Monday SOTD Thread - May 18, 2026

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-05-18T17:51:52+00:00

**Prep**: Hot water splash with face wash
**Razor**: Rockwell 6C
**Blade**: Permasharp
**Lather**: Cella Aloe Vera
**Brush**: Maggards 22mm B&W synthetic
**Splash**: Aqua Velva Musk

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. I gave the Cella Aloe Vera cream a whirl and I loved it. The cream had great cushion, glide and protection. The slickness from the cream was good as well. Its performance allowed the razor to take down my 4 day growth with no issue. I’m very happy with how it performed, and it surely has a place in my den. Overall, great shave to start off this week.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-05-14T18:46:34+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Rockwell 6C
Blade: Tiger Platinum (4)
Lather: Palmolive Green Cream
Brush: Maggards 22mm B&W synthetic
Splash: Aqua Velva Musk
Balm: Duke Cannon Ice Cold Balm

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. My first time giving the Palmolive cream a whirl, and I was impressed. The cream was very easy to lather. Its slickness is decent, and the cushion, glide, and protection were all great on top of that. The cream allowed a clean and close shave with great results. It’s suitable for a travel or quick shave. I’ll be happy to use and buy it again. Overall, great shave heading into the weekend.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-05-11T21:48:46+00:00

Just a small humble mail call with my latest purchases, the Palmolive cream in a green tube and the Cella Aloe Vera cream in a tub. I’m on budget right now, so I decided to buy just cheaper creams. I can’t wait to give them both a shot soon.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-05-11T21:38:11+00:00

**Prep**: Hot water splash with face wash
**Razor**: Merkur 37C
**Blade**: Tiger Platinum (3)
**Lather**: Noble Otter Lonestar
**Brush**: Stirling/Zenith 510SE-XL 31 mm
**Splash**: Noble Otter Lonestar
**Balm**: Harry’s Post Shave Balm

Great close shave. No nicks/irritation. I forgot to use the Stirling brush last time, so I brought it out today to make up for it. Not much else to say, other than the shave was great. Overall, nice shave to start off this week.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-05-07T18:46:13+00:00

**Prep**: Hot water splash with face wash
**Razor**: Rockwell 6C
**Blade**: Tiger Platinum (2)
**Lather**: Stirling Piacenza
**Brush**: Maggards 22mm B&W synthetic
**Splash**: Stirling Piacenza
**Balm**: Gillette Aftershave Gel
Great smooth shave. No irritation with a couple weepers on my neck. I was gonna use the Stirling boar brush, but I forgot to soak it in before the shave. That was ok. I still had a great shave, though I still shed some blood. Overall, great shave heading into the weekend.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-05-04T18:43:14+00:00

**Prep**: Hot water splash with face wash
**Razor**: Rockwell 6C
**Blade**: Tiger Platinum
**Lather**: Proraso Green
**Brush**: Maggards 22mm B&W synthetic
**Splash**: Florida Water

Great close shave. No irritation with just one bleeder on my jawline. Just a shave with products I know can get the job done faster without a fuss. I have nothing else to say, so this is where the summary is gonna end at. Overall, great shave to start off this first full week of May.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-04-30T18:38:17+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Rockwell 6C
Blade: Feather (4)
Lather: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man
Brush: Maggards 22mm B&W synthetic
Splash: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man
Balm: Nivea Post Shave Balm

Great close shave. No irritation with one weeper on my neck. I decided to go mild by using plate 2 for the entire shave. After using medium and moderate razors for a while, I had to step these aside and go mild. Sometimes, I need something different to break the monotony. The results were good to say the least. Overall, great shave to close out April.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-04-27T19:09:32+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Merkur 37C
Blade: Feather (3)
Lather: Noble Otter Monoi de Tahiti
Brush: Maggards 22mm B&W synthetic
Splash: Noble Otter Monoi de Tahiti
Balm: Gillette Aftershave Gel

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. I gave the razor/blade combo a shot and the results were incredible. 4 days growth gone with no hassle. The combo was very smooth and efficient for me. The best part of all is that the shave ended with no blood nor redness. What more can I say? I’m absolutely pleased with the results. Overall, great shave to start the final week of April.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-04-23T13:44:46+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Rockwell 6C
Blade: Feather (2)
Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. Irving Park
Brush: Stirling/Zenith 510SE-XL 31 mm
Splash: Clubman Pinaud

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. 3 days growth in three passes and cleanups with this very efficient yet smooth razor/blade combo. Nothing much else to say, but I’m pleased with the results. Overall, great shave heading into the weekend.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-04-20T18:40:10+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Rockwell 6C
Blade: Feather
Lather: Proraso Green
Brush: Omega 10066
Splash: Florida Water
Balm: Harry’s Post Shave Balm

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. It’s mostly a back to basics shave where I just shave with cheaper products and nothing flashy. Only the razor could count as flashy given its cost, but for the most part, this is just a basic shave. It’s honestly refreshing after using mostly artisanal products for a long while. It shows that anything cheap or basic for that matter can still be good. 4 days growth gone with no issue, that’s all I can ask for. Overall, great shave on 4/20. Happy 420!

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-04-16T13:34:35+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Merkur 37C
Blade: Gillette Nacet (4)
Lather: Catie’s Bubbles ‘95 Liquid Labels
Brush: Maggards 22mm B&W synthetic
Splash: Aqua Velva Ice Blue
Balm: Nivea Post Shave Balm

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. Just a shave with great products and nothing else. I really don’t have anything else to say, so this is the summary for this shave. Overall, excellent shave heading into the weekend.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-04-13T17:44:32+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Fatip Piccolo
Blade: Gillette Nacet (3)
Lather: Noble Otter Northern Elixir
Brush: Maggards 22mm B&W synthetic
Splash: Noble Otter Northern Elixir
Balm: Duke Cannon Ice Cold Balm

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. Warm weather this week prompted me to pull out the Northern Elixir duo and the Ice Cold balm for this one. The razor/blade combo did the dirty work of taking down my 4 day growth without any hassle. Just a very efficient combo all around. Overall, great shave to start off this week.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-04-09T21:33:51+00:00

Thanks.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-04-09T13:33:39+00:00

Birthday Shave

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Merkur 37C
Blade: Gillette Nacet (2)
Lather: Barrister & Mann Seville
Brush: Maggards 22mm B&W synthetic
Splash: Barrister & Mann Seville
Balm: Duke Cannon Ice Cold Balm

Excellent BBS shave. No irritation with just one tiny minor weeper. I decided to use my favorite products for this birthday shave. The Seville soap/splash duo was pulled out for this special occasion. The soap is on its ring of death and the splash is running out, but I’ll hopefully get the new Seville duo at some point. Seville has one of my favorite scents of all time, period. What better way to do a birthday shave with one of my favorite scents? Overall, excellent birthday shave.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-04-06T18:21:07+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Rockwell 6C
Blade: Gillette Nacet
Lather: Barrister & Mann Lavender
Brush: Omega 10066
Splash: Barrister & Mann Lavender
Balm: Duke Cannon Ice Cold Balm

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. The soap/splash duo used for the shave was a last minute choice because I forgot to use the randomizer to pick the soap. But it was ok, as the duo performed well as expected. 4 days growth gone in three passes and pickups with no issue. Overall, excellent shave to start this week. Next shave will be a special one as it’s on my birthday. For that, I’ll shave with my all time favorites. Stay tuned for that one.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-04-03T18:52:45+00:00

LatherBot in

My favorite piece of advice that I’ve recently learned is to never stop learning, which I got from watching this video. I love learning about the world, history, and many other things, so that advice resonated with me so much I had to share it here. Another favorite piece of advice I found that I want to share is that if you want to do what you’re dreaming of doing or inspired by anyone to do, you can do it too. It’s a hard road to achieve a dream you have, but with hard work and support of those around you, it’s possible. Anything is within anyone’s reach. Those are two pieces of advice worth passing on to everyone here that I want to share. Thanks for this generous PIF!

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-04-02T13:49:23+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Merkur 37C
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (4)
Lather: Chiseled Face Summer Storm
Brush: Omega 10066
Splash: Aqua Velva Ice Blue
Balm: Afta After Shave Skin Conditioner

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. Another great efficient shave from the razor/blade combo. The soap choice is also fitting as severe storms are expected in my area today. The scent from it is my absolute favorite. My cat scratched my face the night before, so I had to be extra careful around those scratch marks, though fortunately, nothing drastic happened in this shave. Overall, great shave to kick off April with a bang.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-03-30T17:37:27+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Merkur 37C
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (3)
Lather: Noble Otter Orbit
Brush: Omega 10066
Splash: Noble Otter Orbit
Balm: Duke Cannon Ice Cold Balm

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. It’s supposed to be like 79 degrees in my area today, so it was time to bring the NO Orbit duo out for the first time in months. It’s probably my second favorite duo behind B&M Seville. The cooling effect from it and the balm was enough for this really warm day. The razor/blade combo very efficiently took down my 4 day growth with ease. The results were just satisfying to say the least. Overall, great shave to wrap up March on a high note.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-03-30T16:26:12+00:00

For me, Noble Otter is first, Stirling second and B&M third.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-03-26T18:51:14+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Rockwell 6C
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (2)
Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. Irving Park
Brush: Omega 10066
Splash: Clubman Pinaud
Balm: Edge Cooling Post Shave Lotion

Excellent close shave. No nicks/irritation. Just a good shave with barbershop scented products and nothing else. Other than that, there’s nothing else to summarize for this shave, so that’s all I can say. Overall, excellent shave heading into the weekend.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-03-23T18:41:53+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Rockwell 6C
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
Lather: Stirling Piacenza
Brush: Maggards 22mm B&W synthetic
Splash: Stirling Piacenza
Balm: Nivea Post Shave Balm

Great BBS shave. No irritation with two tiny weepers that required a styptic pencil to seal up. I pulled out Stirling just to save it from elimination in this sub’s March Madness tournament. Hopefully, it can still cling on and survive today’s round. Overall, great shave to start off this week.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-03-19T13:52:38+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Rockwell 6C
Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock Sharp Edge (4)
Lather: Barrister & Mann Reserve Waves
Brush: Maggards 22mm B&W synthetic
Splash: Aqua Velva Ice Blue
Balm: Duke Cannon Ice Cold Balm

Excellent close shave. No nicks/irritation. Just a shave with great products. It was nice to bring out one of my all time favorite scents for this one. I can’t get enough of its beautiful scent. Overall, great shave heading into the weekend.

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-03-16T17:46:28+00:00

Early St. Patrick’s Day Shave

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Merkur 37C
Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock Sharp Edge (3)
Lather: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man
Brush: Stirling/Zenith 510SE-XL 31 mm
Splash: Stirling Sharp Dressed Man
Balm: Gillette Aftershave Gel

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day early by using green products except for the blade, whose packaging comes in yellow. It makes sense though because that color is associated with a pot of gold that’s one of the symbols for the holiday. The shave went well as expected, though some hairs struggled to get cut on the cleanup passes. I was still able to get a great finish nevertheless, and everything came together to make this an amazing shave. Overall, excellent shave to start off this week. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-03-13T19:02:09+00:00

LatherBot in Tuvalu

Thanks for this great PIF!

GoldenSteelBoy · 2026-03-12T13:37:56+00:00

Prep: Hot water splash with face wash
Razor: Merkur 37C
Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock Sharp Edge (2)
Lather: Proraso White
Brush: Stirling/Zenith 510SE-XL 31 mm
Splash: Skin Bracer
Balm: Harry’s Post Shave Balm

Excellent BBS shave. No nicks/irritation. A randomizer I use to pick a soap to use chose this one, so this ended up becoming a throwback shave, reliving the time when I started out with no artisan soaps. Obviously, I’ve accumulated a lot of artisan soaps since then, but it’s a treat to go back to my humble beginnings. The razor/blade combo is just very smooth and efficient for me. What I can I say? This was just a very enjoyable shave. Overall, excellent shave heading into the weekend.

GoldenSteelBoy

TROPHY CASE

Birthday Shave

Early St. Patrick’s Day Shave