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After all the stress surrounding my grandma's passing, I needed some "retail therapy". Yes, I know that's not an optimal coping mechanism; but here we are.

So since we had our first BVWSC shave with Abbate Y La Mantia soap, I was curious about the great soap quality and @[email protected] mentioned that they transitioned fully to hard soaps. Even more curious, I was able to find the first soap in a german webshop that started their shift towards hard soaps: Blue Tobacco, a scent that spoke to me as a former menthol cigarette smoker. Originally, I only wanted some extra items to get free shipping - and then this happened. Clearly I've got no self control...

THE GOODS:

• Abbate Y La Mantia Tobacco Blue (Blue Tobacco) shaving soap 🇮🇹
• E&S Rasage Shaman shaving soap, plus 3 body soaps (Solstice , Barber and Azur) 🇨🇵
• HAGS Barberwood soap, witch hazel toner and beard oil 🇬🇷
• Los Jabones de Joserra Masala Connection shaving soap 🇪🇦
• Saponificio Varesino sample pack (ALL of their aftershave balms, one beard wash and balm respectively plus a "Pro Victis" skin repair cream) 🇮🇹
• Meißner Tremonia Dark Limes beard soap 🇩🇪
• Freebies: Proraso beard wash sample, some self-made thank you stuff and candy

Not going to talk about the body soaps and beard stuff, since this is a wetshaving instance. But I am really curious about the performance of all the shaving soaps! Blu Tobacco is really as I envisioned: a pack of (unlit!) menthol cigarettes on the beach. The aluminium tin is really nice. Shaman by E&S could be quite something for colder months, off the puck it's already dark. Barberwood is a take on a barbershop scent with lots of wood notes added, so a full set was a no-brainer. After my initial scepticism, barbershop scents have really grown on me in the last years. Finally, only from reading the notes on the label, I knew I had to get Masala Connection. It's kinda like someone had taken all of my favourite individual scent notes, threw them together in a fragrance oil and made a shaving soap out of it. Voilà! Off the puck, it already smells divine. Never had anything by Los Jabones de Joserra before, but as I wanted to try as many european artisans as possible from different countries it made sense to me.

Even though I reside in Germany, I have to admit that I used more American wetshaving soaps than european ones. Unfortunately, artisans from "the old continent" tend to be overlooked. I'll try to put more of a spotlight on wetshaving software from the EU in my upcoming SOTDs... But needless to say, this concludes my wetshaving purchases for this year and the next year probably too. I can really recommend the seller AboutBodyCare though, very friendly thank you card, fast shipping and my package was even perfumed with E&S Solstice EdT.

Roam Two is a great scent that is not OG Roam, but still great. It wasn't on sale.

Promises - marketed for winter, an interesting scent that's absolutely worth the $5 I paid for it.

Cootie Killer 2.0 hand soaps - I got 6 of them for $2.50 each. I've never smelled Le Grand Chypre before so buying 3 bottles was a small risk, but it was worth it. It smells like a lemon-lime type of soft drink. Fougere Classique is so stanky and awesome, but I might be the only one in the house to use it.

Inspired by the acquisitive prowess of our @[email protected], I also helped myself to a new straight razor. It arrived today: an Ertan Süer L'Ours Russe (Russian Bear), which is a 7/8th full hollow carbon steel razor with a barber's notch, and scales made out of black horn. The razor came with leather sleave, and the packaging looks very classy.

!Photo of Ertan Süer straight razor

!Photo of Ertan Süer straight razor

First impressions: shave-ready as announced, and gives a good shave. It is not as massive as the Koraat, but still well-sized.

cross-posted from: https://sub.wetshaving.social/post/989030

This post got deleted during my mistaken deletion of past posts, but I kept a tab open and it's letting me "cross post" it. Originally posted by @[email protected]

> Just had this Lather Catcher show up last night. I'm absolutely in love with it. Heljestrand's have such nice steel and I haven't met one yet I didn't love. I have no idea why, but Lather Catchers just drive me crazy. I think they're so neat. > > I grabbed this from Maggards. Came with 3 Half Hollow wedge blades total. 2 should be usable, 1 is iffy but I'm going to see what I can do. > > I don't think I'll polish it. I did scrub and wash it some, but I like the look it has now. I'm hoping to try and get one of the blades honed tonight. > !

Just had this Lather Catcher show up last night. I'm absolutely in love with it. Heljestrand's have such nice steel and I haven't met one yet I didn't love. I have no idea why, but Lather Catchers just drive me crazy. I think they're so neat.

I grabbed this from Maggards. Came with 3 Half Hollow wedge blades total. 2 should be usable, 1 is iffy but I'm going to see what I can do.

I don't think I'll polish it. I did scrub and wash it some, but I like the look it has now. I'm hoping to try and get one of the blades honed tonight. !

I just had this NOS Wüsthof razor land last night. 7/8 Extra Hollow Square Point.

Barbershop scents are my favorite genre (as faux and ill defined genre as it is), so when I laid eyes on this I knew it belonged in the collection.

I know Wüsthof is an old Cutlery company, and I'm having trouble dating this. I believe it's pre WWII, as it was still made in Solingen. Post WWII, Wüsthof moved production to both Canada and the US. I've reached out to Wüsthof to see if they could help me narrow down a date.

Update: I've already recipe a reply from Wüsthof. Their reply simply says they do not know, nor do they keep anyone on staff knowledgeable of their history. To the deepest depths of the internet I go.

Update II: Narrowed down a date, with some help, to between 1925 and 1932

Just had this 7 day set land today. Very minor rust on the tangs, otherwise in great shape. They all have yet to ever be honed.

KOBAR was a brand belonging to Friedrich Emde (as was the trademark Kiebitz). The company changed name to Gebrüder Emde and later EMDE. They produced razors between 1902 and 1939. ! !

I just had this land, but moments ago, in from Spain. Managed to snag this NOS Iberia 14 Doble Temple. I'm looking forward to giving this thing its first edge.

A couple of months ago, @[email protected] loaned me some GEM razors including a beautiful Ever-Ready Streamline. His was in a plastic (or maybe bakelite?) case. "Streamline" has become the vernacular for referencing any of the various razors that look like a "Streamline". They come in various packaging, which differentiates them for collectors.

Anyway, I fell in love and started to casually keep an eye out for one. They are notoriously hard to come by, especially in the USA. Nevertheless, one fell in my lap! A nice one, too!

Specifically, the one I got is called an Ever-Ready Jewel because it comes in a metal case, and although mine doesn't have the "paperwork", these metal cases came with an insert that called it "Jewel".

Most of these have purple felt inside the case. The one I got has red felt.

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