Razor: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Double Open Comb
Brush: Yaqi Synthetic
Soap: Wholly Kaw Merchant of Tobacco
Aftershave: Chatillon Lux Unconditional Surrender
#samplesaturday I got a few new things in a mail call this week and I wanted to pair with an awesome sample I have been hoarding, Wholly Kaw Merchant of Tobacco. So many good things in this shave, where do I start?
I loaded a bit of the WK sample into my lather bowl. The scent is fantastic. I was expecting a typical tobacco scent but this isn’t following the norm. Instantly you are hit with a fantastic dark cocoa scent with just a subtle tobacco undertone to it. The soap sample I received is definitely a different formulation from the other Wholly Kaw I have in the den (Monaco Royale). It is a very soft soap, similar in texture to the Declaration Grooming line. I think I prefer this formula to the Donkey Milk/Tallow, which is also quite good. The lather I whipped up, while not as dense as what I typically see, was plenty slick and cushioning. It provided a great base for the shave. As I built the lather, the oad, vanilla and tobacco notes all came out. Man I love this scent profile.
For hardware, I used my new PAA double open comb. Right of the bat, this has 2 of the things I look for in a razor, looks and size. It it a very aggressive and stylish razor with a short handle, which is always my preference. I was a bit worried about weight as this only ways a few grams more than my tech and that is my beef (only one) with that razor, however the handle and head have a great counter balance making this feel about right. I could go for more heft but it doesn’t feel like a toy in my hand either. Aggression wise, this has more bark than bite. It is relatively mild. It was a really fun razor to shave with. At times I’m a bit annoyed with some of the chatter around PAA (and sometimes coming from) and this and another couple razors have created a bit of a buzz over cloning/copies/etc. I will say it almost turned me off this razor, but I’m glad I went for it. I will post about the comparison in the future, but I will say I have the Yaqi double open comb as well and can say it has some similarities but it isn’t a copy in my books. And cant we say that about most razors to some degree? Oh well, off the soap box.
I recently acquired this Unconditional Surrender as on of my first steps into Chantillon Lux products. This is a fantastic aftershave splash! Amber, tonka bean, amyris, cedarwood, agarwood, vetiver, cigar tobacco, black tea, jasmine and geranium. I pulled it for the tobacco notes, but I’d say it wasnt the perfect pairing (I’d probably opt for my vanilla sandalwood from Stirling next go) but man does it smell good. This has some good stuff in it to, as the alcohol burn is only slight and the skin is left feeling clean yet hydrated.
I am going to have to add some more of these product lines to my den for sure.
Have a great weekend all!
J
