Razor: Gem Micromatic Clog Pruf
Blade: Gem PTFE single edge
Brush: Omega Boar
Soap: Like Grandpa Sandalwood
Aftershave: Like Grandpa Sandalwood Balm
Other: Like Grandpa Sandalwood Pre-shave oil, Thirsty Badger lather bowl
Today felt like a Sandalwood kind of day. Another recent addition to the den was my purchase of this Sandalwood shave soap from Like Grandpa. Ken sent me a sample of his Sandalwood balm quite a while ago and I fell in love with it. It isn’t your typical balm, I’d say it is more of a salve and I find it great on the skin. It is my go to when I’m dry and need some hydrating. The scent is on point. I love it, so when the matching soap was recently announced, I had to have it. Ken was also nice enough to throw in a pre-shave oil as well.
Right off the top you notice the nice clean labelling. Water proof, simple and uncomplicated, much like the Like Grandpa line of products. The scent of the pre-shave it a bit milder than the balm, but it is there for sure. Pre-shave is never part of my routine, and honestly, I’m not sure I personally notice a lot of difference. This has pretty much been the case for me with any pre-shave products I’ve tried. I seem to get the same shave experience with or without. When I have some more time I plan to run this thru its paces with a half and half with and without pre-shave test for a a series of shaves and see what I see. For now I was just happy it brought a bit more scent to the party.
The soap comes in a 3.5oz tin. Scent strength is quite mild, not unscented, but not a tonne of scent either. If you are sensitive to scents this could be a big win for you. For me, I wish it was amped up, I like a bit more pop for my shaves. What I do like about the soap is the formulation. I have really good like with the soap line. Very easy to load and lather with any water I’ve tried. A got a really nice slick lather.
For hardware, I used another Gem lent to me from Jason (Distorted Edge Shaving). I was surprised to find this vintage single edge was a twist to open. That made for a very easy load. It felt comfortable and was easier to navigate than the Ever-Ready from yesterday. It was nice and smooth, albeat a bit mild for my preference.
The star of the show for me is the post shave, the balm. As I said earlier, it is more of a salve. You rub a bit on your hands and work in to the face. Let it sit to absorb and wipe off the excess. Scent strength is the strongest of the 3 and carries with for a while. You get a great post shave feel and it will do wonders for skin repair. Not your typical balm, but if you are looking for something different, give this a try.
All in all, a great shave to start the day, and I’m heading out smelling like a champ. What more can a guy ask for?
