SOTD : New fanatic convert
43 of age. 9/10 coarseness. 8/10 density. 0.5/10 Skin irritability. Rarely shaved prior, kept a well-lined 7-14 day stubble with a cartridge razor, trimmed with a machine. Don't like my face shaven, my wife too, and all the other women I deal with, but I find myself staring in the mirror and feeling my face wondering what the hold-up is, so I can go through the ritual of shaving again.
Can go ATG except around the mouth, nasty ingrowns.
*Tabac does the job, but is mediocre if you're expecting a distinctive fragrance or feel. The scent and taste on your skin and nose can be described as lukewarm brown (that doesn't lend well to a hot water shave/face lather with rough boar). On the surface it smells vaguely like something you smelled on chic grandpas in the 80s. Not offensive, but almost like someone else's scent? I'm on the lookout for something 'peaty' with a dash of moss, but not too green.
*Love the KCG feel, heft, industrial design, long handle, and grip. Somehow those grooves cause it to be more grippy with water, but NOT soap, so once or twice you rinse your hand, no biggie. Definitely on the milder side unless your face is on the plump side. With grooves and ridges adjusting the angle close enough becomes a challenge. I'm generally not after BBS and don't go XTG or ATG, just two passes every 2-3 days, so it's satisfactory given how safe it is.
*Blades that came with it are very good, remarkably durable. First one lasted over 7 shaves until I just changed it because I assumed I wasn't feeling the wear. Feather was magic first shave, equivalent to the KCG or a little worse on the second, and was pulling and tugging on the third, so take from that what you will. Ordered a sampler.
*Aftershave is great, just not an everyday/every shave splash. Highly recommend Dior Homme, which I had and ran out of. Get it from a fragrance brand rather than a shaving/soap brand imo.
*Brush. Had a boar Wilkinson someone gifted me ages ago. Terrible and moppy, doubt even 75% tops. C5 Torga is the love of my life now. I would've liked a shorter loft, but at 24mm knot the wall of bristles is the perfect exfoliator, can't wait to break it in.