Razor: Ever-Ready 1912
Blade: Personna PTFE
Brush: Spiffo Two Band Badger
Soap: Karve Semois Valley
Aftershave: Highland Springs Havana Vieja
Other: Thirsty Badger lather bowl
When I placed my order for my Like Grandpa Wild Rose balm (see yesterdays SOTD) I was also able to grab this Karve Semois Valley soap. (thanks Chris/Ken for connecting and combining shipping for me) Like Grandpa made this soap for the Karve Shaving Company and they are both out of Edmonton, AB. The scent profile on this is full on Tobacco which is a bit different than the typical Like Grandpa offerings. I was intrigued to give it a shot.
For those that have used Like Grandpa products before you may have noted the scent strength usually trends on the lighter side. If that has steered you away in the past, I’d suggest this might be a great offering for you, that isn’t the case here. The scent strength on this one is on the stronger side of medium off the puck, and mellows slightly once lathered. Karve describes this as fresh tobacco, rich and flowery with a hint of sweetness. The best scents to me evoke a memory and this falls into that category. When I smell this, it takes my back to my honeymoon in the Dominican Republic when we were touring a local residence in which cigars were made. Not smoke, but the rich tobacco leaf and flower that was present as they rolled cigars. I was transported back to that day, a big win.
Performance on this is exactly as I expect from the Like Grandpa line. Slickness (lathered and residual) are both good, with the post shave being about average. The real benefit of this soap is the ease at which it lathers in any water. If you are looking for a good soap for any experience level and any water type, this is a great fit.
For the post shave today, I used the Highland Springs Havana Vieja splash. The scent on this is light tobacco with vanilla. The tobacco bridges these scents very well and the tobacco/vanilla combo is a fantastic masculine blend. Performance on the post shave of this is excellent leaving you hydrated and ready to face the day.
A great shave to start the week! I only wish I hadn’t lent out my Karve razor as it would completed a fantastic Canadian shave.
