The year ends on a good note, shave-wise: The Dead Sea is an excellent shaving soap with an unusual fragrance (cannabis is included, along with lemon, rosemary, saffron, and sandalwood). This soap doesn’t do well if the brush is too wet, but I have learned to shake the brush to mere dampness before loading—and this is a new brush, BTW: a Maggard Razors synthetic that is quite nice. I would say that shaving brushes have been solved, with superb and inexpensive brushes readily available.
Three passes with RazoRock’s German 37—a big improvement on the Merkur 37, IMO, by being a three-piece design. The result was perfectly smooth, and then a splash of Hâttric finished the job.
And we’re set for the evening: Steller’s Jay Sparkling Rosé, lox, salmon caviar, ciabatta and crostini, and mascarpone cheese. Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.