Cajun Blade ACR1 and The Cutter: Coast Guard Tribute Review
The ACR1 shaves like it costs twice its $28 price, and The Cutter is the best aquatic I've smelled in a long time. Both drop today from The Cajun Blade Store.
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In-depth reviews of soaps, splashes, razors, brushes, and gear.

The ACR1 shaves like it costs twice its $28 price, and The Cutter is the best aquatic I've smelled in a long time. Both drop today from The Cajun Blade Store.
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The RazoRock Hawk III sits at the center of my nine favorite stainless AC razors. Five years of use, dings included, and it still delivers every time.
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Twelve shaves across three handles and half-face comparisons against the Henson, Rockwell, and Feather AS-D2. Guard side or smooth side, here's what the Tier One Echelon actually delivers.
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John at Cape Cod Wet Shaving reviews Last Pass, the new Van Yulay and Shave Dad collab. Not a sweet creamy coffee soap. This one is dark, dry, and roasted down to the wood.
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Van Yulay and Shave Dad Jerry teamed up on Last Pass, a coffee-inspired shaving soap dropping July 17. First look at the soap, the Cajun Blade ACR-1, and my morning shave routine.
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Luke and I reviewed Strike Gold Shave's United We Stand at Portland Creek. Frank's limited 250th anniversary blend pulls presidential fragrances into one linear, barbershop-meets-frontier scent.
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I've got five shaves on the Yaqi Lex now, a 316L stainless open comb from Yaqi. You feel the blade, you need the right angle, and I have the alum block out to prove it.
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It's been blazing hot here all day and heavy menthol is the answer. Running the Yaqi Pinacolada Chillers soap and splash with the Caveem razor and the Yaqi Ice Tea brush.
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I've been wanting to shave with an artisan soap bar for five years. Bombshell Suds Co.'s The Dude finally made me do it, and it held up.
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Shaving with my all-time favorite AC razor on my daughter's wedding day, and Frank Shaving is giving away a free SIG SOLO brush with the first 25 orders using my code.
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It's July and everyone else is grabbing menthol. I'm lathering Adopted Acres' Gentlemen of the Cabin because I love it too much to wait, plus testing a 6/8 Sheffield wedge Robert sent my way.
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Mike from Long Island Shaving kicks off Beyond the Lather with Obsidian Ember by Ariana & Evans. Dark cherries, roasted coffee, and oud in A&E's new wide-mouth glass jar format.
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Ming at Frank Shaving built two custom SIG SOLO brushes, G5B synthetic and Manchurian Silvertip badger. I put them to work alongside his solid copper three-piece razor and MSC Louie.
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Brand new Goodfellas Smile gear landed: the Dominus razor and Panama soap, courtesy of Howie at Super Safety Razors. One shave in, I'm already calling Panama my favorite summer fragrance so far.
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I put the Edwin Jagger 3One6 up against the Muhle Rocca R95 in a full head-to-head comparison, including a manufacturing defect on the 3One6 that buyers should know about.
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Ariana & Evans took bay rum somewhere it doesn't usually go. Empyrean trades clove and cinnamon for clementine, pomegranate, and cedar. Full shave, two passes, with the Merkur 34 HD.
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I finally cracked open the Zingari Man Il Signore trifecta I won at the Texas Wet Shavers meetup. Sicilian lemon, lime, fir absolute, and ambergris, paired with the RazoRock Cyber Razor.
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I finally did the comparison shave I promised: Maxwell June from the States against the RazoRock Recurve RC80 prototype from Canada. Two passes, two stainless razors, one very tough call.
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Grace and Yaqi sent over a 24mm boar brush for review. The handle is gorgeous. The knot nearly burned my face off.
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PAA Frost in Space goes full cryogen in Round 6 and Wild Fox Arctic Fox fights back harder than expected. The menthol was very real.
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Fred uses Subtle Art Soap Co's Ice Queen four-butter soap with the Gillette Red Tip. The menthol builds strong, the lather loads up close to dripping, and the shave is very close.
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Barry put me on to this one and I had to get a jar. Raging Stout by Thrive And Glow, six ounces of tallow for $12.99, Pennsylvania artisan. Oatmeal, butterscotch, vanilla. It's as good as it sounds.
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Doug put me onto this one. Fern & Shadow is an hour and a half from where I live in Texas, and Right of Winter is one of the best lathers I've had in a while.
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Happy Chap's Absolute Zero versus Hearth and Altar's Barren Earth in Round 5 of the Blizzard Battles, two artisans tackling menthol for the first time, on a scorching Texas July 4th.
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The Blackland Vector is in my top nine AC razors for a reason. Fourth of July felt like the right day to reach for an American razor.
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Shave Dad and Razor Emporium teamed up on Back to Glory to honor the pre-cartridge era. I put it through a two-pass shave this Fourth of July weekend, and this soap delivers.
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Many of you asked me to try the Edwin Jagger 3ONE6. I borrowed one from a friend, used it before filming, and now I'm probably buying one.
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Round 4 of the Blizzard Battles 2026 Artisan Challenge puts Stirling's The Shivering against Subtle Art's Draconis Glacialis in a menthol-loaded head-to-head that nearly ended in another tie.
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Back from vacation with nine days of growth and a craving for something cold. BBS Coolzilla, the Gillette Fatboy, and the Yaqi Caramel get the job done.
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Larry puts Salve & Oak Co.'s Ember Hollow through a full two-pass shave paired with the matching aftershave splash. Warm, earthy, and worth a look.
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HC&C's Kilimanjaro just dropped, a non-tallow unisex soap from Nashville inspired by Byredo's Bal d'Afrique Absolu. Today I'm running it with the Maxwell June DE and Tiger Superior Stainless blades.
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Phoenix sent me Electro High Shine for review, their tribute to Chrome by Azzaro. I had never had my nose on the original. One full shave later, I see why people kept asking for this one.
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Found this one on Instagram before I'd ever used the soap. Cherry wood and tobacco in a tallow-and-silk base from a micro artisan worth knowing about.
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The Tier One Echelon has a dual-action head. One side does the heavy lifting on coarse growth, the other refines for finishing passes. I put it through several shaves across three handles. Here is the take.
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The Yaqi Précise arrived looking like a direct copy of my favourite razor, the Blutt Rasur 120. After one shave with it, I can't argue with the result.
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Robert at American Vintage Soap Co. built Citadel as a dark, piney, woody bay rum without the usual clove. I bought the full set myself and put it through its paces on a Monday Monologue.
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First look at PAA's Electro High Shine, a tribute to Azzaro Chrome with a holo label and a bergamot-oakmoss-tonka profile. Bary puts it side by side with the EDT. Too close to call.
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Round 3 of Blizzard Battles 2026 pits Wild Fox Rituals' Arctic Fox against Wit's End Berserker in a menthol showdown. Both artisans new to menthol. Both absolutely nailed it.
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Five wet-shaving creators, one cipher, one discount from Heritage Hill through July 5. I'm kicking off the sequence with a shave using Heritage Hill's John Paul Jones bay rum.
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My buddy Brett has been after me for months to try PAA's Sun Down. The scent is not my thing, but the soap pulls a surprise during the shave, and the splash turned out better than I expected.
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Joe at Subtle Art dropped Send It on June 23rd: a ten-note fougère-meets-chypre in his V4B vegan base. Here's the full note-by-note breakdown plus a straight razor shave with the Ralf Aust 5/8.
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First look at the Echelon Elite from Tier One Razors, a father-and-son operation in Milwaukee that's been machining AR components since 2016 and just turned that same shop on wet shaving.
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The new US-made Tier One safety razor shares some DNA with the Henson and Tatara, but the geometry is its own. I compared the specs side-by-side and ran it through a real shave to see what it actually does differently.
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I put the vintage Gillette Blue Tip through two passes today. Mild, forgiving, BBS. Here's how it went.
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Round 2 of the Artisan Challenge is here, and Adopted Acres Triple Dog Dare runs it back. This time it goes head to head with Denton Majik's CryoMajik, and the gap between them is a lot smaller than I expected.
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Episode 38 in my razor review series: the Goodfellas Smile Lybra, on loan from a friend and about 30 shaves in. Two plates, one massive jump between them, and an ongoing search for something in the middle.
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HC&C's Kilimanjaro draws from Bal d'Afrique Absolu by Byredo, and Pete nailed it. Three passes, no irritation, and that fragrance just keeps opening up.
Read more →![OliWorks Asteroid Ti titanium brush alongside the M3[Ti]orite razor](/_astro/2ac85121c736cb6b.cB0-NUYf_2oVaGy.webp)
Sick for three weeks but still shaving. The OliWorks Asteroid Ti brush arrived, and I'm running it with my M3[Ti]orite and MSC Night On The Town.
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I'm a fragrance freak, and Tokyo Rose stopped me cold. PAA's Pasadena tribute sold out in two hours at Big Shave East. Here's the full note-by-note breakdown across an all-PAA shave.
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Knee-deep in the McKenzie River on Father's Day, reviewing Ariana & Evans Obsidian Ember. Dark cherry upfront, almond in the middle, coffee settling in, oud grounding the dry down.
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Round 1 of Blizzard Battles 2026 pits Mama Bear Soaps' one-off Bedford Falls, a blend of Bear Ice and Hot Buttered Rum, against Adopted Acres' Triple Dog Dare. Twelve artisans entered. One trophy.
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Kaleb at Aylsworth sent me the new Atelier AC razor in satin finish. Fifty-seven grams, 0.5mm gap, Feather Professional on its first use, three and a half days of stubble. Here is what I found.
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An evening shave with Bulgarian Caro Fresh cream, the Karve Bison stainless steel celebrating Canada's World Cup win, and an aftershave that lists caramel in the ingredient list.
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Sean's first soap, a gothic-labeled floral called Reborn, sold out fast on Etsy. I got test batches before the launch, and here's how it held up on an Iwasaki kamisori.
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Strike Gold Shave Man of the People is a wine-inspired tallow soap and matching splash. Grape Nerds candy on the first sniff, quiet confidence a few passes in, and slick enough to carry a straight razor through a dense beard.
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Rust Belt Reserve Botanica from Shannon's Soaps is a modern chypre: pineapple up top, earthy and spicy underneath. Two passes with the Rockwell 6C and the matching aftershave splash.
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I had a complicated start with Timeless Razors. After three weeks with the stainless steel model, I finally started to get what all the fuss is about - or at least I think I do.
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I forgot to push record on what turned out to be a perfect BBS shave with Wit's End's brand new Dixie Dream soap and splash. You're still getting the full review.
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Joe at Subtle Art Soap Co. has Whispering Woods out in his new V4B base. Vetiver, Royal Hawaiian sandalwood, amber, vanilla, white musk. I gave it an 80 proof.
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Three shipments, two lost in transit. The Yaqi Tile Ex finally made it to Greenland, and I paired it with a Henson stainless steel handle for a full stainless kit I couldn't buy anywhere else.
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Doug and Barry put together something special with the Texas Spirit Oud Noir, a collab soap out of the Texas Meetup. I got mine through a friend, cracked it open on a Sunday morning, and it delivered.
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My first Artist Club razor, and Aylsworth's Atelier in satin finish delivered a BBS result with zero alum reaction.
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Grabbed this one at the meet-up the moment I got my nose on it. Cajun Blade's 250th Defending Liberty is a bourbon-and-tobacco collab soap, and I haven't put it down since.
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The Maxwell June system runs on top caps, not base plates. I'm putting the new SX through three and a half days of stubble, paired with Cella Riserva Fresco sent over by Lou from Canada.
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The Styletto V2 SS looks aggressive on paper, 0.88mm gap and 0.37mm positive exposure, but it shaves as mild as a DE89 and delivers a BBS finish. I was not expecting that.
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First Facebook Live on the channel, and I picked the right soap for it: Cajun Blade's Sub Zero in the new White Walker base. Ninety-two degrees, eyes watering, zero regrets.
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Three brand-new items on the bench: Ethos Pineapple from the Island Collection, the Alpha Futura Fatty copper razor, and a hand-carved Opus Brushworks brush. One week of growth. One BBS shave.
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Picked up Rei Momo at the Noble Otter booth last weekend. Pineapple, coconut, banana, vanilla - tropical and creamy. Coming soon. One shave in, and I'm already sold.
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Episode 37 in my razor review series. I've shaved with this thing 30 times, and it's a $1,300-plus razor with a blade alignment problem. Let's get into it.
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Clean oud, bluebonnet, and gunpowder in one fragrance. And it works. Full review and shave with Adopted Acres Texas Spirit Oud Noir in the Grand Champion 2.0 base.
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Brett loaned me his polished Karve Bison stainless steel for a first run, paired with Soap Palooza Hellbent Cherry. Mild, comfortable, and very close to the Overlander - maybe too close.
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Testing a Vermont Green Slate edge on an eBay Fox Cutlery 11/16, plus a first look at RazoRock Mudder Focker. Honest verdict: the edge shaves, and the soap is better than I expected.
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Aaron's 1974 Gillette black handled Super Speed gets a full three-pass shave. Fifty years of wear shows up in the butterfly mechanism, and the alum confirms exactly which side was which.
Read more →HC&C's James Bond Starring in You Only Have Nine Lives is an oriental fougere inspired by Bond No. 9's Lafayette Street. The Dude of Oud gives it a first shave and breaks down every note.
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HC&C's new James Bond soap is inspired by Bond No. 9's Lafayette Street, and it's not the old James Bond or 007 soaps. Brand new scent, just released, and it's really something.
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Ten shaves in with Bourbon Cowboy from Eric at The Cajun Blade. Bourbon fragrance that doesn't knock you out. That's harder to pull off than it sounds.
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I've been on a fougere kick, and Denton Majik's Dominate is checking every box. An homage to the discontinued Brut Dominant, plus the full Texas Wet Shavers meetup schedule if you're coming out.
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DJ and Heather just launched Salve & Oak Company in May, and their Northwood soap and splash hit right out of the gate. Woodsy, clean, great lather on the first try.
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Red, White & Rugged dupes Avon Wild Country, and the nostalgia hit is real. Full three-pass shave with the Frank Shaving Tobin Throwbacks brush and a Shave It Shave Co razor.
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My first razor from Design94, the titanium, gets a travel shave in a late-70s hotel under the midnight sun. Heavy for titanium, negative exposure, and the Nivea kit I'd pick over everything else.
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I had to go back and rehone the M. Jung 6/8 because the edge from my honing video wasn't good enough. Second pass, TCB Berry Chill in the cup, a lot of menthol, and a hot South Louisiana morning.
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Damon won a Van Yulay scent contest, and Riding Rhonda is what came out of it. He also puts the Blackland Blackbird through two passes and gives his honest take.
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The Shave Mercantile's Sangria Nocturne hits the den tonight: dark fruits, citrus, red wine, and an intimate scent built for late evenings. Plus their new splash aftershave in the same fragrance.
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Neither the Masamune nor the Nodachi worked for me out of the box. One was too mild, the other drew blood. Here's how mixing parts from both finally got me a decent shave.
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Frank at Strike Gold Shave sent me the Red, White & Rugged collab with Razor Emporium - a Reagan-inspired release built on the DNA of Avon Wild Country. Here's my full shave review.
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PAA's Coop (a Doop) is a Joop! homage that hits hard. I ran it through a Str8 Shave Saturday with the Dreifuss 1919 and the wifey gave it 85 proof.
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I picked up The Cajun Blade's Bon Temps Barbershop at Maggard Meetup thanks to my wife's recommendation. Here's a shave with a classic Southern barbershop scent.
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Kim's spring limited edition might knock Fresh Forest off the top of my Wild Fox rankings. Full shave, lather walkthrough, and thoughts on the redesigned aftershave gel.
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I've been asking Ethan at The Shave Mercantile to make a splash for years. He finally did it, and Sangria Nocturne was the one I had to try first.
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David Young at Soap Palooza made a soap for the Great Texas Wet Shavers Meetup - coffee, leather, smoke, and desert creosote. I got my hands on it before the unveiling and it's real good.
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PAA's Coop soap and splash, inspired by Joop! Homme, gets a Memorial Day outdoor field test above Blue River Reservoir. Tobin's score: a 10.
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Pairing Adopted Acres Lime on the Line with the Personna GEM blade, a tallow soap built on lime, spearmint, and peppermint essential oils, no fragrance oils.
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Jerry and Doug built something special with Family First. Second shave in and this EIEIO base is already one of the best I've put on my face.
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First time trying Strike Gold Shave Air Force One, and I'm doing it as a travel shave at Harrison Hot Springs. Brett called this one right.
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Jerry reviewed the Razor Works razor and Forbidden Root soap by BCSoapsNSuch ahead of a group pass-around. There's a learning curve on the razor. The soap was a genuine surprise from a newer artisan.
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Bary reviews Wit's End Ultimate Sacrifice, an annual May release for Law Enforcement Appreciation Month. Inspired by D&G Light Blue, with proceeds benefiting the National Law Enforcement Fund.
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Five aluminum double-edge razors ranked lowest to highest price, from the adjustable PAA Ascension at $69.95 to the Timeless Slant at $84. I can get a damn fine shave every single time from any of them.
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My friend Aaron handed me a box of vintage Super Speeds, and the Red Tip A3 from 1955 is where the exploration starts. Mild, comfortable, and better going against the grain than I expected.
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I took Blaine's second BC Soaps release to the McKenzie River at sunset. Isekai is clean, green, and built for summer - and his new tackle base is better than the first one.
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It's Italian Shave Wednesday, I'm T-minus five days from surgery, and we're touring Europe through soap, aftershave, and cologne. Mondial 1908, Floïd, Musgo Real, and the RazoRock German 37.
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Nick sent me his vintage Shulton Old Spice - soap, aftershave, cologne, the full trifecta - to find out if it's still as slick as he thinks. Forty-plus years in the mug, and the answer is yes.
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The Family First collab from Adopted Acres Soap Co and Shave Dad drops May 9 on Etsy. I got a set a few days early, ran it through the Micromatic, and the EIEIO base is no joke. The name also means more to me personally than you might expect.
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I've got 31 stainless steel razors but only 10 earn regular time on my face. Here's the countdown, $40 to $150, with codes to buy most of them cheaper.
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Brett shared his Panta Rei Mediterraneo with me, and I can't find it anywhere in stock. Aquatic, spicy, layered - if it comes back, don't miss it.
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The Leaf Twig in Glacier just arrived, and I watched the mailbox all day waiting for it. Full kit breakdown and a two-pass shave with Pinaud Clubman Bay Rum to close.
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Four years in and the list has changed. Stainless steel is mostly out, titanium is in, and some razors have earned spots I didn't see coming.
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First time with Noble Otter, and Lorekeeper is the one I almost talked myself out of buying. That ink note everyone questioned? It works.
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Just got the new Proof Select 2.0 in the mail today and put it right to work. Here's what Proof changed from the original and whether it's worth making the switch.
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I borrowed Brett's Henson Medium to finally run a proper side-by-side against my Mild. Three passes, same blade, same soap, same face. The result was closer than I expected.
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I've been wet shaving for over 30 years, and the Rex Konsul gave me one of the best post-shave feels I've had on any razor. Whether that justifies $349 is what this review is here to answer.
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There was noise a few weeks back that TABAC was discontinuing their shave soap. False alarm. What it's actually like to use for the first time.
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Twenty shaves with the RazoRock Next Level 85mm plate. 316L steel, killer value, ultra mild shave. But does the name hold up? I have thoughts.
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Merkur's 37C has been the slant standard for decades. My three-pass BBS walk-through, the blade pairing that makes this head perform, and where Mühle pulls ahead.
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Honest Sportsman Series review by Tobin Fetters. Fragrance breakdown, performance notes, and a giveaway. Ideal for late summer and fall wear.
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First impressions of the Shave Dad Sportsman Series with Wet Shaving Store and Master Soap Creations. Scent notes, performance, pricing and launch deal.
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Explore the Shave Dad Sportsman Series soap and splash. A refined outdoorsy scent – flannel tuxedo. Limited release one-and-done artisan shave set.
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Long Island Shaving reviews the Sportsman Series shaving soap and splash. Oud-inspired, woodsy scent, great lather, and skin-friendly splash.
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A new release! Achieve a closer, irritation-free shave with Shave Dad’s Dad an Homage to Lectric Shave by PAA and Shave Dad!
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Discover the new Jelly Rings set from Strike Gold Shave! Featuring raspberry and chocolate scents, it’s a gourmand delight launching on February 7, 2025.
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A unique collaboration from Strike Gold Shave featuring chocolate, vanilla, and raspberry for an indulgent shaving experience!
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Join Mike at Long Island Shaving for the exciting “Jelly Ring” release review! Experience the perfect chocolate-raspberry shave on Feb 7, limited to 50 sets.
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Join me, Tobin, as I review the new mentholated shaving soaps El Mahiko and El Ludo from The Wet Shaving Store. Enjoy rich, aromatic scents perfect for fall!
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Join Tobin at Doris Ranch as he reviews the Wet Shaving Store’s new Essentials line, featuring unique fragrances inspired by El Salvador’s musical culture!
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Join DJ Chubbs for a smooth shaving experience with the Pumping Iron and the Shave Dad razor. Discover top tips, techniques, and products for the perfect shave!
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Join Tobin for a lively review of the cotton candy-inspired fragrance “Three Ring Circus.” Discover tips, exclusive offers, and upcoming live chats!
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Join Sig Solo in June’s Shave Stick Stories as he reviews the Spike Shave Stick, assessing scent, slickness, and skin feel. Discover his final score!
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Shaving tips from Andy at The Wet Shaving Store; he shares some easy to implement tips that you can use right now to improve the quality of your shave.
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An extra crispy high definition video review of The Wet Shaving Store’s Neon Moon and the Goodfellas Smile Styletto by Subie Shaves!
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Tobin shares his great expertise and thoughts in a video review of the latest release from The Wet Shaving Store and HC&C: Neon Moon.
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A shaving review of the Parker Injector Razor and Elvado Almafi by Rajat Bajaj, a wet shaving enthusiast, expert, and reviewer.
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A review of the Dovo Primo double edge Razor by Andre Pinto (Barba Tradicional). Andre shares his thoughts and first shave impressions with the Dovo Primo.
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A review of the Yates Winning Razor by Andre Pinto (Barba Tradicional). Andre shares his thoughts and experience on his first shave with the Winning razor.
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A shaving review of the Leaf Twig and Shave Dad’s Commando by Rajat Bajaj, a wet shaving enthusiast, expert, and reviewer.
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A review of the Timeless Aluminum Razor by Rajat Bajaj, a wet shaving enthusiast, expert, and reviewer.
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