Razor: Rockwell R1
Blade: Wilkinson Sword
Brush: Yaqi Synthetic
Soap: RazoRock Blue Barbershop
Aftershave: RazoRock Blue Barbershop
Other: Thirsty Badger lather bowl
Not every shave needs to be with the expensive and impressive top of the line gear. You don’t need what is new and fancy to get a damn fine shave. Today’s shave is dedicated to the budget.
I had picked up several sets of these RazoRock “What the Puck?” offerings a while ago when I saw them on a killer sale (I think it was like $15 per set). I hadn’t tried their triple milled hard pucks before and I thought it they were decent they would be great for starter sets for friends and family that were interested. I’m sure it won’t surprise you but I do keep a little stash for when I can get someone into the hobby. It appears that these soaps are vegan formulations. Not the best ingredient list, but I’ll give it a go.
First thing you notice is definitely a hard puck of triple milled soap. You can’t dent it with your finger, it is quite solid. Scent is just on the lighter side of medium that does elevate a touch once lathered. With this particular soap, I opted for a very heavy load with an only slightly damp brush. Lather was fairly easy to come by and I found it much easier to dial in vs their soft soap formulas.
Scent on this particular offering is inspired by the classic Floid Blue, offering notes of bergamot, lemon, lavender, and powder. This is a true classic scent that is very likely to have a familiarness for you Once dialed in, the lather gives above average cushion and slickness (although residual is a touch less). Post shave is about average. For me, I get a great shave and have no issues. This would be a great set for a beginner and for sure better than your drug store canned goo.
One thing I think RazoRock does fairly well is basic alcohol splashes. If you just want that basic formula alcohol splash with a strong scent, RazoRock is a winner in that department. Splashes are fairly decently priced (some banging deals when they go on sale) and I’m always impressed with the scent strengths and how they carry for a basic budget splash. This offering was no exception, a quick burn and I’m happy to be carrying this classic scent for a little while.
Other hardware worth mentioning is the razor and brush. The razor is a Rockwell R1 (a Rockwell branded Chinese razor) that can often be found for extremely cheap. I got this is a starter kit with brush, blade bank, razor and blades for $10. I typically hate twist to open razors, and while this wouldn’t be a keeper for me, I did get a nice close shave with no issues. Blade alignment was good and it was quite mild. The brush was a Yaqi synthetic I picked up from Aliexpress. Yaqi makes some fantastic synthetic brushes at budget prices, well worth picking up for a starter brush.
All in all, a fantastic budget shave. No issues, No complains. Well, except for the weather….. ya it’s snowing again.
All for now – J
