gcgallant
@gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, January 6th, 2026 (#938) 18 hours ago:
“Nothing personal, it’s just business”
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, January 6th, 2026 (#938) 23 hours ago:
I haven’t done a Tabac Tuesday in way too long. I keep forgetting about it, but the Stank™ should not be denied.
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, January 6th, 2026 (#938) 23 hours ago:
You might try another round with taping the edge and grinding the spine, only this time use the 2K so you won’t worry so much about the amount of metal your remove. See if the 10K result gets a little better. I bet it will. Also, you can push the the edge on the 10K a bit. Dish soap and water works great for this.
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, January 6th, 2026 (#938) 23 hours ago:
January 6, 2026 – Tobacco Tuesday
- Brush: Truefitt & Hill Wellington 24mm Silvertip
- Razor: Blackland Razors Vector
- Blade: Feather Artist Club Professional (5)
- Lather: Elysian Soap Shop - Cherie Tobacco - Soap
- Toner: Thayers - Coconut - Toner
- Aftershave: Elysian Soap Shop - Cherie Tobacco - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Elysian Soap Shop - Cherie Tobacco - Eau de Parfum
- Talc: Yardley Gold
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
This was an amazingly close 2-pass shave and exceedingly comfortable. Yesterday I used the Tatara Amakuni which is an AC razor that has a very design that is very similar to the Vector. I had an excellent shave from the Amakuni but today’s there was more blade feel in today’s shave and it felt surprisinly more satisfying. I need to do a side-by-side comparison of these two razors.
Cherie Tobacco absolutely never disappoints. This is one worth having in the trifecta.
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - January 2nd, 2026 2 days ago:
I saw that. Always blame the stone or the razor 🤣
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, January 3rd, 2026 (#935) 2 days ago:
I agree. I think as your technique improves, you learn to adapt to different razors. If the average beard hair diameter is 100 microns (Gillette) then only the first 0.5 mm of the edge matters in cutting (I’m making assumptions about 3-sigma).
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - January 2nd, 2026 3 days ago:
Congrats on 100 straight razor shaves! According to the rules, you are no longer a beginner 😂
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread, January 2nd, 2026 (#934) 4 days ago:
January 2, 2026
- Brush: Chisel & Hound Raven 26mm V26 Fanchurian
- Razor: Filarmonica 14 Especial Gen 1
- Lather: Ethos Grooming Essentials - Dragonsbeard - Soap
- Toner: Thayers - Coconut - Toner
- Aftershave: Ethos Grooming Essentials - Dragonsbeard Skin Food - Splash
- Fragrance: Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Oud - Eau de Parfum
- Talc: Yardley Gold
3 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
This was an interesting comparison shave. Today I used a Fili 14 (Especial) with an Escher edge, and yesterday I used the same razor (Doble Temple) with a Black Shadow edge. I was certain that I would feel no difference between the two razors. Both were equally keen, and both were comfortable, but today’s Escher edge had a softer feel to it. Is this worth the high price of owning an Escher? Not in my opinion.
Dragonsbeard is a wonderful scent and the Ethos F base performed flawlessly. All of this made for a wonderful shave.
- Comment on 5 days ago:
Very wide variation in setups! Cool stuff! I’d warn you about the straight razor rabbit hole, but you’re already down there so, I’m happy for the company!
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread, January 1st, 2026 (#933) 5 days ago:
January 1, 2026
- Brush: Wild West Brushworks Deep Pearl 26mm Sweet Spot Badger
- Razor: Filarmonica 14 Doble Temple Gen 1
- Lather: Ethos Grooming Essentials - Succès - Soap
- Toner: Thayers - Coconut - Toner
- Aftershave: Ethos Grooming Essentials - Succès Skin Food - Splash
- Fragrance: Creed - Aventus
- Talc: Yardley Classic
3 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
Wonderful first shave of the year. Best wishes for a great 2026!
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, December 31st, 2025 (#932) 6 days ago:
I increased the angle today since I feel a little bit comfortable with this razor/edge
Ah yes. Tinkering with technique. At over 1000 straight razor shaves since July 2022, I’m still tinkering. Enjoy your New Year’s Eve!
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, December 31st, 2025 (#932) 1 week ago:
Great series! I enjoyed following along. Have a Happy New Year!
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, December 31st, 2025 (#932) 1 week ago:
We’ll be staying in and watching a movie with our cats.
I enjoy starting the new year without a hangover. That’s my plan for New Year’s Eve as well - minus the cats.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, December 31st, 2025 (#932) 1 week ago:
December 31, 2025
- Brush: Wald Stratos Goldvein 29mm A1 Fan
- Razor: Wacker Jungmeister 6/8 Half Hollow Round Point
- Lather: Ariana & Evans - Daniele Maullu Legacy - Soap
- Toner: Thayers - Coconut - Toner
- Aftershave: Ariana & Evans - Daniele Maullu Legacy - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Creed - Royal Oud
- Talc: Yardley Gold
3 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
Luxurious shave today. This was a very nice way to leave 2025 behind and prepare for the new year. Best wishes to all!
- Comment on Monday SOTD Thread, December 29th, 2025 (#930) 1 week ago:
December 29, 2025
- Brush: Elite Razor Honduran Rosewood Burl 24mm HMW Fan
- Razor: Tanifuji Spalding 0411 6/8" Full Hollow
- Lather: Floris London - No. 89 - Soap
- Toner: Thayers - Coconut - Toner
- Aftershave: Floris London - No. 89 - Aftershave
- Talc: Yardley Gold
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
What a shave! No. 89 is so age-appropriate for me. That’s certainly a scent I could use in the workplace back in the day.
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, December 28th, 2025 (#929) 1 week ago:
You are at that!
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, December 28th, 2025 (#929) 1 week ago:
My scent expert (wife) said they all smell like old lady scents.
And … what does she think of Tabac?
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, December 27th, 2025 (#928) 1 week ago:
I have, in fact, decided to organize my choices into schmategories; Basically, 5 soaps that I think are unique and interesting. These are not necessarily my favorites, or that fit nicely into some organization. I’ll do what I do best nowadays - don’t plan, just wing it. I spent nearly 50 years doing detailed plans and justifying every decision. Why in h3ll should I do that now 🤨
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, December 28th, 2025 (#929) 1 week ago:
December 28, 2025
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Brush: Simpsons Chubby 2 Jade 27mm HMW
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Razor: Dovo Bismarck 6/8" Full Hollow Round Point
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Lather: The Cajun Blade - Atchafalaya - Soap
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Toner: Thayers - Cucumber - Toner
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Aftershave: The Cajun Blade - Atchafalaya Aftersauce - Aftershave
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Talc: Yardley Classic
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
This was my second use of Atchafalaya. It is a subtle and intriguing scent. It opens with wild blackberry and that scent is distinguishable but blends with the rest of the fragrance quickly. As the scent opens up, I get whiffs of wood, grass, and earth. There’s a feeling of dampness that pervades, but it is light and not boggy. I’m not sure this one’s for everybody, but it kind of fascinates me.
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- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, December 27th, 2025 (#928) 1 week ago:
Yes, Sean and I are friends. I know that he is aware of (and enjoying) the difficulty I have with this type of challenge. :)
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, December 23rd, 2025 (#924) 1 week ago:
It is an interesting scent. I think it is a staple at The Holy Black, but perhaps Wholly Kaw has moved on from a similar interpretation of it.
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, December 27th, 2025 (#928) 1 week ago:
This is a YouTube challenge that was given to me. The actual challenge is:
- 5 favorite soaps
- 4 favorite aftershaves
- 3 favorite brushes
- 2 favorite razors
- 1 favorite blade (if a safety razor shaver), or 1 favorite stone (if a straight razor shaver)
With so many soaps, I can’t really pick 5 favorites, and I almost always use an aftershave that matches the soap, so I have changed my interpretation of the challenge.
- My favorite soap with a top-tier lather in each of 5 scent categories.
- My 4 favorite aftershaves when I don’t match the soap scent.
- My 3 favorite brushes in the badger, boar, and synthetic categories
- My 2 straight razors that have the most meaning to me
- My most enjoyable sharpening stone to use.
For soaps, I was going to use “citrus”, “aquatic”, “barbershop”, “bay rum”, “gourmand”. Now, I’m thinking * Spicy/Warm * Floral * Whisky/Tobacco * Woods * Unique
I’m open to ideas.
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 26th, 2025 1 week ago:
He is quick once the lather is made, but he uses a single edge razor safety razor. Sean Stapelfeld likes to challenge himself to do very quick shaves with a straight razor. A lot more danger there. My normal 3-pass shave with a straight razor from initial lathering through a quick cleanup is 12 to 15 minutes. I find this allows me to enjoy the shave without thinking about the time it takes. If you want to, it is pretty easy to time-optimize your shaving process. Again, it is more about fitting it into your schedule than anything else.
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, December 27th, 2025 (#928) 1 week ago:
Oh! I am a big fan of Sri’s tallow base and I am a veteran Shulton Old Spice user. I can’t believe I haven’t tried Twice As Spice! I’m putting it on the list!
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, December 23rd, 2025 (#924) 1 week ago:
Off of a tub, I would agree with your medium-strength assessment, but the spice and gunpowder always get my attention the way a stronger scent would. What was your take on the addition of black powder?
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, December 27th, 2025 (#928) 1 week ago:
I have only tried smushes of APR. To me, it was all about the fragrance. There’s nothing wrong with the soap base imo. Just nothing to write home about.
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, December 27th, 2025 (#928) 1 week ago:
December 27, 2025
- Brush: Wald Flare “Viola” - Lapis Colorway - 28mm A1
- Razor: Thiers Issard Le Transatlantic 7/8" Full Hollow Round Point
- Lather: Zingari Man - The Nomad - Soap
- Toner: Thayers - Coconut - Toner
- Aftershave: Zingari Man - The Nomad - Aftershave
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
I’m revisiting this scent in preparation for creating a list of 5 soaps that are my favorites. My take on this is to create 5 categories of soap scent, then find a soap in each category that I could use every day. Nomad falls into the Bay Rum category for me even though it is not a “classic” bay rum scent. I’m a fan of the strong, classic bay rum, but I could not use it every day. I could use this one, though. Enjoy your weekend!
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 26th, 2025 1 week ago:
That’s very good!
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 26th, 2025 1 week ago:
Rust is not good if there is a lot of it on the edge. Patina on the blade can be OK. Do they lie flat on both sides? And, what does the spine wear look like? Feel free to post pictures. I’m happy to provide an opinion (everybody has one ;-) ).
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - December 26th, 2025 1 week ago:
I know I’m not the Usain Bolt of shaving
There are no gold medals for fast shaves :)