June 2, 2025

• Brush: Wild West Brushworks Blue Space 26mm Cashmere
• Razor: River Razors 6/8 3/4 Hollow
• Lather: Hendrix Classics & Co - Badass - Soap
• Post Shave: Unilever - Brut - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Thayers - Cucumber - Toner

2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

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I have not used any product by Hendrix Classics & Co before. I found this soap sample in my box o’ samples while wondering if I would need to skip today’s challenge.

IMO, Badass is not. Here’s how HC&C describes it:

Badass is an awesome, masculine scent. Citrus notes provide an excellent contrast to the depth of oakmoss and white cedarwood.

That’s the scent description that I could find. I found the scent strength to be mild and definitely masculine, in that, I’m a man and could smell no scent other than my own. Since I shaved after I took a shower, the lather smelled like me after a shower. From the sample jar, I could pick up hints of the oakmoss with the tiniest bit of citrus, but only because the description says it is there. I found the lather to be nice; a little more high volume that I prefer for straight razor shaving, but definitely a workable lather.

So Badass is a pass for me.

I have used every razor on the challenge list for today and I have shaved with a couple of knives in the past also. So, the best I can offer in the “New All Things” category is, admittedly, pretty lame. I have been trying to find an edge that works well with this razor’s particular geometry. Saturday, I put a coticule/Black Arkansas edge on it and used that yesterday. Last night I took the razor back to the Black Arkansas stone to add more refinement on that stone; essentially creating an edge texture that is more Arkansas and less Belgium.

So, it is a razor edge that I have never used before. Yeah, I know, tenuous at best, but more importantly (for me), I think I have found a great match in comfort and keenness for this razor. Today’s shave was closer than yesterday’s and as comfortable as yesterday’s.

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