Razor: Haward Safety Razor
Blade: Gillette Nacet
Brush: Yaqi Silvertip
Soap: Noble Otter Two Kings
Aftershave: Noble Otter Two Kings splash
Other: Thirsty Badger lather bowl
Recently when I was in Calgary at Kent of Inglewood there was a razor from Hoxton Shaving Company that really caught my eye. It was a very sharp looking razor (pardon the pun) but having just picked up a large amount of shaving gear on the holiday I thought it was best to skip the purchase. I did continue to think about how sharp this razor looked. Then a short time after I was browsing for shaving knots on Aliexpress when low and behold I saw the razor I had been thinking about. AND the thing was cheap…. under $20 shipped cheap. How could I not? The razor is the Haward Safety Razor. Since receiving it, I have seen this design of razor around a bit. I now believe it to be a clone of the Muhle R89. The colour I chose was black. The handle has a subtle but stunning knurling to it. The head appears to be the same design as the very popular Edwin Jagger D89. I’ve never used that particular razor (or the Muhle R89) so I can’t do a direct comparison. This razor has some weight but it isn’t heavy by any stretch. Aggression level is on the lighter side of medium. Paired up with the Nacet blades, this was a very smooth razor and efficient enough to give you a fantastic 3 passes. I really enjoyed the shave.
The software today is the Noble Otter Two Kings set. Scent notes on this are Black Currant, Citrus, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Rose, Carnation, Incense, Oud, Sandalwood, Oakmoss. It is a really nice scent, slightly floral, slightly spicy, slightly sweet, grounded in a somewhat subtle oud. Rose and Oud are the real standout notes to me. This scent isn’t really in my wheelhouse, but I did find it pleasant. Strength on this would be on the lighter side of medium. Performance on the Noble Otter base is fantastic. Slickness (lathered and residual) are excellent, as is the post shave. The soap base reminded me a bit of one of the Grooming Department bases (who can keep up with all of them, haha). Given the performance on this, I feel like I need to have a set in my den. I’ll see if this grows on me before I try to get another. Performance on the aftershave was good, there is alcohol in there so you will get a subtle burn. There does seem to be a bit of skin food in there but it didn’t blow me away on performance. No complaints but I feel it does under perform in relation to the fantastic soap base.
The Yaqi Silvertip brush is breaking in quite nicely. A fantastic pickup as well. A really great shave for this Friday day off 🙂
