This shave began great. That Plisson European Grey is a badger brush that The Wife got for me from the last Master Barber in Paris years ago. It has a great feel on the face — grainy, but not prickly — and just the right amount of resilience. Grooming Dept Luxury is a wonderful soap. It’s his Kairos (tallow) formula with the fragrance being Oud + Leather, a fragrance that it turns out Iike a lot. I write that it’s a tallow soap, but it has a lot more of interest than just tallow, including goat milk, cupaçu butter, avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, and a lot more. (Ingredients are listed at the link.)
The razor is new. It’s the Yaqi Slope, and the name seems to reflect that, while it is a slant, the slant is gradual — but definitely present, as you can see from the asymmetry of the side view. I apparently hit a sale, since I paid just $27 — extremely reasonable for a stainless steel head (if it’s good). The handle is the RazoRock Barber Pole, which seems to suit the razor well.
I found the razor to be excellent. Very efficient and has good comfort. There’s a bit more blade feel than with some of my razors, but it is by no means uncomfortable and did not feel threatening at all. The blade gap is 0.90mm, and the ends of the razor cover the blade tabs. Overall rating: A+.
Three passes left my face perfectly smooth and undamaged, and a splash of Klar Seifen Klassik aftershave finished the job.
The coffee this morning is again Fantastico’s Guatemala Santa Clara Altos Dos. I bought a big jar of this, so it will last a while. Using the spice & herb grinder to grind the coffee works extremely well.