Every aspect of today’s shave was a pleasure. It started with the foundation: that it was on a sunny morning, a Saturday morning, following a good night’s sleep. Then every step along the way was enjoyable.
As usual, I wet the brush, shook it as dry as I could, and began loading with the almost dry/barely damp brush. I like the fragrance of First Night, and I was interested to see that loading began easily even with the brush barely damp. I did add a little water, and that was enough to complete loading the brush. Phoenix Artisan’s CK-6 formula seems to want to go into the brush.
As I brushed the stubble, I twice added more water, working it into the developing lather to provide more body and volume. As I did, I noticed that this Rooney Victorian, even with a 50mm loft, has a satisfying feel and excellent performance. It doesn’t have the “give” that a loft of (say) 57-60mm would offer, but neither did it feel stiff, nor stingy with lather. Bristle choice is a big factor, I would guess, along with knot construction.
The Gillette Heritage, with its Mühle/Edwin Jagger head, is a fine razor, and this morning it gave an impeccable shave.
Yesterday I neglected the squirt of Grooming Dept Hydrating Gel in the aftershave splash and again felt the (painful) difference, so today I was careful to add a bit of the gel to the aftershave, which felt good and smells good. Phoenix Artisan aftershaves have staying power, so I’ll enjoy this during the day.
The red-cabbage kraut is off and running. I set the jars in bowls, and this morning all had overflowed a bit as the jars contents expanded, thanks to the industrious efforts of the lactobacilli. Kickstarting the ferment with a starter culture seems to me a good idea.