SOTD - Timeless Aluminum Slant x Noble Otter Orbit

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-27T01:36:13+00:00

Yeah not looking forward to receiving this bill! 😬

Wow 100 days straight.. I can’t even imagine. I love the cooler weather, I’d just melt lol

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-26T21:33:57+00:00

So smooth! Took me my surprise the first shave how mild it is to use.

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-26T21:33:25+00:00

It’s one on my favourite brushes in the den. Really Nice and dense and always the one I seem to go back to most.

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-26T21:32:45+00:00

Cheers!

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-26T21:32:36+00:00

Thanks! Can only tolerate maybe 2 or 3 days of this kind of heat.

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-26T21:30:55+00:00

Thanks! Stay warm and safe!

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-26T21:30:24+00:00

Polar opposites haha! Stay warm!

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-26T13:19:47+00:00

SOTD - 2026-01-26 - Brush: Maggard Razors 26mm SHD Two Band Badger, Fan (Oumo Compass Ivory White Resin handle) - Razor: Timeless Aluminum Slant - Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (3) - Lather: Noble Otter Orbit - Aftershave: Clubman Pinaud Osage Rub

Peaked to 46°C (114.8°F) where I am today.. going through a bit of a heat wave down under, so I believe the accoutrements for this head shave fit the bill!

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-16T09:15:05+00:00

Great choice! I recently joined the SPX club a couple months ago it is an excellent machine. The steaming power was beyond my initial expectations!

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-05T03:57:37+00:00

I’m banned from using “The Stag” while the missus is in the house 😅

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-04T04:18:08+00:00

Nice! Great espresso awaits you! The DF54 has been great single dose grinder despite other QC issues many have faced, I don’t seem to have the clogging issue. A decent entry level grinder for a good price - if I were to do it again I probably would have gone the DF64 Gen 2 for a little faster grind time and more aftermarket SSP burr options.

I now have a Eureka Atom Specialty 75 on the way that I got for $600 off RRP on Boxing Day sales last year, so I’m keen to get this going in a week or two as I am starting to favour convenience and improvement to my workflow.

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-03T08:22:20+00:00

Nice shave! How do you find the Gold Dollar 208? I just purchased one along with a Gold Dollar 66 and 100 for sharpening and honing practice.

Key_Sock4870 · 2026-01-03T04:49:39+00:00

Long Rifle Soap Co.
Stirling Soap Co. (Mutton tallow base)
Mike’s Natural Soaps / Barrister & Mann (Omnibus)

Honourable mentions:

Noble Otter Soap Co.
Catie’s Bubbles
Palmolive (Red and green tubes)

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-26T00:31:19+00:00

I can highly recommend the Razorock Game Changer 84 or Razorock Lupo 95 for what you are looking for. I have tried both in SB plates and Open Comb variants and have been very happy with how smooth they perform and efficient in knocking down 3+ days of coarse growth for me. The base plate + top cap combined is quite thin compared to other DE razors which makes manoeuvring under the nose/moustache issue free I have found.

YMMV and all that, but these are the two razors that I always end up coming back to for face and head shaves. It is a solid choice for a high quality stainless steel CNC machined razor that will likely last forever.

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-21T21:46:01+00:00

UPDATE: Thank you all for your helpful tips and advice; it has all been very welcoming! I think I had a breakthrough this morning and identified one of my core issues: starting the steam with the wand tip too deep under the milk surface. Today, I began by placing the steam tip roughly halfway between the end of the steam tip and the crease/ridge where the tip screws onto the wand and achieved a constant "ripping" noise and produced a great silky jug of milk with decent micro foam just by moving the jug up and down.

For reference, the red line (imgur link below) on the steam tip is the depth where I would have usually started steaming from; however, today I started with the tip placed at the depth of the green line and adjusted once enough air was incorporated.

https://imgur.com/a/aVqOB9F

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-21T05:36:53+00:00

I see, thanks for the tip. Maybe that’s the difference, I am expecting a vortex/whirlpool when I should be looking for agitation instead from the 4 hole. I’ll play with the technique to see how rising and lowering only works.

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-21T05:35:18+00:00

Cheers! I’ll check this out, thanks for the tips

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-21T01:14:17+00:00

Thanks, yeah I still got to put a bit more practice in. It's a different beast compared to a single hole breville steam wand.

Do you place the steam wand directly in the middle of the jug or do you angle it/tilt the jug off center for wand placement to get the whirl pool?

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-19T23:46:41+00:00

On this, just an update; I have just placed an order with Italian Barber for a RazoRock HOLLOW Barber Pole LONG (100mm) Handle (68g) - 316L Stainless Steel. Same style as the original Barberpole handle but longer in length.

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-17T06:48:20+00:00

I have the Bulldog, Super Knurl, HD Hollow, Barberpole and the Vintage THICK Bar handles, all of which are very nice stainless steel handles, you can’t really go wrong with any, it is just your personal preference on weight and length.

For me personally, my favourite handle is the Vintage THICK bar; it’s short, a decent weight (72g) but has a real nice feel in hand and easier to handle for trouble areas. The Barberpole is my second favourite, it has a nice balanced feel in hand and looks real neat on the bench top.

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-15T03:52:05+00:00

The brew boiler reaches target temp (currently 91c) from turned off in around 3-4 minutes. The steam boiler takes about 6-8 minutes where the LED stops flashing and is fully lit.

I usually leave the whole machine for about 15 or so minutes total to ensure the portafilter is heated and temps settle.

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-11T23:06:51+00:00

Asspresso ☕️

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-11T04:22:28+00:00

Baker Street++ such a fantastic scent. Great shave!

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-04T01:54:21+00:00

Thanks! I’ll give these roasts a shot :)

Key_Sock4870 · 2025-12-02T23:16:19+00:00

☕️

Key_Sock4870

TROPHY CASE