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Steampunk Shaving Cream by Tabula Rasa

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steampunk
Steampunk is a special edition shaving cream that was created for The Shave Nook shaving forum by Tabula Rasa in  Germany.  If you’re not familiar with the steampunk genre, think of it as a “retro-futuristic” science fiction or fantasy alternate reality based in the Victorian era (though sometimes it takes place in the American West) where steam-power is still in use.  HERE is the Wikipedia entry if you want to delve deeper.

Steampunk Shaving

Tabula Rasa, the German shaving cream artisan who makes Steampunk shaving cream describes it as:

“In the beginning was … the word: Steampunk. Erik Kormann was browsing through the internet and was fascinated by this movement, which has evolved from a literary phenomenon to a modern subculture. A kind of retro-futurism expressed through the love of art and of the Victorian era and has its roots in the works of Jules Verne and HG Wells. Thus, a diving bell is also the symbol that the graphic artist Jo Zarth transposed for Erik Kormann: A tribute to Verne’s novel ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.’
“Erik Kormann always wanted to create a fragrance with Atlas cedarwood – and one that is reminiscent of an old library with wood paneling that evokes wanderlust. This desire fitted perfectly to the steampunk theme which also abounds with explorers and adventurers. So all said and done: the idea was born and immediately implemented. The fragrance Steampunk honours its name: it is both nostalgic and hypermodern. Cedarwood blends with a velvety violet to create an intense “Amour Fou”, complemented by glowing Hesperides softly bedded on a gentle, skin-close and warm base of elemi and cashmeran. Erik does not reveal all of the fragrant notes so you can play the explorer and discover or test for yourself…!”
steampunk tabula rasa
I think the “shaving cream” is more like a very soft shaving soap than a classic shaving cream.  Wait, maybe that’s not quite right.  The consistency is  “soft” but “light.”  Not as dense as either creams or soaps.

And, like the consistency, the scent is quite unusual too.  The “spirit” of the steampunk movement is a combination of new and old elements.  I think Steampunk shave cream captures the spirit well.  The predominant scent I get is something like leather.  But other notes come through too–woods (cedarwood?) and then more subtle undertones of a marine/oceanic scent and a bit of citrus (it is also formulated with Argan Oil and Mango butter).  The image I got on the first sniff was a leather-bound book in a modern office.

Performance is very good for me, even with my hard water.  Perhaps not quite as good as the best European shaving products, but darn close.  Definitely something I will continue to use.

As you might expect from a limited-edition artisan product, there is a bit of a price premium and limited availability for Steampunk.

Author

Shave tutor and co-founder of sharpologist. I have been advocating old-school shaving for over 20 years and have been featured in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Lifehacker. Also check out my content on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!View Author posts

7 thoughts on “Steampunk Shaving Cream by Tabula Rasa”

  1. I have been looking to update my old go-to shaving soap and cream combo. English Leather has a line that I’ve been using for years, but the fragrance is a bit much sometimes, and I think it’s time to change anyway. It also has left my skin in need of a nice light lotion just after, which the one that comes with it can’t quite keep up with. I’m going to give this a shot, the scent seems to be perfect (sounds so thus far at least) and it couldn’t hurt to try. Quick question, do you have a post on straight razors versus modern men’s razors? Looking for a closer shave too, and it has been difficult to achieve that without a lot of redness left behind. The barber I go to seems to get it right, but he uses a straight razor.

  2. While the Steampunk genre can be a bit much for me at times, the overall aesthetic of it is pretty cool. I’d like to try this out for myself sometime soon!

  3. Mark,
    You are correct as usual, it is a great soap/cream/croap. The only thing I could/would disagree on is the price. To the best of my knowledge is sells for the same price as the other Tabula Rasa offerings. We are hoping that this will become a regular in their product line.

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