Wet The Face - What's Ahead In 2019

First, I want to wish everyone a Happy NewYear for 2019. I want to thank each and every one of you for making our community what it is today. Wet the Face has exciting products and collaborations on the horizons for the new year.

We will be introducing our a new line of Tallow based shaving soaps called WTF Pucks. This will be our first hard soap and foray into using tallow in any product and so far we are extremely pleased with the results. They should be available for release in a few months. If all goes well we will be offering some of our most popular soft shaving soaps in a tallow version.

Also, we have reached out to more pottery artisans who are coming on board to offer their talents on creating amazing products for Wet The Face including shaving bowls, mugs and all kinds of handcrafted items so I can't wait to show you what we have in store.

Taylor of Old Bond Street - Grapefruit

Company: Taylor of Old Bond Street

Product: Grapefruit Shaving Cream

Established 1854 In The Reign of Queen Victoria

Location: St James of London

Instead of repeating myself I'll refer you to my 2016 August writing of Taylor of Old Bond Street article here - https://tinyurl.com/y7yfn3oo  but one has to talk about the Grapefruit scent which in my opinion is one of the best I've ever tried. What a pleasure to use there is nothing like it. I highly recommend this one to try and if Grapefruit is not your thing just try one that strikes you're fancy you're not going to be disappointed.

Company: Taylor of Old Bond Street

Product: Grapefruit Shaving Cream $12.95

Kiss My Face - 4 N 1 Shaving Cream

Company: Kiss My Face
Product: 4 N 1 Shaving Cream
Best Price: Google Search

Two weeks ago my last trip to CVS yielded two shaving creams to try and the next one I’m using is Kiss My Face a 4-1 Shaving Cream. Pretty cheap and creams goes 6oz only $4.00. Last time I used a cream unfortunately that one didn't design to lather but this time things will be different. I’ve seen so many SOTD (Shaves Of The Day) using Kiss MY Face products that I had to just try one for myself. Now this one states that it 4 in 1  leading me to believe that 4 outstanding things this cream can give the user which is soothing, smooths, hydrates & softens.   That's cute advertising but I didn’t experience all of them.

MERshaving - Black Fern Shaving Soap

Company: MERshaving
Product: Black Fern Shaving Soap
Founder: Dave Ross
Location: Beaverton, OR
Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MERshaving

So I received this package from Texas about two weeks ago and the return address said, Daniel as it turns out this was not from the owner. I talk to so many people I couldn’t remember who this was. So inside was a unique shaving soap called Black Fern and the thing that made this so unique was its made out of Duck Fat. Now, I’ve had soaps made with duck fat before and let me tell you the ones I’ve tried have a certain odor to them which made them unusable for me but this one is not in that category. This was a pure delight to use, a custom fougere that Dave Ross created for his friend which is now part of his lineup of shaving soaps he offers along with custom shaving brushes at MERshaving a company he named after his daughter. You see Dave is a stay at home dad and he’s looking to make some money selling custom made brushes, shaving soaps, and other shaving related items while at home raising his daughter.

Schick Hydro Sense Shaving Cream

Company: Schick
Product: Hydro Sense Shaving Cream
Google For Website With The Best Price


Believe it or not, sometimes I don’t feel like bowl lathering.  Yes, this even happens to me especially when your in that situation you need to be someplace else ASAP so how do I get a great shave fast. Well, shaving cream comes to mind but which one? I found one that's great at getting the job done the same goes for all of you who are travelers if time is something you don't have a lot of then this is the one for you. You can find this in stores like CVS, Target, Walgreens, a mere $4.00 for 6fl oz this one tube should last a long while. Thinking that I had just purchased the solution to my problems I glanced down and noticed this cream does not lather and no brush is required. That statement usually makes me place it right back on the shelf but something told me this one going to be different and I had no time for all of that anyway.

Do You Make Your Own Shaving Soaps?

A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a well-known artisan who asked me the question do you make your own shaving soaps. To be honest when I first started Wet The Face I used the model of private label. This is designating a product manufactured or packaged for sale under the name of the retailer rather than that of the manufacturer. it’s very common practice but I really wanted to learn how to do things on my own. I had this idea that I would be better respected in the wet shaving community if I was a true artisan making my own products and by doing this bringing full control back to myself.

So, I set out to learn as much as I could over 2015-16 starting with making shaving soap and bath soap then I learned the process of making aftershaves and now I have a new line of aftershave balms which I make everything right here in Huntington N.Y. My teacher in all of this is a well-known artisan (who shall remain nameless) constantly encouraging me. We would talk about the process of making soaps and what makes for a good shaving soap and how to make it stand out from all the others. We would discuss soaping techniques along with whats the best equipment to use. Finally, after one of our many discussions, I was told to just get off my ass and start doing it already and so I did.

Zu Zu’s Petals - Wet the Face

Company: Wet The Face

Product: Zu Zu’s Petals

Founder: Donald Youngner

Location: Huntington

Website: https://wettheface.com

Our last release for the holidays was again inspired by the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. This 1946 sleeper became the standard for Christmas viewing some time ago. The scene which inspired this shaving soap captures the touching moment when George's youngest daughter Zu Zu's received a flower from her teacher which is falling apart she asks her dad to paste it and George pretends to place the pedals back on the flower but secretly places them in his pocket.

The packaging for this last soap sports a clear plastic tub which allows you to see the rose color and instantly know what you're going to experience. Since it’s release last week I’ve been getting very positive feedback about the soaps and most people really like the clear tubs which I’m so glad I decided to finally do.

It's A Wonderful Shave! - Wet The Face

Company: Wet The Face

Product: It’s a Wonderful Shave!

Founder: Donald Youngner

Location: Huntington

WebSite: https://wettheface.com

We are continuing with our holiday releases next up is It’s a Wonderful Shave! Inspired by the 1946 movie It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Steward playing George Bailey. This movie became my favorite but it took me until I was in my mid-20s to see it for the first time. 

For all three releases, I wanted to have packaging that would reflect the holidays so I opted for clear plastic tubs with a white screw on lids. The graphics for this one is a scene which only lasts about one sec or so he is standing in front of the welcome sign to Bedford Falls throwing up his arms and yelling Merry Christmas because he had just found out that he is alive and he really does have a wonderful life. 

Mr. Warlock - Wet The Face

Company: Wet The Face

Product: Mr. Warlock

Founder: Donald Youngner

Location: Huntington

Website: Https://wettheface.com

This seasons I’m trying something a little different. I started thinking about my holiday offering for Wet the Face in August and had three great product concepts. I knew I couldn’t wait any longer on this since I’m a one-man band. I have to design the labels for Shaving Soap, After Shave, Bar soap and now After Shave Balms. Then send them off to the printers and hope they arrive on time. In the meantime, create the products and then package them. The task can be daunting at times and I was really struggling over what to choose then I decided why not just do them all and so I did.

Neutrogena - Men Sensitive Skin Shave Cream

Company: Neutrogena

Product: Men Sensitive Skin Shave Cream

After the QShave disaster last week I’m ready to get my face back to a healthy state and to do this I’m using two things. First a great razor second Neutrogena Men Sensitive Skin Shaving Cream. I picked this up a few weeks ago and had it waiting until the time was right and today is that day. Due to the horrible shave last week I have some skin issues which need TLC really quick. So I’m putting this shaving cream to the test to see just what kind of support it can give me.

Update! - Pereira Shavery's Bowl Crowdfunding Campaign is now Live

The crowdfunding campaign for Pereira Shavery's unbreakable bowl is now live - and the cost per bowl is lower than expected.
You can also get a set of the bowl, a shaving brush and a puck of Pereira's awesome shaving soap.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/unbreakable-shaving-bowl/x/19641020#/
#Pereira #SHAVE #crowdfunding

Bart's Balms / QShave Razor

Company: Bart’s Balms

Product: Bart’s Balms

Founder: Neil Bartholomew

Location: Scotland

Website: https://bartsbalm.co.uk

This week I had the pleasure of using something that came in quite handy. I was trying a new razor and when I do this the results tend to vary from amazing to disaster. I never know what to expect. It’s very rare that a razor as cheap as the one I was about to review wouldn’t have some issue. This was a QShave razor which cost about $7.00 and the shave felt like one as well.

I had this razor waiting in the wings for some time reluctant to try not only because of the damage a razor like this can produce on ones face but as the year is coming to an end so are my options for reviews. So I reluctantly reach for this and then remembered I could be saved by another product if I did the review on both so I also included Bart’s Balms and thank god I did.

Pereira Shavery's UNBREAKABLE Shaving Bowl

Company: Pereira Shavery

Product: Shaving Bowl

Founder: Baron Camilo

Location: Fundão, Portugal

Website: http://www.pereirashavery.com/

Last week a box arrived from our current giveaway sponsor Pereira Shavery and inside was an amazing shaving bowl that of the likes I’ve never seen before. Many of you who follow me on social media know I love to use a shaving bowl so when this one came to me to review from our current sponsor I just held my breath and said well I hope this is a good one.

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Many of you may not be aware that Google+ will be shutting down in Aug of 2019. We have taken the steps to move our group to a new secure and totally brilliant featured rich platform with no BS. No Ads. No Spyware. MeWe is the Next-Gen Social Network, Social Platform. So please come and join our new Wet The Face wet shaving user group. Let's make this the best ever!
https://mewe.com/join/wet_the_face
@mantic59 @WetShavingNews @wetshavingtimes #wetshaving #deshaving #razor #sotd #deshaving #artofshaving #vintage #safetyrazor #grooming #shaveoftheday #shaving #shave #classic #soap #shavingbrush #brush #postshave #lather #shavingsoap #handmade #handcrafted #etsyseller #etsy #etsyshop #etsyseller #organic #natural #vintageshave #wetshave #wetshaveclub #artofmanliness #grooming #mensgrooming #mensfashion #mensstyle #gentleman #gentlemanstyle #dapper #barbershop #barbershopconnect #etsy #etsyshop #etsyseller #custom #handmade #handcrafted #gents #gent

The Stuff Shaving Set

Company: The Stuff

Product: The Stuff

WebSite: https://www.thestuffshaveco.com/

When someone sends me something to review I take it very seriously. This means that I didn’t pay for the items so it could be construed as a bribe for a good review. To get around this kind of thing some reviewers will only write about items that they purchased but let’s be real here for a moment. That's just a way to make them feel better about giving a biased review and have the article seem more legit. It's funny when you think about people who write about high priced cars do you think they pay for them beforehand? Even restaurant reviewers don’t pay for expensive meals. No, reviews can be altered it makes no difference if you pay for the items or not. So, you have to trust the writer and I think so far I have a pretty good track record for being honest.

Rockwell Razors - Model T Adjustable (Updated)

Company: Rockwell Razors

Product: Model T Adjustable (Updated)

What a surprise it was for me this week. I had no idea this was going to happen but I was holding a parcel that came to me from Rockwell Razors. I had no clue what it could be and when I opened it I was shocked to find another Model T Razor. Why did they send me another one? and then I saw an email they sent out and it became clear.

Dear Backers,

We’re happy to share with you our latest news, and the shipping timeline we mentioned earlier this month! We’ve continued shipping the Model T razors with the One-Piece T-Bar and other engineering improvements detailed in our recent updates. Nearly 1000 White Chrome Model T razors have gone out to backers including many shipments to backers outside North America. The feedback from this initial production with the engineering changes has made few things become increasingly clear. Firstly, the One-Piece T-Bar has been the final integral piece to

getting to a razor that would meet our high-quality standards.

Shaver Heaven (Rebooted)

Company: Shaver Heaven

Location: Australia

Founder: Anthony Macri

Website: Shaver Heaven

It was a shock when it was first announced it never even crossed my mind that it could happen but yet here I was reading it Shaver Heaven was closing its doors. This was October of 2016 a shock ran over the wet shaving community wet shavers started buying tubs of them just so they could store up on their favorites. I even talked to Anthony and asked did he ever intended to reopen and at that time little was known when or if it would happen but I’m happy to say after 18 months the husband & wife team are back and better than ever!

Proraso Green (Evergreen)

Company: Proraso Since 1908          

Product: Proraso Green (Evergreen)

Founder: Ludovico Martelli

Location: Italy

Website: http://proraso.com/en/

About 7 months ago I wrote an article on Proraso Red one of my favorite sandalwood shaving creams and now I have another it’s Proraso Green (Evergreen) with eucalyptus and menthol. This amazing shaving cream hits the spot for when you have days you feel like everything is dragging, I guarantee this will get you right back into the groove.

Occam’s Razor Enhanced Nano

Company: The Blades Grim / The Grooming Network

Product: Occam’s Razor Enhanced Nano

Location: North Idaho

Founder: Luke Webster

Website: https://tinyurl.com/y73qtlot

Sometimes the simplest solution tends to be the right one. If that sounds familiar to you then you know it to be Occam’s Razor the problem-solving principle but in this case, we're talking about a Kick-starter which I entered back on March 22 of this year. Luke Webster of The Blades Grim successfully raised $17,003 with 240 backers. I was #72 the official name of the project was called Occam's Razor Enhanced Nano or O.R.E.N for short.  It’s one of the most unique-looking single edge razors you’ll find. A retail value of $150.00 but I was able to get in at $49.00 and let me tell you it’s worth $150.00

Wars Classic Shaving Cream

Company: Wars (Pronounced Vars)

Product Wars Classic Shaving Cream

Location: Poland

Website: Google Search

Subscribers often give me great feedback when I’ve released a new article or YouTube video and lately I’ve done a fair amount of shaving cream reviews. One viewer pointed out a shaving cream he wanted me to try called Wars. Now understand I couldn’t hear the correct pronunciation to be Vars so let me apologize in advance for that. Wars Classic shaving cream is a product from Poland which is kind of a staple I was told. So let’s jump into the review and find out what makes this polish shaving cream stand out from the others.

Clubman Pinaud Classic Barber Shave Cream

Company: Clubman Pinaud

Product: Classic Barber Shave Cream

Back in 2016 around the Christmas holidays, Clubman announced a sale which I couldn’t resist. I went to town ordering things that I wanted to try and one of them was Clubman Pinaud Classic Barber Shave Cream. Once I got the delivered I concentrated on pomade products I had my eye on and really forgot about the shaving cream. As it sat on the shelf of my den the label started getting affected by the constant change in humidity.  When I went back to the product it was looking pretty bad and it was upsetting to me that Clubman never addresses this issue before the product hit the market so I pushed it away again. Last week like most wet shavers I was going through the process of thinning out the den when I came across it one more time. I really needed to give this a try before I placed it in my online Flea Market but now after trying it I could never part with it. In fact, this is something I would recommend everyone try!

Arko Maximum Comfort Shaving Cream

Company: Arko

Product: Arko Maximum Comfort Shaving Cream

Location: Turkey

Website: Google Search

There’s no denying how amazing Arco products are. I have tried 3 so far and all of them have been wonderful even the red Arco stick which took me some time to come around to the scent. I love the shaving creams outstanding scents and performance which are so superior to big brand names we have in the States. I was asked to try another one from one of my subscribers called Arko Maximum Comfort. He wanted to know did the cream really protect your skin from irritation or was it just talk. Here’s what I found out.

BullDog Shaving Gel

Company: BullDog

Product: BullDog Shaving Gel

Location: United Kingdom

Website: Google Search

Back in March of 2017, I did a review on a product called Bull Dog Shaving Cream needless to say it didn’t fair well but I’m back to give bulldog one more try. It was suggested by a few viewers to take a look at Bull Dog Shaving Gel they hinted that this was the better product. So, as soon as I could I started looking for it in a few stores here in N.Y. but sadly I came up empty they didn’t carry it back then in my local CVS, Target, or Walmart until a week ago when there it was on the shelf of my local Target and I remembered what was said that I promised to do another review if I found it so I picked one up and used it for the first time last week and I have to say nothing has changed.

Rockwell Razors / Model-T Adjustable Razor

Company: Rockwell Razors

Product: Model T Adjustable

Location: Canada

Website: https://rockwellrazors.com/

To say I was waiting a long time for my Rockwell Model T adjustable razor would be an understatement. The kick starter was launch in May of 2016 as production started everything looked great but with many shipment dates missed I received yet another email which arrived Aug of 2017 they had a “bump” in the production run but excepted to have them going out in mid-October 2017. Then on March 23, 2018, I received this email “The Rockwell Model T is in full production and the first 100 models have just been shipped this past week, with the rest of fulfillment on track to complete by end of May. We've quality checked each and every one of the first batches and they've been coming out flawlessly and we don't foresee having to send any replacements this time around. Thanks for all your patience and for sticking with us while we power through this final stretch” and with that email and two months later the package arrived at my door on July 20, 2018. The process took two years seven months and 4 days and I would do it all again because this razor is the best one I’ve ever owned!

Oz Shaving Co. - YellowBrick

Company: Oz Shaving Co.

Product: YellowBrick

Founder: Ian Duermeier

Location: Kansas

Website: https://www.ozshaving.com/collections/post-shave-tonics

Last year I contacted Ian and in our conversation, I asked about a new line of shaving soaps he was introducing to the wet shaving community. I was pretty excited to try the samples he wanted to send me but as I waited for the parcel to arrive I slowly realized this was not going to happen. My excitement faded away with the passing of time and I completely forgot about Ian and his new company. Then last week ( 9 months later ) a package arrived and inside was a shaving soap, and Post Shave Tonic with a note explaining just what happened to the OZ Shaving Co. As it turns out Ian decided to go back to the drawing board to rework the formula and tallow & stearic acid-base was born. This new formula is outstanding and I’m glad Ian remembered me.

Declaration Grooming LLC - TSM Fougere & Greg Wagner's Custom Brush

Company: Declaration Grooming LLC

Product: TSM Fougere

Location: of Morenci, MI. 

Founder: Scott Stewart

Website - https://www.declarationgrooming.com/pages/about-us

Today we look at the rest of the care package sent to us by our subscriber Chris and inside we have TSM fougere L&L Grooming. Also making an appearance a new custom brush from Greg Wagner. 

When I first looked at the shaving soap I was shocked to find out it was from the company formally known as L&L Grooming. I remember doing a video back in 2015 a new startup was just coming online and running it was Scott Stewart. Now 3 years and 2 name changes later we have Declaration Grooming LLC still owned and operated by Scott Stewart out of Morenci, MI.  During that time Scott has put in countless hours into his company along with research into crafting his product which is completely handmade in the US. He is a one-man show, from recipe formulation, web design, product crafting, photography, customer and vendor relations, marketing, and all of the other endless duties that go into starting and running a business of any size - He takes responsibility for each and every one of them.

Barrister and Mann - Reserve Cool

Company: Barrister and Mann

Product: Reserve Cool

Location: Cooperstown N.Y.

Website: https://www.barristerandmann.com/

One of my first purchases of samples soaps was Barrister and Mann from the way of Maggards Shaving Supplies. Everyone was abuzz over them and I wanted to join in on the frenzy. This was a few years ago and I was able to order all of them at once to see what I liked. When they arrived I was taken back by some of the scents and I experienced first hand what the fuss was about then I picked up ROAM. This was really not my cup of tea. I guess they all can’t appeal to everyone. On that day 5 out of the 7, I order I really liked. So when I received the Reserve Cool for me to try I was very happy to report how fantastic this one truly is.

Laniess & Le Pere Lucien Shaving Soap - Honey

Company: Laniess & Le Pere Lucien Shaving Soap 

Product: Lainess Barber Soap Honey

Having a YouTube channel can be draining at times but once in a while when you least expect it someone sends you a package with some wonderful products like last week. I received two items from Pierre Palmolive Shaving Cream and also a sample of a French artisan’s shaving soap called Lainess made with fresh donkey milk. What comes to mind was the La Savonniere Du Moulin review and how that hard puck caused such a ruckus in the wet shaving community mostly it was the packaging that was puzzling people. We don’t have that silliness here with Lainess but what we do have is a solid performing shaving soap with an amazing scent and post shave feel.

Pereira Shavery - Shaving Soap, Cream, Bore Brush, Shavette, Comb

Company: Pereira Shavery

Product: Shaving Soap, Cream, Bore Brush, Shavette, Comb

Location: Portugal

Website: https://pereirashavery.com

About two weeks ago I was contacted from Pereira Shavery to see if I would do a review on some of there new products. I had just finished a very difficult review and was in no mood to do anything new but I needed something to fill this void so I agreed and let me tell you I’m glad I did.

Parthenon Adjustable Razor Followup

Parthenon Adjustable Razor Followup - As requested by the subscribers I did a followup review and gave the Parthenon Razor another chance. This time I used a Personna Blue blade the one that in all of my razors. Let's see how this new razor performs now.

My Creality Reality

My Creality Reality

 By Donald Youngner

Wouldn’t it be great if you could think of something and just print it out like you do on inkjet printers but actually have the item in your hand? Well, you can it’s called 3D printing.  The way I got into this was the need to create something for my side business called Wet the Face. I make shaving soaps and aftershaves for the wet shaving community. I wanted to create molds for making Bars of soap. I do this now by going to Home Depot getting the wood cutting it to length and bolting them together. I wanted to see if 3D printing would let me make one whenever I wanted and explore other things like custom stamps and shapes for bar soaps. So I began to research.

The 3D printing community is growing every day with more printers and accessories coming to market all the time.  YouTube has a vast number of Makers as they are called toting everything from Printers to filament reviews. I happen to like a few of them namely Joel Teller of 3D Printing Nerd and Angus Deveson of Makers Muse. With the help of both of these guys, I was able to get through some of the trials and tribulation of being a Newbie as it were.

Parthenon Adjustable Razor - QShave & WEISHI

Company: QShave & WEISHI
Product: Parthenon Adjustable Razor
Kickstarter

When I saw this Kickstarter from QShave in early March of 2018 I was actually very excited about it. QSHAVE is a leading brand of men’s grooming and provides shaving supplies and service to over 100,000 customers worldwide every year. Partnering with them on this venture is WEISHI a manufactured of razors since 1988, and has produced millions of razors for big brands in US and European markets as an OEM vendor. They both have worked together on the creation of Parthenon which you think would yield a great result but sadly this is not the case.

My Kickstarter offering was at $49.00 this included a Razor and 1 Tin full of 5 blade pack for a total of 50 Feather blades. I was the 520th backer of this project on March 29th, 2018. I felt like I had entered into something that was really different a razor that would make some changes. The project was totally funded on April 2, 2018, with a total of 532 backers. As I waited for the day when I would have this in my hands it wasn’t long before the first email came telling us how things are going. April 11th it read “We just got the first sample out of the tooling. Better than we expected, just a few minor things need to be fixed. I think one design change we have made needs to be mentioned here. We found the adjustable dial is a little bit slippery, so we add a pattern on it. Now you can easily turn it even when your fingers are wet or with shaving soap lather.”

Razorock - Son of Zeus

Company: Razorock

Product: Son of Zeus

Founder: Razorock Joe

Website: https://www.italianbarber.com/

If you’re a wet shaver, then you already know about RazorRock products and how amazing they can be. The price of performance will get you scratching your head as to how they make such a great product but only charge $5.00 to $10.00 for it. We are all glad they can because some of the best-known shaving soap around have come from this company. I’ve reviewed a few of them in the past and the one for today will be Son of Zeus.

Summer Break - Picture Day

Company: Summer Break

Product: Picture Day

Founder: Kyle & April

Website: https://summerbreaksoaps.com/

Every so often someone sends me a box full of shaving products to try and I’m always thankful. It allows me to bring to light products that I’ve missed or not available in the U.S.A. I recently received one from our WTF members and today I’m going to be talking about Summer Break and the tallow based shaving soap called Picture Day.

This is a sample size so I can’t talk much about it packaging but the sample itself had a good amount inside and allowed me to really try the product out.

Wet The Face - Vintage BarberShop

Company: Wet The Face

Product: Vintage Barbershop

Founder: Don Youngner

Location: Huntington N.Y.

Website: http://www.wettheface.com

When it comes to releasing a new product one must be careful to select the proper time.

Holidays are very tricky to do I always struggle with which one? I didn’t want to be another pumpkin spice on Octobers shaving soap line up. I wanted something a wet shaver could use at any time but yet remember back on how he or she received it. So I never really set my sights for releasing anything until a few months ago when I came across an article explaining how barbers operated shops back in the 30,40, and 50. It went on to explain how they operated and what were the interesting variety of fragrances back then.

Georgetown Pottery - G20 Scuttle

Review
Product: Shaving Scuttle
Inventor: Dr. Chris Moss
First Ever: Sara Bonnyman Pottery

When I first saw one it was a “Shave of the Day” (SOTD) picture. I was really trying to figure out what it was. The guy was so excited; it had arrived in the mail that day. After a few minutes, I said to myself what’s the big deal. Well as it turns out it’s a very big deal. This amazing piece of pottery can change the way you wet shave. It’s a clever design, which allows you to heat your shaving soap or cream as you lather. If you’ve ever sat down for a hot shave from your local barber then you know how great this feels.
The way it works is by transferring the heat from water added to the inside of the scuttles reservoir to the outermost layers causing what’s ever inside it’s cup to be heated. You place your soap or cream inside the cup and start slowly adding water to building up to an amazing hot rich lather.

I have a G20 (pictured) The G is short for George Town the 20 is 20oz water capacity. It comes with a stopper so water is held tightly inside to help reduce spillage. Some scuttle designers will offer different patterns on the inside cup to help promote lather and for holding the soap in place. I don’t find myself using it all the time but when I do it’s helped in giving me great shaves.

We all should thank Dr. Chris Moss who came up with the idea and had Sara Bonnyman make the very first one in her studio.

Take Me To Wet The Face

Below are some links to Shaving Scuttle

http://www.sarabonnymanpottery.com/
http://www.georgetownpottery.com/
http://www.straightrazordesigns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19&products_id=1167
http://www.dirtybirdpottery.com/shavinggear.html
https://www.etsy.com/market/shaving_scuttle

Light Foot’s Shaving Cream Soap

Product: LightFoot’s Shaving Cream Soap

Location: Chester, England

Website: Do a Google Search

Well. I knew it would happen again at some point and it did this week with LightFoot’s Shaving Cream Soap. One of the worst shaving experiences I’ve encountered in a long time. This soap came in a subscription box a few years ago and I avoided using this until it was one of the last things left I didn’t try. I wish I would have just thrown it out. 

Jeeves of Hudson St. - Fougere

Company: Jeeves of Hudson

Product: Fougere

Founder: Bryon Postlethwait

Location: Buckner, Missouri

Website: https://www.jeevessoaps.com/

A few years ago I remembered a package sent to me from Jeeves of Hudson St asking to check out this new scented shaving soap he was working on. I remember talking to him about the soap and thanking him for sending it to me but nothing ever became of it. I came across that very package and nested inside was the fougere shaving soap for testing.  I rushed to see if this was on the website but I couldn’t find it anywhere. So I contacted Bryon and explained that I had revisited this product and if he had any problems or concerns with me doing a review. I just wanted to make sure with him first and of course, it was perfectly fine with him so here’s that long overdue review. 

Moon Soaps - Havana

Company: Moon Soaps

Product: Havana

Location: Aptos, CA

Founder: Melody & Zachary Kent

Website: http://moonsoaps.com

Today I have the pleasure of testing the second soap in what I hope will be a long line of tallow-based shaving soaps. I’m referring to Moon Soaps with their new release called Havana. I was very impressed with the first one which I’ve tested about 6 months ago. The focus was on getting the tallow formulation just right for the slickest shave you can have. They still use the finest quality ingredients like natural plant oils, locally sourced tallow (rendered in-house), exotic butter, local essential oils and premium fragrances.

Clubman - Shaving Pinaud Shaving Soap

Company: Clubman
Product: Shaving Pinaud Shaving Soap


When I started this hobby I was testing out what I liked I ran across many wet shavers using Clubman products. I was already using the aftershaves but never venture to anything else. Then along came the holidays and Clubman sent out an email blast with an offer I could not refuse. So I picked up a couple of things Shaving Cream, Shaving Soap even pomade all kinds of goodies.

Jeff’s Soap - No One Fights Alone / CRSW

Company: Cold River Soap Works
Product: Jeff’s Soap - No One Fights Alone


A release of a new shaving soap is always something that gets my attention and this time it was for a very good cause. Larry from Cold River Soap Works created a very special soap for someone in need. Jeff was diagnosed with cancer and needs an extremely expensive operation. Larry working with what he does best put together a shaving soap to help Jeff in this trying time of his life. As soon as Larry posted this I purchased one right away because I know first hand what can happen to a family when they go through this kind of thing. I’ve been down this road many times before caring for my wife (2x Strokes, Brain Surgery) and I can tell you first hand it the hardest thing I've ever done in my life and the expense could bankrupt you instantly.

Instead of going into lots of detail I refer you to the video which will support my findings on the performance of the soap. Due to the nature of why this soap was created, I just don’t feel it right to give any feedback of any kind here. I’m not sure you can still purchase this today but I do know I did my part in helping out someone in need because God knows we can all use help every now and then.

Don - Wet The face

Catie’s Bubbles Le Piment de la Vie

Company: Catie’s Bubbles

Product: Le Piment de la Vie
Founder: Chris Cullen
Location: Forked River, NJ 
Website: http://catiesbubbles.com/

I think one would be hard-pressed to find a seasoned wet shaver who doesn’t have at least one of these products in their den. I’m talking about Catie’s Bubbles. The amazing success story that has not stopped since they started years ago. Hailing out of Forked River N.J. Chris took a hobby and made into something that even Forbes took notices of. I’ve always enjoyed the scents that Chris comes up with but I have noticed over the years that one particular scent seems to shine over most of the others and that one would be Le Piment de la Vie or “The Spice of Life” which is what this review will be based on.

Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements -Solstice

Company: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements
Product: Solstice
Location: Arizona
Founder: Douglas Smythe
Website: https://phoenixartisanaccoutrements.com/

One has to marvel at the workings of Fran and Douglas the creative team behind the company Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements and now Crown King. A perfect union to create some of the most interesting shaving products around. Who would have guessed that shaving could be so much fun!

Today we look at one of PAA’s products but not for its flashy packaging or product storyline but rather just for its performance and scent. This one is called Solstice. I had asked Douglas if he wanted to participate in our Wet The Face giveaway for January of 2018 and without hesitation, he agreed. He thought about it a bit and then said he was going to send me Solstice.

Review - Vicco Turmeric Shaving Cream

Company: Vicco
Product: Vicco Turmeric Shaving Cream
Location: India
Website: Google Search

A few months ago, I was asked by one of my YouTube subscribers to give Vicco Turmeric Shaving Cream a try. He explained that he uses it all the time and wanted to know what I thought about it. So, after searching the internet I found the product and ordered one with sandalwood scent. It took 3 weeks to get to me and now its finally here. The purchase price was around $3.00 for what I think is smaller than the average amount. On the front of the box, it reads buy two get one free if this was pointed out to me at the time of purchase I definitely would have because this stuff is fantastic!

Wet The Face - Into the Mystic Shaving Soap

 Company: Wet The Face
Product: Into the Mystic Shaving Soap
Founder: Donald Youngner
Location: Huntington N.Y.
Website: http://www.wettheface.com

During the course of one’s journey in this world music can play a part in pinpointing a time and place in your life. For me when I was in my early teens I was allowed to hang out with my dad when he went bowling. (this was a big deal for me back then). We didn’t get home until really late because it was a Friday Night league. My dad would always spend more time at the bar with his friend that I really liked but that's another story for a later time. It was here that I heard for the very first time Moon Dance when someone played on the jukebox and right then I was hooked on Van Morrison. It was amazing to me how I connect with these songs now. Recently I asked google home to play something as background music for a group of friends we had over and Into the Mystic came on. The room went silent as soon as they heard the first few cords from the guitar all they did was listen until it was over. I understood how powerful this song can be and wanted to produce a shaving soap using the title of the song but what sent should I pick? Then it came to me Cool Water by Davidoff and so last month I set out to create the soap and aftershave and here it is.

RazoRock P.160

Company: RazoRock

Product: P. 160

Location: Italy

Website: http://italianbarber.com

Years ago, when I was new to wet shaving I was buying up just about anything I could get my hands on. I saw so much stuff and wanted to be part of that crowd. Some products I was disappointed with even though the reviewer had raved about it. Others were so expensive that I couldn't justify the purchase. Then everything changed when I was introduced to Razorock and the Italian Barber website. In my experience, if your new to wet shaving this is an excellent place to start.  Here you'll find all sorts of items under one roof from shaving soaps to razors and the best part it won't break the bank. Here is where I came across P.160 a strange name for a shaving soap but it was getting rave reviews so I purchased it. 

Colgate Shaving Mug Soap

Company: Colgate

Product: Colgate Shaving Mug Soap

This week was full of surprises. I thought I lost something that was found when rearranging my office, the other day. There it was a small square red and white box and the name Colgate Shaving Mug Soap. I thought for sure it was gone. I had lost it years ago, I had no time to hunt for it back then but there it was. Don't let this little shaving soap fool you. If I could find another one I'd grab it up because I did a quick google search and if you can find one you're going to be spending a lot more than I did.

I purchased mine on eBay and without any other bidders jacking up the price I was able to get two of them at 4 dollars I still don't know where the other one is. At the time I was into vintage straight and DE razors, soaps, creams anything. I was buying up so much crap I had to just stop and take note at what I was doing but that was a long time ago and after my stay at I still get the bug every now and then. I think I need Wet Shavers Rehab.

Black Ship Grooming / Captain Joe

Company: Black Ship Grooming

Product: Captain Joe

Founder: Kelly Hogan

Location: Beaver, PA

Website: https://blackshipgroomingco.com/

Sometimes a hobby is so much fun you just have to tell someone and that's what I hope to do here with my experience using Black Ship Grooming Captain Joe a coffee scented shaving soap. Now I've had a few of them before but not one of them came with a coffee bean right in the soap. You have to love the sense of humor of artisan Kelly Hogan.

The soap comes in a white tub with a black screw on lid. The label is where the fun starts I like the cartoon styles of Black Ship's labels like Captain Joe's and I'm always waiting to see what they will come up with next.

Proraso Red / Sandalwood

Company: Proraso Since 1908          

Product: Proraso Red Sandalwood

Founder: Ludovico Martelli

Location: Italy

Website: http://proraso.com/en/

If you're new to wet shaving and you’ve never heard of Proraso Red just go online and order yourself a tube you’ll thank me later. The reason I tell you this is Proraso no matter what color you purchase is basically flawless when it comes to performance and scent. Why not start out with one of the best shaving creams around so you can judge the rest of them with.

Proraso has wonderful products but not everything from them I like, for example, the aftershave balm I just didn’t like the feeling of it and this, of course, is a personal thing. They have a product line which is pretty simple to understand. We have Red (Sandalwood), White (Lime & Apple), Green (Evergreen), and Blue (Amber Musk). Each line includes Pre Shaving Cream, Shaving Soap Jar, Shaving Cream Tube, Shaving Foam Can, Aftershave Lotion, and Aftershave Balm. For this review, I’ll just concentrate on the shaving cream tube.

Mama Bear Soaps / Sea Moss

Company: Mama Bear Soaps Inc.     

Product: Sea Moss Shaving Soap Puck

Location:  Northern, WI

I’ve been looking closely at glycerin soaps lately and when you look at what’s available you must include Mama Bear they come very close to the top in popularity. This well-known company has been around for some time making handmade 100% natural shaving soaps which are available in over 100 different fragrances from Bath bar soaps to shaving soaps they have it all.

Palmolive for Men (Sensitive Skin)

Company: Colgate-Palmolive

Product: Palmolive for Men (Sensitive Skin)

Location: UK

Website: Do a Google Search for best price

I'm back again testing another Palmolive for Men product. This time we look at Sensitive with Aloe Vera. As the name implies the shaving cream was designed with men who have sensitive skin while shaving. For me, Palmolive has never let me down. Always at the ready with consistent performance and that goes for this one as well but what makes this product good for sensitive skin?