I’m still enjoying using an almost-dry brush for loading, and I picked a Mike’s Natural soap this morning because he makes a hard smooth puck that helps in observing the process. Once again I shook all the water I could from the brush, then moved the tip of the knot through a trickle of hot water and began loading.
It took a few trips to the trickle to finish loading — this soap contains clay — but the process works well. In working up the lather on my face, I added more water — a good amount, as it happens. The result was excellent, but I found I did not like the short loft of this knot. The brush lacks capacity and also doesn’t flex enough on my face. This brush is eligible for replacement if I see something I like. Too bad — I do like the amber handle.
Mike’s Natural soaps tend to have very light fragrances, and this morning, since I wasn’t trying to smell the fragrance, being focused on lather generation, I didn’t much notice it. The shave itself went very well — the Baby Smooth is for me an excellent razor, though some find it too inefficient.. Three pases left my face smooth, and then a good splash of Anthony Gold’s excellent Red Cedar aftershave finished the job.