some Mama Bear shaving soaps in a few different scents and fragrances to see what I liked best. And I really found myself going back to a scent that Mama Bear calls Dragon’s Tears. I liked the scent, but it was more than that. The soap would just explode into a really rich, lubricating lather. I became an instant Dragon’s Tears fan.

Until last evening, that is.

I got another package from Mama Bear and there was a sample of Dragon’s Blood in the package. Being the impatient sort I am, I decided that there was enough stubble to do a quick test-drive with this new soap.

Once again, I pulled out my tried and true combination of a Merkur 23C, a Derby Extra Super blade and my Vulfix brush. I got the brush soaking in some hot water, got a splash of hot water softening up the Dragon’s Blood and set about washing up with another of my favorites - Mama Bear’s Tea Tree, Lavender & Hemp soap. Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but this needs to be part of your own shaving arsenal. We’re talking about a lather to die for and a really comforting scent.

A hot towel treatment over the lather and then a generous rinse with some really hot water and it was time to introduce my brush to Dragon’s Blood. I tossed the brush into a sink full of hot water, dumped the bowl into the sink and then poured the water off the top of the Dragon’s Blood. A short, quick shake of the brush to get rid of some excess water and it was time to see what kind of lather I could make.

WOW! After a few short swirls, lather was boiling up out of the tub. I’ve found a ’sweet spot’ for loading up my brush with Mama Bear’s soaps, so I kept loading the brush, letting the excess lather drip into my mixing bowl. When I was comfortable with the soap I’d loaded onto the brush, I moved into the mixing bowl. After about 35 seconds, I had whipped up an incredible amount of lather, much more than I’m used to seeing with Mama Bear’s soaps. I kept after it for a few more seconds and then began working all of this warm, fragrant goodness into my beard. I immediately noticed the lather was richer than I was used to getting with a soap. After getting a good coat of lather worked into my beard, I set down the brush, rinsed the soap from my hand and grabbed the Merkur. It was time to shave!

I did my usual three-pass shave, re-lathering after each pass. The razor just slipped and slid over my face, as the Dragon’s Blood seemed to have a much greater lubricating property than other soaps I had previously tried. When I finished with my third pass, I wet the fingers of my left hand and started hunting for any stubble I might have missed. And there was none to be found, my face was smooth as glass.

I then noticed there was enough lather in the bowl for at least three more passes. I’m telling you, this Dragon’s Blood is the most impressive shaving soap I’ve ever tried - bar none.

I did my usual cold water rinse and then tried the sample of unscented Winter aftershave balm that Mama Bear had tossed into the package (thanks Sue). Oh dear, I just found an aftershave balm that has moved straight to the head of the pack. I really like the scent and the feel of Pinaud Clubman, but I would fall back on Nivea’s balm when my face felt dry. The Nivea has already been moved from the counter to the cabinet, as the Mama Bear Winter balm has a much better feel to it.

I’m very pleased with the consistently excellent shaving results I’ve been able to produce with my Merkur/Derby combination, but last evening’s shave was a little slice of Heaven.

Dragon’s Tears has been relegated to my second-favorite shaving soap, because Dragon’s Blood is now the top dog. Although I’m getting a little concerned about all the dragons in my shave den…

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This morning, I felt my face had recovered enough from the lamentable Zorrick blade experiment, so I drug out my Wadsworth straight razor.

I did my usual prep with loads of hot water and a hot towel treatment, then lathered up with a Vulfix brush and Proraso green cream.

The Wadsworth was carefully honed on the strop I purchased from Tony Miller the The Well Shaved Gentleman, so it was time to get that steel on skin and start shaving.

And I’m happy to report that with the exception of a tiny nick (that a spot of cold water sealed right up), I hadn’t lost the basic techniques I was developing, prior to the Mama Bear shaving soap experiment. A very respectable shave, if I do say so myself.

I’m not yet proficient enough with a straight razor to produce a BBS (baby bottom smooth) shave, but I can regularly get results at least as comfortable as I ever got with a multi-blade cartridge razor. I’m hoping that with practice, the results will improve.

I’m confident enough with my straight razor progress, I’ve picked up another straight for the collection. I’ve been looking forward to getting a restored razor from Bill Ellis at Billy’s Blades and he flagged me up that he had a new assortment of razors available. I saw a Lutz round point razor that caught my eye, so I’ve got this one headed my way from California -

I’ve been lusting after one of Bill Ellis’ razor restorations for quite a while and I’m really looking forward to getting this one. Bill is quite a master at making blades and restoring old ones. Alas, I’ll likely never be able to afford one of Bill’s customs (which are actually quite reasonably priced, BTW), but if you’re into eye candy, then look at his Custom Stuff page. Wear a bib, because you will be drooling. All those thumbnails will expand if you click on them. Remember, I tried to warn you about the bib. Whilst I’m not getting one of these beautiful customs, I’m still excited about getting one of Bill’s restorations.

I did get a care package in today’s mail - another lot of Mama Bear’s shaving soaps, with some samples of her aftershaves, as a special treat. Woot! I got another tub of Mama Bear’s Hydrogen, a tub of Mama Bear’s Dragon’s Blood, a tub of Mama Bear’s Brute, a tub of Mama Bear’s Lime Oil, a tub of Mama Bear’s Spicey Lime and a shave stick of Mama Bear’s Bay Rum. I’m sitting here, willing my beard to sprout some stubble, so I can give this tub of Dragon’s Blood a test drive. Ooops, it looks as if I needed a bib of my own.

I’ve tried to do my homework with my selections of shaving paraphernalia and it certainly has paid off on a personal level. I’ve been able to meet and strike up friendships with people like Giovanni Abrate at Razor and Brush, Mama Sue at Mama Bear’s Soaps and Bill Ellis at Billy’s Blades. And to date, the product I’ve received from these fine folk have all been excellent.

Well, Giovanni did send me that Zorrick blade…

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