Over the past several weeks, I have been fortunate enough to be afforded an opportunity to test out several products from a newcomer to the wet shaving market.  Bill Neumann II, founder of Wm. Neumann & Co., continues an apothecary tradition started by his great-grandfather, William Neumann, at the turn of the century.  Located in Williamsburg, VA, he opened up for business in the last few months of 2012.  Bill’s great-grandfather made several notebooks filled with detailed notes for fragrances and other men’s products while he operated his own pharmacy in Detroit.  Those notes have been preserved and passed down for three generations, and are now the cornerstone to Bill’s formulary for his fantastic new line of grooming products.  

When I saw the iKon OSS for the first time, two things came to mind: (1) I do not know how iKon names their products, but OSS sounds like a battleship, and (2) Damn, this razor looks a lot like the Feather All Stainless. This article takes a closer look at this razor from iKon to explore if it is similar to a battleship and different from its Japanese twin.

Read in your best movie trailer voice: “In a World where bay rum and alcohol collide, when your aftershave is sharp and spicy. One man and one woman will embark on a journey. A new brand will rise ... A bay rum balm will emerge. Traditional wetshaving will never be the same.” [Cue intense music: Bum bum bum bummm! and fade to black]. No, this is not the next Hollywood blockbuster, but it is an exciting product to the shaving market. This article reviews the Gilbert Henry Bay Rum Aftershave Balm.

Early in the 20th century, a historian of Eton College wrote, “No other school can claim to have sent forth such a cohort of distinguished figures to make their mark on the world.” Princes William and Harry are alumni, and David Cameron is the 19th British Prime Minister who attended Eton. It is the most famous high school in the world and boasts a long and proud history. In the shaving world, Taylor of Old Bond Street is a well-known brand with its own long and proud history. Drawing youthful inspiration from the famous school, Taylor produced the Eton College fragrance and shaving range. This article takes an in-depth look at Taylor of Old Bond Street Eton College Shave Cream to see how it fares against other traditional shaving creams.

New wet shavers frequently ask me, "What blade do you recommend for me?" Because each man's beard is different, there is not a simple answer to this question. One man may be suffering from tugging because a blade is too dull to cleanly cut his hair, while another man may be experiencing irritation from the same blade that is too sharp for him. I've expanded the article-Choosing the Right Blade to include more brands of razor blades. This article provides a high-level comparison of different brands, their level of sharpness, and their overall value in price vs. performance.