The loft of this G.B. Kent BK4 brush — 52mm — is just a little more than the loft of yesterday’s Rooney Style 2 Finest, but the Kent has a much softer feel on the face. I presume that it is partly because the Finest hairs are more resilient and perhaps also the Finest knot is packed tighter. I don’t see this as a difference in quality — the BK4 brush is of excellent quality, and I do like the handle design — but as a difference in feel. (In terms of performance, both brushes are excellent.)
I easily loaded the well-shaken-out brush with no additional water (I think there was more water left in the brush than usual), and though I added one driblet as I worked up the lather on my face, I did that more as a matter of from than from any need. I like the performance of this Meißner Tremonia soap, but I don’t get a lot of fragrance from it.
I was reading Sharpologist’s list of best DE razors for last year. It differs from my list of my favorite razors, but in part that is because I ignore type and focus solely on feel and performance (and I don’t consider any razors that cost more than $100). The Sharpologist lists “best” for each type of razor, and I noted this entry:
Best Open Comb Razor: Parker open comb razors, the 24C and the 26C (differing only in handle design. Both shave very well and are not overly-aggressive). Honorable mention: Merkur 1904.
The Parker 24/26C head is indeed quite good, but you get a better bang for the buck by getting a Maggard V2 Open Comb head with a Maggard stainless steel handle ($20) instead of a Parker 24C or 26C ($29). The Maggard V2OC head is a clone of the Parker 26/24C head, so the shave is the same, but the Maggard handle is stainless steel (and in fact you have a choice of Maggard handles).
But my difference goes deeper. In my experience, the RazoRock Old Type — the razor I used this morning and shown in the photo above — is a better open-comb razor in terms of both feel and performance — and you can get the head alone for $8. (The Maggard V2OC head alone is $16.) The complete razor — head and handle — is $20. So if you have a spare handle, you’re in business for $8.
The Old Type always takes me by surprise. Even though I know that, the level of comfort and quality of shave I get still surprises me. My face this morning feels as smooth as yesterday’s shave, and that’s saying a lot.
A splash of Saint Charles Shave Woods aftershave — with a squirt of Grooming Dept Hydrating Gel, of course — and I am ready for the day. Very late start this morning because I stayed up very late last night.