Down the Rabbit Hole with Douglas Smythe: The Wonderland of Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements

It’s easy to forget that going down the rabbit hole is, at its heart, a journey of discovery. It means stepping beyond the known into the unknown, trading the familiar for the strange. But it’s the wonder — the fantastical, the utterly delightful — that draws us in. We become transfixed. And we stay. We’ve arrived in….Wonderland.

Few artisans do more to enrich the world of wet shaving than Douglas Smythe and his partner Fran of Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements. Their soaps, splashes, razors, and brushes are praised for their innovation and performance — but they’re adored for their storytelling, artistry, and offbeat sense of adventure. Douglas and Fran don’t just create products — they build worlds.

I had the chance to catch up with Douglas and explore his ingenious world of wit, wonder, and creativity. Here’s what I discovered…

Q: A pith helmet, an ancient map, a subterranean cavern, a jungle, an alien planet...is there a real connection between wet shaving and the spirit of exploration or is this just part of the fun?

A: Maybe not literal jungles or pith helmets (though I do own one and did create my first product in a rain forest), but yes, there’s absolutely a connection. Shaving used to be this mindless routine. Wet shaving turns it into something you actually experience. It's a small, daily reset. A way to re-engage with yourself. So whether it's a journey into your own reflection or a deep dive into bay rum for example, there's something quietly adventurous about it. Plus, who doesn’t like the idea of starting the day with a feeling of epic adventure?

Q: You've credited Richard Sharpe Shaver as a major influence on the Agharta Saga and other PAA stories and lore. Shaver’s life was marked by both creativity and significant mental health struggles, including institutionalization. What, in your view, makes for a compelling story? Is there a line between fantasy and madness or are the best ideas born in that gray area?

A: The best stories come from people who see the world a little differently; sometimes beautifully, sometimes uncomfortably so. Shaver was one of those people. What he lacked in traditional stability and ability, he more than made up for in raw imagination. That line between madness and creativity? I think it’s blurry on purpose. Some ideas need to come from that strange middle ground, because that’s where the stuff lives that we don’t have names for yet.

Q: In video interviews from 2019 and 2020, you and Fran described working around the clock; eating, sleeping, and breathing wet shaving. Is that still the case today, or has your work-life rhythm changed over time?

A: We’re still passionate, but we’ve definitely upgraded the sleep part. In the early days, it was full-on caffeine-fueled chaos. It took us ten years before we took our first vacation, seriously. Now, we’ve found a rhythm. We still live and breathe it, but we also come up for air. There’s balance now. Huxley (our 120 lb Malamute and part-time life coach/buddha) makes sure we take daily walks. Fran and I also make time for hikes, weird bookstores, and actual weekends (kinda). For the last 4 years I have made it a point to take a little over a month to solo backpack across Spain. This summer I will do Spain & Portugal. This is my yearly recalibration, my therapy, my pilgrimage. lol

Q: Back then, you also expressed optimism that wet shaving would continue to grow. Has the industry evolved in the way you anticipated, or have there been surprises along the way?

A: It’s grown, and in a lot of ways, it’s exceeded expectations. It’s become this global, passionate subculture that I would like to believe we had a small part in creating! There’ve been some surprises too, sooooo many new artisans, new hardware, and a few odd trends, but overall, the heart of it is still the same. That’s encouraging.

Q: You’ve spoken about launching PAA in 2012-13, when only a handful of artisans were in the space. By 2019, the landscape was much more crowded. Fast forward to 2025, what’s your take on the current state of competition? How has it shaped PAA’s strategy and identity?

A: [We began in 2012, not 2012-2013...don't take that away from us! lol, it's even in our logo; "est. 2012". ] There’s definitely more noise now, but that’s not a bad thing. It keeps everyone on their toes. For us, it means staying true to what makes PAA…well, PAA. Storytelling, innovations, thinking outside the CUBE, er...box and not taking ourselves too seriously, but taking our formulas very seriously. We have never chased trends. We make what excites us and what we’d actually want to use. 

Q: You’ve said that you and Fran first met in college, then reconnected before forming PAA. What’s the secret behind your successful partnership, both personally and professionally?

A: We listen. We laugh. We respect the hell out of each other’s instincts. I bring the absurd ideas, and Fran brings the filter and vice versa depending on the day. We’re both curious, creative, and committed to making something great together. 

Q: CK-6 is widely considered one of the best-performing bases in wet shaving. What’s the secret behind it? How did you arrive at the final formula, and what makes it stand apart?

A: Obsession and butter. Lots of butters. I basically went down the rabbit hole of what makes a soap feel good, not just slick, but nourishing. CK-6 uses exotic butters most people and artisans had never heard of at the time; Bacuri, Murumuru, Cupuaçu, to name a few. It’s luxurious but functional. We wanted a base that would put an end to that trite forum argument that tallow soap is somehow superior to all. And I believe we succeeded. 

Q: You release a remarkable number of scents every year. Is your creative process more experimental, throwing spaghetti at the wall, or do you follow a specific design philosophy or perfumery style?

A: It’s all that, somewhere between jazz, storytelling and engineering. I’ll get hit with an idea, sometimes it’s a memory, sometimes a weird dream, something I read, sometimes a discontinued fragrance I want to revive, etc and then I build around that. So yes, it’s experimental, but there’s also structure. I’m a believer in classic perfumery, but I’m not afraid to go off-script if it means making something memorable. 

Q: Despite having one of the deepest fragrance catalogs in the industry, many of your bestsellers: Atomic Age Bay Rum, Scentless, Doppelganger Grey, CAD, Clubguy lean toward the familiar or classic. How does that influence how you plan new scent releases? And why do you think Future Fiction has resonated so strongly as a breakout hit?

A: [Scentless? lol...I'm not sure I would lump that in with "Best Seller Frags".] Our classics stick because they’re reliable. They’re like comfort food, but with a better skin feel. That said, we always aim to sneak in something new. Future Fiction worked because it’s both nostalgic and completely unexpected. It smells like something out of a dream you don’t quite remember but know you want to revisit. People crave the familiar, but they remember the stuff that surprises them also. 

Q: The Big Shave S’West was a cornerstone event for the community before the pandemic. Why didn’t it return afterward and is there hope for a revival?

A: COVID changed a lot of plans for us and everyone else. And to be honest, once we paused, we realized just how much time, energy and money those events took. We invested a lot in organizing that last one and lost it all. It was going to be the best one yet too. In short, calling that off broke my heart. Sooooo, I am taking a break. But that doesn’t mean it’s off the table forever. If we do bring it back, it’ll be with fresh energy, new ideas, and probably even more folding tables. I think the Big Shave definitely inspired a lot of the new shave gatherings you see; live demos, an on scene barber doing shaves, multi day events, panels, day trips, free admission, etc...these trends all began with the Big Shave Events! We took the idea of a traditional shave meet up and mixed in some comicon elements!

Q: What do you personally love most about the wet shaving community?

A: The Shave Cadets. No question. The shared passion, the humor, the generosity, it’s a unique group of folks. It’s one of the few places online where strangers will argue intensely about whether to bloom or not bloom and then send each other free samples. In most of the groups it’s "SHnerdy", passionate, and surprisingly kind. I love being a part of that. 

Q: If you could send one message to every wet shaver in the world right now, what would it be?

A: Stop overanalyzing. Blade gap debates? They're the flat earth theory of wet shaving; loud, circular, and ultimately pointless. Just shave with the damn razor. Did it feel good? Did it work? That’s your answer. You can get a stellar shave from a $300 stainless beast or a $5 flea market relic. Price isn’t a guarantee, performance is personal. Same goes for soaps and blades, what works like magic in one setup might flop in another. So experiment. Screw the hive mind. Find what actually works for you. And don’t forget: a great shave, like a strong coffee, won’t solve all your problems, but it’s a hell of a good start. Shave On & Stay Groovy!

Doug & Fran

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