I missed the Solstice this year — I was in the middle of the Meßner Tremonia run — but it’s never too late to enjoy a great shaving soap. This is not the CK-6 formula, but it’s damned good, and I do love the fragrance.
For the coarse brush I have my wonderful Plisson European Grey badger. Although the bristles are coarse, they are blunt, so (unlike brushes where the bristles have been cut in a way that leaves the end sharp), they feel good on the skin, like a light scrub. And the lather was very, very nice.
The Baby Smooth is an amazing razor. Three passes to perfect smoothness with ease and without problems, then a splash of Phoenix Solstice aftershave, and the day begins.