First off I apologize for my absence from the forums and from social media aside from some updates re my Mothers's condition. The outpouring of support, thoughts and prayers has quite simply blown me away. For that I want to express my deepest thanks to everyone. Thank you for the thoughts, the prayers, the well wishes, the extended (very extended) patience. There is something special about this community and I hope every single person gets to experience it, albeit I hope it is under different circumstances.
As I tend to do I will probably blabber on to long but I want to touch on a twitter post that was made re always wanting more when it comes to razors and soaps and everything else. It was the few posts I replied to and my comment was, "It is good to want what we have as opposed to have what we want". The comment oddly enough meant more to me than razors and soaps and brushes. In a time where someone in your family is in a difficult situation it makes you reflect on appreciate what you have and have had. It is sad that it takes such an event to do so, but at times it does. So far be it from me to tell anyone what to do in their life, but truly appreciating what you have and not taking i for granted as opposed in the endless quest of wanting more may be something at one time or another we could all benefit from doing. At this particular time all I want in life is what I have and I want it dearly.
A quick update on my mother to answer the numerous emails, many of which have been unreplied and for that I am sorry. She is in a holding pattern, in Cardiac ICU, and we are hoping and praying for some improvements. Her main surgery was 11 days ago, she should have been out of icu 9 days ago. After staring off recovering well within 24-36 hrs there was a serious setback. The good news is she is not getting worse, the bad news is it imperative she shows signs of improvement. Enough said.
On to business. A relative will be with my Aunt and Sister a the hospital allowing me some time this am and then later tonight to do some shipping of orders. Please bear with me, I will work as hard as I can in the time permitted to ship as many orders as is humanly possible. I should be able to continue to do so over the next few days and will get everyone's orders en route as quickly as I can. This is a welcome reprieve in many ways as I can be immersed in this and keep my mind occupied and rest easier that I am fulfilling my commitments.
That brings me to my next thought. I will not forget this and in the future when all this is past I wil think of some way of returning this favor to the community and especially to those who have shown extended patience with outstanding orders. I dont know how, I dont know what, but I will.
One last Thank You to everyone, customers, community members and even fellow Artisans ( B&M is tops with me folks- good people first- cant say enough about them) for the thoughts, prayers, good vibes and support. A quick special thank you to those who have stepped up and even assumed responsibility to assist in handling WSO issues and informing the community of the situation if they were not aware via social media and my blog or personal correspondence. You people know who you are and you will have a special place with me from this time forward.
Sincerest Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
WSO Update and Thank You!!
Just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your patience and support. As many of you know in a bit of a family medical situation with my Mom at the moment. Out of nowhere some serious issues arose and surgeries were and are required. One of which was completed today, prepping for what is hopefully the final one on Wednesday.
It is ironic as I have befriended so many customers and shared this with a few of them and the wetshaving community is such a tight knit one I have received well wishes from so many people it is unbelievable. That is what prompted this blog. Please do not take offense if I have not responded to your individual email well wishes or at my absence on the forums. I am simply balancing & prioritizing things at the moment and doing what I can, where I can, in all areas to keep things moving along. Again a huge thanks to everyone for all your support, thoughts and prayers. They are much appreciated.
Now as far as WSO business. I am still cleaning up the remnants of the USPS shipping debacle and reships have been and are being sent. If you have not received shipping notification you will be in the next few days. I am shipping several orders tonight and hope to have the rest out tomorrow so all customer commitments will be honored. This has been quite the sequence of unplanned and unfortunate events. I appreciate all of your patience and understanding more than I can express.
In addition to reships I am also beginning the process of getting product to KnockOutShave.com so the distribution of WSO products can be taken over and both availability and service can be at the level customers deserve. I will do this as quickly as I can under current circumstances. Please do not ask him when he will be getting items in. That falls on me to get them to him and I will as they are ready. It will take a bit to ramp up stock but I really feel this will help everyone, especially you the customer. I have said many times, I never expected this amazing and overwhelming response, I an honored and humbled by it, I fell bad I have not been able to keep up with it, and I feel like there is now a solution in place that will most certainly vastly improve it and hopefully correct it.
This is almost like a starting over of sorts. The issue with WSO products that has really made this such a large issue is quite simply the time put into the manufacture of them. It not just a combining of ingredients and the making of the products. It is the extensive prep of the ingredients beforehand that is very time consuming as well. I honestly feel however that is what makes the difference. The time, care and effort to ensure not only the best ingredients, but that the best ingredients are then individually optimized, then the manufacture process and so on. Time and time again it has been suggested that a corner be cut here and there, but I honestly believe the reason the demand has been what it is due to these steps that are and have been taken. The solution to the problem does not and can not lie in cutting corners or compromising the very core principles (and in my opinion ultimately the quality) the products were originally formulated with. That is what makes them what they are. Long term will that prevent WSO from being a "big time" player? Perhaps it will, but it will not prevent WSO from producing the finest quality products possible...and that is and always has been the goal.
Thank You to everyone for your time. I apologize again for my absence on the Forums and Social Media hopefully all will return to normal very soon.
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsesssion
It is ironic as I have befriended so many customers and shared this with a few of them and the wetshaving community is such a tight knit one I have received well wishes from so many people it is unbelievable. That is what prompted this blog. Please do not take offense if I have not responded to your individual email well wishes or at my absence on the forums. I am simply balancing & prioritizing things at the moment and doing what I can, where I can, in all areas to keep things moving along. Again a huge thanks to everyone for all your support, thoughts and prayers. They are much appreciated.
Now as far as WSO business. I am still cleaning up the remnants of the USPS shipping debacle and reships have been and are being sent. If you have not received shipping notification you will be in the next few days. I am shipping several orders tonight and hope to have the rest out tomorrow so all customer commitments will be honored. This has been quite the sequence of unplanned and unfortunate events. I appreciate all of your patience and understanding more than I can express.
In addition to reships I am also beginning the process of getting product to KnockOutShave.com so the distribution of WSO products can be taken over and both availability and service can be at the level customers deserve. I will do this as quickly as I can under current circumstances. Please do not ask him when he will be getting items in. That falls on me to get them to him and I will as they are ready. It will take a bit to ramp up stock but I really feel this will help everyone, especially you the customer. I have said many times, I never expected this amazing and overwhelming response, I an honored and humbled by it, I fell bad I have not been able to keep up with it, and I feel like there is now a solution in place that will most certainly vastly improve it and hopefully correct it.
This is almost like a starting over of sorts. The issue with WSO products that has really made this such a large issue is quite simply the time put into the manufacture of them. It not just a combining of ingredients and the making of the products. It is the extensive prep of the ingredients beforehand that is very time consuming as well. I honestly feel however that is what makes the difference. The time, care and effort to ensure not only the best ingredients, but that the best ingredients are then individually optimized, then the manufacture process and so on. Time and time again it has been suggested that a corner be cut here and there, but I honestly believe the reason the demand has been what it is due to these steps that are and have been taken. The solution to the problem does not and can not lie in cutting corners or compromising the very core principles (and in my opinion ultimately the quality) the products were originally formulated with. That is what makes them what they are. Long term will that prevent WSO from being a "big time" player? Perhaps it will, but it will not prevent WSO from producing the finest quality products possible...and that is and always has been the goal.
Thank You to everyone for your time. I apologize again for my absence on the Forums and Social Media hopefully all will return to normal very soon.
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsesssion
Thursday, May 22, 2014
WSO Shipping/Status Update
As many of you know we have been quite busy and just reopened the store, Within several days our stock was completely wiped out, which while it was a great thing., left us with a huge backlog of orders to be shipped. By stocking up figuring we would be able to meet customer demand for a longer period, all that was essentially accomplished was the increased stock was purchased in a much faster rate of time which has left us with a shipping backlog. For this I sincerely apologize. As most of you know this is not my main job however I have a responsibility to my customers to ship their products they have paid for in a timely fashion. The purpose of this blog is two-fold. First and foremost it is to assure everyone that any and all outstanding WSO order will be shipped by this Saturday at the latest. Many orders such as ones placed after the 16th have and are being shipped by the committed to ship date. However there are some previous to that which have missed their ship dates and any and all will be shipped by Saturday in order they were received.
The second reason for the blog is to let it be known what is being done to remedy the product availability as well as shipping backlog issue. This coming week will be a transition week whereby all WSO products will be shipped by an exclusive retailer, that retailer being KnockOutShave. The time being spent packaging individual orders is time that could be spent manufacturing product and in order to better service our customers demands as well as improve shipping times this solution became the one that made the most sense. By partnering with a retailer that places the emphasis the same place as WSO does and where it belongs, on quality, we will as a team better to be able to meet not only demand but provide the level of service WSO customers deserve. With a full time job, a wife, a 7 year old, and a 2 year old this hobby has taken off into something I never expected. In all fairness to the customer I cannot continue to expect people to not only wait so long for products to become available, but wait for the shipping of said products as well.
I truly feel that this is the best solution for all parties involved and most importantly for the customer. I sincerely appreciate the patience displayed by all in waiting for the products to become available as well as your patience in the shipping of said products. Again to reiterate all orders will be shipped by Saturday 5/24. This coming week will consist of the transfer of the WSO inventory to KnockOut Shave and then the products will be available and for sale and in a place where they can be quickly shipped out to the customer.
I can focus on what I am good at and enjoy- the manufacture of quality shaving products, and KnockOutShave can focus on what they are good at- the distribution of quality shaving products. Both of us doing so with quality and customer service being the top priority. It is my sincerest hope that this will address both the availability as well as the service issues (and again I thank all who have been amazing in your patience waiting for the WSO products).
.Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards
Jim@WetShaveObsession
PS - KockOutShave currently has a few WSO Premium Shave Soaps in Stock and for Sale! We did a test run to see how things would work and this is the remnants of that test. So visit KnockOut Shave and click on the soaps link to see what he still has available!
The second reason for the blog is to let it be known what is being done to remedy the product availability as well as shipping backlog issue. This coming week will be a transition week whereby all WSO products will be shipped by an exclusive retailer, that retailer being KnockOutShave. The time being spent packaging individual orders is time that could be spent manufacturing product and in order to better service our customers demands as well as improve shipping times this solution became the one that made the most sense. By partnering with a retailer that places the emphasis the same place as WSO does and where it belongs, on quality, we will as a team better to be able to meet not only demand but provide the level of service WSO customers deserve. With a full time job, a wife, a 7 year old, and a 2 year old this hobby has taken off into something I never expected. In all fairness to the customer I cannot continue to expect people to not only wait so long for products to become available, but wait for the shipping of said products as well.
I truly feel that this is the best solution for all parties involved and most importantly for the customer. I sincerely appreciate the patience displayed by all in waiting for the products to become available as well as your patience in the shipping of said products. Again to reiterate all orders will be shipped by Saturday 5/24. This coming week will consist of the transfer of the WSO inventory to KnockOut Shave and then the products will be available and for sale and in a place where they can be quickly shipped out to the customer.
I can focus on what I am good at and enjoy- the manufacture of quality shaving products, and KnockOutShave can focus on what they are good at- the distribution of quality shaving products. Both of us doing so with quality and customer service being the top priority. It is my sincerest hope that this will address both the availability as well as the service issues (and again I thank all who have been amazing in your patience waiting for the WSO products).
.Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards
Jim@WetShaveObsession
PS - KockOutShave currently has a few WSO Premium Shave Soaps in Stock and for Sale! We did a test run to see how things would work and this is the remnants of that test. So visit KnockOut Shave and click on the soaps link to see what he still has available!
Monday, May 19, 2014
WSO Stock Update- 5/19/2014
Ok so after the last week the bottom line is WSO is pretty much wiped out of stock of soaps, Blash and Balm. We had the busiest week ever. We were/are literally slammed with orders. The week started with the busiest day we have ever had and that trend continued right through the weekend.
I am waiting on some raw materials and actually have the materials in stock to make some products, such as soaps, I simply will not have the time to do so until we can get these orders all shipped out.
I would simply ask everyone that has ordered to please bear with us as we are working through the orders and shipping them in the order that they were received but i will say up front some will not ship out in the normal allotted ship time. I can only process the orders after I am done my day job and I rely heavily on my wife to take them to the post office during the day. We are both doing the best we can and I assure you all the open orders will be shipped within the next few days.
I sincerely appreciate and am humbled by the response to WSO products. I sincerely thank everyone for your patronage and support. I also wish to inform everyone that I am working on a solution that will free up more time for me to focus simply on the manufacture of product and the distribution will be done by an exclusive retailer who is set up to do the stocking and shipping much more efficiently than I, since that is solely what he does. This is someone that shares my passion for wetshaving and someone that also shares the same values as I. It will be a pleasure working with him and while this will mean a substantial decrease in the revenue to WSO, it will much better allow us to service the most important person, the customer and fellow wetshaver.
Once again I thank you for your patronage, your support and your patience. I am quite simply blown away by the response to the WSO product offerings. I am humbled, I am grateful, and I am honored.
Enjoy Your Shaves,
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
I am waiting on some raw materials and actually have the materials in stock to make some products, such as soaps, I simply will not have the time to do so until we can get these orders all shipped out.
I would simply ask everyone that has ordered to please bear with us as we are working through the orders and shipping them in the order that they were received but i will say up front some will not ship out in the normal allotted ship time. I can only process the orders after I am done my day job and I rely heavily on my wife to take them to the post office during the day. We are both doing the best we can and I assure you all the open orders will be shipped within the next few days.
I sincerely appreciate and am humbled by the response to WSO products. I sincerely thank everyone for your patronage and support. I also wish to inform everyone that I am working on a solution that will free up more time for me to focus simply on the manufacture of product and the distribution will be done by an exclusive retailer who is set up to do the stocking and shipping much more efficiently than I, since that is solely what he does. This is someone that shares my passion for wetshaving and someone that also shares the same values as I. It will be a pleasure working with him and while this will mean a substantial decrease in the revenue to WSO, it will much better allow us to service the most important person, the customer and fellow wetshaver.
Once again I thank you for your patronage, your support and your patience. I am quite simply blown away by the response to the WSO product offerings. I am humbled, I am grateful, and I am honored.
Enjoy Your Shaves,
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
WSO Stock Update 5/13/2014 - 2;10pm est
This blog is to inform that a full batch run of White Lightning Ultimate Skincare Premium Shave Soap has sold out already. This puts me in a bit of a predicament in the sense that from a business perspective it would certainly make sense to immediately use my Ultimate Skincare Base that is in stage 2 of the manufacturing process to make more White Lightning.
That sounds all well and good, however I have quite a few customers that have been patiently waiting for Vanillawood and Lime. Especially Vanillawood. In order to be fair to those who have been pateintly waiting for these other 2 Ultimate Skincare Soaps, I will be using the 2nd stage batch of Ultimate Skincare base to make first Vanillawood and then Lime. It is difficult to state an exact timeframe until I check on things when I get home from work.
My main intention is t inform those waiting for Vanillawood and Lime that I:
1- appreciate your patience and
2- will be releasing them as my next ultimate skincare soap restocks.
I want to thank all my customers for their patronage and also their patience. I am working hard to restock and keep up and will do the best I can. I will continue to do so in a fair & ethical manner based solely on wait time. Thank You all for your patience and understanding.
Enjoy Your Shaves,
Regards,
Jim@wetShaveObsession
That sounds all well and good, however I have quite a few customers that have been patiently waiting for Vanillawood and Lime. Especially Vanillawood. In order to be fair to those who have been pateintly waiting for these other 2 Ultimate Skincare Soaps, I will be using the 2nd stage batch of Ultimate Skincare base to make first Vanillawood and then Lime. It is difficult to state an exact timeframe until I check on things when I get home from work.
My main intention is t inform those waiting for Vanillawood and Lime that I:
1- appreciate your patience and
2- will be releasing them as my next ultimate skincare soap restocks.
I want to thank all my customers for their patronage and also their patience. I am working hard to restock and keep up and will do the best I can. I will continue to do so in a fair & ethical manner based solely on wait time. Thank You all for your patience and understanding.
Enjoy Your Shaves,
Regards,
Jim@wetShaveObsession
Monday, May 12, 2014
WSO May Update
*The Store will be reopening tonight at 9pm EST. There are several new and exciting things happening. First of all the introduction of a new soap formulated specifically for straight razor shavers ( See my previous blog).
*The Pre-Shave Oils are fully stocked, both Regular and Mentholated.
*The aftershave Balm and Blash are both fully stocked in all scents.
*The soaps Bill the Barber, Zaro, Signature & White Lightning will be fully stocked.
*There are others that are in stock as well. The new scent Bevel mentioned above will be available in limited stock.
*Next to be stocked will be the new Vetiver, new Acqua Di Gio, then Vanillawood, then Coconut Lime & Lime. The summer months are here and I expect the Coconut Lime and Lime as well as the Mentholated White Lightning may be popular with their crisp, clean, cooling and refreshing scents.
*There are a several customers that I told I would notify when some of the scents mentioned above are available. Do not worry, everyone I have told will have their desired scent set aside and you will be contacted in the next day or two.
*I am working on the Pre-Shave soap and that may or may not be ready for release by the end of this month. My primary focus will be stocking soaps at this point.
*I want to thank all of my customers and supporters and also thank this entire board for the fantastic patronage and support. I sincerely appreciate it. I wish I could express my gratitude more but I just can't think of any better way to say it.
*Stay tuned. I expect the month of May to be a fun and exciting one here at WetShaveObsession. Join me in enjoying it!
Enjooy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
*The Pre-Shave Oils are fully stocked, both Regular and Mentholated.
*The aftershave Balm and Blash are both fully stocked in all scents.
*The soaps Bill the Barber, Zaro, Signature & White Lightning will be fully stocked.
*There are others that are in stock as well. The new scent Bevel mentioned above will be available in limited stock.
*Next to be stocked will be the new Vetiver, new Acqua Di Gio, then Vanillawood, then Coconut Lime & Lime. The summer months are here and I expect the Coconut Lime and Lime as well as the Mentholated White Lightning may be popular with their crisp, clean, cooling and refreshing scents.
*There are a several customers that I told I would notify when some of the scents mentioned above are available. Do not worry, everyone I have told will have their desired scent set aside and you will be contacted in the next day or two.
*I am working on the Pre-Shave soap and that may or may not be ready for release by the end of this month. My primary focus will be stocking soaps at this point.
*I want to thank all of my customers and supporters and also thank this entire board for the fantastic patronage and support. I sincerely appreciate it. I wish I could express my gratitude more but I just can't think of any better way to say it.
*Stay tuned. I expect the month of May to be a fun and exciting one here at WetShaveObsession. Join me in enjoying it!
Enjooy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
WSO Proudly introduces Bevel....the Shaving Soap Formulated Specifically for the Straight Razor Shave....
WSO Proudly Introduces Bevel
So as some of you may or may not know I recently got back into straight razor shaving quite ardently. I quickly recalled how when I use a straight I prefer the consistency of my lather to be different than when I shave with a DE or Injector. I like it to be thinner and very slick. I began to think to myself what if I were to formulate a soap that naturally produced a thinner, yet rich and slick lather. One where the more lather you produced or the more product you continued to incorporate it would still have a slightly thinner consistency. I set about the task of formulating such a soap.
Very quickly I realized that even though straight shavers may prefer a thinner consistency lather, there still needed to be a certain amount of user flexibility as not everyone prefers their lather exactly the same. I expected this undertaking to take quite a few sample batches, and it did, but I honestly have to say all the homework I had done in setting about on this hobby months and months ago paid off. Knowing which oils I selected for which reasons, their fatty acid and their triglyceride content and what that translated to as far as lather production, as well as the additives and what they provide asw well paid off significantly in this undertaking. Very quickly I had a workable soap that performed well. Well, however, is not good enough. I did a few more tweaks, gave out a cule samples, used it on my own and I had what I was looking for.
Now for the scent. I wanted it to have a bit of an old time feel. Some slight citrus, moss, leather, hint of tobacco, barely perceptible vanilla influence. It had to have a cologne type fragrance to it, one that would take the user back a bit. The feel of a simpler time. Its definitely a fougere based scent but unlike Zaro not an upscale fougere. More of a journeymans fougere if that makes sense. A woodsy fougere. A daily wear fougere that provided a comfortable feel. I think I have accomplished that.
The best part about this soap is that while it is designed primarily for straight razor shavers it definitely offers the user the flexibility to create a lather that is more than acceptable for a DE or Injector shave. In fact if you are a DE shaver that doesn't like lather so thick it clogs between the blade and the conb of the razor but still offers great slickness, cushion and performance this is one you will want to try.
So as you can see I have not sent the last week with the Etsy store closed twiddling my thumbs. I had a major USPS shipping issue with an entire shipment of 14 orders that needed straightening out, but much of my other time was spent on this task. When the store reopens tonight at 9pm est there will be a limited number of pucks of Bevel available for sale. I sincerely hope all that choose to try this soap enjoy it as much as I and the testers have. It performance has made straight shaving a tad bit easier for me to re-acclimate too.
In a way I am surprised no one has done this before, but in a way I am not. This is a very niche market and not exactly a large enough % of the traditional shaving market to target if your goal is to sell a ton of soaps. However if your goal is to fulfill what i see as a potential need, something that will help to improve the traditional shave even for a smaller portion of the market , it is worth it. Also I will be honest, I would have made something like this for myself to use eventually anyway, Why not share it as I have have shared my other products that started off the same way.
Stay tuned for the release of Bevel, the shaving soap formulated with the straight razor shaver in mind!
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Sunday, May 11, 2014
WSO Sunday Straight Shave- The Friendship Shave...
Sunday 5/11/2014
Wostenholm Genuine Pipe Razor (shorty)
Vie-Long 13052- 21mm Horsehair Brush
LEA Shave Stick
WSO Pre-Shave Oil
WSO Vetiver Shave Soap
WSO Vetiver Blash
 |
| The Friendship Shave |
So tonights shave went pretty well. I did however catch myself with the Wostenholm right at the top of my cheek. An outburst from my 2 year old son caused me to suddenly turn my head just as I was about to start a stroke with the straight. It was a bad one. A good inch long.
I also got a nick on the bottom of my chin as well. Both of these fall firmly on me of course. This razor gave a very nice shave, It is a shorty, the end of the blade broke and it has been shortened and a barbers notch (which you cant see in this pic oddly enough) has been ground into the end of the razor. Even as a shorty it is a heavy razor. It shaved very good but I did feel a bit out of touch with the razor. More like it was controlling me rather than I was controlling it. It is a bit hard to explain. I am sure as I use it more my technique with it will improve. I love the razor and it will be with me for a long time. I think I will be rescaling it in wooden scales as I feel a razor of this age it just feel right in wood scales. Maybe spalted maple, maybe walnut I am not sure yet.
The brush was great. I am telling you I love these horsehair brushes. More and more I am thinking that the boars can go and maybe even the badgers thinned out in my brush rotation. I am not quite ready mentally to part just yet but I can see it happening in the future.
The software performed very well although post shave I was thinking perhaps this would have been a good night for a Lime or a WHite Lightning (menthol) as it is a very hot humid night here in Pa. All in all I am very pleased especially with the performance of the Blash. With the cut and nick the Blash performed great. It helped stop the bleeding and soothed my entire face. It did cool things down and felt great. I can see me using Blash in the Spring, Summer and early Fall and the Balm in the Winter. Not as a steadfast rule but generally speaking it seems that is how it is just naturally shaking out.
Thanks for joining me for the Sunday Straight Friendship Shave. All in all a good shave that reminded me how much more I have gotten out of wetshaving and WetShaveObsession than just this hobby itself. I am a very lucky person.
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Thursday, May 8, 2014
WSO Shave of the Day!
Thursday 5/8/2014
Recently Restored Henckel's 78 Straight
El Druida Custom Synthetic Brush
WSO Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil
WSO White Lightning Soap
WSO White Lightning Blash
This Henckels 78 is a recent WSO restore. I could not be happier with the edge it took or the shave it gave. It has a utilitarian look to it that I find very appealing. In fact I was going to take the restore on the scales further - mirror finish if possible, but I stopped at this point. They have almost a semi gloss look to them that just seemed to fit. For once I left well enough alone and I am glad I did. This one is firmly entrenched in the straight rotation for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this razor and this shave. Thanks for sharing it with me.
USPS Shipping Issue and Store Update...
The USPS issue is supposedly worked out by them. I have 14 orders, all shipped around the same exact time that are supposedly now en route. Unfortunately the tracking update process, which seems to be an issue as far as being updated as often orders are received before statuses change, cannot be "bypassed".
I refuse to open the store and take and ship more orders until these customers are guaranteed taken care of, I have reiterated the changes I will implement to ensure this does not happen again. Everything that is in my control will be done including:
1- Random order tracking checks, 2/day to make sure things are proceeding as scheduled
2- I will now be using a different USPS location to drop off orders.
3- Either my wife or myself, whomever drops off orders, will wait in line and have the items scanned and obtain a printed receipt of the package scans as opposed to using the designated drop off counter at the Post Office.
I certainly apologize for this inconvenience & feel absolutely horrible. I am also ensuring I have back up stock set aside to fulfill any of these orders should any other issues arise with their delivery. I thank all the affected customers for your patience, which has been more than generously displayed by every one I might add. The wetshaving community is astounding (in quite the positive way). In a week where I received several emails that required I explain the exact situation that is WSO, I have also received tremendous kindness, understanding and support from these customers effected by this, That will not be forgotten and I am extremely grateful for it.
As far as the store goes, again, I will not take money from people until those who have paid and have been effected by this are ensured taken care of, That is only right in my mind. Also there will be some restructuring as to how things are done here at WSO to try to better keep up with demand and more thoroughly ensure that the shipper is upholding its responsibility in the equation. I will say this, up until now I have had no issue with the USPS and I certainly hope this is an isolated one. Nothing leads me to believe it is not as for months the service has been quite good and rather prompt I must say.
Once again I apologize to all those effected and also to those who are waiting to order. I will and am doing my best to do right by my existing customers and will do the same for my future customers and supporters as well. As I have stated before this is a hobby for me that has taken off to a degree never expected. I am doing my best to balance career, family and hobby, and Family and career will always come first. That being said nothing is more important to me after my family than ensuring those that have spent their hard earned money on WSO products are taken care of to the best of my ability.
Thank You and Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
ps: Pease feel free to contact me via email at any time: Jim@WetShaveObsession.com
I refuse to open the store and take and ship more orders until these customers are guaranteed taken care of, I have reiterated the changes I will implement to ensure this does not happen again. Everything that is in my control will be done including:
1- Random order tracking checks, 2/day to make sure things are proceeding as scheduled
2- I will now be using a different USPS location to drop off orders.
3- Either my wife or myself, whomever drops off orders, will wait in line and have the items scanned and obtain a printed receipt of the package scans as opposed to using the designated drop off counter at the Post Office.
I certainly apologize for this inconvenience & feel absolutely horrible. I am also ensuring I have back up stock set aside to fulfill any of these orders should any other issues arise with their delivery. I thank all the affected customers for your patience, which has been more than generously displayed by every one I might add. The wetshaving community is astounding (in quite the positive way). In a week where I received several emails that required I explain the exact situation that is WSO, I have also received tremendous kindness, understanding and support from these customers effected by this, That will not be forgotten and I am extremely grateful for it.
As far as the store goes, again, I will not take money from people until those who have paid and have been effected by this are ensured taken care of, That is only right in my mind. Also there will be some restructuring as to how things are done here at WSO to try to better keep up with demand and more thoroughly ensure that the shipper is upholding its responsibility in the equation. I will say this, up until now I have had no issue with the USPS and I certainly hope this is an isolated one. Nothing leads me to believe it is not as for months the service has been quite good and rather prompt I must say.
Once again I apologize to all those effected and also to those who are waiting to order. I will and am doing my best to do right by my existing customers and will do the same for my future customers and supporters as well. As I have stated before this is a hobby for me that has taken off to a degree never expected. I am doing my best to balance career, family and hobby, and Family and career will always come first. That being said nothing is more important to me after my family than ensuring those that have spent their hard earned money on WSO products are taken care of to the best of my ability.
Thank You and Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
ps: Pease feel free to contact me via email at any time: Jim@WetShaveObsession.com
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
USPS Shipping Issue..
Well this is not a pleasant thing to have to blog and caught me quite unaware. I received a notice from the USPS Branch where my packages are dropped off for shipment and apparently 14 packages that were dropped off for shipment last week were "discovered" and will be leaving (actually should have left by now) Philadelphia.
I just got a call from my wife awaring me so I do not have access to the exact orders although I have a very good idea as to what day last week this was. Once I get home I will identify and confirm which orders and customers are affected and contact each one personally via email.
I sincerely apologize to all affected customers for this error. Chances are if you received notification your order shipped last week (earlier in the week if my speculation as to the day is correct), and have yet to receive it, yours is likely one of them.
Again I will be contacting those whose orders have been effected via email as soon as I get home from work. I once again apologize and have a couple ideas as to how to minimize the possibility of this occurring again or at least ensuring I personally catch it sooner. When I first started doing this and it was not quite so busy I used to randomly select a couple orders every day that should have arrived and would personally track them. I had stopped doing this as things went exceptionally smooth for quite some time. It looks as if this is something I will be resuming to ensure timely delivery of customers orders. With this occurrence I am kicking myself that I ever stopped.
Again my apologies. It appears any effected orders will be delivered in the next coupe days.
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
I just got a call from my wife awaring me so I do not have access to the exact orders although I have a very good idea as to what day last week this was. Once I get home I will identify and confirm which orders and customers are affected and contact each one personally via email.
I sincerely apologize to all affected customers for this error. Chances are if you received notification your order shipped last week (earlier in the week if my speculation as to the day is correct), and have yet to receive it, yours is likely one of them.
Again I will be contacting those whose orders have been effected via email as soon as I get home from work. I once again apologize and have a couple ideas as to how to minimize the possibility of this occurring again or at least ensuring I personally catch it sooner. When I first started doing this and it was not quite so busy I used to randomly select a couple orders every day that should have arrived and would personally track them. I had stopped doing this as things went exceptionally smooth for quite some time. It looks as if this is something I will be resuming to ensure timely delivery of customers orders. With this occurrence I am kicking myself that I ever stopped.
Again my apologies. It appears any effected orders will be delivered in the next coupe days.
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Monday, May 5, 2014
A few words about WSO ( a bit long but please bear with me).....
I would just like to take a moment to say a few things. First of all I wish to thank all the WSO customers and supporters as well as the wetshaving community as a whole. Your patronage and support has been nothing short of amazing To say I am grateful and sincerely appreciate it seems a bit insufficient but it is the best way I know how to convey my gratitude and appreciation.
This bring me to my next point and unfortunately it is a bit more difficult to address. As of late I have been receiving emails from potential customers ranging from inquiries as to when certain products will be in stock to expressing some dissatisfaction at the lack of availability of certain WSO products. These range from pleasant inquires and email exchanges & correspondence (which I very much enjoy) to some outright irritated and frustrated people expressing some thoughts that quite honestly simply do not apply to me or to WSO. I will explain further re: the cryptic second portion of my last sentence. When I have multiple people asking me, "how I expect to ever run a successful business when I cannot provide adequate inventory to satisfy the demand?" or, "what makes me think people will not just buy other brands of soap if they cannot get mine?", those quite honestly do not apply to WSO.
Allow me to explain. My goal with WSO never was to run a significant "business" of any kind. It is a hobby, a passion, a joy I have been fortunate enough to be able to share with the public. For that I am extremely grateful. That being said I never expected it to take off as it has, I never expected the demand to be what it is, and I certainly never viewed it as a significant business opportunity at all. I have a career, I have a family, both things take precedence over my hobby that is WSO. They always will. They both really go back to the most important thing in the world to me, my family. One is obvious and that is my family itself, the other is what allows me to provide for my family. They are and always will be more important than WSO and any wethsaving software or hardware in any capacity.
The second question I have been asked multiple times, "What makes me think people will not just buy other brands of soap if mine are not available?" Well the answer to that is absolutely nothing. There is no goal here to corner the soap market. To compete with other soapmakers, Artisan or large manufacturers. In fact in my mind there is plenty of room for a multitude of soap makers and to think one would corner such a market is ludacris. I will take it a step further, I wish the Barrister and Manns and the Synergys and the Mike's and the Tiki's fabulous success. Especially the Artisan Soap Makers. I know for me, as a wetsshaver, my soap stock does not consist of one kind of soap. Even to this day with all my WSO soaps that I have in my possession I still sometimes shave with other soaps.
My point is this. I feel bad that I am unable to keep up with demand for my products. I am grateful for the response to them. I am humbled by it, I am flattered by it, I am downright honored. All I would humbly ask is that people keep in mind exactly what this is and be patient and bear with me. I will do and am doing my best to put some things in place where the quality of my product will not be compromised but the availability will be increased and improved. That being said I must keep my priorities in order and I will not sacrifice several things. My family, my job or the quality of my product. Those things can not and will not be compromised.
I will own my role in this. I jumped into this endeavor with both feet. With a website, an Etsy store, twitter , facebook, you name it. I can understand for those that have not followed the WSO journey from its inception where the perception might be that this is my primary job or career. I just wished to clarify to those under that impression that this is not the case.
So to those that are not satisfied with my ability to provide you with the product you desire I am truly sorry. I will do my best to improve in this area, but keep in mind there are things that are in fact, more important in this world than shaving soap and aftershave, at least to me. This is an uncomfortable post for me to make. I love doing this and have every intention on continuing to do it. I would just like people to understand where I am at with it and if you will be patient with me, I promise to do my best to provide you with the WSO products that I am extremely flattered you wish to use. I give my word to try to improve product availability. I do not view this as a "problem", I view it as an opportunity. I simply enjoy this so much I wanted to address some emails I was receiving that were making it feel a bit too much like a job and less like a hobby. That is not to say I will not work extremely hard at it , as I love it, but I do NOT want this wonderful hobby of wetshaving to feel like a job in any capacity for me!
Thank You for taking the time to hear me out, thank you for your patience, and thank you for making WSO even possible! I will do my best to make it even better!
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
This bring me to my next point and unfortunately it is a bit more difficult to address. As of late I have been receiving emails from potential customers ranging from inquiries as to when certain products will be in stock to expressing some dissatisfaction at the lack of availability of certain WSO products. These range from pleasant inquires and email exchanges & correspondence (which I very much enjoy) to some outright irritated and frustrated people expressing some thoughts that quite honestly simply do not apply to me or to WSO. I will explain further re: the cryptic second portion of my last sentence. When I have multiple people asking me, "how I expect to ever run a successful business when I cannot provide adequate inventory to satisfy the demand?" or, "what makes me think people will not just buy other brands of soap if they cannot get mine?", those quite honestly do not apply to WSO.
Allow me to explain. My goal with WSO never was to run a significant "business" of any kind. It is a hobby, a passion, a joy I have been fortunate enough to be able to share with the public. For that I am extremely grateful. That being said I never expected it to take off as it has, I never expected the demand to be what it is, and I certainly never viewed it as a significant business opportunity at all. I have a career, I have a family, both things take precedence over my hobby that is WSO. They always will. They both really go back to the most important thing in the world to me, my family. One is obvious and that is my family itself, the other is what allows me to provide for my family. They are and always will be more important than WSO and any wethsaving software or hardware in any capacity.
The second question I have been asked multiple times, "What makes me think people will not just buy other brands of soap if mine are not available?" Well the answer to that is absolutely nothing. There is no goal here to corner the soap market. To compete with other soapmakers, Artisan or large manufacturers. In fact in my mind there is plenty of room for a multitude of soap makers and to think one would corner such a market is ludacris. I will take it a step further, I wish the Barrister and Manns and the Synergys and the Mike's and the Tiki's fabulous success. Especially the Artisan Soap Makers. I know for me, as a wetsshaver, my soap stock does not consist of one kind of soap. Even to this day with all my WSO soaps that I have in my possession I still sometimes shave with other soaps.
My point is this. I feel bad that I am unable to keep up with demand for my products. I am grateful for the response to them. I am humbled by it, I am flattered by it, I am downright honored. All I would humbly ask is that people keep in mind exactly what this is and be patient and bear with me. I will do and am doing my best to put some things in place where the quality of my product will not be compromised but the availability will be increased and improved. That being said I must keep my priorities in order and I will not sacrifice several things. My family, my job or the quality of my product. Those things can not and will not be compromised.
I will own my role in this. I jumped into this endeavor with both feet. With a website, an Etsy store, twitter , facebook, you name it. I can understand for those that have not followed the WSO journey from its inception where the perception might be that this is my primary job or career. I just wished to clarify to those under that impression that this is not the case.
So to those that are not satisfied with my ability to provide you with the product you desire I am truly sorry. I will do my best to improve in this area, but keep in mind there are things that are in fact, more important in this world than shaving soap and aftershave, at least to me. This is an uncomfortable post for me to make. I love doing this and have every intention on continuing to do it. I would just like people to understand where I am at with it and if you will be patient with me, I promise to do my best to provide you with the WSO products that I am extremely flattered you wish to use. I give my word to try to improve product availability. I do not view this as a "problem", I view it as an opportunity. I simply enjoy this so much I wanted to address some emails I was receiving that were making it feel a bit too much like a job and less like a hobby. That is not to say I will not work extremely hard at it , as I love it, but I do NOT want this wonderful hobby of wetshaving to feel like a job in any capacity for me!
Thank You for taking the time to hear me out, thank you for your patience, and thank you for making WSO even possible! I will do my best to make it even better!
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Sunday, May 4, 2014
WSO Sunday Straight Shave of the Day!
Sunday 5/4/2014
Dovo Best 5/8"Straight
Vulfix 10 Badger/Boar Mixed Knot (same knot as Grosvenor)
WSO Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil
WSO Bill the Barber Soap
WSO Lime Blash
 |
| My Best Straight Shave EVER! |
Henckels 78 Clean Up
This Henckels 78 cooperated nicely.
So this cant really be called a restoration. It really was quite a sound razor. Aligned perfectly and tight in the scales. The scales still have a couple deeper scratches and they actually look shinier in the pics than they really are. As I began cleaning them up to see what I was looking at they took on almost a semi gloss look to them. It was rather appealing and had almost a utilitarian look to it.I liked the look very much so rather than go all out and get a mirror finish I decided to leave them. Im glad I did, it suits the razor and my tastes well.
I had hoped I might get away with what I call my "get lucky hone", 30 laps 5000/ 35 laps 8000/ 40 laps 12000 / strop w/ grn com./ plain strop, but it soon became apparent for this to be done right the bevel will need to be reset. I have yet to do that. Im looking forward to honing it properly and shaving with it. Hopefully next weekend I will get to shave with it.
So this cant really be called a restoration. It really was quite a sound razor. Aligned perfectly and tight in the scales. The scales still have a couple deeper scratches and they actually look shinier in the pics than they really are. As I began cleaning them up to see what I was looking at they took on almost a semi gloss look to them. It was rather appealing and had almost a utilitarian look to it.I liked the look very much so rather than go all out and get a mirror finish I decided to leave them. Im glad I did, it suits the razor and my tastes well.
I had hoped I might get away with what I call my "get lucky hone", 30 laps 5000/ 35 laps 8000/ 40 laps 12000 / strop w/ grn com./ plain strop, but it soon became apparent for this to be done right the bevel will need to be reset. I have yet to do that. Im looking forward to honing it properly and shaving with it. Hopefully next weekend I will get to shave with it.
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Friday, May 2, 2014
WSO Etsy Store will be closed....
The WetShaveObsession Etsy Store will be down for the weekend. I have major updates coming to the store as well as to my website.
New images reflecting the new packaging will be added to both and all old images removed or updated.
The same will be done to the website and in addition new content will be added.
There will be several new products rolled out on the Etsy Store as well. For example WSO has established a relationship with the Artisan Potter Jay's Clay on Etsy and I will be offering a combination of his First Quality Shaving Bowl along with a WSO Soap at a discounted price! The soap fits perfectly and the bowls are not only beautiful they are extremely functional. I purchased one myself and used it prior to contacting Jay to establish this relationship. I was extremely impressed. Not only are Jay's bowls beautiful and functional, he is a total gentleman and a pleasure to work with. I am honored to have established this collaboration.
Speaking of collaborations this week WSO Premium Shave soaps will be available through KnockOutShave.com . It is my sincerest hope that this will help to increase stock and availability to the customer. While it was never the intention (nor was it in the margins) to sell wholesale to a retailer, this gentleman is simply an amazing person. His morals and ethics are beyond reproach and he is in this for the same reason I am, it is his passion His goal is the same as mine- to offer the best possible, highest quality products available to his customer. Making a buck is down on his list of priorities. it is refreshing, it is in line with my line of thought, and I am honored to have partnered with him.
So thank you for your patience while I perform these updates and additions. Ultimately it will be worth it as the website and store will have more content, more products, and be much more aesthetically pleasing as well as customer friendly. I certainly apologize in advance for any inconvenience.
I have a few open orders, all of which will ship by tomorrow. We will reopen Sunday Night or Monday morning for business. Stay tuned here, on facebook or on twitter for updates.Again I Thank You for your patience and I hope these changes make the wait worth it!
Have a fantastic weekend!
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
.
New images reflecting the new packaging will be added to both and all old images removed or updated.
The same will be done to the website and in addition new content will be added.
There will be several new products rolled out on the Etsy Store as well. For example WSO has established a relationship with the Artisan Potter Jay's Clay on Etsy and I will be offering a combination of his First Quality Shaving Bowl along with a WSO Soap at a discounted price! The soap fits perfectly and the bowls are not only beautiful they are extremely functional. I purchased one myself and used it prior to contacting Jay to establish this relationship. I was extremely impressed. Not only are Jay's bowls beautiful and functional, he is a total gentleman and a pleasure to work with. I am honored to have established this collaboration.
Speaking of collaborations this week WSO Premium Shave soaps will be available through KnockOutShave.com . It is my sincerest hope that this will help to increase stock and availability to the customer. While it was never the intention (nor was it in the margins) to sell wholesale to a retailer, this gentleman is simply an amazing person. His morals and ethics are beyond reproach and he is in this for the same reason I am, it is his passion His goal is the same as mine- to offer the best possible, highest quality products available to his customer. Making a buck is down on his list of priorities. it is refreshing, it is in line with my line of thought, and I am honored to have partnered with him.
So thank you for your patience while I perform these updates and additions. Ultimately it will be worth it as the website and store will have more content, more products, and be much more aesthetically pleasing as well as customer friendly. I certainly apologize in advance for any inconvenience.
I have a few open orders, all of which will ship by tomorrow. We will reopen Sunday Night or Monday morning for business. Stay tuned here, on facebook or on twitter for updates.Again I Thank You for your patience and I hope these changes make the wait worth it!
Have a fantastic weekend!
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Ern & Co. Straight, Finished and Shave Ready....
Frederich Ern & Co
 |
| An absolute pleasure to work on and hone. |
Monday, April 28, 2014
WSO Shave of the Day!
Monday 4/28/2014
Schick Type E Injector
Schick Injector Blade
Shave Factory Small Horsehair Brush
WSO Pre-Shave Oil (new batch)
WSO Vetiver Premium Shave Sop
WSO Vetiver Aftershave Blash
So today I used some new products and an old blade. I knew the Blade in this Type E injector pretty much had it but I wanted to see how the shave would go using the WSO products and a known beat blade. This is my favorite if the Schick Injectors, one of the most aggressive. I like the way this razor shaves very much.
The brush is a Shaving Factory $10 shipped horsehair brush. Now there has been debate that this is not horsehair at all but boar. I am not certain how anyone could question if this is horse of not once it gets wet. This smells like wet horse. Doubts erased. Rarely can I leave anything alone I get and thats the case with this brush. I sanded the cheap finish on it and coated it with 3 coats of spar urethane, sanding between all coats. If you are looking for an intro to horse brush this one is a great value at only $10 and is not a bad brush. It only shed a few hair in the beginning then stopped. Its prob got 40 test lathers and a few shave uses under its belt. Hey for $10 shipped- its a darn good value. Its no Vie-Long , but it isnt bad at all.
Today's shave was interesting. I mainly wanted to see if the Pre-Shave Oil and the Soap could help to overcome a blade that needed replacing. I will be honest, it cant 100%. It can help, but it cant overcome it. I did half my face in Pre-Shave Oil, half with none. The half with none was less comfortable to shave and there was more pull for certain. The side with the Pre-Shave Oil was better but I could still detect the blade needed replacing. I was sufficiently satisfied that indeed the Pre-Shave was making a difference.
On to the soap. this is a new vetiver scent of WSO Soap that may be released shortly. It is out with testers right now, probably just a formality as the real boss, my wife, likes it. As you may have heard me say before, if she likes a scent you might as well just go with it. She seems to have that knack. Plus she provides that ever important spouses opinion that can result in the pleasant purchasing experience of a product. In all seriousness Im liking this scent. In fact it is one of those that initially I liked it and thought yes I think this would be we received to now smelling it often thinking there is something about it I really like but haven't figured out yet.
The Vetiver Aftershave Blash offered a great finish to not the smoothest shave. It was a great way to test the soothing properties of the balm, the dull blade that is. In spite of a fairly rough shave, my face feels pretty good.
Actually in spite of the poor blade condition overall the shave outcome is not that bad. All in all it was an interesting shave experience and I very much enjoyed the new scent and the performance of the Pre-Shave Oil. I accomplished my goal and look forward to a shave tomorrow with a finely honed & stropped straight or a new med prep, feather or personnna lab! lol
I hope you all have fantastic shaves today!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Sunday, April 27, 2014
WSO Shave of the Day!
Sunday 4/27/2014
Vintage 4/8" Severin French Point Straight
Vie-Long Peleon Brown Horsehair Brush
WSO Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil
WSO Bill the Barber Soap
WSO Green Irish Tweed Balm
I will keep this short and sweet. Had a fantastic shave tonight, This Severin was everything I hoped it would be and more. The razor came to me in fantastic condition. I washed it and lightly hand polished scales and then blade. I freshened it with 40 laps with green compound then stropped it, then it was ready to shave. Arm hairs were flying. I was very fortunate to receive a razor that was so well taken care of.
This razor provides excellent maneuverability and great audible feedback. I could hear the whiskers slicing, it was very very nice.
I am very pleased and proud of the new Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil. It works wonderfully. Both softening and conditioning the whiskers while acting on the pore of the skin causing the whiskers to extend and stiffen then slightly. I attribute this to the very minimal amount of SD40 which is just enough to keep menthol is solution and maintain product sterility. That being said its astringent qualities def assist the menthol in exerting its effects on the pores of the skin.
I got the Bill the Barber lather to my desired "straight shave" consistency and it performed beautifully. I had way more than required for the single pass and multiple touch ups.
This was a full straight only shave , my 2nd in a row, and it came out better than yesterdays. I think my straight technique is improving.
Now usually I use a blash post straight shave, but today I decided to go with the Balm. What a pleasant choice. Bot only do I love the Green Irish Tweed scent, the balm is rich and soothing without that greasy feel. My skin feels very soft and moisturized and well protected at the moment.
All in all this was a very good shave. im thrilled with the new straight and pleased with the product performance. I enjoyed this shave very much!
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsesssion
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is NOT Sodium Laureth Sulfate !!
Sadly sometimes in forums information gets passed around that is often inaccurate. I don't think this is intentional at all, but it happens all the time. The thing that is frightening about it is it gets adopted, accepted, and regurgitated as fact.
I am specifically referring to some confusion I recently observed regarding Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
You see Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a synthetically derived detergent that is synthesized using sulfuric acid. It can be a potential skin irritant and I would never use it in my soap.
Now Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is a completely different animal. It is a very mild, skin friendly, foaming agent that is naturally derived from palm and coconut oil. It has virtually no irritant properties whatsoever in the concentration used and I use it in my soaps without hesitation.
Now it is easy to see where some serious misinformation could be perpetrated given the closeness of the names of the 2 substances and how people might assume based on that that they were the same thing. Nothing could be further from the truth. I would strongly encourage those that have any questions regarding ingredient or ingredient properties to go ahead and email me or contact me via twitter or pm me on the forums. I will be more than happy to accurately answer any questions you might have.
This actually ties in well as I have been considering doing a featured ingredient of the month write up here on the blog. This write up could be on Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate this month; The all natural , skin friendly, mild, irritation free lathering agent used in WSO Premium Shave Soap!
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaaveObsession
I am specifically referring to some confusion I recently observed regarding Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
You see Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a synthetically derived detergent that is synthesized using sulfuric acid. It can be a potential skin irritant and I would never use it in my soap.
Now Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate is a completely different animal. It is a very mild, skin friendly, foaming agent that is naturally derived from palm and coconut oil. It has virtually no irritant properties whatsoever in the concentration used and I use it in my soaps without hesitation.
Now it is easy to see where some serious misinformation could be perpetrated given the closeness of the names of the 2 substances and how people might assume based on that that they were the same thing. Nothing could be further from the truth. I would strongly encourage those that have any questions regarding ingredient or ingredient properties to go ahead and email me or contact me via twitter or pm me on the forums. I will be more than happy to accurately answer any questions you might have.
This actually ties in well as I have been considering doing a featured ingredient of the month write up here on the blog. This write up could be on Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate this month; The all natural , skin friendly, mild, irritation free lathering agent used in WSO Premium Shave Soap!
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaaveObsession
Pre-Shave Oil Back & Mentholed Pre-Shave Oil Released!
Our Original Pre-Shave Oil is back in stock: WSO Ultimate Pre-Shave Oil
Our New Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil is now released: WSO Ultimate Skincare Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil
For those users of Pre-Shave Oil take your Pre-Shave Oil to the next level. For those that have tried Pre-Shave Oils and said they make no difference, try one that is designed to truly make a difference!
Thanks to everyone for their patronage and support. It is only due to that that new product offerings such as the Ultimate Skincare Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil are possible. For that I am truly grateful.
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Our New Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil is now released: WSO Ultimate Skincare Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil
For those users of Pre-Shave Oil take your Pre-Shave Oil to the next level. For those that have tried Pre-Shave Oils and said they make no difference, try one that is designed to truly make a difference!
Thanks to everyone for their patronage and support. It is only due to that that new product offerings such as the Ultimate Skincare Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil are possible. For that I am truly grateful.
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Saturday, April 26, 2014
WSO Saturday Straight Shave of the Day!
Saturday 4/26/2014
Wm Elliot & Co Straight Razor
Simpson Colonel X2L
WSO Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil
WSO White Lightning Soap
WSO White Lightning Blash
 |
| Nice Consistency Straight Razor Shave Lather for me. YMMV |
This was a very pleasant shave from start to finish. This is one of the few straight razors I have that I got pretty much already restored. Most of them need at the very least need a serious cleaning, blade and scale polishing, and serious honing. This razor came 100% shave ready and in beautiful condition. It is a Wm Elliot & Co 5/8"and it is a very nice shaving razor in my opinion.
Now I am no straight razor expert by any means and it is only recently I got back into shaving with a straight. I have to say it has rejuvenated my excitement for wetshaving, not that it needed it, but it has! I am enjoying both the shaving and in many cases the razor restoring and the razor preparation as well.
Prep for todays shave was a hot water face wash and WSO Mentholated Pre-Shave Oil. This is actually being released today as a new product. I will be posting a write up upon its release so I will not say too much here. I have been using this for some time, many of you if you follow my SOTD have seen me using it. I will say one this. I have heard many, many, times that Pre-Shave Oil does nothing for someone's shave, or, "I have tried it and it didnt make a difference". This Pre-Shave Oil is actually designed to do something. For me it makes a difference during the shave, it makes a difference in the end result.
The soap used is WSO White Lightning, a favorite choice of mine for straight razor shaves. It and the Lime seem to be my go to's when I use a straight for some unplanned, random, reason. Perhaps because I really enjoy the Blash after a straight shave and I have matching Blash in those 2 scents! The soap scent is not a conscious one, the Blash use post straight shave definitely is.
The shave went very well. I did one pass and several touch up passes id say. Not full passes but areas that needed going over. The side of my chin both right and left. One portion of my neck, and a couple other small places. I am happy to say it was a full straight razor shave that went very well. As I am feeling my face now it seems there is one small area where I could have done a tad better but overall I am pleased.
The post shave inspection/Blash application went well. I definitely like the soothing of the blash after a shave, especially so after a straight razor shave. My skin feels very good right now.
Everything went very well with todays straight shave and again thanks to my beautiful wife for allowing me the time to enjoy it. Im off to take the kids for Water Ice, its a pretty nice day here in Southeast PA today, off to enjoy it a bit!
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Friday, April 25, 2014
WSO & Knockout Shave...Quite the 1-2 Punch !!
I am extremely humbled and honored to make this announcement. WetShaveObsession has partnered with Knockout Shave, or Knockout Shave has partnered with WetShaveObsession, however you choose to look at it. At any rate in the coming weeks Knockout Shave will be carrying WetShaveObsession Premium Shave Soap.
I have been approached by several retailers about the possibility of them selling WSO Premium Shave Soap. My response has always been the same, I barely am able to keep up with my direct orders and my margins are not set for a wholesale/retail scenario. Everyone politely replied that they understood and if the situation were to change to contact them.
Everyone that is, except Knockout Shave. He continued to talk to me, to develop a relationship with me, allow me to get to know him. We spoke in depth and he shared how he will not sell anything he does not personally try or use and believe in himself. We talked in depth about our shared passion of wetshaving. We established and developed a friendship based on our shared passion. We also spoke in depth about business and about my concerns of how it was getting harder to keep up with customer demand. The last thing in the world I want is a customer wanting to use my soap or aftershaves or pre-shave, and not being able to get it.
The conclusion we came to was that if I somehow could do a couple bulk batches of soap and wholesale them to a retailer that would agree to sell them at my fixed price point, it would offer my customers an alternate source for product should I run out of stock. We both agreed this would help. If I was going to do something like this it was becoming more and more clear who I would want to do it with.
The next issue we had to overcome was that of the profit margin of the soap. The pricing of WSO is by no means set up for a wholesale/retail scenario. The ingredients are the finest and in almost all cases 100% organic raw materials available. The soapmaking process used is so labor intensive, however that labor is a labor of love and a passion, so it has never been appropriately valued when it comes to a product pricing standpoint. It was at this point motives and objectives became perfectly clear. The goal here, with him and me, was not to be greedy and make a ton of money. It was exactly the same for both of us, to be able to provide the customers that wanted it, WSO Premium Shave Soap.
I would be able to provide an alternate source of stock for my customers. Customers that otherwise would have to either wait or choose not to purchase WSO Premium Shave Soap. He would be able to (and these are his words not mine) carry the best soap there is out there. We both were willing to take a significant cut in profit margins in order to accomplish this end.
To say I am excited about this relationship is an understatement. I have no doubts that it will work and work well as it is founded upon sound ethical principles, not greed. Its motives are good, thus its outcome shall be as well. Its an honor to be associated with a gentleman with the morals, ethics and character displayed by Knockout Shave. When you find a retailer whose ultimate goal is the same as yours, to provide people with the best possible shaving products possible, and not to try to make the most money possible, that is someone you better align yourself with as soon as possible. That is exactly what I did.
So keep your eye out in the next week or two and visit Knockout Shave. It will be an honor having WetShaveObsession Premium Shave Soap for sale by this fantastic retailer, wet shaving enthusiast, and one heck of a good human being!.
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
I have been approached by several retailers about the possibility of them selling WSO Premium Shave Soap. My response has always been the same, I barely am able to keep up with my direct orders and my margins are not set for a wholesale/retail scenario. Everyone politely replied that they understood and if the situation were to change to contact them.
Everyone that is, except Knockout Shave. He continued to talk to me, to develop a relationship with me, allow me to get to know him. We spoke in depth and he shared how he will not sell anything he does not personally try or use and believe in himself. We talked in depth about our shared passion of wetshaving. We established and developed a friendship based on our shared passion. We also spoke in depth about business and about my concerns of how it was getting harder to keep up with customer demand. The last thing in the world I want is a customer wanting to use my soap or aftershaves or pre-shave, and not being able to get it.
The conclusion we came to was that if I somehow could do a couple bulk batches of soap and wholesale them to a retailer that would agree to sell them at my fixed price point, it would offer my customers an alternate source for product should I run out of stock. We both agreed this would help. If I was going to do something like this it was becoming more and more clear who I would want to do it with.
The next issue we had to overcome was that of the profit margin of the soap. The pricing of WSO is by no means set up for a wholesale/retail scenario. The ingredients are the finest and in almost all cases 100% organic raw materials available. The soapmaking process used is so labor intensive, however that labor is a labor of love and a passion, so it has never been appropriately valued when it comes to a product pricing standpoint. It was at this point motives and objectives became perfectly clear. The goal here, with him and me, was not to be greedy and make a ton of money. It was exactly the same for both of us, to be able to provide the customers that wanted it, WSO Premium Shave Soap.
I would be able to provide an alternate source of stock for my customers. Customers that otherwise would have to either wait or choose not to purchase WSO Premium Shave Soap. He would be able to (and these are his words not mine) carry the best soap there is out there. We both were willing to take a significant cut in profit margins in order to accomplish this end.
To say I am excited about this relationship is an understatement. I have no doubts that it will work and work well as it is founded upon sound ethical principles, not greed. Its motives are good, thus its outcome shall be as well. Its an honor to be associated with a gentleman with the morals, ethics and character displayed by Knockout Shave. When you find a retailer whose ultimate goal is the same as yours, to provide people with the best possible shaving products possible, and not to try to make the most money possible, that is someone you better align yourself with as soon as possible. That is exactly what I did.
So keep your eye out in the next week or two and visit Knockout Shave. It will be an honor having WetShaveObsession Premium Shave Soap for sale by this fantastic retailer, wet shaving enthusiast, and one heck of a good human being!.
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Thursday, April 24, 2014
WSO Vie-Long Lord Randal Review
Vie-Long Lord Randal Brush Review
Specs:
Knot Diameter: 24mm
Knot Loft: 52mm
Overall Height: 113mm
Hair Type: Natural White Horsehair
Soap Used: WSO Lime
Initial Impression: The brush itself is beautiful. It has nice weight and balance to it, feels great in the hand, and the finish is beautiful. Sometimes turned handles like these have white lines you can see around area where there is a transition, like the 2 ridges near the center of this handle. This is especially true on darker brushes. No so here. Flawless finish. Overall initial impression, very attractive brush. Super appealing, good feel.
Feel: The brush has nice soft tips, not as soft as a good synthetic but up there with a good quality badger brush for sure. As far as backbone it has adequate backbone. For whatever reason the white horsehair feels a tad bit softer and has a tad less backbone than my brown horsehair brushes. This is not a bad thing. It is almost the perfect middle ground for everything; softness, scritch, and backbone. The feel of the horsehair knot for me is just about perfect. It seriously reminds me of my Simpsons Colonel X2L in Best. Thats saying quite a bit from a brush with a $42 price tag.
General Impressions: The brush look great, feels great in the hand, it lathers exceptionally well both face and bowl, has a nice mix of softness and scritch, with almost the perfect amount of backbone for me. This is one of those brushes that as soon as I used it I knew it would be a winner for me no matter how I chose to use it. I love the versatility this brush displays, I love the way it looks, I love the way it feels on my face.
When I take a step back and think I paid only $42 for this brush with its looks , feel and performance, all I can think of is what a fantastic value it is. I got a brush for $42 with a horsehair knot that performs up the with my Simpsons Best Badger Brush. Thats pretty darn impressive!
In Summation: I am highly impressed. If you have never used a horsehair brush, this is the one to get. It has it all. Look at it like this, if you dont like this brush, you wont like any horsehair brush as this is the finest example of a well designed, attractive, well thought out horsehair brush with excellent performance. In all honesty if someone told me I could only use this brush from here on out, I would not be that upset. For someone as obsessed as I am with literally 16 or so brushes in the rotation and a bunch more just around, that's saying quite a bit.
The brush itsself is available at http://www.bullgooseshaving.com
It is the Vie-Long Lord Randal. It is available in Brown Horse, White Horse, Horse/ Badger Mix , and Premium Silvertip.
BTW I have last years Vie-Long beehive in premium silvertip and it is the finest silvertip knot I have in any brush,bar none. Vie-Long in my mind is becoming synonymous with two things : Quality and Value.
So I hope you enjoyed the review, the brush is absolutely fantastic. I cannot recommend it enough.
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsesssion
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
WSO Shave of the Day!
Wednesday 4/23/2014
Pax 42. 3/8" ; H. Eicher and Sons Straight Razor
Vie-Long Lord Randal White Horsehair
WSO Mentholated Pre-Shave
WSO Bill the Barber Premium Shave Soap
WSO Lime Premium Aftershave Blash
I am going to keep this brief as I am in the middle of several things at the moment. Soap is being made, orders are being packed, and shipping labels printed.
As far as todays shave honestly I feel fantastic about it. Everything in this shave was top notch and much of it has some form of meaning to me. The razor is a vintage straight that I restored myself. It is a 3/8"which is a bit unusual and not very glamorous. So often people are caught up in and impressed with the large 7/8"blades etc and I will admit they are very nice and very desirable. A 3/8 razor is often thought of as a trim up razor or a cheap razor. In all honesty I think 3/8 and 4/8 straights are the absolute best straights someone can start with. They are so easy to use and so maneuverable it is an absolute pleasure to shave with one. Especially one you restored and honed yourself.
The brush today is the new Vie-Long Lord Randal from Bullgoose Shaving. What can I say- Phil nailed this one. The brush looks gorgeous, performs amazingly, and is a fantastic value at only $42 for the Natural White Horsehair knot. Fantastic brush destined to end up alongside my 2013 Vie-Long Beehive Badger-Horse mix and my Simpsons Colonel X2L as one of my top brushes.
Even the bowl today was a personal favorite. It is a turned teakwood polynesian bowl. It is far more beautiful than the picture does it justice. It is also the perfect size and I absolutely love it.
The software for the shave all performed well. I personally view Pre-Shave a necessity when I use a straight in particular.
The Bill the Barber soap worked extremely well. I add more water to my soap when I shave with a straight, The lather is a bit of a different consistency and one of the things I was looking for when formulating a soap was one that would do the job equally as well whether lathering for a de Safety Razor or for a straight and I honestly fee that the WSO Shave soaps do.
The Aftershave Blash choice was a last minute one I had every intention of matching my soap selection by using a Bill the Barber scented blash but when I was reaching for it the Lime caught my eye and as you may have noticed in my SOTD it is a perennial favorite of mine. There is something about that crisp citrusy finish to the shave I really like. At any rate the Lime Blash did its job well, first tightening then soothing and cooling the skin. It still feels fantastic right now.
All in all a very rewarding shave with an excellent end result. Thanks for joining me today!
Enjoy Your Shaves!
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsesssion
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
WSO Stock Update 4/22/2014
WSO Stock Update:
Ultimate Pre-Shave Oil is currently out of Stock. It is on schedule to be restocked by Tuesday around 8pm Eastern Standard Time.This includes a new Ultimate Skincare Mentholated Pre-Shave as well.
Premium Shave Soap-
In Stock -
Baywood
Bay Rum
White Lightning (2 Pucks)
Green Irish Tweed (3 pucks)
Vanillawood (1 puck)
Out of Stock-
Bill the Barber
Lime
Zaro
Signature
Louie's Coconut Lime
The Naud
LD Spice
Cucumber Melon
Aftershave Balm & Blash-
Full Stock
There has been a change in the order the soap stock will be refilled. This is directly due to and based on customer demand:
Bill there Barber
Zaro
Signature
Coconut Lime
The Naud
LD Spice
Cucumber Melon
I want to thank everyone for their patience and I assure you I am working as hard as possible to restock soaps as quickly as I can. The only thing more important to me than getting the soaps restocked is maintaining the integrity of the product and not cutting any corners that would compromise product quality. I appreciate your patience and understanding and thank all of you for your patronage and support. It is sincerely appreciated
Enjoy Your Shaves!.
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
Ultimate Pre-Shave Oil is currently out of Stock. It is on schedule to be restocked by Tuesday around 8pm Eastern Standard Time.This includes a new Ultimate Skincare Mentholated Pre-Shave as well.
Premium Shave Soap-
In Stock -
Baywood
Bay Rum
White Lightning (2 Pucks)
Green Irish Tweed (3 pucks)
Vanillawood (1 puck)
Out of Stock-
Bill the Barber
Lime
Zaro
Signature
Louie's Coconut Lime
The Naud
LD Spice
Cucumber Melon
Aftershave Balm & Blash-
Full Stock
There has been a change in the order the soap stock will be refilled. This is directly due to and based on customer demand:
Bill there Barber
Zaro
Signature
Coconut Lime
The Naud
LD Spice
Cucumber Melon
I want to thank everyone for their patience and I assure you I am working as hard as possible to restock soaps as quickly as I can. The only thing more important to me than getting the soaps restocked is maintaining the integrity of the product and not cutting any corners that would compromise product quality. I appreciate your patience and understanding and thank all of you for your patronage and support. It is sincerely appreciated
Enjoy Your Shaves!.
Regards,
Jim@WetShaveObsession
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