Razor: Karve Overlander SS
Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock SharpEdge Yellows
Brush: Yingling Brushworks 26mm Black Badger Synthetic
Soap: Moon Soaps Bixby
Aftershave: Moon Soaps Bixby Splash
Other: Thirsty Badger Lather Bowl
Today’s shave of the day was inspired by a new channel that just started up, The Barbershop Duet. Marcus and Sara recently started their channel when they discovered the world of artisan shaving soaps. I’m really enjoying the vibe of this duo. It has a polished feel like a morning TV show. The excitement and energy they have reminds me of when I first got into the hobby and how the scents made me want to buy everything in sight. This past Saturday they did an episode on Moon Soaps Bixby and it inspired me to use that for my shave of the day. Make sure you give them a follow on Instagram and Youtube so you can catch their weekly Wednesday and Saturday episodes. It is the type of channel that will help others find the hobby so I really want the community to get behind them and support.
As luck would have it, I picked up a set of Bixby while on my trip to Michigan for the Maggards and The Razor Company meetups. Once I got my nose on it, I knew I had to pick it up. Bixby is Moon Soaps’ latest release “inspired by the majestic Bixby Bridge located on scenic Highway 1 near Big Sur, California“. The soap comes in a unique Kokum Butter and Tallow base that offers notes of Black Tea, Tonka, Smoked Vanilla Bean, Black Volcanic Sea Salt, Coastal Driftwood, Black Pepper, Italian Bergamot, Jasmine, Green Apple, and Musk. It is a fantastic scent. Strength is a touch under medium that jumps up to a solid medium once lathered. To my nose, it reads as creamy and slightly sweet. You get a subtle pop of brightness from the green apple and bergamot and a hint of bitterness from the black tea. Once the scent starts to dry down you get that salty driftwood and musk grounding the entire scent. It is a real winning combination. I’d say it is unisex and can be worn all times of year on any occasion, although I’d say it is more of a casual dressed-down scent than something you’d dress up. Moon Soaps again has a great base that offers that perfect blend of easy lather to top-tier performance. The matching splash also is a perfect match scent-wise and has a good skin feel to wrap up the shave.
I also want to highlight the razor today, my new Stainless Steel Karver Overlander. Chris from Karve was one of my traveling buddies for the meetup trip. Once I saw his SS Overlander in person, I knew I had to add one to my den. I picked this up on my recent trip to Edmonton. The razor is just a work of art. The fit and finish are second to none and the blue anodized base just makes this thing pop. The razor is very smooth and on the milder side, safe for any experience level of shaver, and while the brass razors from Karve offer fantastic value, I think the stainless is worth the extra premium.
A fantastic shave to start the week. All for now – J
