Portman Square: First use

First impression of Portman Square after my 1st shave:

       X3 black-tip SS l Asco l Omega 90081 l Portman Square l Nivea Sensitive

Today begins my first day of 'The Portman Square Challenge' and I'm excited to get it off and rolling. From Bullgoose Shaving Supply website, Portman Square is described as:

          "...named after a street in London's famed shaving district. The cream soap is a very dense cream or soft soap that contains tallow for a very creamy and protective lather.

          Notting Hill is Portman Square's signature scent...a blend of lavender and cedar wood essential oils with a hint of leathery earthiness. To me, it conjurs up images of leather bound books and wood paneling."

Upon first opening the tub the scent is somewhat mild and subdued, yet when whipped into a creamy lather (and I do mean creamy) the fragrance seems to explode. The cedar wood really seems to shine through, almost like sticking your head into the New Yankee Workshop and sniffing the inside of a freshly build dresser drawer. The cedar wood is noticeably there yet I can detect some subtle whiffs of the underlying lavender. I think Phil definitely hit it spot on when he says "it conjurs up images of leather bound books and wood paneling", perfect for Ron Burgundy or any other discerning gentleman. 

This shaving soap is labeled a 'shaving soap cream', as it exhibits both properties of a hard soap and a soft cream. Like a soap, I lathered right on top of the puck. I chose my Omega 90081 syntex, as (IMO) a boar brush would have too much backbone that would tear into the soap/cream, yet a badger brush would lack enough backbone to do likewise. I found the syntex brush to be a perfect middle ground. After a few good swirls of the brush I begin to face lather and the explosion begins. The Portman Square produced mounds (yes mounds) of thick, creamy, and protective lather; typical of what one would expect from a tallow based product.

After shaving, I decided to wait 30 minutes before applying any aftershave so I could get an idea of it's moisturizing properties. My hopes were that a balm or splash wouldn't be needed, but after some time my skin felt a little to tight for comfort. Yes, my skin was soft to the touch, but tight nonetheless, and I opted to finish with a balm for some extra needed nourishment.

Looking Ahead: 2011

Here's a small sampling of the ideas I have floating around my head for the Dashing Maverick:

The Portman Square Challenge:

-the idea: dedicate the month of January to the exclusive use of Bullgoose Shaving Supplies in-house brand of shaving soap, Portman Square.

-the result: an in-depth, thorough review of this new, hot product with the intention to educate the unknowing masses from a non-biased point of view.

The Great Chinese brush throw-down:

-the idea: to pit the Chinese brush manufactures against one another and determine once and for all if cheap can equal quality. Brands such as Frank Shaving, Lijun & 1980, and ebay seller kebi2009 will each be put to a month of vigorous use.

-the result: an in-depth, thorough, non-biased review to help my readers get the most bang for their buck.

Blades Revisited:
-the idea: to get back to 'my roots' and retest some blades I originally started with over 3 years ago but now often get overlooked. Brands such as Derby, Gillette Super Thins, and 7am platinum are on this list.

-the result: to determine whether it was my newbie technique or the brand which caused these blades to call the bottom of my blade box 'home'. 

What are your thoughts on these chosen topics? Is there anything you would like to see reviewed or compared? I welcome all comments and ideas and hope to make 2011 a very informative year.

Sabi 3pc razor: Revisited

Can the Sabi 3pc razor dethrone Edwin Jagger?

foreground- Sabi 3 pc l backround- EJ DE86

With my last order from Shave-a-Buck, out of curiosity, I decided to take my chances on the new Sabi 3 piece razor. Upon first inspection it's easy to see how I became so drawn to this shaver - the gunmetal finish looks top-quality and you can really feel the durability and weight when first picking it up. So far so good, but as most of us in the wet-shaving world know, looks (and price) can be deceiving. To give this razor a proper evaluation I used it exclusively for a week, switching to my 'go-to' EJ 86 the following week, then recently back to the Sabi for a complete comparison. Though be it a relatively condensed amount of time, here's my review of this razor so far.

          Weight - When first handling, what stands out most is the heft of this razor, this baby is heavy. When compared to my Edwin Jagger I can feel a noticeable difference in my hands. While the weight of a razor in my opinion, is an important variable in performance, it's more so important that the razor be properly balanced. Here's an area where the Sabi could use some improvement - the majority of the weight is in the handle. Compared to the EJ, the Sabi is significantly bottom heavy, which requires more attention and detail to proper technique when shaving. 

          Finish - While reasonably priced around $7 USD, the gunmetal finish is rated grade-A. I found no flaws in the lacquer - a deep, smoke color glaze - and the workmanship is easily noticeable upon first glance.

         Blade Exposure - Another area where the Sabi could use some improvement. Unlike my EJ, when tightening down a blade, special attention needs to paid to assure even blade exposure on both sides.

To give me a broader evaluation of this razor I tried several different blades (Gillette Super Thins, Bic Chrome Platinum, Derby Extra). While the Super Thins and Derby combination left much to be desired, the Sabi really shined with the Bic CP's; much the same with the EJ. Though the balance may be an issue, with proper care to technique, the resulting shaves were quite respectable. The Sabi head construction is nearly identical to a Merkur 33c and I found the shave to be quite identical as well. Now, given the choice between the Sabi and the Edwin Jagger, I'll take the latter 8 times out of 10 (it's good to add some variety). Though it's no EJ, the Sabi does provide a good shave and is pleasing on the eyes. Given it's price/performance ratio, the Sabi is a winner. I give it a solid recommendation to those looking to add some variety to their morning shave.

Real Men Wear Rose

From the lovely JoAnna @ The Shave Den Store

TSD Victorian Rose a/s & edc

Waiting for me when I got home from work Monday night was this lovely package from JoAnna - soap maker, acquisition enabler, moderator, & Queen @ The Shave Den.

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday I brought along my Taylor's Rose shave cream in my dopp kit. After a good 4-5 days of use, my acquisition disorder took hold of me, I just had to get a matching fragrance for this awesome rose cream. At first, my manly instinct said 'men don't wear floral scents, especially one as feminine as rose?!' so I did some research and decided to give the Victorian Rose a go.

'Wow' is all I can really say! This fragrance is very pure and clean, and a perfect match to my Taylor's Rose. Upon first application it's pretty top heavy, with a pure rose petal scent but mellows out nicely to a fresh 'green' floral fragrance that lasts all day. I received several compliments (from some very attractive females) about how good I smell. Whoever said that roses are only for women?!