Wed 16 Apr 2025 BVWSC and Moarteen

• Brush: Chisel and Hound – Ambrosia Maple with 26 mm synthetic Maggard knot
• Razor: Koraat – r/Wetshaving exclusive MoarTeen (15/16", full hollow, carbon steel)
• Lather: Areffa Soaps – Phantom of Kyiv
• Post Shave: D.R. Harris – Marlborough
• Fragrance: Summer Break Soaps – Valedictorian

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The Buena Vista Wetshaving Social Club meets again today, and @sahenders@sub.wetshaving.social has yet again found a nice soap of a soaper I’ve never heard of before. The Phantom of Kyiv is a woody base with citrus on top. Warm and fresh, without clashing. Very nice! The soap base lathers easily and is super creamy.

This is my second shave with the brand-new sub-exclusive Moarteen and it went great (see here for a write-up of my first impressions and some pictures). Instead of fanboying here, I’m trying to channel my inner @whosgotthepudding@sub.wetshaving.social and avoid rose-coloured glasses when judging Ulrik’s edge. The background for those interested: Ulrik’s honing technique is a bit shocking if you’re used to multi-stone progressions, careful slurry dosage, and discussions about the minute differences between different hone materials. Ulrik sets the bevel on a diamond plate and then finishes the edge on a finisher with nothing in between (like @walden@sub.wetshaving.social, too). That’s it. And he does it with blinding speed. But here’s the deal: this edge is perfectly shave ready IMO, and on par with Brad Maggard’s or Ralf Aust’s in my experience. Is it the smoothest, sharpest phantom edge that melts through whiskers? No, but I’ve never seen that from a factory edge. I’ve only seen that after spending time on the hones myself, or with edges from @gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social.

So, what do I mean when I call this shave-ready? I can shave with it comfortably, there is no pulling sensation, and I get this “wiping whiskers off your face” feeling. The shave is close, and there’s no alcohol sting from the splash. I’m a happy camper 😅

I usually try factory edges (“artisan edge” sounds weird) for only one or two shaves and then put my own on new razors, just because I think my edges are smoother and keener than the typical factory edges, but I think I’ll keep using this edge at least until all the Moarteen’s have been delivered and I’m curious to hear opinions roll in from the community over the next few days. It’ll be difficult to resist, though, because this razor has the itsiest bitsiest bevel, it’s so narrow that it’s barely visible, so I’m expecting that refreshing an edge on these is going to be unbelievably quick and easy. It reminds me of Brad Maggard getting all dreamy voiced when talking about honing new 14s 2 years ago.

Tldr: great shave, great soap from Ukraine. Слава Україні!

Have a great day, friends!