Razor: Karve CB on C
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Paragon Synthetic
Soap: Elvado Royal Tahitian Lime
Aftershave: Barrister and Mann Seville
I wasn’t planning to do a SOTD today, but man, I had such a good shave how could I not! The razor and soap were both new to the den and both were big wins.
First, the razor. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting to love it. I figured it would be good but this razor has gotten so much hype of late I was ready to be disappointed. Well let me tell you, it isn’t hype, it is fact. This razor is fantastic. It is everything I wanted in a razor. I got the 3″ handle, which is the perfect length IMHO. It has weight, a surprising amount for the razor this size. It has interchangeable heads for various blade gaps, so you can get that perfect feel. It has a lower profile head so it gets under the nose with no issues. It is precise, everything fits together tight and exact. AND, it is gorgeous, full brass with extra fine details in a satin finish. I dropped in my standard Astra Green blade and I was blown away how smooth and efficient it was. I could have been done at 1 pass, I felt that smooth. I wanted to give it a full 3 pass go and it was just as comfortable on pass 3 as pass 1, resulting in a BBS shave.
Second, the software. I like the new base that Elvado has going for it. It is a cream, which isn’t perfect for me as I like to load off a puck, but you couldn’t argue with the performance, it lathers up very well and gives a nice slick shave. Scent strength is really good as well, much better than the previous formulation I had tried. I already have the Pacific Coat Kahuna which is great, but I have always been intrigued about the Royal Tahitian Lime. Citrus generally isn’t my thing, but I have heard so many good things about this scent it has always been on my radar. Then recently I saw a post giving it a really negative review so I knew I had to try it. I was expecting straight up Lime but it is actually a bit more than that. Lime, Lemon, Rosewood & Wild Mint. A really nice mix. But what really blew me away was the wild mint. I didnt really pick it out as a scent note but when I applied the soap I got a perfect chill. Very surprising and satisfying. I had just mentioned to the CWS forum last night that I was looking for a bit more chill in my shave while not hitting up the extreme menthol products out there. This was it. It was fantastic. Guess citrus is going to have to grow on me 🙂
I can’t say enough good things about this Paragon Synthetic, it is officially my favourite brush in the den. The handle is the perfect shave making it very comfortable to handle and the knot is a workhorse synthetic that is extremely comfortable. And I finished off with the B&M Seville, a great barbershop scent that paired perfectly with the citrus notes in the shaving cream.
Man, what a way to start the day.
