After today’s shave, there are just two more soap samples to try. And two more after shave balms to try.
For those who didn’t grow up in the ’80s and/or don’t enjoy sci-fi, you may not get the reference here, but today’s soap is Barrister & Mann’s 42. 42 is, of course, the ultimate answer to the question of life, the universe, and everything, as determined by the giant supercomputer Deep Thought in the book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. And Barrister & Mann is a British company that makes shave soaps and other personal care products.
B&M say that the fragrance is “petunias, ambergris, tea, and Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster (lemon sugar).” The Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster was a drink invented by the President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox. I can’t honestly say that I’ve ever consciously smelled ambergris, but what I got on the nose from the soap was a spicy edge–a kind of peppery scent with a sweet and floral base. But it is a light and not overpowering scent, so very tolerable.
I will say that I struggled to get a thick lather from the soap. It lathered well and developed a nice volume, but even though it had enough structure to stand up on its own, it still seemed watery. That did not seem to effect its performance, though.
You’ll also recall from Sunday’s shave that I rated that one as almost perfect. This wasn’t, though it certainly was very nice–comfortable and close. But as with all milder razors, the shave gets less close, and there’s more apparent stubble than there was on plate 4 on Sunday. Which is making me think about using plate 5 instead of plate 2 on Thursday. I’ve got to decide if I’ve got the guts for that.
The Rating
Shave #160. The Barrister & Mann 42 soap SOTD.
The setup:
- Razor: Rockwell 6C plate 3
- Blade: Gillette Perma-Sharp
- Pre-Shave: Razor Emporium Unscented Pre-Shave
- Brush: Razor Emporium badger brush
- Soap/Cream/Gel: Barrister & Mann 42 soap
- Alum Block: Stirling Soap Co. Alum
- After Shave: Dollar Shave Club Post Shave Cream
This was a great shave, no doubt about it. And yet, it wasn’t a shave that I’ll remember. It was close, comfortable, and yet unremarkable, meaning while I’ll come back to it as one of the best shaves yet, it won’t be one that I cherish as achieving near perfection.
I’m not sure if it’s just the way the soap is, but the lather was a little watery while still having good structure, so I’ll have to work on that next time. But everything else fell in line, and there’s a faint scent lingering on my face from the shave, which is not unpleasant.
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Quality/Closeness: 4.750 out of 5
Overall: 4.875 out of 5
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