A Pleasent Surprise

Normally I do not make multiple changes in my shaving routine at the same time. When I do make a change, it is usually a blade or a soap but never both together. A couple of weeks ago I got adventurous and went against this rule and did just that.

Edwin Jagger DE89



I had been using my Edwin Jagger DE89 for several weeks and was really enjoying the shaves I was getting from it. It is a fine smooth razor that works well for my light beard type. Being a little heavier than my Merkur 33C, I found it was doing a great job on my chin where the beard growth is a little thicker and where I run the chance of razor bumps.



Palmolive Shave Stick

About a moth ago, I had seen a Palmolive classic palm extract shave stick on eBay. It was offered for $2.89 with free shipping from England.  So I thought, "why not?" and ordered it. It arrived the day I was changing out my blade and had pulled out a Rainbow blade from my stash to try. So that night I put it all together.



Somerset's

I applied three or four drops of Somerset's shave oil and applied the shave stick directly to my face and began to face lather. The soap exploded into a nice thick lather that had a nice smell to it. As I worked the lather to the density I like I began to think about slickness, cushion, and protection and how all of this plays into a comfortable shave.

When I started the shave, the Rainbow blade was amazingly comfortable! After three passes and touch-ups, I did not get a single cut, weeper, And when the aftershave was applied, I did not experience any stinging from razor burn. Not really a super slick soap, but it did provide a great amount of protection. For me, it was a perfect shave.

I was stunned!



Rainbow Blades

I had tried several other blades manufactured by Lord and never found any of them to be comfortable to use. the Lord Platinum, Stainless steel, Sharps, Big Ben, They just didn't do a good job for me. However, the Rainbow was sharp and extremely smooth. Not smooth like Teflon coated blades which seem to "bounce" when you shave, but comfortable as it glided over the skin.

After the shave, I finished it off with my standard application. I applied Dickensons' witch-hazel, Pinaud Clubman's aftershave then topped it off with Nivea's cream for sensitive skin for protection. After about an half hour my skin was as smooth as I have ever felt it. The Palmolive shave stick left a wonderful clean and smooth feel to it. The next couple days I continued to use the Palmolive and was getting that same  great comfortable shave and after shave smoothness. Then I tried using Arko and Derby and the shave degraded some. I lost the cushion that the Palmolive supplied and they did not provide the soft feeling afterwards. I will be giving cushion and protection some more thought.

Needless to say, I went back to eBay and ordered three more sticks and a tube of their cream. I'm pretty well stocked up for at least a year. At $2.89 a stick with free shipping, I didn't know how long they would be available, but with the shaves I was getting from them, I took advantage of the offer. Along with that, I ordered two packages of Rainbow blades (and Racers) from Tryablade.com.

It's always a great feeling when you find something that works well and gives you a great shave!