WetShaving
This is a community of enthusiasts, hobbyists and artisans who enjoy a traditional wet shave: brush, soap, and safety or straight razor. We are a part of the WetShaving community found on Reddit, Discord, and IRC.
New subscribers welcome!
Please visit our wiki, which is always and forever a work in progress.
🪒 Check out these alternative front-ends for this server:
https://gem.wetshaving.social/ - a nice modern interface
Our sister Mastodon instance is https://wetshaving.social/.
🪒 Track the uptime of our various services here:
https://uptime.selfhost.ing/status/wetshaving
🪒 Community Rules
Rule 1 - Behaviour and Etiquette
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Be Respectful. Do not bully, flame, or harass others.
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Malicious comments are not allowed but heated discussion and salty banter is okay.
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Low effort replies and complaints about content will be removed.
Rule 2 - Content Guidelines
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Mail Calls, Simple Questions, and SOTD posts belong in the recurring weekly threads.
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Posts must have sufficient content to generate a meaningful discussion.
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Images, links, or videos must include additional text that summarizes the topic.
Rule 3 - Reviews and Disclosure
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Use [First Impressions] in the title if your experience with the product is limited.
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Use the [Review] in the title if you can provide comprehensive details with enough familiarity to answer follow-up questions.
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Disclose how the product being reviewed was acquired (e.g., PIF, loan, or purchase). If the product was provided to you directly by the maker or vendor free of charge or at a discount, you must disclose this fact even if the item will later be returned to the maker or vendor.
Rule 4 - Advertising
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Vendors are to keep marketing within the biweekly Deals/New Products threads.
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Non-vendors may post topics about products if it will foster a compelling discussion.
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Do not solicit donations or share fundraisers without mod approval.
Rule 5 - Inappropriate Content
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All NSFW/L content must request mod approval and be flaired appropriately.
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Non-shaving related NSFW/L content is not allowed.
Rule 10 - Moderator Discretion
- The rules may not apply perfectly to every situation. The mods have final discretion.
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June 24, 2025
Brush: Wald Stratos Haunter 29mm A1
Razor: Koraat 14-2.0 8/8" Full Hollow
Lather: Pasteur|Master Soap Creations - Bloom - Soap
Post Shave: Pasteur|Master Soap Creations - Bloom - Aftershave
Post Shave: Thayers - Coconut - Toner
Fragrance: Tom Ford - Black Orchid - Eau de Parfum
Talc: Yardley Classic
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
This soap has no scent at all -- unless you smell it. If you do that, it is a pretty faithful dupe of Tom Ford Black Orchid. There is a woodiness and dark earthiness to this scent that makes it pretty compelling. I should use it more.
I started into wetshaving at the very end of the base wars so this is not a question I can answer from long experience. I did try some of precursors to the current set of soap bases from BaM, Wholly Kaw, Spearhead, and others, but I don't pine for any of them. My attitude is that I'll find a way to make any soap base work for me.
That said, I'm certain that when my "old" Tabac runs out, I will miss that base the most. It is wonderful and I find it hard to believe that the new one measures up.
As for my favorite soap base. I can't list a favorite, but I do have a list of top-tier bases, each of which brings something special to the shave. Most of these are regularly used here on the sub but two really stand out; the base used in Eufros and the base used in Faena The Taurus. The latter is very unique. They don't have a name for it, but I'm happy to bore you with a description of changes made to their, already good, base:
"The addition of water buffalo milk from Northern Greece gently melds with the renowned Greek goat yoghurt to become the central piece of this new formula. They combine to improve the cleansing and nourishment factors. The addition of organic shea butter and peach kernel oil enhance the conditioning properties and the gliding of the new formula. Aloe vera and home crafted St. John’s wort oil tame the end-result to eliminate skin irritation."