Razor: Karve CB on C
Blade: Wilkinson Sword
Brush: Yaqi Silvertip
Soap: Herc Soap Co Altitude
Other: Thirsty Badger mug
I added a few new items to the den this week. I was placing an order from Stonefield Shaving and needed a little something to round out the free shipping. The pricepoint on Herc Soaps is great and my previous experience has been quite good. Performance has been good and the scents have been nice and strong. So I looked through the limited inventory (Herc has closed up shop so this is the remaining stock that Jonathan picked up) and this one called my name.
Altitude is a blend of Mint, Ozone, Tobacco, Rum, Eucalyptus and Musk. These days I’m always a touch hesitant with Mint/Eucalyptus/Menthol soaps. It is tough to walk that fine line of scent and coolness without freezing your face off or blowing away all the other scent notes. This one does it very well. You get that crisp fresh air vibe like you might find flying high in the friendly skies or up in the mountains. It does have bit of an aquatic vibe, it would likely pair very well with Davidoff Cool Water. And while it does have those crisp and clean notes the really masculine tobacco/rum/musk come through to give the scent a bit of rich manliness. I really enjoy the scent and it pops off the tub once lathered.
The base from Herc is a fairly simple vegan offering. For me this performs just fine. It is very easy to lather, but you do need to add a fair amount of water. It is a higher volume lather that you need to keep adding water slowly ’til you get that subtle sheen, then you will be ready to shave. Cushion is above average, as is the slickness. This won’t blow you away with performance like some of the elite bases but it is very easy to dial in and will give you a nice shave. Post shave was about average, I could skip a post but I know others would need to compliment with a post shave product. On this particular offering, the chill factor was also there. I wouldn’t put it up with the Stirling glacier frigidness, but it is still quite cold, on the edge of what I’d normally go for. It should be nice to use in the hot summer.
All in all, a pretty great shave today. I have included a little behind the scenes photo with my photography assistant. She seems to know what she was doing. All for now – J
