Ariana & Evans Obsidian Ember: My Shave With the New Jars
I finally got my hands on Obsidian Ember from Ariana & Evans in their brand new glass jars, and it was worth the wait.
Read more →Est. 1959 · The Shave Dad ProjectOld-school steel.
Old-school steel.
New-school community.
Limited-edition collaborations, reviews, and field-tested gear for the wet shaving community. Whether you're picking up your first DE razor or you've been at it for forty years, you're home.
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Active Release
The Shave Dad Project · August 2026
9/11 25th Anniversary Tunnels to Towers, Shave Dad × Strike Gold Shave
Inspired by Tom Ford's Beau de Jour: lavender extract and fresh lavender over rosemary, oakmoss, mint, basil, and geranium, on a base of patchouli and amber.
From the Journal
All Articles →The latest on lather, steel, and the people behind them.
Reviews, interviews, and dispatches from artisans and content creators across the wet shaving world.
video
article
Gillette Date Codes and Serial Numbers: Date Your Razor in Seconds
Every US Gillette made from 1950 onward carries a letter and a digit that give you the exact quarter it was built, and the ones before that carry a serial number instead. Here is what the marks mean, plus a lookup that reads either one for you.
Read more →
article
Modern vs Vintage Safety Razors: Which Should You Actually Shave With?
One side of the den is machined stainless with a warranty; the other side is seventy years old and cost twelve dollars at an estate sale. The honest case for each, what to check before buying old, and why the answer is usually both.
Read more →
article
Pre-Shave vs Post-Shave: What Each Step Actually Does
One happens before the blade, one after, and most shavers invest in the wrong end first. What preparation and aftercare each actually contribute, which steps earn their shelf space, and which are ritual.
Read more →
article
PAA WÜRM: A Green Acrylic Brush Built From a Vintage Ghost
Phoenix Artisan built its new WÜRM brush from a vintage Klenzo nobody can find a second example of. The history behind that old brush is the good part, and the green acrylic handle carries a knot people already liked.
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article
Boar Brushes: The Break-In, the Payoff, and Why Omega Owns the Category
Boar is the misunderstood brush: stiff and scratchy on day one, custom-fitted and soap-devouring by week three. How the break-in actually works, why the patient love them, and which Omega to start with.
Read more →
video
My Shave With Universe 25 From Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements
I get a lot of PAA soaps through here, but Universe 25 might be my favorite scent yet. Here's how the shave with the matching aftershave splash went.
Read more →
article
Post-Shave Skincare: The Complete Routine From Final Rinse to Moisturizer
The shave ends when the razor goes down, but your skin is just getting started. Here is the full post-shave sequence, cold rinse to moisturizer, what each step actually does, and which products earn a place on the shelf.
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article
RazoRock, Explained: The Value Machining Champion From Game Changer to Eco
RazoRock built its reputation on a simple promise: machining quality that embarrasses razors twice the price. What the brand is, why the Game Changer became a modern standard, and where the Mamba, MJ-90A, and Eco fit.
Read more →
article
Shaving Gear Care: How to Store and Maintain Razors, Brushes, and Soaps
Good wet shaving gear outlives cars if you let it. The whole maintenance system: the thirty-second daily habits, the monthly deep clean, why brushes die of damp, and what a stand actually does.
Read more →
article
The Best DE Blades: A Sampler-First Buying Guide
Asking for the best DE blade gets you forty answers because blades interact with skin, beard, and razor differently for everyone. Here is the honest way to find yours: what the contenders actually are, and why the sampler pack settles what no review can.
Read more →
video
Blizzard Battles 2026 Final Four: Cajun Blade Subzero vs. Hearth & Altar
Round 12 of my Blizzard Battles final four pits Cajun Blade's Subzero against Hearth & Altar's Barren Earth, plus a giveaway and a heads up on Stirling's new Shivering.
Read more →Featured Story
Editor's Pick · June 2026
The DE Razor Blade Buyer's Guide: A Tour of the Blades Worth Knowing
A discovery tour of the double-edge razor blades worth knowing, grouped by where they come from and what kind of shavers reach for them. Not a ranking, a map of the territory.
The Vault · Limited-Edition Collabs
View All →Every Shave Dad release. One run, then gone.
Each collab is a one-and-done partnership with an artisan. Each release is sold by the partner, links go directly to that retailer.
Featured Article
Recommended Reading · June 2026
The Classic Aftershave Buyer's Guide: A Tour of the Splashes and Balms Worth Knowing
A discovery tour of the classic aftershaves worth knowing, splashes, balms, colognes, and cooling treatments, grouped by where they come from and what kind of shavers reach for them. Not a ranking, a map of the territory.
The Shave Dad Project · Partners
All Partners →The artisans we've collaborated with.
Small-batch makers, family-run soap labs, and independent razor smiths. Every Shave Dad release is a partnership.
345 Soap Co
SOAP · USA
Adopted Acres Soap
SOAP · USA
Alpha Shaving Works
RAZORS · USA
Azalea City Suds
SOAP · USA
Denton Majik
SOAP · USA
Elysian Soap Shop
SOAP · USA
Ginger's Garden
SOAP · USA
Hendrix Classics & Co
SOAP · USA
Heritage Hill Shave Co
SOAP · USA
Master Soap Creations
SOAP · SOUTH AFRICA
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements
SOAP · USA
Razor Emporium
RAZORS · USA
Strike Gold Shave
SOAP · USA
The Wet Shaving Store
PARTNER · USA
Van Yulay
SOAP · USA
Wholly Kaw
SOAP · USA
Featured Tool
Reference · September 2026
Gillette Date Codes and Serial Numbers: Date Your Razor in Seconds
Every US Gillette made from 1950 onward carries a letter and a digit that give you the exact quarter it was built, and the ones before that carry a serial number instead. Here is what the marks mean, plus a lookup that reads either one for you.
New to Wet Shaving?
Start here. Skip the regret.
Short guides built around the questions Jerry has answered ten thousand times in the Facebook group.
The Full Beginner's Path →
01
What Wet Shaving Actually Is
Wet shaving is the original way to shave, a brush, a soap, a single-blade razor, and water. Here's why people still do it.
02
Your First DE Razor
What to look for in a starter double-edge razor, and three specific models that won't steer you wrong.
03
Your First Shaving Brush
Synthetic, boar, or badger, what each is, what they cost, and which one to start with.
04
Choosing Your First Soap or Cream
Soap vs. cream, tallow vs. vegan, drugstore vs. artisan, and three specific starter products that won't disappoint.
05
Building a Lather That Actually Works
The single skill that makes or breaks a wet shave: turning a puck of soap into a thick, slick lather. With water ratios.
06
The Three-Pass Shave
WTG, XTG, ATG, what they mean, why each pass exists, and how to actually do them without bleeding.
07
Pre-Shave Prep & Post-Shave Routine
What you do in the five minutes before and after the razor matters more than most beginners realize.
08
Avoiding Razor Burn, Ingrowns, and Weepers
Diagnose what went wrong from the symptom: stinging, red rash, bumps, or pinprick bleeding.
09
Maintaining Your Gear
How to make a brush last 10 years and a razor last forever. Drying, blade rotation, soap storage.
10
Ten Common Beginner Mistakes
The mistakes everyone makes in their first month, and how to recognize you're making them.
11
Wet Shaving Glossary
The vocabulary you'll see in every Facebook group, every YouTube review, and every Shave Dad release post.
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