Oh MAAAAN!

I love custom stuff. I LOVE having stuff that is mine, and only mine. And I've got a great one on the way.

So a while back, a guy going by the nick of "Alchemist" on SRP posted this:


He called it a "variable tension strop", aka a loom strop. I LOVE the idea of loom strops, where the leather is stretched on a fram that you can hold in your hand, no need to hang anywhere, but the one I ended up with is tiny, about 8 inches long. Looking at that beautiful monster of Alchemist's, I got all hot and bothered. So I emailed him.

And now, on its way to me, is this:






That is a custom made loom strop with a custom carrying case and a hand-forged "adjustment key" (aka wrench). How FREAKING SWEET is that? PRETTY SWEET, I think.

I can't wait to get my grubby little hands on it...

Alchemist is a great guy to deal with, by the way. He was cooperative and helpful and extremely generous--he threw in the case for free, without me even asking. He also does custom blades, apparently, so that might ALSO be coming soon. So yeah, this is just making my little day.

Christmas is coming, baby!!!

Say Hello to Betty

L'Ultima Setola has a new ladyfriend!

I have a thing for "custom" stuff. The idea of having something one-of-a-kind makes me really, REALLY excited, and the best way to express this has been, for me, in brushes. So when I saw member Del1r1um on Straight Razor Place posting pictures of his gorgeous hand carved, non-lathe-turned brush handles, I figured I wanted one, and he very very generously agreed to make me one.

Of course, being a boar man, I went the way of the pig and sent him the knot out of an Omega 48 and told him "I like to face lather, I like hourglass shapes, and I don't use brush stands. What can you do?"

This is what he did:



Betty is her name, Betty the Beautiful Boar. She's got quite a figure on her, as you can tell...



She's solid...and she's beautiful, and she's one of a kind.



In all seriousness, this is one hell of a brush. Solid claro walnut hand carved and finished from a single piece of FANTASTIC wood...it's a work of art, is what it is. Of course, it lathers like a dream with that Omega head, and the handle is ergonomically gorgeous. It fits the hand in unusual, but really great, ways...what a beauty.

Thanks, Del1r1um!

L'Ultima Setola

It's heeeee-rrrreee!!

My custom boar brush from Rodd (of knotty badger fame--check his work out at The Shave Den store) using a knot from an Omega professional boar brush, donated by Reformation Student, also a member at TSD.
Check this out:


Gorgeous! The handle is good old American Oak--it's a common wood, for a common animal--but it's beautiful! Rodd's finish brings out a lovely golden sheen from the wood, and I wish you could see it in the light...there's almost a 3d effect.

I wanted something with a narrow waist and a double ring up near the knot--kind of a class knob handle design. Rodd took my ideas for the design and turned them into a big, ergonomic beauty. I've used it twice now, and it is one of the best handles I've used. It feels great in the hand, it looks great, and of course with that Omega knot it lathers great.

Made. Of. Win.