June 8, 2024 - Small Business Saturday

• Brush: Maggard Razors Blue 24mm Brown Synthetic
• Razor: Maggard Razors V3M
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Maggard Razors - Limes & Bergamot
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Co - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime Toner
• Fragrance: For the Scent of It - Grand Soleil

FOF

Today’s Theme - Small Business Saturday:

Today my soap, brush, and razor are all Maggard Razors brand. Hits the theme right in the bullseye. Just like Maggard Razors hits me square in the wallet.

Mad Braggard Day:

I decided to review my account on Maggard Razors today. I have placed 15 orders since April of 2022. I didn’t think it was that many until this challenge made me peer into the abyss of my wallet’s despair. I better hide the page before my wife sees how much I’ve spent there in the last two years, and she decides she needs a trip to the jewelry store.

My largest single purchase was my most recent one of a Ralf Aust 6/8 Square Point with Horn Scales. Now that was the largest in dollars, but my second purchase was the most items at 17 which includes what I shaved with today. I’d say the straight razor was my biggest item in cost, but is it my “biggest, most stupid Maggard order?” Well obviously it is not in quantity.

10 years ago I would have thought it was stupid for a few reasons. Why are you spending $249 to slice open your neck? A Gillette Fusion Razor with 5 cartridges is just $20. 10 years ago was before I learned that Dorco made the Dollar Shave Co’s razors and cartridges. I could buy myself for about $1 per cartridge on Amazon Prime without getting into subscriptions and save $4 per cartridge. That’s a huge savings at 1/5 the Gillette cost. Then I learned how a DE blade can be bought for $.10 or less per blade. That’s like a zillion times less than Big Cartridge. I’ll save so much money I can retire early. Like many investments I’ve made, this turned out to be wishful thinking. Well the straight razor isn’t that stupid a purchase if you are getting into straight razors. Sure I can buy vintage razors made back when quality blades from Sheffield, Solingen, and the US were common. But unless spending big bucks, they will need some work.

I’d been toying with the idea of learning to shave with a straight razor since before I got into this hobby. Fear of butchering my face and neck kept me away, but last year’s Weckonista challenge got me to take my first steps. I only lost a couple ~~pints~~ drops of blood. The idea of finally getting a real straight was not seeming to be so far fetched. This year I decided to leap in if I was still getting a bonus and raise. Well, luckily I did get that last month. I promptly bought a bunch of “shave ready” restored vintage razors and a strop. Well the shave ready ones were sharp enough to cut some hair on my arm when I tested the edge, but it didn’t feel better than a Weck I’d used for a month on 1 blade. I probably could have asked some of the straight shavers here if they’d hone some, but I was swimming in cash (not literally, but bonus money for me is 50/50 for saving and playing). From my couple of years on this subreddit, I knew that Brad started his shaving empire honing razors. I needed to know what a honing master would do with a razor he sold. When I think of it that way, most sensible thing I’ve done in this hobby.

Last year I was lucky to place in the top 10 of the 2023 Lather Games, but in July. I won a generous gift card from the kind folks at Maggard Razors. I placed, what if it were from my personal funds, an order for the most expensive single soap I’d ever bought - Saponificio Varesino - Opuntia. Already pricy at €35-40 across the pond, it sells for $51 at any store that carries it in the US. Sure it is a triple milled hard soap that will last a long time, but is it 3 tubs of Stirling good? Better than 2 tubs of House of Mammoth? I’d say it’s not better than them. It is good, but I think reading other people’s SOTDs and why would so many people use it when it costs so much if it wasn’t better than free beer and blowjob night at the brothel? I’m guessing everyone buys it on sale or with a gift card like I did. I’ll put that tub as my most stupid order. Not that it isn’t a good product with a nice smell, but it could never live up to my expectations. Would I buy other SV products, probably, but on sale or with a discount code and/or gift cards.

Frangrant Feet:

I have a handful of Maggard Soap samples. I didn’t plan one, but originally I was between Lilac (my favorite spring flower) and London Barbershop. I got all of them together and spent some time deciding which ones smelled like what I want today. I love the scent of lilacs, but didn’t want that for a couple hours today. I would have paired it with DG - Mayfliwe splash, and maybe NO - Two Kings. Perhaps BaM Lavender Interrupted would have been good too. I kept going back to Limes & Bergamot. It is a great citrus bomb. Next what to use with it. Sea Spice Lime builds up that citrus some more with a bit of the spice implied in the name, but no mistake this is a LIME scent. Now the hardest part is what to cap it off? I thought perhaps Dr. Jon’s Hydra (I should have bought the splash and soap when I still could). No, I’ll save it for RIP day. Then I saw this sample of Grand Soleil I got not too long ago in a PIF. It opens up with bergamot and lemon, has some floral element, berries, vetiver, musk, and incense. 15 scents listed in total. It is playing nicely. The lemon and bergamot tie together with the lime and bergamot; while I think the incense and musk enhance the spice from the splash. Very pleased with this combination today.

The Shave:

Quick note if you are reading this far. Today’s secret word is smooth. After yesterday’s disaster of ATG only, I did a 4 pass shave and am as smooth (Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! RIP Peewee) as a baby’s butt.