Culper Spy Ring Cipher Challenge: Part 1 | John Paul Jones SOTD
Good morning, agents. It’s Saturday, June 27th, and we’re kicking off Heritage Hill’s Culper Spy Ring Cipher Challenge.
John from Heritage Hill put this together and coordinated with five wet-shaving content creators. Each of us was given one piece of a secret code. Watch all five videos, collect all five words, assemble them in the right order, and you unlock a discount good at heritagehillshaving.com through July 5th. I’m carrying the first piece of the sequence.
The other four creators are Doug from Dougie Shaving, Barry from A Texan Shaves, Chris from Lather Yeti, and John from Cape Cod Shaving. I don’t know who has codes two through five. You’ll figure out the order as you watch their videos.
I love when artisans pull something like this together. Gets the community moving, and there’s a real payoff for you at the end of it.
A Little History on the Culper Spy Ring
The Culper Spy Ring was a secret intelligence network that operated during the American Revolution. Ordinary citizens gathered intel on British troop movements in New York and passed it to General George Washington using code names, ciphers, and invisible ink. Their operation is recognized as one of the most effective organized espionage networks in American history.
What gets me is where this happened. Much of the Culper Spy Ring’s activity took place right here on Long Island. Members operated out of Setauket, on the North Shore, passing information across Long Island Sound and into Washington’s hands. My son learned about this in school. His class spent several weeks on it, and they were watching a Netflix series about it in class. John from Heritage Hill had mentioned that same series to me. I might finally sit down and watch it.
As someone from Long Island, knowing that one of the most consequential intelligence operations in American history was running in my own backyard is something else. Pretty incredible to think about.
John Paul Jones: Soap and Splash
John sent me the John Paul Jones soap and matching splash for review, and I appreciate that. This is my second shave with the set.
He created this fragrance in remembrance of his late father. From what he told me, the scent notes reminded him of his dad. He said he nailed it on the first try, which is not how it usually goes for him. Normally it takes him two to three weeks, sometimes a full month, to finalize a new fragrance. This one clicked immediately.
It’s a bay rum. Notes are teak wood, cedar, bergamot, and patchouli. I like teak wood a lot, and it comes through on the soap. The splash is noticeably stronger on scent than the soap itself, but both are solid. If you’re a bay rum person, this one deserves your attention. If you’re still on the fence about bay rums, the teak wood and cedar angle here might be what tips you over.
I also have Washington and 1776 from Heritage Hill, and I went ahead and ordered Patriot too. John’s been putting out quality work across the lineup.
Hardware
The razor in this shave is the Tatara Nodachi, loaded with a second-use Gem blade. I go back and forth between the Nodachi and the Masamune. The Nodachi holds up right next to the Blackbird in my opinion, and I’ve actually put those two head-to-head. My Blackbird is currently getting polished by a good friend of the channel, along with the Overlander. He hasn’t sent me any final photos yet. I think he wants it to be a surprise. Tracked the package and it should be here by Friday.
Brush is my red, white, and blue American flag brush from Peter at Spot Prints, G5C knot. Bowl is the Brusso and Dove, which I hadn’t pulled out in a while. Figured it fit the patriotic theme today.
Building the Lather
A couple of you have asked how I get a consistent lather, so I walked through my method on camera.
Scoop out the soap and mash it flat across the bottom of the bowl. Spread it evenly so you don’t end up with one big clump in the middle. Wet the brush with hot water, shake it out a little, then start working it into the soap. Go in circles, counter-clockwise, back and forth. Build friction against the bottom. Add water as you go, either from a spray bottle (around 10 to 15 sprays to start) or just re-wet the brush under hot water. I’ve been going with the hot wet brush lately because I like a warm lather. Add more water mid-build until you hit the consistency you want.
The longer you work it, the better. I’m usually in a rush and I don’t take as long as I probably should. John Paul Jones builds to a solid consistency without much fuss. If you really want to see how it’s done right, go check out Chris from Lather Yeti. He has the technique locked down.
The Mission
I’ve known most of these guys for about four years now. John from Cape Cod Shaving I’ve met a few times at the Ariana and Evans meetup. Barry from A Texan Shaves showed up at the last one, so I finally got to meet him in person. Chris from Lather Yeti and I have had plenty of conversations and FaceTime calls over the years. Doug from Dougie Shaving I haven’t crossed paths with yet.
Good group all around. If you don’t already follow them, go watch their videos. You need all five code words to complete the cipher. Collect them, put them together in the right order, and use the discount at heritagehillshaving.com before July 5th. The first code is at the end of this video.
Thanks for watching, agents. Good luck on the mission.