Razor: Karve CB on CB on C
Blade: Perma-sharp Super
Brush: Paragon Synthetic
Soap: Tallow + Steel Echoes of Rain
Aftershave: Maol Grooming Echoes of Rain Splash
I didn’t realize it when I took this photo in prep for the shave, but I picked out an assortment of very high end Canadian products for the shave. (the blade is the exception but I’m not a fan of shaverboy blades and to date that is the only Canadian blade I’m aware of). All of the Canadian products in this shave…. Karve, Paragon, Tallow + Steel and Maol Grooming offer exceptional quality. Packaging for all of them are very high end and the product within matched well. They all set high standards.
Let’s start with the razor, the Karve CB. I can’t say enough good things about it. It has excellent weight and balance, super comfortable to hold and shave with. The machining is precise with very tight tolerances locking the blade in tight with an exact blade gap every time. The look is simple yet stunning. The adjustment system with different heads allow for finding the perfect balance of smoothness and aggressiveness while avoiding the larger bulky head of say a Rockwell 6 series. It brings out the best in any blade, I’ve taken a few blades that I was on the fence about, dropped in the Karve and saw an immediate improvement in the performance. (maybe I need to get a shaverboy blade and give it another go) It is a fantastic razor. My only knock on the razor is the material choice. Solid brass gives it great weight and stunning look but it requires more care and attention post shave. Any left over moisture will tarnish and discolour. You can work around it by giving it a good clean and dry post shave, but for me, I’d love a stainless (or Rhodium) finish to make the care and attention a little less of an issue. I’ve toyed with getting it plated but with the tight tolerances I’m unsure if I would like the razor once complete. So for now it will be a minor annoyance I will live with.
The brush, the Paragon plisson style synthetic is one of my favourites in the den, by far my favourite synthetic. The handle not only looks stunning but is super comfortable for a bowl or face lather. The knot itself is dense and soft. The larger size makes for very easy load and lather. There isn’t anything I don’t like about this brush. Everyone should have one in their den.
The soap and splash today is a collaboration between Tallow + Steel (Winnipeg, MB – Soap) and Maol Grooming (Hanover, Ontario – Splash/Scent). The two artisans came together to make an offering for the CWS (Canadian Wet-Shavers) Facebook group. CWS is a very active group of Canadians that are into all things traditional wet shaving. If you are Canadian and interested in wet shaving I highly recommend you join.
The scent is described as:
Base Notes: Tobacco, Patchouli
Middle Notes: Atlas Cedarwood, Bergamot, Clary Sage, Coffee, Juniper Berry, Palmarosa
Top Notes: Basil, Cardamom
I find it a complex coniferous scent. There is some subtle sweetness and earthiness to it but to me it is very much a coniferous scent. It is a nice high end version of that profile so if that type of scent appeals to you, you will love it. It does capture a Canadian vibe quite well. For me, I’m not sold on the scent, mainly because I find coniferous scents always overpower me and end up smelling the same. For that reason I’m not sure if this will be a keep. I also find the splash and soap don’t match. Instead they run as a very nice complement to each other. I’d say the notes are the same but some jump out a little differently between soap and splash.
For reasons above, I’m not sure if this will be a keep in my den. I do have a few in this scent profile already that I don’t use very often so I don’t know if it will get much use over my other scents. What I can say is the performance is fantastic. The T+S soap base is stunning. It is very easy to load/lather and you will get a super slick/cushioning lather to work with. Residual slickness and post shave are on point. Then you pair up the Maol grooming aftershave, stocked full of skin food leaving your face feeling fantastic for hours post shave. Scent is strong enough to carry with you for a while but not overpowering like wearing a pine car freshener around your neck. lol
It is such a good product line that it would be hard to let go of, but would also be a shame to sit unused. Regardless the outcome, it puts a smile on my face to see us Canadians cranking out such high quality products.
