First shave of the year, had some excema to take care of and had to be presentable for today. It was about a week since my last shave. I find in recent months I have preferred to grow out my beard for a week or two between shaves. I quite like the look, whereas previously I was a daily shaver.

It was a super shave and the Rockwell razor is a superb bit of kit. Very expensive and not really affordable but you get what pay for in terms of quality and materials. A superb fully adjustable modern safety razor that gives a very comfortable and close shave. The geometry and balance is excellent, its a heavy razor but made of 99% stainless steel parts its to be expected. Certainly a heirloom razor that will be still running when I have long since kicked the bucket. I paired it with a Shark Platinum razor blade on its first use, an excellent blade for me.

I went for the Vie Long horse hair brush and as always it was superb, a little scratchy but it helps exfoliate and work the lather in. A very underappreciated material for shaving brushes and animal friendly too, with the hair being harvested via grooming as opposed to skinning with boar, badger hair and the future issues of synthetic hair brushes.

Feeling a little bunged up I went for something mentholated in the Razorock XXX Fresco soap and aftershave splash. It certainly woke me up and gave a nice menthol blast. Excellent performing soap and a nice mentholated take on Acqua di Parma’s colonia. I finished up with a spray of it.

The photo I had taken a few days prior before I put away my Christmas decorations. I had always planned for this first shave of the year.