My new blade bank

Posted on 2017-02-14 by WegianWarrior

Used razor blades are still razor sharp, and disposing of them shouldn’t be done carelessly. Some shavers live in old houses where they have a slot in the medical cabinet which will let them drop used blades down between the studs (which will cause a hazard for the wrecking crew years or decades from now), some spend cash on designer blade banks or make a bit of DIY from old tins. A lot of shavers use old pill bottles, like I have done until now – which will have to be sealed, marked and disposed of when it’s full.

Having filled up the third pill bottle in about six years, I decided a better solution was needed:

Often referred to as a “sharps container”, variations is available for cheap at your local pharmacy or medical supply store. While the tub is ugly, it’s also sturdy, near unable to open once it’s sealed, big enough for years and years of shaving and can be handed in for safe disposal later.

Overkill? Perhaps – but better safe than sorry, and unlike an old pill bottle or a slot in the wall it wont cause a nasty surprise for someone else down the line.

Wright’s Coal Tar Shaving Soap

Posted on 2017-01-31 by WegianWarrior

…the ideal shaving soap for soldiers – at least according to an advertisement in the book “Knowledge for War; every Officer’s handbook for the front” fourth edition published 1916.

As an aside; Wright’s Coal Tar Soap can still be bought, which isn’t bad for a product that first hit the shelves in 1860 – even if todays product (made in Turkey) no longer contains coal tar. Don’t think they make shaving soap any more though.

TGR shaving kit review

Posted on 2017-01-12 by WegianWarrior

A little while ago I bought a cheap – really cheap – shaving kit from TGR (aka Flying Tiger Copenhagen) after spotting it while window shopping.

I’ve been using it this week… and it has some good points and some bad points.

The razor is actually pretty good, if aggressive. It’s weighting in at 34 grams with a blade, evenly split between the head and handle. The blade is kept fairly flat, and despite my initial misgivings of the way the blade is secured it’s both easy to align and keeps it from shifting around. For a cheap razor I feel it’s actually a better way to keep the blade lined up than a raised bar in the middle or two undersized pins. The only real downside I can see of the razor apart from it being on the aggressive side is the finish of the wooden handle; the thin lacquer will probably flake off even faster than the chrome of the die cast head.

The brush is indeed boar – as proven by the splitting tips and the initial scent of pig the first time I soaked it. The scent went away after the first shave, and wasn’t really strong enough to put anyone of in my opinion. The knot has good backbone, but is not very dense… so the flow-though is higher than I would expect from a boar. Overall it would have been a decent brush if it hadn’t been for one minor problem…

…well, not all that minor, really.

It’s a shedder. Brush it against your palm, end up with three to five loose bristles. Lather up, then take a minute to pick a couple of bristles from the soap. A quick guestimate is a loss of fifteen to twenty bristles per shave, and I don’t think it’ll stop any time soon… which would be a let down if it wasn’t for the low, low price of the whole set.

The stand and cup is overall OK – not bad, not great, not much to say about it.

Picture time!

Should you get one, either from Flying Tiger Copenhagen or directly from China? Well… maybe. It can be a cheap introduction to traditional wetshaving, and the brush can be replaced with another one such as my BodyShop synthetic. It can make for a half decent travel kit, no one is going to loose sleep if it’s forgotten in a hotel or your luggage is lost with it inside. I wouldn’t get it if you’re into high end razors or want a daily driver in your den though; it’s simply isn’t good enough for that.

Teaser

Posted on 2017-01-10 by WegianWarrior

TGR shaving kit unboxing

Posted on 2016-12-20 by WegianWarrior

I decided to have some fun and get the shaving kit from TGR that I spotted a little while ago. So here is the “official” unboxing:

A few things I noticed:

The wood looks like a fast-growing, reasonable soft wood similar to birch. Sapwood, not heartwood.
The head relies on the corner tabs to align the blade, which is the first time I see.
The “chrome” is rather sloppily applied, as can be seen on the last image.
The brush looks, feels and smells like boar.
The knot is roughly 22mm, with a 55mm loft. Pretty good backbone, pre-breaking in.
The little cup is likely too small for lathering, but good for catching water drips.
The stand will most likely not fit most of my razors and brushes

Bottom line? Not a great set, but not bad considering the cost. I’ll report again when I’ve actually shaven with it; I suspect it’s a mild shaver suitable for new shavers.

I spy, with my little eye…

Posted on 2016-12-15 by WegianWarrior

…a shaving brush in the wild – at Europris no less. While TGR is, in my opinion, the fun kind of dollar store, Europris is more of a.. how to put.. Norwegian version of the American chain Big Lots.

Quality brush they claim.. so much quality they couldn’t even get the print centred. Even so, this along with the set spotted at TGR earlier this week, makes me wonder if affordable traditional wetshaving for the masses are coming to Norway – or it might just be a blip on the radar.

Spotted while out and about

Posted on 2016-12-13 by WegianWarrior

Flying Tiger Copenhagen, formerly known as TGR, is an odd shop… imagine if a knick-knack store merged with a dollar store (or a pound store, or a 10kr store, or whatever your local equivalent is). Craft supplies, toys, kitchen gear… and today, this:

Granted, the finish on the wood ain’t great, the knot is probably a shedding Chinese boar, the cup is just plastic and the head on the razor is thin castmetal… but for 80 NOK (9.50 US $ / 7.50 £ / 9.00 €) I am quite tempted to pick it up just for fun.

End of an era

Posted on 2016-12-01 by WegianWarrior

As part of a “starter kit” I bought from Barbershop.no back in late June 2010, I got a bottle of Proraso Liquid Cream Aftershave.

Yesterday – after almost six and a half year of sporadic use – I managed to squuese the last bit out of it, and I got proof:

I’m unsure if I’ll replace it or not; Proraso have changed the formulation at least once that I know of since I bought it all those years ago.

Bunny razor

Posted on 2016-11-24 by WegianWarrior

So I stumbled over this… and I’m equal parts intrigued and puzzled.

Asylum Shave Works Razor Pouch – first impressions

Posted on 2016-11-22 by WegianWarrior

Long story short: Get one, unless you use very long razors.

The execution looks and feels top notch, the colour is a close match for my load bearing equipment (not a major concerns for most people), and I know the maker. What is not to like?

A few pics – click to make bigger:

Empty – notice the sealed edges in the seam.

With a Gillette ’58 TV Special.

With a GEM Micromatic Clug Pruf.

With a Cadet TTO-13.

With a Schick “Lady Eversharp” Injector – my longest razor and the only one that didn’t fit.

Wegian Wetshaving

That perfect moment caught between lather and blade; the little breathing space where it's you, your razor and perfection

Tag Archives: Gear

My new blade bank

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Wright’s Coal Tar Shaving Soap

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TGR shaving kit review

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Teaser

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TGR shaving kit unboxing

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I spy, with my little eye…

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Spotted while out and about

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End of an era

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Bunny razor

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Asylum Shave Works Razor Pouch – first impressions

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