SOTD 28 May-3 June 2017

Friday 2 June 2017



Viva l'Italia!

Viva l'Italia! Today is the Italian National Day or, like we properly call it, "Festa della Repubblica", that is our "Republic Day". We are in fact celebrating the 71st anniversary of our Republic. Long live Italy! To celebrate our National Day I shaved with Italian products only, including the ones made by me, certainly and proudly made in Italy. As for the razor, I used this Mastro Livi RWL34, a stainless steel having - and I am sure about this - superior quality and performance in shaving. I must say this is the only Mastro Livi razor I have ever honed (I own 31 of them, none of them ever needed honing) and not because it needed honing, indeed because of a challenge. I have read from time to time many people complained about Mastro Livi RWL34 razors and in their opinion it was a stainless steel impossible to hone and it could not take any edge or however a good edge. I have three RWL34 razors and I decided to accept the risk of honing one of them and I decided to sacrifice this one. Let me say this clear: this razor had a great edge (just like any Mastro Livi razor) but I wanted to try myself to hone it from scratch and see whether those complaining about RWL34 razors were right. I removed the original Mastro Livi edge by severely dulling it on a stone, then I started making a new bevel from scratch. It took about 15 minutes to get a fabulous edge and I can tell (and prove) what people say about Mastro Livi RWL34 is absolutely false. I used a 3K to make a new bevel, a Belgian coticule and then Mastro Livi chromium oxide paste and his loom strop. Since that day, I used this razor to shave dozens of times and it still has a very sharp and super cutting edge. Mastro Livi RWL34 straight razors are magnificently amazing shavers, giving a super close and very effective shave. Viva l'Italia!

• Pre-Shave: RazorGuy Pre-Shave Oil
  
• Soap: RazorGuy Almond Oil Shaving Cream
  
• Brush: Omega Bristle 10275
  
• Bowl: Chinese Bowl
  
• Strop: Mastro Livi Travel Loom Strop and Hand Palm
  
• Razor: Mastro Livi RWL34, 8/8 Full Hollow, Snake Point
  
• Post-Shave: Alum Block
  
• Post-Shave: Argan Oil
  
• After Shave: RazorGuy Bay Rum
  

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Friday AM 2017-06-02

Moss Slate Anniversary scuttle
Elite Razor Reclaimed Poplar Manchurian White 2-Band (24mm/50mm)
XPEC Unscented shaving cream (original formula) + Acqua di Parma Colonia EdT
DE Ink Edition AS-D2/UFO Titan Fine Titanium
Personna Super Platinum Chrome (3)
Aramis Tuscany aftershave

Wolfman OC Aluminum
Wiborg White Badger
Saponificio Varesino

Razor: Timeless OC 0.95 w/El Druida Titanium & Carbon Handle
Blade: Gillette GSB (6)
Brush: El Druida Te Vigilo w/Manchurian
Soap: Nuavia Verde
Aftershave: Fine L'Orange Noir

Very much starting to like this soap. It is very easy to lather with a good scent, even I can smell it. Very near BBS shave this afternoon.

www.splitseven.com

Proraso Green Pre/Post
Vintage EverReady 200 Handle with 24mm Tuxedo Knot
Barrister and Mann Night Music
Gillette Aristocrat Open Comb / Barbedeaux (Shave 1)
Superhazel ~ Proraso Green Pre/post ~ Night Music AS Splash
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First use of this Semogue 1470 boar brush and I have to say I misjudged it, thought it was already well broken-in and shave ready. It wasn't. Not that it was scratchy and I ended up irritated, but the tips weren't as soft as a well broken-in boar brush is supposed to have, and more importantly, it was kind of clumsy when lathering the Valobra up. My other two boars are the Omega 31052 and the Semogue 1305. Both of them require little to no effort to break them in, and perhaps I took it for granted that this little one was gonna be that easy. Fair enough, I'll take my time, because all I've read about this petite boar brush was excellent, particularly when it came to soft tips and good backbone.

The Valobra stick has no bells and whistles in the form of exotic ingredients like clays brought from far away or exotic butters, but man, this is a good soap. Excellent glide, creamy lather, great cushion. It was meant to be a travel soap but I'm afraid I won't resist incorporating it into my regular rotation.


- Valobra stick
- Semogue 1470 boar brush
- Merkur 37C+Astra SS
- Tüff Sensitiv+Eufros Neutro

Saturday Planned SOTD

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Razor: Gillette British Rocket HD 500
Blade: Personna Super Stainless (D01)
Brush: Kent BLK4
Scuttle: TheMudPlace Big Daddy Oiled Mahogany
Pre-Shave Scrub: Ginger Garden Aventus
Pre-Shave Gel: AOS Ocean Kelp
Shave Soap: Grooming Dept Patchouli　
Post: Handmade Soap Co. Soothing AS Cream
Aftershave: Folsom Shambala

Wilde & Harte London Osterley
Simpson Chubby 1 Manchurian
NSS Neroli (nice lather and strong scent)
LAB AS