Musgo Real is one a well known traditional brand from Portugal that has been around for many years. Their products are priced very reasonably and easily perform on par with other traditional shaving products twice the retail price.
Triple-milled type shaving soaps are considered by many to be the upper class category of shaving products. Their less expensive, glycerin type soaps very rarely ever perform with the same quality that the best soaps that Trumpers, D.R. Harris, and other British firms produce. Truefitt & Hill's Luxury Shaving soap is a fine example of what a high end, luxury class soap should be.
Since the news of the transfer of ownership of the Simpsons brand over to Vulfix, many have speculated about what the newly produced Simpsons brushes would look like and whether or not the quality would be the same as before. I have been collecting various models of Simpsons brushes for the past two years, and I use these brushes regularly and really enjoy the characteristics of Simpsons that makes them unique from other traditional shaving brushes. Having several Vulfix brand brushes as well, I was hoping that the new owners of the brand would be able to produce a new brush by the same standards that would be worthy of carrying the Simpsons label on it. Last week I received one of the new brushes from Lee Cantor (leesrazors.com) in one of his first shipments to arrive.
One of the first hurdles that one has to overcome after making the decision to take up traditional shaving is to choose the correct razor. While the range of different double-edge safety razors produced today is fairly narrow, there are a lot of options for weight and handle designs that can make more of a difference than you may expect. Selecting a razor that is well balanced, comfortable to hold, and appropriate for a beginner's skill level is critical to enjoying your first shaves while you become acclimated with using the double edge.
Geo. F. Trumper shaving creams are among the most well-known available on the market today. The newest addition to their lineup of traditional scented creams is GFT. This cream is part of Trumper’s GFT category of products and very closely matches the scent of the cologne by the same name. The scent is light and citrus with a very nice lemon note to it. As far as the fragrance quality of the cream goes, this one is done very well.
American Wet Shaving in 2008—Retrospects and Prospects
On May 17, the first national wet shaving conference took place in Austin, Texas. The attendance was significant, particularly in light of the considerable personal sacrifice several of the participants made in order to attend. The event was conducted at both a local restaurant and my own store. In short, the meeting itself was a brilliant success. None of us anticipated that so much pure enjoyment and camaraderie could possibly occur outside of a battlefield setting.
The conference highlighted several wet shaving demonstrations and product discussions. In addition, an informal presentation was held regarding the long term development of the U.S. wet shaving business both at home and abroad. It was certainly the most interesting business engagement I have ever intended in a very long professional career. For those who attended, I extend my most personal and heartfelt thanks. Thanks to you all for a great and unforgettable experience. For those who could not attend, I can only extend my deepest regrets. For the latter, I strongly exhort you to attend the next meeting, as it will surely be an even more remarkable event.
By way of a brief review of some of the subjects addressed at the conference, I offer the a few discussion points for the reader’s consideration. These appear at the end of this address. However, right now, I would like to provide a brief historical overview for readers who may be coming to practice of wet shaving for the first time. Those already familiar with these matters will want to skip ahead to the concluding remarks.
A. Simpsons & Co. has long been regarded as one of the most respected manufacturers of premium shaving brushes. The classic handle shapes and the incredibly dense knotting of the badger hair put them, in my opinion, well beyond the quality of most brushes on the market today. However, recent production and quality issues have caused quite a bit of controversy among their followers. After many consumers began reporting issues with their brushes, such as hairs shedding or handles cracking, many started to question the future of the company. When I heard that the Simpsons brand was being sold to a new owner, obviously I was concerned about the future of the brand.
Right out of the box I was impressed with this shaving brush! This model is commonly rebranded and sold by high-end vendors, such as Truefitt & Hill and The Art of Shaving, for more than double the price of the original Vulfix model. My brush is stamped with the custom logo from Lee's Safety Razors; however, Lee prices this brush the same as an Original Vulfix. Upon opening the blue presentation box, it was obvious this brush is very well made and easily surpassed what I expected for the asking price.
For the longest time I was turned off from rose scented shaving products. Many of the popular shaving creams had synthetic fragrances that were not enjoyable. When I began using traditional hard shaving soaps more frequently, I discovered that the rose scent of a shaving soap was more to my liking. Geo. F. Trumper’s Rose offering is among the best of the hard soaps I've used.
In general, lime scents can smell very synthetic and typically don't have the best longevity. However, because I am a big fan of Geo. F. Trumper products, I decided to give their Limes aftershave a try. I opted for the aftershave because I really enjoy a top-quality splash, especially as the weather is warming. Also, I know the Limes cologne is notorious for short staying power on the skin, which is not what I want in cologne. With an aftershave, staying power isn't really what I'm after, so I thought it'd be worth a shot.
When I unscrewed the gold crown and took a whiff, my senses were hit with the most crisp and purest lime scent I've ever encountered. This is exactly what the ideal lime-scented product should smell like. Honestly, it kind of ruined me on other limes scents because I like it one so much. The scent is very natural lime unlike any of the others I’ve had the opportunity to sample.
The sting of the alcohol content is about on par with any decent quality aftershave splash. It was not overwhelming, but it was definitely noticeable. My face felt great as it dried down quickly and left that wonderful lime aroma behind. As expected, the scent began to wear off, but in that short time, it was pure luxury. It was the perfect end to a great shave that I usually like to top off with a bit of Trumper’s GFT cologne before I head out and face the day.
At $70.00 for 200ml, it is not a bargain by any stretch. However, if you want the best lime-scented aftershave splash on the market and can withstand the sticker shock, it is nothing short of amazing.
It is not a secret that Mike loves Geo. F. Trumper's fragrances. He has many bottles lined up across his dressing area, but one special bottle stands out. Eucris has a unique black glass bottle and silver crown top, and it is immediately apparent that it is not just another cologne. I chose to add my $0.02 with this review because Eucris is worth talking about.