Today I’m using my goat- and horse-hair shaving brush. It’s basically a novelty brush, and I don’t particularly recommend it. After the knot has been wet for a while, it loses resilience — this is definitely not a brush you want to soak before use. And today I noticed the lather was absent by the third pass — something that is indeed noticeable — so I had to reload for the final pass (at which point the knot had become floppy). I imagine the lather-death is just because the knot is still not fully broken in, and that with continued use that problem will fade. But the knot’s vulnerability to soaking will remain.
Still, I did get a good lather on each loading, and I do love the honey fragrance of Bee-Witched. I’m surprised honey-fragranced shaving soaps are not more common. It’s a great fragrance.
My iKon stainless-steel open-comb razor is extraordinarily comfortable and efficient. It is now sold with a B1 coating, but it’s the same head. Worth hinting for as a gift — or just buying.
A splash of Diplomat aftershave, which has an interesting spice fragrance, to finish the job, and we are enjoying a spot of sun (not the same as a sunspot).
The tea this morning is Murchie’s Library Blend: “This blend of Ceylon, Jasmine, Keemun, and Gunpowder teas has a rich, full base with the sparkle of aromatic Jasmine.”