Fantastic shave Paul! I'm glad you can show people that one can get a good shave using inexpensive goods. I really like the closeup shots of your flowers. Thanks! K
Beautiful Flowers!!! Nicely done. Temperature here is cooling, finally. Rain has been the greatest challenge in the Detroit area this summer... we finally got a couple inches this week. the lawn should green up now. thank you for enduring some cheaper products for the benefit of our review. I know you have some incredible products in your inventory. thanks for taking the time.
Sun is always shining when we have a good shave.) As you.))Many people bypass the Feather blade, for their over-sharpness. But if you tame them they give a good result. I am glad that you did. So smooth and so close. Few nicks is not considered). Thanks for nice flowers again. I like it.) I noticed that you have set up more brushes on the shelf. And yet ... If you were an actor and worked in the theater that could easily play both male and female roles. That's a compliment. In our country you can buy shea butter, via the Internet. Yellow color, and very thick.)
Great shave as always Paul you just cannot knock wilkinson sword soap in the bowl for the money Mrs H provided beautiful and colourful flowers. Enjoy the rest of the week.
You pretty much did the same shave I was doing for about the first 10 days of my vacation. Used that brush and that aftershave. The differences where I used a merkur 23c and I used that Hugo boss aftershave. I managed to get good shaves but I was much happier when I found a shop that sells the proraso line. Great shave hope you have a good rest of the week. Take care.
This was my first set up when I started DE shaving. The brush and puck are really good value and lasted a really long time. This is helpful as I also shave my head. Moved on and up now though do prefer a cram. Like seeing how different razors perform so thanks for making the vids. Think next on the list is the Muhle R41.
Nicely done. The Merkur Progress is easy to work with. I find it works wonders for me as I have sensitive skin. My Order came in, very neat stuff. The Tcheon Fung Sing Crazy Sandalwood shaving soap is kind of like Proraso red. The sandalwood scent is subtle. Though they have different scent notes. You have a good week Paul and take care. We'll see you on Sunday for the weeken shave.
wow Mrs H fantastic colours talking about new brushes, i bought an Erasmic from my local pharmacy for £2.99 about three weeks ago and have been using it all the time. it has turned into a fantastic soft brush, it sits proudly with my Omegas etc cracking vid mate catcha laters
Hi Paul . Absolutely Beautiful Roses Mrs H ! Great close up . I really love the Merkur Progress . Great Shave with the inexpensive soap by Wilkinson Sword . It's a Jungle here in the Southeast USA , but its rained for days , HUMID ! Enjoy the vids So Much Paul . Mrs H can really find the Best Towels , too , I'm jealous , gorgeous colors and quality . Ladies have better taste , good pickers . I know you're thankful . I used an old barbershop AS/Cologne Stephan Island Lime (discontinued , bummer) , its great ! Have a wonderful end of the week . : ) Oh yeah ! Body Butter ....
I've been looking at the Wilkinson sword brush in Morrisons for some time but have never taken the final step and bought it. I do have the Body Shop shea body butter and love it as a moisturiser
Thnx Paul. Purchased the progress when I started out cause I thought it would be best choice for adjustable. Well let’s say if one is a daily shaver it may not be your best choice. 🤔
Good video Paul, back to basics, very vibrant display of flowers today very nice, Merkur Progress lovely razor, know what you mean about the Wilkinson Sword soap. - all the best Mark.
I bought " Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements " " Gondolier " Shaving Soap and Aftershave / Cologne. Amazing ! I bloom the soap with a thin layer of hot water and use my Semogue 1305 Boar Brush to whip up lashings of amazing smelling shaving soap. Smells something like Abercrombie and Fitch Cologne.
Not a bad brush the wilkinson you can pick them up really cheap in tesco and the shaving soap and Palmolive stick and cream ridiculously cheap it's about the cheapest place I have found also erasmic bowl soap can be brought for as cheap as 1 pound another old favourite that gives you a good lather I have also been able to pick up 5 wilkinson sword blades for 49p at buoys. Worth checking out on your travels if you are new to DE shaving .thanks Paul for showing us you don't have to spend lots of money to achieve a good shave .flowers lovely as usual you and yours have a great week.
+Shave- a-thon that's a fair point they come in a black unmarked plastic container the blades are individually packed in paper with the wilkinson sword logo on it the blade is plain with the logo on both sides there is no makers mark on anything I have shaved with these blades and found them ok I would probably liken them to the Russian made Gillette 7 o clocks. I get a minimum of 4 good shaves out of them a nice smooth blade.
+Shave- a-thon Wilkinson blades are about the only Wilkinson product I can find near me. I'm not sure where these are made, and it is hit or miss if various stores will carry them. I also forgot that Williams mug soap can be found in stores here, sometimes, next to the Aqua Velva. Williams dissapates quickly on my face though.
The blades that are made in Germany are attached to a cardboard blister pack in the USA. The ones that are made in Germany are sold like this: www.maggardrazors.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Wilkinson-Sword-Germany-5-Pack-DE-Razor-Blades.jpg The Wilkinsons from India look like this and are sold unattached to cardboard: www.maggardrazors.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Gillette-Wilkinson-Sword-razor-DE-blades-5-pack-India-350x350.jpg If it's the ones from Germany and don't have the blister pack attached, there's a chance they were purchased at closeout or may have been in some sort of flood damaging. That's usually how retailers can sell them at such cheaper price, unless some countries feel the cardboard takes too much shelf space and prefer to sell them loose. Here's a thread with some photos: badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/274523-Difference-between-Wilkinson-blades This one has a photo comparison to the Wilkinson blades that used to be made in the UK badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/274523-Difference-between-Wilkinson-blades
Try adding a drop or two of glycerin to the bowl lather of Williams if you find it dissipating. That will thicken it up. Usually, it means that there's a bit too much water in the lather. I get some really nice shaves with Williams Mug Soap. I pay $1.19 per puck at an independent drugstore in my area. I love Aqua Velva Musk, by the way! As far as the made in Germany Wilkinson blades go, I've just finished my 12th shave with the same blade. All are three pass + pickup BBS shaves, and I even switch the blade between razors! I've never come close to getting that many shaves with any other blade. Check my links in the last comment to see the difference. The German made Wilkinson's come in a black plastic container with a white piece of cardboard inside. The India made Wilksons come in what looks like a cardboard holder that's blue, white and red in color.
Excellent video, thank you and thank you to Mrs. H for the beautiful floral arrangement. My favorite brand for brushes is Simpsons. Recently I have acquired two of the Chubby 2s in synthetic, one in ivory and one in butterscotch. These brushes are fantastic and wondering if you have tried one and if so, what are your thoughts?
hey Paul great shave but one remark no offense this time I think you did a dry shave and not a wet shave the lather was too dry I was wondering how the blade was gliding)). very beautiful flowers and also I have a brush exactly like your wilkinson one but its schick and looks exactly the same )) thanks for the video
A fine shave, Paul. I've always been interested in the Merkur Progress. I'd heard that it was possible to lose the reference on the razor, and not have the numbers correspond with respect to how aggressive the razor was set. I don't know if that's true or not, in your experience, but it's held me back in purchasing one. I used an adjustable today, also - an old Fatboy I've recently picked up. I also used the Lavender Thayer's. Good stuff. Hope the second half of your week goes well.
My Merkur Progress released from the factory calibrated to start at setting 5! What that means is that my setting 5 is the usual setting that's a little before the first one. In addition, the head design of the arrow has changed You might want to read this thread I started: badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/484279-Suggestions-for-Calibrating-New-Merkur-Progress-Long-Handle
Hiya Paul Perhaps you don't realise it, but you're rather lucky that the aftershave reached you from the States, and very much irrespective of whether the shipment was a private or a business one. Reason being that strictly speaking for security purposes no liquid can be sent via airmail, from the States to the UK and vice versa. The same goes for sending from the UK to the continent. I had a lovely fragrance that I sent as a present, 3yrs ago, from here (UK) to the continent and it just never made to its destination. Got a letter in the post, some 3 weeks after I'd posted the fragrance, letting me that it was destroyed for security purposes. I was gutted I was as it wasn't cheap, but to be fair it was my fault for I'd been forewarned by the post office lady that liquid is not allowed. So, assuredly count yourself lucky that this a/shave ever reached you.
I am indeed very lucky, I do hope that now we are not in the E.U...maybe some of those laws can be looked at especially between the USA and UK....we will see.....all the best....Paul.
+PaulHFilms More to do, I'm afraid, with the extent of fear of terrorism... flights falling from the sky, planes used as missiles, etc. Even out of the EU or in the EU, such precautions won't change till they have the means (technology) to tell apart harmless aftershaves/fragrances from deliberately harmful substances. Otherwise, I can assure you there 're some aftershaves from the States'd love to try & I'm sure Americans would love to try some aftershaves from the continent/UK. Cheers :)
Wow, I really have to wonder that someone would touch this soap after having tried basically anything else. It was my first soap and I felt really disappointed as I switched to classic wet shaving because of irritation I got from cartridge razors and even from electric razors. I later upgraded to Proraso white series (after trying out many different creams and soaps and I am totally happy with it!
On the weather question: Speaking from the middle of the US (Missouri). It depends where in the US you are whether you get the humidity or not. If you're in the desert southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, etc), it can get 105, 110, even 115 deg F (40-45deg.C) but you have 20% or less humidity. It's still bloody hot, but your sweat evaporates and it's at least somewhat bearable for short periods, although you probably die without air conditioning. Here where I live, it can get 100 to 105 deg F sometimes in the summer, but the humidity can be 80-90%, That's when you walk out of your house and melt instantly. Most of the US east of the Rockies can get like that which is why we have many more air conditioners than in Europe and Great Britain.
That exact soap arrived in the mail directly from Birmingham, England, yesterday. In my case I very much like the fragrance. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to get the get the "Blue" stick too. :) About the heat in the States--in this location it is both High Heat and Humidity. Today for example it's around 54% but earlier in the week it was 75%...The actual temp is about 94 F but the feel like temp is 104!
Great shave Boyo. I reckon there's a just a very slightly reminiscent hint of Brute 33 in PAA CaD or Fine American Blend. Both are a take (directly or indirectly) on one of the Barbasol foam scents. Perhaps "Barbasol Original"? Someone here will recognise it.
C.A.D was made to profile Barbasol, it had a name that was close to the Barbasol name and P.A.A recived a legal letter saying to cease and desist Thus the name C.A.D.
Paul, many thanks again for the great videos! Every time I watch one of your videos, I end up going out and buying the product !! ( Or at least, so it seems!! ) Anyway, I just received my Wilkinson Sword shaving soap (the same as in this video) from an eBay seller in the UK. Please explain to me...what do you mean when you said that you did not "bloom" the soap 1st? Is that a method that helps the soap lather better? How do you do it ? Many thanks, again ! -Rob-
Blooming simply means to soak it in water, all I do is get hot water from the tap, and cover the soap with it....let it sit there for about ten minutes, you can use the water then as a pre-shave wash save wasting it or tip it out...then start to create your lather, it helps the soap.....Paul.
Hi Paul - great video always ! Can I ask, do you use witch hazel on your non shave days as part of your wash routine, or just on shave days? I've started using with hazel the last month but unsure if I should only use it after I shave, or are there benefits to using it daily! Thanks 👍
Paul, As always you make it Fun. I was wondering who always gives you the one thumbs down, Not Mrs H. is it ....Lol! Especially after the Shea butter comment You have not used a Injector Razor for a while any plans to pull one out ? The H.H. Brush is on it's way.
You want dry heat? Come to Las Vegas where I live... 105 to 110 degrees. When you get in your car after it has been parked for a half hour, it's 140 degrees inside. The nice thing is, my shave brush dries in a few hours and my blades and hardware dry in minutes. CAD or Fine American Blend almost identical scents is my all time favorite aftershave scent. It's what an aftershave should smell like and the scent last for me a good 7 hours.
I've always wondered how the dry heat compares to the 95° F temp. and high humidity here in NYC, especially down in those subways. Are you a fan of the cooling high menthol aftershaves like Osage Rub and Krampert's Frost Bite? Some of the guys on the B&B forums mix Osage Rub and Mennens' Skin Bracer in a 50/50 solution.
Shave- a-thon No, I am not a huge menthol fan, only lightly mentholated. I am from Michigan originally and may I say, my recent trip cure me, I will take this heat over humidity. After taking a shower and toweling off, you are still dripping wet and can never get dry. Uuugh
Hey Paul nice video again!! Can you try to shave with coconut oil? It seems to be a nice organic alternative. I already tried it by myself, but i want to get to know your opinion.
Well done Nostalgic Paul and MrsH, another great shave and a gorgeous vase of flowers, I think your good lady could make half a dozen of your sweet millions and a slice of cucumber look amazing 😌👏 Like you I don't think you necessarily need high end produce to get a great shave, one of my absolute favourite brushes is the synthetic 10065 S brush, an incredible brush for the price 😍 Saying that, I'm not going to deny a lot of the posh stuff is great 😂
Your right there Dave....she could make my toms look fantastic....lol....yes nice to have the good stuff, but the least expensive does just the same job well....all the best...Paul.
Hey Paul I was wondering if you would make a video using the no lather or non foaming shaving creams like Bulldog and King Of Shaves shaving cream, I would like to know your opinion on them as a long time wet shaver? Cheers
Hi Paul. Real nice shave. Strange, I stopped into a shop the other day to pick up a few double chins. Couldn`t find them so I asked the owner and he just kind of rolled his eyes and said "Sorry we`re fresh out" Later when I left he said "Sorry we couldn`t help, keep your chin up" ha ha ha wise guy
Paul, ever use an inexpensive soap, and wonder why you would spend more money on anything else? Palmolive cream is one of those for me. Still, I do love the more expensive stuff. By the way, I went on Amazon looking for the Paul H model of double chin
In my area, one is lucky to find either Van Der Hagen or C.O. Bigelow products in stores. It seems one has to go to New York or Chicago to find shops that carry other creams and soaps. I have seen Nivea, and even a Gillette cream in tubes, but the latter is not the Gillette cream I have seen online. I used to have some of the version sold in stores here. It wasn't bad, but it would be hard to find the soaps and creams you use, in stores here.
+Shave- a-thon PS: (and pardon me for being so wordy), but I forgot that we have an Art of Shaving store here. It is probably an hour's drive from me though. I like their products, but they are pricey for my budget. I got a free, 25$ retail value, kit of theirs, with some cologne I bought at a department store. The cologne was really outside my budget, but it is also likely to last me for years, if I can hang onto it. The little shaving kit is for travel, but I put it into my rotation. Hope you are having great shaves.
Art of Shaving is owned by Gillette via Proctor & Gamble. I wouldn't step foot in those stores unless they had a 50% off sale. Check out Giftsandcare.com from Spain, Shaving.ie in Ireland, Westcoastshaving.com when they have sales and free shipping offers, along with the Hot Deals forums of Badgerandblade.com, and TheShaveden.com, along with Slickdeals.net. In addition, for whatever you like that Amazon carries directly (not 3rd party resellers), you should set up a price alert on Camelcamelcamel.com. Atlantabarber.com along with Appletonbarbersupply.com have excellent prices on Clubman and Jeris among other things. From personal experience, I know that Atlantabarber.com has prompt delivery and good customer service. For all these sites, especially those in other countries, you need to build up a nice order to make the shipping fee worthwhile. Either wait until you really can use alot or know of a good number of items you desire, or ask friends to join in on the order. Usually, the prices make it worthwhile, regardless of the shipping cost. Dealsforsalons.com has a pretty high shipping fee, but they have a very low price on Proraso: I've never ordered from them, though.
Back at the beginning of the year, Perfumania.com had an incredible sale on Tabac. I bought several bowls w/soap and shaving creams. I think the price for the shaving soap in their beautiful porcelain bowl was about $8.50 and the cream tube was about $4.25. I think Proraso soap and cream is excellent, but Tabac is my favorite.
They are totally different, the futur is very heavy and more aggressive, the Progress is lighter and less aggressive, that is the only comparison really....but in regards to shaving they are so different again...thanks Paul.
Love that razor, hate, absolutely hate that soap. I've tried all methods with my water and it just doesn't work for me. The shave stick on the other hand by Wilkinson, works great. Derby, except for the scent, is much better for me, and I've just started using Tabac, and it's worth the money.
one discovery I want to share with all the viewers instead of spending so much money on preshaves I put a little bit of glycerin on my face before latherin my face becomes smooth like silk and the shaving is 200 times more comfortable and no cuts .
Vitamin E oil found in the dollar stores is another one and Nutrogena Facial Cleansing Bars are good, too. They're clear bars with glycerin and sodium tallowate as ingredients. I melt them into a plastic container and just dip wet fingers in there and smear it around my face on occasion as a pre-shave. However, those Proraso pre-shave creams are terrific.
Here's a collage of four screen captures from this video with the CC on. That cc translation on the bottom left changes the whole plot of your shaving video! Oh those poor people who are deciphering this video with cc on! i.imgur.com/Zd2oifZ.jpg By the way, what''s the longevity of PAA Cad aftershave?. Many say their aftershaves are cologne strength.
I'm going to make several comments to this video as I think it's better than writing one long one with several points. First of all, here's a photo of my shave from last night. imgur.com/a/3XMtZ Wet DE shaving gives one a renewed appreciation for the older, barbershop type scents, and I've rediscovered Royal Copanhagen AS. I've got to get some Jovan Musk AS next! You'll note the Semogue 830 and my Merkur Progress. Although the blade isn't aligned properly, it's close to perfect and I still get great shaves. Since you can turn the handle 2.5 times, there are really about 12 settings to the Merkur Progress. Have you ever dialed it up 2 turns for a setting 10 equivalent?
I can't remember if I told you about the problems I've had with my Merkur Progress. I couldn't get one that didn't have an imperfection or two. I finally settled when Amazon gave me half off to keep my 2nd replacement, but the blade alignment isn't perfect. I have more exposure on one side. It's also calibrated to start at setting 5 Were you aware that they changed the top cap and base plate design? You can read all about it here: badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/484005-Merkur-Progress-Changed badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/484279-Suggestions-for-Calibrating-New-Merkur-Progress-Long-Handle badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/483119-Merkur-Progress-Long-Handle-now-50-29-on-Amazon-com?p=8071438#post8071438 I have a similar problem with my Futur in that there's more blade exposure on one side because the blade can be nudged after the cap is snapped in. Merkur sent me a new Futur top cap and base plate, but it didn't help.
Paul, ever use an inexpensive soap, and wonder why you would spend more money on anything else? Palmolive cream is one of those for me. Still, I do love the more expensive stuff. By the way, I went on Amazon looking for the Paul H model of double chin
Fantastic shave Paul! I'm glad you can show people that one can get a good shave using inexpensive goods. I really like the closeup shots of your flowers. Thanks! K
Gr8 shave Paul! And really very beautiful flowers! Well done to Mrs. H.! And thank you for sharing!
Beautiful Flowers!!! Nicely done. Temperature here is cooling, finally. Rain has been the greatest challenge in the Detroit area this summer... we finally got a couple inches this week. the lawn should green up now. thank you for enduring some cheaper products for the benefit of our review. I know you have some incredible products in your inventory. thanks for taking the time.
Thank you very much.
Very nice shave, Paul good fun! Please tell Mrs H the flowers are wonderful.
Sun is always shining when we have a good shave.) As you.))Many people bypass the Feather blade, for their over-sharpness. But if you tame them they give a good result. I am glad that you did. So smooth and so close. Few nicks is not considered). Thanks for nice flowers again. I like it.) I noticed that you have set up more brushes on the shelf. And yet ... If you were an actor and worked in the theater that could easily play both male and female roles. That's a compliment. In our country you can buy shea butter, via the Internet. Yellow color, and very thick.)
It is a great blade after the first use I always find too......thanks for the compliment also.....Paul.
Open All Hours... One of our favorite shows. Nice video again Paul. Love your stories, memories, and sincerity. All the best. Diana 😃
Good show wasn't it...thanks Diana.
+PaulHFilms Forgot to say, most of all enjoy your humor! 😃 Diana 🍅
Paul It's Real Humid here in Harrisonburg Va ... Be Glad When Fall Is Here 👍👍
Beautiful shave! Becoming my favorite channel quickly!
Great shave as always Paul you just cannot knock wilkinson sword soap in the bowl for the money Mrs H provided beautiful and colourful flowers. Enjoy the rest of the week.
You pretty much did the same shave I was doing for about the first 10 days of my vacation. Used that brush and that aftershave. The differences where I used a merkur 23c and I used that Hugo boss aftershave. I managed to get good shaves but I was much happier when I found a shop that sells the proraso line. Great shave hope you have a good rest of the week. Take care.
This was my first set up when I started DE shaving. The brush and puck are really good value and lasted a really long time. This is helpful as I also shave my head.
Moved on and up now though do prefer a cram. Like seeing how different razors perform so thanks for making the vids. Think next on the list is the Muhle R41.
Nicely done. The Merkur Progress is easy to work with. I find it works wonders for me as I have sensitive skin. My Order came in, very neat stuff. The Tcheon Fung Sing Crazy Sandalwood shaving soap is kind of like Proraso red. The sandalwood scent is subtle. Though they have different scent notes. You have a good week Paul and take care. We'll see you on Sunday for the weeken shave.
wow Mrs H fantastic colours
talking about new brushes, i bought an Erasmic from my local pharmacy for £2.99 about three weeks ago and have been using it all the time. it has turned into a fantastic soft brush, it sits proudly with my Omegas etc
cracking vid mate catcha laters
Mrs. H always does a great job with the flowers. I wonder if she has ever considered doing flower arranging for weddings etc.
Thank you, no she does it as a home hobby really.
I loved your suggestion for the body butter, my wife didn't, but I did.
Hi Paul . Absolutely Beautiful Roses Mrs H ! Great close up . I really love the Merkur Progress . Great Shave with the inexpensive soap by Wilkinson Sword . It's a Jungle here in the Southeast USA , but its rained for days , HUMID ! Enjoy the vids So Much Paul . Mrs H can really find the Best Towels , too , I'm jealous , gorgeous colors and quality . Ladies have better taste , good pickers . I know you're thankful . I used an old barbershop AS/Cologne Stephan Island Lime (discontinued , bummer) , its great ! Have a wonderful end of the week . : ) Oh yeah ! Body Butter ....
Thanks Michael.
Only thinking about you using the Progress again and lo and behold here's the video! Top stuff.
Stay sharp Paul
Mark
Cheers Mark.
I've been looking at the Wilkinson sword brush in Morrisons for some time but have never taken the final step and bought it. I do have the Body Shop shea body butter and love it as a moisturiser
Thnx Paul. Purchased the progress when I started out cause I thought it would be best choice for adjustable. Well let’s say if one is a daily shaver it may not be your best choice. 🤔
I love my Merkur progress,very smooth shaver with the right blade.The p.a.a cad soap is available here in the U.K,it's been certified by the E.U.
Great razor isn't it, and yes Douglas said about being E.U. certified....bit late now though here...lol.
Good video Paul, back to basics, very vibrant display of flowers today very nice, Merkur Progress lovely razor, know what you mean about the Wilkinson Sword soap. - all the best Mark.
just picket up a long handled Mergress. fantastic razor, maybe even shading the Futur for my Number 1 slot. great video as usual.
As always Paul that was an excellent superb shave💈💈💈💈.
Many thanks Jarryd :-)
Beautiful and colorful flowers. Thank you!!! Mrs. H. Love your shaving, hot & spicy and g&p videos. Alot of fun they are. Have a great day!!!!!
Thank you.
Great video as always Paul, Paul have you heard of a shaving cream called Occams? it's Australian made and comes in lime and natural scent.
Hey Paul! Hope your doing well. Just got out of surgery by my collar bone. Back to shaving in a day or two. Can't wait/
Hope you do well recovering, and enjoy the shaves...all the best Frank.
+PaulHFilms Thanks pal!
You can get Fine American Blend A/S here in the UK which I believe is similar to CAD.
Love your video Paul as always.
Great video Paul.
Love your videos have a good rest of your week
I bought " Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements " " Gondolier " Shaving Soap and Aftershave / Cologne. Amazing !
I bloom the soap with a thin layer of hot water and use my Semogue 1305 Boar Brush to whip up lashings of amazing smelling shaving soap.
Smells something like Abercrombie and Fitch Cologne.
I use proraso shave cream and it works just great
Not a bad brush the wilkinson you can pick them up really cheap in tesco and the shaving soap and Palmolive stick and cream ridiculously cheap it's about the cheapest place I have found also erasmic bowl soap can be brought for as cheap as 1 pound another old favourite that gives you a good lather I have also been able to pick up 5 wilkinson sword blades for 49p at buoys. Worth checking out on your travels if you are new to DE shaving .thanks Paul for showing us you don't have to spend lots of money to achieve a good shave .flowers lovely as usual you and yours have a great week.
Are the Wilkinson blades you're buying made in Germany or India? The India made version is cheaper.
+Shave- a-thon that's a fair point they come in a black unmarked plastic container the blades are individually packed in paper with the wilkinson sword logo on it the blade is plain with the logo on both sides there is no makers mark on anything I have shaved with these blades and found them ok I would probably liken them to the Russian made Gillette 7 o clocks. I get a minimum of 4 good shaves out of them a nice smooth blade.
+Shave- a-thon Wilkinson blades are about the only Wilkinson product I can find near me. I'm not sure where these are made, and it is hit or miss if various stores will carry them. I also forgot that Williams mug soap can be found in stores here, sometimes, next to the Aqua Velva. Williams dissapates quickly on my face though.
The blades that are made in Germany are attached to a cardboard blister pack in the USA. The ones that are made in Germany are sold like this: www.maggardrazors.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Wilkinson-Sword-Germany-5-Pack-DE-Razor-Blades.jpg
The Wilkinsons from India look like this and are sold unattached to cardboard: www.maggardrazors.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Gillette-Wilkinson-Sword-razor-DE-blades-5-pack-India-350x350.jpg
If it's the ones from Germany and don't have the blister pack attached, there's a chance they were purchased at closeout or may have been in some sort of flood damaging. That's usually how retailers can sell them at such cheaper price, unless some countries feel the cardboard takes too much shelf space
and prefer to sell them loose.
Here's a thread with some photos:
badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/274523-Difference-between-Wilkinson-blades
This one has a photo comparison to the Wilkinson blades that used to be made in the UK
badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/274523-Difference-between-Wilkinson-blades
Try adding a drop or two of glycerin to the bowl lather of Williams if you find it dissipating. That will thicken it up. Usually, it means that there's a bit too much water in the lather. I get some really nice shaves with Williams Mug Soap. I pay $1.19 per puck at an independent drugstore in my area. I love Aqua Velva Musk, by the way!
As far as the made in Germany Wilkinson blades go, I've just finished my 12th shave with the same blade. All are three pass + pickup BBS shaves, and I even switch the blade between razors! I've never come close to getting that many shaves with any other blade. Check my links in the last comment to see the difference. The German made Wilkinson's come in a black plastic container with a white piece of cardboard inside. The India made Wilksons come in what looks like a cardboard holder that's blue, white and red in color.
Excellent video, thank you and thank you to Mrs. H for the beautiful floral arrangement. My favorite brand for brushes is Simpsons. Recently I have acquired two of the Chubby 2s in synthetic, one in ivory and one in butterscotch. These brushes are fantastic and wondering if you have tried one and if so, what are your thoughts?
I have one Simpson brush the Colonel X2L and love it...thanks...Paul.
+PaulHFilms I have that model as well and it is excellent.
hey Paul great shave but one remark no offense this time I think you did a dry shave and not a wet shave the lather was too dry I was wondering how the blade was gliding)). very beautiful flowers and also I have a brush exactly like your wilkinson one but its schick and looks exactly the same )) thanks for the video
A fine shave, Paul. I've always been interested in the Merkur Progress. I'd heard that it was possible to lose the reference on the razor, and not have the numbers correspond with respect to how aggressive the razor was set. I don't know if that's true or not, in your experience, but it's held me back in purchasing one. I used an adjustable today, also - an old Fatboy I've recently picked up. I also used the Lavender Thayer's. Good stuff. Hope the second half of your week goes well.
My Merkur Progress released from the factory calibrated to start at setting 5! What that means is that my setting 5
is the usual setting that's a little before the first one. In addition, the head design of the arrow has changed You might want to read this thread I started:
badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/484279-Suggestions-for-Calibrating-New-Merkur-Progress-Long-Handle
Yeesh - I think I'll stick with my old Gillette adjustables. Thanks for your link, Shave-a-thon!
More close up edits of the flowers please, Paul.
Hiya Paul
Perhaps you don't realise it, but you're rather lucky that the aftershave reached you from the States, and very much irrespective of whether the shipment was a private or a business one. Reason being that strictly speaking for security purposes no liquid can be sent via airmail, from the States to the UK and vice versa. The same goes for sending from the UK to the continent. I had a lovely fragrance that I sent as a present, 3yrs ago, from here (UK) to the continent and it just never made to its destination. Got a letter in the post, some 3 weeks after I'd posted the fragrance, letting me that it was destroyed for security purposes. I was gutted I was as it wasn't cheap, but to be fair it was my fault for I'd been forewarned by the post office lady that liquid is not allowed. So, assuredly count yourself lucky that this a/shave ever reached you.
I am indeed very lucky, I do hope that now we are not in the E.U...maybe some of those laws can be looked at especially between the USA and UK....we will see.....all the best....Paul.
+PaulHFilms More to do, I'm afraid, with the extent of fear of terrorism... flights falling from the sky, planes used as missiles, etc. Even out of the EU or in the EU, such precautions won't change till they have the means (technology) to tell apart harmless aftershaves/fragrances from deliberately harmful substances. Otherwise, I can assure you there 're some aftershaves from the States'd love to try & I'm sure Americans would love to try some aftershaves from the continent/UK. Cheers :)
Wow, I really have to wonder that someone would touch this soap after having tried basically anything else.
It was my first soap and I felt really disappointed as I switched to classic wet shaving because of irritation I got from cartridge razors and even from electric razors.
I later upgraded to Proraso white series (after trying out many different creams and soaps and I am totally happy with it!
On the weather question:
Speaking from the middle of the US (Missouri). It depends where in the US you are whether you get the humidity or not. If you're in the desert southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, etc), it can get 105, 110, even 115 deg F (40-45deg.C) but you have 20% or less humidity. It's still bloody hot, but your sweat evaporates and it's at least somewhat bearable for short periods, although you probably die without air conditioning. Here where I live, it can get 100 to 105 deg F sometimes in the summer, but the humidity can be 80-90%, That's when you walk out of your house and melt instantly. Most of the US east of the Rockies can get like that which is why we have many more air conditioners than in Europe and Great Britain.
Wow...that is hot..lol...
That exact soap arrived in the mail directly from Birmingham, England, yesterday. In my case I very much like the fragrance. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to get the get the "Blue" stick too. :)
About the heat in the States--in this location it is both High Heat and Humidity. Today for example it's around 54% but earlier in the week it was 75%...The actual temp is about 94 F but the feel like temp is 104!
did not even know Wilkinson sword made a brush, it looks nice
Yeah I have one of those brushes, it's not too bad, got a reasonable amount of backbone and I think it's sold normally only for a few pounds
Great shave Boyo. I reckon there's a just a very slightly reminiscent hint of Brute 33 in PAA CaD or Fine American Blend. Both are a take (directly or indirectly) on one of the Barbasol foam scents. Perhaps "Barbasol Original"? Someone here will recognise it.
C.A.D was made to profile Barbasol, it had a name that was close to the Barbasol name and P.A.A recived a legal letter saying to cease and desist Thus the name C.A.D.
nice shave & very beautiful flowers
Loved it Paul. I have that Soap unopened and don't Know what to do Now ?? TRY IT?????
Yes give it a try, bloom it first too....see what you think...Paul.
Good Shave Paul and Granvile F F Fetch Ya Cloth! lol ;-)
Yes...lol....cheers Rob.
Paul, many thanks again for the great videos! Every time I watch one of your videos, I end up going out and buying the product !! ( Or at least, so it seems!! ) Anyway, I just received my Wilkinson Sword shaving soap (the same as in this video) from an eBay seller in the UK. Please explain to me...what do you mean when you said that you did not "bloom" the soap 1st? Is that a method that helps the soap lather better? How do you do it ?
Many thanks, again !
-Rob-
Blooming simply means to soak it in water, all I do is get hot water from the tap, and cover the soap with it....let it sit there for about ten minutes, you can use the water then as a pre-shave wash save wasting it or tip it out...then start to create your lather, it helps the soap.....Paul.
Kevy Shaves pulled out his Paul H. double chin today...... :)
Hi Paul - great video always ! Can I ask, do you use witch hazel on your non shave days as part of your wash routine, or just on shave days? I've started using with hazel the last month but unsure if I should only use it after I shave, or are there benefits to using it daily! Thanks 👍
I use it in shaves only usually, but no harm using it daily either...good stuff....Paul.
I think the CaD is supposed to resemble barbasol shaving foam (can)
Great scent, I like it very much.
nice one paul .
Paul, As always you make it Fun.
I was wondering who always gives you the one thumbs down, Not Mrs H. is it ....Lol! Especially after the Shea butter comment
You have not used a Injector Razor for a while any plans to pull one out ? The H.H. Brush is on it's way.
Thanks, yes will use one of those in the coming shaves probably.....Could be Mrs H...lol...have some great shaves....Paul.
You want dry heat? Come to Las Vegas where I live... 105 to 110 degrees. When you get in your car after it has been parked for a half hour, it's 140 degrees inside. The nice thing is, my shave brush dries in a few hours and my blades and hardware dry in minutes. CAD or Fine American Blend almost identical scents is my all time favorite aftershave scent. It's what an aftershave should smell like and the scent last for me a good 7 hours.
I've always wondered how the dry heat compares to the 95° F temp. and high humidity here in NYC, especially down in those subways. Are you a fan of the cooling high menthol aftershaves like Osage Rub and Krampert's Frost Bite? Some of the guys on the B&B forums mix Osage Rub and Mennens' Skin Bracer in a 50/50 solution.
Shave- a-thon No, I am not a huge menthol fan, only lightly mentholated. I am from Michigan originally and may I say, my recent trip cure me, I will take this heat over humidity. After taking a shower and toweling off, you are still dripping wet and can never get dry. Uuugh
That is hot....air conditioning must be a life saver there..lol..handy for drying things as you say....love the scent of CaD....all the best Tony.
Hey Paul nice video again!!
Can you try to shave with coconut oil? It seems to be a nice organic alternative. I already tried it by myself, but i want to get to know your opinion.
I will do that if I get some yes....sounds interesting....Paul.
Well done Nostalgic Paul and MrsH, another great shave and a gorgeous vase of flowers, I think your good lady could make half a dozen of your sweet millions and a slice of cucumber look amazing 😌👏
Like you I don't think you necessarily need high end produce to get a great shave, one of my absolute favourite brushes is the synthetic 10065 S brush, an incredible brush for the price 😍 Saying that, I'm not going to deny a lot of the posh stuff is great 😂
Your right there Dave....she could make my toms look fantastic....lol....yes nice to have the good stuff, but the least expensive does just the same job well....all the best...Paul.
Hey Paul I was wondering if you would make a video using the no lather or non foaming shaving creams like Bulldog and King Of Shaves shaving cream, I would like to know your opinion on them as a long time wet shaver?
Cheers
Will look into that, thanks...Paul.
Hi Paul. Real nice shave. Strange, I stopped into a shop the other day to pick up a few double chins. Couldn`t find them so I asked the owner and he just kind of rolled his eyes and said "Sorry we`re fresh out" Later when I left he said "Sorry we couldn`t help, keep your chin up" ha ha ha wise guy
Lol....would be great if that happened....love it...cheers Brian.
thanks
Paul, ever use an inexpensive soap, and wonder why you would spend more money on anything else? Palmolive cream is one of those for me. Still, I do love the more expensive stuff. By the way, I went on Amazon looking for the Paul H model of double chin
All the time....lol...but still buy the stuff....chins sold out?..oh no you got Alfred Hitchcock's good enough :-)
it was a cool shave
I bet the brush doesn't smell as good as the Cai Dai piglets! Beautiful flowers again! atb
Mark in Texas!
They smell of Maple and Brown sugar! :-)
Very true that Mark...lol.
Clothes stick to ya sweating .... What Fun !!
do you have a problem with the alignament of the blade in the merkur progress?
No not with mine, I have heard one or two other people say they have.
In my area, one is lucky to find either Van Der Hagen or C.O. Bigelow products in stores. It seems one has to go to New York or Chicago to find shops that carry other creams and soaps. I have seen Nivea, and even a Gillette cream in tubes, but the latter is not the Gillette cream I have seen online. I used to have some of the version sold in stores here. It wasn't bad, but it would be hard to find the soaps and creams you use, in stores here.
I'm in NYC and I still order everything onine!
+Shave- a-thon, That is interesting.
+Shave- a-thon PS: (and pardon me for being so wordy), but I forgot that we have an Art of Shaving store here. It is probably an hour's drive from me though. I like their products, but they are pricey for my budget. I got a free, 25$ retail value, kit of theirs, with some cologne I bought at a department store. The cologne was really outside my budget, but it is also likely to last me for years, if I can hang onto it. The little shaving kit is for travel, but I put it into my rotation. Hope you are having great shaves.
Art of Shaving is owned by Gillette via Proctor & Gamble. I wouldn't step foot in those stores unless they had a 50% off sale. Check out Giftsandcare.com from Spain, Shaving.ie in Ireland, Westcoastshaving.com when they have sales and free shipping offers, along with the Hot Deals forums of Badgerandblade.com, and TheShaveden.com, along with Slickdeals.net. In addition, for whatever you like that Amazon carries directly (not 3rd party resellers), you should set up a price alert on Camelcamelcamel.com.
Atlantabarber.com along with Appletonbarbersupply.com have excellent prices on Clubman and Jeris among other things. From personal experience, I know that Atlantabarber.com has prompt delivery and good customer service. For all these sites, especially those in other countries, you need to build up a nice order to make the shipping fee worthwhile. Either wait until you really can use alot or know of a good number of items you desire, or ask friends to join in on the order. Usually, the prices make it worthwhile, regardless of the shipping cost.
Dealsforsalons.com has a pretty high shipping fee, but they have a very low price on Proraso: I've never ordered from them, though.
Back at the beginning of the year, Perfumania.com had an incredible sale on Tabac. I bought several bowls w/soap and shaving creams. I think the price for the shaving soap in their beautiful porcelain bowl was about $8.50 and the cream tube was about $4.25. I think Proraso soap and cream is excellent, but Tabac is my favorite.
??? which razor is more aggressive: Merkur Progress or Fatip Piccolo
Thank you very much
For me personally it would be the Fatip Piccolo.
Try using Head & Shoulders Citrus shampoo, it may work against boar smell.
I use this shampoo for cleaning my brushes.
Take Care.
Matija.
Good idea, as I use conditioner on my Semogues every now and again....Paul.
Hello :) I have a question about razor .Your choice Merkur Progress Adjustable or Merkur Futur?
I woud choose the Futur...as I have had it so long.
love the flowers
Good one
why you can't compare progress with future?i am asking you because i want to buy the progress?
The Futur is a much more aggressive razor than the Progress.
+Shave- a-thon thanks
+Bu Jammy 😊
They are totally different, the futur is very heavy and more aggressive, the Progress is lighter and less aggressive, that is the only comparison really....but in regards to shaving they are so different again...thanks Paul.
Love that razor, hate, absolutely hate that soap. I've tried all methods with my water and it just doesn't work for me. The shave stick on the other hand by Wilkinson, works great. Derby, except for the scent, is much better for me, and I've just started using Tabac, and it's worth the money.
I never like the scent on this soap, but have become to enjoy it in the last few years.
"All over your wife's body"??? Have I Nice Week ;)
one discovery I want to share with all the viewers instead of spending so much money on preshaves I put a little bit of glycerin on my face before latherin my face becomes smooth like silk and the shaving is 200 times more comfortable and no cuts .
I use it added to soaps too...good tip..thanks for sharing.
Vitamin E oil found in the dollar stores is another one and Nutrogena Facial Cleansing Bars are good, too.
They're clear bars with glycerin and sodium tallowate as ingredients. I melt them into a plastic container and just dip wet fingers in there and smear it around my face on occasion as a pre-shave. However, those Proraso pre-shave creams are terrific.
+Shave- a-thon I have proraso pre shave creams and dont feel the difference with or without they dont work for me
In South Africa , the Afrikaans speaking people use the word clap as slang for slap. lol
No shea body butter on the wife Paul lol😂.
lol.
is the lady of the house into using a double edge razor?
if she is have you talk to her about de shaving for females?
No she doesn't..lol....too scared of them, she has once used a Wilkinson Sword Classic...but is happier using the lady razors.
+PaulHFilms ah ok
cheer paul having a good one.
I forgot to include the 2nd closed caption here. The closed captioned Paul appears to have found a new reason to meditate!
i.imgur.com/KZAGhyO.jpg
they were out. offered me the Alfred Hitchcock instead.......
Here's a collage of four screen captures from this video with the CC on. That cc translation on the bottom left changes the whole plot of your shaving video! Oh those poor people who are deciphering this video with cc on!
i.imgur.com/Zd2oifZ.jpg
By the way, what''s the longevity of PAA Cad aftershave?. Many say their aftershaves are cologne strength.
I'm going to make several comments to this video as I think it's better than writing one long one with several points.
First of all, here's a photo of my shave from last night. imgur.com/a/3XMtZ
Wet DE shaving gives one a renewed appreciation for the older, barbershop type scents, and I've rediscovered Royal Copanhagen AS. I've got to get some Jovan Musk AS next! You'll note the Semogue 830 and my Merkur Progress. Although the blade isn't aligned properly, it's close to perfect and I still get great shaves. Since you can turn the handle 2.5 times, there are really about 12 settings to the Merkur Progress. Have you ever dialed it up 2 turns for a setting 10 equivalent?
I can't remember if I told you about the problems I've had with my Merkur Progress. I couldn't get one that didn't have an imperfection or two. I finally settled when Amazon gave me half off to keep my 2nd replacement, but the blade alignment isn't perfect. I have more exposure on one side. It's also calibrated to start at setting 5 Were you aware that they changed the top cap and base plate design? You can read all about it here:
badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/484005-Merkur-Progress-Changed
badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/484279-Suggestions-for-Calibrating-New-Merkur-Progress-Long-Handle
badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/483119-Merkur-Progress-Long-Handle-now-50-29-on-Amazon-com?p=8071438#post8071438
I have a similar problem with my Futur in that there's more blade exposure on one side because the blade can be nudged after the cap is snapped in. Merkur sent me a new Futur top cap and base plate, but it didn't help.
w.s The only shaving cream I ever threw in the bim, terible scent, terrible performance for me.
Wow...just shows how it can be so different for people...thanks David.
Paul, ever use an inexpensive soap, and wonder why you would spend more money on anything else? Palmolive cream is one of those for me. Still, I do love the more expensive stuff. By the way, I went on Amazon looking for the Paul H model of double chin
Yes, all the time..lol....but still end up buying expensive...must be in my blood :-)