Tag Archives: Grooming

Review of The Lavish Gentleman’s Natural Strength Oil Cleanser

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TL:DR?
It works as advertised. It smells nice. It’s dead simple to use. Should come in larger bottles, but compromises must be made I guess. Get some.

The longer version?


A few weeks ago I noticed that The Lavish Gentleman was tweeting about the opportunity to try their oil cleanser for free, and since I enjoy trying new products and ways to improve my shave I reached out and asked for a sample. I was honestly expecting a sample-sized sample, but what I received a little over two weeks ago was a 30ml (1 fl.oz) pump bottle along with a post card sized instruction sheet and ingredient list. So thumbs up right away for providing something I could read without putting my glasses on in the morning.

The active ingredients are marula oil – harvested from the nuts of a tree native to Sudano-Sahelian range of West Africa, or so Wikipedia tells me – and rosehip oil. While I had to look up the former, rosehips are near and dear to me; there are several wild rosehip bushes where I live, and they make the most wonderful flowers – although I’m not sure if The Lavish Gentleman uses oil from the dog rose, which is what grows wild here. The cleanser also contains a number of other oils, detailed on the ingredient card.

The scent is a little hard to describe… sort of a cross between some of my wife’s makeup cleansers and the cooking oil in my kitchen, with a hint of citrus. A rather pleasant smell to be sure, and one that don’t linger particularly long on my skin – which is good since that means it won’t conflict with my aftershaves

Going back to Wikipedia, marula oil traditionally used as a moisturiser, massage oil and cleanser in parts of sub-saharan Africa while rosehip oil allegedly helps combat damage – anecdotal evidence suggests it assists in the healing of scar tissue according to Wikipedia – and is commonly used in skin care products.

Directions for use couldn’t be simpler: Apply to dry skin, massage gently, rinse off using a wash cloth and warm water. It slotted itself right into my morning routine, replacing the various soaps I’ve rotated between in my preshave wash. It left my skin feeling noticeable cleaner and smoother than most soaps I’ve tried so far, and despite this being the cold season my skin haven’t dried out during the days I’ve used it. As an added bonus some of the problem pores on my nosewings seems to have cleaned up too, an area that always give me trouble in winter.

 Before
After

My only real gripe is the small bottle it comes in; I checked The Lavish Gentleman’s website, and so far at least they don’t seem to sell larger bottles. Given my current rate of use, I guesstimate the current bottle will “only” last five or six weeks total… a 100ml (approximately 3 fl.oz) bottle would been a very handy size for me – alongside a small one to bring in my carry-on when I have to go flying or in my GoBag. I can totally see giving myself a cleanup before landing using this cleansing oil, or a quick cleanup in the field even if I don’t have time to wash or shave.

To summarise: For me, it works great. Washing my face before my shaves are easier than with soap, since I don’t risk soapy water running down my chest. My skin feels smoother and cleaner, and some of the pores that normally give me trouble in winter have cleaned up. The scent is pleasant, and the instructions for use are straightforward enough to follow even before the morning coffee. I will certainly keep up with the daily use of it, and most likely order some more before I run out – despite the risk of having to pay import customs.

Would I recommend it? Yes. It might not work for every face out there, but it’s assuredly worth trying.

Added bonus; the charcoal mask offered by The Lavish Gentleman looks interesting as well… as much as I like Pereira Shavery’s shaving soap with activated charcoal, I can definitely see the appeal.

A seven razor PIF

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PIF is short for Pay It Forward; an expression for describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying it to others instead of to the original benefactor.

Over the years I’ve benefited greatly from friends and acquaintances online paying it forward… soaps, razors, some aftershaves and even a very nice brush once. I’ve also payed forward to friends and acquainted both in the flesh and online, and have converted at least two of my offline friends to traditional wetshaving.

After going through my razor rotation in conjunction with splurging on a stainless steel razor, I’ve decided to focus my rotation a bit more… retaining my vintage razors, a couple of higher end razors, as well as my first DE razor. And that means that I have some razors left over… I could have put them in a drawer, but I believe that razors are made to be used so I decided to offer them up as a PIF on the Shavenook instead (link to the PIF thread)


Up for grab is three Cadets, two Merkurs, a Lord and a Wilkinson Sword.

The Cadets are made in India, and was sold via Shave-a-Buck among others a few years back. Chrome over brass as far as I know, although the three piece razor might have a zamak head – sources differs. All should last a lifetime with proper care though.

Merkur Solingen hardly needs an introduction;they are one of the largest European manufacturers of traditional DE razors, and have been around since at least the 1920’s. Earliest patent I found assigned to them was from 1916.

Lord and Wilkinson Sword is another two of those that needs no introduction for those who have been around traditional safety razors for a while; while perhaps better known for blades, they both churn out plenty of goo, affordable safety razors in modern materials.

I consider them all these razors to be “user grade” – not due to them not being well maintained, but they are not mint any longer. I still have the plastic boxes the three Cadets, but the rests did not come in  boxes to begin with.

The links under the images goes to my reviews of the various razors, some of them dating back to when my blog was almost new and I had less knowledge in writing than I do today.


A three piece open comb razor – pretty much a case of what you see is what you get. It is heavier than I expected, since the handle is solid, not hollow like it is on many other inexpensive razors. This gives it a pleasant balance in my opinion, with the centre of gravity about 3cm below the head. The TP-01 is a bit more aggressive then the Merkur 25C OC, but still fairly mild compared to some of my other razors.

An Open Comb, Twists-To-Open razor, and one of the very few of this style I’m familiar with. The balance is very good which makes for an easily manoeuvrable razor. The open comb and head geometry makes it slightly more aggressive than the closed comb Cadet TTO-13, but not by much. It’s an efficient axe for mowing down stubble, but at the same time great for touch-ups and polishing. Paint on the handle is starting to wear off, which don’t affect how well it shaves.

The TTO-13 is a hefty piece of metal; however the balance is excellent, with the CG being just below the ‘double ball’ on the handle. The handle itself is comfortable to hold, and the machined checkerboard pattern makes it near impossible for it so slip even with wet and soapy fingers. The craftsmanship is excellent, even more so when you consider how inexpensive it was. It is worth noting that the Cadet TTO head has a flatter blade angle and a larger blade gap than either my Parker or my Gillette TTO has. This gives a more aggressive shave, and means it’s less forgiving to errors in the shave angle.

The Merkur 25C is a mild and efficient open comb razor. It is overall a solid razor, with a handle that’s somewhat thicker than your average pencil but not by much. The balance is good in my opinion, but YMMV depending on your taste. As far as I know the handle brass while the head most likely is zamak, both with a thick chrome coating. A mild razor good for sensitive skin and new shavers alike.

It’s very lightweight, which I found makes it easier to not put any pressure on it at all. It’s often said you should let the weight of the razor do the work for you, but in the case of the 45C it’s the sharpness of the blade that does it. The 45C has a rather retro style to it, which suits the material – bakelite – rather well. The reddish-brown and black might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but the looks deceive; this is a good shaver.

This Lord Racer razor is/was manufactured in Egypt. The model is also known as the Lord 205 as far as I know. It is made of injection moulded plastic, except the top of the head which is cast aluminium. The mixed construction is well balanced, with the centre of gravity shortly below the head. This makes for an easily manoeuvred razor, while keeping it so light you hardly notice that you’re holding it. The cap also covers up the sides of the razor blade, removing one possibility of cutting your fingertips open. The design allow for a pretty generous blade gap, while holding the blade almost flat. This means the Racer is a fairly aggressive shaver, more so than most of my other razors. It might be useful as a semi-disposable travel razor, or for someone wanting an aggressive beard killer.

The only DE razor I’ve tried so far that feels very much like a cartridge razor in use, which I suspect it’s due to the materials and design of the razor. The molded thermoplastic with a metal rod inserted in the handle gives a very tail-heavy balance. The WSC is not the mildest, nor the most aggressive I’ve used. The construction is sturdy, and the fact that the cap covers the ends of the blade is a nice touch. The head is a little on the big side. I have given these razors to friends before who wanted to try out traditional wetshaving with good results. A good razor for beginners in my opinion.

Please note that there is a couple of provisos for joining the PIF; you’ll have to be a member of the ShaveNook, you have to agree to give the razor onwards rather than sell it if/when you no longer want to hold onto it, and you have to promise to smile at least once a day. That last bit is important…

Since there is seven razors up for grab, I’ll keep the PIF open for seven days – until 1800 CET Saturday the 19th of January (link goes to countdown) – that should be enough time to join the ‘Nook (if you’re not already a member – don’t forget to say Hi in the introduction sub-forum) and post in the thread that you are in and what razor you would like or “no preference” if you want a razor and are less discerning as to which – they are all good shavers. If there is several of you who wants the same razor, I’ll randomly select one.

Another Pereira Shavery crowdfunder

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Pereira just finished – successfully I might add – a crowdfunder for their unbreakable shaving bowl, a crowdfunder I backed myself so I could have a second bowl in a lovely bright green.

This time Pereira is offering up a hone for cartridge razors and an optional leather sheet for storing your razor in while travelling or at home. The kit looks really nice, and looking at the size and mode of operation it should work just as well for DE and SE razors too.

Check out their video, and then check out their campaign.

Another improvement in shaving mugs

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Don’t you hate it when you’re emptying your shaving mug of water and your soap falls out? Well, me neither, but just in case you do Philip Schauble and Louis Dohm, of Elizabeth, Union county, New Jersey have you covered. Or had you covered, back in 1875 when they patented an improvement in shaving mugs.
To understand why an improvement was needed, one have to recall that while a lot of us today will soak the brush, load the soap of the puck, then use a separate bowl or mug to make lather they did it differently back on the day. The soap puck was kept in the shaving mug, water was added on top, lather made on top of the puck and water then poured out… sometimes along with the soap.
Our bold inventors came up with a solution to this problem, as they stated in the very beginning of the patent letter;

Our invention consists of a shaving-cup having means for securing the soap, so that the cup may be turned upside down, for pouring out the water for cleaning it, without the loss of the soap, and without the necessity of holding it by the brush or by the hand, as is now necessary when cleaning the cup, thus saving considerable trouble and greatly facilitating the work.

In hindsight the solution Philip and Louis came up with is obvious when you read about it, but it does actually require a bit of lateral thinking. In short… who says a mug have to be smooth on the inside? What if the bottom of the mug had a screw thread mounded to the inside, like a nut that goes on the end of a bolt? And if the soap also had screw threads, like the aforementioned bolt, and could be screwed down into the mug?
As explained in the patent:

The plan which we have adopted in this case consists of screw-threads in the bottom or lower part of the cup, with corresponding threads molded in the soap, to screw it into the cup by a little forked’key or other suitable instrument…

They also outline an alternate, by having a screw that comes up through the bottom of the mug, but point out this is a much less ideal solution.

A solution they don’t touch upon in their patent might be more obvious to us today; simply have circular ridges along the inside of the mug and cast the soap in situ (i.e.:directly into the shaving mug). The downside of that solution is, off course, that soaps cannot easily be replaced.
I have no idea if this invention was ever put into production, and the patent have long since lapsed… but if any artisan or small scale manufacturer of soaps and shaving accoutrements put something like this on the market today, I would be sorely tempted. Perhaps a standard diameter and screw pitch could be agreed upon by a group of loosely organised artisans so we could choose between several of our favourite soaps… but I’m daydreaming. I guess I’ll continue to soak my brush, load from the puck and lather in a separate mug of scuttle.

Shave of the day 14th November

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The last few days have been busy and stressful for me, so today I decided to go to the barber at my almost-local mall for a shave and pampering. Definitely worth it, both for the shave and the de-stressing.

If you’re ever in my corner of the world, you should seriously consider a visit to them; they do great work for a fair price.

Review of Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb

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Bottom line up front; Once I got used to the shape, the best comb I’ve used for my beard so far. Recommended, especially if you have a stiff wrist or need help shaping your beard.

Alongside the metal beard comb I posted about last week I received a wooden, boomerang shaped one that is my current favourite beard comb. After a a few minutes of initial puzzlement as to how to hold it properly, using it was a breeze. The L-shape lets me grasp the comb in several ways a normal comb won’t, allowing me to comb my beard from all angles without having to twist my wrist.

The comb itself is – according to Pereira’s website – hand sawed from pear wood. Pear wood is a good choice for a couple of reasons; not only is it a hardwood which makes for a durable comb, but it’s also a great callback to the name Pereira – which means “pear tree” in Portuguese. It’s also a renewable resource, which is a good thing all by itself.

The comb is fairly narrow toothed, and I’ve found that it’ll easily undo most tangles in my beard. My only wish for improvement would be that the teeth were cut further towards the edge on the handle side of the comb, but that is a fairly minor issue. It works great on head hair as well, in case you’re curious.

The boomerang shape also is a useful guide in shaping your beard, thus keeping it symmetrical and even. The comb even comes with a handy tri-lingual instruction sheet for how to do just that, written in Portuguese, English and what Google Translate assures me is French (disclaimer; I don’t read neither Portuguese nor French). The soft curve on the inside of the comb can be used for defining the neckline of the beard and the outer curves, and the straight side is good for helping keeping the sides of my goatee from waving as well as maintaining other straight lines.

The packaging also shows the innovative mindset that Pereira displays in several of their products; it came in a CD-case. It can also – I assume – be stored in that case if you so desire, however I use mine every day and as such there is no need to store it; I just keep it on my bath room shelf.

The Pereira Boomerang beard comb have become my daily driver to get my goatee ready to face the world. If you only want one comb, this would be a good choice.

In related news I’ve learned recently that Pereira Shavery is planning a crowdfunding campaign aimed at, to paraphrase, “The Man who thinks he has Everything”. From what I gather exciting things are planned, and if you want to know more you can email them at giveaway@pereirashavery.com – if you use the subject line “I want in!” you’ll also enter their monthly give-away which starts this August and runs the rest of 2018.

A barbershop experience

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So.. one of the almost-local malls have a new tenant; a barbershop! One that does beards as opposed to just haircuts, and that uses brushes, lather and shavettes to do the trim!

(photo borrowed from their FaceBook page)
Since my goatee and moustache had gotten a bit… unruly… I decided to give it a go. The owner/barber was very nice, precise and knowledgeable. A very pleasant experience indeed, and once I fully intend to repeat regularly.
I also picked up a beard oil from a company I have no previous experience with; Gentlemen of Sweden. The scent is subtle and nice, consisting of rice bran oil, sunflower seed oil, argan oil, jojoba oil and lavender oil.
I’ll report back more fully when I’ve given it more use.

Review of Pereira Shavery metal multi-utility beard comb

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Bottom line up front: A good choice for a daily carry comb. Handy size, indestructible and useful for more than just combing the beard.

A few weeks ago I got a package from Pereira Shavery that – along with other nice things – contained a metal beard comb of the general size and shape of a credit card. Ever since it’s lived in a pocket of my work clothes, begin pulled out and used every time I need to get my somewhat unruly goatee under control. So what have made this comb my daily carry?

Firstly, the handy size. It sits comfortable in a pocket, in a vallet, a credit card holder, or in the back of my cell phone holster (careful not to scratch the cell phone though). That means it’s always there when I need it for combing or other tasks.

Secondly, it’s metal and easily survives daily carry. In the past I’ve bent plastic combs and broken wooden ones. This metal combs just takes the abuse and keeps going… and the form factor makes it more resistant to bending than most other combs I’ve used.

Thirdly, it got a few handy other uses. The built in bottle opener works well, the little flat head screwdriver in one corner have come in handy on a couple of occasions (sometimes the right tool is the tool at hand), the so called can opener on the end have come in handy as a letter opener as well as lifting the ring on the end of soda cans… I’ve not yet got to try the spanner (wrench) yet, since every time I’ve had to unbolt something I’ve had better tools at hand, and I’m not entirely certain what purpose the elongated hole between the spanner and comb is supposed to have.

The most important part is off course the comb, and the comb works very well for me and my curly beard hairs. It can get hung up on tangles, off course, but nothing a bit of care can’t work trough.

Can I recommend the metal multi-utility comb from Pereira Shavery? For a daily carry comb, yes. I’ve carried it and used it daily since I received mine, to the point where I’ve managed to wear of the markings on the back.
For a comb that lives in your bathroom or shave den? It’ll work just as well there, but Pereira also offers some better options in wood for that purpose.