June 2026

Some New Lather Reviews

I've been remiss in offering full reviews of some of the new lathers I've been trying, so let's dump a bunch of them into one post and get it done with for now. Pre de Provence No. 63 Pre de Provence No. 63 Shaving Soap. I don't know what it is...

Paul June 30, 2026

Personal Care Shaving Shaving Reviews

The Blue Italian Week – or – The Last Shaves Before 300

I'll get to the first title up there in a moment. But wow, three full-sized tubs of soap take up a lot of space. The Astra Superior Stainless (blue) blade. So yeah, to the name of this week's shaves. You'll notice that I'm using the Astra Superior Stainless (blue) blade this...

Paul June 28, 2026

Personal Care Shaving Shaving Information

The Organizating. Again.

I'm not sure if I should feel good or bad about this post. I mean, as I started thinking about writing it, I was feeling great, but then I dug back to see what I've posted before, and it appears that I last posted on organizing the collection back in January....

Paul June 23, 2026

Personal Care Shaving Shaving Reviews

The Derby Derby – Part 2, The Premium Part

Derby Premium blades. To finish up this comparison series, I'll be putting the Derby Premium blade to the test to see how it compares to the Derby Extra. You'll recall that the Derby Extra exceeded my expectations and surprised me with its closeness and comfort. So can its black-clad sibling surpass...

Paul June 21, 2026

Personal Care Shaving SOTD

Making Them Look Pretty

Just because none of you have asked, here's a look behind the scenes at the photo process and setup I use to make the shaving stuff look so pretty. The obligatory family portrait. If you go back through the posts here, you'll see that the photography has really evolved over time....

Paul June 16, 2026

Personal Care Shaving Shaving Reviews

The Derby Derby – Part 1, The Extra Part

For the next two weeks, I'll be comparing two blades from the same brand in shaves with the same razor. It is a derby, of sorts--a competition between two similar items to see who's better. The Maggards' Purple Swirl synthetic brush. And the brand I'll be comparing is Derby, specifically their...

Paul June 14, 2026

Personal Care Shaving Shaving Information

The Blades They Rode In On (Part 5)

This week: something different. A departure from the normal in terms of planned shaves. A couple of weeks ago, I planned shaves with the Cella Rapid Shaving Cream and Truefitt & Hill No. 10 Sensitive shaving gel, and as it turned out, those did not need brushes. So at the time...

Paul June 7, 2026

Mail Call Personal Care Shaving Information

Mail Call All Over Again

Just when I think I'm out, they pull me in again with their sales and products and...and...Okay, it's a weakness, really. Probably bordering on a compulsion. I get an email from Maggard or Razor Emporium, and I'm just itching to make a purchase. A 10% discount shouldn't elicit that big a...

Paul June 4, 2026