Razor: Karve CB Stainless on B G-Tech Stainless
Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock SharpEdge Yellows
Brush: Karve Aluminum 24mm G5C Synthetic
Soap: MacDuff’s Soap Company Alberta Boys Soap
Aftershave: MacDuff’s Soap Company Alberta Boys Splash
Other: Like Grandpa Black Pepper Preshave Oil
Today’s shave is dedicated to one of my favourite soap makers, Sean with MacDuff’s Soap Company. Alberta Boys is Sean’s most recent release and is to celebrate his 5 year anniversary. He has grown so much as a shave artisan since he began. I discovered MacDuff’s in his V2 phase and he was just starting to figure things out. There were some challenges with the soap base but the packaging / artwork / scents / aftershave all had strong potential. He took some feedback and continued to improve and now, at his V4 base, he has evolved into one of the top shaving soap makers around. The base, scents, artwork, packaging, everything is elite level good. As you can see from my photo I’m a big fan, I have now added 30 sets of MacDuff’s to my den (and I don’t have all of his lineup!), along with a few other non-shave related items (check out the room sprays, my wife loves the Royal Earl Grey). And on top of making an awesome product, I’m happy to call him a friend, having met him several times on my travels to Alberta.
And speaking of Alberta….. how is the scent on Alberta Boys? Well this set is Sean’s blend of Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry, Byredo’s Oud Immortel and enriched with his own custom blend of oud and sandalwood. The resulting scent is packed with notes of Black Cherry, Limoncello, Bitter Almond Liqueur, Plum, Turkish Rose, Jasmine Sambac, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Cedar Blend, Vetiver, Patchouli, Oud, Tobacco Leaf, Cardamom and Rosewood. If you’ve smelled Lost Cherry, you can definitely pick out the DNA. There is also a prominent, yet approachable oud and Sean’s own tweak is easy to pick out. It ties this scent to some of his other recent releases. The result is a very classy and rich cologne style fragrance that would be perfect for any evening out. For me the cherry is most prominent in the soap and the oud is a little more forward in the splash. Performance is elite level good as always and scent strength is robust at the stronger side of medium.
If you haven’t been to Alberta, Canada I highly recommend adding it to your destinations. You will see some amazing scenery where the prairies meet the mountains and will meet some fantastic people along the way. Alberta also happens to be home to MacDuff’s, Karve Shaving, Like Grandpa (all shown here) and a few other shaving hot spots. Every time I’m there I relish the chance to meet up with these amazing shave artisans and some awesome shave hobbyists as well. So to you Alberta Boys, especially you Sean and MacDuff, I raise my glass and say cheers and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
All for now – J
