Jelly Rings Shave Dad Release with Strike Gold

Hey, what’s happening, folks? Mike here from Long Island Shaving, and welcome to The Shave Den. Thank you for joining me today for this shave of the day and a review of an upcoming collaboration effort between Jerry over at Shave Dad and Frank over at Strike Gold Shave. You may have seen some recent posts leading up to this moment for Valentine’s Day. They will be releasing “Jelly Ring” on Friday, February 7th. This is another collaborative effort that both of them have worked on.

You might remember their previous collaboration, “Spumoni,” which was released about a year ago. That soap featured pistachio, almond, and chocolate. “Spumoni” is actually one of my absolute favorites from Strike Gold Shave. They released it on two separate occasions: the original release and a small batch last summer. Who knows? It may make a comeback; I know people have been asking for it for a while. So let’s encourage Frank to bring it back!

Frank also collaborated with Jerry on “Sambuca,” which, let me tell you, is spot on. For those familiar with Sambuca, it smells exactly like it, even featuring coffee beans. I haven’t shaved with that in a while; I planned to use it during the holidays since that’s typically when I drink Sambuca with family. I need to get back to that at some point.

Anyway, today I am excited to be shaving with “Jelly Ring.” I’ve had this soap for some time now, so thank you to Frank and Jerry for sending it to the channel for review purposes. Frank sent this to me before we even announced that it was going to be a thing—the “Jelly Ring.” We were testing a new base for Frank, and let me tell you, it lathers up just as well, if not better, than what he had before. Even better, the soaps and splash will be $2 less each, passing on a cost savings to you.

The new base is excellent. I’ve shaved with it twice already, and I am very pleased with it. Today will be my third shave with “Jelly Ring,” and I must say, it smells just like it if not better. It’s a really strong chocolate and raspberry scent, inspired by Joya chocolates. I picked up some jelly rings for the occasion. These jelly rings have been a favorite of mine since childhood. I remember being around 8 or 10 years old when my grandmother would give me a quarter or a nickel. Back then, that went a long way, and I believe these were about 5 cents each. I remember scraping together whatever spare change I could to buy them. So, this release holds a lot of meaning for me.

It’s meaningful for Jerry too, which is why he wanted to do this collaboration. I think it’s really cool that the two of them have come together, both being from New York—I’m also from New York, so I can relate. We share similar fond memories of our childhood, and this definitely ties back to some memorable moments in my life, particularly with the candies I enjoyed.

I’m excited to get started with today’s shave. We’ve got the soap and splash, and once again, thanks to Frank and Jerry for sending this to the channel for review. I’m using my Trotter Handcraft brush with a G5C knot, which I felt was fitting as it matches perfectly with the raspberry theme. For the razor, I’ll be using my Carbon TI with a stainless steel standard plate. I prefer my standard plate because I enjoy how it shaves, so I’m sticking with the stainless steel plate for today’s shave.

Now, let me prepare a lather of “Jelly Ring,” and I’ll be right back.

Alright, I’m back! Let’s get right into it. I’ve created an amazing lather—just look at this! I used only a nickel-sized amount of soap, and it really blew up. Look at the peaks of this lather—it’s very well-hydrated, creamy, and almost yogurty. I think you guys will really like this new base; it really expands, and the scent from the bowl is even stronger. If you enjoy chocolate and raspberry or the scent of jelly rings, this is spot on. I never imagined that as a kid growing up in Queens, I would be shaving with jelly rings!

So, I’m glad to have this opportunity. I’m going to wet my face, and then we’ll get started. I hope everyone’s doing well. Once again, this will be released on Friday, and from what Frank has shared with me, it will be a limited run—only 50 sets available on Friday exclusively at strikegoldshave.com.

I’ve got a bit more than 24 hours of growth here. I’m filming this video right before I leave for a small trip with my family this weekend. I’ve had the soap for a while because I’ve been testing the base for Frank for some time; it was all arranged before we decided to name it “Jelly Ring.” I told him when he first sent it to me, “This smells exactly like jelly rings!” And sure enough, that’s what it turned out to be.

The splash arrived in the mail today, and I haven’t had the chance to use it yet, other than testing it on the back of my hand, where it smells even stronger. It’s a really strong chocolate and raspberry scent.

Look at this lather! This is a fun one, folks. I never thought I’d be shaving with a soap that smells like jelly rings, but here we are! It’s definitely enjoyable, and I believe you guys will really appreciate it. Just remember, it’s a limited release, so once it’s gone, it’s gone. You can hold Frank to that. Many of you have been asking for “Spumoni” to make a comeback. It had one brief return due to the overwhelming demand, but typically, Jerry’s releases are usually one-and-done.

Alright, I’m going to be shaving with the carbon graphite using the standard plate, which is a first for me. Let’s see how this goes!

I’m lining up my sideburns and using a Persona Comfort Coated blade. I really enjoy the blade feel with the standard plate. The base provides nice cushioning and good slickness. So yes, I’m really enjoying this new base.

That’s looking better! Now, in my opinion, I think this is a really cool release for Valentine’s Day, and I know your significant other would appreciate and enjoy it too. “Spumoni” was one of my favorites that I got fairly early in my wet shaving journey. When Jerry announced he was releasing a soap based on “Spumoni” Gardens, which consisted of almond, pistachio, and chocolate, I jumped at the chance.

I remember reaching out to him ahead of the release to ask him to set one aside for me because I was concerned it would sell out quickly—and sell out it did! Jerry, being the kind guy he is, called me right before it went live to make sure I had the chance to buy my set before the website closed down for the release.

It’s impressive how Jerry weaves these memories from his past into his collaborations, and it’s kind of neat that we share similar interests, considering we both grew up in New York.

Alright, pass one is in the bag! Now, I’m going to do a second pass against the grain. Yes, I’m actually planning a trip to Kalahari, an indoor water park, if you guys are familiar with it. They have several locations across the country. We were supposed to go back in December, but my son had an obligation at school, so we had to push our vacation back. It should be a nice getaway for two days, especially since it’s been freezing in New York.

As for the scent, I find the raspberry to be very dominant, as it should be, but you definitely pick up the chocolate too—a nice tart raspberry scent, very enjoyable. I can’t believe how well Frank managed to capture the scent; it’s pretty amazing.

Alright, let me do this second pass against the grain. I’m glad I kept the standard plate because it’s one of my favorites with the carbon. The Plus+ plate is the one I bought the graphite in, and the standard plate has nice sweet spots.

I remember Sean telling me that the Plus and Plus+ plates are very close together, so it doesn’t make much sense to have both. He advised that if you want a real difference, go with the standard plate and Plus+ plate instead. You can, of course, opt for something milder as well.

This stainless steel plate adds a bit of weight towards the head of the razor, but it’s not too bad. I actually don’t mind it; it gives the razor a pleasant heft, reminiscent of the stainless steel version I used to have.

I hope everyone is doing well! I’m really excited about this release; I know a couple of you who I’ve spoken to are also looking forward to it. So, get ready, because I have a feeling it will sell out quickly. It’s definitely a perfect release for Valentine’s Day.

Alright, second pass is done!

Now I’ll do a quick cleanup and rinse. Be right back, and I’ll give you my final thoughts on this release, as well as try the splash for the first time.

Okay, let’s wrap up this shave. I just did a quick cleanup. I’m drying my face now. It was an excellent shave—very close, practically BBS with that standard plate on the carbon.

One thing I wanted to point out, that Frank shared with me, is that he added a lot of moisturizing properties to the soap base itself. My face feels very hydrated already, even before applying a balm or splash. It has a nice sticky, tacky feeling but definitely feels moist.

Now, I’m going to try the Aftershave Splash for the first time. I haven’t tested it on my face yet, so I’m looking forward to this experience. I’ll apply a generous amount. I want to give it a good shake, as Frank puts a lot of skin food in his splashes, so I want to mix it up well.

Oh, I can smell it already—it smells absolutely amazing! Here we go, raspberry and chocolate jelly ring in an aftershave splash. Quite amazing!

Well, guys, I really enjoyed today’s shave! I hope you did too. I look forward to seeing your comments down below. Remember, it’ll be available on Friday, February 7th at strikegoldshave.com. Only 50 sets will be available, so it’s definitely a limited release.

Once again, thank you to Frank and Jerry for sending this over for review. I truly enjoyed it. Enjoy the rest of your day, and I’ll see you next time in The Shave Den. Take care! Bye-bye!

This content has been published with permission from the original author.