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(05-04-2020, 10:35 PM)keto Wrote:You are welcome, sir.(01-24-2020, 03:51 PM)Marko Wrote:(01-24-2020, 02:52 PM)wyze0ne Wrote: Yes, according to a Facebook post from Rod yesterday, a disaster has occurred. Apparently the machining company he used decided to take a shortcut on cost, violate their agreement, and have the razors engraved in China. Rod was very displeased about this since they are supposed to be entirely made in the USA. This will nullify that and also bring in some legal issues with them saying "Made the USA" on them. Long story short, he's not going to sell the razors as is and it's back to the starting line. I'm sure he's out a ton of money. It's such a shame because Rod is a great guy and is not deserving of this type of setback. I really hope there is some legal recourse to be done. I think the machine shop should have to redo all 300 of the razors and have them properly engraved here in the US like they should have been.Depending on what the contract says, there should be recourse but that always costs money. There is also the question of how much of Stirling's money does the machine shop already have and are they going to just give it back if Rod chooses to go elsewhere. The issue is obviously the integrity of the machine shop, ie, they have none. Even if Rod goes somewhere else and gets the product he wants, there is still the issue of 300 Chinese made razors with Stirling Soap Co. Made in the USA etched on them floating around - what are the odds that a contractor with the scruples of the one he originally chose will just chuck those in the scrap metal bin? Rod will have to make an obvious design change to allow the real razors to be distinguished from the fakes. What a mess. I'm reminded of the Rockwell experience in their early days but I think this might be even messier.
(05-04-2020, 07:19 PM)LOOT Wrote: I started wet shaving in early 2015 with a Micro One Touch. My mom had a couple of razors her brother and their dad owned. I lucked out. She handed me two Gillette Black Beauties. By Fathers Day I had new AOS badger brush, stand, and a couple of their soaps. I didn’t find the value in the AOS soap or the one tub of TOBS Sandalwood soap I had. The cost/day didn’t seem to be there. I set to find a better value in my soap/splash. By fall, I found Stirling and have been super glad I did. I stayed Stirling exclusive for a couple of years. While I am no longer exclusive, I still think their soft products are the best value in the game, to me.Very nice background , history, thoughts and all. Thanks for this! Something about having past relatives razors that ties this all to them, sort of.
Fast forward to yesterday. I spent a couple of hours in the sun at the lake and as usual, got my dome and face a little crispified. This morning I wound up doing yardwork for a couple hours. My skin is a little sensitive. Normally, I’d not shave with redface but decided I’d use the Stirling ST plate once, clean it all up this afternoon and get it ready to ship tomorrow.
While I’m riding the mower I’m thinking of my impending shower/shave with the ST. I’m thinking of Ann…and how she’d perform toned down some. Given my sun kissed skin, I was hoping I was in for a Charcoal Goods L2 kind of experience. I miss the L2 on days like this.
So, since it’s warm enough and I’m running Rod’s razor, I broke out the Stirling Island Man, one of my favorite summer scents. I did use the soap but left it out of the picture. It had been a while since I’d used any Stirling products. Last summer in fact.
I loaded the Stirling ST plate with the same etched Personna as my last dance with Ann. What I had spent the last few hours hoping for materialized. The Stirling ST is right there with the best mid-efficient razors I’ve used. In the same callpark with the L2, my beloved WR1 80OC bronze beauty, and a Blackbird. It’s not as blade forward as a BB and feels a lot like the L2 I sold (like a dummy). The ST has consistent blade feel and is plenty smooth. It was a great ride and had no problem hitting BBS levels. I’ll keep an eye on it throughout the day but it feels like an 8-10 hour shave.
I hit the Island Man splash, which really kicks up the scent. After drying I used the lotion to get my hands, face, and dome. Excellent conditioning properties and my abused skin feel great! I’m reminded I need to check my stock of Stirling’s South Padre and Weekend in Malibu for summer. I rely on those three scents heavily in summer months.
In summary, the Stirling HA and ST are both great shavers. My preference would be the ST for daily use. It would hit that sweet spot of cutting close enough to get me an all day BBS and allow enough regrowth to shave again tomorrow. I may not buy them at launch, but I’m sure I’ll have a set of both plates on the Ann C handle.
Rod, Mandy…congratulations on a set of fantastic shavers…and thanks for being a huge reason why I fell in love with wet shaving. I would have never thought I would associate scents with seasons. Now, your scents seems to define them for me and my family. Thank you.
Ive got my passed away Dad's Super Speed and Schick Krona, Grandpa's 50+ year old Williams mug soap, and Great Grandpa straight razor also.Carry on!
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You speak truth of heirlooms pieces. I've restored a few vintage Gillettes that my son may take a liking to, with any luck. He will have a good assortment of modern razors to test and identify his Goldilocks(s) early in life. He should be set. Whether he realizes it and takes advantage of opportunity remains to be seen. A young man could save a small fortune over the course of his life if he only had to buy DE blades and soap.
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