Vendor Interviews: Bullgoose Shaving

What's the story behind the name 'BullGoose'?
BullGoose is a reference to one of my favorite books/movies, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey. I watched the movie at least 20 times and was prone to doing R.P. MacMurphy impersonations that probably are not fit for all audiences. In any case, there is a scene in the book (not so evident in the movie) where R.P MacMurphy wants to know who on the ward is the "BullGoose Looney". I thought it was an amusing term and it became my nickname in softball. When I joined the shaving forums, it became my screen name. So, when I opened my on-line shop, BullGoose Shaving Supplies it was.

When and how did you become interested in traditional wet-shaving?
When I flew home to Chicago one Thanksgiving my father gave me a copy of The Leisureguy's Guide to Gourmet Shaving by Michael Ham. I had nothing else to read on the plane ride back to Los Angeles so started reading the book and found it fascinating. I immediately went to the reference section and followed the tiny urls to the shaving forums and various on-line shops. I jumped right in and never looked back.

When and how did BullGoose Shaving Supplies get started?
Soon after joining the shaving forums I developed acquisition disorders like many do and became fairly active on the B/S/T trying out various razors and selling off the ones that did not work for me. I then saw WTB posts for Ted Pella blades and thought geez...I can organize a group buy and sell them off in lots of 25. That started the slippery slope. Soon after, I picked up 1000 Astra blades and was selling them on the B/S/T at which point the moderators approached me and informed me that multiple sales of the same product categorized me as a vendor. Fair enough. I filed my business documents in April of 2009 and launched the website the next month. I think I started with Astra and Derby blades, Taylor and Cyril Salter creams, a fewVulfix brushes and not much else.

How many employees, excluding yourself, keep BullGoose running?
I do not have any employees. My wife helps pick up supplies for me and helps me drop off packages at the post office when she can. However she works over 50 hours a week as a nurse practitioner and has a long commute so BullGoose Shaving is essentially just me.

What, if any, do you feel sets BullGoose Shaving Supplies apart from other vendors?
Because I am a one-man operation, I can personally interact with my customers and get to know them a bit as individuals. I try to offer a wide variety of products and try to include the standards as well as some more obscure products. My inventory is always evolving and I am open to product suggestions. In fact many of the products that I carry were a direct result of a customer's request or suggestion. For instance, I had never even heard of Klar until a customer suggested that I carry it. I tracked it down and it is now among my best selling products. I have also been known for my "one off" Simpson brushes. The Simpson Douglas, a two band version of the Simpson 57, was a collaboration between one of my customers, myself and Vulfix/Simpson. The Ehsan, a two band Simpson Colonel with a shorter loft, was a project for another one of my customers. I am not currently carrying either brush but I may bring them back if I think there is sufficient demand.

Tell me a bit about Portman Square. Do you have plans for other shaving goodies? What scents do you have in mind?
I would like to expand the Portman Square line eventually. The cream soaps are made for me by Queen Charlotte Soaps, LLC in North Carolina. Matthew is great to work with... Matthew and his mother will take my half-baked scent ideas, tweak them and produce exactly what I had imagined but did not know how to express. I am very happy with the creams and there are plans for a hard tallow soap in the near future. We have talked about also producing aftershaves (balms and splashes) but that is probably several months off. I may eventually add a scent or two but I will never have 33 flavors. I am thinking 4 scents max.

With everything BullGoose has to offer, do you ever 'get high on your own supply'?
Absolutely. My Acquisition Disorders are as bad as ever and now I can justify it by saying it is for "research purposes". Fortunately, I have my own bathroom but my wife just shakes her head when she sees my personal stash of shaving supplies. I figure the only way to comment on a product is to actually use it.

If you HAD to choose, what's your favorite, can't live without it, razor, blade, brush, lather and aftershave?
Wow...that's like choosing your favorite child? My favorite list is constantly being revised and is biased by favoring recent acquisitions...you know the honeymoon phase and all. Lets be reasonable here and give a top 3.

Razors: PILS, Wilkinson Sticky and Merkur Futur
Blades: Super Iridium, Schick Plus Platinum, Gillette Yellow
Brush: Simpson Douglas, Rooney Finest, Simpson Ehsan
Soap: D R Harris Marlborough Hard Soap, Yardley Hard Soap, Trumper (Tallow) Hard Soap
Cream: Acqua di Parma, TOBS Avocado, Harris Marlborough
Aftershave: Mr. Taylor, Alt Innsbruck, Trumper Marlborough

Besides wet-shaving, what are some other hobbies you enjoy?
Every morning starts out by going to the dog park with my Weimaraner. Besides playing with my dog, I enjoy playing softball (I play year round in an adult league), enjoy the blues and am a huge Beatles and Bob Dylan fan. In college, I once won a Bob Dylan trivia contest and won 50 tickets to a Dylan concert. I also like a few contemporary bands such as Wilco but rarely get out to concerts these days.

I am also a huge baseball fan (Chicago White Sox) and used to attend 25 to 30 games a year when I lived in Chicago. I try to catch as many games as I can on TV but really do not have the time to sit and watch like I would like to.

I am also addicted to the old fashioned newspaper. There is just something about thumbing through the paper and reading last night's box scores and local crimes. I know I could look them up on-line but, it just is not the same somehow. If the paper does not get delivered for some reason, it sets the day off on the wrong foot. A bit of OCD perhaps. I have found that most wet shavers have a touch of OCD whether they will admit it or not.

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.

Antique Store Score (A.S.S.)

Not too bad for $3.00...

\

gold plated Gem Junior w/bakelite handle

Recent Haul

From Joe @ Shave-a-Buck

Sabi gun metal 3 piece

Dalan D'men sensitive l Palmolive (Australian) l Arko balm