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Disclosure Statements

• The GEM Micromatic Clog-Pruf was a gift from u/EldrormR
• The Rubberset 400/Declaration Grooming B5 brush is on loan from u/EldrormR
• I bought the Declaration Grooming Sweet Lemon soap with my own money
• I bought the Declaration Grooming Nightman aftershave with my own money

Write-up:

After receiving the Clog-Pruf and B5 in the mail earlier this week I knew I wanted to include Declaration software to round out my shaves for the week. Since trying a GEM Micromatic Clog-Pruf for the first time last year, it has quickly become my favorite GEM razor and perhaps my favorite vintage razor in general. It is one of the later GEM models and features a rather cool Art Deco look and twist-to-open mechanism. The Clog-Pruf is often called the Goldilocks “just right” razor in that sits in between the original Micromatic (open comb) and the later Bullet Tip/Flying Wing in terms of aggression. It’s the perfect balance of smoothness and efficiency for me, and I enjoy using it in any circumstance. Try one out if you haven’t already ☺

Declaration Grooming’s B5 batch is one of the most coveted brush knots out there. I had never tried it in the past, so I’m very thankful to u/EldrormR for letting me borrow his Rubberset 400/Declaration Grooming B5. I had never seen one of these vintage Rubberset handles in person either, and they definitely have a cool, vintage look to them that is more appealing than I would have expected. The B5 knot feels as I would have expected based on opinions from others. It features good backbone and very gelly tips, so I can understand why so many people adore this batch. This B5 feels more similar than different to the B8 that I own but with more backbone, so I don’t feel the B5 FOMO. Still a fantastic knot, however.

I have this old tub of Declaration Grooming Sweet Lemon in Icarus that I have been trying to kill for a while now to no avail, but I love everything about this soap including Scott’s original scent description. “This scent creates an accord that is citrusy and creamy, with a familiarity that is highly evocative of each person’s memories. For each person it is different: many remember their grandmother’s lemon cake, others are whisked away to a tropical drink at a tiki bar, and some even feel they are spending a day at the spa. To some it may be a gourmand, to some it may not, but to everyone it is a journey to a dearly held memory.”

For a while I know Scott was not releasing specific notes for his scents, instead encouraging people to interpret what they will from his scent descriptions and see what they actually pick up from the scent. I like this idea, as it encourages us to smell on our own, so to speak. I smell coconut most prominently from Sweet Lemon, and I can see the comparisons to lemon cake of sorts, though it doesn’t evoke any specific memories. I’ll be sad when this soap is finished, but I’m enjoying every shave with it in the meantime. The Icarus base is terrific as well, and I think it’s my favorite out of it, Bison, and Milksteak. Icarus requires a bit more loading effort, especially with a soft knot like B5, but I don’t find the actual lathering process difficult at all.

Finally, I tried a few different splashes to pair with Sweet Lemon this week, and I ultimately decided to stick with Declaration Grooming Nightman. Sweet Lemon and Nightman have the citrus element in common, but Nightman turns into a much darker, more mysterious scent thanks to the woodsy and boozy notes. If you own these two scents I would encourage you try them out together and see what you think! These days I find myself trying to link different soap and aftershave scents together even if they only share a single note or type of note in common. Also, the Declaration splash base is amazing, and I don’t think the formula has been changed in a long time. Kind of makes me wonder why I don’t use this splash all the time…

Cheers, everyone!