The Plisson brush is extremely nice to use. In comparison to the Rooney Finest I used yesterday, it has a slight more granular feel on the face and is not quite so resilient, but (like the Rooney) provides a quite distinctive and pleasant feel as I lather. Both brushes load easily (assuming a good soap and reasonably soft water) and both brushes have enormous capacity. The heft of the plated brass handle is also quite nice, and the pedestal food provides a secure grip when (for example) shaking the brush dry (before the shave (after thoroughly wetting the knot) and after the shave (having rinsed the knot well, first under running hot water until the water runs clear and then under cold water).
And the lather was excellent from Phoenix Artisan’s Crown King formula. (CK-6 is the 6th iteration of that formula: “CK” = “Crown King,” something I only this morning realized.) Alt-Eleven has a green tobacco fragrance, near as I can tell — certainly a pleasant fragrance.
The razor head is Charcoal’s Edwin Jagger clone, which I believe Charcoal no longer offers (though others do, and at one time I had a link for the authentic Edwin Jagger head by itself, but I cannot find it now — I’ve made a query and will post an update). The handle is one made by Wolfman Razors at one time, a handle I like for both look and feel.
An excellent result — the EJ head really is quite good — and a small dab of the Alt-Eleven Star-Jelly balm finished the job, leaving my very smooth skin extremely soft.
Sharpologist has a “best of” article regarding currently available shaving soaps. I concur with his judgments for the soaps I’ve tried, and (of course) am curious to try some from the list that are new to me. Valentine’s Day is coming up, and perhaps a subtle hint will garner you a new soap or two. (A “subtle hint” can go so far as a completed order form put on the fridge door with a magnet, so far as I am concerned.)