Very nice result, but the R41 does tend to give me a bit of the heebie-jeebies. The key is to use a much shallower angle than I normally use, and the shave went well with no nicks. But I would not call it a comfortable, carefree shave.
But first, the lather. (Important to remember.) The banded equivalent of the Pro 48 has a different feel. It did seem to break in faster. I don’t know quite how to describe the difference: it’s softer but as though the knot were not quite so dense—it is in fact equally dense, I think, but perhaps the bristles feel thinner? At any rate, it’s a good brush and breaks in very quickly, whereas the Pro 48 takes a bit longer. I like both brushes.
Dr. Selby is a concentrated (3x!) shaving cream. I at first thought it had to be a soap because I was under the illusion that the differences were: creams=soft, soaps=hard. But then there are many soft soaps around (Cella, Vitos, Virgilio Valobra, and the like), and there are some quite firm creams (Coates Limited Edition, for one). Dr. Selby takes the cream to a new level of firmness, but it still a cream: the difference between soap and cream is in the formulation (cream being more detergent like) and not in the firmness. This is definitely a shaving cream, just hard as most soaps.
And it makes a dynamite lather. Quite wonderful stuff. The lid, as you see, acts also as a little stand for the bowl. This is one of several shaving creams that I think shaving-soap guys should try.
The shave went well, as I hinted: no nicks, smooth finish, and a good splash of Musgo Real aftershave to wrap things up.
In answering a question for a WEdger, I found this page of Mühle products. Take a look at some of those razors and brushes. Why don’t we have those available in the US? Some razors in particular look stunning.
Filed under: Shaving
