Razor: Haward Safety Razor
Blade: Wilkinson Sword
Brush: Sloyd Silvertip
Soap: Gentleman’s Nod Jackie (42)
Aftershave: Gentleman’s Nod Jackie (42)
This particular set from Gentleman’s Nod has been on my radar for a little while. Up until recently I hadn’t had a chance to try any of their products. Their packaging, branding and stories really drove me to pick up a set. As a baseball guy, Jackie (42), named after the trailblazer and baseball great Jackie Robinson, was a no-brainer choice for me to try. Price-point was definitely on the higher side for a largely vegan based soap and balm, but I figured what the heck?
Scent on this is a simple but refined bergamot, sandalwood and fresh grass. Blend is very well done, nothing jumps out more than the other. You get that opening of subtle bright citrus, the sweet woodsy sandalwood and a balanced vetiver type base. I do wish it was amped up in strength as it was on the lighter side of medium. Performance was OK, but certainly nothing I got excited about given the price point. Lather was easy and it took plenty of water. Cushion was good, slickness (lathered and residual) were also good. Post shave was very good. If the price-point was a bit lower and the scent was a bit stronger, I would have been very happy with the soap.
Post shave for me unfortunately was a big letdown. This is a premium priced post shave balm. Given that, I had high expectations. To me there were two big issues and both were related to the menthol. It wasn’t extreme glacial cold like several products out there but it was certainly far more than I was expecting given very little mention of it. The menthol made it quite uncomfortable when I applied it, I got that sharp menthol burn that I would expect more from an alcohol splash. Given that it was a balm, that burn hung around longer than I would like. The scent is also absolutely blown out by the menthol. I can’t pick up anything other than that mint menthol which I’m just not a fan off. It absorbed well, and a couple hours later my skin feels quite nice, but I could have picked up an unscented balm at a lower price-point and, for me, would have actually had a much more enjoyable experience without that menthol sharp burn on the post.
I do know GN has a tallow formulation and a new base they used for a limited release, so at some point I hope to give those a try. I don’t think they are far off in the soap base and maybe the tweaks they did made all the difference. For the balms, it looks like the red labelled ones don’t have menthol, so maybe I can try one of those again in the future.
Unfortunately this one wasn’t the best fit for me but your mileage may vary. There was been enough positive feedback out there about this product line that it likely just isn’t the right fit for me and my skin type. Oh well, they can’t all be winners.
All for now – J
